Chapter 54: Investigating the Mysterious Organization and Unlocking the Secret of Mutation

Mao Yu's phone rang once more. He glanced at the caller ID, a meaningful smile curling the corners of his lips.

He answered the call, lowered his voice, and slowly said, "Hello? I've got my hands on that item. Where are you guys?" With that, he turned around, his figure gradually melting into the crowd, leaving behind a suspenseful silhouette.

The lights of the supernatural metropolis remained dazzling, yet beneath this prosperous exterior lay endless darkness.

Following the clues he had previously obtained, Mao Yu began searching for the underground laboratory of the mysterious organization.

He shuttled through the bustling streets and narrow alleys of the supernatural city, his heart a mixture of tension and anticipation.

Passersby cast strange glances his way, but he had no time to mind them, solely focused on uncovering the truth and solving the mystery behind the mutation of ability users.

As the night grew deeper, the city's hustle and bustle gradually subsided, leaving only scattered pedestrians on the streets.

Every step Mao Yu took was exceptionally cautious. From time to time, he used his supernatural perception to scan his surroundings, ensuring he was not being followed.

Suddenly, he halted, his gaze locking onto an inconspicuous building ahead.

The building looked ordinary, but Mao Yu's system alerted him to abnormal readings—this was precisely the place he was looking for.

At that very moment, several dark shadows surged from all directions, tightly surrounding Mao Yu.

Each of these shadowy figures possessed formidable strength, their eyes gleaming with murderous intent.

"Punk, you're practically asking for a death wish!" one tall man sneered, the long saber in his hand flashing with a chilling glare under the moonlight.

Mao Yu raised an eyebrow, a cold smile touching his lips. "Bring it on, let's see what you're truly made of!" Before his voice even faded, the several interceptors swarmed forward, launching a fierce assault on Mao Yu.

Mao Yu found himself slightly overwhelmed, trapped in a series of hair-raising close calls.

Yet, relying on his own supernatural abilities and the assistance of his system, he quickly mounted a counterattack.

For a moment, the radiance of abilities flashed brilliantly everywhere. The surrounding buildings were battered into a complete mess, and nearby pedestrians fled in panic, highlighting the intense and perilous nature of the battle.

Mao Yu's fists carried formidable supernatural energy, every strike whistling as it tore through the air.

He nimbly dodged the enemy's onslaught while searching for an opening to counter.

Just as he found himself in a precarious spot, the system suddenly prompted him: "Attention, the attacks of these interceptors follow a discernible pattern!"

Mao Yu's heart stirred, and he instantly adjusted his combat strategy.

Instead of blindly clashing head-on, he began observing the opponents' attack patterns.

Sure enough, although these interceptors possessed impressive strength, their methods of attack appeared somewhat monotonous.

Seizing the opportunity, Mao Yu landed a heavy punch directly on his opponent's weak point, sending the attacker flying backward through the air.

"Feedback is so timely, you really rock, System!" Mao Yu thought to himself.

He quickly收起 (withdrew) his smile and continued to face the remaining interceptors.

The battle grew increasingly fierce, but Mao Yu had gradually seized the initiative on the battlefield.

Drawing upon his sharp observation skills and supreme combat techniques, he defeated the interceptors one by one.

In the night breeze, Mao Yu's breathing gradually steadied. He glanced at the enemies sprawled on the ground, a triumphant smile curving his lips.

"This is just the beginning; the real test is yet to come," he thought inwardly, then continued walking toward that building, his heart filled with a burning desire for the truth.

Mao Yu's fingers gently brushed against the tightly shut heavy door, a resolute light flashing in his eyes.

He took a deep breath and said with unwavering determination, "No matter how deep you hide, I will drag you out, for the sake of all those ability users affected by the mutation!" With that, he pushed the heavy door open with force and vanished into the darkness.

"Is that really it?" Mao Yu looked at the men in black lying all over the ground, a disdainful smirk playing at the corner of his mouth, as if the fierce battle just now had merely been a warm-up exercise.

He clapped his hands, dusting off non-existent dirt from his clothes, and silently gave the system a mental thumbs-up. "System, your intelligence analysis capability is simply peerless!"

The tense, sword-drawn atmosphere from a moment ago instantly dissipated, replaced by a sense of victorious joy.

The men in black on the ground groaned weakly, as if protesting Mao Yu's ruthlessness, but Mao Yu didn't pay them any mind at all. His sole focus now was to enter that mysterious building as quickly as possible and unravel the mystery of the supernatural mutation.

He walked up to the tightly sealed door of the building, gently touched the cold metal, and thought to himself, "Is this the entrance to the truth?" However, just as he prepared to push the door open, a powerful resistance forced him to halt.

On the door, a bizarre rune flickered with red light, resembling the open jaws of a giant beast and exclaiming a chilling aura.

"What in the world is this?" Mao Yu cursed under his breath, mobilizing the supernatural energy within his body in an attempt to forcefully breach this restriction.

Yet, his abilities sank into the barrier like mud into the sea, having zero effect whatsoever.

This restriction seemed specially tailored to target his abilities; he could feel his power constrained by an invisible force, completely unable to manifest.

"This is getting a bit troublesome!" Mao Yu furrowed his brow, fine beads of sweat seeping onto his forehead.

He felt like a mosquito trapped in a spiderweb, caught in a dilemma of neither advancing nor retreating.

The oppressive weight emanating from this barrier gave him a sense of unprecedented difficulty.

The air seemed to freeze, and a suffocating sense of depression hung heavily all around.

He tried various methods, but the restriction remained motionless, as if mocking his helplessness.

He took a deep breath, forcing himself to calm down, and began carefully analyzing the composition of the barrier.

Time ticked away second by second. Mao Yu felt physical fatigue creeping in, yet his inner resolve grew even firmer. "I must break this damned restriction; I will not stop here!" Clenching his teeth tight, he concentrated his supernatural energy onto his palms once more, preparing for another attempt.

Just then, his phone suddenly vibrated.

He took out the phone and glanced at the screen. His previously furrowed brow instantly smoothed out, and a faint smile touched the corner of his mouth. He softly murmured, "Honestly, why at a time like this..." Afterward, he turned and walked deeper into the darkness, leaving behind only a sentence: "I know, I'll be right there..."

"Mao Yu, how are you holding up? Are you hurt?" Feng Yao's voice carried a hint of trembling, transmitted to Mao Yu through the special communication device like a warm current dispelling the agitation in his heart.

"I'm fine, don't worry." Mao Yu's tone softened as well, instantly smoothing away the previously tense atmosphere with that gentle voice.

"I... I'm so worried about you, I... I... I..." Feng Yao's voice grew softer and softer, tinged with shyness, yet that care and affection overflowed beyond words.

"I know. Rest assured, I will definitely return safely." A wave of warmth surged into Mao Yu's heart.

"This stubborn door is quite feisty." Mao Yu looked at the bizarre rune once again, a mischievous grin curving his lips.

"Since brute force won't work, let's try a sneaky approach." With a thought, he brought up the system interface and selected the "Energy Transfer" function.

A black vortex suddenly materialized in the palm of his hand, and the red light on the barrier seemed drawn by an invisible force, beginning to surge toward the vortex.

Inside the hidden monitoring room in the shadows, several people in white lab coats watched the anomaly unfolding on the screen, their jaws practically dropping in shock.

"Th-this is impossible! How can he possibly transfer the energy of the restriction?" a bespectacled man stammered.

"Hmph, mere child's play." Taking advantage of the moment when the barrier's energy was being transferred, Mao Yu shoved the heavy door open with a mighty push and leaped inside in a single bound.

With a soft "click," the heavy door slowly closed behind him, cutting off the noise of the outside world.

He curved the corners of his mouth slightly upward, revealing a confident smile. "The good show is only just beginning."

The underground laboratory was cold and damp, the air thick with a pungent medicinal odor.

Various strange instruments flickered with eerie glows, inducing an inexplicable sense of oppression.

Deep within the laboratory, transparent glass containers imprisoned numerous struggling, suffering ability users.

Their bodies were covered in twisted patterns, their eyes hollow, as if their souls had been stripped away.

Before Mao Yu could examine them closely, dazzling lights suddenly flashed all around.

Scores of figures draped in black robes, exuding powerful auras, stepped out from the shadows and tightly surrounded Mao Yu.

Facing these unknown dangers, Mao Yu slowly clenched his fists and murmured softly, "Looks like things are truly troublesome this time..."