Became a Failed Experimental Subject-Chapter 83: Ability Overload (edited) [VIP]

“Meow-wowng.”

After finishing all the food, Blaccky let out a cute mewl and yawned.

Blaccky always turned cold the moment she finished eating, as if her business was done.

But today, for some reason, Blaccky quietly stared at Meister with eyes full of interest.

“It doesn’t seem like there’s anything particularly special about W-City’s food, and it’s not like she’s sparing us because we fed her... she just seems like a docile monster.”

“Ah, ack...!”

Trying to coolly assess Blaccky, Meister reached out and stroked under her chin.

With every purring rumble like a motorcycle engine, Yu Anna’s heart pounded heavily.

She never once allowed that chin to be touched by me, and yet, so easily like this...

“She really is an incomprehensible variant... To think a monster wouldn’t attack humans and would be this calm.”

Back during the time they were attempting monster weaponization, the monsters that seemed tamed always demanded a reward.

If even the slightest bit of satisfaction wasn’t given, they’d give off that look—that terrifying glint that they could snap at any moment.

Unlike those beasts, Blaccky had eyes as innocent as a house cat being kept indoors.

“For a monster like this to actually exist... It means my ability wasn’t wrong.”

Meister smiled bitterly and pulled her hand away from Blaccky.

Meister’s ability—the Dimensional Archive—always returned an absolute answer.

It always spoke the truth.

If that truth didn’t manifest in reality, then it was because the one who asked the question was at fault.

Because the questioner—Namgyeong—was lacking.

“It’s about time I head back. Thank you for letting me pet you.”

With an expression that seemed halfway between a smile and tears, Meister bowed her head to Blaccky. Blaccky clicked her tongue in disappointment.

Blaccky, having clearly understood the words, jumped off the rooftop and vanished, and the once-quiet comms channel suddenly filled with soldiers’ and heroes’ voices.

[Blaccky has disappeared.]

[Situation resolved.]

[Meister-nim, are you all right?]

[No issues with civilian control. Starlight-nim, please proceed with rapid vehicle departure.]

[A damn soldier has no business giving orders to an S-class hero.]

After giving Blaccky a quick pat, Yu Anna cautiously looked over at Meister, who had gone quiet.

Inside the elevator descending underground, the heavy atmosphere pressed in—and the expression she wore barely hid the dense sorrow weighing on her.

“You okay?”

“Ah... I’m fine. Just...”

When Yu Anna asked with concern, Namgyeong—unable to maintain her Meister persona—spoke with a trembling voice.

“...My ability never gets it wrong.”

A monster that didn’t attack humans—one that protected humans—could exist.

Maybe, if Namgyeong had just tried a little harder, she could’ve created more monsters like Blaccky?

If her ability had just been a bit stronger, maybe all those civilian deaths and injuries could’ve been avoided?

“If I had been stronger... If I had phrased the question correctly... If I had just used my power properly...”

The ones who bore no sense of responsibility for the failure of the monster weaponization project were the high-ranking officials who had pushed the plan.

The only one carrying that burden was a weak psychic who just happened to be born with a powerful ability.

Just one person.

“Namgyeong, you did everything you could. It wasn’t your fault that happened.”

“Anna-ssi, you’re still as kind as ever. Just like Ho-yeong-ssi... even though both of you lost someone precious because of me.”

“It wasn’t because of you. Cage and I—we don’t resent you. Not even a little...”

“Thank you for saying that, Anna-ssi. But... you know.”

Namgyeong gave a strained smile and gestured toward her own head.

Analysis through her ability—the power to read fragments of another’s thoughts.

“I know that both of you did resent me at one point. That’s just how my ability works.”

Namgyeong could read people’s innermost thoughts—even the ones she couldn’t bear to know.

The true feelings behind a kind word, the unconscious resentments—they were all there, in that ambiguous in-between.

“Sorry for reading your mind. For being this unpleasant kind of woman.”

“Then ask your ability what I’m thinking of you right now. I really don’t resent you. Not even a little.”

“I already know you’ve forgiven me, Anna-ssi. I’m grateful. But... the fact remains that I’m the one who caused pain to both you and Hyena-ssi.”

Guilt and responsibility wrapped around Namgyeong’s whole body like sharp thorns.

Yu Anna realized that no matter what she said, she couldn’t comfort Namgyeong—and that realization crushed her with helplessness.

Meister forced a smile as she stepped off the elevator and lay back down on the bed-type drone.

“Then, Anna-ssi. I’m going to ask a question now—about what kind of monster Blaccky is.”

“Do it after a little rest.”

“I can’t do that. I need to finish the schedule quickly so I can ask about your ability too. I found out recently—if I take a stimulant before using my power, my computational ability improves just slightly. This time, I think I’ll be able to handle the amount of information on your ability—”

“I’m fine, so just—just, please...!”

“Please let me do at least this much for you, Anna-ssi. It’s okay. I’m used to it.”

As if fleeing from Yu Anna, Meister spoke softly and closed her eyes.

Always worn out by fatigue, Meister fell asleep almost immediately.

Sensing the pulsing resonance of her ability, Yu Anna sighed and operated the drone.

“This is Starlight. We’re departing.”

With that report, Yu Anna started the unmanned vehicle and quietly looked down at the sleeping Meister.

An uncontrollable ability was no different from a curse.

And yet, she kept using that unbearable curse—because of duty.

Meister had saved many.

But she had also made choices that led to the deaths of many heroes and civilians.

She sacrificed them, believing in the answer that her ability said would benefit humanity.

And as a result, a superhuman named Cage was created.

A hero must not fail.

They must be strong.

Incompetence is a crime.

What remained for Meister now was a brutal sense of responsibility—so intense that she would offer up her own life to atone.

She was being strangled by her own ability.

“...It’s a horrific power. Truly.”

“...Khk—”

The moment Yu Anna muttered under her breath, conflicted—

The thick stench of blood seeped out alongside the sound of coughing.

Familiar from memory, the situation caused Yu Anna to jump up in panic and check Meister’s condition.

Thump. Thump. The psychic wave pulsing irregularly, growing erratic. Blood vessels surfaced across her pale face.

Psychic overload.

“Ugh, khhk...!”

“Namgyeong, stay with me! Namgyeong!”

Yu Anna slapped Namgyeong’s cheeks, trying to wake her, but the situation rapidly worsened.

Foam of blood clogging her throat. The sound of the heart failing to endure the energy consumed by excessive computation began to fade.

Meister’s power wasn’t stopping.

“Electrice! Get to the vehicle right now!”

[What... no way—?]

BOOM! With the call, Electrice charged into the vehicle, flung open the back door, and climbed in.

When she saw the blood gushing from Namgyeong’s mouth and heard the faltering heartbeat, Electrice didn’t hesitate for a single second—she pressed her hands together, readying her power.

“Move! Starlight!”

“Wait, her throat’s still blocked!”

“Just do it already!”

Yu Anna stripped Meister’s clothes open while Electrice pressed both palms under Meister’s chest.

WHUMP! A jolt of electricity shocked the heart, and blood spurted up from her throat.

[What’s going on?! You’ve broken formation—!]

“All you powerless bastards shut up and focus on traffic control! If this route gets blocked even for a second, you're all fucking dead!”

“Namgyeong... Namgyeong, stay with me...! HQ! Prep the med bay! Now!”

“You goddamn bitch, if you die, I swear I’ll—!”

Yu Anna kept Meister’s body from losing any more warmth and leaned in to suck out the blood clogging her throat. frёewebnoѵēl.com

With every shock Electrice administered, Meister’s body convulsed.

Each time, WUUUM, the power output spiked, blood vessels bulging against her forehead.

“No, this is... wrong...”

Yu Anna’s psychic intuition kicked in with terrifying clarity.

Overloaded psychic ability. A brain unable to withstand the computation. A heart collapsing under the energy demands of that computation.

Every attempt by Yu Anna to stabilize her body temperature, every electric shock from Electrice—

—it was all being converted straight into calculation fuel.

She was burning her own brain, using others’ powers as kindling.

“Electrice, stop the shocks.”

“Have you lost it?! You already touched her—if this bitch dies here, you and I both take the fall!”

“I’m trying to save her—stop it! Do CPR with your own hands!”

To save Meister, they had to stop using psychic powers.

Hearing Yu Anna’s order, Electrice froze—recognizing the same intuitive spike in herself—and her eyes flew open.

“I—I don’t know how to do CPR!”

“Then move!”

Yu Anna shoved Electrice aside and pressed both hands to the area beneath Meister’s chest.

Basic, non-powered emergency first aid.

As the vehicle reached HQ in the middle of the chaos, soldiers rushed toward them in a panic.

“Meister-nim!”

“Wh-what are you doing?!”

“Electrice—did you actually?!”

“Step away! Starlight! You dare lay hands on Meister-nim’s body?!”

The soldiers blocking the rear of the halted vehicle took one look at the blood-soaked interior and Meister’s torn clothing—and raised their weapons.

Immediately, Electrice released lightning, paralyzing them on the spot and detonating their weapons.

“You lunatic bastards! Powerless fucks should shut it and stay the hell out of the way!”

“One, two, three, four...!”

“Telekinetic! Over here! Now!”

“No! Don’t use emission-type powers!”

“Move!”

The hero about to use telekinesis halted at Electrice’s order, and Iron Might entered the vehicle.

Using his well-trained strength, Iron Might lifted the bed-shaped drone with both Yu Anna and Meister on top. Working with another hero outside, he moved swiftly toward the treatment bay.

They reached the med bay faster than the drone would’ve managed on its own. The waiting doctors snatched up their gear with tense expressions.

A defibrillator was placed on Meister’s body, and a non-powered electric shock jolted her heart.

The suction tube pulled blood from her throat. Thump. Thump. Her pulse began to stabilize, slowly, gradually.

Both Electrice and Yu Anna exhaled in deep relief.

Then—

Frowning, soldiers trembling from the earlier electric shock staggered over and began to complain.

“CPR on Meister-nim?! Her ribs must be shattered—!”

“Electrice! Why didn’t you use electric shock?!”

“Emergency or not, how dare you lay hands on Meister-nim without informing us first?!”

“Starlight! Why did you stop the telekinetic from moving Meister-nim? We’ll be filing a formal protest about this!”

“Stop the surgery at once! W-City can’t be trusted!”

“So it was an assassination attempt for Cage’s sake—Meister-nim, targeted for silencing...! Urk—khkkk...!”

Humans who aren’t psychics can’t sense what psychics do.

They couldn’t intuitively grasp why powers had to be withheld in that moment. They couldn’t understand it even when explained.

They were angry.

Angry that psychics—once nothing more than tools obeying their orders—were now acting without their permission.

Without a word, Electrice released another burst of her power and knocked the whining soldiers unconscious.

“...Fucking bastards...”

This time, not even Yu Anna tried to stop her.