Chapter 120: Disbelief

The news anchor’s voice was steady and practiced.

“Two days ago, there was an attack on District Seven of Sector 516, located in the lower regions of the Outer Zone. It was during this attack that Adam lost his life while attempting to defend his district… and his sector.”

The camera shifted.

A woman appeared on screen, her lips pressed together. For a fraction of a second, the professional mask cracked. Pain passed across her face before she spoke again.

“Adam had been a rising star. His prospects were high. His future bright. Not only did he single-handedly take down a mutant rift while still not in the official ranks, he was also the major contributor to the only sector, out of the one hundred trapped within barriers, that successfully disabled their own.”

Her voice wavered, just slightly.

“That is why his passing pains not just us… but all those he saved.”

The broadcast cut to a different angle.

“Here with us is the manager of the Mission Hall of Sector 516, Mr. Charles.”

The camera settled on Charles.

His face was hollow, eyes sunken, stubble creeping along his jaw like he hadn’t slept in days. His shoulders sagged under a weight that couldn’t be measured.

“Mr. Charles,” the reporter said gently, “what do you have to say about Adam’s death?”

Charles’s hands clenched so tightly his knuckles went white.

“It’s our fault,” he said, voice rough. “If we were more competent, it wouldn’t have happened.”

The reporter hesitated.

“But the one responsible was a Profound Lord. No offense, Mr. Charles, but there would have been nothing you could have done.”

Charles lifted his head then, eyes burning.

“If we couldn’t do anything,” he said slowly, “we could have at least acted as diversions. Adam didn’t deserve to die.”

Silence filled the studio.

After a moment, the reporter spoke again, softer now.

“May the Four Gods accept his soul.”

The screen lingered, the weight of the words hanging heavy.

Then…

“Thanks to Mr. Charles, we were able to obtain footage of the battle that took Mr. Adam’s life—”

Click.

The TV went black.

Remedy stood by the bed, remote still in her hand. She turned toward Adam, towel long discarded, her expression cautious but satisfied.

“See?” she said quietly. “It worked after all.”

Adam lay there, wrapped in bandages from head to toe, unmoving. His body throbbed, pain pulsing in dull waves, but his eyes were sharp, fixed on the dark screen.

I can’t believe it actually worked.

The world thought he was dead.

Adam lay still, breath shallow, as his mind replayed how the whole plan had come together.

It had started in the cemetery, right before he faced the Profound Lord. Remedy had handed him two things that night.

A bomb.

And a ring.

The bomb was meant to injure, take the Profound Lord’s life. The ring, however, was the real lynchpin. A swap-type armament designed to replace Adam with a corpse the instant certain conditions were met.

A corpse completely identical to him.

Adam still didn’t know how Remedy had pulled that part off. Procuring a body was one thing, creating an exact match down to bone structure, aura residue, even residual essence patterns was another entirely.

Even now, thinking about it made his skin prickle.

She’s way too resourceful… and she’s definitely hiding a lot.

As if summoned by the thought, Remedy’s voice cut in casually from the side.

“It’s a shame, though,” she said, “that the bomb didn’t take him out as well.”

Adam’s eyes widened.

Pain flared as his body instinctively tried and failed to react. He couldn’t speak, couldn’t even manage a grunt, so Remedy continued like she’d already read his thoughts.

“It seems he has a reawakened special talent as well,” she explained, tone flat. “One that prevents him from dying outright.”

That stopped Adam cold.

A reawakened… talent?

He’d known the man had a special talent, Remedy had warned him before the fight, but reawakened?

Adam himself had only just reawakened his own talent recently.

And now… he’d already encountered two people with reawakened special talents.

The realization pressed down on him, but he cut the line of thought almost immediately.

No. His case has to be different.

Almost immediately, Remedy nodded, as if answering him.

“Yours is different,” she said. “Those family bastards have their methods.”

Her lips curled faintly.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if they’ve driven countless people to the brink of death just to force a reawakening.”

She exhaled softly.

​”I can’t even imagine how many people died attempting a procedure with a one-in-ten-million success rate.”

​Adam was fully aware of the odds; Remedy had laid out the risks to him. Yet, hearing them aloud again made him second-guess every choice that had led him here.

​Remedy noticed his expression immediately, as she leaned forward, catching his gaze until he blinked.

​”But you’re Adam,” she said softly. “Probability doesn’t matter when you’re involved.”

Adam activated [Connect] instinctively, but when he focused, really looked at her with his [Connect] perception, he felt it.

No deceit or ill intent, but that was when he recalled the features he had gotten after he re-awakened Equip.

I got two new special talents from reawakening Equip.

At his mental call, the familiar interface unfolded before his eyes.

╭───────────╮

〖Name: Adam〗

〖Rank: Profound Apprentice〗

〖Cultivation Talent: G〗

〖Special Talent: Equip ❖ Connect ❖

Analyze ❖ Fuse〗

〖Affinity: Wind ❖ Death〗

〖SLOT〗

↳ SOUL (5): Rapid E ❖ Petrification F ❖

Cultivation D ❖ Freeze F ❖

Mind Control E

↳ BODY (6): Empty

╰───────────╯

Star Power: 24+

Existence: 3830

Martial Spirit: Profound 3-Star

Adam stared at it.

Nothing else had changed.

Only his Special Talent told the story, two new items sat quietly beside Equip and Connect, as if they had always belonged there.

He focused and the information flowed naturally.

[Fuse]: The wielder is able to fuse compatible items within the slot.

[Analyze]: The wielder is able to see the panel of others.

Adam’s heartbeat quickened.

Analyze first.

Better to save the best for last.

He then shifted his focus toward the only other presence in the room.

Remedy.

She stood by the small kitchenette beside the wall where the TV was mounted, back turned to him, calmly cooking. The clink of metal against metal, the quiet sizzle of heat, mundane sounds felt surreal given everything he knew.

Alright… let’s see what you’re hiding.

He activated Analyze.

The world jerked and a panel slammed into his vision.

And in that instant…

Adam wasn’t just shocked.

He was terrified.

His breath hitched.

His pupils shrank.

Cold flooded his veins as his mind screamed a single, disbelieving thought:

What the hell is she?

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