Lin Fan was bound to a metal chair, his eyelids pried open by cruel metal extensions. Before him, a black screen flickered to life, flanked by a pair of speakers.
He couldn't move a muscle.
"How long is the procedure?"
"Keep watch," Freya ordered, leaving with a few of her grunts.
Dr. Aris Thorne activated the program, and the screen erupted in a cascade of light. Geometric shapes and hypnotic patterns morphed into one another, a kaleidoscope of vivid, rapidly changing colors. Harsh, alternating tones blasted from the speakers, assaulting Lin Fan’s senses. A desperate urge to close his eyes welled up inside him, but the clamps held fast. Soon, his eyeballs were bloodshot and swollen.
God, this is unbearable.
It was a primitive method of brainwashing, designed to overwhelm and distort the subject’s thoughts, leaving the mind pliable and open to suggestion.
It did, however, have the advantage of not causing permanent brain damage—a fact that both Lin Fan and the scientist, Dr. Aris Thorne, could appreciate for their own reasons.
The depraved, eager expression on Dr. Aris Thorne’s face filled Lin Fan with a cold rage. He felt like livestock in a slaughterhouse, waiting for the inevitable.
With a silent command, Lin Fan allocated two of his four unassigned attribute points into Intelligence.
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You are being Brainwashed (Low Level).
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The crushing discomfort eased almost immediately.
Twelve hours later, Lin Fan’s entire body ached with a dull, persistent pain, and his eyes felt as dry as sand.
Freya returned precisely on schedule. The Magnus had assigned her this task, and she was not one to fail in her duties.
She undid his shackles, revealing dark bruises already forming on his limbs. Though pain radiated through him, Lin Fan kept his expression slack, his eyes fixed blankly on the screen to maintain the act.
Freya suddenly leaned in, her face a mere two inches from his. Her warm, moist breath ghosted across his lips, but Lin Fan was far too focused on his predicament to be distracted.
A floral perfume filled his nostrils, tickling them. It took a supreme effort of will to suppress the urge to sneeze.
"Who are you?" Freya asked, her voice a soft, hypnotic whisper.
Lin Fan responded with only a slight twitch of his facial muscles.
He had never been a good actor, but playing the part of a mindless idiot didn't seem too difficult.
Suddenly, Freya moved even closer, whispering directly into his ear. Her fine hair brushed against his throat, and as she leaned over, the open collar of her uniform offered a startling view of the pale peaks of her breasts. Lin Fan steeled his heart with a silent prayer.
Between the mountains lies a valley, empty as the void. Atop the sea stands an island, straight as a tree. I've seen a thousand temptations in my past life; your bait will not catch me!
"From today onward, your name is Wraith," Freya murmured, her voice a silken thread weaving into his mind. "The Genesis Foundation is your home, your country, your everything. You will be forever loyal to the organization. You will strive to achieve its goals. You will never hide anything from it, nor will you betray it. You will carry out your orders faithfully and sacrifice yourself for the greater good when the time comes."
Dr. Aris Thorne cackled, a manic, triumphant sound that grated on the nerves.
"Your life belongs to the organization," he added. "You will do whatever you are ordered to do."
"Who are you?" Freya asked again.
This time, Lin Fan knew he had to answer. But he didn't respond immediately, letting the silence stretch.
Freya shot a sharp, questioning frown at Dr. Aris Thorne.
"I followed the procedure! It's not my fault—" the scientist began, his voice defensive.
Suddenly, Lin Fan spoke, his voice a low, halting rasp. "Ze… ro."
Dr. Aris Thorne’s eyes lit up.
"The Chimera treatment strengthened Wraith's learning ability," he explained quickly. "But as a side effect, it impaired his speech."
Freya considered Wraith's slow responses. It matched what she had just seen.
"It seems the experiment was not perfect after all."
"You're wrong," Dr. Aris Thorne retorted. "This is perfection. He has no need for emotions."
"Take him to recover," Freya said, her tone final. "I will report to the Magnus."
Lin Fan could finally relax. The idea to feign mental sluggishness had come to him during the procedure, a simple ruse to lower their guard.
I may not have transmigrated to an ideal location, but at least the timing isn't the worst it could be.
The Chimera experiment was merely a prototype. Later, the organization would perfect their supersoldier project by implanting microchips into their subjects to ensure absolute loyalty.
Transmigrating into that era would have been far worse. They could have detonated him with the push of a button.
At least in that regard, Lady Luck is smiling on me.
Freya made a call on an encrypted line.
"Boss, the situation has stabilized."
"Is the brainwashing complete?" a man's hoarse voice answered from the other end.
"I oversaw the procedure. There were no issues. What are your arrangements for Wraith?"
"The aim of the Chimera experiment is to create soldiers. So train him."
"How is my sister?" Freya's voice tightened almost imperceptibly.
"Don't forget our deal," the man warned. "I gave you permission to visit her once every two months. Don't cross the line."
Freya's fists clenched at her sides.
The interior of the underground Chimera lab was a sterile world of white. Guards patrolled the corridors in constant, silent rotation.
After a night of restless sleep, Lin Fan was brought to an isolated training ground where Freya awaited him.
While he wasn't sure what specific arrangements the organization had for him, he knew they would want to exploit his supposed "learning ability." That meant he would have a chance to level up his Mechanic skills.
Escaping a fortress this heavily guarded was impossible for now. Lin Fan had already resigned himself to playing the long game.
"Wraith, from today on, you will undergo daily combat and shooting practice."
Freya tossed a dark, form-fitting suit at him.
Lin Fan quickly pulled it on.
The moment it was zipped, Freya attacked. She moved in a blur, launching a vicious kick aimed straight at his chest.
He had no time to react. The impact cracked his ribs through the armor, sending him staggering back a dozen steps as he clutched his chest, coughing for breath.
As expected of a superhuman.
She was obviously holding back, but her speed was still several times that of an ordinary person.
"Thirty seconds of rest," she stated, her voice flat and devoid of emotion.
The combat training was brutal but straightforward. No further words were exchanged.
They continued for two grueling hours. By the end, Lin Fan was completely exhausted, his body a canvas of fresh bruises. He was also beginning to suspect Freya had sadistic tendencies.
Are all ice-queen types like this? he wondered grimly.
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Freya (Lv. 30) has taught you [Basic Combat].
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Freya left without another word.
Moments later, a stout, burly man arrived and yanked Lin Fan to a nearby shooting range.
"I am your shooting trainer, and one of the vice-managers of this base. Call me Kaelen," the man introduced himself. His face was a fearsome mask, dominated by a hideous knife scar that ran across his forehead.
He shoved a 73-Vespa pistol into Lin Fan's hands. "Ten bullets. Hit the bullseye with all of them."
Lin Fan frowned. How could a beginner who had never fired a real gun hope to hit the bullseye on a moving dummy thirty meters away?
I'm no Olympic champion.
He shrugged his aching shoulders and raised the gun with trembling arms.
After ten shots, Lin Fan glanced at the scoreboard. Just as he expected, a complete failure.
Suddenly, a searing pain erupted from his back. He barely managed to stifle a scream.
He spun around to see Kaelen, a frenzied look in his eyes, licking a smear of blood off a black tactical knife.
"Continue," the man snarled. "One miss, one cut. Let's see how much blood you lose today."
Lin Fan reached a hand behind him, and it came back slick with crimson.
Bastard, he cursed inwardly.
In a darkened observation room, a one-way mirror looked out onto the range. Freya and Dr. Aris Thorne stood watching.
"Kaelen is being too careless with my precious test subject! You might as well let me dissect him now," Dr. Aris Thorne lamented.
Freya gave the scientist a flat look. "The organization will not approve your request."
Dr. Aris Thorne let out a cold, humorless laugh.
"I'll have my way sooner or later. I created him. He is mine."
Freya remained silent.
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Kaelen (Lv. 15) has taught you [Basic Shooting].
[Agent] Profession Unlock Rate: 1%
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Again and again, the knife bit into his flesh. The cuts weren't deep, but there were so many of them that his training suit was soaked through with blood.
Kaelen watched the weakened Lin Fan with a grin, reveling in the coppery scent.
"Why aren't you screaming?" he asked, his voice a low growl. "A good toy always screams."
Lin Fan took a deep breath, forcing himself to remain calm. The urge to smash his fist into Kaelen's scarred face was overwhelming, but he knew he couldn't act recklessly. It was like playing a losing game of Nexus Wars—trash-talking your opponent only sets you up for a more spectacular, humiliating defeat.
For now, all he could do was endure.
Laugh while you can, Lin Fan thought, gritting his teeth against the pain.