Multitude of Seals

Wu Bao exited the building and activated all twenty of his energy gathering seals.

Then he pointed his hands downward and activated his air cannons without regard for the energy expenditure. Just one energy gathering seal could offset the cost, much less twenty. Suddenly, the air cannon's full potential was realized. He flew into the sky and rocketed away.

After flying aimlessly for a while, he set a course for the city library.

It was still the afternoon, and many people looked up at Wu Bao in shock. However, they mistook him for a talented young master who was caught outside during his awakening.

A group of people were walking.

"Class paragon, Min Ye. Hear me out. If we study together, we can usurp the trash once and for all. It will be fair and non-violent, just like you want."

"Don't call him trash. We are outside of school right now. You shouldn't defame our class."

Wu Bao looked down and saw the group of students from his school. He recognized one of them, deciding to land in their midst.

"Ah, senior Lan Zhou," Wu Bao greeted without smiling, "I need your library card."

The group of students looked at the newcomer with shock, especially the swirling winds around him which were very apparent.

'The trash just fell out of the sky?'

'What's up with this wind? He's still going through his awakening? Why is it so much more powerful than before?'

"Y-you are Wu Bao?"

"That's right."

"Y-you are able to fly?"

Wu Bao's eyes glowed with electricity. "I don't have time to humor the likes of you. Give me your library card."

"I-I…" Lan Zhou was speechless, as well as everyone else around him.

"Forget about it, then," Wu Bao said. "Just come with me."

An invisible force crushed Lan Zhou from all sides and lifted him up.

"Wait, Wu Bao! You can't do that!" Min Ye cried out.

"Why not?" He stopped and looked at her coldly.

"I-it's not good for our class' reputation to be seen fighting each other, especially among the top-scoring students."

Wu Bao scoffed. "For having the title of class paragon, you really have a shallow morality. What about all those times I was beat up in the hallway? What about when I was dragged away from class to get pummeled in the bathroom? Get over yourself. Those are not the actions of a paragon. You may be strong and regal on the outside, but on the inside you are worse than trash and uglier than excrement."

Min Ye trembled with rage. She had never been so insulted in her life. She raised her head and her eyes glowed blue like a frigid ice cap.

"Take back what you said. No one has ever said that to me. I am kind and considerate, even to you."

"You did nothing for me except turn a blind eye. That was not kindness."

"If I had intervened, your situation would have gotten worse. You were too weak. If I had protected you or showed you any favor, the others would only have gotten jealous and beat you harder when I wasn't around."

Wu Bau paused for a moment, taken aback. However, his face morphed to anger, "Actually, you did not see long term benefit from me. Every other weakling you have helped were the sons or daughters of someone wealthy. You are trying to keep me from taking Lan Zhou because he is talented and fawning all over you. You even flatter the teachers to get benefits. Seriously, just shut up and get out of my way."

"Don't assume my intentions. Everyone compliments our teachers. I have done nothing wrong in my life." Min Ye argued.

"It isn't about what you have done. In my eyes, you are just like everyone else who has never helped me. I will not retract my judgment about you."

Min Ye roared. A torrent of ice enveloped her surroundings. The other students escaped before they could be frozen. Her fists became enveloped by bone-chilling energy.

Wu Bao's body crackled and he smelled like ozone.

When she struck, he used the same tactics as before. He threw Lan Zhou in front of him as a shield, then counterattacked.

His electrified fist met an ice barrier, so he summoned an electro net, which appeared on the inside, and wrapped it around Min Ye. It was the most respectable aspect of Tang Jia Lu's skill, yet he had never realized how to use it this way.

She screamed.

Wu Bao transformed the tip of his finger into a claw. He raked it across the ice barrier, cutting it with ease.

Min Ye cloaked herself in ice armor. With that, she was able to throw off the electro net.

She activated another seal, summoning a blade made of water in her hands. Such a blade had a flexible shape and variable sharpness. Since it was pure water, it wouldn't conduct electricity.

Wu Bao activated another one of the security officer's seals. Metal in the surrounding area started moving toward Wu Bao. Soon, a smaller vortex of forks, knives, spoons, coins, and other small objects were rotating around him.

The bystanders who knew Wu Bao gasped in shock.

"How many seals had he displayed?"

"It doesn't matter. That trash is still undergoing his awakening. They'll all be broken later when he overfills them. This is clearly a temporary power-up."

"I suppose. Plus, it's not like he knows how to use them to their full potential. He's trash, after all."

Min Ye's ice armor was battered by the metal objects, costing her more spiritual energy to maintain it. Suddenly, Wu Bao appeared from the folds of a shadow at her feet, a lightning bolt was aimed at a gap in her defenses.

Min Ye grit her teeth and activated her life-saving treasure.

An illusory barrier that looked like a checkerboard appeared in front of her, stopping the lightning attack in its tracks. The vortex of metal dissipated. Everything came to a standstill.

"Haha! You are pretty good for trash, Wu Bao, but this is my family's specially designed energy barrier. On this side, only I can activate seals that create and use external energy."

Wu Bao examined the situation. "Mhmm. Interesting. Interesting. I'll take it."

Min Ye scoffed. "Fool. This is an artifact containing an inanimate seal. If you want it, you will have to take my artifact. However, now that I've activated it, the artifact will stay active until it runs out of energy in two hours-"

The barrier disappeared.

Min Ye's mouth moved wordlessly.

"Thanks. Now I will finish you off."

A lightning-clad claw pierced her armor and electrocuted her. After a few moments, she fell unconscious.

Wu Bao transformed his feet into eagle talons and picked her up. He flew to the top of a skyscraper with Lan Zhou and Min Ye before taking their seals and leaving them there.

He flew away.

When he arrived at the library, he used Lan Zhou's card to get inside, then accessed one of the public computers and searched for suicide seals.

After finding a model of seal that was similar to his mother's, he researched everything he could about breaking it, saving it to the memory archive.

Still, he wasn't confident enough yet.

He continued researching until a librarian approached and told him the place was closing for the day.

Wu Bao activated a seal he stole from Lan Zhou. He touched the librarian's forehead and they immediately fell unconscious. He changed into their appearance, finished up their tasks so nothing would be suspicious, then kept researching.

Coincidentally, the librarian had an insomnia seal, which allowed him to stave off drowsiness (unless it was caused by another seal).

With it, Wu Bao was able to stay awake the whole night.

...

In the morning, Wu Bao flew home.

The house was quiet.

He extended his life detection seal to the maximum and enveloped the whole house. It was far more than the five meter radius he told the headmaster, obviously.

When he didn't sense anyone inside, he suspected his mother had stayed the night at the police station, answering questions and being bullied.

He clenched his fist and flew over to the police station.

Even after razing the place and taking everyone's seals, he still couldn't find his mother. As for the police station… they were all corrupt in this world anyway.

He gained a few more telekinesis seals and even a lie-detection seal, not to mention dozens of combat seals.

Wu Bao flew back to the school. Perhaps his mother was explaining to the school board why two of their members no longer had powers. He could only imagine the trouble she was going through because of him.

As he was walking into the building, someone stopped him.

"Where are you going, cripple? I heard you had awakened. Wanna test those new, crummy seals of yours?" they said while smiling sadistically.

An invisible hand pinned them against the wall, then several more held the "friends" that came to the rescue.

"Have you seen my mother?" Wu Bao said in monotone.

Shock arose in the face of the bully.

"I-I thought you were a cripple! How can you have so many telekinesis seals?"

"I have more than just telekinesis seals," Wu Bao responded, his eyes crackling with lightning, his fists changing into claws, and his clothes turning into ice. "Tell me if you have seen my mother."

"I-I-I…"

"So you haven't. Then I will be on my way."

He touched the bully's forehead and let him tumble to the ground.

"I'll be back for you later. After all, you're on my list."

Wu Bao searched the school, blazing a trail of confusion, a bit of destruction, and a whole heap of unconscious bullies.

When he still couldn't find his mother, he went to the nurse's office and knocked on the door.

"Come in. Ah! Wu Bao. I haven't seen you in a long time. I'll get you an elixir right away. I spent a lot of time developing this one."

"No. Mr. Zang. I'm not here because I'm injured."

"You're not injured?"

"Yes. In fact, I'll never be injured again. I have awakened and gained plenty of new seals."

"I see…" Zang Tsu smiled, but inwardly he was gnashing his teeth. "Then why are you here?"

"I am looking for my mother, Wu Jie. Have you seen her?"

"I'm afraid not."

Wu Bao sighed. "Then I'll be going, Mr. Zang. Thank you for everything you've done for me. You healed me when I was wounded, snuck me into the collector, and never threw me into trouble. I will come back soon to repay your kindness properly."

"Of course," Mr. Zang hastily held up the new elixir. "Wait! Drink this before you leave. It should be good for your general health. It would go to waste without you. Please."

Wu Bao blinked.

His lie-detection threw a flag.

He narrowed his eyes and activated a few more seals. His Iridescent seal revealed all four of Mr. Zang's seals.

"Mr. Zang, how many seals did you say you have?" he asked while taking the elixir, but not drinking it yet.

"Three. Why?"

"Then how do you explain your fourth seal?"

"Oh. Uh… That's not really a seal. It is a tool meant to bind doctors against committing evil acts."

Wu Bao nodded with understanding, and smiled. "Unfortunately for you, I can tell it's slightly damaged." He pushed the elixir back into Mr. Zang's hands. A tiny amount spilled out onto his clothing.

"Ow! Ow!" Mr. Zang quickly washed his hands before the elixir could corrode and poison his blood. He had three Venom-Tiger seals, which gave him excellent poison manipulation abilities, but even this concoction was harmful to him. "Dammit. Why can't you die like the runt you are!" he roared.

Mr. Zang used his poison manipulation to force the liquid down Wu Bao's throat.

Wu Bao briefly panicked, but realized the elixir tasted exactly the same as others before. As he realized what he drank, the feeling of betrayal rose up in his chest.

"You've been trying to poison me this whole time!?"

He threw Mr. Zang against a wall.

Seeing that Wu Bao was far too strong, Mr. Zang growled. "For some reason, none of my poisons ever worked. I had to offset the evil acts with good acts sometimes because of my fourth seal. Hahaha. Can you believe it?! My life's passion for poison-making was unable to kill even a useless, bastard cripple! Hahahaha. You can kill me now. I'm resolved."

Wu Bao knocked him out, collected everyone's seals, and left the building.