Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

The female investigator played a video for Wang Chen, which fully documented the process of him slaying a group of pirates in the corridor outside.

Although the fight was brief, Wang Chen wielded a longsword to sweep through his enemies, slicing through armor and severing heads as easily as cutting vegetables. Even without the accompaniment of background music, it still evoked a strong sense of fervor and excitement.

The cruise ship's interior surveillance cameras had extremely high resolution; even when the video details were magnified tenfold, they remained incredibly clear.

This allowed Wang Chen to scrutinize his own battle from a third-person perspective.

He found it quite insightful.

"Wang Chen, original name Lu Yuan, eighteen years old this year, from Long Sea City, Azure Prime Star of the Azure Star Cluster…"

After the video ended, the middle-aged investigator recited Wang Chen's profile with an expressionless face, including his results in the Advanced Martial Examination and his recommendation from the Azure Star Cluster Garrison Army. He laid it all out clearly.

When he finished, the female investigator smiled and said, "Wang Chen, do you know? I was very surprised when I saw this video for the first time because your performance was entirely unlike that of an eighteen-year-old youth."

"Rather, you resembled a seasoned Ironclad Warrior!"

Wang Chen remained neutral: "Thank you for the compliment."

"That's not a compliment."

The female investigator waved her hand and emphasized, "The strength you displayed in combat shocked every one of us!"

The middle-aged investigator spoke again, "This pirate gang belongs to the Black Sea Star Pirates. The infiltrating pirates on the cruise ship were equipped with Land Rover III Type Combat Armor. Although it's knockoff equipment, it still possesses 85% of the defense power of the original model."

He stared intently at Wang Chen, his sharp gaze like that of a hawk, attempting to penetrate Wang Chen's soul and uncover all of his secrets!

With every word and gesture, the middle-aged investigator exuded a sense of oppressive pressure: "Please explain how you managed to breach the armor's defenses using just a standard longsword?"

Wang Chen mulled over his response briefly, then said, "I awakened a special ability on FT1205 Planet."

In truth, Wang Chen had already mentally prepared himself for this inquiry from the Imperial Security Bureau investigator.

After all, Wang Chen's combat actions against the pirates would not have escaped surveillance, and an incident involving pirates hijacking a cruise ship was significant enough that the Empire would inevitably conduct a thorough investigation. Being exposed was only natural.

What surprised Wang Chen was how quickly the Imperial Security Bureau arrived.

But since he was prepared, he remained calm, answering with composure and meeting the middle-aged investigator's gaze resolutely, without the slightest hint of retreat.

The middle-aged investigator and the female investigator exchanged a glance.

They were neither shocked nor perplexed by Wang Chen's answer.

In fact, the existence of superpowers had been known for quite some time, and the Empire had long engaged in research in this area, achieving significant advancements and even investing heavily in implementing the Superpower Warrior Program.

As members of the Imperial Security Bureau, Wang Chen was far from the first superpower they had encountered.

Instances of natural awakenings were plentiful, though they were kept confidential from the public. However, airtight secrecy was impossible.

The female investigator asked curiously, "Can you describe your ability in detail?"

Wang Chen considered briefly, then replied, "I refer to my special ability as 'spiritual power.' It allows me to possess greater strength and can be infused into cold weapons to enhance their lethality."

"Spiritual power?"

The female investigator furrowed her brows. "This seems quite different from the conventional mental superpowers we're familiar with."

"I, too, don't know how best to define it."

Wang Chen smiled faintly. "However, after using it, I experience significant mental exhaustion, my cognitive responses become sluggish, and I require sleep to gradually recover."

His words contained nine truths and one lie, withholding the most critical secrets while still remaining perfectly convincing.

Both the female and middle-aged investigators displayed curious expressions.

Wang Chen was astonishingly forthright, even revealing the weakness of his superpower without any attempt at concealment.

Many superpower awakeners had eccentric personalities and low levels of trust toward government personnel. Not only would they refuse to disclose their secrets, but some even viewed the Imperial Security Bureau as a persecuting institution.

Heaven help them—the Imperial Security Bureau might be a violent organization and had indeed dealt with some rogue superpower users, but they had never subjected any superpower user to dissection-based experiments.

If such experiments ever occurred, they would fall under the domain of the Supreme Academy of Science!

"We originally intended to have you demonstrate your superpower for us…"

The female investigator smiled and said, "But since it comes with such side effects, we'll postpone it for another occasion."

The middle-aged investigator, maintaining his stern demeanor, remarked, "The greater the power, the greater the responsibility, and the stricter the constraints. I hope you'll use your superpower for righteous causes and steer clear of wrongdoing."

He pointed to his own eyes. "I'll be keeping a close watch on you!"

The female investigator added, "Wang Chen, you don't need to worry. As long as you remain loyal to the Empire, the greater your power, the higher your honor. Our Imperial Security Bureau actually welcomes talented individuals like you to join us!"

Hmm?

One played the role of the stern enforcer while the other played the approachable recruiter. Wang Chen was well aware of their intentions, though he hadn't expected them to attempt to recruit him!

Wang Chen smiled wryly. "Thanks for your high regard, but I've already signed a contract with the Azure Star Cluster Garrison Army and am about to study at the First Military Academy, which makes joining the Security Bureau unsuitable. So, my apologies."

Regardless of whether their recruitment was sincere or a mere ploy, Wang Chen wouldn't agree unless he lost his senses entirely.

The Imperial Security Bureau served as the Emperor's hunting dogs and was also tasked with overseeing the Imperial Army. If Wang Chen joined the Security Bureau, how would he navigate life in the Garrison Army afterward?

Others would certainly avoid him on sight, and he wouldn't feel comfortable either.

Besides, the female investigator had only been testing the waters. Upon seeing Wang Chen's resolute stance, she smiled and said, "I completely understand. Then, let's stop here for today."

She rose and extended her slender hand toward Wang Chen. "It's a pleasure meeting you. My name is Zhao Qianqian."

Wang Chen shook her hand. "The honor is mine."

The middle-aged investigator didn't shake hands with him. Instead, he said coldly, "Until this incident is fully investigated, you're required to keep your communication channels active. If we have any questions, we'll contact you at any time. I hope you'll cooperate and understand."

Wang Chen nodded. "Of course."

Zhao Qianqian smiled. "Naturally, your contributions will also be documented. I believe you'll soon receive commendation from the Empire."

The Empire, which had stood for centuries, had always valued martial prowess and rewarded military merit generously.

Though Wang Chen's achievement of slaying ten pirates wasn't particularly remarkable, his valor and warrior spirit certainly deserved recognition.

Lucky kid!

In Zhao Qianqian's beautiful eyes, a glimmer of intrigue flashed briefly, quickly concealed by her smile.

"Wang Chen, may you enjoy enduring military success!"

"We'll meet again someday."

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Here's the first update.