Chapter 14

The next morning, Zero arrived at Leigh's lab.

Leah was sorting and summarizing the medicines they had brought with them, and she wasn't surprised to see them at zero.

Old Jack had already told her that from today onwards, Zero would take Halt's place as her bodyguard.

For Leah, it didn't matter who was the bodyguard. It was just that the man who bound his freedom had changed.

"Come, help me bring those things over."

Sometimes the work of a bodyguard isn't just about protection. Sometimes it involves letting Leah do all the trifling things.

He took the item and made a special request.

"I want you to help me do another ability appraisal."

"Huh?"

Leah looked up. Today she was wearing flat glasses that added a touch of intellectual beauty to the beautiful girl.

Leah thought she'd misheard. "What did you say?"

Lia put down the words she was about to say and circled around Zero. "What, do you feel that something is wrong with your body?"

"A little."

Zero remembered last night's madness and the sudden appearance of power. He added, "But no matter what the result is, I hope you can keep it a secret for me."

"And if I tell you, will you kill me?"

Liya asked half-jokingly.

Zero shook his head and said seriously, "I will leave."

He had his own considerations.

Leah had pointed out a universally accepted rule when she mentioned Adepts.

That is, the survivors who did not experience the day of the Cataclysm, because the genes did not withstand the shock, are unlikely to have the ability and the point of evolution.

If he were to be able to do so, he would definitely be treated as a freak.

He didn't know much about this new era, but he did know that even in the old days, the emergence of new species meant capture and research.

He didn't like being a prey, and he didn't want to be a rat, which was why Lia kept it a secret.

Leah nodded, carefully locking the lab door behind her.

Even if someone were to suddenly appear, they would not discover the abnormality of zero at the first possible moment.

Lia, on the other hand, did not believe that Zero's body would change at all.

Because it's impossible.

Zero laid down on the platform and closed his eyes. He felt the platform slide into the machine and his heart raced.

In this era of chaos, of course, zero is hoping for greater power.

But at the same time, if there was a mutation, it would go against the laws that the world approved of.

That could only mean that the origin of Zero was even more mysterious and complex. Otherwise, how could there be a change in him, who had yet to experience the cataclysm?

Leia's fingers moved nimbly across the operating table, and as groups of commands entered, various lights began to flicker in the identification device.

With each flash of light, a set of data would be transported to the data center, where the data would be concentrated and then gathered to form a clear data display on the control panel.

When the screen flashed zero, she had to cover her mouth with her hand to stop herself from screaming.

However, the computer used an inorganic voice to report the data.

His physical stats had increased by 5% compared to before, which was negligible. What surprised Lia was the following stats: "Target ability: First-Order Strength Enhancement, First-Order Defense Enhancement."

"Evolution point data:"

As Zero came down from the platform, Leigh suddenly took his face in her hands and hugged him with a cry of joy.

Zero's head was covered by two bundles of software, and his nose was filled with the healthy scent of a teenage girl.

"Wonderful, zero."

First Order Strength Strengthening and Defense Strengthening, this was the ability of the Fighting Domain.

"There's also an extra point of evolution. You can naturally evolve a certain ability, or you can buy mature formula from a large company to catalyze the directional ability."

Lia let go of her weapon, tears welling up in her eyes. "That's great! We finally have an Adept at our base. I'm going to tell my grandfather right now."

Let go of Zero. Leah turned to leave, but was caught by Zero.

She slowly shook her head.

Leah remembered what she had promised Zero, and whispered, "I promise to tell Grandpa only that no one else will know."

"Only you and I will know."

Zero emphasized.

"Why?"

Leah didn't understand.

"I'm afraid of trouble," replied Zero.

Leah was a smart person, too, and what was the trouble with Zero?

Indeed, if the facts of zero were to be disclosed, the rules that the world would regard as iron laws would be overturned.

Who knew how many large corporations and organizations would take it back as a mutated species to study it? This was something they had no qualms about.

"Then aren't you afraid I'll tell them?"

Leah asked again.

"I don't know."

In Zero's mind, the image of the beautiful woman in the dream overlapped with the girl in front of him. He added, "But I believe in you."

Lia seemed to have an electric current running through her body. She trembled slightly and lowered her head. "This is our secret."

"Yes."

"Pull the hook?"

Leah made a boyish gesture with her tail finger.

Zero hesitated, but in the end he hooked Leigh with his pinky.

Leah laughed in satisfaction, then added worriedly, "But if you don't tell Grandpa, he won't ask the Parkland plutocrat for a mature formula."

"I don't know how long it will take for the evolution point to naturally form a new ability, and I don't know if the newly formed ability is stable or dangerous."

In the turbulent years, Adepts were inestimably valuable.

Even the average Adept was a target for small companies to recruit.

For safety reasons, many Adepts chose to use the formulas sold by their respective companies to produce a specific set of drugs.

The ability thus formed was stable and without danger.

Only a small number of combat madmen, or adepts who had no power to rely on, would take the risk of evolving into new powers.

The ability to not orient oneself could result in the emergence of a powerful battle domain ability, or it could also be a type of auxiliary ability that would cause people to be at a loss whether to laugh or cry.

So there's no need, no one will choose to let the evolution point change naturally.

When Leigh had given zero insight into it, the latter stubbornly shook her head.

Rather than transforming the first evolutionary point into directional power, Zero was more willing to let it transform naturally.

After all, the risk of exposing himself was too great. As for the formula, he believed that as long as he increased his strength, he would be able to obtain it from a large company in the future.

As for now, he did not need to take the risk for an evolutionary point.

Seeing that Zero had not agreed, Leah stopped insisting.

After the two of them had made the verbal agreement, Zero helped Lia with the division of medicine. It was almost noon when the base's radio rang.

On the radio, Old Jack's voice could be heard, "Everyone, come to the work area. I have something important to announce."

The broadcast was repeated three times, and even Leigh did not know what Old Jack was about to announce.

However, he still did as he was told and left the lab with Zero towards the work area.

As they walked through the passageway to the work area, they heard people passing by. From their whispers, the two could hear the occasional conversation.

It seemed to have something to do with a woman, and for some reason it reminded him of Rita.

When he reached the entrance to the mine in the work area, which was already crowded with people, Old Jack stood in the middle of a vacant lot. He was wearing the same clothes he had worn for ten thousand years.

To his surprise, Zoug was there, leading seven soldiers to maintain order.

Beside Old Jack, two people were kneeling down.

The one kneeling was a man in his thirties with a wretched appearance.

Zero recognized him. It was the white man Hans who had tried to molest him when he woke up.

This person seemed to have been beaten up. His entire face was swollen, and there were many bruises on his body. There were still traces of blood on the corner of his mouth; it was not light.

Next to Hans stood a tall woman in a white dress. Who else could it be other than Rita, who had wanted to get on good terms with LingLing last night?

When he reached the periphery of the crowd, he saw Zek, who had also reached him and was walking toward him.

"What's going on?"

Zero asked softly.

Lefty looked at him and smiled wryly. "Rita came to see you last night," he said.

Hearing this, Lia couldn't help but turn to Zero.

Rita's reputation had spread all over the base, and the men who wanted her could form a long line.

But Rita had never heard of anyone taking advantage of her, let alone bringing herself to her door.

Unconsciously, something appeared in Lia's eyes.

That sort of thing is called jealousy.

Lingcun did not feel anything and only nodded his head heavily.

"But you sent her out the door unmolested?"

Zek asked again.

Zero nodded again.

At this point, Leah relaxed a little.

Unexpectedly, however, Zoug forced a smile and said: "But you hurt her."

Zero raised his eyebrows and asked, "Why do you say that?"

Zuo Ge looked towards Hans and said, "Just last night, that bitch gave Rita to me."

Lingcun was startled. He finally understood what had happened.

He secretly clenched his fists, and a cold light shot out from his cold eyes.

He was angry.

"If Rita had only sullied him, then so be it, but that damned fellow is not clean. He's already infected with the virus." At this point, Zoug finally let out a heavy sigh.

Maybe zero didn't know what that meant, but Leigh did.

She couldn't help but cry out, knowing what fate would befall Rita.

A moment ago she had been jealous of this woman, but now Leah felt a deep sympathy for her.