"Oh. I was right about you. You are one lucky young man indeed."

Arthas muttered as he changed the projection to another location outside the predetermined sequence.

"Is there something wrong, sir?"

Jay wasn't sure whether it was truly fortunate that he had encountered something notable on his very first foray into the world of ascendants.

In most novels he had read, such discoveries typically led to a series of conspiracies that escalated with each revelation, often culminating in the involvement of intergalactic overlords or similar entities.

"We don't know yet. It could be something as random as a metaphysical researcher blowing up a lab after their flatulence reacted with an unknown substance.

Oh, don't smile, young man. Situations like that are more common than you might think."

Arthas had finished refocusing the projection not long after.

"You're truly lucky, young man. I'm not jesting this time. This is perfect for a first real-life lesson.

Vergil, come and look at this."

"What's the matter, old man?"

Vergil spoke from Jay's side, startling the latter.

Jay didn't notice that Mr. Vergil, who was sitting in a chair at some distance away, was already by their side.

Mr. Vergil's previous position remained within Jay's peripheral vision.

Even if he had been focused on the projection, there was no reason for him to miss conspicuous movements, particularly with his enhanced cognitive abilities.

Perhaps Mr. Vergil's ability was related to speed, stealth, or even spatial manipulation.

"We've got a rogue metaphysical creature. Headquarters notified me just now. I've already locked onto it. Look."

The real-time projection zoomed in from an overhead view into a close-up of something.

Upon closer look, that something seemed to be... a human?

"Where's the metaphysical creature, sir?"

Jay could only see an ordinary salaryman who had seemingly worked overtime, trying to catch a jeep somewhere downtown.

"I understand your confusion. When you first hear the words 'metaphysical creature,' you might think of beasts or something else common in the media representation of fantasy.

While that is true to a certain extent, it's best if you loosen your definition of 'creature' in regards to metaphysical matters. What you're seeing might be an ordinary salaryman, but seasoned ascendants see sadness manifest.

Let me share a portion of the enhancement from the Amplifying Orb. You'll see what I mean."

Immediately after Mr. Arthas' explanation, Jay could feel significantly more sensations outside the ordinary five senses.

These might be the metaphysical fluctuations that Mr. Arthas talked about.

Jay felt like he was in the middle of the ocean, with the waves pushing him here and there.

Fortunately, he quickly adapted after a short while, eliciting a startled look from Mr. Arthas, a reaction that he didn't notice.

After regaining his composure, Jay focused his gaze on the projection below.

Before, he could only see a tired salaryman waiting for a jeep.

Now, there was something else superimposed with the man's figure, although undetectable with mere sight.

It didn't mean that Jay could suddenly see colors and figures that weren't there before.

He only felt its presence, albeit in an abstract manner.

Although he was only looking at it through a projection, he could feel a slight shiver running down his spine.

He felt that it wasn't only due to the cold night wind, as he could feel a sliver of fear bubbling up inside him.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

The chilling sensation only disappeared when he focused his gaze elsewhere.

"This man has been polluted with metaphysical influence for quite a while.

His intense sadness continually fed this contaminant until it formed into a complete psionic lifeform. Now, it wouldn't be right to call this lifeform a contaminant anymore.

You must remember, young man, every form of life deserves respect, but whether you should let it live is another matter altogether.

Of course, I'm not saying that we should immediately eliminate this lifeform. We still have to perform our due diligence."

Mr. Vergil chimed in immediately after Mr. Arthas finished his sentence.

"That's right, young man. This psionic lifeform has only been born recently. Essentially, it's an innocent creature, although that doesn't negate the fact that its mere presence is dangerous in itself.

On another note, do you know why old man Arthas emphasized that you're lucky? It's because he wanted you to have it as a pet! Great, isn't it?"

Jay was somewhat confused at the turn of events.

They had just discovered an anomaly, a potentially dangerous psionic lifeform, which went against what he knew about living creatures all his life.

Yet, they were already talking about giving it to him as a pet?

"I don't quite follow, sir."

"Don't confuse the young man. Didn't I tell you not to make a mess of things? You don't know anything about teaching."

Arthas turned his attention to Jay after chiding his unruly partner.

"Don't mind him, young man. I know you have questions of your own. Just ask."

"Oh. Okay, sir. Can you elaborate about psionic lifeforms? Of course, only if you're not busy."

Jay was a bit hesitant to ask questions at this moment, considering that they were in the middle of addressing a potential hazard.

"Don't worry. Though it seems like we're loitering right now, we're actually in correspondence with the local headquarters, deliberating about the proper course of action.

Now, on to the question. There isn't really much known about them except that they are energy-based lifeforms. As to what type of energy, there is no unified answer. They cannot be perceived through our five senses, and can only be interacted with through metaphysical energy manipulation.

Right now, we don't know anything about this specific creature except that it's somewhat a manifestation of sadness, which was most likely because it was the catalyst that brought it into existence.

The most prudent thing to do at the moment is to perform a thorough inspection of it, although it might prove intrusive toward the other party."

"And that's my job."

Vergil intruded on the conversation once again, earning Arthas' glare, which he didn't mind at all.

"We had just finalized our course of action. We're going to wait until this man gets home, then we will deploy a psionic manifestation at his location to conduct an in-depth investigation.

It sounds pretty obvious when you hear about it, but there are nuances behind it that you're going to have to learn on your own. Now, it's not that I won't tell you. It's just that some things cannot be taught directly. Otherwise, you might treat them like textbook knowledge and wouldn't be able to use them instinctively.

Of course, general knowledge like definitions, the things old man Arthas talks about, is a different story. Am I not correct, Mr. Arthas?"

"I'm starting to think you're jealous of me for having a student of my own, Mr. Vergil."

Arthas once again had to take back the conversation from his partner. "He's correct, young man. I can only teach you information about matters.

There are some realizations that you have to make yourself if you want true improvement. I think you already understand, no?"

Jay fully understood this reasoning, as he was very familiar with it.

Shortcuts in solving and relationships between mathematical formulas were significantly easier to internalize when he realized them himself during solving sessions.

"Yes, sir. I actually do."

"Good. Now, back to the matter at hand. For now, we are going to mark this person while going back to monitor our routine observation areas. We will proceed with the investigation once he's in a secluded place, most likely his room."

"Alright, sir. Umm. Am I going to witness the action later?"

"Regrettably, I can't allow that. At your level of development, it's far too dangerous for you to get involved at this level. Even now, I can only make an exception to bring you during our shift.

Actually, if we weren't protecting you earlier, you might have unintentionally been contaminated by the psionic lifeform just by observing it through the projection. As you can see, the world of ascendants is full of hidden dangers."

"I understand, sir. I have been careless."

Jay understood now that this was actually the first lesson Mr. Arthas wanted to teach him.

What he thought was just casual observation of metaphysical phenomenon was actually a dangerous matter if not for the protection of more accomplished seniors.

Now that he thought about it, he felt a shiver earlier when he looked at the psionic lifeform.

Perhaps it was due to the influx of new and interesting information that he had the mistaken impression he knew enough about the metaphysical world to survive.

It seemed that he needed to accumulate significantly more knowledge, or else he might die without even knowing how.

"Don't scare the young man too much, my friend."

This time, it was Vergil's turn to admonish the other. He then turned his attention to Jay.

"Listen carefully, young man. While there are many unknowns in the world of ascendants, you still have to maintain a sense of curiosity amid the danger. It's hard to move forward if all you do is focus solely on survival. If that's all you want, you'd be better off staying an ordinary person.

It's quite ironic if you think about it. You're actually safer as a powerless individual than as someone who actually grasps the means to protect themselves. Do you know why that is?"

"I'm not sure, sir."

Jay had some inkling of the situation, but he felt that it would still be better to listen to an already knowledgeable person.

"If you're thinking along the lines of 'the weak are protected by the capable,' then you're mostly wrong. Even if that aspect does exist, the main reason is that you have already been influenced by the metaphysical world.

When you received the enhancement from the Amplification Orb earlier, did you feel like you were in the middle of the ocean, tossed by waves?

You did? Quite impressive, young man, though you'll have to find out yourself the reason.

Anyway. From the moment you awakened your potential, you were already thrown into the figurative ocean of the metaphysical world. You might not feel it now due to your weak sensitivity, but you are constantly being subjected to metaphysical fluctuations, which are actively pushing you toward metaphysical phenomena, regardless of your will.

That's why you can't afford to live passively from now on. You have to become stronger, lest you be overwhelmed by the waves."

Jay thought he had stumbled upon a treasure, but it seemed that he had actually opened a man-eating chest, and he had just been bitten in the balls.