My Superpower Is Kind of Cute

Chapter 23: Original Sin

Xu Weijie waved his hands awkwardly. “It’s not the same—it’s not the same at all. We’re a legitimate guild, sanctioned by the government.” “I still think it sounds more and more like one the more you talk.” Xu Weijie immediately fell silent. I glanced at Qi Yun. That kid seemed even more interested in guilds than I was; he was listening intently, his face full of anticipation. I didn’t even have to guess to know he was definitely planning to join a guild just to pick on the little kids. Seeing that Xu Weijie hadn’t said a word, I asked again, “What exactly is the difference between the two guilds?” “I already mentioned that,” Xu Weijie said hesitantly. “The Supernatural Abilities Research Institute mainly focuses on exploring the origins of human supernatural abilities and developing new types of supernatural weapons. Since it’s state-funded, it does have some real expertise—it seems to have quite a reputation among the higher-ups. Whenever there’s a problem they can’t solve, they turn to the Institute. But because they rely too heavily on external equipment, the members’ supernatural abilities are generally quite weak.” I murmured softly in Qi Yun’s ear, “Judging by his bitter tone, he definitely isn’t a member of that guild.” Qi Yun just smiled and said nothing. “As for the Strange Club, its exact founding date is unknown, but rumor has it it was established at the same time as the Institute. Any psionic can join, provided they don’t cause trouble everywhere. Compared to the Institute, the club’s members face far fewer restrictions and enjoy greater freedom. They don’t rely on technological equipment beyond their psionic abilities; instead, they improve their powers through personal cultivation.” When he spoke of this, Xu Weijie’s eyes lit up as he spoke at length, and I became even more certain of his identity. “Stop.” I cut him off, looking at him as I said, “The way you’re describing it, the Research Institute is at least engaged in scientific research, while your club is, at best, just a gym.” “You can’t put it that way…” Xu Weijie paused for a moment. “How did you know I’m part of the club?” I chuckled softly. “You were practically about to recite the guild’s birth chart—how could I not know?” Xu Weijie was silent for a few seconds before asking, “I’ve explained the differences. Which guild do you want to join?” I didn’t answer his question but changed the subject instead. “Which of the two guilds is stronger?” “If we’re just comparing psychic abilities, it’s definitely our club. But when you factor in that junk gear from their research institute, plus the connections and prestige that come with being a public institution, the research institute has a slight edge.” Xu Weijie was surprisingly straightforward with his answer on this point. “You call that ‘slightly’?” I raised an eyebrow at him. “Why didn’t you join the Research Institute back then? Was it because your academic credentials weren’t good enough, or because you didn’t have any backdoor connections?” Xu Weijie put on a serious expression and lectured me slowly, “Life is about more than just the here and now.” I rolled my eyes at him, thinking to myself that he must have been in both situations—with no other choice but to join the club—yet now he was talking so nobly. His act was so over-the-top that I practically wanted to give him three sixes. “Oh, right.” I pulled the weapon—the steel nail that had nearly gotten me killed that afternoon, now broken into several pieces—out of my pocket and placed it on Xu Weijie’s desk. “Do you recognize this?” Xu Weijie glanced at it. “No idea.” “Then do you know any psychics who wear black suits?” I asked again, my gaze growing a bit unfriendly. Logically, the three people I’d encountered had to be from the Guild as well. Since the research institute is a public institution, that didn’t seem to pose much of a problem, so that left only the club Xu Weijie belonged to… This time, Xu Weijie thought for quite a while. He looked up at me with a strange expression and said, “You mean the Black Cloaks, right?” “What the hell is that?” “A branch of the Original Sin Guild.” “Damn it, what the hell is that? You said there were only two guilds—how did another one just pop up out of nowhere?” I felt like jumping up and kicking him right then and there. So all that nonsense we’d just been going through was just empty chatter—he hadn’t mentioned a single thing I actually wanted to know. Seeing my frantic expression, Xu Weijie quickly poured a glass of water and gestured for me to calm down. He explained patiently, “The Original Sin Guild is the opposite of us; their internal rules run completely counter to ours. It’s full of evil psychics—some of whom defected from the research institute and the club. Their combat prowess is top-notch, which is why I didn’t mention it earlier due to the nature of the matter…“You’re not thinking of joining them, are you? That would be absolutely out of the question.” I pointed at my own face and retorted, “Do I look like a bad guy to you?” I shot Xu Weijie a sharp glance—and to my surprise, he actually dared to nod. I rolled my eyes at him and pressed on, “What’s the story behind that guild?” “That guild is incredibly powerful and has spawned three branches. The first is the Mercenaries—any psychic can join, and they handle the guild’s assignments. The second is the Black Cloaks—you need a high level of loyalty to join, and they’re responsible for intelligence gathering. The last is the Hunters—they have strict requirements for psychic abilities, hold the highest status among the three branches, and are responsible for assassination missions…” “Why does that guild seem so much more professional to me?” I said, rubbing my chin. “They’ve got everything they need—it’s just like playing a video game. Nothing like the shabby mess you guys have going on.” “It’s not the same,” Xu Weijie shook his head firmly. “That guild will do anything for money. We’ve even carried out joint raids with the research institute before, but they all failed. Since then, though, the Original Sin Guild has become much more low-key. Now that you mention it, I think I remember something…” My heart skipped a beat, and I instinctively glanced at the steel nail. “What did you remember?” “That steel nail was one of the hidden weapons used by the Hunter Team Leader,” Xu Weijie said, waving the nails in front of me and gesturing as he spoke. “It’s practically a research prototype. Look—the density of this steel nail is much higher than that of ordinary ones. Without tremendous force, it would be impossible to withstand this… And yet it snapped like this? Tsk, tsk. A master is truly a master.” “What’s that person’s name?” I ignored his flattery and pressed him immediately. Xu Weijie pondered for a long time before finally shaking his head in resignation. “I really don’t know. His movements are elusive and unpredictable. To be honest, I’ve been defeated by him myself.” “He doesn’t seem very educated, but he sure throws around idioms like they’re nothing.” I looked at him in surprise. “You were defeated by him and you’re still alive?” I wasn’t mocking Xu Weijie—after all, I’d just had a brush with death myself, and it was hard to imagine how someone with his skills had managed to survive this long. Xu Weijie didn’t seem too bothered by my question. He pointed to his buttocks. “Luckily, it was just a thin needle, and it hit me in the butt—not a fatal spot.” I widened my eyes and said, “Isn’t that even more humiliating?” It was obvious that guy was toying with him. Xu Weijie completely ignored me and continued on his own, “I can take you to meet our guild leader. He definitely knows more than I do. How did you get mixed up with a guild like that?” “I don’t know either,” I said, feeling a bit bewildered. My relationship with that guy hadn’t even reached the point where we’d come to blows over a minor disagreement—he’d just gone behind my back without a word, which really pissed me off. I hoped I’d never run into that little bastard again. Seeing the look on my face, Xu Weijie continued in a very serious tone, “Well, you’re in a bit of a dangerous situation right now. You’d better join a guild—that way, if something really does happen, you’ll have someone to look out for you.” I thought for a moment and said softly, “What’s your standing in that so-called club?” Xu Weijie seemed to have been waiting for me to ask that, and he replied with a swagger, “I’m an officer-level member, after all.” I was instantly filled with despair. “Then what’s the point of joining? You’re an officer, yet you can’t even beat their squad leader—we’re totally screwed.”