NOVPUBAlmost instantly, the sound of a broken chain echoed.
Probing within, Daniel discovered that after consuming the essence of the black glove, a chain binding his soul had shattered.
The first genetic chain had been unlocked!
Furthermore, the gray mist pervading his body had intensified considerably.
This indicated a significant boost in his strength.
The most evident change Daniel felt was heightened senses.
His perception was sharper, and he felt more clear-headed and invigorated.
This must be the power-up Mike was talking about!
But what exactly was his ability?
Pondering for a moment, Daniel had an epiphany.
It was "Immunity"!
When Nine exercised her charm power, he activated his Life Gate, obtaining a unique ability and devoured the charm’s essence.
The malevolent force of the black glove tried to invade him, attempting to overthrow him, but it was overpowered and consumed by the gray mist.
So, does this mean my ability is to devour other abilities?
Daniel was uncertain if the gray mist could consume all powers or only those with negative influences.
For now, he’d call it immunity, Daniel decided.
After the essence was devoured, the glove snugly fit onto Daniel’s hand.
If not for the glove’s dark color, he’d hardly notice its presence.
Couldn’t he control the glove’s appearance at will?
As the thought crossed his mind, the glove vanished suddenly.
Yet, he could still distinctly feel its power, undiminished.
Approaching Arlo’s corpse, he bent down and touched it.
Instantly, it felt as though an additional force had been added to his consciousness, one he could control at will.
With composure, unsurprised, Daniel flicked his finger.
Then, something miraculous occurred.
Arlo’s body surprisingly stood upright!
With a flick of his finger, the corpse seemed to be flung through the air, manipulated by Daniel’s motion, and landed directly into a trash can.
Daniel shook his head, "Seems like I can only perform simple remote manipulations."
But that was already impressive.
Next, Daniel touched various objects around him.
"Rise!"
With just a thought, objects like the trash can, stones, and even embedded water pipes on the wall broke free and began to levitate.
At Daniel’s whim, they could be hurled wherever he chose.
But in an instant, all the objects dropped uncontrollably to the ground.
Daniel withdrew his hand, his forehead dripping with sweat.
Manipulating too many items at once drained his power rapidly.
The strength of a Level 1 Evolver wasn’t vast to begin with.
To wield more power, he needed to enhance his capabilities and strength.
This time, the gains were significant.
He acquired dual abilities: immunity and the black glove!
He even unlocked a Gene Lock chain, transitioning from an ordinary human to an Evolver.
His power had surged exponentially.
Strength, speed, and other attributes all noticeably improved.
Coupled with his ability to inflict multiplied damage, Daniel felt that facing a Ghoul now would be a walk in the park.
The only cost was a damaged hotel car.
But compared to what he gained, it was a drop in the bucket.
After a moment of elation, he quickly left the scene.
...
In the basement of the convention center,
Nine beckoned with her finger, and the man wearing the number 76 mask promptly approached.
The charm’s power had entirely invaded his body.
In a commanding tone, Nine said, "Remove the mask."
Number 76 complied, revealing his true face.
On seeing 76’s appearance, Nine displayed a hint of disgust.
"For someone with such a lousy physique, you’re quite unattractive."
"Never mind, keep your mask on when you’re around me."
76 dutifully put the mask back on.
Nine studied him as if spotting something she wanted to see, "I never imagined you’d be a successful figure, a billionaire from Britannia. That’ll fetch quite a bit of gold."
Suddenly, the smile on Nine’s face vanished, her expression darkening instantly.
She immediately sensed that the consciousness of Arlo, whom she had charmed, had vanished.
There were only three possible explanations for this.
First, Arlo had become stronger, perhaps unlocking his Gene Lock chain and ascending to a Level 4 Evolver, making it easy for him to break free from her charm.
But Nine knew how far Arlo was from becoming a Level 4 Evolver, so that possibility was off the table.
The second possibility was that someone forcibly dispelled the charm on Arlo.
Given the vast world, there were certainly those capable of such feats.
Could it be Number 13, who had just escaped from her charm?
"No way. His power is insignificant. There’s no way he could break my charm. That can’t be the reason," she mused.
That left the final possibility: Arlo had been killed!
While Level 3 Evolvers were formidable, there were plenty in the world capable of killing them.
With a powerful enough weapon, even a regular person could take down a Level 3 Evolver.
It must have been Number 13’s doing!
Nine’s eyes burned with fury, "That damn bastard! I lost a valuable Level 3 Evolver servant because of him!"
She had bent over backward to charm Arlo.
She had even sacrificed her own body, letting Arlo have his way with her for three days and nights, just to enchant him when his guard was most down.
Only a few months had passed, and now he was gone.
"Number 13, you better hope I don’t catch you!"
...
Upon returning to the hotel and settling the car damage, Daniel finally made it to his room.
Just as he settled down, his phone buzzed from his pocket.
Answering, he heard a familiar voice, "Dan, it’s Mike!"
"Do you have time to return to Libertopia? We’d like you to come to the Investigation Bureau."
Should he go back?
Daniel hesitated.
He had initially planned to scour all the pyramids in Mauritania, hoping to find other Echo Stone fragments.
But he needed to pay a visit to the Investigation Bureau sooner rather than later.
After all, he had already opened the Life Gate and unlocked his Gene Lock chain.
This meant he’d soon face the Resonance reaction and needed to get a Gene Magnet promptly. 𝒏𝒐𝙫𝙥𝙪𝙗.𝒄𝙤𝙢
Daniel suddenly remembered Nine’s Gene Magnet.
He should have grabbed it during his escape. What a missed opportunity.
After a moment, Daniel replied, "It turns out I need to head back anyway. Once I’m there, I’ll come see you."
Mike responded enthusiastically, "That’s great news! There’s a private jet waiting for you at Mauritania Airport, arranged by us. You can head there whenever you’re ready."
Daniel was taken aback, realizing the head of the Investigation Bureau held him in high regard. He simply acknowledged with a nod, "Understood."
...
Without any further delay, Daniel didn’t even bother packing.
After leaving enough money to cover his hotel stay, he boarded the Investigation Bureau’s private jet.
Six hours later, he touched down at Golden Shores International Airport.
As he disembarked, he saw Mike waiting by a black SUV parked nearby.
Mike came around and opened the back door for him.
"Thank you," Daniel said courteously as he climbed in.
An hour later, Daniel was escorted to the Investigation Bureau’s headquarters.
The Global Supernatural Phenomenon Investigation Bureau, or GSPIB for short, was located 500 meters underground in a barren desert area.
According to Mike, this was the safest place in all of Libertopia, where even a global nuclear war wouldn’t make a dent.
However, for some reason, Daniel felt an eerie atmosphere within the bureau, reminiscent of the pyramids in Mauritania.
Soon, Daniel was ushered into a conference room to wait.
In the Minister’s office, Martin sat sipping his coffee while listening to Mike’s report.
Upon learning that Daniel had entered the Investigation Bureau, Martin was a bit taken aback.
"I would’ve thought this young man would be like other Evolvers, letting success go to his head," he mused.
Mike replied, "Dan isn’t your average Joe. He’s truly remarkable."
Intrigued, Martin pressed, "In what way is he remarkable?"
Scratching his head, Mike searched for the right words, "Well, just the fact that he has this prophet-like ability to foresee the future is extraordinary in itself."
Raising an eyebrow, Martin asked, "Are you sure he can predict the future?"
Just then, the office door swung open, and a voice chimed in, "It’s nearly confirmed, but we still need the final test." It was Julia.
After a thoughtful pause, Martin slowly said, "If he can accurately predict all the winning numbers, that would indeed verify his capabilities. But we need to ensure he doesn’t tamper with the results during the draw."
Julia promptly assured him, "Don’t worry. I’ve already planted someone at the lottery center yesterday. They’re keeping a close eye on things, ensuring no foul play."
Martin nodded approvingly, "Julia, do you believe Daniel is the real deal?"
Hesitating briefly, Julia replied, "Minister, to be honest, I was skeptical at first. Predicting the future seems too far-fetched. But after several tests, I’m leaning towards believing him, maybe about 70% sure."
Mike added, "I’m completely convinced. After all, Dan has no reason to deceive us. If he wanted to fake an ability just to get the Gene Magnet, there are many other powers he could’ve claimed. Claiming to foresee the future is a risky lie that could easily be debunked."
