Chapter 18 Strange Former Owner

Chapter 18: The Strange Former Owner

Ji An had already left, so he couldn’t hear what those people were saying behind his back—but it wasn’t hard to guess. He paid no mind. Actions speak louder than words; once he actually created something, they’d have to eat their words.

On the way, Kong Zhongcheng kept glancing at Ji An, clearly wanting to ask something but hesitating. His hesitation was painful to watch. Ji An finally said, “If you’ve got a question, just ask it.”

“Uh… Ji An, is that spatial storage device you mentioned real? Could you really make one?” Kong Zhongcheng asked.

Tang Ning also looked at Ji An. She genuinely respected his combat abilities—when he told her he could beat Gu Jinsheng, she believed him without question. But research? That made her hesitate.

“If you’re asking me, of course I say yes,” Ji An replied. He didn’t think it was impossible. After all, his Space Necklace *was* essentially a spatial storage device.

If such a thing could exist, then its existence was reasonable. If he could uncover its energy conservation and mass conversion principles, he could crack the secret behind spatial storage devices.

Even if the Space Necklace was an artifact from an ancient cultivation world with a different energy framework, Ji An believed he could still decode it. When he thought about it, modern supers and the cultivators in novels actually had uncanny parallels.

Put simply, cultivators stored their qi in the dantian, later condensing it into a Nascent Soul. Supers, on the other hand, drew power from their brains, forming superpower cores within them.

So the Nascent Soul and the superpower core were basically the same—just stored in different places. The reason for this difference likely came down to differing energy systems. Once he fully understood and harnessed this system, creating a spatial storage device would be completely doable.

Thousands of years ago, weren’t cars and planes just dreams?

Ji An always believed one thing: If you can imagine it, you can do it!

“A spatial storage device like the ones in cultivation novels?” Kong Zhongcheng rubbed his hands together, visibly excited.

“Basically, though there might be small differences,” Ji An replied.

As he answered Kong Zhongcheng’s questions, Ji An observed the Capital Base.

Security here was strong. Supers and regular people coexisted peacefully. Some supers might act arrogant or superior, but they didn’t bully non-supers.

Some ordinary people ran small stalls, and supers would stop by and buy things—no using their powers to force unfair deals. Regular people didn’t show the fear and deference seen in Third Base either. They interacted more as equals.

This kind of attitude required fair treatment over time—it didn’t happen overnight. It must have taken years to build.

The Capital Base had clearly gone through reconstruction. Many single-level homes had reappeared—some even primitive mud-brick shacks, others brick-and-tile houses.

It was hard to believe this was the same city that had once been a glittering metropolis of skyscrapers before the apocalypse.

Mud-brick shacks amid former bustling streets gave off a weird disconnect. But it was precisely this clash of impossibilities that defined the post-apocalyptic world—a trademark of the end times.

Kong Zhongcheng led Ji An into a high-rise building around seventeen or eighteen stories tall, located in downtown Capital Base, close to the command center—about a twenty-minute walk away.

Of course, that was for supers. Awakening a power enhanced physical abilities beyond regular humans. Non-speed-type supers moved two to three times faster.

The elevator still had power. Kong Zhongcheng stepped inside with Ji An and pressed the fifth-floor button, grinning. “Fifth floor—not bad, right? Even if the power goes out, climbing won’t be too tiring.

Don’t worry, though—the power rarely cuts out. There’s a lightning-type super living here who charges the elevator every day.”

They soon reached the fifth floor. The elevator doors on the left slid open, and Kong Zhongcheng led him out. “Each unit here has private elevator access. Only the cleaning crew has keys to your floor. Of course, someone could climb the stairs, but no one’s dumb enough to try. This place is full of high-level supers.”

“Zhongcheng, you’re here. We just finished moving out.” The apartment door opened, and a man in his fifties walked out. Dressed casually, he seemed approachable, but his upright posture and sharp eyes marked him as someone used to being in charge.

“Uncle Gu,” Kong Zhongcheng said. “This is Ji An, the new resident.”

“Hello,” the man said, extending his hand. “Pleased to meet you. I’m Gu Lianyun.”

“Hello, I’m Gu Jinlan,” a voice called out cheerfully as a head popped out from behind Gu Lianyun, smiling brightly at Ji An.

This family all shares the surname Gu, and Gu Jinsheng also bears the surname Gu. It's unclear whether this family is related to Gu Jinsheng.

But regardless of whether they are or not, the family is moving out anyway.

"Hello, I'm Ji An—a dual-ability superpowered individual with mind and space powers," Ji An said.

"I know you. Word of your exploits has gotten around—storming a zombie nest single-handedly while escorting an unawakened civilian. Young man, you're truly impressive!" Gu Lianyun praised sincerely.

"Thank you." If it were someone else receiving such praise, they might have blushed or been embarrassed, but not Ji An. His actions warranted such recognition, so he simply thanked them politely.

Gu Lianyun, clearly no rigid formalist, didn't take Ji An’s straightforwardness as arrogance. After a brief pause, he laughed and patted Ji An’s shoulder. "That’s the spirit of youth!"

"Uncle Gu, is there anything left to move? I can help," Kong Zhongcheng offered.

"In the house—my wife still has some things. Could you give her a hand?" Gu Lianyun replied.

Ji An followed Kong Zhongcheng inside and found the apartment was about 100 square meters—3BR/1BA/1 kitchen. The previous owners had clearly lived with taste: quirky knickknacks decorated the rooms, and plants—rare in the apocalypse—added life. A delicate crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, and calligraphy and paintings adorned the walls.

A luxurious leather sofa stood in the living room, its floor covered with a soft Persian rug that felt like walking on clouds.

A 40-inch TV sat in the living room, and the TV stand appeared made of fine hardwood—Ji An didn’t recognize the grain, but it looked high-quality.

"Are we going to live here from now on?" Tang Ning whispered, eyes wide with excitement. "It’s so beautiful—even fancier than where Tang Tang lives. This is amazing!"

Ji An nodded, equally pleased with the place. Comfortable surroundings always lifted one’s spirits.

Kong Zhongcheng emerged from the rooms carrying several bags. "The keycard’s on the coffee table. Don’t forget to bring it when you go out—otherwise, you’ll have to climb the stairs."

"The stuff in the apartment was left for you by Uncle Gu and Auntie Gu. Keep what you like, replace what you don’t. We’re off now."

"Got it," Ji An replied. Tang Ning, already bubbling with excitement, started exploring every room.

Kong Zhongcheng reached the door and realized no one was following. He turned back. "Tang Ning, let’s go!"

"Huh?" She froze. "Where else am I going? Aren’t I staying here?"

"Of course not," Kong Zhongcheng answered. "The higher-ups said unrelated men and women can’t share housing. There’s another tenant here—no room for you. This whole building houses only superpowered individuals; as a civilian, it wouldn’t be appropriate."

"Oh… right." Tang Ning glanced at Ji An.

Ji An asked, "Where will she stay?"

"Don’t worry. She’ll be in an integrated housing zone for civilians and superpowered individuals. Conditions aren’t quite as good as here, but still decent—and safety’s guaranteed. It’s studio apartments, one per person. Perfect for Miss Tang."

Ji An nodded. Once everyone left, he explored the rooms. Sunlit on three sides, the apartment really was something special.

One bedroom had been converted into a study, its shelves packed with books. Ji An skimmed through them and found everything from fiction to technical manuals.

The other two bedrooms were empty, with clean bedding—clearly unused. Ji An chose one and settled in.

Sitting on the bed, he was about to focus his energy into the Space Necklace for further inspection when the doorbell rang. Assuming it was the other tenant returning, he went to open the door.

Instead, he found a warm, elegant woman in her fifties—the previous homeowner. She smiled gently. "I was too busy earlier to introduce myself properly. My name is Dai Xin. Since it’s our first meeting, I didn’t have much to offer, but here’s some homemade fish sauce. I hope you like it."

Baffled but sensing her goodwill, Ji An accepted it.

"Thank you. I’m Ji An. Just say the word if you ever need help," he replied politely.

"Well then, I’ll definitely take you up on that in the future," Dai Xin said playfully, her tone affectionate.

"Okay."

Dai Xin left. Ji An opened the jar of fish paste and took a sniff—it smelled wonderful. He tasted a bite, and it was even more fragrant, tasting like home—something rare since the apocalypse.

Ji An had been an orphan since childhood, never having a real home, so he cherished this kind of homely flavor all the more. One could say this gift really touched him, making him feel warm inside.

Beyond that, the gift itself was no small gift.

Since water sources had mutated after the apocalypse, seafood had become nearly impossible to find. Big fish were scarce, much less the tiny ones used for fish paste—those were even harder to come by.

Ji An loved the gift dearly. He stored the fish paste in his Space Necklace and continued to explore its contents.

During their earlier escape, Ji An had already uncovered the secret of the Space Necklace, but back then, he had been too rushed to examine it thoroughly.

This time, as he inspected it carefully, he discovered something special about the Space Necklace.

The space inside the necklace was pitch black—Ji An wasn't sure how to describe it. It wasn’t an ordinary darkness, more like the pitch-black sky after sunset, without a single star.

Fortunately, he relied on his psychic senses to retrieve and examine items inside the space. If he had used his eyes alone, he wouldn’t have seen anything at all.

The space appeared to be as big as a football field, but Ji An noticed that in all four directions—up, down, left, and right—it seemed expandable. Its true size wasn’t limited to what he currently perceived.

However, an unseen barrier now blocked his psychic probing deeper into those directions.

In truth, the space could indeed be expanded and upgraded. Ji An had witnessed Tang Tang upgrading her space back when he was a spirit.

But the method Tang Tang used repulsed Ji An. He’d rather never upgrade his space than resort to such a method—Superpowered Crystal Cores.

Yes, Tang Tang used Superpowered Crystal Cores—ripped from human minds—to upgrade her space.

At first, Tang Tang had also tried using Zombie Cores to upgrade her space. Unfortunately, the Space Necklace rejected them. Even when she placed Zombie Cores inside, the space wouldn’t absorb them.

Later, by chance, Tang Tang obtained a Superpowered Crystal Core. Initially, she had intended to store it in the space, but she stumbled upon the fact that the space could absorb it. From then on, Tang Tang began actively hunting for Superpowered Crystal Cores to upgrade her space.

But Ji An would never choose such a method.

He refused to believe that this was the only way to advance the space. Something that required human lives to progress was a trait befitting only cursed artifacts.

The Space Necklace gave Ji An a serene, almost divine presence. He could believe it was a holy relic, but never an evil one.

Inside the space, there was also a Magic Spring—its waters shimmering and pristine. The spring’s water had healing properties, though still at Level 1, capable only of healing minor injuries sustained by ordinary people and first-tier superpowered individuals.

If the Space Necklace had remained in Tang Tang’s hands, she would have eventually discovered that it could absorb Superpowered Crystal Cores to upgrade. She’d have done the same, using the cores of healing and water-based superpowered individuals to enhance the spring.

As it turned out, that method did work.

But Ji An couldn’t shake the feeling that a miracle like this space shouldn’t require such a bloody means of advancement. There had to be another way.

At any rate, for now, Tang Tang hadn’t yet discovered that sinister method of upgrading. Both the space and the spring remained unpolluted—there was still hope.