Chapter 116
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Chapter 116: Purging
Finer stitching marks appeared on the back of Luke’s head than those on his arms.
Along with those components, a device that slowly releases a local anesthetic was also implanted.
After all the transformation steps were completed, a different gas was released from the mask covering Luke’s face.
The effect of the anesthetic began to wear off quickly.
His eyes started to dart around rapidly, and a few seconds later, the chubby boy suddenly opened his eyes wide.
All the mechanical arms, tools, and medicines on the operating table had been cleared away within the seconds before he opened his eyes.
The spilled blood, the blood-stained gauze, and even the air carrying a slight burnt smell had all been replaced.
Everything was as if it had never happened; when Luke woke up, the surroundings were still completely empty.
A metal hidden door opened on the opposite wall, and a transport vehicle about one meter tall leisurely rolled in, resembling a food cart in a high-end restaurant in the inner city.
Luke looked around, not even sparing the ceiling a glance.
But his gaze could not penetrate the one-way transparent glass barrier, and he ultimately focused on the transport vehicle in front of him.
At that moment, the head of the transport vehicle suddenly emitted a sound.
Though slightly distorted, Luke could still discern that the voice came from Nia.
The councilwoman was now standing above the room, holding a microphone, ready to speak.
In her commanding gaze, Luke felt as if he had become a puppet to be manipulated.
“Luke, how do you feel now?”
Luke saw the long stitching marks on his arm, lightly swung it a few times, and rotated various parts of his body.
“It’s okay, just a bit painful but bearable. Why does the back of my head feel a bit swollen?”
“Painkillers have been implanted there; they will minimize the pain for the next week, ensuring your body is not impacted by pain. Once the wound heals after a week, it will be fine, and the outer shell of the painkillers will be absorbed slowly, so there’s no need to remove them separately.”
Luke nodded; he always trusted the research institutes when it came to technology, especially the council that oversaw them.
He thought for a moment before hesitantly continuing to ask,
“Am I now… the new ‘Holy Shield’?”
At this moment, he still found it hard to believe and was somewhat reluctant to verify this personally, as though afraid his father would be angry about it.
For a moment, he even asked about that councilor he knew nothing about.
“Just try it, Luke; you have to face it eventually.”
Nia’s words were filled with certainty and an almost imperceptible temptation.
Luke responded to Nia with silence. After taking a deep breath, he extended his right hand, attempting to call forth his soft light shield as he normally would.
But nothing happened.
It seemed that the superpowers within him faced some strong restriction; his abilities swelled and surged within his consciousness but could not break through that layer of confinement.
Sweat beads formed on Luke’s forehead; he exerted all his effort, but a miracle did not occur.
Just as he was about to give up on this attempt, a swirl of pale purple light suddenly erupted from his hand.
Unlike his original gel-like ability, the purple orb exuded a transcendent aura just by its appearance.
In his astonishment, a tingling sensation rapidly spread through Luke’s entire body along his arm, as if he had been struck by an electric shock.
He couldn’t discern whether the sensation originated from the palm cradling the purple orb or the cut on his forearm, but an overwhelming joy filled Luke’s heart.
He had succeeded; he truly had succeeded!
He wished his father could witness this moment, but it was no longer possible.
Luke began to attempt to manipulate the orb before him, just as his father had done countless times before.
“Very good, Luke. You truly are Lucas’s son; even this appearance resembles your father’s from years ago.”
Nia’s voice came from the head of the transport vehicle. Immersed in joy, Luke didn’t even detect the subtle flaws hidden within her words.
Behind the one-way glass, Nia’s lips curved slightly; this young man had completely lost his ability to think.
She continued to encourage, or rather, entice him:
“Regardless of the reinforcement, your ability remains the same as your father’s. I’m delighted to witness this moment.
“Now, try to expand the shield’s range until it envelops the entire Hope City!”
Luke wiped the sweat from his forehead with his left hand and gritted his teeth, saying,
“Understood!”
As soon as he focused his mind, the shield in his hand rapidly expanded dozens of times, enveloping the entire room.
Simultaneously, the color faded significantly as the range increased.
Not enough, not enough!
Luke continued to push his spirit; he thought he had reached his limit, like a poor soul pushing a boulder up a mountain, but suddenly the situation reversed.
Like a steep slope abruptly turning downhill, Luke’s shield became unimpeded after breaking through a certain limit.
The translucent membrane passed through the floor and walls, enveloping the entire spire building, and it kept expanding.
Its color approached transparency, more and more people were being covered within it, yet no one noticed.
The shield passed through the research institutes, the General Staff Headquarters, and the main office of the factory, covering the entire inner city. The expanding momentum showed no signs of stopping, finally encompassing all of Hope City within a minute.
As the shield swept through the factory’s assembly lines and brushed over the corpses of extraordinary beasts, Luke felt a dizzying wave hit him.
With the expansion of the shield, the remaining infected in the filthy sewers of the outer city clutched their heads and crouched low.
That great will was gradually drifting away from them!
They were abandoned!
“No, no! Great Master!”
The infected, who had developed dependence, repeatedly banged their heads against the surrounding walls, some even starting to go mad on the spot.
Their commotion quickly alerted the people on the ground, and the Public Security Team in the outer city began mobilizing everywhere.
—
Inside the spire, it felt as if a heavy hammer struck his temples. Luke’s body trembled violently, almost causing him to collapse.
But he still gritted his teeth and held on; his father shone like a beacon ahead, giving him endless motivation.
In places unknown to him, countless strands of mycelium were instantly destroyed, and Hope City regained its original peace once again.
As the shield passed through an unremarkable house in the outer city, Lin Qingliu, who was treating a patient frightened by an infected, furrowed his brow slightly, and his words suddenly halted.
“What’s wrong, Doctor? Why did you stop speaking? Why are you frowning? Am I going to die?”
