Monster (3)

A few months ago, several Butchers broke through the defenses of Hope Fortress, infiltrated the interior, and unleashed a massacre.

At that time, the laboratory had just dealt with a berserk test subject. The creature had broken free from its iron chains, rampaging wildly, nearly bringing down the very walls with its brute strength. Fortunately, it was eventually subdued by everyone working together.

In the corridor Xue Ning was responsible for, several test subjects had their berserk traits triggered. At first, she was somewhat fearful, but with the guidance of the researchers, Xue Ning gradually learned the techniques to resist the test subjects and helped restrain a few.

Yet, just as everyone was about to relax, the Butchers’ roars thundered in their ears. The fortress’s halls were already awash in blood. Though the fortress was ultimately defended, the looming presence of the Butchers remained a suffocating shadow, pressing heavily upon every heart.

Formidable and bloodthirsty—before the Butchers, they were as powerless as ants. Should the fortress fall, what awaited them would be a massacre with no hope of survival.

This was the difference between the Butchers and the test subjects.

If facing only rampaging test subjects, there was a good chance they could be subdued. But when it came to the Butchers, with their current physical abilities, hope for victory was slim.

This was also the original motivation behind the X Research Base’s pursuit of genetic modification—

They hoped to develop a gene-altering agent, so that when faced with Butchers, they might stand a better chance at survival.

The serum required the bodily fluids of the Butchers. Mixed in small amounts, it allowed test subjects to retain their consciousness; but any changes in physical capability were futile.

Exceed the proper dosage, and though the body would undergo drastic change, it would inevitably tip into uncontrollable frenzy or sudden death.

Xue Ning glanced at the experiment subject in Room 01, currently unconscious. He lay on the floor, his slender tail wrapped in mucus twitching faintly. The mucus pulsed; the scales on his chest opened and slowly closed. In the dimly lit room, scales merged with skin, outlining a powerful physique.

He seemed as imposing as a mountain, a weight so heavy it was hard to breathe beneath it.

No matter whether he was a test subject or a Butcher, with a body of that size, should he lose control, it would be a catastrophe.

Her gaze shifted to his face in the corner of the room. Under the gloom, it was a handsome male visage: thick lashes shadowed his eyes, a nose like a proud peak, features strong and defined. Ignoring the environment, he looked like someone who had wandered into a mire by mistake. Yet the aura of menace that hung about him was as pervasive and chilling as a winter night’s wind.

Xue Ning shivered involuntarily.

“He’s an invaluable research subject. No matter what, we have to keep him,” the researcher said, spreading her hands. “And cleaning up after the Room 01 subject is no easy task. During his frenzies, no one dares approach. Even now, when he’s calm, I had to muster all my courage just to come in.”

The duration of the sedative’s effect, the changes in the subject’s drug resistance… any small oversight could cost a life.

Researchers were even more important than assistants. Unless it was a special circumstance, daily care and inspections were to be performed by assistants alone; this had been made clear to Xue Ning from the start, and she understood.

Moreover, though the Room 01 subject was terrifying, there had rarely been casualties during her watch or anyone else’s. Only the faint-hearted had ever been frightened by a single glance from him.

As the researcher left Room 01, Xue Ning cleaned up the remaining items, following behind. With a metallic clank, the iron door closed.

At that moment, a chill shot up her spine. That sense of being watched struck her again. Xue Ning clenched her fingers and turned back toward Room 01.

Through the iron bars, a crimson gaze shot straight at her—a stare like burning fire, threatening to melt the metal between them, or like a monstrous fish from the abyss, jaws agape, ready to swallow her whole.

Perhaps it was only her imagination, but she thought she heard a faint sizzling in her ears. When she listened closely, there was only the sloshing of mucus.

“What are you looking at?” the researcher asked.

Xue Ning frowned, forcing herself to look directly at the subject. “Can he break free of the chains?”

The chains seemed sturdy, different from the others in the lab, yet she couldn’t help but worry. Maybe it was just her imagination, but she could have sworn she saw his hand move a moment ago—and that wrist was bare, unbound by chains.

The researcher breathed a sigh of relief. “I thought it was something serious.” She patted her chest and smiled. “There was an incident before, but after improvements, Room 01 is the most secure. Even a Butcher would be trapped. Breaking free isn’t so simple.”

She pointed to the chain. “If the chain shows any sign of breaking, the electric circuit is triggered automatically. The current is strong enough to knock out even a Butcher in seconds.”

Xue Ning withdrew her gaze, rubbing her eyes. “I must have been seeing things.”

Besides, if the Room 01 subject could break free, how could any of them still be standing here?

The researcher said, “We’re short-staffed lately, and the corridor lights have been out for a while. No one’s fixed them yet. Be careful when you pass through.”

Xue Ning acknowledged this.

There were no explicit orders for Xue Ning to keep an eye on the labs near her corridor while supervising the new test subjects, but whenever she could, she would patrol the area.

Back in her old world, she would have asked for a raise for this sort of diligence. But here, if she wasn’t vigilant, any incident in the nearby labs would involve her as well.

Xue Ning sighed softly. The lab was growing emptier. When she first arrived, security guards patrolled every few steps. Now, the place was deathly silent; sometimes, the quiet felt almost ominous.

Suddenly, a cheap light above them flickered out.

Xue Ning snapped to alertness. “What happened?”

This sort of thing had been happening often lately, but in other places, the lights would still work, and there would be just enough illumination to make out the surroundings. Now, in an instant, the entire lab was swallowed by darkness—so deep she couldn’t see her own hand.

Li Xuebo frowned and moved to her side at the sound. “It must be a power outage.”

That complicated things.

They had nothing for lighting, and to contact anyone else, they’d have to reach a nearby designated phone. The nearest was by Room 01.

“Let’s wait a bit. We have nothing with us, so we can’t leave.” Xue Ning leaned against the wall; beside her, Li Xuebo’s anxious breathing grew louder. It was easy for tension to escalate in the dark. She had just woken from a nap and was calm, so she reassured her partner, “Don’t panic. We’re safe right now. If we just wait here, someone will come to fix it.”

Li Xuebo pictured his partner’s bright, smiling face and felt steadier. He moved closer until their shoulders touched, seeking comfort from her warmth. “Thank you for calming me down. I was scared. If I were alone, I’d have no idea what to do.”

“As long as you’re not afraid,” Xue Ning replied, the corners of her lips lifting, though she didn’t smile. The wait stretched on; the lights didn’t return. The man beside her clearly lacked her composure, so she kept her worries to herself.

She pondered a moment and asked, “Who else is on duty tonight?”

Li Xuebo listed a few names. Normally, two assistants were on duty in each area, six in total. He and Xue Ning were on duty tonight.

Just before, they’d heard a panicked shout from the nearest section, startling the test subjects into a frenzy. Though the shouter quickly covered their mouth, the agitation lasted a while before fading.

It matched Xue Ning’s memory of the duty roster. She grimaced; unfortunately, the people on duty tonight were the timid sort. The lab had been peaceful lately, so the scheduling had grown careless.

“I know where the nearest office is. Let’s go see if anyone’s there.” Waiting here too long wasn’t wise.

In the office drawer, Xue Ning found a flashlight. She flipped the switch—its weak beam barely lit the space ahead. Li Xuebo pressed close, discouraged. “Could it have been the test subjects? Maybe they cut the power to come kill us.”

“Did you hear anything?” Xue Ning asked.

“What do you mean?”

“A call for help.”

Li Xuebo shook his head in confusion. Xue Ning, enduring his grip on her arm, patiently explained, “If the test subjects did it, wouldn’t any assistant who saw them have screamed? But it’s quiet now, so it’s just a regular power outage.” Noticing his trembling grip, she added, “Don’t let your imagination run wild.”

“We can’t leave without power. I know where the backup generator is. Do you want to come with me, or stay here?” Xue Ning seized the moment to pull her arm free and pressed the tall, burly Li Xuebo into an office chair.

“You’d better wait here. I’ll be right back.”

She had barely walked a few steps when Li Xuebo hurried after her, embarrassed. “I—I’d better come with you.”

“Alright.” He clung to her sleeve as she carefully found her way into the pitch-black corridor.

Navigating in the dark was difficult; the lab’s corridors were a labyrinth, and the walls were slick with moss-like mucus. Xue Ning felt her palm coated in damp slime as she touched the wall.

The faint flashlight illuminated only a corner ahead; the darkness pressed in, suffocating. Xue Ning’s nerves grew taut.

To reach the backup generator, they had to pass Room 01. There were other routes, but detouring would take more time, and Xue Ning was unfamiliar with them, unsure what might happen.

She knew the path by Room 01 well—so well she could walk it blindfolded. After a moment’s thought, she decisively headed down that corridor.

Li Xuebo clung to her arm, his increasingly labored breathing making it hard for Xue Ning to hear anything else. She stopped to listen carefully to their surroundings.

For a moment, she felt as though she were in a cave. All around came the sound of trickling water, seeping over her feet, thick with mud and a nauseating stench, clinging to her legs. The shivering sensation of being watched crept up her spine once more.

She resisted the urge to shine her flashlight at Room 01, afraid that the beam would reveal the gaping maw of a test subject.

…It’s fine. It’s fine.

She silently reassured herself and pushed onward, telling Li Xuebo, “I used to be in charge of Room 01. It’s in the far corner. Once we turn up ahead, the backup generator is right there. We’re almost there.”

No power was a serious problem. The laboratory was underground; without heat, Xue Ning’s hands and feet were growing cold. And if the power didn’t return, even when their shift ended, they wouldn’t be able to leave—the exits required facial recognition to open.

Xue Ning thought quietly for a moment. Li Xuebo stumbled forward, and she whispered, “There’s a lot of slime. Watch your step.”

He steadied himself, his breathing even more ragged, as though something terrifying was gripping his throat. Xue Ning caught a whiff of blood in the air, wrinkling her nose. It was a strong, fishy stench—perhaps the blood was her imagination.

Her arm was released. Xue Ning waited in place and said, “There’s a turn ahead. If you’re really scared, just wait for me there.”

She waited a long time without an answer. Frowning, she turned and caught sight of his silhouette—a tall, imposing figure, his outline in the darkness like a jagged iceberg, exuding a chilling, biting aura.

Xue Ning flexed her fingers, feeling the temperature drop even further. Her nose was red from the cold, but she kept her patience and asked, “Are you ready to go on?”

A long silence.

Then, a hoarse male voice replied.

“…Yes.”