Seven died, six survived—but not a single one had become an ability user.Previously, the Hope Camp had left these test subjects to their own devices, with a survival rate of just ten percent. Now? Nearly fifty percent had made it through.Ray allowed himself a small, satisfied smile. His "surgery" had clearly worked."I really can intervene in human evolution," he murmured to himself. "Today was only my second attempt, and I've already boosted the survival rate from ten percent to nearly fifty. A little more practice… maybe I could raise it to eighty, ninety… even a hundred percent?"If he could hit one hundred percent, then even if Molly and the others didn't become ability users, at least they wouldn't die."Tomorrow, we continue."Ray left and returned home, just in time for lunch.In the afternoon, he glanced at the clock. There was still time—no sense sitting around doing nothing. The Hope Camp's immediate crisis had been neutralized, so it was back to the usual routine.

"Y-Yes," the young man stammered. "Her name is Jess. She's one of my university's top campus beauties!"There was another girl who was even more beautiful, but she didn't have Jess's feminine, manipulative charm that could drive men crazy.Seeing the tall man glare at him impatiently, the young man suddenly realized something and turned to Jess. "I'm Jamie Kalder!"Honestly furious, he thought, 'I gave you all those gifts, and you can't even remember my name?'Then he added, pointing at the towering figure beside him, "And this is our lead… Lucien Loach!"Jess gave a playful "Oh?" and let her eyes flirt coquettishly. "Jamie! I remember you!"Jamie's family ran a lighting business, pulling in twenty to thirty million dollars a year. No wonder he could spend thousands on her in just a few months.Jamie burned with anger inside, but he couldn't let it show, not with Jess's charm radiating like this. And he didn't dare, not with Lucien standing right there.It was obvious Lucien wa

But the moment Lucien charged up to Ray, a violent shudder suddenly rippled through his mind.Danger! Danger! Danger!He roared and stomped down hard. The solid floor tiles shattered under his feet, and both legs sank deep into the ground, forcibly halting his rushing momentum."So you have abilities too," Lucien said.Otherwise, how could Ray—standing there unarmed—trigger such an intense sense of danger?"But what kind of ability do you have?" Lucien asked with sharp curiosity. "Why do I feel threatened when you're just standing there doing nothing?"Ray laughed. "You look like a brute, but you're smarter than you seem."Of course, he had no intention of explaining his powers—even if Lucien was about to die in the next second.Why waste the breath?Lucien's eyes flickered. Suddenly, he let out a shout and spun around, lunging straight for Jess.If Ray made him feel dangerous, then what about Jess? She was clearly a soft, delicate woman.If he took her hostage, even if he c

That was something Ray could only envy.Ray continued questioning them, deliberately having different people answer. Gradually, he formed a fairly complete picture of the faction controlling the underground space of Senna Bay.They were numerous.There were nine ability users—well, eight now. Their leader was named Chester Rath, and his ability was extremely peculiar: he could merge with the earth itself, transforming into a gigantic stone man six or seven meters tall. With a single charge, he could demolish an entire villa, and he was immune to bullets and bladed weapons.Ray was certain this ability came with harsh limitations. Otherwise, it would be far too overpowered.Even so, a six- or seven-meter-tall stone giant with invulnerable skin and immense strength was difficult enough to deal with.Chester also had a deputy named Corey Callahan. His ability was harder to define—he could use the faintest vibrations in the air to outline a target. After all, when someone approached,

Ray only needed to worry about his own patch of ground.Ray had checked the Senna Bay underground mall map carefully. This commercial complex wasn't far from Bay Garden—just over twenty kilometers. No wonder he had run into it while collecting fuel.Should he make a trip there?From the perspective of increasing his strength, every ability user was prey. But if he did that indiscriminately… wouldn't the whole world become his enemy?And more importantly, why strengthen himself?It wasn't to dominate or impress others. The goal was simple: to live freely without anyone bothering him. To pursue power for the sake of power alone was against his principles.'Fine. Stay out of my way, and I won't bother you,' he thought.There was another concern: based on the intel he had so far, this faction wasn't weak. Some of its members could sense intruders. Trying to trap them would be extremely difficult. Ray never fought battles without absolute confidence.Even if he decided to move again