"Name?"

"Jiang Bai."

"Age?"

"Didn't invite you to my 18th birthday last month, did I?"

"Answer properly! Gender?"

"Should I take another look? Instructor, why are you taking off your belt? Let's talk this through! No random beating of students..."

Whoosh—

The belt lashed out swiftly, leaving a blurry trail, but the young man dodged it nimbly, and it struck empty air.

The youth was on the thin side, utterly ordinary at first glance - the type you'd lose in a crowd. But he had a pair of sly, bright eyes that sparkled with wit.

The young man named Jiang Bai raised an eyebrow and shouted angrily, "Old Ma, are you for real?!"

That belt strike carried great force. If it had landed, it would have left quite a mark.

The instructor retracted his belt, his face gloomy, and handed Jiang Bai a file, saying in a deep voice,

"Read this file out loud."

Taking the file, Jiang Bai began reading casually,

"On May 23, 2025, a man in Florida was struck on the head by a meteorite. The meteorite remained lodged in his brain, but the man survived and gained the ability to move objects telekinetically.

This event marked the beginning of the first global outbreak of supernatural events!

Within 7 days, over 3,000 supernatural events occurred, giving rise to nearly a thousand individuals with superpowers!

A week later, all supernatural phenomena suddenly vanished, and those with superpowers died en masse, with no survivors!

This collective surge and disappearance of supernatural phenomena, resembling the ebb and flow of tides, was dubbed the First Mysterious Tide.

Six months later, on November 19, 2025, the Second Mysterious Tide arrived.

The Second Mysterious Tide was more widespread and frequent!

To deal with various emergencies, countries around the world established supernatural organizations to gather intelligence and maintain social order..."

At this point, Jiang Bai couldn't help but look up at the instructor, his eyes seeming to ask, 'Isn't all this common knowledge?'

The Second Mysterious Tide lasted only six months, giving rise to over a hundred thousand individuals with superpowers.

When the Second Mysterious Tide ended, over 99.99% of those with superpowers died or disappeared. Even the lucky few who survived mostly ended up with dementia, mental disorders...

And all of this happened over a decade ago.

Four years ago, the Third Mysterious Tide descended, supernatural phenomena erupted, and individuals with superpowers emerged in succession.

Last year, Jiang Bai, on the verge of adulthood, unexpectedly became one with superpowers. He was specially recruited into a training camp, becoming a trainee under Old Ma, to undergo two and a half years of special training.

Old Ma, sensing Jiang Bai's questioning gaze, impatiently said, "Read the rest."

Jiang Bai flipped to the last page and read out the final line.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

"Disclaimer: I voluntarily join this program, and all responsibilities and consequences are borne by myself..."

Jiang Bai raised an eyebrow. What the hell? This is way too sketchy!

Only an idiot would sign this!

Jiang Bai had a bad feeling that he would end up eating his words in the near future.

"Read the middle part you skipped!"

Old Ma, unable to contain himself any longer, snatched back the file, pointed at the middle section, and growled,

"According to the latest research results, the Third Mysterious Tide is very likely to end within six months!"

The Mysterious Tide is about to end?!

Hiss—

Jiang Bai drew in a sharp breath.

An unnamed chill enveloped Jiang Bai's entire body. Even he, who was usually all smiles and jokes, now wore a serious expression.

The Mysterious Tide had come three times in total.

Humanity still hadn't figured out the source or patterns of the Mysterious Tide, let alone how to counter its retreat.

The first time, no one survived.

The second time, the death rate exceeded 99.99%!

The third time...

From what could be seen so far, it wouldn't be much different from the first two.

With a larger base of superpowered individuals, perhaps more lucky ones would emerge, successfully escaping this calamity and surviving by chance.

But that didn't mean everyone would be so fortunate!

At least, Jiang Bai didn't think he could always be that lucky.

"The Third Mysterious Tide is about to end, and all superpowered individuals face a life-or-death choice. How to survive in this f**ked-up era is the top priority everyone needs to consider. How does that saying go? To be, or not to be, that is the question."

Seeing Jiang Bai's solemn expression, Old Ma nodded with satisfaction. This guy might be disrespectful on a daily basis, but when it really mattered, he was sufficiently level-headed. He hadn't misjudged him.

After a moment, Old Ma asked,

"Jiang Bai, what are you thinking?"

Jiang Bai answered reflexively,

"I'm thinking I don't want to die a virgin... Ah no, Old Ma... I mean, Instructor, I'm thinking about how to use the remaining time to break through my own limitations, to do more valuable things in the limited time I have, and try not to leave any regrets!"

Old Ma: ......

Old Ma didn't bother with pleasantries and pointed at the file, reading,

"This is a highly confidential experimental plan that requires the recruitment of superpowered individuals of suitable age. The content of the plan is simple:

Before the Mysterious Tide ends, select superpowered individuals with sufficient potential, seal your superpowers, and you'll enter a state of 'pseudo-death', thus surviving the gap between Mysterious Tides.

Just like animals hibernating through winter, the retreat of the Mysterious Tide will be a long winter, and many will die, but you'll have a chance to survive... Kid, do you understand?"

Jiang Bai asked in return, "What's the cost of this sealing?"

The First Law of the Mysterious Tide: Equivalent Exchange.

Since it's a seal, there must be a price.

Old Ma said quietly,

"Disconnection from the era, lost in time, that's the cruelest price."

Jiang Bai fell silent.

Between the Second Mysterious Tide and the Third Mysterious Tide, there was a gap of thirteen years.

No one knows when the next Mysterious Tide will come.

Twenty years? Thirty years? Fifty years?

Old Ma's words hit the nail on the head. Time was the biggest price this plan required. Jiang Bai held the file in his hands, able to smell the approaching storm, that suffocating pressure coming face to face.

"We can't seal those with too strong powers, nor those who are too old, or those with inherent defects... In short, the spots are very limited, and the selection criteria are extremely strict. You're very lucky to have been chosen. They asked me to talk to you, to persuade you to join this plan."

Old Ma took out a traditional cigarette and lit it, taking a deep drag and blowing out a smoke ring,

"You little rascal, although you have no shame, can't say anything nice, fear nothing under heaven, have poor abilities, and don't have a single praiseworthy quality..."

Jiang Bai's fists clenched.

All that rhyming, are you doing a stand-up routine?!

He stared at Old Ma, waiting to see when he would say the word "but".

As everyone knows, everything before "but" can be ignored.

"But..."

Old Ma took another drag of his cigarette and said with emotion,

"Among this batch of trainees, I have the highest hopes for you, kid."

He extinguished the cigarette butt and walked up to Jiang Bai, patting him on the shoulder.

"The decision... is up to you. The organization won't force anyone."

With that, he saluted Jiang Bai.

This conversation didn't seem like persuasion, more like an irresponsible introduction. Old Ma had given the power of choice to Jiang Bai himself.

Jiang Bai stood at attention and returned the salute,

"Yes, Instructor!"

"You may go now."

After sending Jiang Bai away, Old Ma called in the next trainee and said to them earnestly,

"You know, among this batch of trainees, I have the highest hopes for you..."

"Old Ma, you haven't closed the door!"

"Get lost!"

After leaving the office, Jiang Bai looked down at the document, not missing a single word.

"Mission Number: 002"

"Confidentiality Level: Top Secret"

"Mission Background: The Third Mysterious Tide is about to end..."

"Mission Content: Utilize all available resources to switch the most potential superpowered individuals to an inactive state, avoiding the secondary disasters brought by the end of the Third Mysterious Tide, waiting for the arrival of the Fourth Mysterious Tide..."

"Mission Objective: Thoroughly resolve the disasters brought by the Mysterious Tide, save all of humanity."

"Mission Codename: [Cicada]!"