Useless Ability

In the blink of an eye, six years had passed, and Gao Ming had grown into a graceful fifteen-year-old young man. During these years, he spent most of his time in the secluded courtyard where he lived. This forgotten corner within the clan residence had become Gao Ming's cherished utopia, free from the conflicts of interests, the shackles of low status, and the harsh realities of the world. Everything there seemed so simple.

Although his life was quiet and uneventful, these six years of serene existence gradually helped him adapt to this once unfamiliar world. At times, he pondered if continuing to live like this would be a good choice. However, he knew it was an unlikely scenario. Reality was often harsh and unforgiving; the more one tried to evade it, the more likely it was to be abandoned by reality itself.

He was not an ignorant child but an adult who had lived for over twenty years in his previous life. Despite the appearance of a tranquil life, he foresaw that one day it would be shattered. The sense of impending crisis compelled him to think of ways to prepare.

So, over these years, he spent a significant portion of his time wandering inside and outside the Gao City, learning every aspect of this world. To survive in the days to come, he knew he must adapt to the survival rules of this world and carve out a path of his own from the anticipated challenges.

The six years of a calm life were coming to an end. If nothing unexpected happened, this year would mark his coming-of-age ceremony. As an illegitimate child without awakened abilities, he was treated no differently from waste within the clan. The clan had clear rules: removing noble status, demoting to commoners, leaving the clan residence, and henceforth having no connection with the clan.

In other words, after coming of age, he would have to leave the clan residence with Li Qing. From then on, they would have to rely on their own efforts, without any financial support from the clan.

"It may not seem like much, but relying on oneself is a renowned saying from my past life. However, in this world, things are a bit different. The lower class, mostly made up of commoners, is extremely impoverished, primarily due to the low productivity of this world.

All the land is concentrated in the hands of the aristocracy, and the clans' commoners can only become tenant farmers. Working year-round, most of their produce must be handed over to the aristocracy, leaving just enough for a meager existence. This is only when the harvest is good; if there's a natural disaster or other misfortune, the situation becomes even more dire.

Rebellion? That's simply impossible.

As far as Gao Ming understands, there are no armies in this world. All protective forces within the clans are composed of ability users. Ordinary people, apart from engaging in productive labor, have no need to participate in the conflicts and wars among the clans. This might sound surprising, but it's a result of the unique nature of the ability-driven world. Ability users are too powerful for ordinary people; even the lowest-level ability user is invincible to them.

A military force made up of ordinary people has no combat capability against ability users.

In such a situation, ability users always remain at the top, and ordinary people are perpetually in an oppressed position. Over the millennia, this situation has not improved; instead, it has escalated.

Ordinary people don't need to participate in conflicts. On the surface, it seems like they lead peaceful lives. However, this is a misconception. Each clan war is fought on the ability users' level. Even though it doesn't happen among the common people, whenever a clan war occurs, countless ordinary people are affected. The casualties are severe.

In essence, ordinary people have no personal or financial security in this ability-driven world. Anytime, a clan war could break out, potentially leading to the destruction of ordinary people's homes and lives. Therefore, the lives of ordinary people in this world are lived in constant fear. Awakening abilities has become their only hope to escape from their tragic fate."

"This world is very unsafe. That's Gao Ming's greatest realization. Don't be fooled by the apparent peace; any day, a conflict between high-ranked families and other clans could erupt, and escaping from that would be impossible.

The absence of a life-saving ability is Gao Ming's greatest concern.

Speaking of abilities, there's a strange thing that has puzzled Gao Ming up to now. Whenever his concentration is at its peak, a thin, gray mist appears before his eyes, enveloping him. The surroundings become hazy under this peculiar mist, and there are moments when the mist enters his body, but he feels nothing, as if the mist were just air.

This phenomenon first occurred half a month after the baptism ceremony six years ago. At that time, Gao Ming was excited, thinking that his ability had awakened. He felt, in a trance, that he could control this gray mist. Although it was challenging initially, after several attempts, it became effortless. He could disperse or gather the mist at will, even shaping it into various forms. However, much to Gao Ming's disappointment, the mist seemed to have no power. Regardless of how he controlled it, he couldn't produce any noticeable effects.

Can control without effects still be considered an ability?

What made him more frustrated was when he shared this news with Li Qing. She, who had joyously celebrated the supposed awakening of his ability, scolded him by tapping his forehead and said, 'I think you're going crazy with the idea of having an ability. There's no such thing as a gray mist; you must be having visual hallucinations.'

At that moment, he was dumbfounded. Could Li Qing really not see the gray mist? Or was there a problem with his eyes?

In his disappointment, Gao Ming did not give up. He secretly went to the main courtyard to ask around, avoiding Li Qing's knowledge. Otherwise, she would definitely not let him go to the main courtyard after the commotion caused by the last visit."

"He still vividly remembers the situation at that time. Perhaps he developed a psychological phobia towards the main courtyard. Once inside, he was extremely cautious in every move. However, the strong desire to verify his ability urged him to desperately want to know if he had awakened an ability. If he truly awakened an ability, his destiny would be completely changed.

People are like this. With strong mental support, no matter how difficult or dangerous the situation, it cannot deter them. They can even venture into a dragon's den.

Due to the vastness of the main courtyard, the presence of Gao Ming, a little intruder, did not attract attention. It may have been a psychological effect at play. He didn't dare to run to crowded places, and in his view, as mysterious and powerful ability users, they should have relatively quiet personalities. Therefore, he instinctively entered a secluded small courtyard at the back of the main courtyard.

The courtyard exuded an ancient and heavy atmosphere, offering a unique visual appeal. This was Gao Ming's initial impression upon entering. Unlike other courtyards with lush vegetation and vibrant colors, this one appeared more subdued. To ordinary eyes, it might seem monotonous, but to Gao Ming, it radiated an extreme sense of tranquility.

Gao Ming even felt that the gray mist here was much denser than in other places.

Hmm, this gray mist. Even when Gao Ming didn't use the seemingly extraordinary ability, he would still see a faint sense of gray mist. It was as if a thin mist veiled the world before him. Of course, as time went on, he got used to this feeling, as if it were the inherent appearance of the world.

In this courtyard, the gray mist seemed denser than in other places. So, in Gao Ming's eyes, this place had an exceptionally deep and tranquil atmosphere.

The entire courtyard had only one tall and proud evergreen tree that cast shadows over half of the courtyard and even the adjacent roofs. What puzzled Gao Ming was that there wasn't a single needle on the entire tree. It was exceptionally clean, with no needles, not even visible on the roof.

Could it be that this evergreen tree never sheds its needles?"

Gao Ming shook his head, dismissing the absurd thoughts from his mind. Considering it, there should be ability users in this courtyard. After all, only ability users could live in such a poetic courtyard with such leisure and elegance. As for other ordinary people, hehe, in Gao Ming's eyes, they were all uncultured barbarians.

Excited yet uneasy, Gao Ming walked into the open courtyard. In the quiet atmosphere, even though he intentionally lowered his footsteps, the sound was still remarkably clear.