https://novelcool.info/chapter/Chapter-195-Covert-Surveillance-and-Encounter/12969828/
Chapter 196: The Test
Chapter 196: The Test
"You want a strand of my hair?" Upon hearing the rogue gang leader's request, Lyon immediately became alert.
Although the leader's ability seemed related to "gates," there was a connection between the rogue gang and the Water Bottle Director, and the Water Bottle had created numerous anomalies, possibly giving him one or a few as a casual gift.
If this anomaly could detect others' states through hair, would Lyon's borrowed identity from the photo be exposed?
...
"Little Bavin?"
Seeing that Lyon didn't immediately pluck a hair but stood silently, the fat middle-aged man beside him grew anxious and impatiently pushed Lyon.
"Hurry up! What are you waiting for?"
"Sorry, I... I'm just a little excited!"
Lyon stumbled slightly, following the fat man's push, and discreetly reached into his pocket, knocking on the small mirror, and then he curled his fingers towards the young Ha inside. He then expressed his gratitude, saying, "Thank you, Leader, for this opportunity! I'll pluck a hair now!"
As a group of people curiously watched Lyon pretending to be the shocked boy, he quickly took his hand out of his pocket and then reached behind his head, plucking out a clump of hair.
"Leader, is this enough?"
"It's enough, it's enough... You don't need to pluck so many. One strand will do..."
Seeing the trembling hand of "Little Bavin" holding a small clump of black hair, the middle-aged man couldn't help but smile wryly. He then took a single hair and gently rubbed it on the inside of the watch, as the Water Bottle Director had instructed.
"Squeak~"
Accompanied by a faint sound akin to metal gears grinding against each other, the side of the middle-aged man's watch suddenly opened a small gap, revealing its internal mechanical structure.
As Lyon and the others watched in "shock," the oddly shaped six-needle watch seemed to come alive, swallowing the black hair directly. The watch was made of brass, and the hair was like a tiny, twisted tooth being devoured.
"This is a gift I received. It can detect if a person possesses 'unique' power through their hair. The more needles that move and the greater the range, the better your aptitude."
After briefly explaining the watch's function, the middle-aged man held the other side of the watch and flicked a switch.
"Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh! Swoosh!"
Accompanied by a barely audible sound, five needles almost instantly began to move, rapidly advancing towards the anomaly range.
Past, body, soul, personality, emotions... Old Bavin only had three needles react, yet this child had so many areas deviating from a normal person?
The middle-aged man glanced at "Little Bavin" with some surprise, then lowered his head, expectantly watching the watch. When all the needles stopped, he couldn't help but show a hint of disappointment.
Although three needles reacted, they weren't grouped as one needle per group. The past, body, and soul groups passed, but the emotions and personality groups only showed slight movement, far from reaching the level of an anomaly.
Little Bavin had a painful past, but not a great future. His body and soul were abnormal, but his emotions and personality fell short of the mark, only slightly fluctuating.
It seemed that Lyon's judgment was correct. Although he had experienced a painful past, with Old Owen and his family caring for him, he hadn't truly sunk into darkness. His personality and emotions were only slightly affected due to the family's misfortune.
It was truly a pity, just like his father, Old Bavin, there was a chance, but in the end, he fell short of that last crucial step.
"I'm sorry."
Facing the expectant gazes of Old Owen and the other man, the middle-aged man shook his head slightly and directly gave a negative response.
"Little Bavin does have some potential, but compared to the minimum standard, he's still a bit lacking. As of now, he doesn't possess the required qualifications."
"..."
"Oh..."
Upon hearing the middle-aged man's answer, the so-called "Little Bavin," who had been personally deemed talentless by the leader, couldn't help but feel disheartened, lowering his head in a daze.
The burly uncle sighed deeply, patted him on the back in consolation, and then forced a smile as he spoke to the middle-aged man:
"Thank you, Leader. Even without that extraordinary ability, I believe that with hard work, we can still accomplish something!"
Hearing the burly uncle's words, the middle-aged man couldn't help but fall silent for a moment.
Is it really possible with just hard work...? After crossing the Afterlife Gate, I've tried so many times, yet why does everything still seem to be sliding into the abyss?
In this world, some things are destined to be beyond the reach of hard work. Lack of ability is just that—a lack of ability. Lack of qualification is a lack of qualification!
"Yes... as long as we work hard... it should be possible."
The middle-aged man, feeling a dull ache in his chest, managed a smile and uttered a lie he didn't even believe himself, before stepping aside to open the door leading to the capital. He then instructed:
"Go back quickly. Although Old Bavin has probably drunk a lot of your money, the remaining amount will likely be used to pay the damage memorial wall's fine. However, he might not have brought all the money with him, so there might still be some left at home.
So, you can go and check if there's any money left at his place. If you need more funds, go to the finance department and request an advance, just mention my name."
"Thank you, Leader..."
In response to the middle-aged man's concern, the shattered "Little Bavin" nodded, weakly expressing his gratitude. He then followed the burly uncle, who was quietly comforting him, through the warehouse door and left the valley, which served as their settlement.
As their figures disappeared, the middle-aged man couldn't help but sigh, not knowing whether he was disappointed about not obtaining a new anomaly or lamenting their shared fate of powerlessness. He turned and began walking towards the center of the valley, preparing to arrange their actions for the next period.
However, just as he had taken a few steps, a robust figure rushed over, sniffing excitedly as he ran. Upon seeing the middle-aged man, he expressed his delight.
"Nathan... Leader! Is this your scent? How did you become even more fragrant?"
"???"
What scent? What does it mean that I've become more fragrant?
The middle-aged man, somewhat perplexed, sniffed at his sleeve, but didn't detect any peculiar scent. He furrowed his brows and asked in return:
"Tiger? What are you talking about? Where is this fragrance on my body?"
"..."
There really wasn't any scent... or perhaps it wasn't his scent, and it was becoming fainter...
The strange man with full-body burns leaned in and sniffed the middle-aged man twice, then shook his head in disappointment. With a look of disdain, he asked:
"Le... Nathan, did you encounter a true powerhouse? Where is that person now?"
(End of Chapter)
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