’It’s a good idea, but it will also expose me to danger,’ his mind wandered to the scanner. Till now, he didn’t know the logic behind it.

It should be more than enough reason to go with the first plan and just kill her.

However, when he infected her, he noticed traces of biological makeup that were very similar to beasts. The animals he had infected so far carried none of it.

This led him to conclude that the same genes that allowed humans to exhibit supernatural feats were also what turned animals into beasts.

’Then what is the main difference between them?’

An idea came to his mind.

’It’s the brain... more precisely, the part of it that controls the body at a subconscious level to protect itself.’

One example was during calamities, where people showed unusual strength, allowing them to carry things they normally could not lift through adrenaline.

All these snippets of information led him to form his own hypothesis.

’Earlier, the scanner made my skin itch. But now that I’m integrated into her organs, my signature should mix with hers as well. To the scanner, I won’t look like a beast anymore—just background noise inside a human filled with the same gamma signature.’

Although there were loopholes in his hypothesis, it was not entirely baseless.

After weighing the pros and cons, he finally made a decision. Whether it was the right one or not would only become clear with time.

Morning light slipped through the edges of the curtains.

Samantha slowly opened her eyes, stretched her arms above her head, then rubbed her eyes clean.

After a while, her mind caught up, and she turned off the AC before heading straight to the bathroom to take a shower.

Next, she went to her walk-in closet and saw a row of white and black uniforms on the left side. These were more suited for office job than field duty.

It was not really surprising because she was a non-combatant agent, and what happened yesterday was just a special case.

Along with her uniform, there were also a collection of expensive-looking clothes, bags, and a table filled with jewelry.

Anyone who saw it would think she was not working for the force, but a rich heiress.

Her eyes landed on a bag made of what looked like black scales, and she recalled that it was worth more than dozens of office staff’s lifetime salaries.

Weirdly enough, she looked at it with disgust instead of happiness.

She changed into her uniform. The outfit was simple, a clean white blazer with the "Defense Force" logo on the chest, paired with a formal black short skirt. It looked formal but still allowed easy movement.

Facing the mirror, she made a few more adjustments.

No extra accessories. No jewelry. Nothing that stood out.

Except for her beautiful face, which could be considered a fashion statement on its own.

With one final check, she turned away from the closet and headed for the door.

In the kitchen, she checked her emails while eating the meal she had ordered. As expected, her inbox was already packed with messages.

But what made her pause was an email from her father. She did not even bother to read it and closed the app.

It was obvious that they had family issues to resolve.

Roughly twenty minutes later, Samantha stepped out of her unit and headed downstairs.

Before she could reach the main entrance, four black sedans pulled up in a tight formation.

The doors slid open from the middle in a smooth, split motion, revealing the white leather interiors as they parted outward.

"Dad," she uttered, her voice showing no warmth at all.

"It’s Senator. I told you to address me properly in public," he responded firmly, not even bothering to look at her.

"Get inside. I’ll take you to work."

"There’s no need for that. I’m old enough to take care of myself."

"Take care of yourself?" he scoffed, shaking his head. "Is that what you call it? I read the reports last night. You nearly died. I came here to speak directly with your director."

"Dad! No. Why are you always like this?"

"Get inside. Don’t make me repeat myself."

She had no choice but to give in.

The morning traffic already started to build. People hurried to work, buses passed by, and the air was filled with the usual noise of a busy district.

None of it mattered to her right now. Her attention stayed on her father.

He has brown hair and eyes showing signs of graying. Although he looks older with his beard, he carries himself in a dignified way.

"I’m going back to the capital in three days, so I’ll deal with your director and make sure you don’t get yourself killed."

"I don’t need your help, and I don’t need you interfering in my life. I work for the Defense Force, so it’s normal for agents to face danger."

He let out a disappointed sigh. "Samantha, I already gave you a lot of leeway by allowing you to join the Defense Force. But don’t forget who you are. You’re not just a nobody."

She bit her lips in frustration. "So what? Why should I care about it? Just because I’m the daughter of the richest man in the country doesn’t mean I’m better than anyone else!"

Her voice rose higher than usual, but when his eyes turned more serious, she stopped out of habit.

Silence stretched between them, and she did not dare to speak first.

"Samantha, you can keep saying you hate being born into privilege, but that is a fact. You have it easier than everyone else, and saying otherwise only proves how disconnected you are from reality."

"I just want to live my life on my own terms. I’m more than capable now. I even have a jo—"

"A job that you got because you awakened a unique ability," he cut her off. "But it’s alright. Luck is part of everything, and you just so happen to be born with an excess amount of it, just like me."

Her heart started beating fast. She didn’t want her father to dismiss her efforts.

"I reached this position because of my hard work."

"Hard work?" One corner of his mouth lifted. "You really believe your promotion went smoothly because of that? Think, Samantha. Why do you think your higher-ups always tried to please you?"

He let the silence press on her before continuing.

"I’ll give you a hint... It’s because your last name ends with Liner."

She was deeply hurt by his words and barely held back her tears.

While the two of them argued, Francis overheard everything and found it somewhat amusing, though not in a pleasant way.

In his past life, he hated corrupt politicians who enriched themselves by abusing the system.

Of course, those politicians ended up either gutted or shot in the head, as he made sure to show his displeasure in a literal sense.

To think he ended up this close to one by accident, and judging from their talk, her father’s background was far more impressive than his previous victims.

’Richest man in the country and a senator?’

That kind of wealth and influence could not be gained through normal means, and it did not help that he was acting like an jerk toward his daughter.

For Francis, who would do anything for his own daughters, witnessing such a scene pulled out the darkness he had been keeping in check.