Ryu, seeing the words 'able to detect mutant gene signature,' felt dread wash over him like he was already trapped inside a cage without even knowing it.
He asked himself in silence: "Does that mean I can't do anything now? If that supercomputer can detect mutant gene signatures, doesn't that mean my gene was already found by them two months ago? Have they been watching my every move since then?"
His eyes darted back to the [Book of Everything]. He hadn't manifested it in physical reality once—always keeping it in his mind and space alone—so maybe it hadn't been exposed. But still, he wondered: 'Would my strange behavior have given the Magi system enough reason to suspect me?'
A wave of unease built inside him. He imagined himself already under hidden surveillance, cameras, satellites, predictive models—his entire life mapped out and tagged by SEELE without his knowledge. But he had to be certain.
Ryu asked the book directly:
"Has SEELE already found out about me? How are they surveilling me?"
The [Book of Everything] went still, then its green ethereal cover pulsed faintly. Words surfaced in shimmering ink, slow and deliberate, as though the world itself had to consider before answering:
[SEELE'S Surveillance on Ryu Izumi]
The black font looked deeper than usual, heavy, almost ominous. The book opened by itself, pages fluttering until they steadied. Ryu leaned forward, his hands gripping tight.
[SEELE has not discovered Ryu Izumi's mutation. No records exist within their archives. No direct surveillance is maintained by SEELE or its affiliates.]
Ryu blinked once, then again. He rubbed his eyes and re-read the sentence, certain he had misread. But no—the words were still there. The title still spelled his name.
"What's going on?" he muttered. "Could the Book of Everything be wrong? Impossible. After so many days, I know this book doesn't lie. Something isn't adding up."
He pressed his palm against the cover, his thoughts cutting sharper this time. "Why am I not under their surveillance? I'm a mutant too, aren't I?"
The book snapped shut. Its cover rippled until the letters re-formed:
[The difference between Ryu Izumi and Mutants]
Ryu stared at it. A strange unease crept over him. The title was worded almost as if it was denying his own identity—saying outright that he wasn't a mutant.
"...I'll read first before believing," he whispered, as the book opened again.
The pages lit up, filling his eyes with lines of text:
[Mutants, in the biological and scientific sense, are defined by the presence of the X-Gene. This genetic marker, located on the 23rd pair of chromosomes, is the foundation of mutantkind. When active, the X-Gene expresses phenotypic and energy-based anomalies beyond baseline human capabilities.]
[These anomalies are not static. The X-Gene interacts with quantum biofields, producing low-level bursts of exotic energy. These bursts manifest irregularly—sometimes as faint electromagnetic disturbances, sometimes as anomalous heat or radiation signatures. Even when dormant, the gene oscillates, producing measurable chaos patterns in cellular activity.]
[Advanced machinery, such as Cerebro, harnesses this principle. Cerebro uses psionic amplification to detect the psychic "resonance" emitted when mutant genes fire across the nervous system. SEELE's Magi, integrated with A.I.M.'s bio-quantum mapping algorithms, approaches the problem technologically.]
[By analyzing satellite-based hyperspectral scans, quantum interference patterns, and deviations in bioelectric fields across populations, the Magi identifies these energy bursts. In short: every mutant leaks their existence into the world around them. They cannot hide their signature completely.]
Ryu narrowed his eyes as he read, piecing the meaning together.
What the book was really saying was this: mutants gave off chaos—each in their own spectrum, subtle ripples that disturbed the environment around them, even at the smallest scale. Normally imperceptible, but with the Magi's technology, those disturbances could be tracked and identified.
The Book's explanation shifted again, refining its words as though correcting Ryu's earlier interpretation.
[Mutants, through the activation of the X-Gene, constantly emit irregular bursts of biological energy. These surges ripple outward from their genetic structure—creating measurable fluctuations in bioelectric fields, hormonal cycles, and even low-level quantum signatures. It is this chaos, this dissonance from the human baseline, that advanced machinery such as Magi or Cerebro locks onto.]
The text paused, then continued:
[However, Ryu Izumi's mutation prevents him from producing the abnormal Chaos signatures that mark other mutants. Ryu Izumi's mutation, designated "Calm," stabilizes fluctuations so completely that they never breach the thresholds detectable by Magi systems.]
[Where most mutants amplify entropy, Ryu Izumi's biology instead absorbs and redistributes it evenly—dampening every spike before it escalates. Thus, while his body still emits a signature, it remains indistinguishable from the baseline chaos of an ordinary human.]
Ryu's eyes tightened, following every line.
[Machines built to detect mutant chaos register only the ordinary fluctuations of a human organism from Ryu Izumi's biological signature. His genome exists in equilibrium—not fixed, but self-regulating—keeping every surge in check so his output never rises above the human noise floor. In short: where mutants appear as anomalies, Ryu Izumi appears natural.]
The letters seemed to pulse darker on the page, as though driving the truth deeper:
[This makes Ryu Izumi invisible, not because he produces no chaos, but because he produces only what is expected. He is hidden in plain sight, masked within the ordinary entropy of mankind.]
Ryu let out a deep breath he hadn't realized he was holding as he finally finished reading the reason he had remained unnoticed by SEELE.
"Invisible…" he whispered. "Not because I'm hidden… but because, to them, I don't exist as a mutant at all."
Ryu pressed both hands against his face, a strained chuckle escaping his lips.
"Haa… that was nerve-wrecking," he muttered, feeling as though he had aged ten years in an instant. The revelation that the Magi could track mutants worldwide had rattled him—but relief followed just as quickly. His mutation kept him invisible, hidden in plain sight.
Lowering his hands, his expression sharpened.
"Well, if they can't find me, then it's time to decide what I'll do about them," he told himself, voice steady. He couldn't allow SEELE to continue their designs unchecked. Now that he understood the scale of the giant he faced, he would have to become a giant himself.
He had nothing yet—no army, no resources, no power to rival theirs. But he had knowledge. And though they could not watch him, that did not mean he couldn't watch them.
***
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