[Limitless (Infinity) Lv. 1 (1/100): Interference with matter at the atomic level to dominate space. The closer an object or attack gets to the user, the more it slows down, eventually appearing to stop. The user can never be touched.]
[Energy Absorption Lv. 2 (1/300): Can absorb most forms of energy with significantly increased speed and storage capacity.]
As the fusion reached 5%, Su Mu's Energy Absorption evolved to Level 2. He felt an immediate shift in his physiology: his body could now act as a high-capacity battery, and a new technique was carved deep into his soul.
The Limitless Technique.
Su Mu instinctively understood how to manifest the infinity around him. However, because his fusion level was still low, he could only maintain the active barrier for five minutes at a time. Unlike the later version of Gojo Satoru, this wasn't a passive, constant state yet.
Still, for a prison break, five minutes of being untouchable was more than enough.
There were still a few hours until dawn. To ensure absolute success, he remained in the shadows, continuing to drain the power from the wall lamp to push his fusion even higher.
"Hey... kid over there. You're a mutant, aren't you?"
A low, raspy whisper came from the adjacent cell. Su Mu turned slightly. Because of his energy absorption, a faint, rhythmic blue glow pulsed between his fingers and the wiring. In the pitch-black basement, it was impossible to miss if someone was watching.
Seeing Su Mu remain silent, the middle-aged man in the next cell grew arrogant. "You disgusting mutant freak. You have a way out of here, don't you? With all those weird powers you bastards have, you must be planning to bolt."
The man leaned against the bars, his eyes gleaming with greed and desperation. "Listen up, kid. When you leave, you take me with you. If you don't, I'll scream. I'll tell the guards exactly what you are. I bet they'd love to see what a mutant's heart looks like before they sell it."
Su Mu didn't move. Instead, the corners of his mouth curled into a subtle, chilling arc.
In this world, government propaganda had taught the masses to loathe mutants, viewing them as "dirty" or "subhuman." But people often forgot one crucial thing: mutants possessed the power to tear them apart.
Su Mu looked up. He brushed his white hair back with one hand, revealing striking, crystalline blue eyes that seemed to contain the vastness of the sky. He flashed a bright, mock-innocent smile.
"Don't worry, sir. I'll let you out right now."
The man smirked, satisfied. "That's more like it. You're a smart kid."
Su Mu stopped absorbing the current and stood up, walking toward the iron bars separating their cells. He reached out his hand. "Sir, please give me your hand. My ability is a space jump—I can pull you through the bars and out of here in an instant."
The man's face lit up with joy. What a naive brat, he thought. A little threat and he folds.
He already had a plan: once he was free, he would immediately report Su Mu to the authorities. The bounty for a mutant was enough to let him live comfortably for months. He didn't dare cross the gangsters, but a "freak" kid? That was easy money.
He didn't consider Su Mu a threat. After all, if the kid had any real offensive power, he wouldn't have been caught by common thugs.
But the Su Mu standing there now was no longer the weak boy from before.
As their palms touched, Su Mu didn't jump through space. Instead, he surged the stored electricity from his body directly into the man's hand. The current was precise—strong enough to paralyze the man's vocal cords and muscles, but low enough not to cause a loud, buzzing arc.
The man froze, his eyes widening in terror as he realized he couldn't even scream.
Su Mu didn't want to electrocute him to death; the smell of burnt flesh would alert the guards. Instead, he used the stored energy to reinforce his own physical strength. With a cold, steady motion, he reached out his other hand and gripped the man's neck through the bars.
Snap.
A dull crack echoed in the quiet cell. The man's neck twisted at an unnatural angle, and the light left his eyes instantly.
Su Mu gently laid the body down in a sleeping position against the bars. He then sat back down by his lamp and resumed his work as if nothing had happened.
[Energy Point +1... +1... +1] [Energy Absorption Experience +1... +1]
Time blurred. Through a small, high vent, Su Mu saw the first grey light of dawn creeping into the room. Simultaneously, the system chimed with a new, powerful resonance.
[Template Fusion: 10%] [New Skill Unlocked: Cursed Technique Lapse: "Blue"!]