Quantum Cultivation by Jace Kang (simple e reader TXT) 📕

wasn’t doing any mopping, and had no business approaching a patient, let alone a high-profile prisoner like Ishihara. Strange that they would allow him in there, instead of having a cleaning droid do the work. And he clearly knew where he was going.

What if this was a disguise, and the man intended to harm Ishihara?

Well, after what he had done to three Peacekeepers and two shocktroopers, he probably had a lot of enemies.

Taking active control of the camera, Aya zoomed in on the boy’s nametag.

Kentaro Tanaka.

“Confirm identity,” she commanded Ai.

In a trillionth of a second, a copy of the tag, biometric data, and other forms of identification popped up. This was indeed Kentaro Tanaka, or else someone as good as her had hacked the government’s databases to falsify his information and steal his identity.

And who would want to steal a Purebred’s identity?

And what would a Purebred custodian want with Ishihara? Was it just pure curiosity?

Ken’s expression showed no sign of ill intent.

No, it was of pure wonder. He placed a hand on Ishihara’s forehead.

Lights flashed in the EtherCloud representation of the server. A remote viewer based in New London’s Peacekeeper Headquarters had seen Kentaro and was now double-checking. Maybe he wasn’t supposed to be there at all, and he certainly shouldn’t be touching Ishihara.

Still, he showed no sign of doing harm.

Aya’s curiosity got the better of her. Hands moving furiously, she made a virtual copy of Kentaro turning back to the door, while masking the real Kentaro. The alarm from the remote viewer shut off.

Back in the room, Kentaro’s hand still rested on Ishihara’s forehead.

Ishihara’s eyes opened.

The tether to her real body tugged. In order to follow Ishihara on the camera, she’d slowed her perception to Real Time, and now her lungs were filled with mucous.

Just when it looked like Ishihara was going to speak.

To a Purebred, no less.

And outside of the EtherCloud she wouldn’t be able to shield their conversation from other prying eyes.

Chapter 4:

The Purebred

F or all his seventeen years, Ken had either been unseen or treated like a pet by the XHumans. Now, here in front of him lay a man who was genetically closer to his kind, and yet was superior to the XHumans in at least two or three ways.

Which was why Ken had risked his job, and maybe even more, to come here.

Earlier, he had taken his time cleaning the broken glass in the monitoring station, taking advantage of his menial duties to watch as Master Ishihara Ryusuke overwhelmed two shocktroopers before finally being subdued by six Peacekeepers. As always, Ken’s cultural invisibility had served him well, because he’d overheard they were bringing him here, of all places, to make sure he survived.

Now, Master Ishihara was in Kyoto Central, along with the first three Peacekeepers. Rumor had it they were unconscious, but didn’t seem to have been grievously harmed. A Ministry of Defense team had scooped up their own shocktroopers and taken them to who knew where.

Technically, Ken wasn’t prohibited from entering the medical unit. In fact, it was on his cleaning schedule. Just not today. And common sense said he shouldn’t be approaching a high-profile prisoner, let alone touching him.

Of course, no XHuman would ever accuse a Purebred of having common sense, and that would be his excuse if someone saw him. A big if, because the Peacekeeper standing guard outside the room hadn’t bothered to stop him from going into Master Ishihara’s room.

Every nerve prickled as he approached. The stranger’s lack of clothes revealed a slim body, not unlike the XHumans, yet he’d overpowered heavily muscled Bovine shocktroopers, each with a tactical cybernetic eye, and clad in strength- and speed-enhancing power armor.

Well, in the old movies the masters had all shared a similar build, and always managed to defeat some hulking brute of an enemy. Ken placed a hand on the man’s forehead.

Master Ishihara’s eyes opened.

Ken’s soul just about jumped out of his body. He jerked his hand back.

Master Ishihara said something in a low whisper.

Right, he didn’t speak English, at least not very well.  Ken pressed the translator ear dot he’d lifted to his ear. “Could you please repeat yourself?”

“You have questions.”

How did he know? Ken nodded. “I do, Master.”

“I am one rank short of that title, and I’m not your teacher. You may call me Ryu.”

Rank? His clothes hadn’t had insignias like the Peacekeepers and shocktroopers. Ken tasted the name Ryu on his mouth and decided it was inappropriate address for someone so exalted. “Yes, Master Ishihara. Your humble servant is Kentaro Tanaka. If it is your wish, please call me Ken.”

“Ken-coon.” Master Ishihara harrumphed. “First, I have a question for you: you are not like the others. Your Essence has a foundation. Your Qi flows. Your Spirit is firm. Why are you different?”

If not for all the ancient movies Ken had watched, this would all be gibberish, even with the translator. Of course, it’d all been terminology from fantastical legends, and nothing related to his boring existence. And to think that at least in this, he was better off than XHumans. “I’m Purebred,” he answered.

“What does that mean?” Master Ishihara turned his head as much as the restraints would allow. “Since when are people classified like dogs?”

Ken placed a hand over his heart. “My people were never genetically engineered.”

Understanding bloomed in Master Ishihara’s expression. “Ah, that would explain why everyone else is so fragile.”

Fragile? Ken scratched his head. XHumans were the epitome of health and longevity, as perfect as Homo sapiens could be. And the shocktroopers, they were giants of men, engineered soon after the Onslaught to fight hand-to-hand against the invading aliens. Nicknamed ‘Bulls’