[Absolute Power] Episodes 1-3 Author: Cheng Huxiao

【Absolute Power】

Author: Cheng Huxiao
Publisher: Novel Channel

Synopsis:
This is an entertaining novel depicting the growth of an incredibly lucky and invincible powerhouse as he traverses Earth and travels the universe. It has no political undertones; everything serves the protagonist!
The protagonist is a homeless boy who has suffered hardship and misfortune since childhood. He accidentally contracts a "gene bomb virus." On the verge of death, during a street shootout, a bullet injects the incomplete "Red Star One" super-powered warrior's hormones—a combination of superior genes from various land and sea creatures and ancient monster genes—into his body. These hormones fuse and recombine with the gene bomb virus within him, causing a sudden mutation.
Can he break free from the shackles of misfortune and forge a brilliant life path? Can he unlock his own source of power and complete his super transformation from a homeless boy to an unparalleled powerhouse? How will he obtain his first pot of gold for survival?
Life is full of changes, changes mixed with joy and sorrow; power determines everything, and anything is possible!
Join us in the world of "Absolute Power" and share another kind of fun in life!

Character Introductions:
◇ Liang Guanhao: The male protagonist of this book. Born a homeless orphan, his body has undergone genetic mutation due to the combined effects of the "Gene Bomb Virus" and the super-powered warrior hormone "Red Star No. 1." After the mutation, he possesses incredible strength and a terrifying, monstrous physique, but the mutation is extremely unstable. The protagonist is currently pursuing control over his power and mutation, gradually learning, and will encounter even greater adventures in the future.
◇ Hasegawa: An important supporting male character. Of mixed Chinese and Japanese descent, he holds a Japanese passport. His apparent identity is a second secretary at the embassy, but his true identity is a professional assassin and demon hunter. He is quick-witted, an expert sniper, skilled with firearms, and possesses the supernatural ability to read minds with a zero failure rate. Handsome and known as a prince by his peers, he acts like a madman, nicknamed "White-Haired Silver Demon." He is currently dating the protagonist and is commissioned by the Vatican to track down the whereabouts of the Ring of Eternity.
◇ Sweet Orange: One of the female protagonists of the book. Her real name is Tian Chengcheng, stage name is Tian Cheng, and she was once the owner of "Feiyan Hair Salon" and a famous prostitute in H City. Currently, she is being kept by the protagonist and will become one of his assistants in the future. As a child, she had the ability to manipulate and control metal at will, but she lost it for some reason. The protagonist will restore her ability.
◇ Miju: An important female supporting character, a girl abducted by a women and children trafficking organization. Currently around six or seven years old, she is forced to beg and is one of the protagonist's rescue targets. She is cute and doll-like, and her abilities and origins are unknown and will be further introduced later.
◇ The Three Drunken Pigs: Cheng Guanjun, Jia Zuhao, and Wan Hongliang. Important male supporting characters, the protagonist's robbery targets and the fundamental guarantee for getting rich. They are local tycoons and smuggling magnates with connections to both the underworld and the legitimate world. They will become the targets of the protagonist's constant bullying and oppression in the future and will also appear.
◇ Xiao Jie: An important male supporting character. A three-time national Sanda champion, known as "Tiger of the Mountain" and "Red-crowned Crane" for his tiger and crane fighting skills. He is a disciple of He Rongsong. He was once a member of the Red Gang and had a past relationship with its leader, Ge Hongtian. Currently embroiled in conflict with the Red Gang due to gambling on a boxing match, he was rescued by the protagonist, and their relationship remains to be developed.
◇ Mo Weixin: An important supporting male character, the behind-the-scenes owner of "Jushantang." He owns a large-scale privately-owned Chinese medicine pharmacy, "Jushantang," and a private hospital, producing highly effective Chinese medicines. He is extremely wealthy and currently moved by the protagonist's words and actions; he will become one of the protagonist's partners in the future.
◇ Jiang Shuntian: An important supporting male character. He holds the top position in the province's black market boxing ring, having fought 43 battles, killing 38 opponents without a single defeat, and is known as "Canghailong" (Dragon of the Vast Sea). He is the Red Gang's chief henchman and the closed-door disciple of Wu Shanglian, a master of Southern Fist, who created his own spiraling force. He suffered a crushing defeat at the hands of the protagonist, and his fate is unknown. His relationship with the protagonist remains to be developed.
◇ Yan Ni: An important supporting female character. Full name: Yan Ni. Feng. Stad, a descendant of German nobility and vampires, possesses genius-level control over blood power, standing out among the descendants. She is exceptionally pure and beautiful, yet alluring and seductive. Currently, she has entered into a master-slave contract with the protagonist, gaining his blood power and being promoted to vampire viscount, becoming his female slave. Her future is limitless.
◇ Garuda: An important supporting character, a silver-white mechanical war eagle. A product of advanced civilization, it loves to eat screws and other metal parts, can speak human language, and occasionally tells dry jokes. It can combine with various weapons and armor, increasing their attack power, accuracy, and defense. It can also absorb the user's energy to unleash energy attacks. If using a gun, the gun's power, accuracy, and rate of fire are enhanced. It can fire energy cannons, the power of which is determined by the user's energy. It attacks like an eagle, shooting out metallic feathers that explode. The drawback is that weapons and armor fused with it will have increased damage.
◇ Youming: An important supporting character, a female intelligent pet black cat. This is a biological cat meticulously crafted by engineers of an advanced civilization, a product of technological advancement and the crystallization of wisdom. An intelligence chip, embedded in the cat's brain using the highest biotechnology of this advanced civilization, grants her unique power and intelligence. After tens of thousands of years of evolution, her intelligence surpasses that of the advanced races of ancient civilizations and far exceeds that of normal humans. She possesses the ability to freely enter and exit the trial areas of the game realm, unbound by any realm's rules, existing outside of those rules. She hates mice and loves delicious fish.
◇ Oser: A male supporting character, one of the system NPCs in the game realm of an ancient advanced civilization. He appears as an elderly man, his position is Grand Prophet, and the guardian of the artifact, the Staff of Osafit.
◇ Red Dragon Army: An emerging international terrorist organization that successfully planned the "Brussels Research Institute bombing," directly leading to the leak of the "gene bomb virus," causing global panic. After this "New 9/11," their prestige soared, becoming a model and pilgrimage target for countless terrorists, and a global enemy. Subsequently, Red Dragon spies planned the "Red Star One robbery," which failed. Their political program is "to despise and break all order and rules, to fight evil terror with righteous terror, and to rebuild a new global political and economic order." Currently, the commander of the Crimson Dragon Army and their base are unknown; further details are needed.
◇ The Knights Templar: A knightly order loyal to the Pope. Their leader is called the Grandmaster, who governs knights, priests, and soldiers; the Grandmaster is only accountable to the Pope. The highest-ranking knights are entitled to wear the distinctive white robes of the Knights Templar, adorned with a red cross on the back. Their specific structure is yet to be revealed.
◇ The Belgian Knights: A mysterious dark organization that emerged during the Great Patriotic War of the former Soviet Union, not particularly enthusiastic about resisting foreign aggression. Its members include some dark mages and mad scientists; the identities of most remain unknown to outsiders. They possess advanced bio-technologies and genetic engineering, and once stole the body of Soviet hero Andrei and genetically modified it. The organization is powerful and successfully resisted an attack by the Knights Templar. Their specific structure is yet to be revealed.
◇ Camarilla: In the 14th century, the Catholic Inquisition confirmed the existence of vampires and launched a massive extermination campaign. Vampires possess supernatural abilities, but an individual cannot withstand the combined threat of hundreds or thousands of mortals, let alone the cardinals of the Inquisition and the Knights Templar. Thus, the survival of vampires faced an unprecedented crisis. To cope with this dire situation, seven vampires of the sixth to eighth generation formed an alliance, establishing the Camarilla, which remains the largest alliance to this day. At its founding, the Camarilla established six strict commandments, which all future vampires within the alliance must forever adhere to. The highest principle of these commandments is the shunning commandment, stipulating that vampires must remain hidden in human society and never reveal their identities to avoid jeopardizing the survival of the vampire race.
◇ Green Gang: One of the two major gangs in H City, powerful and sharing territory with the Red Gang. Leader: Cai Qingyang.
◇ Red Gang: One of the two major gangs in H City, powerful and sharing territory with the Green Gang. Leader: Ge Hongtian.

Chapter 1◆ Life is like a game of chess

. I stand atop the newly built 99-story Changhe Building in the coastal city of H, looking down at the bustling traffic and countless lives below. Equality for all—this is the most grandiose lie in the world. I've never believed it.

Heaven and earth are ruthless, treating all things like straw dogs. This is a world where the strong prey on the weak; survival of the fittest is the only law. Money and power intertwine to form a web of strength. I struggle to survive within this web, like a weak spider.

I often looked up at those impeccably dressed high-ranking officials and wealthy tycoons, constantly draining the people's wealth, accompanied by mistresses and prostitutes, frequenting grand hotels and entertainment venues, engaging in sordid and exciting scandals like one-night stands or power-money transactions.

I was angry, yet also envious. If possible, I would rather be one of them, but I had no money, no power, and no strength. I could only endure, but that was the me of the past. Now I can control my destiny. My fate is in my own hands, not in the hands of heaven.

A year ago, I was a weakling near the bottom of the food chain, at the mercy of others, only slightly better than pigs, dogs, and ants, even less than a wealthy woman's pet cat, dog, lizard, or koala. But after a year of growth, I am now an absolute power at the top of the food chain.

A year ago, I was an uneducated, penniless, ragged, and weak youth. But now I have gained strength and a new life. With strength, one possesses everything.

As I looked down upon all living beings, the energy dragon eye on my forehead, like the third eye of Erlang Shen (a deity in Chinese mythology), continuously absorbed dark energy from the outer universe. Twisps of tranquil, cool dark energy condensed from the dragon eye, forming a tornado that flowed into my biological brain. The brain then optimally allocated this energy through the central nervous system, channeling it into the circulatory system and finally into every cell. This was the unique effect of the energy dragon eye.

The cool, pleasant feeling was as refreshing as eating a ginseng fruit. I thoroughly enjoyed this sensation. Feeling the explosive power within me, the extraordinary vitality of every cell, I wanted to roar to the heavens, but I didn't want to shock the world.

At this moment, with the sky above and the earth beneath my feet, gazing at the heavens and looking down upon all living beings, I felt a supreme sense of power—the feeling of being able to control the world, laugh at the changing winds, and possess the world at my feet. This was the fulfilling pleasure brought by power.

As for acquiring this power, it was indeed quite fortunate and perilous. In this peak experience, I relived my humble past…

My name is Xiao Hao, and I was a homeless child in this city.

I don't know my name or origins. Perhaps I'm the abandoned illegitimate child of a wealthy man, an orphan whose parents died, or an abandoned baby that the unemployed couldn't afford to raise. What does it matter?

Life is like a game of chess, and I'm just an insignificant pawn.

From the time I was old enough to understand, I lived in an orphanage. Xiao Hao was what my friends called me. Although I worked hard every day, exhausted like a dog, I was able to have three meals a day and get along well with my friends, which was a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

But fortune is fickle, and fate is often unpredictable; good luck always runs out. When I was nine, the land of the orphanage was forcibly acquired by a real estate company with powerful connections. So the orphanage was gone, the charity workers were dismissed, and a new batch of homeless orphans appeared in the world.

The boss of that real estate company introduced us orphans to work for a private company in South Korea.

At the time, I thought he had some conscience, but later I learned that employing child labor was illegal, and we had no contracts and no protection whatsoever. But at the time, we were powerless. We had to find shelter, even if we knew it was a pit of fire, we had to jump in, especially since we didn't know it.

In the factory, we did heavy labor, but the living conditions were terrible, worse than the orphanage we used to live in. Many orphans got sick, and some died. Everyone was heartbroken, but there was nothing we could do. The boss wouldn't spend money to treat the orphans or improve their working conditions.

That's when I realized that the boss of that real estate company had no conscience. He pushed us into a pit of fire; we had no way to survive, no way to escape.

Later, in an accident, my left hand was broken by a steel bar, and the pain was unbearable. But what hurt me even more was that I lost my ability to work and was kicked out of the factory by the boss because I was disabled and couldn't work. The boss didn't pay my wages, nor would he spend money to set my bone.

I could only leave alone like a dog, with the sorrowful and pitying looks of my companions. They were powerless to help me, even though they wanted to, but I couldn't be a burden to them. They were all having a hard time.

I had no money, no hospital would treat me, and no one was willing to help me. My arm was only roughly bandaged and fixed with two pieces of wood—the only method I knew. Later, I had no choice but to give up. Although the arm wasn't amputated, it was useless. I couldn't use it for anything.

I tried to find work, but people rejected me because I was disabled, only literate, and uneducated. Even if I worked for a few days, I was eventually fired. They just wanted me to work for free. I finally saw through the hypocrisy and cunning of businessmen and could only survive by begging and scavenging.

There were still good people in the world, and I could beg for some food every day so I wouldn't starve, even though I was often glared at and ordered around, but I didn't care. What does a person care about if they have no dignity? Scavenging

also earned me some pocket money, but it was only enough to keep me from starving. All of this made this one-armed boy suffer terribly. This situation lasted for four years. I was sixteen, but the misfortune still hadn't ended.

Living in a garbage dump every day, I finally contracted a disease. At first, I thought it was a minor illness and didn't pay much attention to it. But later, I developed a high fever, became delirious, weak all over, and had difficulty breathing…

I had no money for medical treatment or medicine. Hospitals wouldn't accept beggar patients.

At the time, I didn't know that my illness wasn't a fever or a cold, but rather that I had contracted a spreading gene virus.

On September 11, 2010, a newly emerging international terrorist organization, the Red Dragon Army, attacked a gene therapy and paranormal research institute in Brussels, EU, with high-explosive bombs, killing all researchers.

Unfortunately, the explosion led to the leakage of a "gene bomb virus" that a doctor at the institute had inadvertently extracted during his research on gene drugs. The doctor himself didn't know how harmful this virus would be to humans.

Fortunately, this virus hadn't fully evolved and wasn't highly toxic, but it could still damage the human genome. After a certain incubation period, it could lead to death, and it was contagious, with different effects on different races; the onset time depended on the individual's health condition.

Without timely protection, and after initial disregard, Europe finally succumbed to the terror of an infectious disease outbreak. Subsequently, the entire world was not spared from its spread through human contact, as the disease was discovered too late and its source was not controlled in time. China was no exception. A white crisis enveloped the globe, and hospital wards in various countries were overflowing.

Consequently, countries collaborated to develop drugs to combat the gene-mediated virus. The world united to fight the scourge. Given the extensive research conducted by various countries in recent years on the topic of superhuman beings and their varying achievements in gene control, drug development progressed rapidly, yet tens of thousands still died globally.

EU officials found evidence in the ruins of a research institute, uncovering the truth. Through backup documents and research materials from the institute's branches, they discovered crucial information that greatly aided drug development.

The authorities could not reveal the truth to avoid panic; the official announcement was that it was a novel pneumonia, and that drugs were being urgently developed with effective control and treatment methods already in place. Governments naturally shared the truth with each other, but the inside story remained largely unknown to the general public.

This event was dubbed the "new 9/11." The Red Dragon Army gained fame in one battle, but they hadn't anticipated the viral outbreak. In their elation, their lack of proper precautions led to the deaths of many members.

I wasn't the most unfortunate person in this incident. Thousands had already been hospitalized for isolation and treatment, and many had died, creating widespread fear and reluctance to leave their homes for fear of contracting the disease. Houses were filled with disinfectant, and everyone wore masks when going out.

No wonder I felt something was wrong when I went out. There were far fewer people shopping than usual, everyone wore masks, and few spoke. Restaurants were deserted; when I went begging, people avoided me like the plague, refusing to give me anything, chasing me away like flies, without uttering a word, probably afraid of contracting the disease.

But at the time, I lacked knowledge, didn't understand the situation, and had no one to explain it to me. During that period, I almost starved to death, barely surviving, but ultimately couldn't escape this calamity.

I thought I was going to die this time, so I gave up and only hoped to be reborn into a better life. I staggered into the street, sat on a street corner, chose my place to die, and then stopped moving. For me, death was the end of misfortune and the beginning of good fortune.

In fact, this misfortune was truly a turning point for me. As the saying goes, "Misfortune may be a blessing in disguise, and a blessing may be a misfortune in disguise." It is

also said, "Those who survive a great calamity are sure to have good fortune in the future." I was truly not destined to die. Just as I was waiting to die, I suddenly heard the sirens of police cars ahead, followed by two sharp shots.

I didn't realize that they were gunshots. A gunfight in the safe city streets was unimaginable; it only happened in movies. I hadn't seen a movie, but I knew how absurd such a thing was.

But I soon realized that it was not absurd at all, because a group of people wearing white masks were already rushing towards this street corner, their eyes filled with panic. If there hadn't been fewer people on the street, hundreds of people would probably have been crushed to death.

Whether they were impeccably dressed gentlemen and ladies or disheveled, rough men and women, all had lost their former elegance and composure, and were now running in disarray. Normally they would avoid me like the plague, but now they surged past me, and if there wasn't enough space, they would probably trample me.

As they fled, they mumbled through their masks, "Run! There's a gunfight ahead, real bullets!" If I weren't so exhausted, I would have burst out laughing.

Knowing my death was imminent, I didn't flee with the crowd. Dying from illness or being shot made no difference, and besides, I had no strength. But I didn't want to be trampled to death, so I hid motionless in a corner.

Soon, the already deserted street was empty except for me. The gunfire grew increasingly intense and clear; the gunfight was drawing ever closer, death looming ever closer. I was powerless to resist.

In the distance, three burly men in suits were running towards me, constantly turning and firing their pistols. One of them was carrying a specially made small box.

Although my knowledge is limited, years of wandering have given me some common sense. I was puzzled: these men weren't masked, wore suits, and carried handguns; they were definitely not ordinary robbers. Otherwise, the police would have pursued them covertly, not engaged in a street battle. That would have caused significant collateral damage—who would be responsible?

There was only one explanation: they had no choice. The other side must be someone important; perhaps they had stolen something valuable, probably the small box in the man's hand. The police had to get it back.

These three were very experienced, always using buildings and crowds to evade capture while running—they were no ordinary fighters.

They were followed by many police officers and several police cars. Although the police outnumbered them and bullets rained down, they couldn't hit anyone; instead, several officers were shot down, demonstrating the enemy's marksmanship.

A gunfight ensued in the street, and many innocent people were injured.

These three could have easily taken hostages, but they preferred to injure innocent people. It seemed their possession must be extremely important. Even if they took hostages, the police wouldn't compromise; instead, they would be trapped and their deaths would be hastened. They had to escape; they dared not risk their lives. Taking hostages is unwise for completing a mission.

The three men were getting closer and closer, the police were helpless, and death was constantly calling to me. Just then, a flash of white light appeared on the opposite high-rise building. I didn't know it was a sniper, but the two enemies on this side were instantly blown in the head, their entire heads blown off.

I didn't know what kind of bullet it was, but its power was so great. Bright red brain matter mixed with blood splattered all over the ground, almost hitting me. I almost fainted on the spot.

But before I could faint, I fell into the hands of the last remaining robber. The man held a gun in one hand, and the hand carrying the small box was choking me. Only then did I realize that his box was handcuffed to his wrist.

He fired back while using me as a shield, dragging me back, yelling. "

Dude, if you're going to take hostages, at least take someone decent, what good are beggars? What you stole is so important, the police won't hesitate to kill you." Even if I don't die at your hands, I'll be shot dead by the police and charged with obstructing official business. Even if you don't die, you'll be infected by the germs I carry.

I had this ridiculous thought for a moment. Actually, he wasn't taking me hostage; he knew it wouldn't work, so he was just threatening me, not taking it seriously. He even dragged me back, using me as a shield to avoid being shot by a sniper.

I was too weak to walk and could only let him drag me along, moving very slowly. Because of the slight delay, the police had already surrounded him, blocking his escape route. The sniper had probably already taken aim, just waiting for the order.

This man probably knew he couldn't escape; sweat poured down his face, dripping onto my head and body. The small box handcuffed to his wrists was right in front of my chest, and he was squealing and screaming, seemingly struggling in his death throes. He underestimated the police. How could he get away like this?

The police across the street, hiding behind their car, shouted, "Put the stuff down! Quickly!"

They didn't care about the hostage, only the contents; it seemed the contents of the box were much more important than me. I smiled bitterly to myself. The only response to his words was a gunshot that shattered the car window.

It seemed he was short on bullets and hesitant to fire.

"Don't come any closer, or I'll kill him," he stammered incoherently.

The police, after all, were disciplined; even facing a scumbag like me, they didn't utter any boastful "Go ahead and shoot" remarks. They fired without a word.

"Bang!"

The first shot didn't bring the enemy down, but the box in front of my chest exploded. A hole was punched through the middle of the box, revealing what appeared to be glassware. With a splash, bright red liquid splattered—not my blood, but the liquid from the glassware.

They preferred to destroy this important box rather than shoot the enemy, even if it meant accidentally injuring me. I didn't have time to think about the robber's dejected feelings, because the bullet had pierced the box and entered my chest.

A sharp pain shot through my left chest, as if liquid was flowing out of my body. Then my body slumped, and I lost consciousness. In the instant I lost consciousness, everything was blood red before my eyes; it seemed as if sticky liquid had splashed all over my head.

As I ducked after being shot, the robber's head was exposed to the sniper's fire. The well-trained sniper, of course, didn't waste the opportunity, another shot to the head, and he and his companion went to their deaths one after the other.

I never imagined I would die so tragically. Actually, I didn't die. I thought I was going to die, and I wanted to die, but life and death are determined by fate, and we have no control over them, so I'm alive again.

I felt myself in complete darkness, drifting aimlessly. I tried to breathe, and then the darkness cracked open, revealing a ray of light. I finally opened my eyes, waking from my unconsciousness.

My senses weren't fully restored; the scenery before me kept swaying, and everything around me was white. I stared blankly at everything around me. Where am I? How did I get here? Am I still alive?

My mind was a jumble of confusion. I bit my finger; it really hurt. It seemed I was still alive.

I rubbed my eyes and finally saw clearly. Looking around carefully, I realized I was in a hospital, specifically a modest single room. The walls were white, and the room contained only a single bed and a bedside table with a thermos and other supplies on it.

The sun shone brightly outside, its intense rays lazily streaming into the room, making me feel drowsy.

I checked myself and found my dirty clothes were gone, and I was clean and odor-free. But I was dirty and broke; why would the hospital let me in? Someone had given me a bath and paid my medical bills. Could it have been a policeman?

I noticed an IV drip in my wrist, the medicine slowly flowing into my veins, feeling cool and comfortable. I hadn't felt this good in a long time.

Just as I was lost in my own thoughts, I heard hurried footsteps outside the door. A tall, beautiful nurse in a white coat walked in.

"Little brother, you're finally awake. How are you feeling?"

Before, everyone treated me with extreme dislike and disdain. She was a hospital nurse, she must know who I was, yet she was so gentle with me. In that instant, I was deeply moved, feeling that besides her professional dedication as a doctor, she was also a good person. It had

been a long time since anyone had spoken to me with such kindness and gentleness. Especially in front of a beautiful woman, I immediately blushed and stammered, "I feel...very good. Where am I? How did I get here?"

The beautiful nurse noticed my embarrassment and smiled, "Little brother, don't be nervous. This is the First People's Hospital of H City. You are receiving treatment. You were shot in the 514 major armed robbery and then brought to our hospital by the police. Don't you remember? Have you lost your memory?"

The last sentence had a slightly teasing tone, which made me feel relaxed involuntarily. I didn't believe in the so-called "514 major armed robbery"; that was definitely not an ordinary robbery.

I smiled wryly and said, "Of course I remember. Thank you so much." But in my heart I was thinking, "I hope you don't charge me."

The beautiful nurse was understanding and chuckled, "Don't worry, the police will pay for it. You were injured because of them. Those police officers are nice; they even reminded you when they brought you here!"

That seemed like a good idea.

The beautiful nurse introduced herself, "My name is He Meiqi, and I'm the nurse on duty today, specifically responsible for observing you. You can call me Sister He! If there's anything you need, little brother, just let me know, and I'll do my best to help you."

My heart warmed, and my eyes reddened. I involuntarily called out, "Sister He, please excuse me. I'm an orphan, you can just call me Xiaohao."

He Meiqi smiled and nodded, "Okay! Xiaohao."

Suddenly, I felt something was wrong. Recalling what Sister He had just said, and looking at the sky outside the window, I realized that the time was earlier than when I was shot. I suddenly understood and asked, "Sister He, how long have I been unconscious? Why did you say you were specifically responsible for observing me? I was shot in the left chest, how did I come back to life?"

He Meiqi smiled and said, "Xiaohao, don't worry, let me explain slowly. Actually, your injury wasn't serious. Although being shot in the left chest would generally mean certain death, the double-layered shield of the box in front of you shielded you. Although it was pierced at close range, the bullet's force was reduced, only damaging the flesh and not the heart."

I see. I secretly rejoiced.

He Meiqi said, "You fainted mainly because you were too weak, and the bullet burned you, causing you to pass out from the pain. Our hospital is the best in the city, with top-notch medical staff and facilities, so you'll recover easily."

My chest wound was indeed painless, as if it had been bandaged.

He Meiqi continued, "Your wound is healing very quickly, far faster than most people, with extremely vigorous cell activity. The doctors who treated you are quite surprised." She even chuckled, her smile truly radiant.

My mind went blank. I thought to myself, "How is this possible? I'm weak from my illness, how could I recover faster than a normal person? I was almost dead back then. But she has no reason to lie to me. Do I have some special ability?"

He Meiqi continued, "Although you recovered extremely quickly, you remained unconscious, which worried us terribly. We couldn't find the cause, and the doctors were helpless. They could only put me in charge of taking care of you for the time being. So far, you've been unconscious for three days and three nights. Your heart is still beating, and your brain waves are also showing, but you haven't woken up."

Although I had expected this, I was still greatly surprised. My suspicions were indeed correct. But why had you been unconscious for so long?

He Meiqi said, "Given your relatively weak body, you can't eat during your coma, so we've been injecting you with various vitamins and nutrients to sustain you for the past three days. How are you feeling now?" Hearing

her say this, I really felt very hungry. My mind hadn't been on this before, so I hadn't felt it. Before I could speak, He Meiqi added, "It's almost lunchtime. I'll go get it for you later. You must be starving."

I could only manage a bitter smile. Anyone seeing my sallow and emaciated appearance would think of food!

He Meiqi continued, "The police have come several times, they're very worried about your condition. I've already notified the doctor and the police, they'll be here soon."

I nodded and said, "I feel fine now, I should be alright. When can I be discharged?" I suddenly felt very uneasy and wanted to leave as soon as possible. 　　He Meiqi smiled and said, "That's not up to me, the doctors have to examine you and make sure you're alright. Xiaohao, just rest and recover, the police will handle everything else." I

felt 　　somewhat relieved. Maybe I wouldn't have to be a homeless person anymore. 　　Chapter Two ◆ A Miracle of Life 　　He Meiqi said, "So many people are getting sick now, but you're fine, that's strange. Your resistance is really strong." 　　I became suspicious. I was clearly dying, but I did feel my high fever had subsided, I was conscious, breathing smoothly, and my chest and lungs weren't tight. Aside from hunger, I had no other symptoms of illness, so I was obviously cured. I just hadn't noticed it earlier, but I had no idea how I had recovered. 　　Judging from Sister He's tone, it was clear they hadn't treated me, and they probably didn't even know I had ever been sick. 　　I chuckled awkwardly, afraid to tell the truth lest something bad happen. Since I was cured, it was better to avoid trouble. Just then, the IV drip finished, and Sister He came over to remove the needle, instructing me to apply an alcohol swab to the injection site. 　　I was shocked to find that my previously crippled left hand had regained feeling. I tried moving my fingers and then my arm, and I could move them both without any pain. Overjoyed, I shouted, "My hand..." before suddenly stopping. 　　He Meiqi, who had just finished cleaning up the medicine bottles, came back in and asked, "What happened to your hand?" 　　I forced a smile and said, "Nothing. I feel great." 　　I didn't want to arouse suspicion and cause trouble. If they knew my arm had healed without treatment, they would surely investigate it carefully. Judging from Sister He's expression, they probably didn't know about this. 　　Sister He seemed suspicious and wanted to ask again. Just then, footsteps came from outside, and a group of doctors came in to examine me, which conveniently saved me. 　　Sister He smiled and said, "Xiao Hao, you should have your examination first, and listen to the doctor. Lunch will be ready soon, I'll go get it for you. You can eat after the examination." 　　I smiled gratefully, and Sister He turned and left. 　　Next, the group of doctors examined my body, using various medical instruments I didn't recognize to probe up and down, occasionally uttering sounds of doubt and amazement. I remained motionless, letting it be. 　　One doctor unwrapped the bandage on my chest and exclaimed in amazement, "What an amazing recovery speed! There's not a single scar. It's perfect." The other doctors were all amazed. 　　I couldn't feel any pain in the wound, but I didn't know it had healed so perfectly. I glanced at it, and indeed, my left chest was completely unmarked, as if I hadn't been injured at all. I was secretly astonished. 　　Another doctor asked疑惑地, "He recovered so quickly, how come he was unconscious the whole time, only waking up now?" 　　Everyone was puzzled, and after using instruments to examine him, they all frowned deeply, very confused, asking me many questions, but unfortunately I couldn't understand them and couldn't answer. Even if I could answer, I wouldn't rashly reveal the truth. 　　Soon it was noon, and Sister He brought me the hospital's special meals for patients, along with some fruit. 　　The doctors had worked hard all morning but found nothing, and finally told me to rest well, leaving with bewildered expressions. I kept thanking them, but they didn't hear me at all, preoccupied with their own questions. 　　I also had questions, but eating was the priority. I hadn't had a proper meal in a long time, and since it was free, of course I wanted to have a big meal.

Seeing me wolfing down my food, Sister He smiled with satisfaction, "Is it good? Eat slowly, don't choke. You haven't eaten for three days, only surviving on IV fluids. You can't eat too much at once, it's bad for digestion."

I didn't say anything, just nodded.

At this moment, the police received the message and a young, beautiful, and capable policewoman arrived, introducing herself as Jiang Yuhe. She brought me some bananas, oranges, and other fruits, making me feel that the police were of high quality, not the kind who would bully others.

She first inquired about the situation from Sister He, and was very satisfied with my recovery, then chatted with me. I was a victim and a beggar, unrelated to the case, so she didn't ask me any questions, just kindly comforted me, telling me to rest well and that I could be discharged after my injuries healed. Of course, I couldn't beg anymore, it really affected the city's appearance.

Officer Jiang contacted the shelter, intending to send me there. If they could find out my place of origin, they would repatriate me and let the government arrange for me; if they couldn't find out my place of origin, they would let me do some work at the shelter. At my age, getting into an orphanage would be too difficult.

I'm quite satisfied with this arrangement. Who wants to beg? It's certainly better to work and eat; my life should change.

I didn't know how to protect myself before, I could only drift along, leaving my life to fate. I was completely unaware of the shelter and protection system, otherwise I wouldn't have been tricked into working in a factory, resulting in a disability in my left hand. Looking back now, I was truly young and ignorant; if only I had known earlier.

I asked about that foreign-owned factory. Officer Jiang already knew me and told me that based on reports from the public, the factory had been shut down, and the child laborers had long been rescued, either repatriated to their hometowns or sent to shelters. They've all been resettled, except for me, who is still homeless.

I felt secretly relieved: my childhood friends finally have a place to stay, although their situation isn't good, at least they won't starve.

Officer Jiang also told me that the factory owner had extremely powerful connections. Although the police shut down the factory and rescued the child laborers, that was all they could do; they couldn't investigate further. The police couldn't do anything, but at least the children were safe.

I understand that the police aren't omnipotent; there are some things they can't do. They've already been very responsible by doing this much. I was very grateful to them. After chatting for a while, Officer Jiang said goodbye and went back to report.

Sister He told me that the treatment for today was all finished in the morning. Although no abnormalities were found, given my special circumstances, I would have to stay in the hospital for a few more days for observation. I would only be discharged after everything was confirmed.

The doctors had a seminar in the afternoon and wouldn't be coming over. She had to take care of other patients in the afternoon and couldn't come to keep me company, but she would come to see me later. Since I had no one to take care of me, the hospital would provide dinner, which would be reimbursed by the police. She would bring it for me. Afterwards, she told me to rest well in the afternoon and not to wander around.

She really treated me like a little brother. I nodded repeatedly. She smiled, took the leftovers from my meal and went out, leaving me with the fruit she had brought and a small radio for me to pass the time.

I was quite clever and quickly learned how to use the radio, so I turned it on and listened.

The broadcast was reporting on the street shootout three days ago, only saying that it was a particularly serious armed robbery in a busy city, and that the perpetrator was shot dead on the spot. More than ten people were injured by stray bullets; one died on the spot, and three died from their injuries. The crowd trampled each other, injuring dozens more. The last hostage was successfully rescued and is currently hospitalized, nearing recovery…

I couldn't bear to listen anymore. I turned off the radio, lay quietly on my bed, and pondered the events of the past few days, wondering: How did my illness heal? How could my wounds heal so quickly? My previously crippled arm has regained feeling…

Recalling the doctors' words, they wouldn't lie to me. It was all true. They didn't know I was originally ill and my arm was crippled. How did all this happen?

I rolled up my sleeve. My left hand and forearm, which had been withered and emaciated due to the fracture, were now gradually growing muscle. Although not as strong as my right arm, there were signs of recovery, and the previously atrophied veins and blood vessels were gradually regaining their function. What force caused this?

Injuries and illnesses don't heal on their own; otherwise, what would be the point of doctors and medicine? Unless an accident occurs. But my life has always been uneventful. Besides what happened three days ago, what other accident could have made me so lucky?

Suddenly, the image of the bullet piercing the two layers of the box, shattering the containers inside, and splattering red liquid flashed before my eyes like lightning. Could it be this? Up to this point, the only variable in my life was this shot.

My heart skipped a beat: life is like a game of chess, and I was now in the midst of a change, potentially breaking my original destiny.

This shot not only pierced the box and the containers inside but also entered my body. With the splatter of red liquid, a considerable amount must have flowed into my body through the wound, circulating throughout my bloodstream.

It must be some kind of extremely important, miraculous medicine; otherwise, those people wouldn't have fought so desperately for it, and the police wouldn't have engaged in a public shootout in the street. It was this that restored my arm, eliminated my symptoms, and greatly accelerated the wound's healing.

This miraculous medicine was probably not yet publicly available, a state secret, unknown to ordinary doctors. Judging from the radio reports, the truth of this matter would certainly not be revealed.

This medicine was as red as blood; doctors would mistake it for my own blood and wouldn't notice it when cleaning the wound. The police wouldn't explain in detail; they were following orders and probably didn't know the truth. Thus, the truth was concealed.

Perhaps those robbers were foreign spies or members of terrorist organizations, receiving intelligence and ordered to enter our country to seize the drug, only to be discovered and engage in a fierce street gunfight during their escape.

I found my mind much sharper; usually slow-witted, my thinking was now clear, logical, and well-reasoned. Perhaps this was also the effect of the drug, truly beneficial.

Actually, I guessed some things correctly, while others were beyond my understanding.

This red drug is actually called "Red Star One," a special hormone used to create "super soldiers."

Currently, more and more countries in the world possess nuclear weapons, and their power is increasing. While these weapons can threaten hostile nations, they are difficult to use easily, as no country can withstand a nuclear retaliation, especially the strategic threat of nuclear entanglement, which could easily lead to world destruction.

No nation wants to lead the world down the path of destruction, thus nuclear weapons development has reached a bottleneck. The topic of super-powered warriors has gradually gained attention, with various countries conducting secret research in hopes of using them to deliver surgical strikes against hostile or potential threats.

Western countries possess advanced gene and cloning technologies, with a long tradition of research on orcs and vampires, achieving some success. The United States, at the pinnacle of global technology, has acquired considerable extraterrestrial technology in Area 51 and leads the world in super-powered warriors, reportedly having developed the "Hulk" and "Intelligent Transformers."

Japan is heavily researching super-powered warriors based on ninja techniques, with a research project codenamed "Chrysanthemum Thorn," and the "Super Ninja" is already taking shape.

China lags far behind in this area but is striving to catch up. A team of experts, including geneticists, anthropologists, marine and continental biologists, paleontologists, and archaeologists, is working collectively on this project.

They are recombinating superior genes from various continental and marine organisms with human genes, hoping to compensate for deficiencies and shortcomings in human genes to create the most outstanding super-powered warriors.

However, this research has made little progress. The work made significant progress only after paleontologists and archaeologists discovered fossils of some unidentified, unusual monsters from ancient China and extracted their genetic samples; however, it was far from successful. This is the origin of Red Star One. It was merely an experiment.

Countries around the world not only strive to research super-powered soldiers but also constantly send spies to gather intelligence on other countries and bribe foreign scientists or officials with large sums of money. This is a very effective method.

As the leader of an international terrorist organization, the Red Dragon Army naturally hopes to develop super-powered soldiers to more effectively carry out terrorist attacks around the world. Their political platform is "to despise and break all order and rules, to fight evil terror with righteous terror, and to rebuild a new global political and economic order."

Red Dragon Army bases seem ubiquitous, and their commander is shrouded in mystery, clearly becoming the world's number one terrorist, overshadowing all their peers, especially after the "new 9/11," their prestige soaring, making them a model and pilgrimage target for countless terrorists.

Unfortunately, they lack mature research capabilities and experimental conditions, and their research on "super-powered terrorist soldiers" has been consistently unsuccessful. Therefore, they pay close attention to spying on other countries, extensively bribing officials in various nations, and sending out numerous Red Dragon spies to steal various research materials and provide them to their scientists.

However, stealing data from the heavily guarded Area 51 in the United States is extremely difficult, so less developed countries like China naturally fall under their surveillance, and some key members have even been bribed.

The Red Dragon Army's goal is to gradually plunder everything. Upon learning of the creation of Red Star One, they assumed it was a completed product and plotted to seize it secretly. They dispatched six top-level spies from the Red Dragon Army, including four of Japanese descent and two of Chinese descent. Given the close racial makeup of the Japanese and Chinese,

they had a natural advantage in intelligence gathering in China. Taking advantage of the widespread outbreak of the gene-bomb virus, they secretly ordered their spies, who were infiltrated into the secret research institute of "Project Red Star" in China, to carry out the theft.

However, this operation would not be as successful as their previous raid on the Brussels research institute. Last time, they succeeded because they caught the world off guard, and no country had information on them, so they were underestimated.

But after the new 9/11, countries around the world were conducting thorough searches, close surveillance, and severe crackdowns on them. Although the results were not ideal, they could no longer operate with the same impunity. After all, the intelligence agents and special forces of various countries were not to be trifled with.

China maintained extremely tight security over the Red Star Project, which had a significant impact on military power. Its counter-espionage measures were meticulous and thorough, and it rigorously guarded against the infiltration of the Red Dragon spies, meticulously planning to trap them like fish in a jar. Thus, a thrilling and desperate struggle ensued.

However, the Red Dragon spies were highly skilled, in no way inferior to top spies from other countries. Despite being outmaneuvered by Chinese agents, they discovered their presence in time. Although they failed to obtain the latest results from Red Star One, at the cost of three spies' deaths, they finally seized a vial of experimental material and hastily fled. However, they inadvertently attracted police pursuit and were ultimately wiped out.

Given the importance of Red Star One, it was absolutely crucial to keep it secret. Therefore, the higher-ups ordered the police to retrieve the box at all costs, even destroying it. This triggered a street gunfight, injuring many innocent civilians.

The last policeman, in a moment of panic, fired his gun, but missed, exploding the box. Red Star One splattered out, flowing into my body through my wound.

Red Star One wasn't entirely successful. Even under safe conditions and following the prescribed injection procedure, it couldn't turn ordinary people into super soldiers; instead, it would dissolve them or turn them into monsters. After all, genes cannot tolerate even the slightest defect

. However, I myself was infected with a gene virus that hadn't completed its ultimate evolution, teetering on the brink of death, with many defects in my genome. When Red Star One entered my body, its special genome immediately fused with my own mutated genes, generating a new genome that didn't repel each other—truly a blessing in disguise. But what kind of changes it would produce was unpredictable.

I doubt even the Red Dragon Army could have imagined that a gene virus would have such an effect. If the Chinese side knew, they would definitely take me in for research, since it solved a major problem in super soldier technology.

But right now, no one knows the situation. Although I can guess a thing or two, I can't see everything, otherwise I might faint from fright. Later, with the help of alien technology, I learned about these special changes in my body.

So far, these changes have all been benign. The discomfort throughout my body has vanished, the necrotic cells in my left arm have regenerated, the hand bones have healed perfectly, and the wound healing speed has greatly accelerated. As for the adverse consequences, I can only leave it to fate.

Since those people are fighting so desperately for it, this medicine must have extraordinary effects, and it shouldn't be limited to these. It might bring me new opportunities. My life will change from now on.

I couldn't help but feel excited. Perhaps those effects are yet to be discovered. The image of He Meiqi flashed through my mind again. If only there were such a beautiful sister, it would be wonderful, but unfortunately, I don't have that kind of luck in this life.

I was saddened by my past experiences, shook my head to shake off these thoughts, and drifted off to sleep. Suddenly, a heart-wrenching pain jolted me awake.

I sat up abruptly in bed, the snow-white sheet thrown aside. My left hand felt like it was being pricked by needles and burned. I hurriedly took off my hospital gown, and when I saw my hand, I immediately screamed, but quickly covered my mouth with my right hand.

From my elbow to my wrist, a layer of pale blue scales, like dragon scales, rippled outwards on my left hand, sharp at the edges and emitting an eerie glow. Each layer that appeared brought a piercing pain.

The scales rolled up from within the flesh, their appearance grotesque, and they moved quickly, completely covering the skin of my left forearm in moments.

Though brief, the ordeal was excruciating. The physical pain was worse than torture. But I gritted my teeth and endured it, daring not to make a sound except for the two cries I let out earlier, for fear of disturbing the nurses or others.

If they saw me like this, they would surely think me a monster. The police would come and arrest me immediately, sending me to the national scientific research department for autopsy and analysis. I didn't want that.

The side effects of the red drug finally began to take effect; indeed, every advantage has its disadvantage.

I forced myself to endure the pain and glanced at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was three in the afternoon. I was lucky. Almost everyone was still asleep, and there was hardly anyone around. This was a private room, the door tightly closed, with good soundproofing; it was difficult for people far away to hear anything.

My left hand was now completely covered in scales, my entire arm bulging with muscles, like the arm of a Terminator, showing no signs of having ever been crippled. My palm, in particular, was incredibly solid, like the giant hand of a dragon spirit, with long, powerful fingers, bulging muscles, grotesque knuckles, and terrifying scales. Even the tips of my fingernails had sprouted gleaming, shimmering hooks, like special forces knives.

As my left arm fully mutated, the excruciating pain gradually subsided, but the menacing hooks and shimmering scales testified to its reality. The piercing pain had clearly told me: this was not a dream.

I stared blankly at my mutated left arm, bewildered.

Although my mutated left arm appeared extremely strong and sharp, like the claws of a monstrous dragon, capable of easily tearing anything apart—the muscle strength of a single finger seemed capable of snapping steel bars—when I looked at my left hand, it felt as if it weren't my arm at all, but the arm of a demon.

I dared not test my arm strength on anything in the ward, afraid of breaking it and having to explain myself, and even more afraid of attracting the hospital's attention. Had I turned into a monster? What kind of mutation was this?

I suddenly clutched my head and began to sob softly. I really wanted to scream loudly to vent my frustration, but I dared not disturb anyone. It was truly excruciating.

After a moment, I finally decided to face reality. No matter what, it was my arm.

I held my left arm flat in front of my eyes and examined it, as if I could feel the immense power contained within, enough to easily tear a person to pieces, probably even bullets couldn't penetrate it. If my whole body mutated...

I was shocked: How could I have such a brutal killing intent? Was this the effect of power? If I really became like that, wouldn't I really become a monster? But I really wanted to test the strength of my left arm.

Just as I was lost in thought, the scales and hooks on my left arm suddenly retracted like waves, the bulging muscles gradually returned to their original state, and the power within them gradually disappeared, as if nothing had ever happened. Although it was a little painful when the scales and hooks retracted, it was much better than when they grew back.

I stared in disbelief, feeling as if it were a dream, yet the dream felt so real. I rubbed my eyes hard, looking at my perfectly healed left arm, and muttered, "Was that really a dream?" Just as I was about to lie down again, a sharp pain shot through my right arm.

I shuddered and looked closely. My right arm was covered in a thick layer of calluses, white and crystalline, resembling crocodile skin. I tapped it with a tempered glass from the bedside table; it produced a metallic clanging sound, its hardness far exceeding that of marble, comparable to diamond.

I clenched my fist, covered in the thick calluses, and could feel a strength no less than that of my left hand. This fist seemed petrified, even steel-like, almost indestructible.

Although I hadn't tested it, I knew a single punch could destroy a wall. I was certain this wasn't a dream.

The process of callus formation in my right arm was painful, but less so than the pain of the scaling on my left hand.

Now, my biggest fear was someone suddenly barging in. I didn't know how long the mutated state would last. The scaling only lasted a moment before, so perhaps this time it would be quick too. Sure enough, the mutated state of my right hand instantly disappeared, and the pain lessened considerably.

I no longer wanted to lie down and sleep; my intuition told me the mutation wasn't over yet, and something even more terrifying awaited me. I wanted to see what other changes would occur, as long as no one else saw it, otherwise, all would be lost.

This time, the mutation was much faster than before. As soon as the mutation in my right hand ended, a layer of blue suddenly appeared on my bare, snow-white chest. My chest and back gradually became armored, and a

relief of an unknown monster's head protruded from my chest, completely covering it, and the same was true for my back. My heart pounded, my blood boiled, rushing to my head, giving me a feeling of soaring power and ethereal pleasure, but at the same time, excruciating pain surged continuously.

These two completely different feelings were contradictory and intertwined, making me feel like I was on cloud nine at times and like I was in hell at others, a bittersweet mix of excitement and sadness, wanting to cry and laugh at the same time.

The pain of this mutation should have been more severe than the previous two, but the feeling was completely different. Although the pain was intense, it was bearable.

Chapter 3 ◆ Genetic Mutation

I picked up the tempered glass and tapped it against my chest. It made a dull thud, not a crisp sound. I gently stroked it with both hands, feeling the smooth, cool texture of leather, but it was far more solid than leather, seemingly filled with magical charm.

This monster armor was probably much more powerful than the mutations in my left and right hands. Although its surface wasn't as hard as the scaled tempered glass, the magic power it contained was probably beyond human resistance. This should never belong to the human world.

As I sighed, the monster armor on my chest gradually disappeared like waves. The pain lessened slightly again. Another mutation had ended, but I was still waiting for the next wave of pain.

Sure enough, not long after the monster armor disappeared, a series of sharp pains came from my knees again, but this time it was more bearable.

I quickly pulled off my pants and underwear. I saw the muscles at my knees twisting and turning, and out of nowhere, three rows of six sharp, black bone spurs sprouted, like the horns of a demon, curving upwards and piercing outwards. Although they emerged from inside the knees, there was no blood.

The muscles in my legs began to swell, twist, and deform, almost twice their normal size, and the muscles were knotted and bulging, completely different from human muscle tissue. The surface of the muscles began to harden and change color, developing a black metallic sheen, as if they had become indestructible legs.

I tapped it with a tempered glass cup, and sure enough, it jingled. My

genitals also became firm and thick, doubling in size, with knotted and twisted muscles on the upper part, as if filled with surging power, also tinged with a metallic sheen.

I was startled and subconsciously touched it. It was indeed somewhat hard, but not cold to the touch; it was still warm to the touch. Although not as hard as the previous mutations, it still had a metallic texture, only that of soft metal.

I tapped the glass with my tempered glass in frustration, and it jingled just as loudly. I smiled bitterly to myself. This was like an iron shield, a protective shield!

But the mutation here wasn't very painful, probably because no bone spurs or scales had grown, so the mutation was less severe. Actually, the pain from the bone spur mutation was so intense that it masked the pain from this mutation; otherwise, the sensitive nerves here would have caused me excruciating pain as well. How terrifying it would be if two bone spurs grew here.

Even so, I doubt any normal woman in the world could accommodate my strength, let alone withstand the continuous impact of this power. Was I destined to be alone forever? How could I even think of such a mess? Truly, when one is well-fed and warm, lust

arises. I shook my head, forcibly shaking off these filthy thoughts.

Was this a side effect of the power? A strong desire to conquer. I suddenly thought of the beautiful Sister He. How could I have such blasphemous thoughts? I immediately broke out in a cold sweat, and the mutation in my lower body gradually faded with a sharp pain.

Then, my facial muscles began to contort, my eyes bulged as if about to burst, and my skull felt like it was about to crack. No, it had already cracked open. A sharp horn forced its way out from the top of my head, like a tender sprout breaking through the soil, but this was an incredibly powerful sprout.

Although I had expected it—my arms, legs, knees, chest, and back had all mutated—how could I have overlooked the most important part: my head? Yet,

I still felt a chill run down my spine, wondering what kind of monster my head would become. I clutched my head with both hands, clenched my teeth, and pressed my face tightly against my knees, desperately resisting the pain of the cracking bones and the dizziness. Although there was no mirror in the room, so I couldn't see my face, I could still feel the muscles in my face expanding, twisting, and writhing, as well as the sharpness of the horn on my head.

If I could look in a mirror now, I would be horrified by my appearance. It was not a human face at all, but the face of a demon, with hideous muscles, a cold expression, and a murderous aura, especially since my eyes had turned blood red.

Just by imagining it, I knew that I must look like a glaring, incredibly cold demon, definitely not a holy one.

After a while, the mutation in my head finally faded. This should finally be over! Although the pain of the mutation made me tremble, I managed to silently endure it. But I was wrong.

As the head mutation ended, the left arm mutation started again, but the time was shorter and the pain was much less. Then came the right arm, chest, back, knees, and legs, and then the two mutations occurred simultaneously, constantly alternating, interspersed with strange mutations in other parts of the body, which was unimaginable. Finally, the whole body mutated, but the recovery time was very short. This constant changing, but the pain became less and less.

Actually, this was my subjective feeling; my ability to endure pain was getting stronger, and my body was gradually adapting to the mutation. Various pains were nothing to me anymore.

I somewhat understood that this drug combined with the viral genes in my body, although it transformed them into benign ones, producing a series of beneficial effects, it also created new instabilities. However, the human body can gradually adapt, eventually achieving an optimal balance.

So the mutation started after I ate a full meal, first gradually, afraid that I couldn't bear it. When I could bear the pain, multiple mutations were performed, with increasingly shorter intervals, allowing me to fully adapt until I couldn't feel the pain at all and could mutate easily.

I don't know when the mutation will be complete. Waiting until I can feel no pain is far from enough. I can endure it now, but it still hurts a lot. If this continues, I'll inevitably be discovered.

I hide under the sheets, suffering the agonizing pain, waiting for the endless mutation to end, praying incessantly.

I guess the mutation will stop when my body's energy is nearly depleted, insufficient to support this cellular activity. That's my only hope, and suddenly the thought of escaping surges through my mind.

Although I originally wanted to die, now I want to live.

The virus within me has been completely transformed; I absolutely cannot die. Now, I've miraculously gained these special abilities. Although the outcome is uncertain, if I can fully control these powers, I'll be a superhuman.

Judging from the mutation I just witnessed, this will be a long process. Before that, I absolutely cannot be discovered. I must keep a low profile, or all my efforts will be in vain. I must safely and cautiously navigate this growth period, after which I can soar freely.

This mutation is extremely unstable; I don't know when it will manifest. The fact that I haven't been discovered yet is purely luck. Fortunately, the examination was completed this morning, and the doctors and nurses were absent this afternoon.

If I don't escape quickly, I will be discovered sooner or later in the noisy hospital. Then I will be treated as a monster and sent to a special national department for imprisonment or autopsy. Then everything will be over.

But I have finally found a way out. I can be sent to a shelter by the police, have food to eat, and even find a job. I'm used to hardship; this is a rare opportunity, how can I give it up so easily?

My heart is struggling with contradictions.

Will being sent to a shelter guarantee me enough to eat? Will I not be bullied? I have no idea what the situation is like. What if it's even darker there? What ability do I have to resist? I touch my left arm, which I once severed. Even if I find a job, what if it's the same kind of job? I don't want to be chased away like a dog again.

After much thought, I decided to run away. Being sent to a shelter might provide food, but it wouldn't lead to a future; instead, it might plunge me into an even more miserable situation. My current situation doesn't allow for many choices.

If I can escape safely and hide in a secluded place, once I fully acquire power, the world will be mine to roam freely.

With my strength, I will be invincible in the army; as an athlete, I will surely win an Olympic gold medal. If all else fails, I will rob highways, banks, and vaults, becoming a master thief. Why wait for others to give me charity and pity?

Heaven has bestowed power upon me, and I must use it wisely, seize the opportunity to rise, and never waste it. I will face the bleakness of life and confront the true path of humanity. If others can leave, why can't I?

Before, I lacked power, was too passive, young and ignorant, and had no one to rely on. After the orphanage disbanded, I was at the mercy of others. After becoming disabled, I was kicked out of the factory, unable to find work, and forced to wander the streets, surviving by begging and scavenging.

Now that I have power, I want money and influence, and I no longer want to live a life of begging and being looked down upon. I want to make a name for myself. But I'm in a hospital now. If I run away like this, I'll still be seen as a monster and killed by the police who will come after me.

Although my power might be able to withstand bullets, it's extremely unstable, and I can't take the risk. How can I avoid the many doctors and nurses in the hospital and leave without anyone noticing? How can I avoid being found by the police?

It seems I can only leave when it's late at night. Even if the hospital is locked, if my previous analysis was correct, the mutation will occur some time after dinner. I can easily open the door with this power. With the escape speed after the mutation, I definitely won't be discovered.

The mutation will occur three and a half hours after I ate lunch. I haven't eaten for a long time and have only survived on intravenous nutrition, so I only ate some porridge and vegetables at noon. I'll definitely eat more for dinner, plus the fruit that Officer Jiang and Sister He brought. I estimate the mutation will occur later, about four hours later.

I finished eating around 5:30 PM. The mutation was expected to begin around 9:30 PM, lasting at least an hour. Around 10 PM would be the best time to escape the hospital. But only if the mutation lasted no more than two hours, meaning my body returned to normal before Sister He arrived; otherwise, it was all over.

I peeked out from under the sheets and looked at the alarm clock on the bedside table. It was already 4:30 PM, almost dinnertime. Sister He was about to arrive, but the mutation wasn't over yet. I was frantic, but could only resign myself to fate, constantly praying to the gods.

Time quickly passed to 4:50 PM. My head began to mutate. I covered my head with the sheets, my heart pounding, awaiting my fate.

I could almost see Sister He entering, her terrified expression as she fled from the monster. I could almost see the doctors, nurses, and patients scrambling for their lives in the hospital. I could almost see police cars roaring in, officers surrounding me with guns drawn, firing wildly, and me falling into a pool of blood. No! None of this should happen!

My head was throbbing with increasing pain, probably from too many thoughts.

Just as I was at a loss, I vaguely heard two women talking at the end of the corridor outside the door. Perhaps they were far apart, their voices were loud, and the woman's voice was sharper, so I could hear it.

"Xiao He, is Chen here?" "Yes! Off work? Dr. Cui. I'm delivering food to a young patient. He has no one to take care of him." "Then I'll be going now. Goodbye! Goodbye." "Goodbye."

My hair stood on end; what was bound to happen had finally happened. If all else failed, I would have to run for my life.

The footsteps outside the door were getting closer, but the mutation wasn't completely over yet. Every step felt like it was pounding on my heart.

Even if I forced my way out now, I would be exposed. I absolutely couldn't take the risk; it was better to remain calm and wait for her to come in. If my mutation wasn't complete, then it wouldn't be too late to run.

The footsteps approached the door. I was drenched in sweat. The mutation in my lower body was over, the mutation in my chest and back was about to completely disappear, and the mutations in my arms and head were fading. It was just a little bit more; time was of the essence. I hurriedly dressed, ready for anything; I couldn't very well appear naked.

Footsteps approached the door, stopped, and a hand pressed the doorknob. The mutation in my arm had finally completely ended; only the mutation in my head was fading. I covered my head with the sheet, silently praying.

The door creaked open, and a clear voice rang out: "Xiao Hao, get up quickly. Your sister brought you something delicious. Huh? Xiao Hao, what's wrong?"

He Meiqi darted in carrying a food box. Seeing me lying on the bed covered by the sheet, she was quite surprised and quickly walked to the bedside, reaching out to pull the sheet off.

I couldn't delay; gritting my teeth, I yanked the white sheet off with a whoosh. "Sister He, I'm fine. I was sleeping!" I said, clutching the sheet tightly with one hand and covering my head with the other, my face pale.

The moment the sheet was pulled off, the mutation in my head finally faded. It was truly a narrow escape; perhaps the tension had accelerated the fading process, allowing me to narrowly escape death. At the normal rate of mutation, I would have had a hard time escaping this calamity. I even suspected that the mutation possessed intelligence.

I was still anxious, nervously covering my head with my left hand, afraid that Sister He would see the dragon horns that were receding the slowest.

If she were to suddenly witness the truth the moment she pulled back the sheet, she would probably faint on the spot. We were both very lucky. Thankfully, this was the last mutation; if it happened again, I would be powerless.

Sister He didn't notice anything unusual, only thinking that I might be experiencing a recurrence of my injuries and feeling unwell. She asked, "Xiao Hao, why are you so pale and sweating so much? Are you feeling unwell?"

I was drenched in sweat, soaking the sheets and clothes, my forehead was covered in sweat, and my chest was wet.

I could only lie. A thought flashed through my mind, and I quickly said, "Sister He, I just had a nightmare."

Although it wasn't the first time I'd lied, facing the beautiful sister who cared for me, I stammered, my face turned even paler, and my eyes glazed over—I was indeed feeling guilty. Sister He, however, was even more convinced that my old illness had relapsed.

She placed the food box on the bedside table, gently sat on the edge of the bed, took out a fragrant handkerchief to wipe the sweat from my forehead, and softly comforted me, "Xiao Hao, don't be afraid. You must be remembering sad things from the past. You will have a new life from now on and won't have nightmares anymore. Relax, take a few deep breaths, and you'll be alright."

I nodded, smelling the musky scent on the handkerchief and the orchid fragrance on Sister He's body. For a moment, my mind wandered, and I quickly calmed myself down, taking a few deep breaths to calm my wildly pounding heart.

Sister He, however, thought I was trying to calm the tension from the nightmare.

I felt my actions were flawless, without any flaws. The mutation hasn't occurred again so far, and all my functions are normal. The next mutation won't happen for several hours.

My emotions gradually calmed down, and my tension eased slightly. After taking a few deep breaths, my wildly beating heart gradually stabilized.

Sister He said worriedly, "You shouldn't be sweating so much from a nightmare! Your face is pale, you look terrible. Maybe something's wrong with your body, but you don't realize it. The doctors had a meeting this afternoon, and I also had things to do, so I couldn't take care of you in time. It seems you really need further observation."

Luckily, you didn't come this afternoon, otherwise, you would have scared a few timid people to death. I just mutated, and if I were observed again, they might find something. I have to leave tonight.

I said, "Sister He, I just had a nightmare and got scared. I'm perfectly fine, there's no need to trouble the doctor to check me."

Sister He smiled and said, "That's a doctor's duty, what's the trouble? Besides, your condition has been very strange these past few days. How can we be at ease if we don't check you a few more times? If we can't cure you and your old illness relapses, wouldn't that ruin the hospital's reputation! Don't worry! I'll tell the doctor to give you another comprehensive check-up tomorrow."

I smiled and thanked Sister He for her kindness, but I definitely wouldn't be here tomorrow, so I let her be!

Sister He wrung out a damp towel for me and smiled, "Feeling better now? Get up and move around a bit; it'll be good for your health. Wipe off the sweat, then eat."

I agreed, got out of bed, and, feeling a little embarrassed, just wiped myself through my clothes.

Sister He smiled, "I'll go get you a new sheet." She took my damp sheet and went out.

I breathed a sigh of relief, quickly took off my clothes, and dried off all the sweat.

The mutation hadn't happened, so I wouldn't be exposed for the time being. Feeling relaxed and in a great mood, I quickly sat down and wolfed down the fragrant dinner Sister He had brought.

After an afternoon of mutation, even the strongest person couldn't take it anymore. I was extremely hungry, my body desperately needed energy, so I focused on eating, not wanting to waste a single nutrient. Everything tasted especially delicious.

This feeling was similar to finally getting a piece of bread after a day of starvation. I

needed to eat as much as possible now to delay the mutation. I didn't know what to do with food after I escaped, so I had to eat my fill first. As my nerves relaxed and my emotions eased, and I ate, my deathly pale face gradually regained its color.

Sister He brought in new sheets and some medical equipment, pushed open the door, looked at my complexion, and smiled, "Looks like you were hungry. You look much better after eating." She placed the medical equipment on the cabinet and helped me make the bed.

She was truly an excellent nurse, so kind to her patients. I felt secretly grateful and smiled at her. I wasn't handsome; years of begging had left me emaciated and pale, and this smile probably looked worse than a grimace.

Sister He said, "Your body is recovering quickly. Eat more for dinner, and you won't get hungry so soon. You can also eat these fruits." She was very thoughtful. I ate, responding indistinctly.

I noticed the medical equipment Sister He brought in, knowing she was worried and wanted to check me before the doctor came tomorrow. Her dedication was truly impeccable.

However, I was somewhat uneasy, afraid that she might discover something about my newly mutated body. Seeing that I was eating too quickly, Sister He urged me to stop. I decided to eat slowly, hoping to delay the process.

But then I thought, although the mutation might not happen immediately, I wasn't sure how accurate my estimate was. What if it happened quickly? It would be best to get rid of Sister He as soon as possible; that way, I'd be completely safe. I might as well eat quickly so she could get checked out sooner.

If the hormones in my body were truly a high-tech product developed by a state secret, current medical technology would have a hard time detecting it. If it could be detected, it wouldn't matter if it was discovered sooner or later. Anyway, she was going to get checked, and I couldn't avoid it. Sister He wasn't a doctor, so she probably wouldn't be able to find anything.

I sped up my eating and finished in a few moments.

Sister He smiled and said, "How are you? Have you eaten your fill?"

I patted my swollen belly sheepishly and said, "Mmm! I feel much better now."

Sister He picked up the instruments and said, "Now, let me check you out and see what the problem is."

I smiled wryly and said, "No need! I'm really fine, Sister He, you're overthinking it."

Sister He laughed and said, "No, you have to check. A patient's feelings are unreliable; you have to trust science. I'm a new nurse, I don't have much experience yet, so I'll use you as a guinea pig. Just consider it helping me out."

So Sister He was a new nurse; no wonder she was so young and enthusiastic. Hearing her say that, it sounded like she was using me as a guinea pig. How funny. But I knew it was just an excuse. She genuinely cared about me. Finally, unable to refuse,

I let her examine me.

Sister He hurriedly used various instruments to check me for half an hour, but found nothing and had to give up. My confidence soared. This mutation was truly beyond the capabilities of current medical methods. I was safe.

I was worried the mutation might strike at any moment, but I was too embarrassed to urge Sister He to leave. Just as I was filled with anxiety, Sister He finally packed her things and was about to leave. It was almost six o'clock, and most of the doctors and nurses had already gone home. Sister He needed to go home and couldn't linger too long.

Before leaving, she earnestly told me to get a good rest that night, to eat fruit if I was hungry, and not to think about the past so I wouldn't have nightmares.

I was deeply moved. Watching her back as she left, a tear finally streamed down my face uncontrollably.

Sister He is truly a wonderful person. So far, besides my childhood friends, she is the kindest person I've met during these years of wandering. She is young and beautiful, and has a kind and warm heart.

Whether she likes me, pities me, or treats me like a younger brother, she has always been very good to me. Although we only spent a few hours together, I will never forget it. Her warm and kind face will forever remain deep in my memory.

But ultimately, we are from two different worlds, with completely different futures. I hope she has a smooth life, a successful career, marries a good husband, and has a happy family, while my future is destined to be turbulent and full of ups and downs.

Perhaps today's parting marks the end of our paths, but this might be a good thing for her. To her, I am just a patient, a pitiful little brother, and she will feel she has done a good deed, happy every day, unaware that she once spoke with a monster.

From now on, I am no longer who I used to be. I hope we will meet again someday.

My heart is filled with indescribable emotions, a warm feeling that I cannot bear to part with, but at the same time, I am relieved that the secret of the mutation will not be revealed, and there are even greater challenges waiting for me.

I must proceed according to plan, using the power of the mutation to escape tonight. I am not worried that the pain of the mutation will affect my actions, because the pain will gradually lessen, and my pain tolerance has greatly increased.

Now everything is proceeding as planned, without any surprises. I locked the door to prevent anyone from disturbing me at the crucial moment, and quietly waited for the mutation to begin.

I wanted to sleep for a while to conserve my energy, thinking that the pain would wake me up when the mutation occurred, but no matter how hard I lay down, I couldn't fall asleep; my heart was too excited. From tonight onward, I will embark on a path of pursuing power and eternity, to gain a new life.

During this time, I'll reconsider my escape plan. It's not complicated. I just need to evade the doctors, nurses, and security guards on duty at the hospital, get out of the hospital building, avoid the security guards outside, and exit through the hospital gate—then I can escape smoothly.

Chapter Four ◆ A Lofty Choice

The ward window is an old-fashioned window with iron bars in the interlayer, making it impossible for a person to squeeze out. However, with my mutated powers, I can easily tear through the iron bars and jump out of the room without attracting attention.

The ward is on the first floor, which I can easily jump out of. Even from a higher floor, with my mutated body, jumping wouldn't be a problem, but I won't risk it until I've mastered my powers.

However, after careful consideration, I ruled out this option because it would cause significant damage to the hospital facilities. Tomorrow, the doctors and nurses will find me missing and the window severely damaged, and they will definitely call the police. While the police may not be able to uncover the truth, from a professional perspective, they will certainly have other connections.

After all, a thief wouldn't steal from a hospital, let alone this room. I couldn't have disappeared because of this. As for murder to cover it up, kidnapping, etc., that's absurd.

If the police and doctors connect this to the strange recovery from my previous injury, they might indeed think of things detrimental to me. After all, this case is of great importance; the country will definitely take it seriously, and there will certainly be people in charge.

As someone involved in the case, my unexpected disappearance and the significant damage to the window would lead the police to report to their superiors, and they might guess the truth, searching everywhere for me, which would be detrimental to my ability to keep a low profile.

I need them to think I left on my own; I can't act recklessly and arouse suspicion. I can only leave through the main entrance.

The plan is to act after 10 AM. At that time, the doctors and nurses on duty will be exhausted and resting in their offices unless there are emergency patients. There's probably only one security guard inside the building, responsible for receiving emergency patients, not dealing with robberies. Besides, there are security guards outside, so he's relaxed and won't be on guard. If there's nothing to do, he'll sleep in the duty room and only get up to open the door when the bell rings.

The hospital doesn't have a high-level surveillance system; if I act carefully, I shouldn't have much trouble evading them.

I can easily tear through locks and open the building doors using my mutated powers. As long as I'm careful, I won't make too much noise. This kind of damage is too minor compared to breaking a window. I'll take the damaged lock with me.

The next morning, when the security guard discovers the lock is missing, he won't suspect vandalism. He'll just assume he forgot to lock the door, couldn't find the lock, and probably thought it was lost. Afraid of being held responsible for negligence, he might not report it; he can simply buy a new lock, making it unlikely to implicate me.

Even if the security guard remembers the door was locked, he'll assume some doctor or nurse went out early, unlocked it while he was asleep, and then put the lock somewhere else. Even if he reported it, it wouldn't be taken seriously.

If the security guard was unlucky, he might be suspected. If he were smart, he wouldn't do it.

Besides, nothing was stolen from the hospital, only I was missing; the two things weren't related. Even if the police found out, they wouldn't connect them. They wouldn't think I had the ability to steal the lock and escape, nor would they think I had a reason to run away.

They wouldn't pay special attention to beggars; helping me was just fulfilling their duty. If I ran away, it would be easier for them; they might not even pursue the matter, perhaps thinking I went out to play, got lost, and went somewhere else. The matter would be dropped.

Sister He might be sad, but I could only apologize in my heart.

As long as I got out of the building, avoided the night security guard, jumped over the wall—it would be a piece of cake—and then I could run away for my life.

The plan was very simple; I was sure I could do it. But it was my first time doing something like this, and I was inevitably nervous. The alarm clock on the bedside table pointed to seven o'clock. Time was passing by, bit by bit.

I felt that time was passing very slowly, as if each day was an eternity. I've been resting for so long, only an hour has passed. My heart is filled with an urgent longing for freedom and power.

The mutation hasn't happened yet; there are probably still two and a half hours left. I can only endure the agonizing second by second, but time won't pass any faster; it's slowly tormenting my will and testing my nerves.

I idly eat the fruit that Sister He and Officer Jiang left behind, and only an hour has passed since I finished it all.

I can barely endure it; I really want to burst out the door immediately, but I must remain calm, waiting for the best opportunity in solitude, and absolutely cannot break down. I silently count sheep… one sheep, two sheep…

the alarm clock on the bedside table ticks away.

Although I'm anxious and restless, I then immerse myself in the pleasure of counting sheep; it's the best way to numb myself. In the end, I don't even know how many sheep I counted. Time passes unnoticed.

Suddenly, a sharp pain shoots through my left arm; the mutation has finally begun. The agonizing torment and the long wait have finally been endured with patience; soon I will emerge from my cocoon.

The alarm clock on the bedside table pointed exactly to ten o'clock. My estimate was completely accurate; I truly admired myself. This time, it would last at least two and a half hours, possibly three.

Leaving now was a bit too early; the doctors, nurses, and security guards on duty were probably still waiting for emergency patients and hadn't rested yet. I would wait patiently for another hour; by then, they would definitely be asleep, making escape safer.

I needed to endure the pain now, test my strength, and the time wouldn't be so difficult.

I lifted the sheet with my right hand, jumped off the bed, and stood in the center of the room.

Scales rippled across my left arm, and hooked blades grew from my fingers. Then, my right arm keratinized, my chest and back became armored, bone spurs protruded from my kneecaps, my legs hardened, dragon horns sprouted from my head, my face became demonized, and my pupils dilated—exactly the same as in the afternoon, but the mutation and regression were twice as fast, showing that my body's adaptability had greatly increased.

I was secretly pleased, enduring wave after wave of pain. The pain was much less than in the afternoon; it was no longer the unbearable, piercing agony. Everything was as I expected. I could easily endure it and move as usual.

The pain gradually became less terrifying, even becoming a source of enjoyment rather than torment, and even a source of pleasure. This was not due to masochistic tendencies, but rather that the stronger the pain, the stronger my physical and mental tolerance, and the greater the integration of power with myself.

The mutations grew stronger, unfolding in successive, multi-stage movements at an increasingly rapid pace, while the pain lessened.

I didn't know how to control it, perhaps with consciousness or emotion. I lacked professional knowledge; even experts probably couldn't understand the latest bio-genetic technology. Moreover, this technology was far from perfect.

By a twist of fate, my genes mutated, optimizing my bodily functions, but it was extremely unstable, constantly recombining and decomposing. I didn't know when it would stabilize, nor what a stable state would look like; for now, I could only let nature take its course.

Power was my hope for the future. Once the mutations stabilized somewhat, I would try to acquire a large sum of money, then find a quiet place to slowly study and research it. I was certain I could control it as soon as possible, making it a part of my body, something I could never lose. Now, I had to escape first.

Simultaneous mutations erupted throughout my body, transforming me into a monster. My entire body was shrouded in demonic armor, muscles bulging, bone spurs crisscrossing, scales gleaming, hooks flashing, fists like steel, and horns gleaming.

Strange noises emanated from my entire body. Looking down, I was both amused and exasperated. My hospital gown was torn in several places by my swollen muscles, tattered and riddled with holes, some even becoming strips of fabric.

I needed my mutated powers to go out, but I couldn't be naked. Now, though my clothes were tattered, they were still on my body. Later, when I had money, I'd buy looser clothes. But that wouldn't solve my immediate problem; I'd steal one later. With my immense strength, it would be easy.

At that time, I was a monster superhero with a sense of shame, not wanting to be like the Superman in American movies, flying around in red underwear, wandering the streets—how embarrassing!

Later, when I saw the American movie *The Hulk*, I truly envied his underwear—it wouldn't tear no matter how much his body swelled. Back then, I really wanted to fly to America and ask the director where to buy these super-elastic underwear. Now I'll just grab them first. I'm Superman, I have power, who am I afraid of?

I feel like a real Superman now, my whole body is full of explosive power, every cell is full of boundless vitality, as if every cell is a bag of TNT, as if my whole body is a small nuclear bomb.

I stood in the center of the room, wanting to roar to the heavens, my heart filled with fierce emotions. I wanted to run, I wanted to fly, I wanted to explode. But I had to restrain myself, I couldn't alert anyone. Otherwise, if I acted out, I feared I would blow the room to smithereens, and the entire hospital might even be reduced to ruins. That would kill many people, things would escalate, and I would be doomed.

I had to control my power, I couldn't be manipulated by it. I was the master of this power. I had to suppress the violence and bloodlust that came with acquiring this newfound power.

Humans can kill and eat other creatures at will because they consider themselves superior to other beings, so they can do whatever they want to lower-level creatures.

Those who have just gained superhuman power often also believe themselves to be superior to other humans, and naturally can kill lower-level life forms at will—this is the unwritten law of survival of the fittest. Lower-level life forms and food are synonyms.

Such people are often controlled by their power, becoming violent and bloodthirsty demons who abuse their power, living meaningless lives.

I don't want to live such a muddled life anymore. I want a more vibrant and fulfilling life. Whether this arrogant attitude of looking down on other, lesser life forms is acceptable is another matter, but at least I must not recklessly vent my power before I have full control over it.

My years of wandering haven't made me knowledgeable, but they have cultivated extraordinary patience and self-control. I know how to control my emotions and won't vent my superhuman strength because of past sorrows. Seeking only momentary pleasure is foolish. Although I am young, I am not naive.

But I must test my strength first. Although I feel very powerful, I'm always uneasy without testing it, unsure if I can actually use this power. I don't want to become a hollow, seemingly powerful "embroidered monster pillow."

I can't destroy this place, and lacking experience in controlling my power, I searched the room for something hard to test it on, but found nothing after a long search. This is a hospital ward, not a gym; I can't exactly remove the iron bars from the windows.

I don't have a masochistic streak; I can't use my hook blade to stab my hardened thigh. Either way, the injury will hurt. Finally, my gaze settled on the tempered glass cup on the counter. Though small and unable to test its strength, it was the only option I could manage.

Not daring to use too much force, I extended my calloused right hand, walked over, and gently grasped the cup, squeezing it with the lightest touch, like stroking a hair. A crisp sound rang out, and several cracks instantly appeared on the surface of the cup.

While marveling at the strength of my right hand, I used the hook at the tip of my left finger, with extremely slight force, to poke several holes in the cup. It was as easy as piercing silk, producing only a faint hissing sound, almost inaudible—truly a sharp blade.

I pulled out the hook, and with a slight increase in pressure, a series of strange sounds immediately rang out. The entire tempered glass cup was now in my hand, crushed beyond recognition, as if I were molding clay.

My right hand, protected by the thick, hard, steel-like callus, remained undamaged. Sharp shards of the tempered glass pierced my right hand, like a tickle, causing no harm whatsoever, not even piercing the skin. In my hand, the tempered glass was as fragile as paper.

I was overjoyed. It was too strong; this was exactly the kind of power I needed.

Although the tempered glass wasn't particularly hard, the fact that it crumbled with a light squeeze was telling.

After my body mutated, my strength had increased dramatically. If I threw a full-force punch, I could probably easily pierce composite armor, and even destroy a building.

I couldn't leave such a monstrous glass as a clue for the police. With a quick clasp of my hands, I kneaded and rolled the shattered glass into a small steel ball. Even the Buddha's Palm technique wasn't this powerful!

The small steel ball was round and quite sturdy. I planned to take it out with me, along with the door lock I was going to destroy later. But my hospital gown was tattered, and the pockets were torn; it wouldn't fit. I had only myself to blame. I'd better carry it by hand!

Without proper equipment, I finally managed to test my strength and was very satisfied, filled with confidence for the future. With the strength I'm demonstrating now, the lock on the outside door can be cut with a single stroke; it can't stop me at all.

After this period of repeated mutations and strength testing, an hour has passed without me even realizing it. Time flies when you're busy, unlike when you're just waiting to die. I should prepare to act now.

The mutations throughout my body are still ongoing, and the pain is gradually lessening, much less than before. It's just normal pain; most people would find it excruciating, but it's nothing to me. Compared to the excruciating pain of the afternoon, it's a world of difference and won't affect my movements at all. My endurance has taken a giant leap forward.

It's only been a few hours; the progress is astounding. The future belongs to geniuses like me.

Since becoming a monster, I've considered myself a genius. How could ordinary people have such extraordinary opportunities? I must have confidence; let go of my past inferiority complex! Let self-destruction be a thing of the past.

I reviewed everything again, thought through all the steps, and after ensuring everything was done carefully, meticulously, and flawlessly, I decided to officially begin my escape. I'm about to embark on a thorny and challenging path.

I tried my best to finish what I started, tidying up the room a bit, collecting the leftover fruit peels into a trash bag, folding the sheets neatly, and placing Sister He's radio on the bedside table; she would take it when she came.

After finishing, the alarm clock on the bedside table showed 11:15. I turned off the lights, plunging the room into darkness.

I took one last look at the place where this extraordinary adventure had officially begun, one last look at the bed filled with warmth and the pain of transformation, one last look at the radio filled with love, one last look at the room where Sister He and I had our last conversation, overwhelmed with emotion.

But I was finally leaving. Life from now on would be completely different.

I shook my head, banishing this sentimentality and sentimentality. How ridiculous. When did beggars start having all sorts of messy emotions and desires? Is this the confidence and nonchalance that comes with power?

I am no longer the beggar I once was. From now on, I am Superman.

With a creak, I opened the door, and outside lay a brand new life, an exciting future, and a colorful world. My heart surged with excitement. Everything in the past was over; a new life had begun.

I peeked out first. The corridor was pitch black, all the lights were off, and there was no sound. There were no emergency patients.

All the inpatients were probably asleep, the security guards were asleep in the duty room, and the main door was likely locked. The on-duty doctors and nurses were probably resting in their offices. I was the only night owl; I was really lucky.

I was unusually cautious, first coughing lightly to check if anyone else was there. Usually, in dark, quiet places at night, to avoid startling each other, people would make soft noises to check.

Suddenly, the lights in the corridor blazed on, making my heart pound. I quickly retreated, slamming the door shut, wondering what was happening. Had I been discovered? Who would be so bored as to spy on me? I hadn't done anything wrong before.

The lights were on outside, but it was quiet and deserted. I gradually relaxed. But why were the lights on? Was there a monster? I was just scaring myself. Wasn't I the biggest monster? If I went out like this and someone saw me, they'd probably scare several people to death. Even monsters would be afraid of me. What was I afraid of?

I've never believed in ghosts or monsters, but I really didn't understand, so I could only speculate wildly. I couldn't figure it out for a while, and I felt a little scared, so I tried to reassure myself, but nothing happened.

After a while, I looked through the window in the door and saw that all the lights in the hallway were off.

I was baffled. I hadn't heard a sound, and no one had come out to turn off the lights. Could it really be demons or monsters? Then why didn't they come looking for me? Why would they turn off the lights to scare me? Then it dawned on me, and I chuckled to myself.

I was so nervous that I became paranoid. Actually, there was no one there. This light was probably motion-activated; it would turn on at the slightest sound, very convenient. At night, I wouldn't have to worry about not finding the switch or getting into the bathroom. I was so naive and unjustly scared. Knowledge is indeed important.

I gave a wry smile, quietly opened the door, slipped out like a cat, and gently closed it without a sound. The corridor was dark and silent. No one was woken up; after all, I had been too quiet, and it's normal for the lights to turn on when someone goes to the bathroom at night. The doctors, nurses, and security guards were all fast asleep.

I couldn't be careless; I couldn't let anyone see me like this. Should I kill them to cover it up? Better safe than sorry. I continued to tiptoe along the corridor.

Although I wanted to get out as quickly as possible and avoid being seen, walking fast would make noise, triggering the motion-activated light and exposing me to light, which would be even worse. So I could only walk slowly and stealthily.

The corridor wasn't long, and I quickly made my way to the lobby in the dark, my footsteps silent, the lights off, without disturbing anyone.

The genetic mutation had likely optimized my optic nerve system, allowing me to see easily in the dark, with little difference from when it was lit, only varying in brightness. My ability to distinguish dark colors was now phenomenal, far more refined and acute than that of ordinary people.

I was overjoyed, knowing my sensory abilities had been greatly enhanced. The extent of this enhancement, however, would require professional testing, but with long-term training, I was certain it would become even stronger.

During the genetic mutation that afternoon, I had been so focused on enduring the pain and observing the increased strength and physical alterations that I had neglected the changes in the most delicate organs of the human body—sight and hearing. But now, realizing this was not too late, and it was proving useful.

I could clearly see the location of the door and the lock.

At this crucial moment, I carefully controlled my emotions and steps, determined not to make a sound.

I slowly reached the door, extended my keratinized right hand, grasped the lock, and with a light stroke of my left hook, the sturdy lock instantly split in two with a soft hiss, enough to alert no one and not trigger the motion-activated lights.

I was prepared. I gripped the broken lock in my right hand, removed the other half, put them back together, and then quietly removed the latch, placing it gently in a corner. The operation went very smoothly.

I gently opened the door a crack, glanced outside, and saw no security guards nearby. So I slowly opened the door, making only a slight, almost inaudible creak.

A surge of excitement welled up inside me. I slipped out of the building, then gently closed the door again. Everything was normal; I was finally going to be free.

I took a deep breath, savoring the fresh air outside—it was definitely much better than in the ward.

I had no time to think; I had to leave as quickly as possible. I scanned my surroundings with keen eyes. It was pitch black, illuminated only by a faint moonlight. There was no one in sight. The guardhouse by the main gate was dark; the security guards were probably asleep and wouldn't wake up unless someone banged on the door.

As long as I didn't shout, I wouldn't be discovered. I

dared not be careless. I couldn't just walk through the main gate; I had to jump over the wall. If I broke the outer lock as well, both locks would make people suspect someone had broken in, or even suspect me. The outer lock being intact would only lead people to believe the inner lock was missing or the door was forgotten to be locked, and they wouldn't suspect anything further. This would reinforce the hospital staff's misconception.

I ran towards the wall, but with a light leap, I flew more than ten meters, landing on the wall, almost losing my footing and crashing headfirst into it – truly unexpected and startling.

My heart pounded, and I pressed my hand lightly against the wall, quickly trying to stop myself. Although I hadn't exerted much force, the sturdy wall almost broke through with my powerful momentum, instantly loosening a section.

I secretly breathed a sigh of relief. I hoped the damage wouldn't be discovered tomorrow. If I had used slightly more force, I probably wouldn't have been able to stop myself, and I would have definitely crashed into that section of the wall, certainly alerting security. For my current body, most things in the world are too fragile.

I became even more cautious, thinking I should test my jumping ability before leaping over the wall to avoid causing a stir. Now, instead of mutating individual parts, my entire body mutated and stabilized at a certain level, eliminating all pain. After absorbing energy, the mutation had reached a balance.

I listened carefully and felt that there seemed to be no one outside the wall. I immediately jumped lightly on the spot, and with a whoosh, I was lifted more than ten meters high. The wall was far below my feet, and I seemed to have a certain ability to hang in the air, as if I had escaped the control of Earth's gravity and was on the moon. This was truly against the laws of physics, but I didn't understand it, and I gently floated down.

My mutated feet were about a quarter larger than usual. I didn't have suitable shoes to wear; the slippers were from the hospital, so I had been barefoot since I came out. But my mutated giant feet were incredibly sturdy and elastic. Even walking barefoot didn't cause any wear and tear, just some dirt. Now, jumping down, I felt no pain at all.

I was overjoyed. This jumping ability was monstrous and astonishing. This was just a light jump. If I jumped with all my might, I would definitely be able to land on a skyscraper, and I wondered if I could even jump to the moon. My legs are probably a thousand times stronger than before.

With even less strength, I easily vaulted over the wall. If anyone saw me, they'd probably think they'd encountered a ghost and faint on the spot.

Chapter 5 ◆ A Small Test

It's probably 11:30 now. Everyone's home asleep. The streets are pitch black, with no pedestrians. There are no busy downtown areas or highways near the hospital, only some medium-sized shops and residential buildings, all already closed.

I don't feel the sweltering heat of a summer night at all. It seems that after the genetic mutation, my body has a thermoregulatory function, always keeping my body in optimal condition, like having a portable air conditioner.

The clear moonlight from the sky spills like silk onto the street, illuminating my solitary figure.

I'm finally truly free. I want to roar to the sky, to release the pent-up emotions of the past few days and my growing strength, but there are many residential areas nearby. I don't know how much my voice has grown. Shouting in the dark would wake up countless people and inevitably give me away. I can only forcibly suppress the restlessness in my heart.

I really wanted to test my strength, but the city couldn't withstand the damage, so I'd have to go to the suburbs another day. But I couldn't resist the temptation of strength, so I figured I'd test my speed too, since there was nobody on the streets.

I took off running along the empty street, barefoot, but I covered the entire street in no time, incredibly fast, like a cannonball hurtling through the air, unleashing my speed and power.

My hospital gown was torn to shreds by my mutated body and skeletal, bony scales, riddled with holes, offering no cover whatsoever—it was practically naked. I don't have an exhibitionist streak, but I had no choice; thankfully, nobody saw me.

My 100-meter sprint time far exceeded the world record, probably only around 0.n seconds, negligible.

This feeling of speeding like the wind was wonderful; running naked felt like a leisurely drive, saving me the trouble of driving a sports car and wasting money and resources. See how convenient I was?

Even if someone had seen me then, they probably would have just thought it was an illusion, a dark shadow flashing past.

I was far from the hospital grounds, having run through countless blocks, and I had no idea where I was. Seeing no one around, I stopped running and looked around. This was the very spot where I

had been shot. Unconsciously, I had run to the place where I had contracted the virus and sat huddled on the street, waiting to die. It was here that I was kidnapped by robbers, shot in the left chest, and infected with a special drug.

This was the blessed place where my extraordinary adventure began. Life's twists and turns are truly wondrous. Three days ago, I was waiting to die on the roadside; now I've become a superhuman monster.

I knelt down in the street, prostrating myself in worship, praying to heaven to bless me with everything going smoothly from now on, to successfully control the mutated power within me, and to become an unparalleled powerhouse at the top of the food chain.

Although I don't believe in God, I hope He will bless me. From tonight onward, I will step out into the world, from the lowest point of my life to the peak. I stand up, full of confidence and satisfaction.

I see a large stone bench by the roadside for passersby to rest. Good eyesight is convenient; I've finally found something to vent my frustrations on. Although I can't wreak havoc in the city, a little destruction is fine, at least it can slightly alleviate my destructive urges.

This is a secluded street corner, with no residents nearby, so I'm not afraid to make a sound. Besides, no one will come out to watch in the middle of the night, and there's no street surveillance system—perfect.

I stride over, raise my calloused right fist, and smash it down on the stone bench, using only a little force, not daring to use too much, for fear of breaking the bench and causing too much damage to the surrounding environment, attracting attention.

If I only break a stone bench, the maintenance department will think it's an accident, but if a crater more than ten meters deep appears here, it will be hard to explain, and who knows what might happen.

"Boom!"

I didn't use much force, but the stone bench was still instantly smashed into powder by my keratinized right fist. The largest particles were no more than one centimeter in diameter, demonstrating the astonishing destructive power of this punch. It automatically contained various forces to cause such destruction. The force of my punch created a shallow crater in the ground.

My right fist was unharmed, without any pain or bleeding, as if it had just been scratched. It felt so good to have power. Looking at the pile of rubble, it was impossible to tell that there had ever been a stone bench here.

I glanced at a large tree next to me, a tree that would take two people to encircle for greening the city. I stretched out my left hand, applied a little force, and used my hooked fingers to tear off a piece of it, skin and all. I rubbed it between my fingers, grinding the hooked blades, and instantly pulverized it.

I couldn't completely destroy the tree; that would be too obvious. But tearing off a piece didn't matter; people would just think I was a child causing trouble. The exhilarating feeling of cutting was unprecedentedly satisfying.

I really wanted to continue the rampage, but for now, I had to restrain myself and let off steam. I mustn't attract attention right now, and I absolutely cannot cause any damage in the city.

A short distance ahead stands a building over twenty stories high; I might as well test my jumping ability. A light jump just now propelled me over ten meters; with a little more effort, I should be able to reach that building.

I pushed off with my feet, leaping into the air like a rocket, the scenery beside me rushing past like fleeting shadows. In an instant, I had jumped over thirty stories high, landing lightly on the rooftop.

I had greatly underestimated my abilities; with a little more effort, I could probably jump several hundred meters, and with long-term training, perhaps even beyond the atmosphere.

Although I wanted to test this insane power, reason prevailed. I couldn't control my strength well right now; even if I jumped up, I couldn't guarantee I wouldn't get hurt upon landing.

Jumping onto tall buildings now was already incredibly risky; if I hadn't had prior experience jumping over ten meters high, and hadn't discovered my ability to hang in the air, and hadn't been injured or felt anything amiss upon landing, I would never have dared to attempt it so easily.

Luckily, I didn't jump blindly; otherwise, if I had been detected by radar satellites, a documentary version of "The Hulk" would have unfolded on Earth.

I forcefully kneaded the two padlocks I had been holding together with the ball formed by the tempered glass cup, then suddenly flung it through the air, sending it flying several kilometers into the darkness.

I didn't care whether it hit anyone or any building.

After gaining superhuman powers, although I've always tried my best to control my destructive and murderous urges, and to avoid belittling my fellow, inferior life forms, deep down I still involuntarily harbor contempt for life. Perhaps this is an inevitable consequence of gaining power, something beyond my control.

With my strength, that thing would definitely have created a deep crater on the ground, pierced a building, and if it hit a person, it would have left a bloody hole, probably no less powerful than a sniper's headshot that day.

But no one knows it was me. I hope no one will be that unlucky, but you're bound to encounter ghosts when walking at night; being hit by a monster is normal. Life is truly fragile and full of helplessness.

I clasped my hands together, placed them near my mouth, and let out a soft moan.

I dared not shout, but this moan helped release the pent-up emotions within me. There was no one nearby; no one would notice. After the moan, I felt much better.

I gazed into the distance and felt a sense of vastness. In the distance, the highway was bustling with traffic; a few blocks away, the downtown area was brightly lit, as bright as day. Various entertainment venues, grand hotels, saunas, dance halls, gyms, bars, and nightclubs were all operating normally, forming a stark contrast to the darkness and silence where I was.

This was a major coastal city, where commercial activities and transportation never ceased. People were generally wealthy, had a high quality of life, and had high expectations for nightlife, hence the vibrant night scene.

Compared to the relatively quiet residential areas and the neighborhoods where hospitals, government agencies, and small and medium-sized shops were located, the bustling downtown area was a completely different sight. Except for large shopping malls and banks that were closed, places for entertainment and leisure were thriving.

A sudden longing welled up within me to join the glitz and glamour of that world, to revel in its allure. But for now, I must suppress this desire.

Using my mutated powers, I could easily amass a fortune through robbery, enough to squander on my pleasures. However, my current appearance must never be exposed to the public; otherwise, it would inevitably cause unrest, quickly attracting the police and even the military. No matter

how strong I am, how can I contend with the machinery of state violence? Even if I could, my identity would be exposed, making it impossible to move an inch. How could I live a normal life and enjoy myself? How could I peacefully develop and control my power? Therefore, no matter how much I yearn for it, I must now make sacrifices; a small act of impatience can ruin a great plan. Sooner or later, I will trample this glamorous world under my feet.

For now, I must be a ghost hidden in the shadows, desperately needing to solve the basic survival problems of food, clothing, and shelter, not indulging in pleasure. Only by surviving can one enjoy life. Born in hardship, die in comfort. I must plan ahead.

Thinking of these worries, a sense of bewilderment suddenly welled up within me.

These problems, though not difficult for me, are incredibly troublesome. To successfully control the mutation, I need long-term research and training, and a quiet, suitable place to live; I can't be wandering the streets.

Although I can jump to the rooftop or sleep in a park every night—it's dirty, but no one will notice, and I won't feel cold—it's inconvenient and not a long-term solution. Besides, the mutation can happen anytime, anywhere during the day; I need a fixed place to hide, otherwise I'll scare people.

The best way is to buy a house, but that requires money and an ID. I can easily steal money, but without an ID, I can only try to rent a place, which is cheaper and more cost-effective. Although renting also requires an ID, I can get a fake one for now.

Although the fake ID is of poor quality and easily detected, it's only a temporary measure. Once I'm stable, have money and an ID, I'll get a real one.

I don't have much time; this needs to be done quickly. I must get through tonight, and tomorrow I must find a place to live as soon as possible. After all, the mutation is beyond my control, and I can't be exposed to the light of day. Fortunately, I can calculate the mutation time relatively accurately; otherwise, I really don't know what to do.

If finding a place to stay is difficult, I'll first find a cheap, inconspicuous hotel, preferably one that doesn't require an ID card, and where the room is secure so no one will discover my mutation. I'll pay more if necessary

, just enough to get by. I've been wandering this city for almost a year and know its layout well, so finding a hotel should be relatively easy. Right now, my priority is to steal money; otherwise, I'll be stuck. I need a lot of high-energy food every day to meet the needs of my mutation. This is good for my health, but it also requires a lot of money.

I need a lot of clothes, and the mutation could easily tear them. If I go out in these rags tomorrow, I'll be kicked out of the hotel before I even get in. I have no money to buy clothes now, and I can't go out looking like this. It seems I have to rob money and clothes tonight, wear them after the mutation, and go about my business after dawn.

Therefore, I urgently need a place to stay, not only to store food but also to store the clothes and money I steal, since I can't carry anything on my body when I mutate. This means I need to be even more careful; the hotel must be safe, and the police can't keep checking it. It should ideally be in a secluded spot.

Actually, surviving by robbery is not the life I need, and it won't give me any sense of accomplishment. I want to live and earn money honestly through my own abilities, provided I can control my own power, which I can't do now.

Faced with a life-or-death threat, I have to act expediently. One should know what to do and what not to do, but one must also be flexible and adaptable, otherwise, I'll starve to death on the streets, and what future can I talk about?

My first pot of gold is destined to be earned through robbery, even if it means shedding blood, and no one can stop me. I don't want to beg anymore, wasting my strength.

I've decided to stick to the plan. From now on, to survive, I'll mainly rob money; everything else will be bought with money. After all, robbing is easy and less likely to expose me. Unless I'm currently mutated and can't shop in public, but desperately need something, and it's late at night, then I'll steal.

I estimate I'll be in a mutated state for a long time every day. If I can't control it, am I always hiding, unable to face people, walking in the city?

Actually, I was originally quite thin. When my body mutated, although my muscles expanded a lot, I was just more robust, like a Western special forces soldier, not like the Hulk in American movies who swelled up abnormally and didn't have suitable clothes.

A large coat can completely cover my mutated body, making it difficult to be exposed. People will only think I'm particularly bulky. As for big feet, I can buy extra-large shoes. I'm relieved.

It's summer now, wearing so much might seem strange, but I can use the excuse of skin allergies, which is perfectly legitimate. Anyway, I have a thermoregulatory system in my body, so I won't feel hot.

The most troublesome thing is the horns on its head, its demonized face, and its blood-red eyes, which are difficult to conceal. But now is the time of virus spread, and everyone is wearing multiple masks; not wearing a mask would be abnormal.

I can cover my face, and if there are any exposed areas, I can wrap several layers of scarves around it to disguise burns or skin diseases, so that my true face won't be revealed. I can cover the blood-red eyes with large sunglasses or contact lenses.

I can also buy a few fashionable top hats to cover the horns, since they aren't very long. And right now, with the latest trends, everyone's wearing Korean oversized pants, much thicker than mutated legs. People will just think they're props.

The hooked scales and keratinization on my hands can be covered with large gloves; the hooks aren't too long, and I can hide them by clenching my fist.

If I have the chance, it would be best to get some suitable circus clown costumes, but that's rare; I can only buy them when I find something suitable. If the costumes are too expensive, I'll steal them at night. For safety, I have no choice but to do this. These things must be carefully considered and meticulously concealed; I cannot be careless or make the slightest mistake.

For now, I can only proceed one step at a time. Only by focusing on the present can I look to the future. Once everything is settled, I will carefully consider future developments; I cannot rush things.

In a short while, I had thought everything through. My mind is much sharper than before.

The genetic mutation not only changed my physical strength but also rapidly enhanced my intelligence; otherwise, with the abilities of a homeless boy like me, it would be impossible to consider problems so comprehensively and meticulously.

After a period of careful and meticulous thought, it was time to take concrete action.

Because I ate more than twice as much for dinner as lunch, this genetic mutation will likely last for two and a half to three hours, perhaps even up to four hours, from 10 PM to around 2 AM.

I must complete everything within this time; otherwise, once the mutation ends, I will be powerless and forced to beg for food or return to the hospital for help. I cannot tolerate either of these.

I acted quickly just now, only briefly testing my speed and strength, without wasting any time. Then I jumped up to admire the scenery and think things through. It's probably not midnight yet, but I don't have much time. I'm not sure if my estimate is accurate, but I'd rather finish early than delay, to avoid any unforeseen circumstances.

I must act quickly, take the risk, and try to take control of my own destiny.

With my strength, what's a robbery? Don't be afraid! Even if I fail, who can catch me? I'm much stronger than special forces soldiers now; guns and cannons are probably ineffective against me. There are very few things in this world that can threaten me. I'm a monster, who am I afraid of?

Although I have the strength, and robbery is a piece of cake, it's my first time, so I'm bound to be nervous.

I silently cheer myself up and calm my nerves. Robbery requires composure, courage, and skill; I can't just blindly plunder. I must make precise calculations first, otherwise, I won't only fail to get any money, but I'll also get into trouble.

Robbing a bank is out of the question. Although my mutant strength is great enough to force open a bank, without professional knowledge, it's difficult to open a vault made of special materials. Force might not work, and even if I could open it, it would take a lot of effort. Besides, I'm not familiar with the inside of a bank, and I might not even find any money.

Banks are definitely heavily guarded with various high-tech surveillance systems. If I leave a recording, I'll be in trouble. If things escalate, the police will definitely investigate thoroughly and find evidence at the scene. I'll definitely be in big trouble. Even

if I do manage to rob the money, it has serial numbers on it, so I probably can't spend it. I can't risk my efforts for nothing, especially since I can't take much money. Right now, I only need a small amount of money to survive, so robbing a rich person is safer.

A little money is nothing to a rich person, and they're generally timid and afraid of violence, so the loss isn't significant, and they might not call the police. I'll be fine. But where can I find rich people now?

I glanced at the brightly lit distance and had a plan in mind. There must be many rich people in entertainment venues that are open all day. I'll rob them, but I can't rob them inside; that would give me away, and there would be too many targets.

Entertainment venues have a large flow of people, and there must be rich people constantly going home after their entertainment. I just need to secretly jump to a nearby building and keep an eye on the people coming in and out of the largest entertainment venue.

Most of those people were either wealthy or powerful, easily identifiable; those with potbellies all looked similar, and they invariably owned luxury cars like Mercedes, BMW, Rolls-Royce, or famous sports cars like Porsche and Ferrari. A Santana or something similar would be beneath their notice; even their servants wouldn't drive one.

Although I lack experience, I can still distinguish between good and bad cars. I only need to select my prey, use my mutated superhuman eyesight to keep a close eye on their car from afar, and simultaneously leap between high-rise buildings to keep them in sight.

My mutated strength and jumping ability are astonishing, more than enough for tracking. Based on my recent test of wind-like speed and incredibly long-distance jumps, there are probably few things faster than me.

Those luxury cars aren't that fast in my eyes; with full power, I can leave them behind in a couple of leaps. A single, powerful jump will leave them far behind.

I'll leap between high-rises, difficult for ordinary people to spot. Although the lights below are brilliant, the sky is dark, illuminated only by a faint moonlight, making it hard to see even if you look up.

Even if I saw it, I wouldn't be able to see it clearly. I'd just think it was a big bird and wouldn't suspect a monster roaming the city. Besides, few people look at the stars at night.

These rich people's homes are definitely not in the downtown area, but in upscale villa districts. I'll choose a secluded spot, a carjacking robbery, and I'm sure to succeed. Few people are out at night, so there's no danger. Even if they have bodyguards, they can't beat me.

My best targets are drunk people.

Drunk people are usually disoriented and have a hard time remembering what I look like, and my monster image is vastly different from my real appearance. Even if I call the police, they won't be able to explain it clearly. The police won't believe me either; they'll just think he's drunk and confused.

After looting the money and clothes, I could find a place to rest and wait for the mutation to complete.

I felt my plan was flawless. Since the genetic mutation, my calculation and reasoning abilities have become increasingly sophisticated. My once dull mind has gradually become more efficient.

Actually, this is quite normal. The country developed Red Star One to cultivate super warriors, not to produce monsters. Super warriors need sufficient intelligence to perform various extremely dangerous and complex combat missions, so naturally, their brainpower needs to be enhanced.

Modern warfare is becoming increasingly complex and sophisticated, and its development is rapid. Combat cannot be won solely through hand-to-hand combat.

Therefore, among the different types of biological genes used in the development of Red Star One, there were some brain genomes of marine and continental organisms. Although those organisms' brains are not as developed as humans', they play a greater role in certain aspects.

After all, their living environment is different from that of humans, and their role in special environments is far beyond what the human brain can replace. Their genomes can complement human brain genes or stimulate the human brain to produce more powerful effects.

Although Red Star One is not perfect and is currently unstable after fusion and recombination with the gene virus, with unpredictable consequences, its overall performance is excellent, and many excellent genes have already been implanted into its body, showing great potential.

I'm in the nascent stage of mutation, and many of my functions are not yet fully developed. I need continuous training and external stimulation to unlock more of their potential. My body is like a treasure trove; all I need to do is keep digging.

Before taking any action, I want to briefly test my mutated eyesight to see if it's as powerful as I imagine.

All my plans rely on my superior eyesight. As for my physical strength and jumping ability, I'm confident after the recent test. However, I haven't specifically tested my eyesight yet; I only did a small trial in the hospital.

But that was too close, and seeing in the dark isn't a super-powerful function. My mutated eyes should have even stronger functions, capable of seeing minute details. After all, they're large and red, so they must have more than just one function.

I strained my eyes, focused my mind, and gazed at the brightly lit area in the distance, attempting to develop even stronger functions. Suddenly, my eyes flashed red light, like stars and lightning, like two blazing miniature suns, or like two miniature nuclear bombs exploding in my eyes.

Although humans are the most advanced intelligent life on Earth, human eyes are not fully developed. In nature, many creatures possess exceptional eyesight, sometimes even surpassing human vision in precision and versatility.

For example, some creatures can see at night, some can see underwater, some can perceive the finest details on the ground from high altitudes, and some can see their entire surroundings. However, no single creature possesses all these advantages.

Genetic mutation technology aims to integrate the best genes from various organisms, fusing and recombinating them for our own use, thus dramatically enhancing our own capabilities.

Chapter Six ◆ Midnight Wind Chaser

Lacking knowledge and unsure how to enhance my eyesight, I could only concentrate intently, bulging my eyes and straining to see the smallest details. This, ironically, aligns with the principles of genetic mutation.

Genetic mutation is divided into "fusion gene mutation" and "latent gene mutation."

Fusion gene mutation involves the perfect fusion of superior gene chains from other organisms with human gene chains, forming a new, more advanced life form superior to humans. Its genes remain stable, and its abilities are fixed.

Latent gene mutations involve the independent, latent insertion of superior gene chains from other organisms into various parts of the human genome, without altering the human species itself. These genes are unstable, requiring human control or autonomous control, and their abilities are variable, being actively or passively activated when needed.

The Red Star One was originally designed for fusion gene mutations, creating more advanced super-soldier units, as the military requires them to perform consistently.

However, this type of gene mutation demands extremely high technical skill; the gene chain fusion must be flawless, otherwise the entire project will fail. Current technology cannot achieve perfect fusion of gene chains from different species, thus the research has reached a bottleneck and remained unsuccessful.

By chance, I fused and recombine the Red Star One semi-finished product with the gene virus within my body. Although extremely unstable, it did not form a fusion gene mutation, but coincidentally created a latent gene mutation.

Control of gene mutations is divided into active control and passive control.

Active control is further divided into emotional control and conscious control.

Emotional control refers to the gene mutations that occur during emotional fluctuations, such as anger, tension, anxiety, excitement, etc., like the Hulk in American movies. Emotional control requires external stimulation and can be categorized as passive control to some extent. It is a lower-level and unstable form of control.

Conscious control, on the other hand, refers to the control of gene mutations by the individual's own consciousness. It possesses intelligent characteristics, is completely autonomous, and highly stable, representing a higher level of control.

Passive control occurs when the individual is weak and unable to control gene mutations, causing the mutated genes to lack sufficient energy and remain dormant. However, when sufficient energy is ingested, the individual's inability to act autonomously leads to an unstable state of the genes, potentially resulting in mutations. This is the lowest level of control, the most unstable, and beyond the individual's control.

Passive control can transform into active control under certain circumstances, such as when emotions are out of control, including extreme anger, mania, tension, excitement, or hysteria. If the individual possesses exceptionally strong mental power, they can utilize conscious control. Furthermore,

if the individual undergoes rigorous training and urgently needs a specific function under dangerous or stressful conditions, their metabolism will accelerate, hormone secretion will increase, and internal potential will be stimulated, significantly enhancing mental power. In this case, conscious control can be implemented, unleashing the power of mutations.

I was originally malnourished and weak. During the gene fusion process, to avoid damage, I automatically fell into a coma, surviving on vitamins and nutrient solutions. My energy intake was minimal, insufficient for gene mutation, so the dormant gene chain within me remained dormant.

Later, I ingested food, increasing my energy levels and activating the mutation. Because of my weakness, I couldn't control the mutation, so I passively controlled it, letting it run its course without my intervention.

I now desperately need my special eye ability to see distant objects clearly. Facing survival pressure, this has stimulated my potential. While intently gazing into the distance, my mental strength has unknowingly increased significantly, partially taking over active control.

I am currently somewhat tense, but not out of control. This isn't emotional control, but rather a higher level of conscious control—a stroke of luck, like triggering a hidden quest in a game, suddenly gaining certain abilities. It's actually the dormant gene chain within me at work.

In my eyes, as nearby objects blur, distant objects gradually become clearer; my farsightedness is being gradually developed. As my eyes adjusted their focus, it was as if I were viewing distant scenery through a telescope, with crystal clarity.

I could clearly see the various building signs in the brightly lit distance, the various vehicles parked below, and then the crowds walking around. With a little more effort, I could even make out the expressions on people's faces and the license plates of various cars. This was enough for me.

I was overjoyed. With rigorous training in the future, these eyes would surely play an even greater role, perhaps even seeing strands of hair, bird feathers, insects, and so on, perhaps even seeing what was inside a person's eyeball, maybe even seeing dust and bacteria. How exhilarating it would be to spy with these eyes!

My hearing would probably also improve, but when I listened intently, I couldn't hear anything.

This was probably because I couldn't fully control the genetic mutation yet, or because I didn't need this ability now, so it hadn't manifested. Once I learned how to control my power and underwent rigorous training, the situation would definitely improve. Now, I had no doubt about my abilities.

Without a second thought, I acted immediately. Pushing off with my feet, I leaped into the air like a nimble, swift bat, soaring through the night sky from the rooftop to a nearby ten-story building. It felt light and effortless.

Then, I jumped from the ten-story rooftop to the fifteenth floor, the wind whistling past my ears, the speed of the leaps like lightning, each jump completed in an instant – truly exhilarating.

My confidence in my speed and jumping ability grew even stronger.

Luckily, I had some hang time; otherwise, a high-speed fall would likely have caused the roof to collapse. Although my feet were incredibly strong, like diamonds, they seemed to possess boundless elasticity during the jump, unfolding layer by layer without collapsing the roof due to sudden force.

It seems the genetic mutation was designed with this in mind, requiring immense effort from scientists, and now it's benefited me. Through this jumping experience, I became even more certain that the mutation possesses intelligence, possibly controlled by the subconscious, knowing when to perform which function. I will gradually understand this in the future.

After a few tries, I became familiar with this jumping technique, finding it effortless and requiring no effort at all. This kind of exertion could continue almost indefinitely.

At first, I sometimes missed the mark, but upon landing, I felt no pain; if I hit a building, I wouldn't be injured, but I would damage the building. Fortunately, I could reduce the force in time, using my hang time to control my body and gently push with my hands to prevent the building from collapsing, otherwise tonight would have been quite a spectacle.

Terrorist organizations crash planes into buildings, but I crash into buildings with my own body—truly amazing and spectacular.

However, some building walls were still loosened and cracked by my impacts, but fortunately, no one noticed. They will find someone to repair the damage when they discover it later; it's not serious anyway.

After a few times, I could precisely control my strength and no longer have mid-air accidents. It seems that my mutated body has improved in coordination and precise strength control. Although I didn't train much, this control seemed to develop unconsciously. This is probably one of the benefits of genetic mutation.

I grew bolder, increasing the force of my jumps and the distances between them. I started jumping over one or two buildings, then seven or eight; I began jumping from low-rise buildings, then only high-rises; and I jumped tens of meters high, then hundreds. Now, only skyscrapers dozens of stories tall were worthy of my footholds.

I gradually came to enjoy the exhilarating feeling of leaping and soaring beneath towering buildings—the confidence that power gave me, and a sense of freedom, like all things competing for their own destiny. I felt like an eagle soaring through the sky, my heart brimming with passion.

Especially the feeling of being hidden in the darkness, unseen by anyone, intensified my pleasure. My blood rushed to my head, and I could barely contain my excitement, wanting to roar to the heavens, but I had to hold back.

If I suddenly lost my genetic mutation power, and were to fall and shatter, probably not even a single bone would remain. But I only wanted to indulge in this thrill, completely oblivious to the danger. Looking back, it's terrifying.

So, I leaped and bounded between skyscrapers like a monkey, soaring and darting.

Those Spider-Man, Daredevil, Hulk, Catwoman, and the like from American movies were no match for me. Although I didn't know those comic book heroes at the time, I had already deeply experienced the feeling of being a peerless powerhouse who controlled life.

Before long, I jumped to the 20th floor of a building not far from the brightly lit downtown area, overlooking everything below. With my current eyesight, I could see everything perfectly clearly from this distance.

Not far below was the bustling Wansheng Commercial Street. Colorful neon lights shone brightly all night, illuminating the golden buildings.

But here I was, in complete darkness, in a secluded spot, perfect for spying, and perfectly safe. Even if someone peered out, they wouldn't notice me. Now I needed to carefully search for my prey, preferably a drunk one.

I focused my attention on the largest entertainment complex, Golden Caesars Palace, not far away.

It was the brightest, most luxuriously decorated, and most attentive place, frequented by celebrities and the wealthy, and staffed by voluptuous women with nearly naked buttocks and large breasts. It was my ideal target.

While there wasn't a formal red-light district, there were plenty of alternatives. The streets were mostly empty of shops and supermarkets, but overflowing with entertainment venues, nightclubs, bars, dance halls, hair salons, and foot massage parlors.

Golden Caesar Entertainment Palace was the pinnacle, dominating the sex and gambling industry and a pioneer in the underworld. It operated all sorts of underground establishments, offering prostitutes, gambling games, drugs, and firearms.

It was a place where celebrities and the wealthy indulged in extravagant spending, a prime location for clandestine dealings between officials and businessmen, and a secret passage for underworld gatherings and exchanges. It was definitely a high-end establishment; a single night cost a fortune, and exchanging a fur coat for wine was a lavish affair.

I used to be a penniless and cowardly beggar, never having been here before. Of course, things would be different in the future, but for now, I couldn't show my face; I just needed to get my first pot of gold.

I had no time to admire the scantily clad women shamelessly soliciting customers in front of the Golden Caesars Casino, their bodies blatantly displaying their allure. My focus was solely on the wealthy people coming and going; robbery was paramount, and I could satisfy my visual cravings later—there would be plenty of opportunities. However, I hesitated to take any concrete action.

Those who frequented the Golden Caesars Casino were mostly the super-rich, but some were untouchable. For example, one man was clearly a mob boss, surrounded by a large entourage, openly armed—I couldn't invite trouble.

Others, though wealthy, were heavily guarded, each a burly man in a suit and sunglasses, their waists bulging—making it difficult to strike without attracting attention. I didn't want to act rashly; I had to succeed decisively, or the consequences would be dire.

Some had lost everything in underground casinos; I couldn't add insult to injury. Some didn't appear particularly wealthy; I couldn't bring myself to rob them. Judging by their cars, I could roughly gauge their wealth; robbing the unsophisticated was pointless.

I waited for nearly ten minutes, but found no suitable target, growing increasingly anxious. It's almost 12:30 now. I don't know how long the mutation will last. I can't wait any longer; I must act immediately. Fortune favors the bold

. Just as I was about to take a risk and pull off a quick heist, the perfect prey finally appeared. My blood boiled, my heart pounded with excitement. I rubbed my sore eyes, which were throbbing from the dazzling light. It hadn't been a waste of time.

Three middle-aged men, completely drunk and staggering, emerged from the Golden Caesar Entertainment Palace, supporting each other. They were all as fat and strong as pigs, with potbellies like pregnant women. They were dressed in gold and silver, all designer brands—undoubtedly wealthy tycoons.

The best part was that they hadn't brought any bodyguards, and they were drunk. Robbing them would be too easy; they were natural hostages. Any robber would love to take them, but would feel no sense of accomplishment.

I guessed they had sneaked out to have some fun without their wives and children knowing. Perhaps one of their bodyguards was an informant of their affair, and they were afraid their wives would cry and make a scene. So, they decided to be brave and not bring any bodyguards, destined to lose money to avoid disaster.

Perhaps they were overconfident in their wealth and power, believing no one in Luoyang would dare rob them, but little did they expect to encounter monsters tonight.

The waiter brought over their car, a luxurious Mercedes. They truly were prime prey; why would someone without money ride in a multi-million dollar car? I used my Golden Fiery Eyes to memorize the car model and license plate number, making sure I wouldn't lose them. My memory is much better than before.

The three drunkards helped each other into the car. I had already categorized them as drunkards, just waiting to be slaughtered.

How could they drive like that? They should have found a driver, otherwise they would have died on the road before I could even rob them. Wouldn't I have wasted all my time? Unfortunately, they couldn't hear my heartfelt words and insisted on showing off; there was nothing anyone could do. They

brought it on themselves. Under the waiter's worried gaze, the Mercedes, its rear end smoking, wobbled and sped away. It seemed even the waiter didn't think they would get home safely; if it weren't none of his business, he probably would have called the police already.

I identified my target and quickly followed them.

As the Mercedes entered the fast lane, unnoticed, I leaped into the air, bounding between skyscrapers with the agility of an eagle and the speed of a bat. Across the street, my fiery red, mutated eyes remained fixed on the Mercedes.

The three drunkards, driving recklessly, wobbled and crashed along the highway like lightning. Though their speed was incredible, they couldn't shake me off. With my lightning-fast movements and astonishing leaps, I managed to outpace them with each bound between buildings.

I wasn't worried about losing them, but I was terrified of my prey. At their rate of driving, it would be an injustice if they didn't crash and die on the highway. If I failed before even getting started, and the drunkards died first, I'd be utterly doomed.

Although they drove a winding, high-speed road, they always managed to avert disaster at the last second, narrowly escaping collapse and saving their Mercedes from tipping over. Their incredible luck and the thrill of the chase were truly admirable, a testament to their audacious recklessness – alcohol certainly emboldens them.

There must have been some highly skilled drivers among them, still sane from their drunken stupor, who could have pulled their Mercedes back from the brink of death so many times, saving their lives countless times. Otherwise, they would have died countless times along the way.

But I simply cannot reconcile their obese, bloated bodies with the image of wiry, powerful drivers; the two are incomparable. For wealthy individuals of such status to risk their lives on the highway is utterly reckless.

They were probably having too much fun, and must have been terrified afterward, just like me jumping around on skyscrapers – risking my life, but it's all about the thrill.

Although the three drunkards were foolish and intoxicated, they were always blessed with good fortune. Despite their extremely dangerous situations, they always managed to escape unscathed. Those who drove cautiously and slowly, however, were involved in a series of accidents. But if the three drunkards hadn't driven so recklessly, none of the others would have been in trouble.

Seeing the Mercedes so arrogantly, no one wanted to crash into it, so they had no choice but to avoid this highway menace. After all, the person driving the luxury Mercedes must be a "successful person" with status and position. Hitting someone was no big deal; at worst, they could hire a lawyer and go to court, which they couldn't afford. But if they hit someone, they couldn't afford to pay for the damages, let alone the person, or even the Mercedes itself.

Besides, German luxury cars are so sturdy; could their own domestically made beat-up cars or cheaply made Japanese cars withstand the impact? They'd probably be fine, but they'd be dead. So everyone frantically avoided this plague, but crowding together only brought more misfortune. If you're destined for disaster, you can't escape it.

Strangely enough, no traffic police stopped the Mercedes along the way. Are the breathalyzer and speedometer malfunctioning? These traffic police are seriously neglecting their duties and being incredibly irresponsible.

Actually, there are some cars the traffic police dare not stop, such as those belonging to high-ranking officials, wealthy individuals, or underworld bosses.

They remember the license plate numbers of those cars. If they stopped those cars, a single word from them could strip them of their uniforms. Encountering a ruthless underworld boss would be even worse; at best, they'd be beaten, at worst, crippled, and you'd just have to accept your bad luck. Therefore, the traffic police are very sharp-eyed and discerning.

Tonight, this Mercedes cannot be stopped. The driver of a luxury Mercedes must be a high-ranking official or a wealthy person. Judging from the license plate, it belongs to a major investor with underworld connections in the city.

Judging from their driving, they are clearly drunk; stopping them would be asking for trouble. Besides, the car is going extremely fast; it's impossible to stop them, so the traffic police are ignoring it. I don't understand these things.

The traffic police were initially worried that the wealthy people driving like this would be hit and killed, fearing responsibility for inadequate traffic control, but they dared not stop them, caught in a dilemma, so they dispatched two police cars to escort them.

If that's the case, my robbery tonight is in real trouble. I leaped high into the air, anxious, fearing my plans would go wrong and everything would fall apart. But tonight, I was also blessed with good fortune, while those traffic cops were truly unlucky.

They were following behind the Mercedes, getting hit by other vehicles that kept dodging them, breaking down on the spot for repairs, their escort mission aborted. There were too many accidents behind them, and they couldn't catch up with the Mercedes now, so the traffic cops had to deal with the accident scenes first. They couldn't ignore them, otherwise, with so many accident victims filing complaints, they would still be held responsible.

I jumped between high-rise buildings and saw the situation on the highway across the street, finally feeling relieved. Without the police following me, I had a chance. These cops were really bad drivers, but the unlucky ones were still those who got into accidents. Some

of them hit police cars. High-ranking officials, wealthy people, and gangsters are not to be trifled with, but are you, a cop, someone to be trifled with? You're going to take responsibility for the traffic accident and wait to be the scapegoat and pay compensation!

But I felt no sympathy for them, and I had no intention of helping them. That's just how the world is—cold and indifferent, a world of fickle hearts.

When I was crippled and begging on the streets, who pitied me? Who even gave me a second glance? Why should I pity others? They deserved their misfortune. It was their destiny, and they couldn't escape it.

My life was bad before, but now my luck has turned around, and I have this opportunity. Perhaps even Heaven felt my life was too tragic, so it helped me. There are far too many inferior beings in this world; their deaths are not worth regretting.

Although I don't intentionally belittle other lives, my subconscious has already categorized my mutated self as a higher life form. In my eyes, everyone else is an inferior life form. Whether I'm human or a monster, I'm still superior to others.

"Monster" is what I call myself. If someone said that, I would definitely punch their head off and use my hook to rip out their brains and eat them.

Thinking this to myself, I didn't let my guard down. My eyes gleamed red as I stared intently at the Mercedes ahead, my legs springing back and forth. With a high leap, I soared onto a thirty-story building a hundred meters ahead, keeping pace with the Mercedes on the highway. I wouldn't give up my prey. That was my future security. The

three drunken fools, oblivious to the carnage on the highway, and unaware that a lithe and ferocious monster was chasing them from a distance, continued their reckless and incredibly lucky journey.

From the air, I watched the cars tumbling and crashing behind the Mercedes on the highway, a sight that horrified me. These three were too lucky; I couldn't bear not robbing them. The money they lost would be like compensation to the victims. People like them deserved to be robbed; they weren't good people anyway.

I actually found a plausible reason for the robbery, and it suited me quite well. But looking at their imposing driving style, I was truly envious. This was the life of the wealthy, with power and influence.

I really want to live that kind of life someday, but I need to control my mutated powers first. Right now, I can't be exposed, and I don't even have money for food—it's so frustrating. I'll think about those things later; I can't be too ambitious.

During the subsequent pursuit, I almost got out of the loop several times. It wasn't that I wasn't fast enough or could jump high enough, but rather that some roads were too complex, with crisscrossing overpasses that were hard to understand.

The car sped through various roads and overpasses, making the chase incredibly difficult. In some places, there were few tall buildings, making it hard to find a foothold. When the car turned, the highways made it difficult for me to cross directly—it was truly troublesome.

Fortunately, after the genetic mutation, my reflexes were incredibly fast. The first few times I was forced to chase desperately, even risking jumping over overpasses, sometimes finding no foothold, I would jump directly onto the sidewalk or overpass, using the momentum to leap quickly to other tall buildings.

I couldn't follow the car's route, otherwise I would be spotted by passersby. I could only keep a distance, following along secluded paths from the top of tall buildings.

Fortunately, there are few pedestrians at night, so even if I jump onto the sidewalk, it will be difficult to spot me. Even if someone happens to see me, my movements are extremely fast, like the wind and lightning, and they will mistake it for a hallucination.

The cars on the overpass are traveling too fast, and with my extremely fast jumps, drivers at relatively high speeds will hardly see me clearly. They will only think that I am a large bird that stops briefly and then flies by, and will never think that I am a monster jumping around, so it won't be anything shocking.

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