Chapter 17: The Mental Limits of a First-Level Evolver

“What is it?”

After several hours of battle, Zihui had come to trust Qin Hao deeply.

Most importantly, even if she didn’t trust him, what could she do? She had no other options left, and the mission wasn’t targeting Qin Hao, but both of them together.

Qin Hao said, “Buy [Pain Immunity]. As for the rest, exchange ten million for Star Energy Crystals, and another ten million for Cognitive Power.”

“Why?” Zihui frowned deeply.

[Pain Immunity] was indeed a divine-level ability. Pain affected combat efficiency, and as a girl, Zihui was afraid of pain too. This god-tier ability would clearly benefit her.

But Star Energy Crystals could be obtained by hunting monsters; Cognitive Power could be gained from others.

Spending her remaining twenty million on these seemed wasteful, and she hesitated.

Qin Hao explained, “Star Energy can refine your body. It’s always valuable, no matter when. And don’t forget, the current items are all at a ninety-percent discount.”

“Cognitive Power is the energy you can accumulate. The godly ability has already cracked open a fissure in your mind. What you need to do is widen that fissure. At the same gene lock level, the extent of cognitive expansion determines the amount of Cognitive Power you’ll have.”

“The more you open your mind, the stronger you become.”

“So, keep opening your mind until you reach the barrier. But opening your mind is extremely painful, which is why you must ignore pain.”

Zihui listened intently, her heart full of questions.

How did Qin Hao know so much?

But right now, there seemed to be no alternative.

Other god-tier items wouldn't enhance her strength, and if what Qin Hao said was true, this ability would be permanent.

With so many hero points at hand and items still discounted, it was better to act now.

“Alright!”

Zihui nodded.

Almost immediately, she purchased the items.

Pain Immunity descended upon her from the stars, bestowed by divine power. The Star Energy arrived through a spatial black hole.

Cognitive Power, however, was already within the hero system.

A surge of terrifying Cognitive Power crashed into her mind.

Because she couldn't feel pain, Zihui remained calm as she underwent the transformation.

As her mind expanded, the hero system chimed in her consciousness:

[Your Cognitive Power has increased. You have reached Level 1 Evolver.]

[Your Cognitive Power has increased. You may now purchase items to unlock the Level 2 Gene Lock.]

[Gene Lock detected as open. It is recommended to attempt the Level 2 Cognitive Barrier.]

The Level 2 Cognitive Barrier was naturally the second stage of the fissure the deity had pointed out.

But at this moment, Zihui recalled Qin Hao’s words.

“Until you touch the barrier.”

Yet now, she hadn’t even reached the barrier before being told she could attempt the Level 2 Gene Lock.

What Zihui didn’t know was that, for most, expanding the Cognitive Barrier was excruciatingly painful. Many would simply quit at the system’s prompt.

Zihui, however, pressed on, expanding every barrier, forming a five-meter-diameter cognitive field.

[Ding! You have reached the limit of a Level 1 Evolver.]

Only then did she finally relax.

Had she stopped at the system’s prompt, she would never have reached this limit.

Zihui felt as if she had become the deity of her own cognitive realm.

Meanwhile, Qin Hao also exchanged for Star Energy Crystals and Cognitive Power.

But without Pain Immunity, the moment Cognitive Power surged into his brain, blinding agony struck.

“Ah!”

Qin Hao growled low, his face flushed, bloodshot eyes wild, hair growing longer—and blood seeped from his scalp.

But he did not stop absorbing.

The fissure in his mind was forced open, slowly expanding.

It wasn’t just a path being forged, but an entirely new world—a sphere, if anything.

For every bit it widened, a new cognitive tendril emerged. When the expansion seemed endless, Qin Hao found himself completely enveloped in a web of thought.

Those watching the livestream saw both Qin Hao and Zihui become blurred, like mirages shimmering in the heat.

The density of cognitive tendrils blocked the view.

These tendrils stretched in a five-meter diameter; anything within two and a half meters of Qin Hao fell into his sphere of perception.

No attack could escape his awareness.

In that instant, he felt himself godlike within that domain.

Yet Qin Hao did not indulge in this newfound power; he had experienced all this before, in his reversal of time.

He quickly composed himself and turned again to the hero system.

Qin Hao had three million hero points left—no room for indecision.

He swiftly chose his desired items:

[Liquid Metal Shapeshifting Omnimachine]
[Divine Creation: Stellar Combat Suit]
[Divine Creation: Phantom Walker]

Every test version of the hero system contained ten god-tier items. Qin Hao had now collected eight.

It was a tremendous harvest—a terrifying beginning.

The two remaining god-tier items were all martial arts techniques. These couldn’t compare to divine abilities; some weren’t even suited to humans, and in any case, he couldn’t use them yet. Qin Hao dismissed them from his mind.

Soon, a spatial black hole appeared in the void of the hero system, ejecting three items.

A fist-sized ball of metal, and two luminous, star-like divine creations.

Qin Hao reached for one of the balls of starlight—it was the Stellar Combat Suit.

His thoughts shaped the starlight into a suit that fit him perfectly, resembling the black uniforms worn by the special forces who had come before. The suit automatically wrapped itself around him.

The other starry glow, Qin Hao transformed into a ring for his finger.

Phantom Walker was a divine tool. The power it exuded could conceal Qin Hao’s presence entirely, hiding both form and aura from any detection.

At the same time, Zihui finally calmed herself, shaking off the sense of mental inflation.

When she saw Qin Hao dressed only in a simple combat suit, she realized it was a god-tier item—and couldn’t help but feel her own choices had been too extravagant.

Her divine robe and cape now seemed theatrical—like props in a grand fantasy scene.

Just as Zihui was thinking this, the spatial black holes suddenly merged, forming a massive rift three meters across.

Zihui instantly tensed.

The hero system had issued a new mission prompt.

“This is the final mission. Once it’s over, be prepared for police interrogation. But don’t worry—they won’t have time to bother you for long.”

Qin Hao’s words carried a deeper meaning.

For once the mission ended, disaster would swiftly follow—especially with the butterfly effect the two of them had already set into motion.