State Alchemist, the Cameo Mutant

Wang Zhen slept soundly.

For the first time in eighteen years, he experienced a sleep that was safe, peaceful, and sweet.

Waking up refreshed, Wang Zhen felt an urge to battle his pillow for another three hundred rounds, but the habit of rising early, ingrained over eighteen years, was not so easily broken. He got out of bed cleanly, tidied up quickly, and stepped outside to begin his morning exercises, which he never skipped. After finishing the routine, he began to taste the breakfast Selene had prepared with high spirits. The familiar flavor felt strange; it was indeed his own recipe, yet the craftsmanship had improved significantly. Possessing his own memories, he naturally knew his own palate, but the culinary execution was more precise than his own—the taste remained the same, but the delicacy and refinement were far superior.

Yesterday, although he had been pulled from the real world into this incredibly dangerous and cruel Original Infinite Space, Wang Zhen actually preferred this space that made others tremble. To him, not only could he do whatever he wanted here, but even the air flowing through the place carried a sweet, rich scent that he could breathe in and savor to his heart's content.

After all, Wang Zhen was a killer raised by an assassination organization, the sole survivor of his batch who had yet to die, and he had been transported here yesterday by twelve large trucks.

Therefore, unlike the others, Wang Zhen did not like the real world at all; there, he had at least three cameras monitoring him even while he slept, ate, or used the restroom.

"Master, I suggest you prepare a plausible excuse to explain your Alchemy." Selene frowned as she watched Wang Zhen transmute his dirty bowl, plate, and chopsticks into a fist-sized stone and toss it into the nearby sea.

"Li Xiaoyi, get up quickly! Then come out for a meeting! Everyone is waiting for you!" Zhang Jie's gravelly voice rang out from outside the door.

"Selene, come with me... let's meet these future teammates." Wang Zhen beckoned to Selene and walked toward the door.

In the God Hall outside, Zhang Jie, Zheng Zha, and Zhan Lan had already arrived. The three of them stood in the magnificent, vast, and empty God Hall, appearing particularly small, which made the space seem even more cavernous.

Wang Zhen glanced at the giant ball of light hanging in the air. He knew that this object, radiating a soft white light like a sun, was the supreme God. Beneath his feet was a perfectly circular, flat surface about fifty meters in diameter. Although it looked like ancient bluestone, it wasn't; it was an unknown material. He had realized this last night when he tested the instant effect of his Transmutation Circle. After subjecting it to fire, freezing, and heavy steel impacts, he hadn't been able to leave even a single mark on the ground, so it clearly couldn't be bluestone.

"Let me state this first: I am not Li Xiaoyi, nor am I an ordinary middle school student. My name is Wang Zhen—'Wang' as in king, 'Zhen' as in truth. I am a two-dimensional otaku who has achieved financial freedom and is now lying flat!" Wang Zhen didn't wait for anyone else to speak; he laid out his new identity information directly. As for whether it was reasonable, he didn't care at all.

Speak only three parts of the truth to anyone; never reveal your whole heart.

This was a golden rule left by his ancestors, and as a descendant, it was only reasonable for him to follow it.

Li Xiaoyi's presence hadn't been strong, so this change of name and personal identity didn't attract much attention from the others; at most, they thought he was making a mountain out of a molehill.

However, Zhang Jie and the others didn't say anything. After all, they were just strangers who had just met, and it was a good habit to be cautious and not reveal the truth earlier; one couldn't really blame him for that.

Afterward, Wang Zhen stopped talking and stood there quietly, watching the three of them engage in awkward small talk. One was introducing information about the Infinite Space and God, mixed with a lot of personal bias; one was talking about how he dug up his first pot of gold in the Resident Evil plot world; and one was talking about how dangerous it was back then, even leading to the tragic death of Mou Gang.

Finding it quite boring, Wang Zhen connected to God to start looking for abilities and items suitable as a cover for his instant Alchemy. After searching for a long time, the cheapest one still required a D-rank side quest, which made his teeth ache. If he couldn't find a similar ability, he would have to use Alchemy in secret, which would only increase the risks.

"???"

"Mutant Ability: Pyrokinesis, 800 reward points."

Wang Zhen accidentally discovered a superpower that only cost 800 reward points. This price was quite cheap, as the superpowers he had been looking at earlier basically started at a D-rank side quest.

"From X-Men... Brotherhood of Mutants... Pyro John..." Wang Zhen frowned and carefully recalled the movies he had watched; there really was this rather old superhero movie.

After struggling to recall the plot and comparing it with God's introduction, he finally understood why this "Pyrokinesis" was so cheap.

Because this superpower was truly just pyrokinesis in name! It could not create or generate fire; it could only control existing flames. It couldn't increase the temperature of the fire, nor could it decrease it. It was fair to say the limitations were too great, so it was no wonder the price was so low!

"Hahaha, this is the one! It suits me, and it can also explain where I spent my reward points!" Wang Zhen immediately exchanged for a Zippo Lighter, preparing to use it to show off in a moment.

Sure enough, after the awkward small talk, it was time for Zheng Zha to show off by exchanging for the perfect version of the Vampire Baron bloodline and Intermediate Internal Energy Enhancement! This combination, which shattered one's worldview and was as shocking as a thunderclap, was actually pulled off by Zheng Zha!

Yet Zheng Zha looked so proud, as if he had made a great deal, that Wang Zhen didn't even know how to roast him.

What kind of vampire doesn't drink blood?

Even a hybrid like Blade, a Daywalker who didn't fear sunlight, ultraviolet rays, silver, or garlic, still had bloodlust and needed regular injections to suppress it! In fact, the more severely he was injured and the more blood he lost, the stronger that urge became!

In other words, consuming blood was the original sin vampires had to bear, and it was the hallmark of their identity.

Just as Alucard, the King of the Night, said to Seras Victoria, the descendant he personally turned in Hellsing, only when Seras Victoria actively drank blood from the heart could the turning ritual be considered complete, and only then would she become a true vampire.

Wang Zhen didn't know what Zheng Zha was thinking to come up with such a bizarre, East-meets-West combination. Although according to the novel, Zheng Zha would use this combination to develop many moves that hurt the enemy by eight hundred while damaging himself by a thousand, relying purely on the protagonist's plot armor to defeat enemies and win.

However, Wang Zhen felt there were too many points to criticize, so he decided to let Zheng Zha enjoy himself for now. If things went wrong later... well, what did that have to do with him?

"I exchanged for the mutant ability 'Pyrokinesis', 800 reward points!" Wang Zhen said casually.

Furthermore, Wang Zhen pulled out the Zippo Lighter with a flourish, struck a flame, and then, with a wave of his hand, the flame from the lighter hovered in mid-air as if held by an invisible hand. At the same time, he curled four fingers of his left hand, leaving only his index finger pointing straight up, and the flame obediently landed on his fingertip.

It was very stylish!

The "cool factor" was a nine out of ten!

If not for that lighter, which was full of flaws, this would have been a perfect ten!

Zhan Lan and Zheng Zha were a bit confused, feeling that something was off, but controlling fire was indeed a very impressive superpower. In terms of visual impact, Zheng Zha's Vampire Baron bloodline had to feel ashamed!

"Li... Wang Zhen, how many reward points did you spend on this superpower?" Zheng Zha felt threatened, so he asked directly.

"Wait! Wang Zhen, you don't have any side quests, how did you exchange for a superpower? This Pyrokinesis of yours should cost at least a C-rank side quest!" Zhan Lan pointed to the core issue: the price.

"You... are mistaken! This 'Pyrokinesis' ability really only costs 800 reward points and doesn't require a side quest!" The veteran Zhang Jie thought carefully and finally remembered that God had some rather strange abilities and items, and then he recalled the "Pyrokinesis" ability...

"Mistaken? Only worth 800 reward points? Pyrokinesis?" Zhan Lan pondered this and connected directly to God to look up the ability.

"Pyro... kinesis? Can only control fire, cannot create or generate fire?" Seeing this description, Zhan Lan couldn't help but be stunned. This ability was too deceptive!

Then Zhan Lan looked at Wang Zhen, who was still holding the lighter in his right hand and a flame on his left index finger, trying to look cool. She wanted to say something, but in the end, she just opened her mouth and didn't utter a word.

After all, they weren't close! Even if this ability had too many limitations and felt like a "chicken rib" (useless but a pity to discard), Wang Zhen hadn't spent anyone else's reward points; he had paid for it himself. As a stranger she had just met, it really wasn't her place to say anything.

Wang Zhen waved his left hand, and the flame on his index finger instantly expanded into a basketball-sized fireball. It looked empty and thin, like an over-inflated balloon, and then, following his gesture, the fireball flew ten meters and smashed into the ground, splashing a few sparks.

It was indeed quite deceptive!

Anyone with poor eyesight would be shocked by it!

"You... spent 800 reward points just to exchange for this thing!" Zhan Lan, who had also only received the basic salary of 1000 reward points in the last plot world, said with a tone of "I'm disappointed in you."

"What else? This is a superpower; it can control fire!" Wang Zhen didn't care about others' thoughts at all. This thing was just a cover; it wasn't as if he had actually exchanged for this useless ability!

"I can't shoot, I don't know how to fight, and I don't have many reward points. If I want to have some combat power immediately, I can only look for such unconventional abilities and items!"