Chapter 13

Special Abilities 

“He’s not here today! You can take a break,” the researcher on duty that day—a friendly woman with glasses—said warmly. She was the kindest among the researchers. 

Impossible. He’s definitely inside—Juan’s eyes flicked toward the tightly shut white door ahead, and he thought with certainty. 

So that’s how it is! Another excuse to delay.

He felt frustrated. 

“When will he be back?” Juan asked immediately. 

The woman chuckled at his serious expression. “Hmm… probably just one day, but sometimes it can take two or three.” 

“What’s he doing?” Juan pressed. 

“Ah… that’s confidential. This is a research facility, after all, so we can’t share everything!” she explained. Seeing that Juan still had more questions, she added thoughtfully, “Wouldn’t it be nice to take a break, though? When I first arrived, I used to enjoy chatting with the other newcomers.” 

“Oh, that’s right! Do you remember the classmate from your school who entered Eden with you? I’ll contact him for you, and you two can meet in a glasshouse to relax and chat in the sun. How does that sound?” 

Before Juan could object, the researcher winked and smiled. “Don’t refuse! Let me enjoy my privilege as a senior researcher for once—I rarely get the chance to use it.” 

With that, she began making a call. 

Juan stared at her, realizing she had no intention of letting him ask more questions. 

At first, he thought she was just helping the boy avoid lessons. But then— 

As she connected the call and started asking about the status of 485321, Juan suddenly noticed: 

The boy was really gone. 

So it wasn’t an excuse after all—he really wasn’t there today. 

Juan’s gaze lingered on the closed door, as if he could peer through it and catch a glimpse of the boy’s mischievous smile. 

—

“Your researcher is so nice! Not only did she give you the day off, but she even convinced my teacher to let me take a break too!” 

485321—no, Lan—grinned as he finished the last bite of his salad, wiped his mouth, and then flopped down on the soft carpet. 

They were now sitting in one of the glasshouses, the same kind they had seen during their interview. The space was cozy, with carpets, cushions, and pillows. It was a perfect spot to read, eat, chat, or just rest. 

The two of them were now taking a break there. 

Lan seemed exhausted, lying still with his eyes closed, basking in the warm sunlight. His belly full, the sun gentle, and his companion quietly keeping him company, Lan looked so content that he was on the verge of falling asleep. 

But being young—and eager to chat with Juan—he eventually forced himself to sit up. Propping himself against a cushion along the glass wall, he started talking with enthusiasm. 

“Do you know what I’ve been doing lately? You’ll never guess.” 

After a brief pause for suspense, he revealed the answer without waiting for Juan to respond: 

“I’ve been taking care of babies.” 

“Newborns. Every morning, the first thing I do is change diapers, feed them, and record how much they eat, how often they poop, and the color of it. I think I never want to have kids for the rest of my life,” he groaned dramatically. 

His outburst drew curious glances from people in the other glasshouses. Embarrassed, Lan chuckled and toned down his expression, though he didn’t bother sitting any straighter. 

“Aren’t there caretakers for that?” Juan asked, following the topic. 

Lan nodded, then lowered his voice. “Yeah, there are caretakers—but they take care of normal babies.” 

Seeing Juan’s confusion, Lan leaned in slightly, his face lighting up with a strange excitement. 

“The ones I’m looking after… have special abilities.” 

“Special abilities?” Juan echoed, pausing to process the information. 

“Yeah, these babies are born with abilities that make them different from us,” Lan said. 

Seeing that Juan still didn’t react, Lan became a bit anxious. “What?! Don’t tell me you’ve never heard about them?” 

“Even though we’re just regular people living in the ordinary sections, there are a lot of people with abilities in Eden. They live in different areas, so we don’t normally see them.” 

“When the apocalypse hit, people all over the world started developing abilities. Our area was affected the least, though. Maybe that’s why there are fewer people with abilities here. But Eden has been researching abilities in recent years, and now they’re very careful about gene selection during childbirth. More and more babies are being born with abilities.” 

“Some of these abilities show up within six months—those are considered extraordinary! And that’s exactly the kind of babies I’m taking care of.”

 “They’re amazing!” Lan said proudly. 

“If I’m even a little late changing their diapers, they pee on me as payback” he added with a helpless smile. 

Juan: … 

He honestly didn’t understand how Lan could laugh about something like that. 

But… was that what they meant by “special abilities”? 

So that boy, S11, must have abilities as well. 

Did these abilities resemble the magic from his world? That would explain why the boy was so eager to compete for the magic book. 

Could it be that S11’s abilities were powerful enough to transcend space and time, earning him recognition from Ped, the great magician? 

Juan knew how extraordinary Ped was—only someone truly exceptional, or with immense potential, could be chosen as his successor. 

Was that boy really that powerful? 

Sitting expressionless in the warm, sunlit room, Juan couldn’t help but drift off in thought for a moment. 

—

Meanwhile, S11 lowered the launcher resting on his shoulder. 

The slender, tube-like launcher complemented his lean frame, but the enormous black hole now visible through the surveillance telescope left no room for anyone to underestimate either the weapon or the boy wielding it. 

“Doctor, Gulzai has been eliminated,” a man in black protective gear reported to an elderly man standing beside him. 

A closer look revealed that the elderly man was the same one who had interviewed Juan earlier. But now, instead of the lab coat identifying him as a researcher, he was also dressed in black protective gear. 

The outfit looked awkward on him, mismatching both his physique and demeanor, but he didn’t seem to care. Instead, he nodded in satisfaction. Noticing the man hesitating to speak, the old man frowned. 

“Out with it. Don’t beat around the bush,” he ordered. 

The man stiffened, then bowed his head and said, “The black hole’s radius was too large. Everyone nearby was also killed… including Akadi.” 

Akkadeyi—the one who had arranged the mission. 

In other words, the client. 

The old man: … 

“Damn it!!!” Realizing what had happened, the old man roared at the boy. 

The boy grinned. “You know how it is—my powers are too strong and hard to control.” 

The old man glared at him. “Then how come you were so precise when you destroyed the surveillance cameras?” 

The boy kept smiling. “Because they were closer?” 

“Come on, don’t get so worked up. I got rid of the person you wanted me to, didn’t I? The others… consider them a bonus?” he said playfully. 

A bonus?

Did he think this was a grocery sale? Buy one, get one free?! 

Infuriated, the old man tapped his wrist interface. In an instant, the boy’s body convulsed violently. Though he fought to stay upright for a few minutes, he eventually collapsed onto the ground with a heavy thud. 

Despite the boy’s battered state, the smile on his face didn’t waver. If anything, it grew even wider, as though mocking the old man. 

Looking down at the boy with cold disdain, the old man’s expression became more frigid by the second. Finally, he pulled a short black rod from his pocket and extended it into a thin, whip-like baton. He raised it and struck the boy’s face. 

The beating went on for a long time. None of the surrounding guards dared to intervene. It wasn’t until the voice of a woman from the old man’s wrist device interrupted him that he stopped. 

“Sixteen, mind your behavior. If you continue, I’ll have to reevaluate your mental condition. If your actions are determined to have been provoked by S11, I’ll remove you from this team.” 

The old man delivered two more hard strikes before finally stopping, panting heavily. He folded the baton, wiped his face, and forced a smile as he began explaining himself to the woman on the interface. 

Meanwhile, lying at his feet, the boy—his face bloodied and mangled—smiled once more. 

It was a cold, chilling smile.