"Puppet... you're... a bad puppet."
Lucian looked at Sam, who was babbling on the operating table.
"What the hell are you going on about?"
Lucian stared into Sam's eyes, bloodshot with mania.
"Shut up. Be quiet."
LV5 mind control, Absolute Behavioral Compulsion.
As the words fell, Sam's violently struggling body instantly went rigid. The frenzy rapidly faded from his eyes, leaving only the emptiness of absolute obedience.
He obediently closed his mouth, and even his breathing grew steady. Like a real marionette, he lay there without moving.
"That's more like it."
Lucian nodded in satisfaction.
He released his hands and glanced at the medical stand beside him.
Dark red blood flowed steadily through the transparent tubing into a blood bag.
He had already thought of someone who could help him with his research.
Time ticked by.
Lucian monitored Sam's vital signs while sensing the slowly advancing progress bar on the system panel.
[Copy complete] [Ability fusion upgrade in progress...] [Current status: LV4 Super Physique (Fusion Enhancement)]
Lucian clenched his fists. He could feel his bone density increasing, his muscle fibers twisting into tougher cables, and his internal organs undergoing a qualitative change in their resistance to pressure.
It was as though the vessel of his original body had been forcibly expanded to accommodate a more ferocious reserve of power.
His strength and defense had indeed improved, but he frowned at the "LV4" that remained on the panel.
Even after fusing with Sam's LV4 physique, he still hadn't broken through to LV5.
Apparently, the higher the level, the greater the gap. The barrier between LV4 and LV5 was far thicker than he had imagined.
"I'll need stronger medicine."
The image of a rugged man in a combat suit, carrying a shield, surfaced in Lucian's mind.
Soldier Boy.
That old