Chapter 142: Exchanging Secrets

Youya spoke in her cool, detached voice:

"After you left last time, my brother and I re-examined the previous data on the 'Number One' serum—the one designed to trigger artificial awakening—specifically regarding the concerns you raised.

"At the same time, we also accessed research progress from other Extraordinary Bureaus.

"You have to realize, accessing classified projects requires special approval. It wasn't easy."

*I don't believe a word of it,* Ye Chen thought to himself, unimpressed. *With the clearance levels you and your brother have, how hard could it really be? Don't try to inflate your own costs.*

Youya continued, "Combining that with the fact that the kidnapped children are to be used as test subjects, we’ve roughly deduced their research direction. Do you want to hear it?"

Ye Chen shifted his gaze from her graceful figure to her slightly flushed side profile, offering no reply.

*...You’re being way too kind. Since I’m the one who asked you to investigate this, why would I answer that? Isn't that asking a question you already know the answer to?*

*Besides, I’ve noticed you get a bit loose-lipped after a few drinks.*

"Tell me about your promotion instead. Even if we pin the blame on the Extraordinary Bureau, we still need to come up with a plausible excuse to feed them, don't you think?"

*Ha! Here it comes. The cat is out of the bag.* Ye Chen realized his teacher had finally revealed the true purpose of this "free meal."

She had come prepared, using her own theories as leverage to trade for hard facts. What a calculating woman.

In the past, Ye Chen would have been repulsed by such a question. He would have either walked away or spun a web of lies.

Holding onto a priceless, exclusive secret felt like being an undercover billionaire—working a common job every day, living the life of an ordinary person. Just thinking about it was thrilling!

However, not long ago, he had decided to start taking on apprentices, and this pair of eccentric siblings was on his list. He just wasn't sure if they were Awakeners, or what their ranks might be.

*One day, I’ll have you calling me 'Teacher' too. Just imagine what you’d look like begging me.*

*Heh, that’s even more exciting!*

After a moment, Ye Chen, who had been saying "uh-huh" all night, spoke up for the first time with a counter-question:

"Have you ever injected raw essence stone extract?"

The teacher, who had been lounging lazily just a moment ago, sprang up like a startled rabbit. The sudden, unprompted question had touched upon her deepest secret, leaving her shocked. A look of vigilance instantly clouded her face.

Few people knew she was an Awakener, and she rarely used her abilities. In the Extraordinary Bureau of the Energy Capital, she was certain that aside from her brother, no one else had ever witnessed her power.

It wasn’t that she was unwilling to disclose her status as an Awakener, but rather that her abilities were so bizarre that they were bound to invite unnecessary trouble.

Under these circumstances, how could this student—whom she had only interacted with a handful of times—possibly know she was an Awakener?

*Wait, is this kid bluffing me?*

*But there’s another possibility: he wants to use his secret to bargain with mine.*

*In other words, our deductions about the serum aren't enough to pay for the information he holds.*

After weighing the situation, Youya straightened her posture and met Ye Chen's gaze levelly. "I have," she said slowly.

This answer was a tacit admission that she was an Awakener, because for an ordinary person, injecting raw essence energy would be a waste—it wouldn't turn them into an Awakener.

However, Ye Chen’s reaction left her confused. He showed no surprise, no curiosity, and no desire to pry further. Instead, his brow was furrowed, as if her answer were a piece of tragic news.

*What’s wrong with him? Is there something wrong with being an Awakener?*

She didn't realize that Youya's train of thought was on a completely different frequency than Ye Chen's. He was genuinely worried for her.

Because Ye Chen’s initial "Catalyst Mission" had explicitly warned him *not* to inject raw essence stone extract. Though he didn't know the specific reason, the outcome was clearly unfavorable.

*If she’s already injected it, what happens next? Is there any way to remedy it?*

*I certainly don't have a solution right now. I'll just have to leave this medical mystery for when my own strength improves... Sigh.* Ye Chen sighed silently.

"Let’s hear your theories on the serum first. I’ll answer what you want to know afterward."

Ye Chen wasn't being aimless. He knew that once he told Youya the truth, it would completely disrupt her line of thought and unsettle her, and he feared she wouldn't be able to articulate herself properly.

Last time, simply telling her he had leveled up had made her that excited. If he told her this time that by following him, she could also grow stronger, would she be so happy she’d faint in his arms?

"Fine, I'll start!" Youya agreed crisply.

She couldn't quite see through her student; he kept dropping bombshells. At the same time, she trusted he wouldn't break his word.

The teacher officially began the lesson:

"This goes back to the history of the appearance of Awakeners. As you know, one of the Extraordinary Bureau's missions is to explore human history. In our research of collected pre-human historical documents, we discovered that ancient humans had no Awakeners. After a historical fracture, various types of Awakeners began to emerge, gradually dividing into three major systems."

The student nodded slightly, listening intently. The teacher was highlighting the key points for him, saving him a lot of time in the library.

"The Extraordinary Bureau studies Awakeners and serves them, but we never intended to manufacture them. However, humanity's thirst for power—more specifically, the thirst for personal power—is endless. That is how we reached today, where the Research Bureau uses the 'Number Zero' serum as a patch to take over the subsequent development of the 'Number One' serum.

"In a broad sense, the goal is to make oneself more powerful. A perfected 'Number One' serum could allow an artificially awakened individual to achieve a higher rank. Not to mention becoming a god overnight, but jumping straight to Rank A is one of their research targets.

"I suspect the Research Bureau's serum technology has already reached the level of creating Rank C Awakeners. Of course, this is theoretical; the actual results depend on the physical constitution of the subject. It’s not necessarily one injection per Rank C birth."

A light went on in Ye Chen's mind. He suddenly thought of the white monster with mutated bones. Based on its strength, it was undoubtedly a Rank C. If those two were connected to the Research Bureau, could that white monster be a product of the 'Number One' serum?

He had actually guessed correctly this time.

The teacher paused slightly, giving her student a moment to digest the information while she prepared the material for the next part of the lesson.

She continued:

"But creating a serum that could instantly elevate someone to Rank A is no easy task; they can only slowly push the research process forward. That is the development status of the physical-system artificial awakening serum.

"Beyond the improvement of serum grades, we suspect the Research Bureau has set its sights on another project topic—the increase of internal essence values."

Ye Chen was shocked upon hearing this. *An increase in internal essence values? Are they researching artificial raw essence stones?*