Strange Additional Abilities

"Test Subject No. 003, Nagai Kei, 26 years old."

Nagai Kei woke from his coma, and the first thing he heard was that utterly emotionless voice.

"An intern doctor at Toto University Affiliated Hospital. He has a mother and a younger sister. He was involved in a car accident one day ago and revived in full view of the public. Determined to be an Ajin."

The voice continued. Only when Nagai Kei heard about his mother and sister did his mind clear somewhat.

Then, he discovered that he had been placed on a freezing metal operating table. All around him stood researchers wearing masks and gloves, their cold eyes the only part of them exposed.

The shrill whine of a chainsaw filled him with dread. He tried to struggle, but he was completely restrained and could not move at all.

If there had been a mirror, he would have seen what he looked like now.

His entire body was wrapped in white bandages like a mummy. His face and head were no exception, with only his eyes left exposed, seemingly so that he could clearly see everything around him.

Three conspicuous numbers were printed on the gauze around his head—003!

They signified that from this day onward, that number would replace Nagai Kei's name and become his new designation.

Just then, excruciating pain erupted from his arm. Without administering any anesthetic, the researchers were actually using a chainsaw to conduct dismemberment experiments on him!

Blood poured out in great quantities. Nagai Kei struggled desperately, but it was useless. He could only passively endure the overwhelming agony.

The researchers around him showed no concern whatsoever. They looked at him as though he were a lab rat on an operating table, focused only on recording data and dealing with the amputated limbs. Every one of them was busy.

A beam of light suddenly shone into Nagai Kei's eyes.

"Pupils at three millimeters. Prepare for regeneration."

Nagai Kei did not understand what that meant when he saw a heavy hammer looming larger and larger in his vision.

With a muffled BANG, it smashed viciously into his head.

Blood sprayed everywhere!

Nagai Kei died!

Yet only a second later, hazy black particles began emerging from his body, continuously repairing his wounded flesh.

His eyes flew open.

The cold metal ceiling, the sounds of machinery around him, the researchers talking to one another—

All of it made him understand that none of what had just happened was a dream. It had truly happened!

He had become an immortal Ajin.

But this was far from something wonderful.

Because immortality meant enduring torment forever, with no hope of release!

"Begin the second experiment. Prepare to dismember the thigh."

Kyoto Shijo Yumei Hotel.

A high-end hotel with complete facilities and an elegant environment.

A single night's stay cost at least fifty thousand yen.

Twenty-third floor, Room 2316.

Bai Xing sat before the floor-to-ceiling window, holding a glass of wine.

From this position, he had an excellent view and could observe the Ajin Research Management Association not far away at any time.

What he had not expected was that this Ajin world was not the manga version, but the live-action film version!

Just like the Marvel worlds, different mediums gave rise to different worldviews.

The Ajin world was divided into three versions.

The manga version, the anime version, and the live-action film version.

The overall plot might have been broadly similar, but there were always differences in the details.

For example, the protagonist Nagai Kei's identity and personality.

In the manga version, he had only been a middle school student.

But in the live-action version, he had already become an intern doctor.

That was precisely why Bai Xing had wasted an entire day without finding any trace of him.

By the time he discovered him, Nagai Kei had already been taken into the research facility.

But it did not matter. According to Bai Xing's memories, Sato should come rescue him in a few days.

Bai Xing would still have a chance to plant a Fruit Core then.

However, he needed to carefully consider the target for the planting.

Compared to the manga version of Nagai Kei, this live-action version was not worth Bai Xing's investment!

In the manga version, after Nagai Kei's identity as an Ajin was exposed, he went through a period of fleeing before eventually meeting up with Sato.

After coming into contact with him, Sato realized that Nagai Kei still could not see reality for what it was. So he used a scheme to send him into the research facility.

He wanted Nagai Kei to experience the pain of being experimented on and thereby cultivate his hatred for humans!

Then he would rescue them and make them his companions in the fight against humanity.

Nagai Kei saw through this, so he turned on the spot and became Sato's outright enemy.

But in the film adaptation, this entire plotline was gone!

After Nagai Kei was hit by the vehicle, he never even had the chance to flee before the Ajin Research Management Association captured him and brought him into a laboratory.

Sato had genuinely come to rescue Nagai Kei.

Yet because Sato's methods of killing the researchers were too brutal, Nagai Kei immediately turned against him, repaying kindness with enmity.

He was practically the strongest, ultimate, invincible bleeding-heart saint in history!

If manga-version Nagai Kei had a personality that was calm and rational to the extreme, then the film version was a selfish bleeding-heart saint.

By comparison, although Sato's characterization had also deviated, he had merely changed from an innately anti-human madman into someone driven mad by later torment.

In the manga, Sato was an extremely cruel, cold-blooded, ruthless, and cunning gaming fanatic.

He had possessed a dangerously violent personality since childhood, enjoying the killing of small animals and showing no mercy to either himself or his enemies.

He came from the US Marine Corps and arrived in the Island Nation because of a game.

But in the film adaptation, Sato had grown up in a laboratory from childhood.

He was the first Ajin discovered in the Island Nation and had spent a full twenty years in the laboratory!

The inhuman experiments had not broken his mind, but they had completely twisted his thinking.

He was actually more suitable as a planting target for Bai Xing.

An ambitious madman could bring Bai Xing greater returns to the fullest extent.

He could also bring him plenty of amusement.

Still, Nagai Kei was the protagonist after all. His protagonist's halo was no joke.

Not long after becoming an Ajin, he was already able to fight the veteran Ajin Sato on equal footing.

His potential was enormous as well!

Bai Xing rubbed his chin as he wrestled with the matter internally.

After a long while.

He drained the wine in his cup in one gulp and sighed to himself. "If only I had another Fruit Core."

Wait!

Bai Xing's eyes suddenly lit up.

As long as he planted the Fruit Core, both he and the Ancient Tree could continuously obtain nutrients.

Perhaps once there were enough nutrients, that branch could produce another Electromagnetic Fruit!

If he ate the fruit himself, he could strengthen his control over electromagnetism, while the remaining Fruit Core could be used to plant another target.

That would create a virtuous cycle!

Having figured it out, Bai Xing felt completely enlightened.

For the time being, all he needed to do was train his electromagnetic control while waiting for Sato to appear.

But there was one thing that left Bai Xing deeply puzzled.

Ever since consuming the Electromagnetic Fruit, he had discovered that he possessed more than just the ability to control electromagnetism.

His body had also undergone some inexplicable changes.

His muscles and bones had become tougher, his strength greater, and his speed faster. Even his vision and hearing had grown sharper.

Beyond that, Bai Xing realized that he seemed to possess several unusual abilities that only animals had.

"A bear's strength, a leopard's speed, an eagle's eyes, a bat's hearing, a spider's vibration sensing, a gecko's adhesion ability, and a rattlesnake's thermal vision..."

Bai Xing could not help frowning. "Are these really secondary abilities that come with magnetic field manipulation?"

When it came to magnetic field manipulation, the most famous example was undoubtedly Magneto!

Bai Xing tried hard to recall the X-Men films he had watched in his previous life.

But no matter how hard he thought, he could not remember Magneto ever displaying any of these special secondary abilities.

In his memory, aside from casually lifting an 880,000-ton Golden Gate Bridge or hauling an entire stadium through the air, Magneto's physical constitution was still that of an ordinary person!

He had an ordinary body that would die from a gunshot if caught off guard.

Nothing remotely like these special abilities had ever appeared.

Rubbing his chin, Bai Xing fell into deep thought.

"What's going on here?"