Chapter 00033: The Essence of Ability
# The Essence of Ability
Chapter 33
Novel: Above Destiny
Chapter 33: The Essence of Ability
Pray tell, what kind of experience is it when an apprentice worker starts their first day, only to have their entire four years’ worth of wages and subsidies deducted in one go?
Unfortunate fellow Ji Jue, before going into hiding, could only express that those who understand, understand.
One could say that Professor Ye's workshop is quite humane, as even apprentices receive formal wages and subsidies, not to mention work injury insurance among other benefits.
However, when such humane treatment encounters someone like Ji Jue, who is somewhat personified, it tends to fall short.
But then again, he never intended to earn any money working for the professor; rounding it off, he was only losing something he wouldn’t have known about anyway.
At worst, he might drop a couple of small pearls in his dreams when he returns home.
Thus, at the professor's request, he once again demonstrated his abilities using a scrap piece that was already deemed unusable.
Ever since the fateful calling, he had officially become a chosen one, and his abilities had remarkably advanced, breaking through his previous limitations.
He no longer needed to reach out and touch the machinery to issue commands; he could communicate directly now.
Targets within ten meters could now be connected flawlessly in an instant.
Faster, stronger, and more draining on his resources.
Sadly, just as the golden wind and jade dew meet, surpassing countless human experiences, Ji Jue had made a breakthrough yet no longer had the limitless supply provided by Teacher Lawrence.
The technique known as the Spiral Planting Technique was indeed a marvelous thing!
He thought to himself that back then he should have stopped Wen Wen from being so decisive in killing, leaving behind some scraps to grow a couple more Lawrences in the field.
With his regenerative capabilities, they could produce one, draw out another; wouldn’t it allow mass production of spirit quality batteries?
Alas, thinking about it was already a pity… such a treasure-laden opponent, when would he encounter another like that?
As Ji Jue’s thoughts sank lower and lower, Professor Ye, having observed the entire process, adjusted her glasses and sighed gently, "I see."
Through those glasses capable of discerning the flow of spirit quality, she had observed the entire procedure.
On the surface, it seemed to lean toward command-type abilities.
Yet, fundamentally, it was entirely different.
If it were merely about controlling machinery, then the flow of spirit quality was excessively frequent and immense.
If it were simply to give instructions, then under the condition that the target had energy, it shouldn’t incur such vast consumption.
An adept chosen one specializing in control could use their ability dozens, even hundreds of times a day; or, for those highly skilled in the Heart’s Core, commanding ordinary people was as simple as speaking a word.
But Ji Jue… a fifth of the spirit quality flowed out, and less than half returned, most of it lost.
If he were a typical useless chosen one, that would be understandable.
But was the calling of the chosen ones really so lacking in weight? Her brow furrowed.
Something felt off.
There were always some places that felt amiss…
Spirit quality does not appear from thin air, nor does it simply disappear unless it has been transformed through 'work'; then—Professor Ye suddenly turned back, "You just said that you can communicate with them, right?"
"Yes, but most of the time, they don’t say much."
Ji Jue replied, "So far, those I've encountered have been relatively easy to talk to."
"…"
Breaking the silence, Professor Ye suddenly asked, "Is it possible that the ones speaking are not them?"
"Huh?"
"Ordinary matter does not possess thoughts, Ji Jue. Without spirit quality, there can be no basis for thought, and thus no personality or preferences."
She tapped the outer casing of the workstation, and in an instant, the machine broke free from Ji Jue’s control, falling silent once more.
“For instance, this working center was assembled by my own hands. If I haven't become senile to the point of missing such interferences, then if it has no will…"
She turned to question, "Then at the moment you communicated, who exactly were you talking to?"
Ji Jue was thoroughly bewildered.
If the machine wasn’t speaking, then who could it possibly be? Could it be… wait, could it be himself?
Oh dear, am I splitting into two?!
I’ve already left the hospital; there’s no way I should have to go back!
But no, the doctor said I was perfectly healthy!
At this moment, he then heard Professor Ye’s words.
“If I’m not mistaken, the essence of your ability is to bestow your spirit quality upon other objects, temporarily bringing them to life.” She said, “As for the conversations appearing in your mind… they likely originate from the history, experiences, and accumulations of the item itself, combined with spirit quality, creating a temporary semblance of personality. And they will spontaneously respond based on your instructions, actively operating.”
Lost in thought, she firmly stated, “If this ability could be further developed, it might allow the machinery itself to truly come to life, even altering its structure to serve you.”
Ji Jue was utterly dumbfounded.
Her insight was strikingly accurate, as if she had peered deeper than he himself understood.
Moreover, even in the absence of any knowledge about his urgent survival protocol, she had predicted the specific details regarding his ‘Dual Quality Transformation’, which he had only utilized once before.
In that moment, she reached into her pocket and pulled out a spherical object, handing it to Ji Jue.
“Try this.”
It fit snugly in his hand, its sound crisp.
The fist-sized spherical object bore intricate and splendid patterns, finely carved with nine coin-sized holes.
Peering inside, he could see a smaller sphere within, identical in complexity and splendor, layered in nine tiers!
Legend had it that long ago, artisans would painstakingly craft such incredible objects from ivory.
The only time Ji Jue had seen such exquisite craftsmanship was in history textbooks, yet this one emanated a chillingly sinister aura that made his heart race.
Even more so than the ‘Dark Abyss’ he had once seen in Lawrence's hand!
“Is this a... Spirit Craft Ball?”
He held it carefully, examining it closely, and instinctively infused it with a bit of spirit quality to sense its material, only to find his vision go dark.
In that fleeting sense, numerous branches appeared in his spiritual feedback, a web of complex spirit pathways resembling integrated chips along with hundreds of complex runes far beyond his understanding…
If spread out flat, the fist-sized Spirit Craft Ball would likely cover an entire massive factory and even reach into the sea.
Yet when Ji Jue’s ability acted upon it, it felt like an endless pit – the Spirit Craft Ball devoured his spirit quality like a whale, greedily feasting, but aside from that… it gave no indication whatsoever!
Even if Ji Jue completely drained his spirit quality, almost collapsing on the spot, he only heard a satisfying voice say, “Thank you, brother, I’m all better now.”
From then on, it was impervious to his calls.
Its response was simply appalling.
Ji Jue’s eyes widened: No way, return it to me!
Too bad, the Spirit Craft Ball offered no further reply.
In fact, it detached itself from Ji Jue's hand as if pulled by an invisible tether, returning to Professor Ye's grip, spinning smoothly as if obedient, slowly revealing its terrifyingly intricate structure to Ji Jue, tame like a loyal dog.
“Do you see? After suffering a loss, you should remember; don’t stick to whatever you see.”
Professor Ye advised slowly, “Some items possess their own spirit and can automatically identify friend from foe. In such cases, unless your ability is potent enough to completely overwrite their fundamental circuits and commands, they won’t respond to your requests. But once you can craft alchemical items and become a formal craftsman, you should know how to amend the foundational commands.”
She paused briefly and revealed a smile that hinted at a subtle malice. “You might even turn it against its original owner.”
Imagine, when an opponent confidently brings out their prized possession, sparing no cost to activate it, only to discover that their weapon has transformed into an ally of the enemy.
It would be a nightmare for any foe!
Especially for a chosen one steeped in this craft, such an ability is nothing less than the killer bane of alchemical items! No matter what weapon or equipment Ji Jue faced, it would hold no effect, leaving him as bare as the day he was born.
Yet, it didn’t stop there…
Even now, after a series of shocking experiences, Professor Ye felt once again a kind of revelation...
Concerning the horror of the fateful calling!
It was not simply a gap in talent or the difference in will but a deviation at the very essence!
Every apprentice in any workshop could recite in their sleep the essence of alchemy—bestowing soul upon matter, granting ordinary things miraculous properties, and uplifting the talented with extraordinary skills.
From metal and stone, refining gold, merging the utmost goodness with spirit quality, up to the boundless vastness of the myriad phenomena!
But could that just one chosen one's foundational ability encompass all four major elements of alchemy: Elevation, Extraction, Purification, and Coordination?
It was indeed unfathomably bizarre.
Even more ludicrous was the fact that Ji Jue had already somehow grasped the latter parts without any clue of the foundational ones.
It was like an aerial castle, or rather, a living, breathing sky garden… based purely on Ji Jue's lack of any existing foundation, yet he was inexplicably elevated to an unreasonable height?!
Imagine an illiterate eighty-year-old woman teaching you the secrets of nuclear fusion, while the old farmer at the village's edge deduces the curvature engine's migration parameters—projecting punk and rebellion beyond belief.
She had never before encountered such an outrageous situation.
In fact, she had doubted more than once if she had fallen victim to a mirage or the enigma of the Heart’s Core.
Complicated, eerie, bizarre.
Yet… so intriguing!
Lost in her musings, her smile turned gradually dangerous and frenzied.
The Upmost Good, the Emissary of Embers, presided over creation, change, and innovation... truly embarking on this path, no chosen one was without a mind full of technical monstrosities.
When an aberration or a deformity jumped onto the road, they couldn’t help but want to dissect a bit to understand.
And now, such a bizarre material had actively presented itself before her?
Her hands were itching to dive in.
Purely in terms of research value, the chosen ones are truly treasures all on their own.
They inherently possess astonishing compatibility with their corresponding Upmost Good, not to mention Ji Jue resonating with nine of them; the range of application was astonishingly vast.
Blood and marrow could be extracted, potions brewed, bones and flesh could be crushed or processed for cultivation, souls could be severed, forged into tools; even spirit quality could be drawn slowly to enhance material fusion.
From head to toe, even down to their abilities, they were endowed with almost limitless potential!
It was a pity that what Ji Jue was skilled in were engineering and purification; otherwise, if he were focused on crafting living entities, he would have likely tossed that fellow straight into the furnace!
That piercing gaze made Ji Jue feel a chill.
Suddenly, an impulse to sound an alarm surged through him, instinctively causing him to step back slightly, trembling with unease.
“Get ready, Ji Jue.”
Under the pale light, Professor Ye slowly revealed a 'gentle' smile, “Starting tomorrow, your graduate courses will begin ahead of schedule.”
(End of Chapter)