The parking lot was divided into two sections.

  One side was for 'newer arrivals,' vehicles brought in within the last two or three years.

  The other side was for the 'old-timers,' cars that had been sitting there for several years already.

  Under normal circumstances, if you were missing a spare part—as long as it wasn't a major component like an engine—you could head to the old-timers' section and try your luck for a bargain.

  The general rule was 'don't go too far,' and you could just pay a little something.

  As for what 'don't go too far' meant, that depended entirely on the mood of the lot attendant at the time.

  There used to be second-hand parts dealers who would come specifically to strip components.

  But because they got a bit greedy, even starting to strip parts from vehicles that had just arrived in the 'newer arrivals' section, several incidents occurred.

  After that, the place now basically only does business with familiar faces.

  Since most of the usable parts in the old-timers' section had already been picked clean, and considering most new cars these days are electric vehicles while the old-timers are mostly gasoline cars with limited part compatibility, hardly anyone goes there to scavenge for parts anymore.

  When Dong Qi drove to the parking lot, he found the main gate tightly locked.

  Checking the time on his phone, it was only 4 PM.

  It seemed the attendant had gone home for lunch and hadn't returned for the afternoon shift.

  Ignoring the emergency contact number posted on the gate, Dong Qi lifted a stone in the corner, retrieved the key hidden underneath, and opened the gate himself.

  After driving in, he closed the gate again.

  With the parking lot completely deserted, it was the perfect opportunity for Dong Qi to test his vehicle upgrade ability.

  The materials consumed for upgrading the vehicle didn't need to be physically installed into it; they just needed to be within a one-meter radius.

  Dong Qi specifically sought out an old-timer in the lot that was the same model as his own vehicle.

  The car was covered in a thick layer of years-old dust, and anything that could be stripped from the inside had long been removed.

  However, the overall body shell only had some scratches and rust, with no major damage.

  As Dong Qi activated his upgrade ability, the old car's body gradually began to turn transparent.

  It then dissolved into particles that slowly drifted into Dong Qi's fated artifact.

  After the old car had completely vanished, a gentle breeze stirred up the dust that had accumulated on it, scattering it in all directions.

  Bound Target: Light Passenger Vehicle.

  Body Frame: Unenhanced (1%)

  Power System: Unenhanced (1%)

  Electrical Equipment: Unenhanced (1%)

  Other Equipment: Unenhanced (0%)

  Looking at the mere one percent enhancement progress, it seemed he would need to consume at least a hundred vehicles to complete the initial stage of enhancement.

  While the number of vehicles in the parking lot was sufficient, if they all disappeared at once, it would definitely cause a major stir.

  Dong Qi hadn't run into anyone else during this visit, but if things blew up, the authorities could easily pinpoint him as the suspect.

  After all, the cameras installed everywhere weren't just for show.

  Although this area was considered suburban, meaning a lower population density compared to the city center, the actual number of people living here wasn't small.

  It was undoubtedly already covered by the Skynet surveillance system.

  His actions now would likely go unnoticed if nothing happened.

  But if a major incident occurred, this operation would certainly be discovered.

  While it was good to be prepared, they were still in a time of peace.

  Therefore, enhancing his fated artifact was not something that could be rushed; it needed to be done gradually and carefully.

  On the drive back, Dong Qi noticed that even with just a one percent enhancement progress, the vehicle had undergone some changes.

  However, these changes were extremely subtle.

  If the vehicle weren't his fated artifact, Dong Qi wouldn't have been able to perceive these minor alterations at all.

  From this, he understood that his enhancement ability wasn't like in games, where changes only occurred upon reaching one hundred percent.

  Instead, with every single enhancement, a certain degree of improvement took place.

  After returning home and finishing dinner, Dong Qi lay in bed once more.

  His thoughts returned to the Manifestation from the Tide of Thought, the gift from Mother Earth.

  Each materialization of an item required the consumption of a special energy.

  What exactly was this special energy, and how could he absorb it?

  When this thought arose in Dong Qi's mind, the energy absorption value suddenly appeared in his consciousness in the most intuitive way, just like the Item Upgrade ability.

  Manifestation from the Tide of Thought

  Manifestations Used: 1

  Unknown Special Energy Value: 0.1

  (Each manifestation consumes a minimum of 100 energy points, with no upper limit.)

  Looking at the panel that had once again appeared in his mind, Dong Qi focused his will, and the originally separate panels for the two abilities merged into one, making it more convenient for him to keep track of his own status in the future.

  More had happened in this single day than in the entire past year, so not long after lying down in bed, Dong Qi drifted into a hazy sleep.

  When Dong Qi woke up the next day, the experiences of yesterday felt like a dream. But as his consciousness remained connected to his Lifebound Artifact, and with a mere thought, the sound of a vehicle honking echoed from the basement, he understood that yesterday's events were not a dream.

  Just as Dong Qi lay in bed, contemplating how to obtain large quantities of materials next to enhance his Lifebound Artifact, the imperial authorities had already formulated targeted contingency plans for those who had recently awakened supernatural abilities.

  Although the vast majority of people experiencing Dehydration Syndrome were promptly taken to hospitals by those around them for fluid replenishment, there were still some who, like Dong Qi, went unnoticed by others during their episodes.

  While most people died from excessive fluid loss during the episode, there were still some who, like Dong Qi, endured through the onset of the illness.

  Among those who survived the episode and gained abilities, there were not only ordinary residents like Dong Qi but also individuals with more unique statuses.

  Contrary to many novels where numerous ability users emerge from prisons, thanks to the omnipresent surveillance within the prisons of the Great Xia Empire, many inmates were discovered shortly after their episodes began.

  While prison medics might have ordinary medical skills, they were more than capable of administering simple IV fluids for rehydration.

  Precisely because of this, prisoners who showed symptoms, having received timely fluid replenishment, missed out on this opportunity.

  Although even prisoners could be detected promptly, some government employees engaged in highly confidential work, due to the nature of their secretive duties, often went unnoticed for three to five days and were thus overlooked by others.

  While most people died from dehydration during the episode due to their physical constitutions, some still gained abilities as a result.

  These individuals already had high levels of security clearance, so when they reported their awakened abilities, the authorities took the matter very seriously.

  In just half a day, the imperial authorities notified all government offices across the nation to investigate residents within their jurisdictions and to keep those who had recently awakened abilities under surveillance.

  They also began swiftly removing so-called "magic performance" videos from the internet, suppressing any disruptive incidents as quickly as possible.