Chapter 25: A Terrifying Level of Demonic Power

"Over a hundred! He passed! Oh, it's already over two hundred—so fast!" the old man exclaimed in pleasant surprise. He reached quickly for the keyboard, eager to end Ye Yang’s agony, but Wang Feng intercepted his hand.

"Continue!" Wang Feng gritted his teeth.

The old man blinked, stunned. "But... but..."

"I said continue!" Wang Feng’s voice was like a thunderclap, so startling that the old man dared not argue.

"Come on... let me see more! Let me see just how far you can go!" Watching Ye Yang struggle in pain, Wang Feng’s expression was filled with excitement.

"Over three hundred! And it's still rising! The speed is incredible!" The old man cried out again. Wang Feng nodded, unable to mask the intensity in his eyes.

"Four hundred... four hundred fifty... five hundred... it’s already exceeded the demon power level of a Level 3. My god! Is he really just an ordinary person? Does he really have no supernatural abilities? How is this possible?"

Ye Yang could no longer hear the words of the old man or Wang Feng clearly. He vaguely sensed something about passing, and a flicker of joy welled up in his heart, only to be instantly drowned out by excruciating pain. Did I pass? But... why don't they stop? How much longer must I endure this? What are they doing to me?

By now, Ye Yang was entirely delirious. His eyes were bloodshot, his throat emitted guttural, rasping sounds, and his face was twisted into a ghastly, monstrous mask.

Beneath his sleeve, the muscles in his arm were trembling violently. A tattoo was gradually emerging, becoming more and more distinct—a pattern resembling a fierce tiger. But Ye Yang was unaware, the old man hadn't noticed, and even Wang Feng remained oblivious.

"Seven hundred... seven hundred thirty... seven hundred fifty!! What... what kind of evolutionary cell seed did you inject into him?" The old man’s voice trembled.

A strange smile touched Wang Feng’s lips. "We didn't inject anything into him."

"How is that possible?" The old man whipped his head around, searching Wang Feng’s face for a sign of a joke, but he was disappointed; Wang Feng’s expression was resolute.

After a few heavy, ragged breaths, the old man fell silent. Neither spoke again; they simply stared fixedly at the rapidly jumping numbers on the computer screen, their expressions shifting from astonishment to stunned disbelief, and finally, into a look of sheer terror.

In the hall, Ye Yang’s entire body shook as if electrocuted. The two men watched in a daze, the scene unfolding in a bizarre, eerie silence.

"It’s over one thousand!" The old man’s voice was numb. Wang Feng didn't bother to respond.

After a while longer, Ye Yang’s tremors suddenly ceased. He jerked his head up, his blood-red eyes fixed on the two men with infinite ferocity. The old man jumped, and Wang Feng stiffened.

"What is he..." The old man stood up in alarm, but before he could finish, Ye Yang’s head dropped, and he went completely still.

"Stop!" Wang Feng commanded immediately. He knew Ye Yang had reached his limit and had fainted. The old man hurriedly clicked the shutdown key, wiped the sweat from his brow, and exchanged a hollow, mirthless laugh with Wang Feng.

"We didn't see the end of it after all. He... he surely could have reached even higher numbers, couldn't he? His body just couldn't take it anymore." The old man sighed.

"Yes," Wang Feng nodded.

"Potential demon power value... 1973. Such terrifying data. What is yours right now?"

"2040."

"My god, if he had kept going, could he... could he have reached Level 5?" The old man’s jaw nearly hit the floor.

Wang Feng offered a noncommittal, dry laugh. He stood up and gazed at Ye Yang, his eyes burning with fervor.

"Call an ambulance. No... forget it. Have the people from headquarters come to treat him. Remember! Do not tell anyone about this data! I mean anyone!" Wang Feng’s tone was firm.

The old man nodded numbly and walked toward the exit, muttering to himself.

"Strange, no seed injected? Then how could he have this level of demon power? Self-evolution shouldn't be this strong. And why does he have no supernatural abilities? Truly strange."

When Ye Yang awoke, he was lying in a clean, elegant hospital room. A hospital?

No, it wasn't a hospital. A series of eerie monkey cries from outside the window dispelled that notion. Unless the Yanjing Hospital had moved into a zoo, he was still at the Hunter Headquarters.

He moved his body and froze. He was wrapped tightly in gauze from head to toe, like a mummy who loved eating sticky rice dumplings. Why? He hadn't suffered any external injuries. Yet, his body felt incredibly heavy, and even the slightest movement made his liver ache.

"You shouldn't move. Although you don't have external wounds, your muscle tissue has suffered significant damage. You need to rest for a while."

A beautiful young woman in a white coat walked in. Ye Yang squinted—a legendary nurse? He was lucky, but...

"Bodyguard Number One, you're awake? Haha! You big idiot, to get yourself hurt like this just from a test."

Seeing Qi Fang behind the nurse, Ye Yang let out a weary sigh. "Aren't you supposed to be at home playing Plants vs. Zombies? Why are you here? To mock me?"

"It’s for your own good, you pig. You’ve been unconscious for three days. I’ve come to visit you so many times," Qi Fang said indignantly. Ye Yang felt deeply depressed; he really shouldn't have passed out and wasted her precious gaming time—what a heinous crime.

Wait... three days? Ye Yang couldn't help but sigh. How much time did he have left in this life? Between fainting and being frozen, all his good days were being wasted.

"You really are a fool. Uncle Lin said that test was just to gauge your power stats, and yet you fainted right away. Luckily, the result was barely a pass. I thought you were supposed to be strong, Bodyguard Number One." Qi Fang picked up an orange and began to peel it, muttering as she worked.

"I passed?" Ye Yang was startled. He had given up hope, given his consistently low scores. He hadn't expected to pass after all. It seemed his suffering hadn't been in vain.

His mood brightened. He looked at the nurse’s smiling face—truly an angel. Even Qi Fang seemed like a gentle, lovely girl, helping him peel an orange to eat.

Reality, however, often contradicts fantasy. The disappointment was proportional to the expectation. Qi Fang finished peeling the orange, meticulously removed the strings, and waved it happily in front of Ye Yang.

"Tha—" Before Ye Yang could finish his thanks, she popped a slice into her own mouth and began munching away.

"..." Ye Yang gritted his teeth.

"Wow! So sweet! You can't get oranges this good outside the city!" Qi Fang exclaimed.

"..." Ye Yang continued to grit his teeth.

"Hey, since you have so many oranges here and you aren't peeling them, I’ll take them. I love these!" she said, shamelessly eyeing the fruit on the table.

"Oh? And bananas? And apples! I’ll take these too!"

"Relax, I’ll leave you one. Sick people shouldn't overeat. Here, have this small one."

"Anyway, Uncle Lin will be here soon, so I’m off. Let him take care of you. Bye-bye! Get well soon so you can come home and play Plants vs. Zombies with me!"

With a snap, the door closed. Ye Yang coughed up a metaphorical mouthful of blood. That girl!! What was she even here for?

Just as Qi Fang predicted, Lin Tian arrived shortly after, accompanied by Wang Feng. That guy was a typical case of having no decorum; the moment he entered, he swiped the last small orange. Ye Yang wanted to cry—who was the patient here? Wang Feng, at least, was decent; he lit a cigarette and stuck it in Ye Yang’s mouth. Well... surely the Hunter Headquarters’ hospital didn't ban smoking, right?

"The test... did I pass?" Ye Yang asked cautiously.

"Yes."

"But my previous scores were..."

"Demon power is the most important output for a Hunter. It is the source of all supernatural abilities and the origin of everything. You performed well enough in that regard, so you barely passed," Wang Feng said with a smile.

Ye Yang finally let out a breath of relief, but then asked, "By the way, what exactly is demon power? A monster's strength? Isn't that from Journey to the West?"

Lin Tian raised an eyebrow. "Why ask so much? You’ll learn about it once you enter the academy. You’ll understand then. It’s not that we don't want to tell you, but you'll have even more questions later. Save them up, and one day you can treat the Chief and me to a meal and ask away."

Seeing Wang Feng nod with a smile, Ye Yang stopped asking. Would there be even more questions? It seemed this so-called "Hunter" organization was far more complex than he had imagined.

"By the way, how is that matter I asked you to look into?" Ye Yang suddenly remembered.

Lin Tian’s expression darkened. He sighed deeply and said, "Nanjing no longer exists. Although many people fled to Shanghai, I had a friend check the population registry at the Capital of Yan and Huang. Yan Yaxin, right? That name isn't there. I’m sorry."

Ye Yang fell silent. Was he sad? He was already approaching numbness. From his father to his mother, and now Xiao Ya—the blows came one after another, and the tragic news seemed endless.

Yet, Ye Yang knew he was lucky. At least he hadn't experienced those horrific scenes firsthand. It was the apocalypse; everyone left alive had lost something important. He had just lost his a bit later.

"Don't be so pessimistic. There is still hope. Your little sweetheart is a wanderer, isn't she? There are similar groups in Shanghai, and plenty of small villages in the surrounding areas. But... don't think about that for now. Focus on getting your strength back," Lin Tian comforted him.

Wang Feng nodded as well. "Remember, you only barely passed. Your demon power data is merely latent potential; it hasn't been unleashed, and your abilities require rigorous training later on. It’s too early to think about other things. If it weren't for the fact that you..."

Wang Feng didn't finish his sentence, but Ye Yang understood. If his father hadn't been Ye Lingyun, he surely wouldn't have passed with those scores. It was truly embarrassing. But the future was long, and Ye Yang swore to himself that he would never rely on his father's name to coast through life.

"I will work as hard as I can!" Ye Yang gritted his teeth.

"Alright, the nurses here will take care of you. Rest for a few more days. Honestly, the nurses here are top-notch; you’re a lucky guy," Lin Tian said with a chuckle, dragging Wang Feng out.

"Hey... wait! My cigarette butt... damn it! Pfft, the ash fell on my nose. Hey... someone throw this away! I can't move my hands! Oh, hell... it’s burning... the gauze is burning, the sheets are burning!!"

Five minutes later, a terrifying scream from the nurse rang out through the ward: "NO SMOKING IN THE HOSPITAL!!!"