Chapter 278: Invisible Barrier (Part 1/2)
Translator: Strivon
This was none other than the mentally enhanced ability user who Luo Nan fought alongside with during the night at Frost River Reality. It was Papercut. Frankly speaking, this old chap's external appearance was really too ordinary. Luo Nan nearly didn't recognize him when seeing him again at this moment.
Luckily, Luo Nan still remembered this Awakened with his slightly chubby body and his friendly smile to all... even if most of the time Luo Nan didn't receive this smile.
Papercut's opinion of Luo Nan was mainly a reflection of the harmfulness of Luo Nan's immature behavior toward the team. However, various facts were later revealed that proved Luo Nan's behavior to be correct. And so, there was no longer a need for him to continue holding this opinion.
"You can just call me Papercut. Adding a 'Mr.' to my nickname feels weird." Papercut's lips split into their habitual grin.
"Then don't call me Boss Luo..."
"Boss Luo is your nickname~" Papercut's amiable way of talking was really contagious. "I know that you have many nicknames. In any case, the first nickname lasts the longest. Everything follows the path of least resistance."
Luo Nan was a bit sorrowful, but Papercut waved his hand before Luo Nan could say anything. "Well, let's not get entangled in these details. Today, I have come to teach you. My apologies for the short notice; something came up, so I pushed up the time."
Luo Nan responded courteously, "It is I who is troubling you."
He beckoned Papercut to come inside as he spoke.
Papercut was one of Luo Nan's teachers in general knowledge and training. He was responsible for teaching "Soul Strength Activation Techniques", which is a practical course. When talking about the course, Papercut had to emphasize, "Usually this course is taught near the end. The reason why it was pushed forward..."
"Must be because of my special circumstances. My low interference ability. We're going to do an on-the-spot test right now to further verify my situation, are we?"
Papercut was a bit stunned. He turned over to face Luo Nan, and he had a bit of a helpless gaze. "Boss Luo. You're not that old, but you read into things so much."
Luo Nan blinked. "Aren't I right?"
"...You're right."
It wasn't surprising at all for Luo Nan to be reading into things. His old daily schedule had a summary of what this course was about. This course was clearly a practical course involving the mental interfering with the material. The truth was as clear as day with the appearance of the issue with his interference ability and the course being deliberately pushed forward.
Was this a re-examination of his so-called terminal illness?
Although things were like this, Papercut's course itself was still quite meaningful. Papercut's nickname was a reflection of his expertise in puppetry. He used special techniques to cut out paper tools to perform a variety of functions under the drive of his soul strength.
Within Gear's tearoom three stories above the earth, Papercut showed one of his techniques to Luo Nan. Papercut manipulated a tiny paper man to perform a comical mime-skit. Then, he manipulated the paper man to perform a set of military fighting moves. The motions were agile, vivid, and lifelike. It was as if the paper man was truly alive.
The small paper man also possessed considerable strength. The teacups on the table were kicked all over the place. In the end, the paper man began to practice weightlifting. It swung the teacup in a way that made it look like a street performer.
Luo Nan had been in an agitated mood, but he couldn't refrain from laughing when he saw the miniature paper man's hard performance. His mood had unconsciously taken a turn for the better.
"This is the most elementary application. Then later, mentally enhanced ability users are split into the activation class and the control class. The activation class primarily relies on imitating spirituality, while the control class primarily relies on precise manipulation. I'm an activation class. We are more laid-back, and we predominantly do auxiliary work. I looked at your profile. You are a precision-focused mentally enhanced, and your pure observation abilities are quite unruly. It is very likely that you will show some talent in precise manipulation."
Papercut began by painting Luo Nan a rosy future, "The Society has combat robots specifically made by the control class. In fact, every control class should be able to excel in multiple fields. They can be amazing engineers, fighters, restorers. They are strong and safe."
Luo Nan's eyes turned into thin little slits as he smiled and laughed. The first thing he had to do was meet the basic requirements for interference ability. Everything Papercut was saying was meaningless if it was impossible for his soul strength to effectively interfere with the material plane.
When restoration was mentioned, Luo Nan suddenly recalled the tai chi ball back at Divine Yu Gym. Its core component seemed to be precision machinery. He heard from Xue Lei that the device hadn't been fixed yet. It remained in the daoguan. Luo Nan still needed to handle this matter properly.
The repair engineers of the Society had to be much better than those in the outside world.
After a moment’s distraction, Luo Nan recollected his thoughts. He focused on listening to Papercut's lecture with full devotion.
Whether today was about training and learning or a reexamination of symptoms, Papercut only taught elementary subjects. He taught the basic techniques of using soul strength to affect material objects.
Papercut had selected a special sort of paper talismans as training materials. Apparently they came from a different psychic of the Society, Mr. Gao, who Luo Nan hadn't met before. They were made from the starch of a specially-bred mahogany and bamboo. The ratio was chosen with utter precision, resulting in the best suited material for coalescing with soul strength.
Papercut was someone who possessed a meticulous yet patient nature. He broke down each step the moment he started working and manipulating the talismans. He explained the few specific points on the talisman that need to be infused with soul strength with absolute clarity. Everything was clear, from theory to practice.
Papercut had prepared the course so comprehensively that the difficulty wasn't that high. However, reality moved in a different direction. It simply went down the most pessimistic of estimations.
Luo Nan's learning progress wasn't going well.
It was already six o'clock in the afternoon. Under the lighting of the tearoom, Little Luo and Papercut held their breaths with steady concentration as they stared intently at the several crude paper men atop the table. These little things had just been cut out, and they swayed as they stood up. It was hard for them to walk.
One step. Two steps. Three steps... Then dropping dead, never to get up.
"Gosh darn it!" Luo Nan slammed the table with his hands, and the resulting breeze lifted the paper men up. With the help of the breath of a long sigh, these little things floated and drifted under the table. These series of actions happened much more swiftly than the great difficult progress Luo Nan was making just now.
Luo Nan knew of his failures, and he hurriedly said, "Sorry." He got up to collect the paper men, but Papercut stopped him with a hand. With an effort of will, a small paper man came to life at once some five meters away. It was like a brutish monkey. It skipped as it bounced, and it climbed the leg of the table. It made it to the top of the table in five movements.
Luo Nan grew more embarrassed when he compared himself to Papercut. He gave a bitter laugh, sat back in the chair, and stared up in a daze.
"It doesn't make sense." Papercut scratched his head without end, but he wasn't able to get to the bottom of things. However, his patience had yet to be exhausted. He pulled Luo Nan and said, "How about we theorize some more and start from the beginning."
Luo Nan had no reason to give up when he had this sort of teacher. He pumped his spirits up, grabbed the paper man atop the table, and tapped various points on the paper man's body from the head to the body. "There are four soul strength infusion points in total. They are connected by a sum of six foundational lines, upon which basic control is realized."
Luo Nan hesitated when he reached this point. Then, he said, "This is actually a sort of irregularly deformed pyramid. It is a structure that transforms the operation of energy and information. The paper man is just a medium. The pyramid structure is what supports it... Did you choose to start with this structure because it is kind of like my Format Pyramid?"
Papercut was finally defeated upon hearing these words. He rubbed his forehead, feeling that his head was about to explode. "You say these things faster than I can explain them. What you say is correct, but is there a problem with this?"