Bai Xing's Little Black, Sato's Plan

Kyoto Shijo Yumei Hotel.

The morning breeze brushed through his hair. On the spacious terrace, a man held an unusual stance.

He clasped his hands together, tilted his head upward, and stepped forward with his left leg. His hands slowly separated; his left hand pushed forward while his right pulled back, as though tearing apart cotton.

With his movements, wisps of hazy Black Particles emerged from the surface of his body.

They tangled together, gradually combining into a tall black humanoid figure that seemed to be wrapped in bandages.

"The summoning speed has increased a little more. The Three-Body Stance really works."

Three days had passed since Sato forcibly broke into the Ajin Research Institute.

Over the past few days, Bai Xing had been studying his Ajin constitution.

And he had successfully summoned Little Black.

He discovered that Little Black's summoning speed and control range were related to his willpower and physical condition.

As it happened, in his previous life as an underground fighter, he had studied Xingyi for a while.

The foundational stance of Xingyi Quan was called the Three-Body Stance. It emphasized a stable mind and breath, so that the mind aligned with intent; intent had to be focused, so that intent aligned with breath.

Standing meditation could regulate his body and will, increasing the speed at which he summoned Little Black.

Besides that, over these past three days, Bai Xing could feel faint streams of power continuously entering his body.

They had even made his already muscular body somewhat stronger.

Of course, that was not the most important thing.

What mattered most was that the trunk of the Void Ancient Tree had finally begun to emit a faint glimmer.

Bai Xing could feel that he could control this glimmer and inject it into the branch that had borne the Electromagnetic Fruit, or into another withered branch.

After thinking for a moment, Bai Xing still chose the Electromagnetic Branch.

Whether it was Electromagnetic Control or his Ajin constitution, he had only grasped the barest basics.

There was no need to foolishly attempt to unlock a new branch and gain new power.

After all, biting off more than he could chew would only leave him unable to handle any of it.

With Sato's efforts, both he and the Ancient Tree could share in the nourishment at any time.

He raised his eyes. From this angle, he could see the Ajin Research Management Association perfectly.

Quite a few reporters were still camped out nearby.

After Nagai Kei had been captured last time, reporters had begun blocking the entrance. Then, only a few days later, an explosion occurred at the institute.

With such massive news, those reporters had surrounded the institute like cats that had caught the scent of fish.

Even now, they had not fully dispersed.

In contrast to the reporters' restless excitement, the institute itself appeared calm.

Perhaps Tozaki Yuu had strengthened the security, but Sato still had not made any moves.

Bai Xing was not in a hurry. He knew Sato was definitely planning something.

What he needed to do now was study and master his own power first.

And today, Bai Xing intended to make a new attempt.

Splash!

In the bathroom, water streamed along the grooves between his muscles as Bai Xing took out the dagger he had prepared long ago.

Under the light, the dagger's sharp edge gleamed coldly.

He recalled the scene at the institute, when Sato and Nagai Kei had killed themselves without hesitation.

"I, Bai Xing, am no weaker than anyone!"

Squelch!

Holding the dagger in reverse, he viciously slashed open his windpipe and carotid artery.

Hah. Hah.

Blood flooded into his windpipe as air was violently forced out of his body. It felt as if he had been thrown into an ice bath, the bone-deep cold rapidly spreading through his entire body.

His consciousness began to blur. His body went limp and collapsed to the floor. Gradually, he could no longer feel anything—then he suddenly snapped his eyes open!

!!

Sitting on the floor, Bai Xing's pupils dilated as he gasped for breath.

He reached up to touch his neck. It was completely intact, without even a scar.

If not for the pungent smell of blood and the spattered blood still winding down the wall,

Bai Xing might have thought it had all been some bizarre dream.

"Is this what death feels like?"

Slowly rising to his feet, Bai Xing looked at himself in the mirror.

"It really doesn't feel very good."

With that, Bai Xing raised the dagger in his hand again and viciously drew it across his throat.

Squelch!

Crimson blood splashed across the mirror, staining it with an eerie shade.

Black Particles emerged from Bai Xing's body. Then he opened his eyes again and climbed up from the floor.

"The first and second times didn't feel fundamentally different. It still stirred up the most primal fear in a person. It seems that if I want to overcome it, I'll have to do it a few more times."

Ajin Research Management Association.

The gaze hidden behind Tozaki Yuu's glasses was intensely focused.

As he carefully examined the experimental report before him, his brows gradually furrowed.

"You're saying that Sato's physical abilities have improved?"

"Not improved—they've improved drastically!" Funaki Yuji, the head of the experimental team, looked excited.

"I've conducted a detailed comparison with the previous reports on Test Subject 001. This is a positive trend of physical enhancement!"

Tozaki Yuu did not feel pleased by this, because it reminded him of the bizarre events that had occurred when Sato forcibly broke into the institute.

"What about Number 003?"

The excitement on Funaki Yuji's face froze, and he said awkwardly, "Sorry, Test Subject 003's physical function tests are all normal. There have been no changes whatsoever."

Tozaki Yuu placed the report on the desk.

"Continue the conventional experiments on Number 003. As for Sato, I want you to uncover his secrets as soon as possible!"

"Yes!" Funaki Yuji nodded seriously, then turned and left.

Tozaki Yuu interlaced his fingers and rested his chin on them, a profound look appearing in his eyes.

He had a feeling that Sato's current changes might overturn the world's understanding of Ajin!

"Sato, whatever secrets you're hiding, now that you've fallen into my hands, I'll dig every last one of them out!"

Meanwhile, inside the renovated laboratory.

Sato, once again wrapped up like a mummy, lay on the cold operating table.

The sound of blades cutting through flesh rang out as a dissection was performed without any anesthetic.

Yet Sato's half-lidded eyes held not the slightest fear or pain, as though he had long since grown accustomed to it.

The researchers continuously conducted detailed examinations of the changes in his body, then filed their records and stored them on the computer.

But they did not know that after they finished everything and left,

the computer suddenly lit up, its experimental data and records automatically switching through page after page.

At last, it went dark again and returned to silence.

And on the operating table, Sato, who was bound and should have been unconscious from the anesthetic, had a smile curling wider and wider across his lips.

After spending the entire day self-harming and killing himself, Bai Xing finally decided to rest after nightfall.

Although he had lost a great deal of blood, each resurrection restored him to his peak condition.

Bai Xing could not help marveling at the wonder of an Ajin constitution.

After eating and drinking his fill, Bai Xing planned to test Little Black's summoning time and remote-control range again.

Whoosh!

A black humanoid creature appeared beside Bai Xing. Its long, sharp claws and teeth gave it an imposing and threatening appearance.

"Using death to temper my will has indeed worked. The summoning time has shortened a little more.

But judging from this trend, it probably won't be easy to shorten it any further. I should first see how far away I can control it."

The next moment, Bai Xing's consciousness entered Little Black's body, and it leaped off the edge of the balcony!