Chapter 26: Transformation
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“Make trouble?” You do not yet have the strength to make trouble in a city like this. The main reason Shen Yi, seated in the command center, had not killed these spies was that they could not cause much damage. A warning would be enough. Still, it was necessary to find out whatever could be learned about them.
At that moment, Shen Yi was in the human base, watching the image of an adult on the enormous screen. Judging by the figure, it was a woman—her proportions close to perfect, possessing a distinctly human beauty. At the very top of the screen were two large words: “Hu Yu.”
It was a cross-sectional scan of a human body. Intricate lines of many colors appeared throughout the figure, with additional pointers extending outward and annotations such as “muscle strength,” “bone strength,” and “meridian circulation.” The heartbeat alternated rapidly and slowly, as though it could be controlled at will.
Between the eyes, at the center of the brow, shone a dazzling white light. The accompanying annotation read: “Unknown energy.”
Behind Shen Yi, a group of researchers in white coats whispered among themselves, as though engaged in an academic discussion. Every one of them wore an eager expression, desperate to decipher the unknown.
Sitting in his chair, Shen Yi watched the screen with the intense curiosity of a child. Afterward, he muttered, “The height is wrong. The instruments shouldn’t have made a mistake. The white light between the brows must be the source of his energy. But what kind of power is it?”
Shen Yi turned toward the people holding their discussion behind him and asked, “What’s the explanation for the height? And what about the unknown energy?”
At his question, everyone fell silent. The hall grew still.
A researcher in a white coat stepped forward. “Commander, we’re short on funding. Research isn’t something that can be done through empty talk.”
Shen Yi glanced at the steadily shrinking balance.
“Tell me how much.”
“A lot…”
“How much is ‘a lot’?”
“Commander, let me put it this way. We don’t currently possess the necessary instruments, and the base’s level is insufficient. To study this, we would have to spend ten times the usual amount and develop entirely new equipment. This simply isn’t the direction our current research is taking.”
“Then what are we supposed to do? This Hu Yu is clearly no ordinary person. He’s obviously not a child, yet he used some method to deceive everyone.” Shen Yi sat in the command hall, slowly tapping the armrest with his right hand in a measured rhythm.
Of course, Shen Yi did not have any elaborate plans. His attitude was simply that if others did not provoke him, he would not provoke them. Since Hu Yu had not done anything too outrageous, there was no need to pay him excessive attention. Still, making contact might be worthwhile.
He waved for the researchers to return to their work. Soon, Shen Yi was alone in the hall, staring at the data on the screen.
Damn, he thought. If I had figures like these, wouldn’t I be able to dominate the entire Earth?
Still, things were not so bad now. He was not even afraid of dragons. At least he had the means to protect his life here. Whoever came would have to treat him with respect.
Shen Yi shifted into a more comfortable position and began letting his imagination run wild.
Ten minutes later, snores echoed through the hall. They seemed much quieter than before—perhaps because his constitution had changed.
In the City of You, everything was proceeding in an orderly fashion. Ever since Hu Yu had obtained the phone, he had begun studying it.
It was, after all, a product of an entirely different era. He understood how important such a thing was; it could even alter the course of a war.
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Before leaving, the commander’s subordinate had given him an instruction manual. As a powerful demon who had cultivated to a high level, Hu Yu was exceptionally intelligent, and he finished reading the manual in no time.
He did not believe that something called a phone could possess so many functions.
Yet, little by little, he was completely won over by what it could do. Its music-playing function was utterly addictive.
The countless varieties of songs fascinated him. Whenever he reached an especially stirring passage, he would even wave his hands and stamp his feet, as though possessed. One moment he was weeping bitterly; the next he was filled with heroic passion. His expression changed every few minutes.
After listening for an entire day, Hu Yu felt as though the muscles in his face were beginning to cramp. He forcibly resisted the urge to continue and pressed the pause button.
The sensation was marvelous. With the slightest touch of his finger, the beautiful music stopped. How miraculous!
Hu Yu rubbed his stiffened face to calm himself, then carefully placed the phone into his storage ring. The songs it had played continued to echo in his mind, and he remained silent for a long while.
“Are you really only a puppeteer? How could such a miraculous thing exist in this world?”
After listening to music for the entire day, Hu Yu gazed out the window and stretched.
The City of You should have been shrouded in darkness, but countless beams of light illuminated it like broad daylight.
From his high vantage point, he could see puppets patrolling the distant streets, as well as turrets rotating back and forth on the platforms and missile launchers. These were the things that had halted the dragons’ advance—nothing more than rotating chunks of metal.
His eyes locked onto the missile launcher as though he were staring at an enemy. His expression grew solemn, and his brows knit tightly together. He watched it for a long time.
“Ah… So the Ghost cannot escape detection after all,” he murmured with a quiet sigh.
“The Ghost can turn invisible, but it can still be detected. Then I simply won’t turn invisible. I’ll let you see me clearly and find out whether you can detect me then. Very well—let me, Hu Yu, test your abilities.”
The corners of Hu Yu’s mouth lifted slightly.
First, he listened carefully to the sounds nearby. Then he employed an unknown cultivation technique, taking in every movement across several floors around him.
“Big Brother, this thing called a toilet likes eating our waste. What if it gets too excited and decides to eat me too?” a newly arrived resident asked loudly as his older cousin watched television in the living room.
“It won’t—_—||. Little Cousin, the administrator said it doesn’t eat people. You’re an idiot. Look, it doesn’t even have teeth…”
“But I’m scared!”
“If you’re really worried, just take care of it outside and throw it into the toilet afterward.”
“Cousin, you’re so clever. That’s a great idea.”
“Dad, how can this television fit so many things inside it? Look at that beastman—he looks so fierce. What if he comes out and eats me?” In another place, a child questioned his father.
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The father was terrified as well. He replied with a slight tremor in his voice, “Don’t worry, child. Even if it comes out, we have nothing to fear. We’re inside the city. Nothing will happen to us.”
Although he spoke words of comfort, the large saber clenched tightly in his hand betrayed him.
Hu Yu listened to the sounds around him. It seemed that no one nearby intended to leave, and no one was monitoring him. He thought about what those people had said, then shook his head.
What kind of bizarre conversations were these? He was speechless.
A series of clicking sounds came from within Hu Yu’s body. His frame, which had been that of a child, gradually grew taller. Within a few seconds, he had transformed from a young boy into a well-proportioned man.
Looking closely, one would find that he looked exactly like Zhang, the administrator of Shen Yi’s artificial humans.
With a casual gesture, he cast a mirror-image spell. After a ripple passed through the air, a mirror appeared before him, resembling a projected three-dimensional illusion.
Hu Yu carefully examined his masterpiece in the mirror. Satisfied, he opened the door and walked toward the elevator.
As Hu Yu entered the elevator, he did not know that Shen Yi had already received an alert from the system and was observing his every move.
Hu Yu had confidence in himself, but seeing everything around him still made his heart pound. In all his years as a spy, this was the first time he had felt so nervous. The objects surrounding him were filled with unknowns, and the unknown always concealed danger.
The elevator ride went smoothly. When he reached the ground floor, he found that although it was nighttime, some mysterious source of illumination had turned the surroundings as bright as day. Several immigrants were wandering around the residential complex, looking here and touching there.
He wanted to study the purpose of the things in the complex as well, but he could not afford to reveal his identity.
Instead, he walked straight toward the main gate. He intended to leave, and the identity of an administrator was the most suitable cover.
But just before he reached the gate, a conversation caught his attention.
A burly human man was strolling along with a wife just as sturdy as himself and their child. They had not noticed that Hu Yu was listening in.
“Fei Qian, your father isn’t trying to nag you, but you have to practice the cultivation technique your Uncle Wang gave you. Our entire Fei family is counting on you. You need to work hard!”
“Don’t blame your father and mother for being long-winded. Those puppets may be powerful, but your master said it too: your own strength is the foundation. Do you understand?”
“I understand. I’m the commander’s only disciple. I won’t disappoint him!”
“When I achieve success and make a name for myself, I’ll make sure no one in this world ever bullies anyone else. Everyone will be equal, just as Master said!” The child spoke excitedly, his eyes shining brightly.
At that moment, Hu Yu decided not to leave. He walked straight toward the family of three.
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