Taking out the A-Class short-handled Tang Blade and removing the exoskeleton from his arm, Lin Qi slashed a cut across his own arm.

The wound was deep and painful, but Lin Qi had to test the upper limits of his new Ability.

His first Tier Two Ability, Rapid Growth, activated.

His Spiritual Power began to drain as the wound healed rapidly.

’Healing wounds is just the most basic application. If I’m not mistaken, this Ability seems capable of restoring a cell’s ability to differentiate, essentially reverting it to a stem-cell state. I can then direct its differentiation as it undergoes Rapid Growth.’

Directed differentiation meant giving any cell the ability to differentiate like a stem cell.

In other words, using cells from any part of the body to grow a specific human organ.

For example, growing an arm on his back, or growing another... down below.

He shook his head, banishing the strange thought.

The outcome of directed differentiation was under Lin Qi’s strict control. In other words, to create a functional organ, he would need a thorough understanding of human anatomy.

Otherwise, any arm or leg he grew without a corresponding nervous system to control it would be nothing more than a useless ornament.

Additionally, his intuition told him that this Ability, much like Blood Manipulation, could be used on others within range of his Spiritual Vision.

’Come to think of it, with a versatile framework like Spiritual Vision, the Rapid Growth Ability could also be used in some seriously underhanded ways.’

’On second thought, it’s not that my Abilities are inherently sinister. It’s that they always seem to have some kind of bizarre chemical reaction with Spiritual Vision.’

Lin Qi dismissed his earlier conclusion that this Ability was useless as a few strange scenarios began to play out in his mind.

For example, if some Implanter tried to attack him, he could just hit them with Rapid Growth and direct their oral epithelial cells to differentiate into... a penis.

Not fatal, but definitely disgusting.

Lin Qi felt like he was slowly developing into the bane of all Implanters.

Extraordinary Professionals might have ways to counter a Wizard’s strange Abilities, but Pure Prosthetic Implanters would have almost no specific countermeasures against them.

He mulled over his current set of Abilities for a moment, then checked the time.

Less than an hour remained until the Door’s cooldown finished.

He changed his clothes and used the remaining time to continue his Meditation.

Even just one hour was worth nearly a full day’s effort in the Cyber World.

Lin Qi felt that, as long as he didn’t run out of Extraordinary Items, it would only take him a month to complete the full Spiritual Power growth for a Tier Two Wizard.

The environment of the Doomsday World was simply heaven for Extraordinary Professionals.

He remained immersed in Meditation until his consciousness was plunged into the darkness of traveling through the Door, at which point he finally came to.

By the time he had fully recovered, Lin Qi was already back in the Cyber World.

His Spiritual Power had grown a bit more, and the range of his Spiritual Vision now reached 303 meters.

HUUUH.

Exhaling deeply, Lin Qi fell back onto his apartment bed.

Starting tonight, the hunt against the Round Table Conference would begin. He had to rest up and be in peak condition.

...

The night passed. By the time Lin Qi left his apartment, it was already nine in the morning.

Today, Lin Qi didn’t head to the outskirts of Greenfield City to further investigate the details of the Iron Curtain Void.

He had already anchored its general location, and it was likely guarded by gang members.

Visiting the periphery too often might expose him to anyone watching.

Lin Qi took public rail transit straight to the company.

At 9:59, Lin Qi walked through the company’s main entrance, making his usual last-minute clock-in.

After clocking in, Lin Qi subconsciously looked toward the elevators.

Normally, the sisters Liu Xuan and Liu Li would always be there to stage a ’chance’ encounter with him.

Having not seen Liu Xuan and Liu Li for two days straight, Lin Qi felt like his work life was missing something.

He headed straight for the elevators and rode one to the Pharmaceutical Department on the thirteenth floor.

Just as the elevator doors opened, a familiar figure appeared before his eyes.

It was not Liu Xuan, but the head of the Pharmaceutical Department, Liu Weicai.

When Liu Weicai saw Lin Qi, he looked confused for a moment, then asked in surprise, "What are you still doing here?"

’What does he mean, "still here"?’

’Am I not supposed to be here?’

’Did the company fire me already?’

Before Lin Qi could reply, Liu Weicai entered the elevator and pressed the button for the top floor.

"Today is the inaugural address for the branch’s new Executive President. All A-Class and higher personnel must attend. The company sent out an email via the Intelligent Brain last night. Don’t tell me you didn’t see it?"

As the elevator began its ascent, Liu Weicai continued to prattle on.

Normally, Liu Weicai would never chat so freely with a subordinate.

But perhaps it was the Talent for Pharmacy Lin Qi had displayed over the past few days that made Liu Weicai value him more. Plus, given Liu Weicai’s position, he was also aware that Lin Qi had an extraordinary relationship with a member of the Liu Clan, making him a "talented individual with connections."

For this reason, Liu Weicai had gradually started to see Lin Qi as one of his own.

Liu Weicai kept chattering, oblivious to the strange glint in Lin Qi’s eyes.

’The new Executive President’s inaugural address?’

’All A-Class and higher personnel have to attend?’

’The company sent an email?’

Lin Qi was certain he hadn’t received any email.

’A bug?’

’Or a coincidence?’

Suspicion flickered in Lin Qi’s eyes.

’The company’s system is flawless!’

’If I didn’t get the email, someone must have intervened.’

’Who would intervene?’

’Guang Ling?’

’No, Guang Ling would never interfere so openly in the personal lives of Mercenary Corps members.’ 𝒻𝘳𝘦𝘦𝘸ℯ𝒷𝘯𝘰𝑣ℯ𝑙.𝘤𝑜𝘮

Guang Ling always maintained the persona of someone who knew nothing about the members’ true identities.

’Then who else would do something like this?’

’Specifically block an email meant for me?’

A name appeared in Lin Qi’s mind.

Liu Xuan!

Barring the involvement of a cyber hacker, this kind of differential treatment had to have been done using company permissions.

The only person with High Level permissions who would treat him this way could only be Liu Xuan.

"Director, do you know who the new Executive President is?" Lin Qi asked.

’Could it be that Liu Xuan is stepping into the spotlight? Is that why she deliberately kept me from attending and didn’t tell me?’

Liu Weicai gave Lin Qi a strange look. "The email stated it clearly. It’s Liu Yue, one of the younger generation of our Liu Clan. You really didn’t read the email."

Liu Weicai just assumed Lin Qi was using his connections as an excuse to block work emails; he never imagined that Lin Qi was the only person of A-Class or higher who hadn’t received it.

Liu Weicai didn’t notice that when he said the name "Liu Yue," Lin Qi’s pupils seemed to tremble as if from an earthquake.

’Liu Yue!’

Lin Qi knew their role all too well.

A member of the Liu Clan, the current Liu Clan heir’s... sacrificial lamb. A decoy!

And a decoy taking the stage could only mean one thing: the assassin’s bullet was already waiting.