Chapter 127: Extraordinary

What is happening?

Yi Chen had been caught completely off guard, never expecting to be electrocuted. Though the voltage was not enough to cause him serious injury, it left his muscles rigid and rendered him unable to move.

A flash of purple current flickered in Lu Yu’s eyes. He extended his hand as if to launch an attack. Yi Chen tried to call out, but his tongue was numb; in his panic, he could only manage a wheezing sound.

"...Yi Chen?" The current in Lu Yu’s eyes faded, and his hand froze in mid-air.

At the critical moment, he regained his senses and recognized his friend.

"I-It’s me!" Yi Chen managed to force out the words.

"...I thought you were an enemy." Lu Yu became a bit clearer. He recalled the final battle against Magneto, who had been electrocuted to death.

He looked around. It was an unfamiliar, stark white room, surrounded by a group of figures dressed in full-body white protective gear. Without exception, they stared at him with expressions of terror.

"Where am I? What happened?" Lu Yu’s mind was still short-circuiting; he was utterly bewildered.

"You were infected by the virus, but you should be past the danger zone now." Ling Lan was the first to return to her composure. She adjusted her glasses and moved to help up the doctor who had collapsed earlier. The man’s pulse was steady and his life was not in danger; he had simply been knocked unconscious.

The other doctors, as if waking from a dream, finally began to help, though they kept a wary distance from Lu Yu, none daring to approach him.

After a few seconds of reflection, Lu Yu suddenly realized something. He checked his arms and touched his back; the wounds had healed without him even noticing.

"I didn't turn into a zombie!" Lu Yu was both shocked and overjoyed.

"I knew you could do it, you rascal!" Yi Chen finally climbed to his feet. His nose stung, and he nearly lost control of his emotions.

"Yo, are you crying?" Lu Yu discovered something new.

"Who the hell is crying... it’s sweat!" Yi Chen wiped his face in embarrassment.

"Your eyes can sweat? I’ve learned something new today." Lu Yu laughed heartily.

Yi Chen laughed as well, a heavy weight lifting from his chest. Since things had reached this point, there was no going back for Lu Yu, but thankfully, this was the best possible outcome.

"Is your special ability electricity manipulation?" Yi Chen asked.

"...I'm not entirely sure, but it seems so. It feels very strange." Lu Yu shook his arms, and wisps of visible purple current swirled around his hands, making faint crackling sounds in the air.

He seemed to have become addicted to it. With an expression of disbelief, he kept waving his hands, experimenting with his newfound power.

"I need to stay away from you. I don't want to get shocked again," Yi Chen said half-jokingly.

"Why would I shock you for no reason? If I’m going to shock anyone, it’ll be a girl!" Lu Yu retorted with a look of disdain.

"Hey, excuse me. Can we restore the power before you two keep chatting?" Ling Lan, hearing them go back and forth as if no one else were present, couldn't help but interrupt.

It was still unclear how large an area Lu Yu’s discharge had affected, but one thing was certain: the power was out in the vicinity.

This was the headquarters of Future Pharmaceuticals, where countless instruments were in operation and critical patients were in various rooms. Most importantly, Liang Bing was just next door.

Lu Yu stuck out his tongue like a child who had realized they had done something wrong. The blackout in this area was entirely a result of his uncontrolled state, but since he was unfamiliar with his power, restoring it proved difficult.

After several attempts and breaking into a cold sweat, Lu Yu finally managed to restore everything to normal.

As the lights flickered back on, everyone let out a sigh of relief.

Ling Lan took out a syringe filled with a pale blue liquid and said to Lu Yu, "I need to draw blood for analysis now. I’ll need to put you under for a bit first, don't worry..."

Yi Chen was no stranger to this scene.

When he had first met Ling Lan, she had conducted the same anesthesia and blood-drawing process after her questioning. But back then, he had been alone, facing that environment by himself, with no idea what the future held, feeling helpless and on the verge of a breakdown.

At least now, Lu Yu had a friend—someone who had "been there before"—to keep him company.

Lu Yu was quite cooperative and drifted into a deep sleep after the injection. Ling Lan efficiently drew the blood and sent the other doctors away, leaving only herself, Yi Chen, and the sleeping Lu Yu in the isolation ward.

"I’ll be blunt: his ability is dangerous," Ling Lan said, getting straight to the point now that they were alone.

"...What do you mean?"

"Electric shocks are highly effective against zombies, the infected, and even monsters. You experienced it yourself just now; you should know what that feels like."

Yi Chen nodded. The shock hadn't even been at full force; if it had been any stronger, he wouldn't have been able to get back up so quickly.

"I suspect Lu Yu gained this ability because he was struck by electricity at the exact moment he was scratched by Magneto. Don't you find it strange? An infected person who can control electricity... in that sense, he is a special case."

Yi Chen thought about it; that made sense.

"We already have four infected members on our team, and electricity is your greatest weakness. I think, for safety's sake... it would be best to keep some distance from Lu Yu. His ability is unstable, and he might accidentally hurt someone."

Yi Chen frowned. He knew Ling Lan was doing this for everyone’s benefit, but he didn't like what he was hearing.

"Lu Yu became like this because he was protecting my family. He can’t return to a normal life now, and I can't alienate him. As for the instability you mentioned, that’s only because he hasn't mastered it yet. It takes time; he’ll get better with practice."

Ling Lan did not give up.

"You’ve seen the raw data on the other infected. People like Xue Man and Chang Qing—before they received the equipment and weapons provided by Future Group, their abilities were very average, or at least not combat-ready. But Lu Yu has reached this level without any equipment or weapons..."

"Sister Ling Lan, you’re just overthinking things and worrying for nothing." Yi Chen smiled. "Lu Yu being strong is a good thing for us! We don't know when the Infiltrators will make their move. If he can master this power, he can coordinate with me, and we’ll be sure to win!"

Ling Lan paused. Was she really overthinking it?

Recalling when she first encountered Yi Chen, she had also thought his situation defied logic, yet hadn't he turned out just fine?

"Fine," Ling Lan conceded, rubbing her temples. As the team grew larger, the unstable factors were indeed increasing.

"Sister Ling Lan, I want to go to the city hospital to check on my mother and younger sister. If anything happens here, contact me immediately," Yi Chen said.

With Lu Yu awake, a great burden had been lifted from his heart, but he was still worried about his family.

His father was gone, his mother was hospitalized, and his sister was young... No matter the risks, he felt he had to go see them, even if he didn't show his face—he could at least leave a note.