Bruce Ainsworth

Lucius was taken to a room where he changed into a black jumpsuit filled with sensory pods on all joints. From there they took an elevator which led to a narrow corridor, strangely with a man standing at the far end. 

It was a man in his early thirties dressed in a white lab coat which complimented his spiky white hair and silver pupils. As they approached, Lucius was stunned to see the man had sickly pale skin, but outwardly he seemed perfectly fine. The man's eyes traced his movements from the moment they stepped out of the elevator.

[This man is dangerous…] The voice said, which made Lucius frown.

From Sergeant Skull, who turned out to be a powerless human, he could sense a threatening presence and concluded that he was probably good at fighting, but from this man, he felt nothing at all. It felt like he was looking at a civilian with no skill or abilities, yet this was the guy the voice chose to warn him against.

"I didn't think you would actually come, Master Ainsworth." Sergeant Skull wore a meek attitude as he slightly bowed while extending his hand, but the man ignored his gesture.

The sergeant could only laugh awkwardly and withdraw his hand with an embarrassed smile.

"Doctor Bruce…" The receptionist bowed as well.

"You told me you found someone promising, so I am giving up my lunch break to evaluate him personally." Bruce Ainsworth never took his eyes off Lucius.

The receptionist noticed Lucius' nonchalant attitude in the presence of the doctor and was quickly enraged.

"In the presence of a member of the big four families, you bow, you wretched slave!" He growled as he reached for Lucius in an attempt to force him to bow.

Pa!

Lucius caught his hand without looking in his direction. His gaze was pinned on Ainsworth and both stared each other down in silence.

"If you ever lay your hands on me… I will kill you." Lucius said blankly and squeezed.

Crack!

"Aaah!' The receptionist screamed as his palm was crushed so effortlessly under the grip of the little boy.

He fell on a knee while looking at his disfigured fingers. Tears ran down his eyes, but he dared not make more uncomfortable noises in the presence of Doctor Bruce.

Sergeant Skull paled in shock at Lucius' action and planned to intervene, but Bruce Ainsworth signaled him to stop. 

"I like him." A small smile played on his lips as he stretched out his hand to the sergeant as if he were requesting something. 

The sergeant quickly understood what he wanted and pulled out his mobile phone. He played the video recording of Lucius's fight with the beast before handing it over to Bruce.

Bruce Ainsworth watched the video with a slight look of surprise in his eyes, occasionally glancing in Lucius's direction.

"What do you think?" Sergeant Skull asked nervously as the doctor handed the phone back to him.

"He is pretty decent like you said… I would like to test him now and decide on the appropriate potential grading." Bruce Ainsworth said before turning around and opening the door behind him

They walked into a large white room with only a center table with different spherical materials placed on it.

"What is this?" Sergeant Skull was confused.

He expected some physical tests to take place before an ability test. At least, that was the usual procedure.

"The video alone is enough to determine he has the physical prowess, is B rated at best... Without any other ability, he has the potential to become a B-rated guardian." Doctor Bruce said in an annoyed tone. "What I'm more interested in is his ability… I believe there is more to it."

"B-rated with just his physicality alone?" Sergeant Skull's face brightened up with a sheepish smile.

Lucius had already met his expectations without his ability to get evaluated. Doesn't that mean this child would surpass his expectations?

"What do you want to know exactly?" Lucius ignored the daydreaming sergeant and walked towards the table with Doctor Bruce.

"How you gained such amazing strength and durability to the point where it can be considered an ability." Doctor Bruce shot Lucius a strange smile, but he remained unfazed.

"So, what do you think could be the reason for that?" Lucius asked blankly.

'This kid has a nerve of steel' Doctor Bruce mentally smiled. 

As someone who is always around people trying to curry favor, it is a welcome development to see someone who doesn't give two fucks about him.

"I suspect it has something to do with your matter absorption ability." He said.

"It is not matter absorption, it is called the Hand of God." Lucius corrected him, leaving the man with a slightly stunned expression.

"Tell me more about this hand of God you speak of." Doctor Bruce was intrigued.

"I can absorb matter…" Lucius said as he picked up a steel ball on the table and absorbed it just enough to cover his hand.

"And… I can absorb the very thing that runs this society." Lucius said as he let the metal coating his hand crumble before picking up the Aether-Crystal on the table.

Sergeant Skull and Doctor Bruce watched him with looks of genuine shock as his veins lit up with bright blue energy, flowing into his body.

"This…" Doctor Bruce muttered.

"Yes. I can safely harness the power of the Aether crystals, but too much of it will only cause a backlash." Lucius spoke based on the description of the ability given to him by the voice. "But you already suspected this, right?"

He didn't want the doctor to look deep into the source of his strength, which was obviously from his fusion with the Xenovian royalty. It would only lead to more questions and may eventually cost him his life, that's why he chose to throw this man off with half-truths.

"You have been working in the mine now and received abundant exposure to Aether crystals." Doctor Bruce's face lit up with excitement.

"This means all this time he had been secretly growing his strength while working. That explains the ridiculous strength that doesn't match his power in any way!" Sergeant Skull was stunned.