Chapter 370: Psychic Abilities and Artifacts

"Yes, Captain, I'll immediately increase the hypnosis intensity."

After hearing the woman's instructions from the camera, Du Xiaohong immediately responded, then swung the golden pocket watch before Wang Yu's eyes, beginning to move it rhythmically.

The nearby General Wei's expression changed slightly, but he said nothing more.

As the strange golden watch swung rhythmically, Wang Yu's gaze involuntarily shifted from the silver pen to the pocket watch.

His head remained motionless, but his eyeballs followed the watch's slow left-and-right sway; the "tick-tock" sound from the watch fluctuated unpredictably—sometimes rapid, sometimes slow—strikingly unnatural.

Wang Yu's vacant expression gradually faded, his face now as expressionless as if masked by a thick layer of wax.

The long-haired woman slowly drew the golden pocket watch toward her brow; Wang Yu's eyes followed it without hesitation.

Suddenly, the watch was snatched away, and Wang Yu's gaze locked directly onto the woman's eyes.

"Subject One, you may now release all resistance. Slowly recall the moment just before you fell asleep. Tell me everything you remember—leave out no detail…"

Du Xiaohong's eyes shimmered with a faint luminescence, an eerie allure that made one unable to look away. Her voice was soft and slow, radiating an inexplicable warmth, like a loved one whispering in your ear—yet her face remained icy cold, creating a profoundly unsettling contrast.

General Wei turned his head away, seemingly unwilling to meet Du Xiaohong's gaze at that moment.

"What happened before I fell asleep… I was sleeping, then suddenly heard knocking at the door…" Wang Yu murmured in response, his face still utterly blank, yet he continued speaking as if to himself.

General Wei perked up instantly, shifting his expression to one of intense concentration.

But at that moment, the long-haired woman suddenly noticed a strange crystalline glint flickering in Wang Yu's eyes—and on his face, an ambiguous half-smile had appeared, unbidden.

"You…"

Du Xiaohong gasped, swiftly plunging one hand into her waist pocket and pulling out the golden pocket watch again.

Yet the instant her fingertip touched the button atop the watch, half her body went numb—her entire arm grew impossibly heavy, her five fingers frozen, unable to move an inch.

"So this is hypnosis? It seems related to psionics, but not quite a true ability—more like an anomaly in mental energy. Interesting, after all."

"But don't you know? When you use mental energy to control others, you're leaving your own mind defenseless?" At nearly the same instant, Wang Yu's voice changed—calm, detached—and now spoke flawless British English.

With his mental strength, far exceeding that of any Foundation Establishment cultivator, how could he possibly be controlled by the hypnosis of some mere Earthling?

"No good! Act now! The hypnosis is out of control—I've been reversed!" Du Xiaohong's face lost all its earlier coldness; her almond eyes remained locked on Wang Yu, but now filled with terror. Half her body twisted desperately as if trying to flee, while the other half remained utterly paralyzed.

The golden pocket watch remained clutched in her hand—yet it might as well have been sealed shut forever.

General Wei, upon hearing Wang Yu's sudden change in voice, had already turned pale with shock; upon hearing his companion's cry for help, his face darkened instantly. He took a single stride forward.

"Huff!"

His arm shot out like an iron pillar, sweeping toward Wang Yu's neck—aiming to knock him unconscious in one blow.

"Bang!"

A white, bone-white banner, several feet long, suddenly appeared in Wang Yu's hand. He merely held it sideways—and blocked the Iron Man's sweeping arm.

Wang Yu felt his body shudder violently, flung off the bed by the immense force—but immediately, tendrils of black mist surged from the banner, wrapping around him. He spun midair and landed lightly on the floor, though his face had grown slightly pale.

On the other side, General Wei staggered back three steps, eyes blazing red as he roared, "Impossible!" He stomped hard—and his body shot upward like a mountain launching into the air, lunging again at "Wang Yu."

In midair, his copper-toned skin suddenly flashed—turning pitch-black and glossy, as if he had truly become an "Iron Man."

"Iron Man, capture him alive—I'm coming!"

From the four ceiling cameras, the woman's cold voice echoed once more.

"Understood."

The Iron Man instinctively replied, his fists poised to smash down—then abruptly split his fingers into a grappling stance.

Wang Yu watched all this, then simply flicked his wrist.

"Puff."

The bone banner exploded—rolling black mist surged outward in all directions, instantly filling the room with impenetrable darkness.

"Bang!"

The Iron Man dove into the mist, his feet slamming hard onto the floor, shaking the entire room—but he caught nothing.

In desperation, he frantically clawed at the air around him—only empty space met his hands, as if Wang Yu had dissolved into the black mist and vanished.

At that moment, another thunderous crash echoed.

The room's door was blasted open, and a young woman with golden hair and blue eyes, curvaceous and striking, suddenly appeared in the doorway.

Seeing the swirling black mist, she paused in surprise—then sneered, rubbing her palms together before flinging them outward.

Thunder roared!

Silver arcs of electricity shot from her palms, exploding into countless fine filaments that instantly filled the entire room.

Two screams pierced the black mist, followed by the sound of bodies collapsing.

Simultaneously, as the electric filaments detonated, the black mist rapidly dissipated—within a few breaths, every trace of darkness had been scoured clean by the lightning.

But inside the room, save for two limp figures—a long-haired woman and a copper-skinned man—there was no trace of Wang Yu whatsoever.

The golden-haired woman's face darkened. Her blue eyes swept the room rapidly, finally locking onto four thin slits on the ceiling—the ventilation ducts.

Without hesitation, she lowered her head and spoke coldly into the miniature communicator pinned to her collar:

"Level One alert. Seal all exits and entrances. Activate all defense systems. All standby guards, deploy immediately. Inspect every ventilation shaft. If you spot a suspect, attempt to capture alive."

"Note: Suspect possesses Class-D mental ability and other unknown powers. Authorization granted to open fire. Authorization granted to open fire!"

The golden-haired woman repeated the order while swiftly exiting the room.

Only then did a flood of medical personnel rush in, hastily lifting the unconscious long-haired woman and copper-skinned man onto stretchers.

Moments later, piercing alarms blared across the entire area. Teams of armed personnel in black bulletproof suits emerged from the room, moving with disciplined precision toward pre-rehearsed guard posts.

In key, unoccupied locations, hidden infrared lasers and various sensor systems activated silently.