Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups-Chapter 1155 - 562:

Surrounded by vast farmland, the location is remote, and coupled with it not being a holiday, tourists are scarce, making it exceptionally tranquil.

In one of the suites on the second floor of the guesthouse, the afternoon sun streams through the old wooden window lattice, casting oblique shadows on the polished wooden floor.

The room’s furnishings are simple: a traditional table, two bamboo chairs, with two single beds placed against the wall.

In the corner, on a small table, there are two blue-and-white porcelain vases, with some freshly picked wildflowers inside, the petals still bearing dew.

The room is very quiet, with only the occasional rustle of wind blowing through the treetops outside.

On the left bed sits a young couple.

The man is wearing a faded blue shirt, the cuffs rolled up haphazardly, revealing somewhat rough forearms.

Upon them, faint unhealed scratches can still be seen.

His expression is somewhat dull, his sitting posture rigid, his hands tightly gripping the fabric on his knees.

The woman, snuggled beside him, is wearing a beige sweater, her long hair casually tied back.

Though not wearing any makeup, her features are delicate, but her eyes are somewhat red, clearly having cried not long ago.

And in the darkest corner of the room, a small figure is curled up.

It’s a child about twelve or thirteen, wearing an obviously ill-fitting adult coat, the trouser legs rolled up several times.

The hair is tangled like a bird’s nest, the face covered in dirt, obscuring their true features and gender.

Only a pair of eyes, alert like a wild beast, are fiercely fixed on the direction of the door.

They are the three mutants rescued by the Illuminati from the clutches of the Bloodthorn Mercenary Corps: Xu Kuan, Jiang Yun, and Bean.

At present, the three are like startled birds, even in the safety of the room, they remain tense.

"Brother Kuan..."

Jiang Yun buried her head in Zhang Kuan’s shoulder, her voice trembling:

"Do you think... the Illuminati will deal with us like the beasts of Bloodthorn, and sell us off as lab rats to those perverts?"

Zhang Kuan’s body stiffened, his arm reached around her shoulder, awkwardly patting:

"Don’t... don’t be afraid, I’ll protect you."

"Protect me?"

Jiang Yun lifted her head, her swollen eyes holding a trace of resentment:

"If you could really protect me, that night we wouldn’t have been taken by those people..."

She realized something mid-sentence and quickly stopped.

Zhang Kuan’s expression instantly darkened, his lips moved, but he couldn’t utter a word.

Seeing her boyfriend stiff like a plank, full of guilt and remorse, Jiang Yun’s heart softened, regretting her harsh words earlier.

"Sorry... I shouldn’t have said that."

"No, it’s all my fault."

Zhang Kuan took a deep breath, his tone suddenly becoming firm:

"This time is different, Xiao Yun, I swear, this time if anyone wants to hurt you, they’ll have to get through my dead body first!"

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Jiang Yun hurriedly covered his mouth, teasing:

"Don’t make such oaths, good ones don’t work, and bad ones do! We need to live well together."

Zhang Kuan said nothing, only tightened his grip, holding Jiang Yun a bit more firmly.

The interruption slightly eased the oppressive atmosphere between the two.

But soon enough, that tide of fear known as "the unknown" surged back over them.

"Do you think... what’s the background of the Illuminati?"

Jiang Yun leaned in Zhang Kuan’s embrace, her eyes dazed:

"Even the brutal Bloodthorn Mercenary Corps, who disregard the military, fell into their hands like squashing a few ants."

"Why do you think they’re holding us here, what for?"

Zhang Kuan shook his head, his eyes filled with confusion too.

If the Bloodthorn Mercenary Corps were a pack of bloodthirsty wolves, then the Illuminati they encountered last night were dragons of the Abyss.

Unbidden, memories of last night’s nightmare battle surfaced in their minds.

The top floor of the Silver Wing Building, ablaze with fire.

Military helicopters like angry swarms of wasps, their cannons roaring, rockets blasting fervently.

If not for their caution around these important "goods," deliberately avoiding the bombarded area, they would have been ashes.

Two members of the normally arrogant Bloodthorn cried out like lost dogs under the terrifying network of fire.

But that man remained fearlessly composed.

Like a Demon God out of mythology, his body bathed in golden flames, fighting military helicopters with mere flesh, exploding one steel beast.

Such violence beyond comprehension, beautiful yet terrifying, still sends chills down one’s soul upon recollection.

"That chairman... is beyond monstrous."

Jiang Yun muttered, involuntarily shivering once more.

Zhang Kuan felt his girlfriend’s fear, squeezing her icy hand harder, trying to pass some warmth.

Taking a deep breath, he offered comfort:

"Don’t think too much. Regardless of anything, that bespectacled professor was somewhat polite to us last night."

Jiang Yun forced a smile at this:

"You’re right, my gut tells me they don’t have blatant malice toward us."

"Since that chairman is so powerful, he probably won’t bother tormenting us, small mutants, will he?"

Despite such self-reassurance, the haze in their eyes remained unmoved.

Gifted with superpowers, they had thought it a heavenly favor, envisioning a life above others.

Only for reality to slap them viciously across the face.