Chapter 11: Awakened Ones and Paths
In the end, Ji Ying didn’t take Luo Ling to the police station.
Luo Ling’s report yesterday hadn’t been recorded; her earlier words to Su Wan were just a pretext to get Luo Ling alone.
They went to town, found a milk tea shop, and sat down to talk.
At first, Luo Ling worried their conversation might be overheard, but for some reason, the few customers around paid them no attention, not even glancing their way.
Luo Ling realized this must be Ji Ying’s ability.
“First, you need to understand yourself, an ‘Awakened One.’ Under certain circumstances, some people develop special abilities. Like you and me, we are called Awakened Ones.
“The abilities of Awakened Ones vary. Currently known abilities can be categorized into six paths: Oneiric, Myriad, Judgment, Elemental, Order, and Other Shore. But we don’t rule out the possibility of abilities from other paths.”
Ji Ying dipped her straw in milk tea and drew six symbols on the table, beginning her explanation.
“Generally, each Awakened One can only master one path, gaining abilities through it. After progressing a certain distance along the path, they can increase their Order.
“Take the ‘Bone Doctor’ as an example. Her real name is Wu Qin, and she’s one of the few Awakened Ones whose abilities are completely public. She gained the ability called ‘Bone’ from the Judgment path, allowing her to freely disassemble and reassemble her bones. She has also transcended the limitations of flesh and blood—even if only her bones remain, as long as her brain is intact, she can sustain her life.
“As for her two skills, ‘Bone Steel’ and ‘Bone Spike,’ I believe you’ve experienced them firsthand during your fight.”
Luo Ling nodded thoughtfully. She had indeed experienced those two skills during the fight.
“So, a Second-Order Awakened One has two skills?” Luo Ling asked after a moment of thought.
“Not necessarily,” Ji Ying shook her head. “It’s like allocating points. After leveling up, an Awakened One might gain new skills or enhance existing ones.
“From Third to Fourth Order, Sixth to Seventh Order, and possibly Ninth Order and above, all abilities of an Awakened One will be greatly enhanced.”
She paused, then continued, “Of course, a higher Order doesn’t necessarily mean stronger. You defeated a puppeted Second-Order Awakened One, while you yourself might not have even mastered a single skill.
“Perceiving the limits and weaknesses of each other’s abilities, and grasping the ever-changing situation on the battlefield, are the keys to victory—or at the very least, you can choose to run.”
Luo Ling remained silent. She felt her situation was special because she didn’t know how she had done it.
“This is between Awakened Ones, but Grotesqueries are different. Besides having paths completely opposite to Awakened Ones, they also have ‘Sequences.’”
Mentioning Grotesqueries, Ji Ying’s expression turned serious. “The ‘Grotesquery Sequence’ originates from a mysterious stone tablet. Whenever a new Grotesquery trace is discovered, its corresponding sequence and pronounceable name appear on the tablet.
“Grotesquery Sequences within the top one hundred and fifty are classified as ‘Dangerous Grotesqueries,’ the top fifty are ‘High-Risk Grotesqueries,’ and the top ten are absolute ‘Taboos,’ untouchable existences.”
“Currently, the weakest known Grotesquery is Sequence Four Hundred and Twenty-Six, ‘Silly Child,’ and the strongest is Sequence Six, ‘Knight.’ The Puppet Ballad is Sequence Forty-Nine, a very dangerous ‘High-Risk Grotesquery.’
“It’s important to note that lower Sequence doesn’t necessarily mean easier to deal with. Even a Seventh-Order Awakened One could die at the hands of a Sequence Three or Four Hundred Grotesquery if they’re careless.”
Luo Ling nodded thoughtfully and asked,
“The weakest is over four hundred… does that mean there are only over four hundred Grotesqueries in the world?”
“First, using ‘only’ as a quantifier isn’t accurate. Grotesqueries don’t all take biological forms. They could be objects, phenomena, or even environments.”
Ji Ying explained slowly, “Second, there might be many instances of the same Sequence Grotesquery. For example, Sequence Two Hundred and Forty-Seven, ‘Masterless Vermin,’ is a hive-mind Grotesquery with an uncountable number of individuals.”
“…So, there could be many Puppet Ballads?” Luo Ling shuddered.
She had witnessed the Puppet Ballad’s power, and now, possessing a part of its ability, she understood its terrifying nature even more.
Silently controlling and changing a person without them even realizing it.
“Don’t worry, there’s usually only one instance of a High-Risk Grotesquery. The Puppet Ballad should only have one true form.”
Ji Ying said, looking at Luo Ling, “From your words, you still intend to join me in tracking down the Puppet Ballad? This is very dangerous, your sister will be worried.”
With just a few glances, she could tell how much Su Wan cherished her younger sister, even if she wasn’t sure if Su Wan was a Lamb of the Puppet Ballad…
“I… I’m afraid it’s hard for me to stay out of this.”
Luo Ling gave a wry smile and extended a strand of hair. A Spore landed on Ji Ying’s shoulder. “My ability is the Puppet Ballad.”
This… couldn’t be hidden.
With Ji Ying’s understanding of the Puppet Ballad, she would definitely notice if Luo Ling used her ability.
Unless Luo Ling chose to avoid contact with Ji Ying and face the High-Risk Grotesquery alone, which would be a dead end.
After learning from Ji Ying what Grotesqueries truly were, Luo Ling knew she was already involved and couldn’t escape.
With the Puppet Ballad’s ability, Luo Ling wasn’t safe anywhere. Anyone could be a puppet controlled by the Puppet Ballad, even… her sister.
The moment Luo Ling spoke, Ji Ying’s hand instinctively went to the dagger at her waist.
But after sensing the Spore on her shoulder, she lowered her hand, her expression turning grave.
“It’s actually… the ability of a Grotesquery.”
Luo Ling’s Spore’s aura was weak, clearly not that of a Meat Puppet.
Because… such a weak Spore couldn’t control anyone, and the Puppet Ballad’s Meat Puppets were used to control Lambs or absorb nutrients.
“However, you’re still too young, Miss Luo Ling,” Ji Ying said seriously, putting away her dagger. “You shouldn’t have told me about your ability so readily, even if I might have figured it out eventually.
“Trust is precious. Giving it to a stranger you’ve only known for two hours is not worth it.”
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