Chapter 451: The Potion that Awakens Aberrant Arts

Although Ying Duo's rigid body gives him some inconvenience, it certainly has more benefits.

Compared with the confinement room, the corridor lights are rather glaring.

Ying Duo's golden eyes narrowed slightly, matching Fang Zhiyan's unhurried pace; red marks from shackles still lingered in circles on his wrists.

"What does the Field Operations Department want?"

Ying Duo fell half a step behind Fang Zhiyan, his Ying Guang Lu fragmented hair sticking out from the hood's edge; he slightly interfered with the surveillance, and if anyone were nearby, Fang Zhiyan could sense it.

But clearly no one would run here at this time, colliding with the Mutation Department's barrel.

"My experimental product."

Fang Zhiyan casually tucked both hands into the pockets of his white coat, as if describing something inconsequential.

"A potion that gives ordinary people a chance to awaken Aberrant Arts, and even if they don't awaken, surviving it lets them manipulate energy."

Ying Duo tilted his head at the words; he had thought Fang Zhiyan, to rescue him, might have made a big concession to the Field Operations Department, but hadn't expected it to be this.

If ordinary people can awaken Aberrant Arts, wouldn't the Special Ability Practitioners once revered by the world instantly become worthless?

"Not as good as you think," Fang Zhiyan chuckled lightly; this potion, hailed as a miracle by outsiders, was merely a failed experiment in his eyes.

"The awakening success rate is low; previously I made a semi‑finished product, gave it to them, and they mass‑processed it for use. This time, for you, I handed over all its data without reservation."

That wasn't good news.

When dealing with the Field Operations Department, Yang Yixie felt the number of Special Ability Practitioners there had increased.

Although Tianmian City's Special Ability Practitioners outnumbered those here by several folds, Ying Duo knew that Mitra Academy's practitioners also rushed to Tianmian City, many benefiting from the Church's long‑standing reputation bonus.

No wonder the Field Operations Department specifically forms large numbers of well‑trained ordinary troops; if this potion were mass‑produced with a guaranteed success rate…

Ying Duo fell silent; Yang Yixie processed the information, his mind racing, yet his face showed no expression, only his golden eyes flickered faintly in the light.

"Did I inject that potion?"

Fang Zhiyan nodded, passed identity verification to open the elevator at the corridor's end, and stepped aside to let Ying Duo enter first.

"When you first arrived in Tianmian City, you were placed there as an undercover by the diplomatic—more accurately, Intelligence—Department."

"Of course, Bai Mu Yun gave you two options; being of suitable age, you chose to inject the potion yourself."

According to the records, when Yang Yixie took the potion from Bai Mu Yun, it was the night before the player's arrival.

The previous Yang Yixie may not have had time to dispose of the used syringes, simply because he was replaced by the current Yang Yixie.

Thus, it's no surprise that Ying Duo, having investigated the hotel he temporarily stayed in, knows this.

Fang Zhiyan merely informed him of experiences he might not have known.

They both knew what happened next; Ying Duo's hair became the Mutation Source, and Fang Zhiyan used that as an excuse to bring him over from the Intelligence Department.

"I was in the Intelligence Department before?"

Ying Duo was somewhat surprised; the Dome's Intelligence Department is publicly called the diplomatic department, yet beyond its overt dealings with nobles and commoners, it employs many unsavory covert methods.

The key is that Yang Yichen is also in the diplomatic department.

Too many coincidences cease to be coincidences; Yang Yixie began pondering the underlying connections.

Why would his counterpart leave Yang Yichen alone at the Dome Headquarters while he took a mission far away to Tianmian City as an undercover?

"Han Huan added an extra request."

Fang Zhiyan's voice broke his thoughts; the elevator arrived at their floor, and after winding around, they finally returned to the Mutation Department's area.

"Every minister‑level figure in the Dome has essentially contributed something to the Dome."

"Han Huan means that, although you are my student, you're no exception; without experimental results you'll be dismissed."

Fang Zhiyan guessed Han Huan's plan was to have him submit some experimental results in Ying Duo's name, or perhaps simply hand over the technology used for that cannon.

Either way, Han Huan is eyeing the technology they now possess.

Ying Duo nodded, "Understood."

He said nothing more and didn't intend to seek Fang Zhiyan's help.

He hadn't fully mastered the cannon's technology, so he couldn't possibly hand it to the Field Operations Department.

The modification skill sits there; at worst he can take another route and craft something to submit.

He tugged at his hoodie; having been in restraints for a while, his dried blood made the fabric stick to his skin.

"Not there yet?"

He had expected to go to Fang Zhiyan's lab, but recalled the lab was not in this direction.

Fang Zhiyan shook his head, "No need to go back and change."

He approached a door, pulled an access card from his pocket, swiped it on the sensor panel, and the lock emitted a "beep" as the door slid open.

Behind the door was a modest room; the blankets on the bed were neatly stacked, clearly just tidied.

"For the coming period, your schedule will be tight; you'll stay here, rest well, and I'll have fresh clothes delivered shortly."

Fang Zhiyan seemed not to linger, essentially leaving the space for the player.

Hearing Ying Duo's "mm," Fang Zhiyan said nothing else, and when he left, he made sure to close the door.

After confirming there was no surveillance in the room, Ying Duo finally took out the "Game of Life" playing cards.

"Game of Life, arrived."

The joker on the card winked, then the whole card began to heat up, pink smoke seeping from its edges.

The Game of Life landed successfully; this time he didn't play tricks nor step on any traps.

"Wow!"

After the Game of Life landed, he immediately spun in place, curiously surveying himself.

He actually used this in‑game body to walk in reality; though most of the time he was cooped up in Yang Yixie's room, it was still quite strange.

"Partner! Look, what's this?"

Seemingly showing off, the Game of Life's hand twitched, and a stack of playing cards materialized on his hand—a trick—turning the cards into a mobile phone.

Ding ding ding ding~! I brought my phone to this world too, and I also downloaded many single-player games!