Chapter 196 This was an otherworldly talent!
"William, I never imagined you to be so formidable."
How could Maria have ever guessed that William, who looked so gentlemanly, was this powerful?
Setting aside his skills in drinking and dice, William's combat abilities were almost on par with special forces.
Typically, someone who drinks frequently wouldn't have great physical condition, but William could break bricks with a single palm strike.
Maria knew just how hard the bricks in her yard were.
Their old house was built by her father over twenty years ago, using the best materials available.
The quality of bricks back then was much superior to what's available now. Even after two decades, they remained incredibly tough. Breaking them wasn't just about raw strength.
William's hands didn't have callouses, they looked soft and smooth with slender fingers, even more beautiful than many women's hands.
And these hands could break bricks?
It was truly unbelievable.
Amy, clutching William's leg and looking up, asked, "Mr. Johnson, you know martial arts?"
William laughed, "Didn't you just see?"
"If you can fly up to that tree, I'll believe it!" Amy's face was no longer in pain. The earlier incident of being bullied had been momentarily forgotten, now she was likely just curious to see William magically fly to a tree.
"If you don't believe it, let it be." William wasn't interested in entertaining such naive fantasies.
Amy clung to William's leg, her eyes sparkling with stars, and exclaimed, "Fly once for me! If you do, I'll believe you."
William gave her a sidelong glance and said, "How can I fly if you don't let go?"
Amy instantly released William's leg, took two steps back, and gestured with her tiny hand, pointing at the big tree in William's yard, asking, "Are you going to fly over there in one go?"
Maria hugged Amy, saying, "Stop your nonsense, Amy. Mr. Johnson can't fly."
William chuckled, of course he wouldn't suddenly fly up to the tree, he wasn't a monkey.
Around this time, a car pulled up in front of the yard. Zoey and Wes got out of the car.
In addition to a briefcase in Wes's hand, he also carried a large black leather case.
"William, come here," Wes called out to William as soon as he got out of the car.
William knew it: another mission was coming.
He went into the yard with Wes and his group. Amy initially wanted to follow, but Maria held her back, not letting her interfere.
Clearly, Wes and his group were there for official business with William.
"William, here's your ID badge and some equipment. I'll show you how to use them," Wes said, opening the large leather case to reveal a range of high-tech products.
Holding up a black button, Wes explained, "This is a mini camera. You can connect it to your phone via Bluetooth. During missions, you should record everything. Later, we can analyze the footage for the enemy's weaknesses and mistakes."
"And this is a signal jammer. It can block communications of devices not from our unit. At its highest setting, it covers a radius of one mile."
"A specialized tranquilizer gun designed specifically for targeting Soulmancers. A hit from this will cause even a mid-level Soulmancer to find it difficult to mobilize their internal energy, leading to dizziness."
The amount of equipment in Wes's case was extensive. Each item had a specialized function.
For instance, there was a close-fitting protective suit, equivalent to a bulletproof vest. Not only was its shock absorption outstanding, but it also had smart detection. If the suit was damaged or the wearer injured, it would automatically release a hemostatic agent.
All these gadgets truly opened William's eyes.
"William, let me show you how to harness the surrounding energy!" Zoey exclaimed, grabbing William's wrist, attempting to probe his body with her energy.
It occurred to her only after returning home the previous day. To determine if William was a Soulmancer, she didn't necessarily need to get physical. Couldn't she just sense it using her energy?
William didn't resist. He let Zoey probe, retaining only a minimal amount of energy within himself, roughly what it would take to maintain the normal functioning of an average person.
Strictly speaking, everyone can use the energy within them to attract and absorb energy from nature for their own use, but the vast majority can't even maintain their own energy without losing some of it.
After a tentative probe, Zoey discovered that William seemed not to know how to harness energy from nature, nor did he exhibit any signs of being a Soulmancer. The energy within him was only slightly stronger than that of the average person.
To truly be considered a Soulmancer, one's internal energy must be at least 20 times greater than his.
Clearly, William did not qualify as a Soulmancer.
"Are you really not a Soulmancer?" Zoey raised an eyebrow.
William chuckled, "I've explained many times."
Wes frowned, "Should we still let him join the 13th Bureau?"
He had assumed that Zoey's intuition was spot-on, but now, after the probe, things seemed clear. Even a high-level Soulmancer who can freely control the amount of energy they emit cannot hide from Zoey's probing. While they can mask their energy, they cannot hide the actual quantity within them.
The distinction of a high-level Soulmancer is not just about their skill level but also the degree to which their body can store energy.
If William isn't a Soulmancer, won't he just be a burden if admitted into the 13th Bureau?
With a neutral expression, Zoey stated, "Let him join the 13th Bureau. I've already arranged his entry, and I'll teach him."
"Sis, are you sure about this..." Wes sighed, adding, "Alright, but if there's a mission with a high risk factor, it's better not to involve him."
Wes still felt a shiver thinking about the "demi-god" mission from yesterday.
Dragging a regular person like William into a confrontation with a "demi-god"? Wasn't that leading him into danger?
"William, close your eyes and do as I say." Without further ado, Zoey was set on teaching William how to harness surrounding energy.
As instructed, William closed his eyes. He then felt a thread of energy from Zoey forcefully guiding the energy inside him.
Was this how one forcefully drew out energy?
William simply followed Zoey's lead. Under her guidance, the energy inside William started to flow, and his body absorbed a small amount of energy from his surroundings.
Only a tiny bit, really.
Zoey said, "Do you understand the process now? Take a deep breath, feel the energy coursing through you, and then channel it through every organ, just as I showed you earlier. As time goes on, you'll find yourself absorbing more and more energy. Practice several times a day."
William was at a loss for words. If he was really just an ordinary person, Zoey's teaching method surely wouldn't work.
Starting without even understanding what energy is? Being guided to forcefully draw out energy, circulate it once, and then be told to practice on his own?
"I think I've got the gist of it," William said, somewhat perfunctorily, mimicking the flow of energy and then "adding" a little more.
Wes stood by, looking at William and Zoey in astonishment.
Was this really working?
Zoey had also taught her using this method before?
Usually, a full cycle of energy circulation took an entire night, didn't it?
Otherwise, why was the process of becoming a Soulmancer considered so tedious and prolonged?
After only one round of circulation guided by Zoey, William managed to cycle the energy with his eyes open.
Completing an energy cycle in just two or three minutes?
Who would believe that?
This went beyond the realm of genius. This was... this was an otherworldly talent!
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