Returning to Godolkin University, Lucian feels like switching from a war movie to the set of a youth campus drama.
The sun was shining brightly, students were laughing and playing in twos and threes on the lawn, and there was a smell of hormones mixed with marijuana floating in the air.
Lucian immediately went to his secret training room.
When he opened the door, everything inside was exactly the same as when he left, without any trace of tidying up. It seemed that Brink and his people clearly understood the weight of the four words "absolutely private".
However, caution is a habit engraved in Lucian's bones.
He doesn't trust anyone Vought.
He took out his cell phone, found Jordan Li's number, and dialed it.
"Hello?"
A clear and somewhat lazy female voice came from the other end of the phone.
"It's me, Lucian."
"Of course I know it's you, my great hero." The voice on the other end of the phone became joking, "Why, do you think of my old friend now? I thought you were being personally coached by Professor Brink and had long forgotten about us classmates who are still struggling at the bottom."
Lucian smiled, listening to her familiar tone, which was completely different from the slightly reserved and wary tone when the two met for the first time.
"Are you at school?"
"Otherwise? Except for big shots like you who can run around, we all have to go to class."
"Come to my training room, South District, Building 11, basement three. I need your help with something."
"Oh? The future big star actually wants to ask me for something? Okay, just wait."
The phone hangs up.
In less than ten minutes, the door to the training room was pushed open, and an Asian girl wearing a sports vest and leggings walked in. She had neat short hair and a somewhat unruly look in her eyes.
It is Jordan·Li in female form.
She looked Lucian up and down and whistled. "Hey, I haven't seen you for a few days, and he seems to be a little more handsome again. Tell me, why are you looking for me? Let me tell you in advance that I don't do physical work."
Help me change the door lock." Lucian pointed to the door he had just destroyed, "This one is broken."
Jordan rolled his eyes. "Change the lock? You asked me to change the lock? Do I look like a locksmith? Can't you just find someone from the Logistics Department for this kind of thing?"
Lucian didn't say anything more, just opened the bank APP and transferred a sum of money to Jordan's account.
Soon, Jordan's mobile phone sounded a payment notification tone.
"Gift crab!" Jordan's voice suddenly rose an octave, "Fifty thousand US dollars?! Are you going to rob a fucking bank?"
"This is the reward for this time." Lucian said.
Although this amount of money is nothing to him now, he always remembers this favor. If Copy Jordan's ability hadn't helped him pass the test of the Lamplighter Academy, he would probably have been assigned to Crimson Earl College, which was full of superpowers that were neither good nor useful, and the starting stage would undoubtedly be much slower.
Jordan stared at Lucian for a long time, the shock on her face slowly faded away, replaced by a complex amusement. She put her phone back in her pocket, walked step by step in front of Lucian, almost pressed against his body, and lowered her voice.
"Bro, I thought you were weird when we first met." Her breath blew into Lucian's ear with a hint of warmth, "Tell me, have you been plotting against me for a long time?"
She looked at Lucian's face carefully, with a cunning light shining in her bright eyes. Then she seemed to have thought of something again, her cheeks turned slightly red, and she added in a lower voice, "Actually... it's not impossible."
Lucian was choked by her sudden straight shot and coughed twice. She subconsciously took a half step back and distanced herself.
"Ahem... you're overthinking, I'm still very conservative."
He has no interest in developing any cross-form friendship in a place like this.
Jordan made a "cut" sound, and the blush on his face disappeared instantly, and he returned to his cynical look. "It's boring. Okay, for the sake of money, I'll take this job. I promise to change a lock for you that even the CIA can't pick."
Lucian waved his hand, turned around and walked out, "I have something else to do. Send me a message when you get it done."
He didn't stay any longer and left the training room.
After walking out of the training room, Lucian found a secluded corner on campus and sent a message to Cate.
[See you at the same place.]
The place he was going to was the abandoned old gymnasium.
That was the place where they "cooperated" for the first time, where Luke was knocked down, and where they witnessed their becoming "accomplices".
When Lucian arrived at the stadium, Cate was already waiting in the shadow of the stands.
She was wearing a simple sweatshirt, with her hands in her pockets, her head lowered, and her toes unconsciously kicking a pebble on the ground. She looked a little haggard, with faint dark circles under her eyes.
Hearing the footsteps, she raised her head suddenly and saw that it was Lucian. A glimmer of light flashed in her eyes, but was soon replaced by a complicated and difficult to understand emotion.
That was intense uneasiness.
Like a cat that has been abandoned by its owner once, when it sees its owner again, it is eager to get close to it, but is afraid of being pushed away again.
"You..." Cate opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say.
Lucian can feel the violent fluctuations in her emotions.
He forcibly intervened in her life, pulled her out of the originally planned track, and then disappeared without a word for so many days. Anyone else would have felt left out and panicked.
"What have you been doing these days?" Cate finally plucked up the courage and asked softly.
Lucian looked at her and said half-jokingly, "I was chased by Homelander, but I was lucky enough to survive."
He thought she would laugh, or at least say "boring".
But Cate does not.
She just looked at him worriedly, her beautiful blue eyes full of seriousness.
"I know you have a lot of secrets, so I don't have to ask." Her voice was trembling, "But, can you... don't suddenly break into my life and then leave suddenly?"
She paused for a moment, as if she had made a lot of determination, and then continued, "If it weren't for me... I secretly inquired about you and found that you haven't officially dated a girlfriend yet. I thought... I thought you were just bored and just looking for me to play with."
When she said the last sentence, her voice had a hint of choking that was difficult to detect.
Lucian's heart moved slightly.
He looked at the girl who was devastated for him, looked at the unreserved fear and sincerity in her eyes, and those words that had been prepared to comfort and control, suddenly couldn't say a word.
He didn't say anything more, he just took a step forward, stretched out his arms, and hugged her tightly.
Cate's body stiffened for a moment, then as if he had found a harbor to rely on, he slowly relaxed and buried his face in his chest.
Lucian can feel the slight trembling of the petite body in his arms.
He raised his hand and gently stroked Cate's silky golden hair, and then her cheek.
Get a piece of it that is warm and delicate.
"No more." He promised in a low voice.
The moment his palm touched Cate's cheek, the familiar System Panel popped up in front of his eyes.
[Copy target detected...]
[Cate·Dunlap]
[Optional ability list:]
[1. Mental Manipulation(LV5): Absolute Behavioral Compulsion; Full-Dimensional Memory Manipulation; Mental Cage...]
[2. Super Physique (LV2): Basic physical resistance is improved, resistance to blows is enhanced, and recovery speed is slightly accelerated.]
Lucian's movements did not pause at all, and his eyes were still looking at Cate tenderly, as if he was holding the most precious treasure in the world in his arms.
But deep in his heart, a clear voice made a choice.
Select Mental Manipulation.
This is what he has been eyeing from the beginning, the "master key" to the core of Vought's power.
With it, the secrets of "Woods" and the Live Experimentation Ground underground of Godolkin University will all be opened to him.
Feeling the weak but real flow of energy coming from the palm of his hand, Lucian hugged Cate's arm and tightened it a little more.
As for feelings...
Maybe there is.
But until you gain enough power to control your own destiny, all emotions can only be pushed back.
[Select: Mental Manipulation(LV5)]
[Ability Copy starts... Estimated time required: 24 hours]