Chpater 118

Alex leaned back in his chair, eyes half-closed, as he listened to Eva's synthesized voice deliver the summary of Dr. Carlisle's recent meeting. The sound of rain tapping against his window in Lakeside City was the only other noise in the room, but Alex's mind was elsewhere, processing the flood of information Eva had just provided.

"So," Alex said after a moment, "Dr. Carlisle thinks this is all some kind of new genetic activation. The 'Hidden Code,' huh?"

He had suspected for a while now that something about Malik's abilities was beyond simple mutation or science fiction. But hearing the theory laid out by someone like Carlisle, a name he recognized from the past, made it all feel more... tangible.

Eva's voice broke through his thoughts. "That is correct. Dr. Carlisle believes that Malik's abilities, and potentially others like him, stem from an unobservable genetic sequence that becomes active under unknown conditions. He also suggested it might be tied to changes in the environment or even the structure of life itself."

Alex let out a low sigh. "Carlisle. That name... I know that guy." He sat up, rubbing his temples as memories from the past surfaced. "Back in the day, when I used to drop hints on that online forum—Star Gazer—he was one of the people poking around. Always trying to dig deeper, find answers where I wasn't giving any. I blocked him eventually." He smirked. "Persistent type."

It made sense, Alex thought. A guy like Carlisle, obsessed with the unknown, always eager to push boundaries, would be neck-deep in something like this. It was funny in a way—Carlisle, despite his intellect, had been chasing shadows on that forum for years without ever getting close to anything meaningful. He didn't even know who Star Gazer really was.

Alex opened his eyes fully and gazed out the window, watching the raincoat-clad pedestrians hurry through the downpour. He wondered how much longer Carlisle and others like him would keep running in circles, theorizing and experimenting. They were brilliant in their own right, but they lacked the one thing Alex had—Cognichip smartmode. It gave him an edge, one that no one in those secret government labs or think tanks could match.

"So what's the conclusion here?" Alex asked. "Did they come up with any solid ideas about stopping people like Malik?"

"No definitive solution has been reached," Eva replied smoothly. "There was talk of using CRISPR or other gene-editing technology to disable the Hidden Code in individuals before it activates. They also considered the use of targeted drugs to suppress the gene sequence responsible for abilities like Malik's. However, both approaches require identifying individuals with the latent code before it manifests, which remains problematic."

Alex frowned. "Sounds like they're grasping at straws. They don't even know how many people have this code, let alone how to detect it. If they're betting on pre-emptive strikes, they're gonna be waiting a while."

He stood up, pacing the room slowly. "But this explains the sudden rise in daredevils trying to awaken powers. People think they can just trigger something by putting themselves in danger. Idiots." He shook his head. "They have no idea how selective this thing is."

There was a brief pause before Eva chimed in again. "Dr. Carlisle also expressed concerns about the world changing in a way that is not yet fully understood. He believes this phenomenon is part of a larger environmental or cosmic shift."

Alex scoffed. "He's right about one thing—the world is changing. But if he's looking at cosmic shifts or environmental factors, he's probably barking up the wrong tree. This isn't just about external changes. There's something deeper going on."

He thought back to the night Malik had first appeared on the news, wielding his strange powers in a spectacle that had left the world stunned. Back then, Alex had wondered what it all meant, and now—months later—he had more questions than answers. He had expected things to move in a more mental direction, powers linked to focus or insight. But Malik's ability to manipulate metal, something so physical, had thrown him off balance.

"What are you thinking, Alex?" Eva asked, always tuned into his moments of deep thought.

"I'm thinking I need to adjust my plans," Alex muttered. "I've been so focused on sharpening my own skills, preparing for mental breakthroughs, but Malik changed the game. The world's about to deal with people like him—people with raw physical power. And what I've been doing might not be enough."

He sat back down at his desk, calling up the cognichip interface with a thought. His status bar floated in front of him, silently tracking his progress. His progress toward level 4 had been slow, what he thought would be accomplished in near weeks is dragging to months now. It was a quiet kind of growth, something that didn't come with flashy displays or sudden bursts of power.

Status:

Mental Strength: Level 3

Physical Strength Enhancement: x3

Progress to Level 4: 99%

"Almost there," Alex whispered. "But will it be enough?"

He glanced at the projected graphs of Malik's abilities that Eva had pieced together. Even with all the reports, the interviews, and the speculative footage, there were still too many gaps in what they knew about Malik's true capabilities. The guy could bend metal to his will—that much was clear. But how far did it go? Could Malik crush a tank with his bare hands? Could he control the iron in someone's blood if he really tried?

"If it's true that Malik's been taken by the government," Alex continued, "then they've got a huge head start on figuring this all out. But the fact that he got taken down means one thing—he's not invincible. There's a way to beat him, and if they found it, I need to know what it is."

Eva's voice remained calm. "Would you like me to prioritize further investigation into Malik's capture?"

"Yeah," Alex said after a beat. "And keep an eye on Dr. Carlisle, too. I want to know if he makes any breakthroughs. He's relentless, and guys like him don't give up easily."

"Understood. I will continue monitoring all related activity and provide updates as new information becomes available."

Alex leaned back again, staring up at the ceiling. It was funny how things had turned out. Carlisle, the man he had once blocked on a forum, was now one of the leading minds in the search for answers about the Hidden Code. And here Alex was, still in the shadows, watching it all unfold from a distance.

For now, he would keep his head low, train, and wait for his own breakthrough. When the time came, he'd be ready—no matter what the world threw at him next