Chapter 53: Mutation, a Class B Esper?

Inside the room, Ian, with her gentle and warm demeanor, softly comforted the young girl beside her. One hand braced against the edge of the bed, while the other tenderly patted the girl's back.

Silvery liquid crept silently from beneath the bed, crawling up along Ian’s skin. The surveillance drone’s red light flashed in its steady rhythm, but it saw nothing, betrayed no reaction.

By the time Ian felt a strange chill at her fingertips, the silver liquid had already fully merged into her skin.

“Ye Mi?” Ian suddenly felt dizzy. She shook her head slightly. “I think I…”

A sharp pain slowly began to throb in her head, as if something was invading her mind.

Ye Mi lifted her head, her delicate face still streaked with drying tears, but now curved in a triumphant smile.

Ian saw her expression reflected in her own eyes. Alarmed, she tried to retreat, but her body refused to obey.

“Thank you for the wontons, Sister Ian.”

Ye Mi’s voice was gentle. Her gray-white eyes fixed on Ian, and a mild smile, identical to Ian’s, graced her lips, as though she were doing something of no consequence.

No, Ye Mi could clearly see her.

Ian’s lips trembled, desperate to scream, but no sound escaped.

Soon, her consciousness faded.

Yet her face remained gentle, still wearing that soft smile—only the coldness in her eyes revealed the change within.

“Disable all surveillance in Room 06,” Ian whispered to the AI. The drone hovering overhead flashed red a few times, then slowly descended to the floor, going silent.

Less than a minute after the monitors went dark, an urgent call came through.

“Doctor, the surveillance in Room 06 has suddenly been cut off. Should we send someone to inspect it immediately?”

Ye Mi understood—it was one of Ian’s subordinates.

All monitoring of monsters and test subjects was managed by Ian’s team. The sudden blackout inevitably drew attention.

“No need. I shut it down myself. There are...special circumstances.”

After hearing Ian’s reply, the subordinate researcher’s stern expression turned subtly suggestive.

For people of the doctor’s rank and authority, it was not unusual to want to do things with the test subjects. And with Subject 06 being quite the beauty, and Doctor Ian’s unusual attention toward her, perhaps there were unspeakable reasons...

He responded with a knowing “Oh,” a sly smile tugging at his lips. “I understand, Doctor. Wishing you… a pleasant day.”

After all, since the doctor herself had disabled the system, any mishaps would not fall on him.

Understand? Understand what?

Ye Mi stared at his odd smile, momentarily puzzled, but maintained Ian’s signature gentle expression and ended the call.

Next, as long as the Rust Tide outside slipped in disguised as the Mask of God… then sowed chaos, she could seize the chance to escape.

If all went smoothly, of course.

That was Ye Mi’s plan.

But often, what you think of is exactly what comes your way.

Just as she was about to direct her body outside the quarantine line into the Defense Bureau, a call came through to Ian’s comm.

It was a direct summons from the deputy director.

At this moment? What could they want with Ian? Ye Mi frowned.

“Doctor Ian, report to my office immediately.”

The deputy director’s holographic image appeared before Ye Mi at the worst possible moment. He looked quite pleased, a far cry from the fierce demeanor he’d shown when reprimanding Marcus earlier.

With no choice, Ye Mi made Ian’s body nod. “Understood, I’ll be there at once.”

Ending the call, Ye Mi had no option but to let her original body lie back on the bed—she had to handle the deputy director’s business before making her move. There was no time to orchestrate a disruption otherwise.

Hastily, her footsteps echoed down the corridor and faded into the distance.

The deputy director’s office was at the top floor. It took Ye Mi five minutes to arrive. Mechanical guards with glowing red eyes scanned her, then opened the doors upon confirming her identity.

“Welcome, Doctor Ian.”

Ye Mi slipped her hands into the pockets of the white lab coat and stepped into the office.

A broad wall of floor-to-ceiling windows offered a sweeping view over the Defense Bureau. In the center stood a sleek, matte-black desk inlaid with flowing blue circuitry, above which a holographic screen hovered.

A silver-haired girl in uniform stood with her back to the door, gazing out the window over the Bureau grounds. The deputy director stood at the coffee machine in the corner, pouring himself a cup.

At the sound of the door, both turned to look at Ye Mi.

“Doctor, you’re just in time,” the deputy director said, sitting at the desk with his steaming mug. He smiled. “Allow me to introduce the Defense Bureau’s newest B-class psychic, Rei Watanabe.”

Ye Mi was stunned.

A newly recruited B-class psychic?

This was wholly unexpected.

“This is Doctor Ian.”

Ye Mi raised her eyes to the silver-haired girl, who looked back with clear blue eyes as deep as the sea.

“Hello, Doctor,” Rei Watanabe said shyly, waving at Ye Mi.

“Hello.”

A B-class psychic—why would she come to the Defense Bureau instead of venturing into the Radiant Ruins?

Even as anxiety churned inside her, Ye Mi kept Ian’s gentle, trademark smile.

But her gaze betrayed her distraction. She looked at the deputy director, waiting for an explanation as to why she’d been summoned.

“According to the special team’s report, the Radiant Ruins won’t expand in the next two years. The director and the company’s upper management have ordered us to gain control of all zones in District One within that time frame.”

After his statement, the deputy director took a sip of coffee. White steam rose past his plump face, unable to conceal the sharp ambition gleaming in his eyes.

“Rei Watanabe’s psychic ability is called ‘Absolute Dominion’—”

He smacked his lips, savoring the taste of the fine coffee.

“Any monster with weaker mental force than hers will be forcibly controlled and act according to her commands.”

“We intend to use her power to build a monster army. So, Doctor Ian, your task is to select and breed the most fertile monsters, then train them as her support.”

He spoke on, his face openly ambitious, “The director believes that if the Mother Project succeeds, and we arm the test subjects and add a monster army, we might finally be able to level the Radiant Ruins.”

By now, Ye Mi’s smile had faded, her face nearly expressionless as she listened to the Defense Bureau’s grand designs.

Level the Radiant Ruins? Using her as fodder?

They would never succeed.

The Defense Bureau would pay dearly for its arrogance.

“I understand.”

Ye Mi lowered her gaze, concealing the turmoil within. For now, she must not reveal herself, nor arouse suspicion from this B-class psychic.

Whatever the Bureau’s plans, tonight, she had to escape.