Chapter 51 The Psychic Commander Training Manual—Breaking the Limits of Mortality

Foundation Paradise Island Base, Cafeteria A.

Ethan yawned as he carried his tray through the cafeteria, wearily choosing his breakfast.

Last night’s negotiations over the project details had been torture.

Neither side had been willing to budge an inch, fighting over every point.

In the end, his youth and lack of experience had gotten the better of him.

Somehow, Ethan couldn’t shake the feeling that he had lost several billion.

“Commander, here are your lamb chops.

They came from a carefully selected Duolang sheep that was slaughtered immediately before the Kitchen prepared it.” Ethan stared at the other items on his tray in confusion.

“What are these?” “Carefully prepared ram penis and testicles, tender grilled lamb liver, and a complimentary glass of gin.” The chef gave Ethan a knowing look shared between men before leaning closer and lowering his voice mysteriously.

“I also followed a secret recipe and added a sauce made from pufferfish milt.

It’s extremely effective at restoring your energy.” “And according to a rumor from Colonel Hans’s homeland, the gin doubles the effect.” Ethan coughed twice.

“It was just a normal business negotiation.

What exactly are you people imagining?” “Hahaha!

Of course.

Business negotiations—that’s exactly what I meant.

Enjoy your meal, sir.” The Mobile Task Force officers and soldiers in the cafeteria watched Ethan’s embarrassment with broad grins.

Even Colonel Hans, that rigid old Prussian Junker, raised his glass and led the toast.

“To the Commander!” “To the Commander!” Uh…

Had that deal that cost him several billion really been so obvious?

Had everyone figured it out?

Ethan smiled and raised his glass as well.

“To the Mobile Task Force!” After lowering his glass and taking a seat, Ethan could tell that the people at the base genuinely respected and admired him.

A commander who ate in the same cafeteria as his soldiers, waited patiently in line, and led from the front whenever trouble arose would always command more respect than one who demanded special treatment in peacetime and fled at the first sign of danger.

Anyone who abused their authority during peaceful times, only to run when chaos erupted and abandon the Foundation’s spirit entirely, could never lead an effective fighting force.

Still, his body had been strengthened by a customized version of the T-virus.

Even though his physique remained at the limit of what a normal human could achieve, its endurance was remarkable.

It seemed the path of genetic enhancement and ascension was indeed worth exploring.

With that thought, Ethan speared a lamb chop with his fork and took a bite.

It was incredibly tender, juicy, and delicious.

Was it because of the milt sauce?

One of the advantages of an A-Class base was that even its cafeteria chefs would qualify as head chefs at top restaurants in the outside world.

After all, Mobile Task Force operators who regularly dealt with anomalies were highly susceptible to psychological problems.

That was why the logistics and living conditions at Foundation bases were maintained to the highest possible standards.

This experience had taught Ethan just how terrifying a woman whose body had already crossed into the superhuman realm could be.

Improving his own physical strength needed to become a priority.

After finishing breakfast, Ethan picked up the glass of gin and drained it in one gulp.

By the time he arrived at the training room, he had already gained a thorough understanding of the Psychic Commander profession.

As its name suggested, a Psychic Commander possessed formidable combat abilities, but the profession was primarily geared toward battlefield command.

The original concept of the Psychic Commander came from the world of F.E.A.R.

To adapt to the changing nature of warfare, that world’s federal government authorized a military technology corporation known as Armacham Technology Corporation—or ATC—to research the concept.

ATC had even constructed an entire city for the project.

From across the Federation, the company selected tens of thousands of children who showed potential psychic traits and brought them into its facilities.

In the end, fewer than a few hundred displayed enough potential to be trained as soldiers.

Yet the only experimental subject who was truly qualified to become a Psychic Commander eventually lost control, triggering a series of horrifying disasters.

In other words, despite the tremendous price ATC had paid, all the company managed to produce was a defective product.

The Foundation’s Psychic Commander was the perfected form developed from that concept.

A Psychic Commander had to be a psionic with exceptionally powerful mental attributes.

Through psionic communication, they could remain connected to their troops, instantly perceive the state of the entire battlefield, and command their forces toward victory.

Every Psychic Commander could perceive and influence the flow of battle.

They could also use psionic techniques to grant their troops various enhancements, including Psychic Inspiration, Psychic Solace, Wind of Tranquility, and Stasis Shield.

Beyond providing enormous strategic advantages, Psychic Commanders also possessed tremendous individual combat power.

They could attack an enemy directly with Soul Fire, perform Soul Steal, or use Psionic Fracture to inflict debilitating effects.

Once a Psychic Commander became sufficiently powerful, they could employ terrifying strategic-level abilities such as Mind Domination, Void Spear, and Void Rift.

Even a novice Psychic Commander would receive a D-Class evaluation from the Foundation.

At D-Class, an individual had already entered the realm of superhuman life.

A D-Class lifeform had undergone a fundamental transformation in both vitality and mental strength.

Even while unarmed, one person could contend with an entire company of modern mechanized troops.

In ancient times, that would have been the equivalent of a single warrior fighting ten thousand soldiers.

The reward Ethan had obtained from containing SCP-939 had already made his mental strength far superior to that of an ordinary person.

After so many days of adaptation, his mental strength had grown exceptionally powerful.

He had reached the threshold required to become a psionic.

“System, use the Psychic Commander Training Manual!” The moment Ethan activated the Psychic Commander Training Manual, he sensed a mighty force elevating his very level of existence.

Powerful life energy surged into his body, continuously transforming his muscles, bones, and internal organs.

At the same time, psionic energy poured into his brain and strengthened it.

A vast quantity of Psychic Commander training techniques and memories flooded into his mind, where they were rapidly absorbed.

When Ethan opened his eyes again, a faint golden-amber light shimmered in their depths.

His mortal body had finally broken through the limits of humanity.

He had entered the superhuman realm.

Ethan looked toward a target on the Foundation’s training range.

A cluster of pale blue flames emerged above his palm before shooting forward with the speed of a bullet and striking the target.

The flames completely ignored its armor and began to burn.

The computer-simulated heavy-armored unit was instantly consumed by Soul Fire, yet the system’s assessment showed that its heavy armor remained entirely undamaged.

Even Ethan was stunned by what he had just witnessed.

It was unbelievably powerful.

As expected of an S-Class profession.

He had only just begun his training, yet its most basic ability had already destroyed a computer-generated D-Class heavy-armored target.

That was an existence on the level of a Tyrant!