You Are Light

Frode knocked on a door, slowly walked in, and closed the door behind him.

Inside the room, two oil lamps cast long shadows of a slender figure. The man had a thin face, a full forehead, and slightly narrow eyes that were very calm. He had a pile of documents in front of him and was flipping through a thick book. He didn't stop even when Frode approached him.

As Frode hesitated whether to speak, the slender man gestured for Frode to sit down and said softly, "Frode, wait for me a moment!"

Frode quietly sat on a chair and watched their leader, who continued to flip through the book.

After an indeterminate amount of time, the slender man let out a long breath, closed the book, and murmured, "Almost done!"

He pushed the book forward, turned around, and asked, "What's the situation tonight, Frode?"

Frode replied seriously, "It failed, Chief An."

Chief An, although not appearing very intimidating, commanded great respect and fear from Frode, perhaps a blend of reverence and dread.

An nodded, unconcerned, and said, "No matter, it's not the main issue."

He then noticed Frode's arm and asked, "What happened to your arm?"

Frode moved his arm a bit and replied, "It will heal soon, no big deal."

An leaned back comfortably in his chair and said, "You cut yourself, didn't you? There aren't many people in Temple Forest City who could make you do that."

Frode nodded, "I encountered a very short weirdo and an [extended armor person] wrapped entirely in darkness. The short guy seemed ordinary but could easily pierce through my shell, giving me a very strange feeling."

An became serious, frowning, and asked, "Do you know which sequence he belongs to?"

Frode shook his head, "No idea."

Then he speculated, "Could it be a Level 4 mutant [Night Demon] from the [Night Stalker] sequence?"

An said slowly, "It's possible!"

Frode hesitated, "But we don't have [Night Demons] in Temple Forest City..."

An scratched his forehead lightly with a sharp fingernail, "It might not be from Temple Forest City; it could have come from somewhere else."

Frode became worried. The more high-level mutants there were, the more dangerous it was for someone like him, a mere Level 2.

But there was no choice. Small towns like Temple Forest City were the best refuge for Level 4 mutants who had completely failed in the big cities.

An murmured, "Frode, don't worry. Let the city descend into chaos. The appearance of the [Night Demon] is insignificant; it might even work to our advantage. Soon, 'Heaven's Gate' and 'Divine Light' will clash, and we can profit from their conflict. Just wait!"

Then he turned seriously to Frode, "Frode, once we succeed in advancing, I'll take you out of here to a bigger city to see the true beauty of the world."

Frode believed in An's words because An was the one who gave him hope.

Frode asked, "What should I do next?"

An traced his forehead with his finger and slowly said, "I've identified the positions of Heaven's Gate and Divine Light and found out their identities, meaning I have their weaknesses."

He pulled out two scrolls from the side and unrolled them, revealing the portraits of a girl and a boy, with their identities and usual locations detailed below.

An took out two different badges, "You and Yi Yi go and assassinate these two. Each of you picks one target. But remember, the first attempt should fail, and leave this fake badge behind. The second attempt must be a fatal strike, and then leave immediately!" Frode understood An's instructions and took the portraits and badges.

...

Su Hao kept a close eye on Yashan, who was lying beside him, observing his changes. Periodically, he would use a small knife to prick Yashan's arm, collecting blood in a bottle.

Yashan seemed oblivious to this and remained in a deep sleep.

Soon, Yashan's body began to change. His scales gradually receded, his body shrunk, becoming an ordinary person.

Next, his skin started to darken, turning black.

Seizing the opportunity, Su Hao pricked him again, collecting another blood sample. At this crucial moment, his frequency of blood collection increased to nearly one every ten seconds.

To Su Hao's astonishment, as Yashan's body darkened, the wounds he inflicted healed immediately, indicating Yashan had a strong regenerative ability.

Soon, the color on Yashan's surface began to fade, returning to normal. Within a minute, his body darkened again, transitioning back to his armored form, his body expanding like a balloon, becoming larger and more robust.

"Amazing life, incredible changes, how is all this happening..." Su Hao watched the entire process, filled with curiosity and more questions.

His heartbeat quickened, excitement building, "Everything in the world follows an inherent logic; it doesn't appear or disappear without reason. What is the principle behind these changes?"

Understanding the underlying laws of human evolution and transformation would mean everything to him. It would not only allow him to control the ultimate power of this world but also uncover the mysteries of life in the universe.

While contemplating, Su Hao's hands didn't slow. Soon, only one bottle was left. Yashan's evolution was nearing its end.

He reverted to a normal human form, wearing only shorts.

Minutes later, Yashan began to wake up, excitement evident in his eyes.

"Boss Wei, I did it!" He jumped up, flexing his fist, his body quickly darkening and growing robust, transforming into a tall, armored man. Even his face was covered with a thick shell, resembling a mask, making it impossible to distinguish his features. Noticing the neatly arranged bottles at his feet, Yashan asked curiously, "Boss Wei, where did you get all these bottles? What are they for?"

Su Hao waved dismissively, "Nothing important. Overall, how do you feel?"

Yashan leaped up, "Fantastic! This is the [Rampager]. I've never felt so full of life. I feel invincible now. Though I'm a bit weak overall, having consumed much energy."

Su Hao said, "I'm not asking if you're happy; I want to know what abilities you've gained. Tell me everything."

Yashan laughed, "My scales have completely evolved into this armor, like wearing a thick suit of armor, impervious to knives and guns. The thickest part is about this thick..."

Yashan demonstrated with his hands, which Su Hao estimated to be around five centimeters.

Five centimeters of armor...

Su Hao handed over the last empty bottle, "Here, fill this up!"

Yashan instinctively reached out, suddenly remembering something, and glanced at the neat row of bottles on the ground.

Yashan: "..."

Is this what Boss Wei meant by experimental subject?

Just as he was about to find a spot to draw blood, Boss Wei helpfully handed him a short knife.

The knife's tip still had some fresh blood on it, making Yashan feel a sudden fear, wondering what he had gone through while unconscious.

Reaching for the knife, Yashan was surprised when Su Hao retracted it, saying, "I'll do it myself to test the strength of your armor."

Yashan recalled another [Rampager] having a hole pierced in his back by Su Hao and swallowed nervously, "Boss Wei, please be gentle!"