Chapter 333: The Blindspot
The bathroom was mercifully empty, giving me a few precious minutes of solitude to collect my thoughts. I splashed cold water on my face and stared at my reflection in the mirror. The man looking back at me appeared calm, composed even, but I could see the calculation in my own eyes. The gears were turning.
I’d survived the first assault on my credibility, but Evelyn was right—this was just the opening move. My opponents would regroup during this recess, coordinate their strategies, and come back with something more sophisticated than unsubstantiated accusations about human experimentation.
The question was: how do I win a game where I’m fundamentally outmatched?
In terms of pure political warfare, I was facing opponents with decades more experience and abilities specifically designed for manipulation and control. Valeska with her psychological conditioning skills, Volkov with his economic manipulation, Chen with her information networks. It was clear that any one of them could probably outmaneuver me in a straight political fight.
But as I dried my hands, I remembered something Subject 3830 had told me during one of our conversations on that island. "People rely too much on their skills," she’d said. "They become dependent on their abilities, predictable in their approaches. The System grants power, but it also creates patterns. And patterns can be exploited."
At first, I’d thought she was just being philosophical, but then she proved me wrong when she neutralized those government agents. Now, I need to use what she told me as it might have been the key to victory.
I stepped out of the bathroom and immediately spotted my targets. Valeska and Volkov were standing near the refreshment table, engaged in what appeared to be a casual conversation but was undoubtedly strategic coordination. Perfect.
Time to gather some intelligence.
I activated my Scan skill, focusing first on Valeska.
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Name: Kara Valeska