Planting Successful, Obtaining an Ajin Body

The Ajins' immortal bodies were powerful, even absurdly so.

For example, after being shot, bullets should have remained inside their bodies.

Yet after they regenerated, those bullets vanished without a trace.

For example, even if an Ajin was dismembered, they could regenerate from the largest remaining piece of their corpse.

And the process was fast, with practically no cooldown time.

At the same time, the Ajins' immortal bodies were also weak.

The guards of the Ajin Research Management Association could pose a fatal threat to them simply by using tranquilizer rounds.

If they were captured rather than killed, their immortality was difficult to put to use.

Nor was every Ajin like Sato, a veritable urban combat king with superb marksmanship and hand-to-hand combat skills.

And now, even Sato, the strongest Ajin, had fallen unconscious at Bai Xing's hands.

If Bai Xing wanted to deal with him now, he could simply lock him inside an iron coffin and pour reinforced concrete around it.

Then toss him into the Mariana Trench, ensuring he would never see daylight again.

But Bai Xing did not do that. Just as he had said before, he had come here to grant Sato a great opportunity.

He opened his palm, and a Fruit Core flickering with tiny arcs of electricity appeared.

Bai Xing then pressed it against Sato's head.

The Fruit Core immediately sank into his head and disappeared.

After the planting succeeded, Bai Xing felt a stream of information flood into his mind.

All kinds of knowledge were instantly mastered by him.

Even his already decent combat skills improved significantly.

He picked up one of the guns from the ground. Though he had never touched a firearm before, the cold sensation in his hand felt strangely familiar.

It was as if he had fired tens of thousands of rounds at a shooting range, honing top-tier marksmanship that never missed a shot!

Yet none of that truly interested Bai Xing.

As he concentrated, wisps of hazy black particles drifted from the surface of his body.

"So this is what they look like."

Like Little Black, ordinary people could not see these particles; only Ajins could.

Now Bai Xing could see them.

That meant he had successfully copied Sato's identity as an Ajin!

"Not a bad ability."

All of the Ajins' shortcomings stemmed from their own lack of strength.

But if Bai Xing, who possessed Magnetic Force, also had this immortal Ajin body, then he would be absolutely invincible!

Noisy sounds came from the distance.

The guards were coming again.

"Hmm, it's time to leave."

Without sparing the two people lying on the ground a glance, Bai Xing leaped up and clung to the smooth wall with both hands and feet.

Then he blended into the surroundings and vanished without a trace.

Before long, a group of guards armed with tranquilizer guns arrived. They had been extremely tense, but upon seeing Sato and Nagai Kei unconscious and bound by steel pipes, they were immediately dumbfounded, unable to believe it was real.

Elsewhere, before a wall that had been blasted open, Tanaka Kouji frowned and kept peering inside.

"Why hasn't Sato come out yet?"

A wheelchair stood beside him.

It was a prop they had prepared in advance.

This time, they had come to the research facility partly to rescue Nagai Kei, but also to stir things up in front of the media.

The public had long known that Ajins existed, but they did not know the circumstances Ajins lived under.

The government publicly claimed that Ajins were being protected.

But in reality, they were conducting inhumane live experiments.

So after rescuing Nagai Kei, Sato had intended to stage a pitiful act before the media.

He would also release video evidence of the research facility conducting live experiments on Ajins.

In theory, this would be enough to steer public opinion. Sato only needed to show his face more often and expose himself to the media and public.

He would win the public's sympathy and become a highly popular celebrity figure.

At that point, even if the Ajin Research Management Association wanted to capture him again, they would have to think twice.

He could even fight for a path to survival for the Ajins in a more legal and legitimate manner.

But that was not Sato's plan at all!

His true purpose in putting on this show was merely to make Ajins a topic of nationwide discussion, then pressure those Ajins hidden among the public.

He wanted them to know just how miserable their fate would be if they were captured by the Ajin Research Management Association.

Then he would gather them beneath his command.

And finally, they would make something big happen together!

Unfortunately, the plan died before it could even begin.

Because Sato had now been detained, along with Nagai Kei.

Through the bulletproof glass window, Tozaki Yuu stared coldly at the two of them.

He was not happy at all about having captured Sato.

"Has the matter been investigated clearly?"

He turned to the sweet-looking, short-haired girl beside him, his bodyguard and assistant, Shimomura Izumi.

Shimomura Izumi shook her head. "Sorry. All the surveillance cameras in the research facility are intact. But after Sato and Nagai Kei left the warehouse area, the cameras in the area they entered suffered some unexplained interference. They have recovered now, but there's no way to know what happened earlier."

Tozaki Yuu took a deep breath, as though something were lodged in his chest.

Things that remained unknown were always frustrating and unsettling.

Whenever he recalled what Sato had looked like when he found him, he felt a chill run down his spine.

As Sato's opponent, no one understood his terror better than he did. Yet such a man had been defeated without a sound!

Especially the way he had been restrained.

"Are the test results for that steel pipe out yet?"

"They are. It's an ordinary steel pipe, and the material was taken from within our research facility."

Tozaki Yuu gave a cold laugh. "An ordinary steel pipe? You're telling me an ordinary steel pipe could be bent into that shape without showing the slightest sign of processing? And how exactly was Sato bound inside it?!"

Shimomura Izumi looked at him worriedly. "Tozaki."

Tozaki Yuu waved a hand. "Lock the place down. Whether it helps or not, seal off the entire research facility first. Then conduct a thorough search. We'll definitely find some clues!"

"Yes!" Shimomura Izumi was just about to turn and leave.

But Tozaki Yuu called after her again. "Right, what about Tanaka Kouji? Have you caught him?"

Elsewhere.

After waiting for a long time without seeing Sato, Tanaka Kouji knew something had gone wrong.

But rather than turn around and flee, he gritted his teeth and prepared to enter the research facility again to search for Sato!

Just then, a large number of guards appeared. After a fierce battle, Tanaka knew the situation was lost.

If he continued fighting, the enemy would only send more and more men. Once he was surrounded, he would be in trouble!

In the end, he could only fight desperately to break out, then drive away along the prearranged safe route.

At the same time Tanaka Kouji successfully broke through and escaped.

Inside the laboratory, Sato, wrapped in strips of cloth like a mummy, slowly opened his eyes.

The sensation of restraint around his body immediately told him something was wrong.

Just then, a familiar voice sounded.

"Welcome back, Sato."

Tozaki Yuu looked down at him from above. The light reflected brightly off his glasses, like sharp swords ruthlessly stabbing into Sato's heart!