Chapter 21: Odegaard Ore

There was no denying it—Xu Chen was a top-tier student, at least when it came to Odegaard ore.

He spoke with clarity, his logic crisp, his explanations deep yet easy to digest. Through their discussion, Luo Yan felt like she’d finally wrapped her head around the foundational knowledge surrounding Odegaard ore. Research and real-world applications included.

The stuff inside Odegaard ore was a game-changer—its energy density far outclassed petroleum, and that alone made it a critical asset.

Every major human revolution had been tied to energy—starting from early fire in the age of ape-men, to fossil fuels in the modern era, and later, the rise of nuclear energy. Odegaard energy crushed them all. Its density blew conventional fuels out of the water, and even better, it had fewer risks and less pollution than nuclear power.

That alone spelled out its importance to humanity.

And it also explained why this world, despite sharing nearly the same historical trajectory as her previous life before the Millennium Anomaly, had managed to leap ahead in areas like aviation, the military-industrial complex, and urban infrastructure.

But Odegaard ore wasn’t just an energy miracle—it was also a golden ticket for ability users.

A particular substance extracted from the ore could, under the right conditions, trigger evolution in ability users.

Humanity still didn’t fully understand how the stuff worked. The best they could say was that it somehow accelerated higher-frequency gene mutations. For normal people, using it was basically a slow, agonizing death sentence. But for ability users? Their tougher physical bodies and gene stability meant they had a shot.

If evolution was a ladder, this substance gave you a shaky, dangerous rocket boost upward.

Evidence of this was clearest in the growing number of Luminous and Transcendent-level users.

Take Luminous-level, for example—they all developed powers similar to invisibility. Not true invisibility, but the ability to manipulate external energy—things like bending light through refraction or scattering. It messed with how people perceived their movements. That ability was so common at the Luminous level that it had become the origin of the name itself.

So yeah, this mysterious Odegaard compound—despite its risks—was a holy grail for ability users everywhere.

Still, as Xu Chen explained, all the real extraction tech was locked up tight—government monopolies, strict regulation, restricted research access. The lab refinement methods were locked behind bureaucratic red tape and guarded like state secrets.

Sure, you could try your luck in the black market. But the stuff sold there? Complete gamble.

Xu Chen had done his own experiments with illegally obtained raw ore. The best purity he could reach on his own was 86%.

To be viable for use? You needed at least 97%.

Eighty-six percent might technically work, but the risks were through the roof. And Xu Chen wasn’t the type to f*ck around with that kind of danger.

He wasn’t chasing power for glory or status.

His obsession with purification tech came purely from personal curiosity.

“Purification technology…”

Luo Yan quietly filed that away. She had a feeling it was a critical link—maybe not something she needed to master, but understanding how it worked might give her deeper insight into abilities themselves.

She wasn’t in a rush. That kind of knowledge would take time—and access.

For now, she finished filling out the registration form that Chen En had given her earlier in the library. Standard stuff: name, ability level, residency intent.

Most of it he’d already asked her in person.

One field asked for her date of birth.

She almost put down her birthday from her old life—but changed her mind. Instead, she wrote September 21, 2012.

The day before she saved Lu Xiao Na.

The day she arrived in this world.

Calling it her birthday wasn’t exactly wrong.

Anyway, Chen En wasn’t going to nitpick something like that.

Once the form was done, she browsed a few more books while waiting for school to end.

Lu Xiao Na’s last class of the day was a theory exam, so there’d be a slight delay.

Fortunately, Chen En showed up on time, saving her from the awkwardness of loitering at the school gate with Atlanta like some clueless new kid.

Once they were in the car, she handed over the registration form.

Chen En gave it a quick glance, then tucked it away.

“All that’s left now is to take a photo. Miss Luo Yan should have her ID card within two days.”

“Thanks for handling all this.”

“No trouble at all. You saving the young lady—that was the real favor.”

He smiled and waved it off.

“Oh, right—since Miss Luo Yan plans to settle in Neo Aonan for a while, do you have any particular plans for work or study?”

Luo Yan blinked. Was he trying to assign her a job?

“As for work… well, I’m pretty interested in Odegaard ore right now.”

“Odegaard ore, huh? Haha, as expected of Miss Luo Yan. Most of the booming industries in Neo Aonan are related to it in some way.”

“The place I came from didn’t have any Odegaard ore veins nearby, and the research level wasn’t nearly as advanced. Coming to Neo Aonan feels like a rare opportunity.”

“I see, I see.”

Chen En nodded with a thoughtful look.

Then he added with a chuckle, “Still, it’s impressive that you’ve accomplished so much at such a young age, especially coming from a place where Odegaard tech is lagging behind. You must come from quite the family.”

Luo Yan just smiled and said, “Not really. Just an ordinary background.”

They chatted for a while longer until Lu Xiao Na finally showed up after her exam.

The girl hopped in, immediately complaining about how hard the test had been, then broke into a teasing grin.

“So, Big Sister Luo Yan, did any boys try to flirt with you today~?”

She grinned wide, clearly enjoying herself.

“And sooo many people were asking about you.”

Luo Yan just shook her head, unfazed.

The words “beautiful girl” carried devastating power in any world.

There was no fixing it.

Being too good-looking just came with these damn side effects.

Then Lu Xiao Na suddenly remembered something.

“Oh right! Big Sis Luo Yan, you should really get a phone. I was gonna call you after class, but then I remembered—you don’t even have one yet!”

Luo Yan nodded. Yeah, not having a phone in this world was becoming a pain in the ass.

“I’ll find time to buy one.”

“I’m free the day after tomorrow! Let’s go together! We can stop by the mall too—I’ll help you pick out some clothes!”

Her excitement was contagious.

“Sure.”

With a bubbly girl like this for company, there was no reason to refuse.

Besides, she didn’t have much on her schedule the next few days anyway.

Better to go out, see more of the city, and keep learning about this world—and the independent city-state called Neo Aonan.