Monster (12)-Lover of Monsters(The bright moon fills the branches.)

It doesn't matter.

He leaned against the wall, beneath him a puddle formed from sticky fluids.

The laboratory was filled with complicated tasks; it was normal for researchers to be responsible for several labs at once. He just needed to wait patiently, and when she was in charge of Lab 01, he would be able to see her.

He closed his eyes, hiding the turmoil within them.

But...

She never came.

A suppressed, gloomy emotion surged within him. He stared at the laboratory that had gone from unfamiliar to familiar, watched the test subjects inside, watched her busy at work, rushing back and forth. He told himself that researchers were busy; she would return as soon as she had time. But...

Her body carried too many scents, no need to deliberately sniff.

The corridor was thick with the scent of others. Hidden in the shadows, the man’s face was expressionless.

He felt restless. The corridor lights flickered on and off above him, casting shadows on his face. Without thinking, he lashed his thin tail at the lamp, smashing it. The corridor sank into darkness. He found it insufficient, and his gaze grew darker, as if only destroying everything around him could quell the burning agitation raging inside.

He caught her.

She struggled, trembled, was terrified...

Her skin carried the scent of other test subjects, faintly layered atop her own. The thin tail wrapped around her neck, feeling the slippery texture of her skin beneath the scales. He wanted to tear her clothes apart, throw them away, wanted to cover her entire body with his own scent until, with every breath, she was enveloped in him.

He leaned close to her, trying to tell her not to be afraid, but could only produce a hoarse sound. He watched as she rolled on the floor, her clothes, arms, even her hair covered in sticky liquid. The torment within him eased slightly—since she wouldn’t come to see him, he would go out to see her...

Suddenly, a jolt of electricity coursed through his body.

He collapsed to the floor, confusion on his face.

......

He could endure it.

The wind in the corridor brought a mingled scent of her and the test subjects. He squeezed his eyes shut, the veins on his eyelids bulging violently, twisting his whole face. His tail struck the ground heavily, splashing sticky liquid onto his face. The cool wetness could not extinguish the flames raging through his body.

Did she care for the other test subjects the way she cared for him?

He asked himself again and again.

Impossible.

Absolutely impossible.

A voice inside shouted: Why not? You are just one of the many test subjects in the lab. Isn’t it normal for her to leave you to care for others?

No.

It’s not normal.

He opened his eyes, blood-red.

He was not normal.

He left the laboratory, his footsteps leaving a trail of sticky fluid.

He walked all the way to Lab 34.

The test subject in Lab 34 trembled uncontrollably the moment it caught his scent, a low whimper escaping its throat.

Around Lab 34, the scent was even stronger—a scent he knew all too well. That scent should have belonged around Lab 01. Instantly, his expression darkened, his gaze toward the test subject icy, as if he were looking at a corpse.

Mad thoughts kept surfacing in his mind.

...Kill.

Kill.

Kill them all.

Anything that stood in the way of her coming back to him, he would destroy.

Driven by this thought, his scales flared, terrifying and bizarre, his lips pressed together coldly and cruelly.

The test subject’s cries were cut off in its throat.

He returned to Lab 01, licking the fluid spilled on his hand, a strange satisfaction surging within him.

—Without the test subjects, she would come back, wouldn’t she?

......

She left completely.

He searched the laboratory, but found no trace of her. He wanted to leave the lab, he could smell her scent.

He wanted to see her.

Only one thought remained in his mind—

See her.

He wanted to see her.

He desperately wanted to see her.

But...

He paused at the doorway, his reflection cast on the wall. Tall, muscular, overlapping with the image of a man deep in his memory—a man who was slender, wore a knee-length white lab coat, thin-framed glasses, gentle eyes and features.

"Like a spring breeze," many said of him.

...Who was he?

Who...was he?

Who?

A splitting pain erupted in his head, and a voice buried deep inside urged him not to leave the laboratory.

—He cannot leave.

The genetic modification was still in progress; whether or not he retained human consciousness, there were latent dangers. They possessed tremendous power. If they escaped the lab and broke free of their restraints, the consequences could be catastrophic.

He stared expressionlessly at his shadow on the wall.

The slender man stared back, eyes behind thin frames unreadable. He said, "You cannot leave."

He stopped, his expression cold.

She despises you.

She resists your presence.

She has already left the laboratory, left your side...

Do you not want to see her?

A crack suddenly appeared in the gentle man’s face; “crack,” the lenses covering his eyes shattered, leaving only the frames perched on his nose. Those eyes began to split with blood-red fissures.

He wanted to see her.

He missed her palms, warm and accepting, cleaning the filth from his body. He missed her sleeping face, tranquil as she kept vigil through his suffering. Countless days and nights, every time he opened his eyes, he saw her, her scent filled his breath. He had become accustomed to her being by his side.

But...

The man frowned painfully, suddenly bent over, clutching his chest. Waves surged, sea water roiling, cool and damp. The tiles reflected a chest covered with fine scales, glinting under the light.

"Pa, pa, pa—"

His thin tail struck the ground heavily.

He suffered, was miserable, but wanted to see her even more.

It’s alright.

You can control yourself, can’t you?

Go see her.

The man slowly straightened, left the lab, following the faint trace of her scent, standing in the corridor, gazing up at a small window.

......

Xue Ning felt her luck had run out. When she first arrived in this world, she was delighted to get a job, then assigned to Lab 01, where she could slack off every day. Now she understood the saying: fortune and misfortune go hand in hand.

The easier it had been before, the more miserable it was now.

What could she do?

The only communicator connecting to the lab had been taken by the test subject from Lab 01. He squatted in front of her, blocking any chance of escape. Of course, even if he weren’t blocking the door, with her current physical state, escaping was impossible.

Xue Ning thought for a moment, deciding to negotiate. She said, "Researcher Chen..."

The man stared at her, "Chen Song."

He added, "That’s my name."

"Oh, Chen Song." Xue Ning pulled her lips into a perfunctory smile and continued, "Since you have memories of before..." She had no idea if he was telling the truth, but for now, she’d assume he retained all his memories. "You should know I’m just a laboratory assistant. My job is to take care of your daily needs. I don’t think I’ve hurt you...right?"

Chen Song nodded slightly.

"And, the gene modification experiment recruited volunteers. You...though not a volunteer, weren’t exactly forced. You shouldn’t harbor hatred toward the lab, right?"

Chen Song responded with a low hum.

Xue Ning felt hopeful. She blinked, her eyes shining with expectation, and softly asked, "Then...why do you keep following me?"

"Chen Song," he said.

"...Ah?"

"Not 'you.'"

Xue Ning’s mouth twitched, "Oh, Chen Song."

"Mm." He answered.

Xue Ning waited, but the man did not continue. Just as she was puzzled, he suddenly leaned forward.

A damp breath washed over her.

Fine scales opened and closed, liquid dripping onto her clothes, soaking them. Her skin felt sticky and uncomfortable, but she dared not show it. She blinked and spoke quickly, "If you don't want to talk, that's fine—I’m not forcing you!" She leaned back instinctively, trying to avoid him.

No biting, as she’d feared.

Chen Song’s arm slipped under her knees, strong muscles pressing against her legs. He lifted her, placing her on the bed, then stood before her, lips closed, saying nothing.

Xue Ning was filled with questions.

What was he going to do?

They stared at each other. Xue Ning was the first to look away. Her head throbbed; she pressed it firmly, hesitated, then asked, "Did you come to my home for something? Is there anything I can help with...?"

Chen Song spoke: "Hungry."

What?

Xue Ning stared at him in a daze.

The word, in this context, was a bit terrifying.

Chen Song claimed to remember his name, but his form had clearly transcended the boundaries of humanity.

He had once slaughtered test subjects; now, standing before her, saying he was hungry—it was hard not to imagine the worst.

Was he going to eat her?

Chen Song repeated, "Hungry."

Xue Ning snapped out of it, startled, then exhaled in relief.

If he meant to eat her, he would have already done it; no need to wait until now.

But...what should she feed him?

Her thoughts scattered.

For her own safety, and for the safety of the fortress, she hoped the test subject from Lab 01 would return to the lab.

He was a ticking time bomb, staying here.

With so many talented researchers, none of them had figured out the test subjects’ habits—proving just how terrifying they were.

No one could approach them easily.

The test subject from Lab 01 was quieter than most, but only in the lab, under its protection. Xue Ning was fairly confident in her own safety there.

Now, outside the lab, without chains, he could do whatever he wanted. If she angered him, one swipe of his tail could kill her.

The more she thought, the more frightened she became.

Test subjects also had berserk periods, unpredictable and sudden. Even if he was calm now, during a berserk episode, she would have no chance.

The more Xue Ning thought, the more she felt she should send him back to the lab. But the idea was far easier than actually doing it—it would be a nightmare.

...What should she do?

A chill swept her neck. Xue Ning looked down, her spine suddenly icy.

A slippery tail touched her collarbone, cold, sticky liquid pooling in the hollow. The tail slid slowly, raising a rash of goosebumps. Xue Ning could barely breathe.

She looked up at the test subject from Lab 01.

The tail withdrew, resting on his shoulder. Chen Song stared at her: "Hungry."

Xue Ning gave him a smile, ingratiating.

"Wait a moment."

There was a small fridge in the room, stocked with a week’s worth of food. She opened the door, uncertain what he could eat. As a test subject, he only had specially formulated nutrient solutions in the lab.

She wasn’t sure if he could eat human food; what if he didn’t like it?

She pulled out a bag of raw meat and a bag of instant food, asking, "Which do you want?"

The man’s nostrils flared twice; he took the raw meat, tore open the plastic in front of Xue Ning, cradled the frosty meat, and bit down.

Crunch.

Frost fell away.

...Wasn’t he bothered by the cold?

Chen Song’s teeth were sharp; the raw meat, fresh from the freezer, vanished half in one bite. The meat’s heavy blood scent filled the air. His cheeks bulged, chewing with a crunching sound.

His eyes fixed on Xue Ning, unsettling her.

She remembered a zoo report: once a bear attacked a person, it could no longer be kept—it would have to be put down. After tasting human flesh, it would hunt again.

The test subject from Lab 01 had only had nutrient solutions. If she let him start eating raw meat here, she couldn’t afford the consequences.

Xue Ning forced herself to say, "...Spit it out."

Chen Song’s chewing stopped, his eyes questioning.

Xue Ning said, "Spit it out. You can’t eat like that."

Chen Song opened his mouth, dropping chewed bits of meat onto the floor. He reached a finger into his throat, then clutched his stomach and retched. All the meat he’d swallowed came back up.

Mixed with clear stomach fluid.

Xue Ning stared at the mess on the floor, dumbfounded.