Chapter Twenty-Two: Exposure

Mo Wen watched as the crowd exited the event venue in an orderly fashion. Ren Sisi, acting as if nothing had just happened, said over the squad’s private communication channel, "The mission today went quite smoothly, with no disturbances. Now that it's over, are you interested in exploring some of this city's unique attractions?"

"Controversy City is much livelier than other places; there’s even a concert happening here tonight."

Mo Wen did not respond. Instead, he organized the intelligence he had gathered so far in his mind.

The entity affecting him was still a high-caliber New Human, and one who likely did not know the specific effects of his psionic powers. Of course, it was also possible that the illusion was simply broken because it couldn't replicate the experience of death or near-death effectively. Not everyone was as intimately familiar with death as Mo Wen was.

But this did not mean the illusion had ended; he could currently be trapped in another, deeper layer. Even if he could break through illusions by repeatedly committing suicide, he would remain trapped as long as the opponent continued to impose new ones.

"Formless"—he would assume that was his real codename for now. His goal must be to acquire information, and he was targeting Mo Wen specifically, rather than trying to use him to attack Dream Weaver Entertainment. No matter how much New Humans respected human rights, they wouldn't just leave someone who might be a liability to them wandering around outside without giving a single warning.

On the contrary, the fact that he was targeted by a [Group] agent immediately upon starting his mission suggested the company might have betrayed him. However, the probability was low, as he still held significant value, and the information the agent sought seemed like the kind that could easily be obtained if there were a mole in high management.

His psionic powers... Mo Wen didn't know their true value, but based on past experience, it would always evolve into endless murderous intent. Unfortunately, he lacked the ability to force his way out of an illusion at the moment. He had no choice but to go along with his opponent, providing the information they wanted or trusting his teammates to rescue him.

No, that wasn't right!

His special abilities based on psionics might be useless, but his psionic energy itself might have a miraculous effect. When facing psionic energy that had already manifested as a physical phenomenon, relying on physical means to counteract the opponent’s abilities was full of setbacks. However, in mental combat, the raw intensity of one's psionics could directly determine the victor.

At the same power level, it might remain a stalemate. But with a one-level difference, the stronger party could truly toy with the weaker one at will.

Was "Formless" really at Power Level 5, or was that false information intended to deceive him? Mo Wen could only maintain a Power Level 3 output in his normal state; he had to rely on the extremely expensive, experimental Type-VI Dream-Maker prosthetic body to burst forth with Level 5 strength.

Now, he tried to focus his attention, releasing a much greater surge of psionic energy.

[Current Power Level: 4. Current Prosthetic Stability: 97%]

Psionic energy, exceeding the limits of human endurance, shook everything in the vicinity. The once-clear world was suddenly dragged into trails of afterimages and riddled with cracks, as if it were failing to render properly.

[Current Power Level: 5. Current Prosthetic Stability: 42%]

There were no flashy changes; pure power was enough to crush all resistance. The illusion that had trapped Mo Wen was shattered the moment his psionic energy surged.

Mo Wen felt as though he heard someone being severely injured by his outburst, followed by the sound of something—whether it was brain matter or blood—being sprayed.

Immediately afterward, he heard Ren Sisi’s real voice.

She shrieked over the squad channel, "Are you crazy?! Psionic energy of this scale will blow the heads off everyone nearby! Pull it back, now!"

[Current Power Level: 3. Current Prosthetic Stability: 98%]

Mo Wen hurriedly adjusted his power level, but the excessive energy had already had an impact on the people around him and his own prosthetic body.

The crowd, which had yet to fully evacuate, wiped their noses and looked at their blood-stained hands. "Why am I having a nosebleed? Have I been eating too much heat-inducing food lately?"

The person next to them plugged their nose with a tissue and handed one to him. "It’s not just you; I’m bleeding too. No, wait—lots of people are bleeding."

"Damn it, could someone have brought a radiation source that just went off?"

The previously orderly crowd erupted into chaos almost instantly as the theory of a radiation source took hold. Fortunately, the on-site team still possessed some common sense. "Stay calm! A strong radiation source would affect signals and instruments. We have radiation detection equipment; we can confirm this is not radiation."

"The cause of the anomaly is currently unknown. Please exit the area in an orderly fashion and undergo screening."

"Dream Weaver Entertainment, which is in charge of site security, has already booked medical examinations for you. Trust in the company's reputation; you will be fine."

Upon hearing that the company was stepping in and that everything was guaranteed, the crowd immediately returned to order. They didn't care who had booked the medical services, but Mo Wen cared very much.

He checked his remaining balance and the bill. Ren Sisi had reported him, and the company had implemented countermeasures. Even though he had done it to break the enemy's illusion, the fact remained that he had caused collateral damage. Even if he wanted to shift the blame to the enemy and have the company cover the costs, he had to pay the money upfront first.

What bad luck. The fines from this mission were probably higher than the reward itself!

However, a strange thought flashed through Mo Wen's mind. If he, at Power Level 5, could nearly kill everyone around him just by naturally leaking his psionic energy for a moment, would someone at Level 6 or Level 7 be capable of exterminating every living thing on this planet just by existing?

But even Power Level 5 required the most advanced technology to maintain; anyone at a higher level would likely already be dead.

Mo Wen dismissed the strange thought and reported the details of the anomaly to the company while explaining the situation to Ren Sisi. The company took the matter seriously; Mo Wen was immediately ordered by high-level management to return to the branch office, and he was forbidden from leaving until they had dealt with the relevant issues.

As it happened, he could use this time to train properly and learn something new.

...

In a low-earth orbit fortress, machines were treating the injuries "Formless" had sustained from the psionic backlash, but he was more concerned with the intelligence he had just obtained.

"That little girl truly used her life to reveal an accident to us."

"The bad news: the otherworldly individual named Mo Wen already possesses psionic power not inferior to my own, perhaps even slightly greater. He still has reserves, there is a possibility he could continue to increase his power level in a short time, and he is suspected of having experienced death and resurrection. He is capable of detecting anomalies and may affect our plans."

"The good news: Dream Weaver Entertainment has not yet realized what we are doing. They likely do not have hidden technology in this area, nor do they fully understand Mo Wen's value. They are still currently conceiving new technologies based on his physiological characteristics."

"Dream Weaver Entertainment cannot influence our plans for now; there is no need to eliminate them prematurely."

"As for how to deal with Mo Wen specifically, I will leave that to you. Kill, imprison, recruit, or ignore him? In any case, we are only a few days away from success; leaving him be shouldn't be a problem."

On the other side of the transmission, a voice as cold and hard as iron replied, "Understood."

"I will handle it appropriately."