If this plan really worked, it would kill two birds with one stone.
Not only would it temporarily solve his safety concerns, but it would also help him test another theory—if he could alter the original path of a "story character" to some extent, would the system reward him for it?
Of course, even if he managed to get David out of the hospital a little earlier, it probably wouldn't stop him from getting caught up in the conflict between the rival mutant organizations [Division 3] and [Summerland].
These two groups had been watching David for years and would not let him go so easily.
But Raymond knew just how terrifying David really was—far beyond what these organizations could imagine. They were doomed the moment they set their sights on him.
Raymond wasn't worried about David's safety at all, because David himself was the real danger.
Forget about those two third-rate mutant groups hiding in the shadows, even the X-Men, founded by David's father, and the Brotherhood of Mutants, founded by his father's best friend, might not be able to handle this ticking time bomb, let alone any other organization.
Having made up his mind, Raymond took David to the hospital lounge after breakfast.
While David found an empty table in the corner, Raymond grabbed a few sheets of paper and a crayon from a nurse and prepared to start the test.
As soon as he decided to help David get an early release, the memories of the original host's knowledge of psychology naturally surfaced in his mind, giving him some confidence in conducting the test.
"Let's begin."
Having settled into a comfortable position with his pen and paper, Raymond spoke to David, who had lowered his head.
However, the moment he finished speaking, a few lines of golden text suddenly appeared in his mind.
At first Raymond was confused. He hadn't even started changing David's fate yet—was the system really rewarding him this early? It seemed too easy.
But when he read the system prompt, he realized it wasn't what he had expected;
[Ding!]
[You have encountered an A-Rank villain: Amahl Farouk. Exploration points +50.
You can convert Exploration points into Universal System Points to unlock different system functions.]
…
Amahl Farouk?
The name felt unfamiliar to Raymond at first.
But considering there was no one else around except David—and the system had labeled this person as an A-Rank villain—he quickly pieced it together…
The Shadow King!
One of Professor X's greatest enemies!
A powerful mutant who had completely transformed himself into a psychic entity!
Although Professor X had ultimately defeated him, Farouk managed to deceive him into thinking he had been destroyed.
In reality, he had secretly attached himself to Professor X, lying dormant.
Knowing he could never take control of Professor X's body, Farouk transferred himself into David the moment he was born and has been quietly influencing him from the shadows ever since.
His goal was simple—to one day break David's psychological defenses and completely shatter his main personality, allowing him to take over.
As a former Level 4 mutant, he understood David better than anyone else… and knew that David's potential was even scarier than Professor X's!
If he could take full control of David's body, no matter how long it took, it would be worth it. After all, having changed his very form of existence, time no longer held any meaning for him.
At that moment, David was unaware of the Shadow King's presence because the Shadow King had never revealed himself directly.
It wasn't until David began working with the [Summerland] organization that he gradually discovered the Shadow King and became involved in a long, bizarre battle with him.
But while David didn't know, Raymond did.
He knew more than anyone else about the Shadow King's origins and motives. However, his mind had been so preoccupied with his "kill two birds with one stone" plan that he had completely overlooked this major villain lurking inside David.
"Damn, I got careless!" Raymond's eyelid twitched.
If he had thought things through a little more, he would have remembered the presence of the Shadow King. And if he had remembered, he would most likely have abandoned this seemingly clever plan.
Because compared to dealing with David as he was now, facing the Shadow King was far more dangerous!
David might be a level 5 mutant, but he was still far from his peak. Even if he lost control, the damage he could cause wouldn't be unimaginable.
But the Shadow King was different.
That guy could go toe-to-toe with Professor X in a direct mental battle!
Even if David lost control, he might not be strong enough to handle the Shadow King, let alone the fact that an out-of-control David would be mindless, while the Shadow King was coldly calculating.
If given the choice, Raymond would rather face an uncontrollable David than go head-to-head with the Shadow King.
But at this point, there was no turning back.
Judging by the system's notification, the Shadow King had likely taken temporary control of David's body—otherwise, the system wouldn't have warned him about encountering the Shadow King.
"No choice but to play along..." Realizing that the "David" in front of him was no longer the same, Raymond braced himself and decided to adapt as needed.
Even switching to the Kuro personality wouldn't help.
Kuro's fighting power was nowhere near that of a level 4 mutant, and he had no abilities suited for dealing with a psychic opponent like the Shadow King.
Plus, Kuro's personality was slightly unhinged. Facing someone with such overwhelming power as the Shadow King, Raymond didn't trust Kuro to handle the situation properly.
The only advantage was that the Shadow King wasn't the kind of villain who went on mindless killing sprees. He preferred to manipulate people from the shadows, slowly breaking them down mentally.
As long as Raymond didn't provoke him, there shouldn't be any immediate conflict.
"Hmm? Shall we begin?"
"David" lifted his head with a strange, unsettling smile.
Seeing this, Raymond couldn't help but complain internally—no wonder David was never allowed to leave the hospital.
With a face like that, anyone who wasn't blind could see that something was wrong.
Raymond knew what was really going on, but people like Dr. Beth didn't. They probably assumed that David was still switching between personalities and showing no real signs of improvement.
In that case, it would be a miracle if they ever let him out.
"Yes, we can begin." Raymond picked up his pen, keeping his expression neutral.
No matter what he was thinking inside, he had no intention of exposing anything. If the Shadow King wanted to put on a show, Raymond would play along.
As long as no one flipped the table, everything would be fine.
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