235: alpha gene

It's no wonder the Water Monster was so confident.

Its growth into the behemoth it is today wasn't due to some powerful Talent, but rather a series of bloody battles.

Perhaps many powerful Awakened Beasts once existed in Lake Siouxie Anne, but they all eventually became the Water Monster's food.

The Water Monster believed that this time would be no exception.

It would still emerge as the ultimate victor, making this strange creature that dared to offend it pay with its life.

His powerful flesh and blood would be completely transformed into nourishment for its growth!

...However, just as Lin Tianwei was about to confront the Water Monster, another battle was also underway.

The protagonist of this battle was none other than Ismail, who had previously warned MacArthur and others to be careful.

This strong woman was currently facing immense trouble.

Indeed, Ismail had already gathered all six keys and the treasure chest containing the Alpha Gene.

But this was merely the beginning of her troubles.

Although America tried its best to conceal it, countless people knew about the Cosmic Beast.

Even the mysterious and powerful Alpha Gene was no secret in the eyes of many.

How could such a secret treasure not attract the covetous gaze of others?

The reason they allowed Ismail to collect the keys and the treasure chest was to snatch the fruits of her victory at the most critical moment.

Even though Ismail was the head of the Bruno Institute and the primary executor of plan b, with countless powerful Reinforcement under her command...

This did not prevent her from becoming a target of others' covetousness.

For instance, right now, Ismail never imagined she would be cornered by enemies in her own stronghold.

The seemingly impenetrable Bruno Institute had instead become a cage restricting her.

She never imagined that so many moles were hidden among her seemingly reliable subordinates.

She was, after all, a woman. Although she possessed intellect and courage, she ultimately underestimated the shamelessness of others.

Bang, bang, bang... Urgent knocking came from outside the locked Research Institute door, followed by Pritzker's voice, saying:

"Ismail, I advise you to be sensible and hand over the Alpha Gene."

"Otherwise, don't blame us for being ruthless."

"You should know that this seemingly sturdy iron door cannot stop us at all."

Indeed, the Research Institute's doors were all made of super alloy.

But Pritzker was no pushover either.

He was a powerful Reinforcement!

Even before becoming a Reinforcement, he was a powerful Esper, an Esper who ranked among the top three on America's Esper leaderboard!

With both Overlay, Pritzker's strength was terrifying.

There were even rumors that Pritzker's strength had subtly surpassed Natters.

However, Natters was more adept at concealing himself and could unleash powerful strength in an instant.

This powerful functionality still made him the undisputed number one.

However, Natters was now dead, swatted to death like a fly by Lin Tianwei.

Pritzker naturally became America's undisputed number one Esper.

Ismail's face instantly turned pale.

She understood Pritzker's strength very well and knew that this iron door could not stop him.

How could she not know Pritzker's strength?

Pritzker was the captain of the Bruno Institute's security team.

Even his Reinforcement plan was led by Ismail.

Yet, she never imagined that Pritzker would be the one to lead the betrayal against her.

If Ismail hadn't been clever enough to discover the clues early, the Alpha Gene's owner might have changed hands long ago.

After a moment of thought, Ismail calmly said: "The Alpha Gene is not some simple Reinforcement potion."

"Its usage conditions are extremely strict, and using it casually will only lead to a pointless loss of life."

"Not only that, but it could even lead to very serious consequences."

"Consequences even more severe than the Tiger King's rampage."

"You should know that the Alpha Gene is the most core secret of the Cosmic Beast."

"Leave professional matters to professionals."

"As the leader of plan b, I am the most suitable person to lead the research of the Alpha Gene."

"After all, I am a descendant of the scientists who once studied Cosmic Beasts."

"My understanding of the Alpha Gene is far greater than you imagine."

"Pritzker, I have treated you well. Retreat now, and I can let bygones be bygones."

"Moreover, once the Alpha Gene research yields results, I can even let you enjoy the benefits of the Alpha Gene."

"After all, you are my most trusted security captain."

Ismail emphasized the words "most trusted," not knowing whether she was mocking Pritzker or playing on his emotions.

Facing such a desperate situation, Ismail tried to salvage it from various angles.

Unfortunately, once he chose betrayal, Pritzker had no turning back.

He looked with a hint of apology at the pristine white wall, as if he could see the panicked Ismail through it.

Pritzker sighed and said: "Ms. Ismail, you have indeed been very good to me."

"It's just that we each serve our own masters, and I cannot accept your terms."

"Listen to me, hand over the Alpha Gene, and I will guarantee your safety."

"If you remain stubborn, I cannot guarantee your safety."

Pritzker's words instantly made Ismail's face even paler.

There were only a few people in America who could deal with her so brazenly.

After a brief thought, she pinpointed a target... Adolf.

This guy, who had seemingly given her the last key for free at the most crucial moment of the last meeting.

She hadn't expected this shameless fellow to be so unethical.

He actually intended to shamelessly take back what he had given away.

And to take it back with interest.

If Adolf knew Ismail's thoughts, he would surely be on the verge of tears.

He was currently beaten into a stupor by Lin Tianwei, completely unconscious, so how could he have time to covet the Alpha Gene?

Heaven knows, he truly only handed over the last key to ensure Ismail's full assistance.

Ismail's mind raced, thinking about how to deal with the desperate situation before her.

Glancing at the people around her, she instantly felt that she had no hope of turning the tide.

Professor Yanos?

He was just a researcher; what role could he play at a time like this?

It was Legisamon beside her who made her look at him with new eyes.

She never imagined that Legisamon, the "Tiger King mole" she had guarded against so carefully, had not betrayed her.

Instead, her most trusted confidants had stabbed her in the back one by one.

This was truly a huge joke.

That's right.

With the Tiger King's arrogant and stubborn personality, how could he have thought of using moles?

Legisamon must have genuinely pledged allegiance to her, just a poor wretch blinded by false faith.

Thinking this, Ismail looked at Legisamon with pity.

She decided that if she had a chance to escape, she would definitely tell Legisamon the cruel truth and free this lost soul.

Shaking her head, Ismail dispelled this ridiculous thought from her mind.

Escape?

That was simply impossible.

Legisamon might have combat power, and his strength was indeed formidable.

But he wasn't strong enough; he simply couldn't defeat the powerful team outside the door.

Resisting stubbornly would only be a waste of life.

Thinking this, Ismail looked at the treasure chest in her hand.

A treasure chest with a free eagle engraved on its top.

At this moment, a dark golden key was inserted into the treasure chest, seeming to only require a gentle twist to easily open it.

However, Ismail knew this was just an illusion.

How could the Alpha Gene be so easily obtained?

Even if both the key and the treasure chest were obtained simultaneously, the treasure chest could only be opened after the Alpha Gene within the key and the treasure chest had resonated for a sufficient period of time.

Revealing the Alpha Gene hidden within.

Turning the key prematurely?

Not only would you not obtain the Alpha Gene hidden within, but it would also cause the treasure chest to lock permanently ahead of time.

To open this treasure chest again would require even more complex and tedious steps.

This was also why Ismail had not yet used the Alpha Gene.

It wasn't that she didn't want to use it, but rather that she hadn't yet obtained the Alpha Gene hidden within the treasure chest.

Bang!

Pritzker seemed unwilling to give Ismail too much time, extending his right fist and smashing it against the white iron door.

This punch carried immense force, a force that this iron door simply could not withstand.

As Pritzker continuously applied pressure, the iron door even deformed, taking on the shape of Pritzker's fist.

Finally, the iron door could no longer resist Pritzker's immense power. With a loud crash, it slammed heavily into the laboratory.

That loud bang caused the faces of the two people hiding inside to change drastically.

Especially Ismail; she never imagined that she would fail at the last moment, just before obtaining the Alpha Gene.

Glancing at the treasure chest in her hand, Ismail seemed to give up, saying: "You can take the treasure chest."

"I only have one request: do not turn the key of the treasure chest before it opens automatically."

"Otherwise, not only will you not obtain the Alpha Gene, but you will also lock America's last hope into the abyss."

Since she couldn't guarantee that she would obtain the Alpha Gene, Ismail could only ensure that the Alpha Gene could be successfully extracted and become a powerful force belonging to America.

Pritzker nodded, making a 'give it to me' gesture, the meaning of which was self-evident.

Ismail sighed and was about to step forward to hand the treasure chest to Pritzker.

However, at this moment, a large body blocked her path.

It was Legisamon!

At this most crucial moment, he finally stepped forward.

He would not stand by and watch something that should belong to Lin Tianwei fall into the hands of others, saying:

"Ms. Ismail, you don't need to do anything so unnecessary."

"Don't worry, they are just some small fry; I will take care of them for you."

"And you only need to extract the Alpha Gene at the most critical moment."

Ismail never imagined that Legisamon would step forward at such a time, and immediately shouted:

"Legisamon, don't do anything unnecessary!"

"We've lost, we've already lost, utterly defeated."

"Handing over the Alpha Gene is our only chance for survival."

However, before Ismail could finish her words, she found that the Legisamon in front of her suddenly disappeared.

Fast as lightning!

Legisamon instantly burst out with extreme speed, attacking Pritzker like lightning.

Legisamon's sudden attack caught everyone by surprise.

However, they didn't take Legisamon seriously at all.

This Esper, who might have once been very powerful, had long since fallen behind the times.

With only one eye on his entire body having undergone transplant Reinforcement, how could he possibly defeat these powerful Reinforcement who had undergone full-body Reinforcement?

Foolish, utterly foolish!

In that case, let you and your foolish loyalty go to meet God!

A fierce look flashed in Pritzker's eyes, and he raised his right fist, swinging it in the direction of Legisamon's attack.

He believed that with just one blow, he could utterly blast his enemy into dust.

As a powerful Esper, the number one Esper in America, he had absolute confidence in his own strength.

However, his misguided confidence had chosen the wrong opponent.

The opponent he was about to face was Legisamon from Tiger King Farm, Legisamon who had received Lin Tianwei's grace!

Speed Burst!

This was Lin Tianwei's grace!

Legisamon's already extremely fast speed received another acceleration, launching a fatal attack on Pritzker.

As his right fist swung out, Pritzker's face instantly changed.

His eyes told him that he had attacked Legisamon.

But his right fist told him that he hadn't hit the target at all.

This feeling of his eyes and mind not aligning instantly made his face change dramatically.

An afterimage, Legisamon's figure in front of him was actually an afterimage.

This was a technique that only extremely fast people could master.

Achieving the effect of deceiving the target's eyes with extreme speed.

The principle was simple, but very few people could achieve it.

Because people now were completely different from people before.

Each one was a powerful Esper, and their eyesight was naturally outstanding to the extreme, not something so easily fooled.

Not to mention that Pritzker in front of him was an Esper among Espers, an extremely formidable existence.

Unfortunately, he encountered Legisamon, Legisamon who had been blessed with powerful strength by Lin Tianwei.

Legisamon's original powerful physical Reinforcement Talent, coupled with the Six-Eyed Demon Spider's eyes that provided powerful dynamic vision.

Finally, combined with extremely terrifying speed, allowed him to easily leave an afterimage in place that could deceive everyone.

Before Ismail could grieve over Legisamon's afterimage being hit and her last subordinate being sacrificed in vain...

She found that Pritzker, who should have been the victor, instantly changed his expression dramatically.

He suddenly realized that if the Legisamon he attacked was just an afterimage, then where had his real body gone?

Could he be hiding somewhere, preparing to ambush him? (End of this chapter)