The lord of life and death

The next day, Rain arrived at his office five minutes before 8 AM, coincidentally sharing the elevator with Siobhan. To his surprise, he discovered she was his neighbor, which he found pleasantly surprising. As they entered the office together, they saw Sky, Damian, and Lily already seated at the meeting table, waiting for them. After taking their seats, Rain greeted the group.

Sky started the meeting, "Now that everyone is here, let's begin discussing our mission. We managed to recover only 21 kg of Iron Wood. The rest was used in the body transformation experiments, which led to the deaths of 1,328 people who failed. However, two individuals survived."

Rain was momentarily confused—he didn't recall seeing anyone alive in the cocoons. Perhaps the survivors were found before he arrived. Sky continued, "The survivors are Hector and Jules."

Rain glanced around the table, observing everyone's reactions. Siobhan's eyes were wide with shock, mirroring his own surprise, while Damian and Lily seemed composed, suggesting they already knew. The situation felt increasingly suspicious to Rain, and Siobhan voiced what he was thinking, "Teacher, shouldn't we arrest Hector and Jules for questioning? They might be involved."

Sky shook his head, "I wish we could, but we can't. Hector is still in a coma, so questioning him isn't possible. As for Jules, he belongs to the Hei family, a middle-rank family with the same influence as my own in Spark Technology. Without solid evidence, we can't summon him for questioning."

Rain asked, "Is there any reason to believe they were different? Why would they be involved in the transformation experiments?"

Sky nodded. "Yes, according to the tests, their talents have undergone significant changes. With just a bit of practice, they could break through to C-rank." Hearing this, Rain's suspicions grew. There was no doubt in his mind now that Hector and Jules were involved somehow.

Rain pressed further, "How were they able to survive the experiment when so many others didn't?"

Sky explained, "Because the genetic medicine they took has strong self-healing properties."

Siobhan quickly added, "Similar to Rain." 

Rain glanced at Sky, curious about how his own self-healing ability compared to other genetic medicines. Sky noticed and clarified, "Hector's genetic medicine, called Wooden Monkey, has self-healing abilities, but it's weaker than Rain's. It's a late D-rank medicine. However, Jules' genetic medicine is a different story. His self-healing is on par with Rain's, and his attack power is also impressive. It's a peak D-rank medicine, researched by the Hei family. They're the only ones who use it, and it's not available on the market."

Rain and Siobhan exchanged amazed looks. Damian chimed in, "That's not even the most impressive part. The Hei family's genetic medicine is called the Black Water Snake genetic medicine, said to be derived from the descendant of an S-rank beast, the Hydra."

Rain blinked in surprise. This was the first time he had heard of S-rank beasts. Up until now, he had believed A-rank was the highest.

"S-rank?" Siobhan asked in disbelief.

Rain added, "Then our genetic warriors can reach S-rank too?"

Sky shook her head. "No, genetic warriors cap at A-rank. We humans haven't found a way to break through to S-rank."

A wave of concern washed over Rain. If beasts could reach S-rank, while humans were limited to A-rank, they stood no chance against them in a direct confrontation. 

Sensing his worry, Sky continued, "Don't be too concerned. S-rank beasts rarely leave their territories, and there are only five of them on this continent."

Siobhan asked, "What are they?"

Damian answered, "Sky-splitting Eagle, Nine-headed Hydra, Titanium Lion, Six-armed Ape, and Light winged Elephant." as Damain mention the names a image form Rain's mind about the beast.

Sky spoke with a serious tone, "But don't be too unconcerned. We still don't know why these S-rank beasts never leave their territories. If they ever decide to attack, we'll be forced to move back into the bunkers and abandon the surface world. That's the good scenario. The worst-case scenario is human extinction on this continent—or even the entire world—since we don't know if anyone still survives on the other two continents. Our leaders are tirelessly searching for a way to break through the A-rank barrier and open the path forward for humanity. That's why our mission, as human genetic warriors, is to strive for A-rank. By reaching that level, we might discover the way forward to S-rank for all of humanity."

For the first time, Rain saw Leader Sky display genuine passion. Her words carried a fire that stirred everyone around the table. When she finished, the room erupted into applause. Sky's face immediately flushed with embarrassment, the confidence from her speech fading.

"Stop, stop!" she waved her hands, trying to get everyone to calm down. When the clapping finally died down, she continued, "Our next mission is to prepare is on the surface world, where we'll clear out the Sheep Farm Weird Domain. Damian, Lily, and I have cleared other Weird Domains before, but this will be our team's first mission together."

Turning to Rain and Siobhan, Sky asked, "Have you two chosen any combat techniques yet?"

Rain's mind raced as he realized he hadn't even considered combat techniques. He had been so focused on increasing and refining his genetic energy that he had neglected that aspect entirely.

Siobhan spoke up, "I checked the combat techniques, but I haven't decided yet."

Sky nodded, "I can give you some suggestions since we share the same genetic medicine." 

Rain, lost in thought, considered the dynamics of genetic medicine. The He family had exclusive access to their own, but Sky's family didn't. The Ice Cat medicine was available on the market. He wondered whether Sky wasn't receiving much attention from her family or if this was just how things worked for her. So deep was he in his thoughts that he didn't notice Sky calling his name. It wasn't until Siobhan patted his arm that he snapped back to reality. 

"What?" he asked, startled.

Sky raised an eyebrow, amused. "Rain, what deep thoughts were you lost in?"

"Nothing," Rain replied quickly, avoiding the topic of her family. Asking about her status in her family would be massively disrespectful.

"Did you select any combat technique?" Sky asked.

"No," Rain admitted. "I've been focused on cultivating my genetic energy."

Sky sighed lightly. "You should balance both. Let us help you."

Rain nodded, understanding that their experience could be valuable. As he did, a display table activated, showing a list of combat techniques suited to his genetic medicine, the Super Healing Lizard. Most of the techniques were claw-based, and at the top of the list was a technique called *Poison Claw*.

Damian leaned forward. "Poison techniques are forbidden for most because the poison can also harm the user, but with your healing abilities, it would be the most effective for you."

Rain nodded in agreement. Poison could definitely elevate his attack power. But then, his eyes widened when he saw the price—10,000 credits. He only had 2,900 credits plus the 5,000 he had just received from the city, nowhere near enough.

Damian noticed his expression and reassured him. "Don't worry. You can buy it in separate chapters." The display updated, showing the divided ranks: D-rank Beginning Chapter for 1,500 credits, Middle Rank for 2,000, Late Rank for 2,500, and Peak Rank for 4,000.

Relieved, Rain nodded and purchased the Beginning Chapter.

Just as the transaction went through, a beep sounded, and the screen shifted to a new case. It showed that a boy from Dorm 3 on the 6th floor was reported missing after taking the Super Healing Lizard genetic medicine the previous day. To everyone's surprise, the notorious Francis was spotted near the dorm.

Lily frowned. "How could Francis infiltrate the 6th floor? It's the most secure area in the entire city's underground floor."

Sky crossed her arms. "He may have altered his appearance to bypass security."

Damian added grimly, "If Francis was seen near the scene with his real face, it's clear he's challenging the city."

The screen displayed an image of a boy, revealing information that indicated he had been near the dorm but couldn't have reached the 6th floor that day. He had been reported absent from school, prompting his parents to file a police complaint. Thanks to the tracking chip his father had implanted, the boy had been found unconscious in an alley between his home and the lift to the 7th floor. Rain surmised that Francis might have transformed into the boy's likeness to infiltrate the 6th floor.

Lily let out a sigh of relief. "That chip may have saved his life. If he had died, it would have immediately alerted both his parents and the city A.I." The display switched back to the missing boy's image, revealing his name: Callum. He had opened his spiritual gate and taken the genetic medicine yesterday, and was supposed to join the police at 8:00 AM. However, he failed to report to his assigned team. When his team attempted to contact him, they discovered that his BIT had been shut down. The city's surveillance footage indicated that Callum had gone missing on his way from the dorm to the police station. Given that only Francis could transform into anyone in the city, and due to the pseudo domain circumstances, this case would be investigated alongside Callum's team and their team.

They quickly stood up to head to the crime scene in Sector 3. Traveling by train would take about an hour, but as they exited the office building, Rain noticed Sky, Lily, and Damian walking toward the headquarters' gate before unexpectedly veering to the back of the building. Puzzled, Rain followed, his astonishment growing when he spotted a futuristic aircraft in the rear lot. Unlike any plane he had seen in his previous life, this one looked like something straight out of a science fiction movie, designed for vertical takeoffs and powered by sleek, controlled jet engines without the need for runways.

They boarded swiftly, taking their seats as the plane initiated its vertical lift-off. As the aircraft ascended smoothly, Rain found himself mesmerized by the view, seeing the ceiling of the 6th floor much closer than ever before through the window. The plane maneuvered with precision, maintaining a low flight path just above the 1st and 2nd-floor buildings, making the trip fast and efficient. In just ten minutes, they reached Dorm 3. 

After locating an open space, the aircraft touched down gently. The team disembarked, spotting several police officers waiting nearby. Rain quickly realized that these officers must be part of the other team they would be collaborating with on the investigation.