Mindreader’s False Glory

When the apocalypse descended in all its eerie chaos, I was the Vanguard Base’s only researcher specializing in supernatural abilities. I willingly handed over the honor of saving the leader to my best friend, Ruby Barrett. In my past life, Ruby, who couldn’t even fully recite the periodic table, suddenly claimed she had comprehended the Spark of Dominion for awakening powers. Every time I guided someone, I had to stay up all night analyzing data and calculating mental thresholds. Yet with a casual touch of her finger, she could flawlessly awaken survivors. Everyone began to worship her as the Mother of Abilities. Until the day Commander Alden Morris awakened a top-tier lightning ability, Ruby shoved me aside. “Faith, this isn’t the time for you to show off. Commander Morris’s safety concerns the survival of all humanity. Let me handle it.” I tried desperately to stop her, warning her of the violent nature of lightning abilities, but the survivors who idolized her tied me up. Ruby actually succeeded in stabilizing Commander Morris and became the savior of the base. Meanwhile, she framed me for conducting live human experiments, had my limbs broken, and I was thrown into a pit of zombies. Only as I was dying did I realize she had awakened a mind-reading ability, stealing the methods I used to guide others’ awakenings. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the very day she first claimed to have mastered the Spark of Dominion. This time, I didn’t stay up day and night analyzing data or memorizing formulas. Instead, I started humming the tune of a broadcast exercise routine. Chapter 1 "Faith, congratulations! This time, your success rate of guiding us to awaken our elemental abilities struck 100% again!" "Yeah! As long as Faith’s here, our Vanguard Base has the highest number of awakened in the entire Federation of Survivors!" Surrounded by the crowd, I felt a flicker of disorientation. The scent at the tip of my nose wasn’t the putrid rot of the zombie pit but the sharp, sterile smell of disinfectant from the lab. I instinctively reached for my arms and legs. They were whole. They hadn’t been broken. There was no bone-deep agony from being torn apart by zombies. "Hold on!" Just as General Brett Thomas was about to announce me as this month’s top researcher, my so-called best friend, Ruby Barrett, suddenly stepped forward. Her expression was timid, almost fragile. "General, actually… this guidance plan was mine." The moment I looked at her innocent, harmless face, it hit me. I had come back to the exact day Ruby first claimed she’d mastered the Spark of Dominion. My fingers tightened around the notebook in my hand, my knuckles turning pale. Whispers of doubt rippled through the room, and Ruby’s eyes instantly reddened. "If you’re saying it was yours, then show us. Demonstrate it right now." I forced down the hatred surging inside me and pointed toward Morgan Grant, an earth-element user, who was hovering on the brink of awakening, yet was stuck at a bottleneck. "His mental threshold is unstable. Since you have this Spark of Dominion, go ahead and help him break through." Ruby froze for a split second, then quickly composed herself. She stepped forward with confidence, placing her hand against the man’s forehead in a practiced gesture. At the same time, I felt it—faint, subtle, but unmistakable. Something was brushing against my thoughts. Just as I expected. Ruby was reading my mind. In my past life, this was the moment I’d panicked internally, running calculations over and over in my head, terrified something would go wrong. She had heard everything, turning it into the foundation of her performance. This time, I didn’t expose her. Not yet. Instead, I narrowed my eyes slightly. I had already tracked Morgan’s data for an entire week. The truth was, I’d long since drafted the outline of a solution. I just hadn’t completed the final stage of clinical validation. In my mind, I pulled up that unfinished plan and rapidly filled in the final step. Almost at the exact same second, Ruby’s eyes lit up. She began muttering under her breath, "I feel it… start from the grounding point…" As her hand moved, Morgan, who had been grimacing in pain, suddenly jolted. The surrounding earth elements instantly calmed, gathering around him to form a thick layer of armor. "It… it worked?!" he shouted, stunned. "I broke through! Thank you, Assistant Barrett! You’re incredible!" "Oh, my God! It really is the Spark of Dominion! She doesn’t even need calculations. Just one touch, and she knows exactly how to guide it!" Applause and cheers erupted around us in an instant. Chapter 2 Ruby turned her head and shot me a provocative look, her eyes brimming with smug satisfaction. I stood at the edge of the crowd, a faint, cold smile tugging at my lips. Just as I thought. A moment ago, I had cursed her in my mind, calling her an idiot, and she hadn’t reacted at all. However, the second I started thinking through specific skill data, she responded immediately. So her mind-reading skill wasn’t all-knowing. It seemed she could only pick up on the most focused, technical thoughts in my mind. "Faith, looks like you’ve got nothing left to say now, huh?" A tall figure pushed through the crowd. It was the captain of the guard, Zachary Bridges, and my current boyfriend. He walked straight to Ruby’s side, gently wiping the sweat from her forehead with clear concern. Then he turned to glare at me, his voice thick with disappointment and disgust. "While Ruby was guiding just now, I saw you standing there, smirking the whole time. "What? Seeing her succeed makes you uncomfortable? Are you really that jealous?" Ruby immediately tugged at his sleeve, looking wronged but still trying to play the bigger person. "Zachary, don’t say that about Faith. She’s still my senior. Maybe she just needs time to accept that I have talent. I don’t blame her." "You’re too kind!" Zachary snapped back, clearly indignant. "Some people can’t produce results themselves, so they try to suppress newcomers. The truth speaks for itself. Ruby’s Spark of Dominion works better than all your data ever did!" General Thomas stepped forward as well. While he wasn’t as aggressive as Zachary, the way he looked at me had turned noticeably colder. "Faith, the facts are right in front of us. Ruby clearly has greater talent. The situation we’re in doesn’t allow for delay. We need the most efficient guidance method available." He paused briefly, then made his announcement. "From today onward, the skills research lab will be under Ruby Barrett’s full authority. "Faith, you’ll assist her from now on. Learn from her." The surrounding researchers quickly chimed in. "Seriously, we used to think Faith was impressive. Turns out she got outshined by her own assistant." "Ruby’s the real deal. Morgan was stuck for so long, and she fixed him with one touch." Faced with accusations from every direction, I didn’t break down as I had in my past life. Instead, I calmly removed the Chief Researcher badge from my chest and set it lightly on the table. "Sure," I said evenly. "Since you are so capable, I’ll leave all future guidance work to you, Ruby." Ruby hadn’t expected me to comply so easily. A flicker of surprise passed through her eyes, but was quickly replaced by uncontrollable delight. "Thank you for giving me this opportunity, Faith. I’ll do my best! Though for some of the more complex theories… I might still need your help to check things over." I looked at her and smiled. "Don’t worry. For the sake of the base and all of humanity, I’ll do everything I can to help you." Chapter 3 For the next half month, I stayed by Ruby’s side, "assisting" her. No matter how complex the situation was, the moment we encountered a difficult awakening case, I would immediately construct the optimal guidance model in my mind. A fire-element user going berserk? I silently ran through it in my head, 'Compress oxygen density…' Ruby followed instantly. Success. A water-element user suffering from dehydration? I analyzed internally, 'Replenish electrolytes…' Ruby did the same again. Problem solved, flawlessly. With my cooperation, Ruby’s reputation skyrocketed. She was hailed as the savior of the apocalypse, the Mother of Elements. Some even proposed building a statue in her honor. As Ruby’s position solidified, another matter that drew the attention of the entire base was pushed onto the agenda: the Genesis Initiative. In this apocalyptic world, the human population had plummeted. Preserving superior genetics had become the top priority. The base had set a rule: only men and women certified with top-tier genetic ratings were qualified to pair and produce offspring, and they would receive the highest level of resource allocation. Zachary and I had both been recognized as top-tier. He was the strongest captain of the guard while I was the chief researcher. Our union had once been seen as the future of the base. But now, the tide had shifted. After an exploration team returned with a large haul of supplies, the base held a celebration. General Thomas, flushed with excitement, raised his glass. "To celebrate Ruby Barrett becoming the Mother of Elements, we have decided to grant this year’s sole reproduction slot to her! "And the male partner selected for her will naturally be our finest—Captain Zachary Bridges!" The moment he finished speaking, the entire room erupted in cheers. Ruby’s face flushed instantly. She lowered her head shyly, her gaze drifting toward Zachary before she glanced at me with feigned hesitation. "This... this isn’t right, is it? Zachary is Faith’s boyfriend. How could I take someone else’s partner? That would be so wrong..." The crowd immediately started egging her on. "Ruby, look at the situation we’re in. Why are you still thinking about love and relationships? You’re too kind!" "Exactly! For the future of humanity, of course, the strongest should pair with the strongest!" "Faith’s just an assistant now. How could her genetics possibly compare to your Spark of Dominion?" "Faith should understand, right? This is for all of humanity!" Every gaze turned toward me, sharp as blades. Zachary stood up, his expression filled with righteous resolve. He walked over, took my hand, and spoke with feigned tenderness, "Faith, I know this is unfair to you. I’m in pain too. But as captain of the guard, I have to put the bigger picture first. "For the continuation of humanity, for a stronger next generation, I’m willing to sacrifice my personal happiness. I believe you’ll understand my position, right?" Looking at his righteous expression, I almost laughed out loud. Sacrifice his happiness? In my past life, when Ruby framed me for conducting human experiments, had my limbs broken, and threw me into the zombie pit, Zachary, who claimed to love me, hadn’t even come to see me once. He didn’t even spare me a glance. Even after I died, when my soul drifted above the base, I saw it with my own eyes. He and Ruby were tangled together in my laboratory. They had been involved with each other all along. Chapter 4 I pulled my hand free, a solemn, almost tragic expression settling over my face. "Zachary, you’re right. In the face of humanity’s survival, what does personal love even matter?" I turned and looked at Ruby Barrett, who stood there with guilt written all over her face. "Ruby, since everyone thinks you two are the better match, then I’ll step aside and make it happen. I hope you’ll give humanity the strongest possible child. Don’t let everyone’s expectations down." "Faith..." Ruby’s eyes filled with tears, visibly moved. "Thank you! You’re incredible! Zachary and I will never forget your sacrifice!" Zachary let out a breath of relief. "Don’t worry, Faith. When we have a child, we’ll have them call you their godmother." The entire room erupted into applause. I stood in the corner, watching the pair being elevated onto a pedestal, a cold gaze in my eyes. The party didn’t last long. Three days later, the most critical day arrived. It was the destined day when the base’s Supreme Leader, Commander Alden Morris, would awaken an elite lightning skill. Ruby had been thriving these past few days. Every time she saw me scribbling calculations into my notebook, she grew more confident. As long as I had a plan ready, it meant she did too. The three days passed in a blink. At exactly noon, the clouds above Vanguard Base began to churn violently. Dark violet storm clouds swallowed the sky in an instant. Commander Morris’s awakening had begun. Outside the isolation chamber, arcs of purple lightning lashed wildly through the air. "The energy index is spiking. It’s already past the critical threshold!" A monitor operator shouted in panic. "We have to begin guidance immediately, or there’ll be an energy detonation within three minutes!" General Thomas was drenched in sweat as he turned to Ruby. "Ruby, the entire base is counting on you. This is elite-level. Are you confident?" Even in the face of a storm that could tear the world apart, Ruby’s expression remained calm and assured. These past few days, she had personally watched me work through every calculation without rest. She was convinced that as long as she linked into my mind, she could simply copy everything. She lifted her chin slightly. "General, don’t worry. Elite or not, with my Spark of Dominion, everyone is the same. For me, guiding Commander Morris’s awakening is as easy as drinking water." Zachary stood nearby, practically vibrating with excitement. "Ruby, you’re the true Mother of Elements!" Ruby turned and shot me a condescending glance. "Faith, what are you standing there for? Move. "I’m confident, but you know that guiding an elite skill drains an immense amount of mental energy. You’ll assist me from the side. Keep your mind sharp. Don’t fall behind my pace and embarrass me." Through the thick reinforced glass, I looked at Commander Morris inside. His body was wrapped in lightning, his screams filled with agony. In my past life, I had poured everything into saving him. In the end, Ruby took all the credit and then turned around and destroyed me. I lowered my head, hiding the fleeting trace of mockery in my eyes, and followed obediently. The isolation chamber door slid open. Violent lightning elements surged toward us. Commander Morris stood bare-chested at the center, restrained by chains, his eyes bloodshot. He was already on the verge of losing control. Ruby stepped forward, striking an elegant, professional pose. Then, her mental tendrils urgently plunged into my mind. That familiar sensation of intrusion washed over me again. The next second, Ruby’s lips curled upward as she shouted at the top of her lungs. "Follow me. Left hand, right hand, slow motion… three turns left, three turns right, twist your neck, twist your hips!" Outside the chamber, everyone waiting anxiously froze, their eyes widening in shock.