Chapter 45: Backstage Manipulator

With that thought in mind, the researcher quickly explained, "We are have been studying how to turn humans into ability users, and after countless experiments, we found a way to transfer abilities. We need to perform the transplant the ability core while it's still alive. However, mature ability cores are so large that once they leave the body of the beast, they would collapse, so..."

"So, you're using ability users who have just awakened?!" Qin Feng continued, finally able to clarify the reason for what happened to him in his previous life.

He was just unlucky! It was by sheer coincidence that he became their lab rat.

"Ye... Yes..." the man answered while profusely nodding, too afraid to infuriate Qin Feng.

Nevertheless, Qin Feng's fury was only escalating as the second went by. "You haven't answered my second question!" Qin Feng smirked. "Those people, your people, were wearing Black Spider masks, but I know that you are not Black Spiders!"

Both of Qin Feng's hostages hesitated to answer the question, so Qin Feng brandished his knife again at the man in the suit.

"Ahh! Fine! I'll tell you! I'll tell you!" the man shouted in a panic, too afraid to disoblige Qin Feng, who was behaving like a ruthless madman. "We're not Black Spiders! In fact, we're not even an anti-human group either. It's all very cloak-and-daggerish business. Until today, all we know is the code-name of the organization. 'Z' is what they call it!"

"Be more specific!" Qin Feng barked.

"I... I don't know any more than that. I just know the code name. Our group is extensive - we almost always get high-level ultra-beasts for our experiments!" he quivered, making sure to add in that last bit in the hopes to scare off Qin Feng.

"Z..."

It appeared that Qin Feng had never heard of them before. That one letter was too simple, and it could have meant so many things. He looked at the researcher fiercely, noticing the fear in his eyes. The guy had no reason to lie.

Still, Qin Feng decided to throw him over the edge a little, threatening, "Since that's all you know, you have my permission to die now!"

Then, Qin Feng raised his Verdant Emperor Saber high above his head, ready to unleash deadly blow.

"No, no!!! Don't kill me... please! I'll tell you a secret!"

The man in the suit squirmed at the sight of the knife.

Qin Feng's arm froze mid-air, eyes narrowed. "If it's another piece of meaningless information, I'm afraid I won't grant you another chance to keep breathing!"

"No! No! I'll tell you what you need to know!" the man promised. The truth was he knew quite a few secrets, and now seemed like the best time for him to reveal some.

"Even though we're attached to Organization Z, we have vast resources of manpower for research. We have one station in every colony or city, where we trade with their leaders constantly. The attack on your classmates was not our original intention. It was only because the other party kept urging us to hurry up!"

At that, Qin Feng's heart did a somersault. "Who is this 'other party' you're talking about?"

As he pressed the blade against the man's neck, the man gulped hard before answering. "It's the deputy mayor of Chengbei!"

Qin Feng's forehead creased. Then a light bulb went off in his head!

"So, it's him!"

An intensely bitter feeling of contempt and rancor filled him. Chengbei was a large colony, but Chengyang had another name for it - Chengbei district, managed by two district mayors, three generals, and two members of parliament. The seven of them made up the most powerful authority in Chengbei. Deputy mayor Lin Cheng was an E-tier elect, and he had a son named Lin Kai.

"Which is to say that Lin Zheng wants his own son to become an ability user?" Qin Feng pressed further.

"Yes, yes, yes!" the man in the suit replied. "We were originally experimenting on ultra-beasts. But their awakening periods were irregular. This happened to be awakening season, so we came up with the idea to grab an ability user. Everything I said is true! Without the support of people like that, how could we have set up a laboratory so close to Chengbei? Even if we were found out someday, we could always claim we're a legitimate business!"

"Great! Very good!" Qin Feng muttered through gritted teeth.

That meant that in his previous life, his ability had been given to Lin Kai! It was that Lin Kai, a guy that was just another prodigal son of a wealthy family. During the awakening season, he suddenly exploded with ability, not just any ability, but the extremely rare dark ability! After he became an ability user, his strength grew at an astounding rate and subsequently became really powerful. However, the things he did were abominable, causing turmoil and mayhem in Chengbei like a disease, a pestilence ravaging a cornfield. To make matters worse, all of those assets he had were taken from Qin Feng!

"No wonder!" Qin Feng wished he could rip a deep one into Lin Kai's throat that very moment!

"Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!"

Xiaobai, who had perched on Qin Feng's shoulder, suddenly cried out! Strangely, the man in the suit grinned in delight.

Without so much as a warning, a silver light flashed, and Qin Feng and Xiaobai suddenly found themselves in another corner of the room.

Rumble!!!

There was a deafening tremor, and the laboratory door burst open, crashing down right at the spot where Qin Feng stood a second ago! The researcher and the guy in the suit were literally blown away!

Unfortunately, they did not survive the blast. The people they hoped would come rescue them were the ones who did not care if they were dead or alive. The hole where the door once stood was engulfed in smoke, but Qin Feng could roughly make out the form of the intruder.

He looked to be about in his mid-twenties and was wearing a black and green combat uniform. On his chest was a badge with an 'F1' printed on it, and he was holding a tactical energy cannon.

A gunner!

The young man raised the tactical energy cannon, looked through the sights, and aimed at Qin Feng.

Boom!!!

The cannon had discharged.

"Chirp!" Xiaobai cried out, again instantly sending Qin Feng to another location.

Boom!!

The explosion was deafening.

"Shit! The perception ability!" Becoming a gunner did not necessarily require a very high disposition, but once someone became a gunner, they had to undergo a unique strengthening process that enhanced their ability of perception. So, even if Qin Feng was hiding in a corner surrounded by thick clouds of smoke, the intruder was still able to attack him with confidence.

Evading an F-class gunner's perception was not easily achievable, to sat the least. To the gunner, there was nowhere Qin Feng could hide.

"Oh?" This is interesting!" the gunner suddenly chuckled. He did not expect Qin Feng to actually run.

His amusement, however, quickly disappeared, and his face darkened.

"How is that possible?" he asked with eyes as large as marbles.

According to his perception, Qin Feng was already in the corridor. But he had already blocked the door. How in god's name did Qin Feng manage to get away?

Could he walk through walls now?!

Simultaneously, Qin Feng was looking down at the floor, dumbfounded. There was a body lying by his feet. It was one of the guys from the lab.

Who killed him? Was it that gunner?

But why? Was this an indication that he was not an ally of the laboratory?