Deviant: No Longer Human

Wang Xiao\'s face was pinched in concentration as he picked up a thick volume, its pages yellowed with age.

"What are these...?" he murmured, his brow furrowing deeper.

Amelia, who was busy rifling through a stack of dog-eared journals, looked up, her expression an odd mix of hope and resignation.

"You said you wanted to revive someone from cryo sleep or a similar state, right?" she asked, the corners of her mouth twitching into a tentative smile.

"Uh-hm," Wang Xiao nodded, his gaze darting over the dense text he held.

He was visibly taken aback by something he read, his eyes widening slightly.

"I\'ve tried this before for our—never mind... it just never worked out," Amelia continued, her smile fading into a grimace.

"I don\'t know if it will this time either," she confessed, her voice tinged with a bitter edge.

Wang Xiao set the paper down, his demeanor shifting from surprise to determination. "Your chances of success would be quite high this time," he asserted confidently, sparking a flicker of curiosity in Amelia\'s eyes.

??

She turned to face him fully, her gaze intense as she searched his face, wondering what had fueled his newfound assurance.

From the shadowy corner of his mind, Yin Yue\'s voice added, [Her studies are elaborate. With a few adjustments, they could actually work.]

Wang Xiao nodded, affirmation written across his features.

This was precisely why he had come to this forgotten land, filled with the scent of mold and the promise of forbidden knowledge.

Yin Yue claims to have the necessary knowledge, but of course, he know nothing about surgery or medicine.

Wang Xiao admitted openly to himself, looking back at Amelia with a respectful nod.

He need someone who can understand the scientific nuances and execute the procedures.

He had chosen Amelia for this task over Rebecca, whom he knew only in passing.

Amelia\'s grasp on the theoretical was evident from the meticulous notes and annotations that peppered her workspace.

Now, as he observed the confident way she handled the ancient tomes, he realized she might not need as much guidance as he had initially thought.

Her capability was clear, and perhaps, just maybe, they were on the brink of something— groundbreaking.

Even if all paths turned to dust, Wang Xiao harbored deeper schemes: to seek Tiamat and use the Elixir of Life; and if the stars refused to align, then perhaps a quest for Aurora, or a counsel with Naomi would suffice.

He held a quiet belief, a whisper within, that the silent tenant residing rent-free in his vessel might heed his words.

This resolve was fortified when Yin Yue observed his tendency to simply accept things and forge ahead.

It was a jolt, a spark that ignited within him the realization that he had deemed Anran\'s \'death\' as definitive without exploring other possibilities.

Now awakened, he was determined to push his own limits to their utmost.

Maliketh would remain a shadow at the edge of his thoughts, a nightmare to confront once they stood as equals in the arena of might.

Indeed, it had been but seventeen years since Wang Xiao awoke to this world, a mere five in mastery of psychokinetics.

Given time, he mused, even the celestial beings like Maliketh would reckon with his presence.

Yet, beneath it all, Wang Xiao understood—these grand designs might merely be his heart\'s way to veil its own fragility, a coping mechanism, a lie woven from threads of desperation.

Humans, ever so human, perpetually strive to validate their emotions and beliefs, crafting justifications as shields against the relentless march of reality, much like Wang Xiao, much like anyone else.

______

Midnight, 29th December, Gaia\'s Facility

In the gloom of Gaia\'s advanced laboratory, the clock struck twelve, its chime echoing off the sterile, metallic walls.

Beep...

Beep...

Rows of high-tech equipment and softly humming machinery, a single cryogenic pod stood out, bathed in a cold, blue light.

Inside, a body lay suspended, serene and still, as if caught between worlds.

The pod, screens flickered with vital statistics and complex graphs, painting a picture of life held in pause.

The air was filled with the sterile scent of antiseptic, mixed with the faint ozone smell of active electronics.

Tubes and wires snaked from the pod like lifelines, pulsing with the rhythms of artificial life support.

Wang Xiao and Amelia arrived at the scene, their quick steps halted by Rebecca, who was monitoring a panel of blinking indicators.

"Wait! We are still in the middle of the procedure—" she started, her plea cut short by Amelia\'s assertive interruption.

"No need, I\'ll take it from here," Amelia declared, stepping forward with such decisiveness that Rebecca, caught off guard, faltered.

"You are...?" Her eyes flicked between the determined Amelia and Wang Xiao.

"Amelia. Also, bring everyone here; I need to know the team before we proceed," Amelia added authoritatively.

"Huh?" Confusion and irritation flashed across Rebecca\'s features.

It was her laboratory, after all.

Why should she heed the commands of someone else?

"Did you not hear her... Perhaps?" Wang Xiao interjected, his tone mild but his gaze sharp, landing on Rebecca with a silent warning.

"Follow him, Rebecca," came another voice.

Li Zhiming entered the lab, his presence only intensifying Rebecca\'s discomfort, her face twisting as if she had swallowed something bitter.

She conceded, albeit reluctantly.

Wang Xiao\'s attention shifted as he noticed a new emblem on the uniform of a stern-faced Li Zhiming, and he frowned.

"Old man, did you get a promotion?" he asked, his suspicion apparent.

Behind him, a woman glared viciously towards him, and recognition dawned on Wang Xiao\'s face. He knew her.

Amaya\'s presence caught Wang Xiao by surprise, not merely because of her angry glare but because she was among other Deviants.

This was unusual, as Wang Xiao clearly remembered the rules of the Pantheon Network, which typically allowed only two Deviants at any given time.

"Not a promotion, it\'s temporary. Gabriel has absconded, so I\'ll be temporarily heading the entire Zero. In the next few hours, I\'ll also be moving to the Zero headquarters in the States," Li Zhiming explained, his tone carrying a hint of pride.

It was a temporary appointment, but the possibilities it heralded could lead to permanence.