A temporary stay at the estate: The mystery of the strange metal

The roar of the helicopter's rotors gradually faded beside his ears as Ye Mo followed Tony out of the cabin. The concrete helipad beneath his feet was smooth and solid, surrounded by high walls. In the distance, the outline of a modern villa was clearly visible.

He did not hurry forward, but stood where he was and surveyed his surroundings. Thermal Vision activated automatically. He found no unusual heat sources in his field of view and silently noted the positions of the surveillance cameras.

"You really don't let your guard down for a second." Tony looked back at him. "Afraid someone's lying in ambush?"

"The system reminded me to check." Ye Mo deactivated his ability. "Safety first."

Tony gave a soft snort. "Then you need to learn when not to rely on the system. This is my home, not a battlefield."

The butler, JARVIS, was already waiting at the entrance in an immaculate suit, reporting on the estate's operations in an even tone. Tony listened while waving for Ye Mo to follow.

The guest room was on the east side of the second floor. It was spacious, with a bed, desk, and wardrobe, and its window overlooked a corner of the garden. Leaning against the doorframe, Tony said, "You'll be staying here from now on. Nobody will stop you even if you want to blow up the lab-but if you actually do, you're paying for it."

"I'll keep the force under control." Ye Mo set down his backpack, unzipped it, and began organizing his things.

After Tony left, his footsteps gradually faded into the distance. Only then did Ye Mo take a piece of metal from a hidden compartment in his backpack. It was a scrap of alloy left over from the cave tests, its surface covered in fine patterns resembling some kind of inscribed symbols. At the time, he had only thought its structure unusual. Looking at it now, though, he kept feeling that something was wrong.

He stared at it for a few seconds before a crisp notification suddenly sounded in his mind.

[High-density mutant energy residue detected. Source unknown. Contact can activate a new fragment on the first level of the Gene Spiral Tower.]

Ye Mo paused in surprise. In the past, acquiring fragments had always been triggered by contact with Mutants or places where their abilities had been used. This time, it was because of a piece of metal?

He turned the piece over repeatedly, then gently ran his fingertips across its surface. The patterns actually grew slightly hot, as though an electric current had just passed through them.

No, I have to find out where this came from.

He closed his backpack, left the room, and made a circuit of the corridor, spotting JARVIS crossing the hall.

"Um... where's the study?" he asked.

"At the far western end of the main building. Sir has permitted you to consult the engineering books," JARVIS replied. "However, you are not to touch anything in the experimental log section without permission."

"I'll just look at the materials science references." Ye Mo nodded. "And help Tony optimize his armor while I'm at it."

JARVIS said nothing more and continued on his way.

The study was more spacious than he had imagined. Bookshelves covered an entire wall, a workbench stood in the center, and a small safe sat in the corner. Its label read: S-7 sample, recovered from the cave.

Ye Mo's heartbeat quickened slightly.

Pretending to browse the books, he moved slowly along the shelves, but his gaze remained fixed on the safe. With no one around, he quietly took a few steps closer and lightly touched its outer wall with his fingertips.

[Energy resonance confirmed. Absorption procedure can be triggered.]

There it is!

He immediately withdrew his hand, turned, and left. I can't do it here. It's too risky. Cameras, infrared beams, automatic alarms-any one of them could undo all my efforts.

Back in his room, he lay on the bed and closed his eyes, recalling what he had just seen. Thermal Vision could replay scan records. He brought up the temperature distribution map around the safe and discovered a small area inside that continuously emitted faint fluctuations, at almost exactly the same frequency as the piece of metal in his hand.

They really do share the same source.

At eleven that night, the estate fell silent. Ye Mo put on his jacket and slipped out. Half the corridor lights were off, and the surveillance cameras changed direction every thirty seconds.

He crouched at a corner, observing their timing, then slipped into the main building during a gap. The study door was unlocked. He pushed it open and went straight for the safe.

Thermal Vision activated, revealing the infrared paths clearly. Hugging the wall, he avoided the beams and reached the safe in a few quick strides, extending his hand to touch its metal casing.

Three seconds.

That was enough.

[Absorption complete. New ability fragment unlocked: "Metal Assimilation" (beginner)-can perceive the emotional resonance of specific metals and gradually influence their physical form.]

Ye Mo quickly withdrew his hand and retreated into the shadows, panting. In that instant, countless images flooded his mind: furnaces, explosions, the sound of tearing, and a deep voice calling out, though he could not make it out clearly.

He stood against the wall for a few seconds, trying to steady his thoughts.

"Metal Assimilation"? It doesn't sound like a combat skill, more like a research aid. But since the system granted it, it must be useful.

He thought of Tony's prototype suit of armor. If I can sense the metal's condition, or even slightly alter its structure... wouldn't that mean repairing the armor would no longer rely on guesswork?

More importantly, who did this metal's energy come from? Why does it carry a mutant imprint? Had someone else been active in the cave?

There were no immediate answers to these questions. He had not even mastered how to use this ability yet.

Early the next morning, Ye Mo sat at the dining table eating breakfast. Tony walked in carrying coffee, his hair disheveled. He had clearly stayed up late.

"Where did you go last night?" Tony sat down. "I had JARVIS check the surveillance footage. You made a circuit of the estate in the middle of the night."

"I couldn't sleep." Ye Mo took a bite of toast. "I went for a walk to clear my head."

"Oh?" Tony raised an eyebrow. "And stopped by the study along the way?"

"I was passing by and wanted to see if there were any materials science books I could borrow."

"You're in luck." Tony took a sip of coffee. "I happened to have a copy of Polymer Alloy Stability Analysis. I left it outside your door."

Ye Mo did not respond, lowering his head to drink his milk.

Tony stared at him for two seconds, then suddenly smiled. "You know what? I hate being lied to more than anything. But right now, I don't want to expose you."

"Why?"

"Because if you really wanted to hurt me, you would have done it back in the cave." Tony stood up. "Besides, you didn't touch the experimental logs last night, or any of the other samples. That shows you know where to draw the line."

Ye Mo looked up. "So?"

"So-" Tony reached the doorway and looked back. "Next time you want to visit the study, just tell me. Don't play this sneaking-around game."

The door closed.

Ye Mo remained seated, but his mind was on something else.

Tony trusted him, yet he was hiding the system's existence. How much longer could that balance last?

After finishing breakfast, he returned to his room, took out a notebook, and wrote:

1. The cave metal contains mutant energy.

2. The energy can be transferred through contact.

3. The "Metal Assimilation" ability can sense and influence the state of metal.

4. At the beginner stage, it can only identify resonance frequencies and cannot actively control metal.

5. Next step: find similar metals for comparative experiments.

When he finished writing, he closed the notebook and looked out the window.

Dawn had just broken, and sunlight spilled over the lawn. The roof of the distant laboratory gleamed faintly, like a thin film of silver.

A thought suddenly occurred to him. If this metal really was connected to a certain mutant, would he be able to sense the metal they carried in advance the next time they met?

Weapons, for example, or accessories, prosthetic parts...

The thought had barely formed when another notification sounded in his mind.

["Metal Assimilation" cooldown progress: 87%]

Looks like I'll have to wait.

He stuffed the notebook into a drawer, stood up, and rolled his shoulders. He had not been injured during last night's infiltration, but his lower back was a little stiff, probably from spending too long bent over.

Just as he was about to sit down, his phone vibrated.

It was a message from JARVIS: Sir requests your presence in the main hall. There is new intelligence to discuss.

Ye Mo checked the time: 8:23.

He grabbed his jacket and headed out.

The corridor was brightly lit, and the carpet absorbed sound so well that his footsteps were almost silent.

As he walked, he wondered-what exactly had Tony discovered?

The main hall's door was open. Tony stood before a projection screen with his back to the entrance. A set of metal composition analysis charts was displayed on the screen.

Ye Mo walked in, and Tony spoke without turning around:

"Did you know someone's been smuggling a strange alloy in Afghanistan lately?"