Chapter 95: Dr. Hayes, Thank You

Kevin Everett certainly believed in Jayce’s abilities.

But belief was one thing; worry was another.

"Still, you can’t underestimate the enemy," Kevin Everett cautioned.

Jayce nodded. "Don’t worry! I’ll put an end to this today!"

The external threats were already severe enough; they couldn’t let internal problems fester.

"General Aldridge’s side, about how many people do they have?" Jayce asked Harvey Cheney.

Harvey Cheney seemed to give it some serious thought before answering, "All his men are in that building. I don’t know the exact number."

"What floor is Dr. Hayes’s lab on?" Sierra Sullivan asked.

"The eighth floor."

It was clear they wouldn’t get any more useful information from Harvey Cheney, so Sierra and Jayce didn’t waste any more time.

After leaving Harvey Cheney and the others with Kevin Everett, Sierra and Jayce went straight to the underground parking garage to head for Building 12.

But just as they reached the stairwell of Building 12, they were stopped.

Several burly, scowling men, armed with guns, were guarding the entrance to the stairs.

Upon seeing Sierra and Jayce, their expressions turned vicious.

"What do you think you’re doing?"

"Do you know where you are?"

"Who told you to come here?"

"Get lost!"

The men weren’t polite, and naturally, Sierra and Jayce had no intention of being polite either.

Without a word, the two of them took the men down with lightning speed.

Not even glancing at the unconscious figures on the ground, Sierra and Jayce quickly headed upstairs.

They probably thought a few guards at the stairwell would be enough to stop anyone from going up.

From the first floor to the eighth, Sierra and Jayce didn’t encounter another soul. Their path was completely clear.

Exiting the eighth-floor stairwell and passing through the fire door, they arrived at the elevator lobby.

The door on the eighth floor was tightly shut.

This type of door was not only sturdy but also extremely soundproof.

Standing at the door, they couldn’t hear any sound from within.

Sierra and Jayce stood before the door without hesitation and raised a hand to knock.

They had chosen to come knocking, intending to use the most direct method to resolve this matter completely and in the shortest time possible.

When your Combat Power is high enough, all schemes and plots become superfluous.

After just a few knocks, the lock made a CLICK.

Someone had opened the door from the inside.

The person who opened the door was a middle-aged man. He had long, naturally curly hair that was slightly graying, and he wore a pair of black-framed glasses.

The moment she saw the man, Sierra instinctively guessed his identity.

"Dr. Hayes?"

Dr. Hayes’s face was completely devoid of expression.

Even though he had never seen Sierra before, hearing her call out his name didn’t seem to surprise him in the slightest.

"What can I do for you?" Dr. Hayes asked directly.

His voice was slightly hoarse, but it held no trace of emotion.

"We heard you’re using live subjects for experiments to awaken Superpowers. Is that true?" Sierra countered.

Since he was being direct, she saw no reason to beat around the bush.

Dr. Hayes stared at Sierra for a moment. "Yes."

He admitted it.

And quite readily at that.

Just as Sierra was about to speak, he spoke again.

"Aren’t you doing the same thing?"

"What?" Sierra didn’t immediately understand. She asked instinctively, "How are we the same?"

"Don’t you also have ordinary people use Crystal Cores to awaken Superpowers? What’s the difference between that and what I’m doing?"

"Of course there’s a difference!" Jayce interjected. "Ordinary people might use Crystal Cores to awaken Superpowers, but before they start, we inform them of all the dangers! Whether or not they ultimately decide to try is their own choice! When they awaken their Superpowers, we also have people standing by to ensure their safety as much as possible—"

"So do I!" Dr. Hayes said with a serious expression. "I do the same things you do. I also watch over them, and I do my best to ensure their safety! What’s more, I’ve fused and purified the Crystal Cores, creating a much more refined serum. The probability of awakening is greatly increased, and the Superpowers are stronger. What’s wrong with what I’m doing?"

"But are those people completely willing?" Sierra asked coldly. "Did you tell them the risks?"

"Shouldn’t they know that themselves?" Dr. Hayes retorted. "There’s no such thing as a free lunch. Don’t they understand that? To say they don’t know is just playing dumb. If they awaken, everyone’s happy. If they don’t, then it’s my fault. Heh! As expected, humans are just as shameless as ever, no matter the era."

"You’re human too!" Jayce said.

"I’d rather I wasn’t."

With that, Dr. Hayes turned and went inside, but he didn’t close the door.

He didn’t seem to care whether Sierra and Jayce followed him in or not.

Sierra looked at Jayce and lowered her voice. "I’m getting the feeling... this isn’t exactly what we expected."

"Either way, we’re here now. Let’s go in and take a look."

"Right!"

Jayce pushed the door open a little wider, and he and Sierra stepped inside.

Inside, numerous people in white lab coats were busy at their respective stations.

Some were taking notes, while others hurried back and forth.

Some stared intently at various instruments, conducting experiments that Sierra didn’t understand.

But Sierra did indeed see quite a few Crystal Cores.

The space had clearly been heavily modified. The current layout was at odds with the original structure and decor.

The perimeter was lined with small rooms.

Each room had a large window, allowing a clear view of the interior.

Inside each room was a bed, with a person strapped to it.

Some had calm expressions, while others were contorted in pain, struggling against their restraints.

Next to them stood another person in a white lab coat, impassively recording data.

Dr. Hayes walked over to one of the glass windows and stopped, staring inside with a blank expression.

Just as Sierra and Jayce approached him, Dr. Hayes’s face suddenly lit up with ecstatic joy.

"Success!"

’What succeeded?’

Sierra looked through the window and saw that the young woman lying on the bed inside had just opened her eyes.

As a Superpower User herself, Sierra could clearly sense a strong energy fluctuation coming from the young woman.

It was obvious she had awakened a Superpower.

’The energy fluctuation is this strong right after awakening?’

Sierra felt she had to be close to Second Level already!

’That’s way too strong!’

Without needing anyone to undo her restraints, she exerted a little force and snapped the straps herself.

The next moment, the young woman leaped off the bed, quickly opened the door, and walked out.

"Dr. Hayes! I succeeded! Thank you!"