Chapter 67: Advancements and Mutations: Unlocking the Sixth Sense
I then stood in the center of the cell, ready to test my senses one by one.
The anticipation was building as I delved into the realm of possibilities.
Here's what happened:
- Taste: I focused chi on my taste buds, and to my surprise, the food tasted even more repulsive than before. I could discern every ingredient and component in the meal. It seemed my sense of taste had surpassed that of an average human.
- Hearing: Moving on to my ears, starting from the inner ear and working my way out, I discovered that my hearing had become sharper and more precise. I could even hear sounds through walls, although only within the adjacent room.
- Smell: Turning my attention to my sense of smell, I found that I could detect even the faintest scents, just like an animal with its keen sense of smell. It was accurate and precise.
- Touch: Intrigued, I infused my skin with chi to see what would happen. Surprisingly, I could adjust the sensitivity of my skin, either numbing it completely to avoid feeling pain or heightening it to detect the slightest movement near me. It was a significant boost to my perception.
The results of infusing my senses were beyond what I expected from chi infusion. But the real shock came when I focused on my sight.
By infusing a small amount of chi into my eyes, I discovered I could zoom in on distant objects, with a range of up to 1 kilometer, as Eve had mentioned.
As I increased the intensity of chi, I could perform thermal scans, which I tested on the twins. And as I continued to intensify the chi, I unlocked night vision, followed by what Eve called mana sense.
Mana sense allowed me to perceive the particles of mana around me, observing their path, intensity, and quantity. In theory, this meant I could gauge the power of a monster by analyzing its mana. I could determine its rank and even assess my own strength before engaging in battle, giving me a tactical advantage.
But then came the moment that left me utterly astonished—I channeled my chi, infusing every fiber of my being, from my brain to my spinal cord. The sensation that coursed through me was unlike anything I had ever experienced. Suddenly, I felt acutely aware of my surroundings, as if I had become the master of the space around me, attuned to every movement and sound. Could this be what they refer to as the elusive sixth sense?
Lost in contemplation, a daring idea struck me. I beckoned the twins, urging them to retrieve the hidden kodachis I had stashed away. Once they had the weapons in hand, I instructed each of them to strike me with lethal intent while my eyes were shut. Initially, the twins hesitated, but upon realizing the necessity, they nodded and took their positions. With closed eyes, I focused solely on the space I occupied, and to my astonishment, I effortlessly evaded their attacks without relying on any of my senses. It was as if my body instinctively reacted to the twins' murderous intentions, dodging their strikes with uncanny precision.
Could this be the manifestation of the so-called sixth sense? Perhaps this newfound ability was a heightened sense of danger, a built-in sensor within me.
The twins were amazed by my lightning-fast reflexes and refused to back down. They kept attacking me with unrelenting strikes, but I dodged them effortlessly without even flinching.
After a certain period of time, the twins got tired and collapsed on the ground, breathing heavily. I was satisfied with the experimentation I had done, so I patted them on the head and thanked them for their hard work. They smiled and pressed their heads further into my hand, purring like cats. They were adorable like that, so I couldn't help but smile after seeing their antics.
After finishing our experimentation, I sat next to the twins, and we chatted for a long time. I told them about what I had unlocked and how it affected my body. I explained the zoom vision, the night vision, thermal scan, and mana sense. The more I told them, the more their eyes sparkled like someone seeing their idol live in front of them.
They were so excited that when I finished my explanation, they tackled me to the ground while exclaiming: "I mean, this is so cool, isn't it? You're turning more and more into a superhuman every day. And to think that we would have the chance to be like you in the future makes us want to work harder on our training and meditation. We're sure that we're not the only ones thinking about it. We bet Ryuji and Lana are just as excited as we are. We bet they're working hard daily, wanting to stand by you and be of use to you. And we can't lose to them! Especially to that Lana."
I smiled at their enthusiasm and praise, but I didn’t want to dig deeper into their last remark. Some things are better left unsaid, as the old saying goes, and I agreed with it wholeheartedly.
We chatted for a while, until a knock on the door broke our conversation. It was Ryuji, flashing his cheesy grin.
He saw me and exclaimed: “Boss, you are amazing! The scientist and I had the exact conversation you predicted, word for word. It was eerie how accurate you were. I felt like we were both puppets on a string, following your script. Everything you said would happen, happened. The dialogue, the emotions, the reactions, everything. How did you do it, boss?”
I grinned back at him and said: “Well, Ryu, let me ask you something. What are the five stages of grief?”
He thought for a moment and said: “Denial, anger, bargaining, depression and acceptance.”
“Right you are, my dear Ryu. And that’s what I used to guide the conversation. She was shutting out everyone who tried to talk to her before, right?”
He nodded and said: “Yeah, boss. She wouldn’t say a word or eat anything. She just sat there like a statue.”