After hearing Rice's report, Xiao Feng's expression darkened as he switched off the communicator, furrowing his brow as he reclined in the passenger seat.
Kerry, driving, also caught the weight of Rice's words. For the X Legion, confronting a C-level beast swarm was undeniably daunting. Should they fail to exterminate these creatures one by one, allowing them to coalesce into a full-scale beast tide, Black Whale City would face catastrophic devastation.
Kerry instinctively accelerated. "Let's hope that by the time we return, this C-level beast swarm has already been neutralized."
"Why do you say that?" Xiao Feng inquired.
"If even the entire X Legion cannot suppress this beast tide, what use are the two of us returning? And in your current exhausted state, we certainly can't rely solely on you," Kerry replied gravely.
Xiao Feng sighed heavily. "Indeed, our ranks lack enough elite warriors. The Alliance army boasts seven psychic powers of level eight or above; we have barely two and a half. Our combat strength pales in comparison. Were we to possess seven or eight level-eight psychics, or higher, confronting a C-level beast swarm would be trivial."
"Level-eight psychics, you say? I'm certain many on this Earth harbor such formidable psychic evolutions," Kerry countered.
"Even if we find them, what then? Convincing such titans to join the X Legion would be near impossible. We should consult the Victoria Corporation—to inquire about their research on psychic cultivation."
Kerry scoffed. "Good luck with that. I doubt Victoria Corporation will ever release such corporate secrets. Rush has been a level-eight psychic for quite some time, which means they mastered this technology long ago. Yet they choose not to share it with you. There's something sinister behind this."
"Perhaps they fear that disclosing such secrets would unleash a flood of powerful psychics, becoming uncontrollable," Xiao Feng speculated.
Kerry shook his head. "No, that's not it. Mark my words, Victoria Corporation is surely orchestrating some clandestine scheme."
Xiao Feng lay back in the passenger seat, brow furrowed, his mind racing over the mysterious motives of Victoria Corporation. Yet, with the car's relentless jolts and the weight of exhaustion, he gradually drifted into slumber.
Kerry glanced at him silently, saying nothing more, pressing harder on the accelerator as they sped toward Black Whale City.
Meanwhile, in another vehicle, K posed a question to Lin, "Why do you think Xiao Feng possesses Rush's level-eight psychic evolution?"
Lin smiled faintly. "It's not difficult to explain. Initially, Xiao Feng's sole psychic evolution was speed, at least when I first met him. Then, inexplicably, he acquired electric shock abilities, followed by miraculous regenerative powers, and finally, psychic powers. Now he wields four distinct psychic evolutions—something unheard of. Even you, as a level-eight psychic, possess only one evolution. I suspect Xiao Feng harbors another, unprecedented psychic power."
K's eyes widened as realization dawned. "You mean Xiao Feng has an evolution that can absorb other psychic abilities?"
"It's hard to say. I don't think it's true absorption. If it were, after absorbing Rush's power, Xiao Feng wouldn't have psychic abilities. It's more like fusion or assimilation—he must have the capacity to integrate others' psychic evolutions," Lin reasoned. His keen intellect made such conclusions unsurprising after extensive time with Xiao Feng.
K nodded thoughtfully. "That makes Xiao Feng even more formidable. Perhaps one day, he'll even acquire my level-eight psychic power."
"If he needs your ability, I'm sure he'll seek you out. But that's not the scariest part—if Xiao Feng encounters a level-nine psychic, he might ascend to that level as well."
"Level-nine psychics… far more terrifying. As of now, only Zeus and Hera of the Seven Gods have reached that pinnacle."
"The primary and secondary gods of the Seven Gods? They haven't appeared in ages—rumor has it they've left Earth."
"That's mere legend. No one knows the whereabouts of level-nine psychics. If Xiao Feng meets them and obtains their power, the Alliance forces are doomed."
"I have one more question: why is psychic power capped at level nine? Are there higher tiers beyond that?"
"Ha, of course higher levels exist. But even after all these years of Alliance control over Earth, no powerful level-ten psychic has been discovered. If one did exist, a single level-ten psychic could easily overpower a military force like the X Legion."
"But do level-ten psychics truly exist?"
K shook his head. "I believe they do. Another point—have you noticed that all beasts encountered so far are C-level or below? You've never seen a true B-level beast, have you?"
Lin nodded. "Does that mean B-level beasts don't exist?"
"No. The Alliance classifies beasts from G-level up to A-level. B- and A-level beasts definitely exist, but they haven't appeared because far mightier forces have either destroyed or suppressed them. That's why we haven't laid eyes on these top-tier beasts."
K's words broadened Lin's perspective. "Indeed, that must be the case. Level-ten psychics and A-level beasts—what unparalleled forces those must be."
K chuckled darkly. "Don't worry, this Alliance war has already begun. Sooner or later, we'll encounter them. The only question is whether we'll survive the encounter."
"How could we not? With the omnipotent Xiao Feng on our side, we're bound to prevail."
K's brow furrowed slightly. "Omnipotent Xiao Feng, huh..." Deep down, K too was relieved to be allied with Xiao Feng. Had he remained with the Alliance, following Sam Corporation and Hilton Company, he doubted he'd have the confidence to face this madman.
P.S. This chapter introduces the concept of Level-Ten Psychics.