Chapter 79: Homecoming

No matter what, the immediate threat was over. The New Veridia branch of the Evolution Cult had been completely wiped out. And the Mad Doctor, in his cold, clinical efficiency, had deleted Ethan's file, believing him to be a failed experiment. In the days to come, Ethan Atherton would be able to be safe, at least for a little while.

He stood amidst the wreckage of the cavern, the dust still settling, the air thick with the smell of ozone and roasted monster flesh. His body ached with a profound, bone-deep exhaustion.

"Ethan! Are you okay?"

He looked up to see Marcus and Seraphina rushing toward him, their faces pale with worry.

"Those beasts… the cultists… they didn't do anything permanent to you, did they?" Marcus asked, his voice thick with a mixture of relief and lingering fear.

"Is there anywhere on your body that feels uncomfortable? Any strange feelings from the potion?" Seraphina added, her analytical eyes scanning him for injuries. "If there is, you have to tell us now. Don't try to be tough."

Seeing his good friends so genuinely concerned about him, a warmth spread through Ethan's chest, a welcome antidote to the cold dread that had taken root there over the past few days. "Relax, guys," he said, forcing a weary smile. "I'm in great shape right now. I feel like I could eat a whole cow. It's just..."

He trailed off as he saw Mayor Thorne and General Valerius approaching. A plan, cunning and desperate, sparked in his exhausted mind. They feel responsible. They have to. This happened on their watch. They owe me.

He deliberately raised his voice, letting a note of tragic despair seep into it. "It's just that… the people from the Evolution Cult… in order to do their experiment, they forcibly infused me with raw psionic energy and skyrocketed my rank." He looked down at his hands, feigning a tremor. "I've advanced all the way to Rank Two, Level Three, but my foundation… my foundation is also completely ruined. In the future," he finished with a pained sigh, "I'm afraid I won't be able to advance any further."

Hearing this, Mayor Thorne and General Valerius, who knew full well he was putting on a show for their benefit, couldn't help but exchange a look. There was nothing they could do. A prominent, high-talent student like him had been captured by the Evolution Cult right on their turf. This was unequivocally their responsibility. Even if Ethan had been "kidnapped" by them in a sense, his involvement with the Evolution Cult made the city directly, politically responsible. As it stood, they still had to rejoice that he was alive and seemingly well.

Mayor Thorne stepped forward, his voice full of official sympathy. "Relax, Ethan. We will do our absolute best to find a solution for the matter of your damaged foundation. The city treasury of New Veridia happens to have a natural treasure that can help repair a psionicist's foundation. The effect is not a miracle cure, but the item itself is extremely rare. You can take it and use it first. It's better to repair a little than to do nothing at all."

General Valerius added, his gruff voice laced with sincerity, "I will also try to apply to my superiors at the military command. After all, wiping out an entire branch of the Evolution Cult is a great merit. I should be able to exchange that merit for a similar restorative treasure for you."

Ethan looked up, his face a mask of grateful surprise. "Then… thank you so much, Mayor, Commander."

Seeing Ethan's sly, almost imperceptible grin, the two powerful men had the distinct feeling that they had just been expertly conned. But there was no helping it; they had to swallow this loss!

"Alright," Mayor Thorne said, changing the subject. "You should come back with us quickly. I'll arrange for a team to clean up the scene here. And you'd better tell us properly, in a formal statement, everything you've experienced in these three nightmarish days."

Hearing the Mayor's words, Ethan's originally playful, manipulative demeanor suddenly vanished. His expression became cold, his eyes revealing a trace of raw, undiluted killing intent. Some say that a person grows up in an instant. Ethan Atherton had also grown up, but this terrible growth had taken him a full three days and three nights. He would never, ever forget these three days for the rest of his life—the constant, unimaginable pain! He swore to himself that he would make the people of the Evolution Cult also experience his pain!!! Especially that bastard Doctor!

That guy must die! Ethan thought, his fists clenching. Absolutely! He must die at my hands!!! No matter what it takes, I will kill him!

Seeing the dangerous, murderous intent emanating from Ethan's body, making him physically tremble, Mayor Thorne hurriedly interrupted his dark thoughts. If this continued, he was very likely to be swallowed up by this negative emotion, his personality changing drastically for the worse. "Alright, Ethan, we should hurry back. Your parents are also very worried about you."

Hearing about his parents, Ethan came back to his senses, the cold rage receding, replaced by an anxious pang of guilt. He had been captured for so many days. His parents must have been worried sick. He had to hurry back and report that he was safe!

General Valerius dispatched an armored military vehicle to take them all back. In the quiet, tense atmosphere of the car, Mayor Thorne looked at Ethan and asked casually, "By the way, that Tiger Deacon who had gigantified before… his Space Ring must not have been brought with him when he transformed. But I didn't find it at the scene before. Do you happen to know where it is?"

Ethan felt a jolt of nervousness, but kept his face passive. "I don't know, sir. I've never even seen that kind of thing up close before."

Mayor Thorne gave a light, knowing laugh and didn't pursue the matter. "Alright then. Let's just count it as a loss among the spoils of war."

Phew~~ Ethan let out a silent sigh of relief. He knew that the Mayor had definitely seen through his lie, but had graciously decided not to press him on it. He was already looking forward to inspecting his new prize. In the storage ring of a Rank Four master, there should be some very good stuff, right?

Taking advantage of the quiet time in the car now, Ethan closed his eyes and retreated into his own mind, checking the status of his Omnitrix. He was now at Rank Two, Level Three. The breakthrough had opened new pathways of potential in his mind. He felt the new data streams unlocking. One felt like savage fury and cold moonlight… Blitzwolfer. Another crackled with raw, untamable electricity… Shocksquatch. A third felt like the crushing pressure of the deep ocean and the tearing of a thousand sharp teeth… Ripjaws. And the last… the last felt like staring into the heart of a star. It was vast, terrifying, and exhilarating. Way Big. Four new forms, one a monstrous bonus from his ordeal. He now had a nuclear weapon in his back pocket. He estimated he could only maintain that colossal form for about three and a half minutes, almost the same time limit as the hero Ultraman from the old Earth shows. It was his ultimate trump card. With it, he felt he would even have the guts to fight another Rank Four master head-on.

After a while, the group finally returned to the city.

Ethan looked out the window at the familiar streets. "I'm finally back. I think I have a psychological trauma from the wilderness now."

Mayor Thorne chuckled. "It's a pity, then. You will have to go back there at least once more in the near future. You should hurry up and overcome it."

"What do you mean?" Ethan asked.

"You'll know when the time comes," the Mayor said mysteriously.

Seeing the other party being so secretive, Ethan didn't pursue the matter further. But associating it with the news he had gotten before about the upcoming changes in the college entrance exams, he thought, Could it be... this year's college entrance exams want us to go into the wilderness?

Although they had already been to the wilderness many times, this did not mean that it was a safe place. In reality, every time they had gone out, they didn't dare to venture too deep. It was more like they were looking for a place to temper themselves on the fringes of true danger. Usually, they would choose routes that people often walked, because these were relatively safer. After all, they were all extremely afraid of death. If they were unfortunate enough to encounter a powerful monster, the consequences would be unimaginable.

If it's really as I think, Ethan thought to himself, they will definitely have to make full preparations to ensure our safety.

Mayor Thorne and General Valerius still had other urgent matters to attend to, so they got out of the car in advance. The armored vehicle continued to drive, taking Ethan and his friends home. When he finally walked to the door of his own home, Ethan's heart was filled with a complex mix of emotions. He had successfully broken through to Rank Two. His physical quality had been greatly enhanced, and his perception ability was extraordinary. Even standing outside the closed door, he could still clearly hear his mother's muffled, heartbroken crying from inside the house.

During this period of time, he thought, a heavy weight settling in his chest, Mom and Dad must have been very, very worried.