Section 10, Branches

He walked slowly, half-bent at the waist. The effective radius of perception was actually only about fifty meters. However, if a specific area was monitored for an extended period, this distance could be pinpointed through the extended sense of thought. Although the hotel was at least several hundred meters away from the previous concealed location, it was still able to continuously gather perceptual information, ultimately forming a complete framework.

Gently spitting out the chewed grass stem, Zhao Yi took a deep breath, picked up the backpack placed beside him, emerged from behind the concealed rock, and strode towards the source of light under the night sky.

Based on the distinct functions of the internal nerve bundles, muscles, bones, and sensory organs, the assignable fields of evolutionary points can be categorized into five basic perceptions of humanity, along with three additional branches: "physique," "speed," and "thought," totaling eight major branches. Once each branch is activated, it results in extremely subtle changes in quality. In the first level of evolutionary state, "physique" advances to "strength," "speed" transforms into "agility," and "thought" is referred to as "wisdom." Each branch, upon activation, produces these nuanced quality changes. Consequently, humanity has even established a new discipline—Evolutionary Studies. Much like the ancient creator of the periodic table, Dmitri Mendeleev, who, despite not discovering all the corresponding elements, reserved spaces for those that should exist, Evolutionary Studies has extrapolated human evolutionary abilities to over ten levels and has pre-assigned names for every possible incremental ability in textbooks. However, no individual has ever manifested as a tenth-level evolved being.

Perhaps it was that heaven no longer bestowed upon him more favor, or it could be that his growth and development had already adapted to the environment under the threat of radiation, but Zhao Yi's body had not produced any new points of evolution. This condition persisted until a few years ago when he first emerged from the underground base and subtly extended a helping hand to those federal soldiers in distress, at which point it slightly improved. ... In terms of the probability and speed of the growth of evolution points, now he is, in fact, ... just an ordinary and unremarkable normal person

The distant motel remains tranquil, with the figure behind the counter occasionally standing up and moving about. Aside from him, the other parts of the inn are as silent as death

With an evolution vision level of up to 5, Zhao Yi can easily observe minute movements from a distance of 1,800 meters or even further under unobstructed conditions. Perhaps due to the intense radiation from the sealed S12 fortress, he naturally developed his first evolution point at the age of 3 years and 6 months. This precious pineal gland hormone, which is considered invaluable by others, was directly applied by the young Zhao Yi to the main nerve bundle controlling his arms. ... The reason ... was simply to move heavy wooden boxes and stack chairs to reach the candies placed high on the cabinet by the adults. This precious pineal gland hormone, which is considered invaluable by others, was directly applied by the young Zhao Yi to the main nerve bundle controlling his arms. ... The reason ... was simply to move heavy wooden boxes and stack chairs to reach the candies placed high on the cabinet by the adults.

The door to the hotel lobby was slightly ajar. As one approached, the numerous ant-eaten holes on the white oak door became clearly visible. A grasshopper was resting in the grass by the door; as Zhao Yi drew near, it fearfully spread its wings and quickly took flight, disappearing into the depths of the dark night.

Without any means of transportation and without knowing the next supply point, he must meticulously budget and carefully plan every bit of food and water. Even during rest, he must remain vigilant of his surroundings and potential dangers. Zhao Yi has never felt as exhausted as he does now, yet he must endure, though he does not know how much longer this process will last

The night grows deeper

The unbearable heat of the day has been replaced by a very comfortable coolness. Zhao Yi only feels that his eyelids are very heavy, as if they could droop down at any moment, tightly adhering to each other, no longer wanting to part.

He has been observing for more than six hours—there is no other person in the hotel, and no vehicles are passing on the old road. To the west of the small building, there is a field of green corn that has already begun to tassel. Many farmers on the North American continent choose this family-managed business model

The newly acquired abilities do not require the investment of evolution points. From the moment they emerge naturally, they have already begun to take effect. As for the reason behind this... Zhao Yi himself does not understand.

He did not know how to describe his current physical condition. Since his childhood, when he was allocated a large number of evolution points evenly, he discovered that the areas of discretionary abilities he possessed were absolutely not limited to the eight branches of advanced studies recorded in the computer, but rather included six additional options beyond the normal circumstances.

Two years later, Zhao Yi became the only student of all the survivors in the underground base. He finally understood that the first enhanced domain he had was called "Physique." By that time, he had consumed a total of twelve newly produced gland hormones. These vast amounts of evolution points were not concentrated and stacked in the same domain to produce a geometrically multiplied powerful force. Instead, the naive Zhao Yi distributed them evenly, continuously activating "Speed," "Vision," "Intelligence," and even "Sense of Smell," which had almost no practical effect. The reason for doing this was merely to run faster than adults in daily life, to be more cunning than them, and to obtain more snack rewards from their hands

The door hinge creaked, pressing against the metal lily leaf, emitting an unbearable sound of anguish. The person sitting behind the counter suddenly raised his head, looking in surprise at Zhao Yi, who had just entered the room. After a moment, he regained his composure, let out a light sigh, shrugged his shoulders, and said: "Is there anything I can help you with?"

The distance from here to the station of the 179th Division exceeds 120 kilometers, which is not covered by the main highway network. The residents along the way are very sparse; since noon the day before yesterday, Zhao Yi has seen human dwellings for the first time.

... ...

Normal person

On June 1st, I accompanied my wife and son to Yuanjiang for a few days of fun with books. The mangoes were 0.5 yuan per jin, the watermelons were 0.8 yuan per jin, and the jackfruits were 15 yuan each... I ate too much, and I am still feeling bloated now

It was not until the age of six that the survivors of S12 were astonished to discover this secret. Even the most authoritative members of the Federal Academy of Biological Sciences could not explain the phenomenon occurring with Zhao Yi. They could only attribute it to radiation. After all, all the survivors had witnessed the growth process of this child—he was unafraid of radiation and could freely traverse the enclosed passages filled with deadly rays. Although cases of genetic mutation are extremely rare, they are not impossible. The only regret is that the evolutionary abilities within Zhao Yi were discovered too late. As a child, he did not understand the powerful and terrifying geometric transformation that would occur when a large number of evolution points accumulated in a specific domain. He merely distributed these precious and rare hormones according to his own preferences across all fields. The final result was that he became possibly the only full five-tier ability user on Earth, yet he did not accumulate evolution points to advance to a stronger level, existing only as a theoretical construct of the tenth tier without any actual data.

He was a middle-aged man of about forty years. Very thin, wearing an old, yellowed U-neck T-shirt. His hair was cut very short, and dense black hair was visible under his arms and on his chest. From Zhao Yi's vantage point, he could see on the inner side of the counter a nearly empty cup of coffee and a somewhat worn adult magazine that had been flipped open.

From the moment biologists first discovered the existence of pineal gland hormones, the vast majority of humanity has chosen "physicality" as the direction of evolution. Of course, there are also exceptional forms such as circus performers who choose "speed," professional researchers who opt for "intelligence," and skilled artisans who select "tactility." However, in the recorded history of human evolution, there is no case like Zhao Yi at https://mhetushucom.com, who naturally generated a large number of evolutionary points without any relevant training.

Zhao Yi is well aware that the term "normal person" has nothing to do with him at all

Straining to open his sore, stinging eyes, Zhao Yi continued to observe the distant motel. He shook his head in self-mockery, and a faint smile appeared at the corners of his slightly pursed lips

The dark wilderness is enveloped in silence; midnight has always been the domain of evil and filth, as well as a forbidden zone for the gods of sleep and death

Zhao Yi leaned against a massive rock, silently observing the small building in the distance. He had been wandering around the military camp's southern area for nearly five days. Apart from the supermarket that was the first to be looted in the southern direction, he had also visited several other residences along the way. He behaved like a long-distance traveler trying to save expenses, requesting to fill his water bottle for free or exchanging a bit of change for the cheapest cornbread. Each stay lasted no more than five minutes. Zhao Yi believed that the assassins were surely planning new actions; although he did not understand their motives, he was certain they would not let him go. By continuously interacting with the local residents, he left behind a mark as a disguise, then circled back north from the east, sketching a large arc in the map of his mind. This most primitive method of deception was time-consuming and labor-intensive, yet very effective.

Zhao Yi has carefully studied the various levels of evolution mentioned in the advanced studies. In order to make the thoughts in his mind more intuitive, he has drawn a vertical bar chart on paper depicting the eight major branches of humanity under normal circumstances. It consists of eight unconnected straight lines, with no connections in between; however, the situation within himself is entirely different. ... How should I put it ... It is like a tree with eight main root systems. When the evenly distributed evolution points reach level 3, they intersect in pairs, producing six entirely new deployable abilities in an extremely bizarre manner. It consists of eight unconnected straight lines, with no connections in between; however, the situation within himself is entirely different. ... How should I put it ... It is like a tree with eight main root systems. When the evenly distributed evolution points reach level 3, they intersect in pairs, producing six entirely new deployable abilities in an extremely bizarre manner.

Zhao Yi politely nodded, reached into the side pocket of his trousers, pulled out a ten-dollar federal bill, and placed it on the counter, saying, "I need a room"

Creaking sound

It was a two-story building constructed of brick and wood. It stood alone in the wilderness, very close to the old highway, backed by a tall water tower that loomed like a silent giant in the night. The neon sign flashing above the roof clearly indicated that it was a twenty-four-hour operating motel

It has been nearly fifty years since humanity first discovered the existence of evolutionary points

Puff—

He felt lost, unsure of how to explain everything that was happening to him. Fear, doubt, tension, surprise... Various complex emotions intertwined and confused him, leaving him only able to remain silent, not mentioning to anyone these phenomena that could not be matched with any books, nor explained by any theoretical research

He carefully studied the small building in the distance. Like all the motels recorded in the computer, the majority of the space on both the second and first floors should be available for rental rooms. The lobby, adjacent to the old highway, serves both as a reception area and a dining room. The lights there were always on, and through the frosted glass embedded in the door panel, a hazy figure could be seen sitting behind a counter that was more than one meter high.

The overall structure of the hotel is not complex; the general layout of the corridors, rooms, and furniture has formed a pure line three-dimensional image in Zhao Yi's mind. This is a new detection ability generated from the fusion of vision and thought after reaching the third level. Zhao Yi could not find a corresponding name for it in the advanced study textbooks. He had to name this ability himself—perception

As the scorching sunlight directly casts its rays upon the ground, it is gradually obscured by the thick black curtain of night. From the depths of the grass and shrubs, the calls of crickets and grasshoppers rise and fall in succession. Occasionally, an owl swoops low, its claws gripping a plump field mouse that has let down its guard in its eagerness for tender grass stems. A cool breeze gently sweeps across the wilderness, with no sounds produced directly or indirectly by humans, nor any signs of potential threats in sight.