The night was still and icy.

Xu Weiyu’s body trembled slightly. Her phone was clutched tightly in her hand as she bit her lip, hesitating. The Alliance was desperately hunting this "Raven" right now—if she called for backup, the arriving enforcers might actually subdue him.

After all, she’d personally witnessed that SS Rank enforcer from The Alliance. Her power was terrifyingly absolute. Xu Weiyu truly couldn’t imagine anyone in this world standing against her. Yet Raven’s earlier words had sent a chill down her spine.

After ten seconds of hesitation, she tossed the phone aside. She opened her wardrobe, threw a small blazer over her nightgown, pulled on black underwear, and slipped into flip-flops. Stepping outside, she found Raven watching TV. A girl on the variety show was sobbing hysterically while Raven seemed thoroughly amused.

“You said earlier… what exactly are you going to do?”

“I’ll teach you to enhance your ability. In three months, you heal someone for me. A fair trade.” Raven turned his head, his voice low.

“Fair? My ability is already useful enough—I don’t need to improve!” Xu Weiyu muttered under her breath.

“Your power can cure all known diseases now, but it has a cooldown. It can’t even perform basic limb regeneration. Why are you so ordinary yet so confident?”

Raven glanced at her dismissively. “Sit down.”

Xu Weiyu shuffled over in her flip-flops, her slender calves peeking beneath her skirt. She sat opposite him, knees pressed together. “Okay… so how?”

“You’ve taken the basic theory classes on abilities, right?”

“Of course I have!”

“Recite all ability classifications.”

“All abilities that alter physical constitution are Physical Types. Those manipulating fire, ice, or elements are Elemental Types. Powers reshaping matter through will are Psychic Types. Rare, unclassified abilities fall under Unknown Types—like mine.” Xu Weiyu puffed her chest out slightly. It was a point of pride: though her current strength was only A Rank, her potential rating was S Rank.

“If I recall, you named your ability ‘Medic Fairy’?” Raven’s gaze swept over her.

“Yeah.”

“What an idiot.”

“You called me an idiot?!” Xu Weiyu jabbed a finger at his nose, furious and wounded.

“You possess power to reshape life itself, yet you only restore it to its safest, most basic state. What else would you be?”

“What nonsense! My ability never told me it could do that!”

“Must your ability spell it out? Can’t you research it yourself?”

“The textbooks never mentioned it!”

“Aren’t textbooks written by people? Aren’t you human? Must you wait for textbooks?”

“You said you’d teach me, yet you’re arguing!”

“This isn’t arguing. I’m reasoning with you.”

“You just called me an idiot! How can you insult people?!”

“Because I have no manners.” Raven tilted his head.

Xu Weiyu nearly choked on her rage.

“Alright. Debate over. Listen carefully now—every word matters.” Raven’s tone turned serious.

Xu Weiyu gave a half-hearted “Oh.”

“Abilities don’t emerge from genetic mutations as The Alliance claims. That theory isn’t entirely wrong, but accurately? Abilities are miracles. Science can’t explain them—they’re unverifiable and utterly unpredictable.”

“Everyone must push their ability’s limits. Simple example: a fire-element user might think their power only creates flames, scaling with energy output. But fire requires three elements to burn. Tests show some fire-element users still produce flames in absolute vacuums. So why?” Raven tapped the table, posing the question.

“Another form of energy manifestation!” Xu Weiyu raised her hand eagerly. She’d read this in class!

“Yet among The Alliance’s 762 fire-type enforcers, barely over a hundred are true fire-element masters. The rest merely raise temperatures to ignite objects or use temporary tricks. They aren’t true masters.”

“Only those who precisely control energy-to-flame conversion qualify as true fire-element users. Only they hold S Rank potential.” As he spoke, Raven snapped his fingers.

Xu Weiyu froze—she’d heard what that snap meant. Relief washed over her when he simply opened his palm. A tiny flame flickered on his fingertip.

Her eyes widened slightly.

She watched the flame shift from deep blue to white, green, red, purple, orange—every hue imaginable. Raven’s eyes held a faint trace of amusement.

“Watch this.” The flame surged, expanding midair with gentle heat. It grew, then coalesced into a silhouette—Xu Weiyu’s own outline. The exaggerated curves were unmistakable.

Her jaw dropped as if trying to swallow an egg.

“This…” Words failed her. The flame dissolved moments later.

“See? This is energy-made fire. It has form but no substance. True fire-element users don’t just make bigger flames or higher heat. They master energy manipulation.”

“This example relates to you.”

“To me?” Xu Weiyu pointed at her own face.

“Yes. Your power reshapes life. Healing is just a trivial fragment. Imagine—what would you do with that power?”

Xu Weiyu pondered deeply for ten seconds, then raised her hand. “I’d become a catgirl!”

“What the hell?” Raven actually laughed.

“What’s wrong with catgirls? They’re cute!” Xu Weiyu pouted stubbornly.

“Cats have six nipples. Want those too?” Raven teased.

“Oh… right.” She abandoned the idea.

“If you understood feline biology and human biology completely, growing cat ears and a tail would be possible.” He tapped the table, dangling the possibility.

“Really?”

“Really.”

“Back to the point. You need two things: understanding lifeforms, and precise energy control. Restoring life to its original state? You’ve mastered that. But reshaping requires micro-control—and your energy manipulation is utterly terrible.”

“It is not!”

Raven beckoned toward the corner.

Xu Weiyu owned a cat named Tea—a blue-and-white British Shorthair. At his call, Tea trotted over on tiny legs and leaped into Raven’s lap. He stroked her head gently before handing her to Xu Weiyu.

“Now. Try giving Tea… two tails.”

“That’s impossible!” Xu Weiyu’s eyes bulged.

“Focus. Sense her lifeform. Guide your energy. It’s simple—you can do it.”

Tea clung to Xu Weiyu’s chest. She cradled the cat, placing a hand on its back. After healing Ink Orange Ice earlier, she had residual energy left. Sensing Tea’s lifeform was easy—but growing a second tail? The moment the thought formed, clarity struck. She knew exactly how.

Tea’s rear end twitched, itching faintly.

Xu Weiyu concentrated fiercely. Fifteen minutes passed. Raven stepped onto the balcony, turned his back, removed his mask, and lit a cigarette. She didn’t notice.

When he returned, a second tail—vibrant orange against Tea’s blue fur—sprouted from the cat’s back.

The sight was unsettling.

Xu Weiyu stared blankly at Tea, who gaped at the unfamiliar appendage dangling uselessly. “H-how do I change it back?” she stammered.

“Same rules. Sense the form. Command the change. Energy obeys your will. Simple.”

“Oh… I’ll try.”

She buried her head again. Seconds later, Tea reverted. Xu Weiyu threw her head back, laughing wildly—her chest jiggling—as Raven watched, baffled by her joy.

“I’m a genius! Hahahaha!!”

“…”

*Well. She’s an idiot.*

Raven tapped the table to snap her out of it. “You’ve grasped the basics. But never test this on humans—not even yourself. Your control over complex lifeforms is still weak. From now on, practice by reshaping small creatures.”

“Huh? What do you mean?”

“Make frogs grow six legs. Give snakes wings to fly. Attach tails to butterflies. Enlarge rats. Grant cockroaches flea-like jumps. Crucially—pursue the impossible.”

“Impossible?”

“The more unreasonable, the better. Only then will your ability undergo a qualitative leap. Only then can you reach the next level.”

“The next level?” Xu Weiyu’s heart itched like a cat was scratching it.

“Salvation and Ruin.”

“Salvation and Ruin? So cringey.” She blinked.

Raven smiled softly, his next words sending chills down her spine:

“By extracting the unique energy core within enforcers… I can strip abilities from the gifted. And grant them to the ordinary.”