In the parking lot, the two of them got into a black Cadillac one after the other.
"Mr. Thompson, the dean rarely gets personally involved in freshman affairs." Borden looked at Wade through the rearview mirror and said, "Especially... an applicant with a special background like yours. She made an exception for you; it had better be worth it."
Wade was leaning against the car window looking at the scenery, and he turned his head to respond, "Is that so? I'll keep that in mind."
Borden seemed to want to find some other emotion on his face, but in the end, he only saw a weariness that met expectations, typical of someone who had just finished a major exam.
He withdrew his gaze and said no more.
The sedan drove away from the bustling Godolkin University. The street scene outside the window gradually shifted from prosperous to desolate, eventually reaching the outskirts.
At the end of his vision was a cluster of red and white buildings, surrounded by tall barbed wire, looking very much like a modern concentration camp.
Wade withdrew his gaze, recalling the carefree smiling faces of those students at Godolkin University. Ripples rose in his heart; that air called 'freedom' he had just tasted was incredibly nostalgic at this moment.
Before long, the car stopped in front of that familiar sensor gate.
The cameras on the high wall adjusted their angles in unison, focusing on this visiting vehicle.
"We're here, Mr. Thompson." Borden turned his head, revealing a polite smile.
Wade opened the car door and waved goodbye reservedly. "Thank you, Mr. Borden. And please thank 'Ms. Shetty' for me again."
Behind him, the sedan turned around and drove away without lingering.
Wade stood before the iron gate, lifted his head, and allowed the camera to scan his face.
"Identity confirmed: Wade Thompson. Welcome back to the Red River Institute."
A cold electronic voice sounded, and the side door slid open. He stepped inside, and the door behind him closed heavily, completely isolating him from the outside world.
In an instant, all sound was sucked away, leaving only his own footsteps. His neck and shoulder muscles tightened involuntarily, as if the air here were several degrees heavier than outside.
He walked down the hallway toward the dormitory as usual, intending to continue interacting with his roommates to take the opportunity to absorb more superpower samples.
Several teenagers wearing gray-and-white striped uniforms walked in the courtyard. They rarely communicated with each other, and their eyes were mostly numb.
"Wade!" A crisp voice broke the dullness.
Wade stopped his footsteps and found it was Marie Moreau, the Black girl from the neighboring dormitory.
She held onto the fence and waved, asking curiously, "How was the entrance exam? Was it hard?"
Wade stepped forward and naturally grabbed her hand. "The written test wasn't hard, but you have to perform brilliantly in the superpower test and the interview, otherwise you'll likely be rejected."
Over the past month, he had used this strange hobby of 'palm reading' to come into contact with countless people. Everyone took it as his way of venting stress.
In this place, every child had some psychological trauma, and there were plenty of quirks even stranger than this.
"Again? Haven't you had enough of this Eastern occult palm reading yet?" Marie said this, but she didn't pull her hand back.
Wade's fingertips rubbed a scar on her palm that had just healed. His tone was flat. "The lifeline and career line show that you might have big problems with interpersonal relationships after you grow up. If you're not careful with your friends, there's even a life-threatening danger."
[Ability: Blood Manipulation (Basic Level)]
[Genetic Sequence Analysis 90%... 100%! Recorded into the database]
A faint warmth flowed into his body through his fingertips.
"Tch! Who are you kidding... I don't even have enough friends to fill one hand." A drop of blood oozing from Marie's palm squirmed like a living thing and retracted beneath her skin. She held up her book and said, "Those little brats are always bothering me while I'm reading... I really should stay away from them."
Wade looked at the courtyard and let go of her hand. "But your academics aren't bad... as long as you keep working hard, getting into Godolkin University won't be a problem."
Marie immediately beamed. "Really? If you're wrong, I won't let you off!"
At that moment, a staff member carrying an electronic tablet walked toward them and interrupted coldly, "Wade Thompson! Your surveillance level has been raised to the highest tier... Follow me now. You are not to leave the independent living area without special circumstances."
Wade nodded in agreement and turned to wave at Marie. "Goodbye, let's talk next time."
"Goodbye..." Marie's smile faded, and she looked at his back with envy.
She lowered her head to continue reading, softly encouraging herself, "It'll be my turn in a year. Keep it up."
Wade was taken to a row of quieter small rooms, numbered 004.
The staff member swiped open one of the doors. "Stay here for now. Meals will be delivered on time. If you need anything, press the call button to apply."
"Understood." Wade walked into the room.
The interior furnishings were simple to the point of being crude: a bed, a table, a chair, and a tiny bathroom.
There were no extra decorations, only gray and white.
The heavy alloy door closed behind him, the sound of the latch clicking clearly audible.
Wade looked up, glancing at the slightly flickering camera in the corner of the ceiling.
He slowly walked to the bed and sat down, leaning his back against the cold bedframe. Only then did he shed all his disguises.
The vastness and freedom of Godolkin University formed a huge contrast with the reinforced concrete cage before him.
'How is this any different from being in prison?'
He closed his eyes, silently sensing the superpower genes he had quietly collected through 'palm reading' over the past month.
[Fusible 'Basic Level' Superpower Genetic Maps:]
[Blood Manipulation, Levitation, Insect Manipulation,]
[Phantom Generation, Flame Sneeze, Glowing Thumb,]
[Gigantism Ears, Odor Creation, Frosty Beef]
"Heh... ugh... hehe!" Wade covered his mouth and started chuckling, his shoulders shaking slightly.
In this Red River Institute, where were all the high-and-mighty superhumans? Most were just 'defective products' with strange abilities, obvious flaws, and could even be called ridiculous.
Just like the original owner of this body, who initially could only manipulate weak air currents in his nasal cavity. He was abandoned by his cold-blooded parents as a useless object, which led to him being 'contained' by Red River.
The original owner was quite a ruthless character. He spent five or six years tempering this weak ability until it could cover his entire body, which could be called exceptionally gifted.
Unfortunately, long-term overloading—even running the ability while sleeping—eventually led to mental and physical exhaustion and death, which ended up benefiting Wade.
He lamented silently in his heart, 'Combining work and rest is the way to longevity.'
His consciousness shifted, and he chose to fuse the three superpowers: [Blood Manipulation], [Levitation], and [Insect Manipulation]. These didn't conflict with his own Gas Manipulation ability and had the most potential and growth.
The other abilities that seemed completely useless or even like white elephants were temporarily set aside; perhaps he would find a special use for them in the future.
The fusion began. Three unfamiliar energies, like runaway horses, charged up his spine to his brain, crashing through his neural pathways.
A burning sensation of flow permeated his blood vessels, and he could clearly perceive the direction of the flow everywhere. His toes involuntarily left the ground by 1 centimeter, and the hem of his clothes floated up slightly with the weak air current. A fine itch came from the skin behind his ears, and he could clearly hear the buzzing wings of flying insects.
He quickly pulled up the quilt and wrapped his body completely. Various sensations surged and intertwined, attempting to break through the physical constraints.
Wade gritted his teeth, using his willpower to forcibly twist them into a single strand, temporarily suppressing them one by one.
He leaned quietly against the bedframe, his breathing slightly rapid. A brand-new mixed power was quietly growing within his body.
In the darkness, the corners of Wade's mouth curled up uncontrollably.
'Three days. Just hold on a bit longer...'
Godolkin University was no longer out of reach. It was merely a dazzling hunting ground for superpower genes that was about to open up to him.
'The hunting season is about to begin... and I will join the hunt!'
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