Volume 4, Chapter 36 – Infiltration? It’s Time to Go Full Rampage

For now, let’s call this monster the slime bigmouth monster.

There were some strange creatures on No. 1886 too, like the giant fish monster in Lake Neiya, but there had never been any record of this kind of thing.

Was this creature the result of the Biochemistry Department’s research?

A newly created species?

The spider robot backed up a few steps and photographed the monster’s entire body.

It had two legs, four arms, and a long tail, and it was trapped inside a glass tank filled with culture fluid.

Bubbles constantly rose to the surface. Floating in the fluid, the slime bigmouth monster stared with cold, merciless killing intent in its grid-like eyes.

It kept its gaze fixed on the spider robot, its clawed arms slowly waving in the liquid.

Anran guided the spider robot up to the glass wall and gave it a few light bumps.

A provocation!

“Ao, ao!”

The slime bigmouth monster immediately let out two angry roars.

Its roar was not especially loud, and the six limbs flailing through the culture fluid were not especially forceful either.

“Subject No. 7.”

Anran saw a nameplate with those words pasted on the glass tank.

There were at least a dozen monsters like this.

Otherwise, there would not be a quest called [Roaring End].

The spider robot continued onward.

After moving about five or six meters, another glass tank appeared ahead.

“Subject No. 9.”

Another ugly, vicious monster was soaking in culture fluid, but Subject No. 9 did not look the same as the slime bigmouth monster.

First, its eyes were fly-like compound eyes, its teeth were even sharper, and the muscles in its face were much more solid and powerful. Second, the ends of its second pair of arms were no longer claws, but sharp scythes.

Bang, bang!

The spider robot went forward and bumped it twice more.

“Roar, roar!”

The scythe bigmouth monster began slamming against the glass tank.

Anran was utterly disdainful and kept the spider robot moving forward.

Subject No. 11, Subject No. 13, all the way to Subject No. 15, were respectively a pincer bigmouth monster, an eight-armed bigmouth monster, and a bigmouth monster that looked like “Void Terror.”

Each of these monsters was fiercer than the last, and after being provoked by the spider robot, their reactions became more and more violent.

After passing Subject No. 15, the end of the corridor was just ahead.

But just then, Anran suddenly heard voices.

“Supervisor, for some reason, the experimental subjects outside are all banging on their tanks.”

“Damn it, these failures do not amount to much, but every last one of them has a huge temper. Add a little something to their mix and make them quiet down. I do not have time to deal with them right now.” It was Rainer’s voice.

“Yes.”

A moment later.

“Supervisor, Supervisor Dante has called over here. He has already called five times. Do you want to take it?”

“Mm…” After a brief pause, Rainer said, “Fine. Bring me the phone.”

“Yes.”

Then came a rustling series of small noises.

“What? Our location has been exposed?”

“Damn it, my experiment is at the critical stage right now. I cannot leave at all. If I stop now, it will take me more than another month!”

“Thirty minutes. Buy me thirty minutes while I finish this reagent.”

“Take it away? No need. As long as I have the experimental data, I can reproduce an identical one in half a month at most.”

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“You mean these little darlings? Hahaha, of course I am going to release them directly. It will also be the perfect chance to let that bunch from Nine Songs see just how adorable my treasures are!”

“As long as you switch off the containment locks, they will run out by themselves. Fine, hold them off over there and give me half an hour.”

Rainer hung up.

But the sound coming from the computer did not get quieter. It became even more chaotic instead.

“Aooo!”

“Roar!”

“Woo!”

“Hisssss!”

Harsh monster cries suddenly rang out through the corridor. Anran immediately had the spider robot back up and return to Subject No. 15. The big bug was struggling inside the tank, while a pale red substance flowed in through a pipe at the side and quickly wrapped around it.

In barely a dozen seconds, the big bug became half-dead and shrank down at the bottom of the tank without moving.

What a bunch of biochemical freaks.

Anran tapped her earpiece.

According to Rainer, he was currently at the most critical stage of this experiment. Once he succeeded, he would probably be able to mass-produce monsters this powerful.

If Morningstar really succeeded, and these monsters joined the battlefield, the situation would very likely be overturned in an instant.

By then, destroying Morningstar would definitely become far more difficult.

And once the experiment was complete, he would release all the experimental subjects.

That was far too dangerous.

If this many monsters appeared at once, there was no way she would be able to complete the mission.

If she wanted to complete the faction mission, then now should be the best possible time.

Those guards were probably all tied down by Nine Songs right now, so the only enemies she would have to face were the monsters and researchers inside the laboratory.

While Rainer was still in the middle of this crucial experiment, hit him with one!

“Aila, it is time to move!”

Anran had the spider robot return the way it came. She took off the headset, lifted the lid of the box, and stood up.

When she turned around, she saw Aila hugging a gun with her eyes shining, apparently struggling over whether she should eat it.

“…”

Hey, hey, hey, now was not the time to be thinking about food. This was the key battle to destroy Morningstar. Could you please care a little more?

“I have a lot of faith that Anran can accomplish this goal,” Aila said.

“You really do not need that much faith.”

Anran shut the computer. “Let’s go.”

Because the fight would take place inside a cramped building, Anran had not brought the cumbersome jetpack.

But she had also left herself plenty of room to retreat. The jetpack was placed somewhere easy to grab, and she had already broken the lock on the warehouse’s main gate, so she could rush out at any time.

The door leading from the warehouse into the biochemistry laboratory required authorization to open.

Naturally, Anran had no permission to pass through it, but she chose a much simpler and more brutal method. After the Scout class’s lockpicking skill proved ineffective, Aila smashed the lock apart with a few punches.

It was not some half-meter-thick metal door. In front of Aila, it was trash.

Boom, boom!

“What is going on out there? Why is there such a loud noise again?”

Rainer’s hand shook, and he almost added too much reagent.

“I will go out and take a look, Supervisor,” one of the people in white coats said.

“Go.”

Without even turning his head, Rainer kept both eyes fixed on the pale blue reagent in the test tube. Fine, dense bubbles kept rising from it, and the smile on the face behind his mask could not be hidden at all.

As long as this tube of reagent was completed, his research could come to a temporary close.

Rainer’s gaze shifted toward an area covered by a white cloth.

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Subject No. 24!

The crowning masterpiece.

Bloodthirsty and savage, overflowing with aggression, overwhelmingly powerful, and at the same time possessed of human intelligence.

“Heh…”

A strange smile curled at the corners of Rainer’s mouth.

…

With one kick, Anran blasted the door open. Crimson Blade was tucked at her waist, two mechanical switchblades were strapped to her left thigh, a pistol was strapped to her right thigh, enough ammunition was slung across her back, and a piece of black cloth covered her face. Her mechanical greaves and mechanical armguard were indispensable too. Gun in hand, she charged straight in just like that.

Aila had covered her face as well. She held a rifle in her hands and carried a thick iron rod on her back.

They looked like ruthless bandits raiding a village.

“Could it be that the government troops have already charged in?”

The white-coated researcher who came out to investigate held a pistol and walked nervously down the corridor, glancing from time to time at the experimental subjects beside him.

These ferocious monsters could also be said to have been born under his own hands.

Right now, they were all lying at the bottom of their tanks like sickly little cats. But once they were released, what horrifying existences would they become, and how much slaughter would they cause?

Especially the monster in the innermost chamber.

That one had been transformed from a living human body, and the person who had been used for the transformation was a researcher with whom he had once been on rather good terms.

He should never have done any of this. Yet because of the fear in his heart, he had continued working for them under Rainer’s coercion.

If what happened here was ever exposed, he would definitely become a sinner.

“Ah…”

Thwip!

Before the sigh could even leave his mouth, the white-coated researcher, Shu Mingxu, felt someone clamp a hand around his throat and haul him into the side passage.

Bang!

His entire body was slammed against the wall, and the back of his head struck hard as well, instantly throwing him into a dizzy daze.

Looks like I used too much force.

Smack, smack.

Anran immediately slapped him twice.

After taking damage, Shu Mingxu snapped out of his stunned state.

Swish…

With a flick of the mechanical switchblade, the blade sprang out. Anran’s hands moved as fast as lightning as she traced a terrifying human-shaped outline around Shu Mingxu on the wall.

“What is your name?”

“Shu, Shu Mingxu!” Shu Mingxu said with difficulty.

“Uncle Mingxu, huh?”

“Shu Mingxu.”

“Oh.” Anran nodded. “What do you do in this laboratory?”

“A r-researcher. I assist Supervisor Rainer in completing the experiments.”

“Mm. Then how many monsters are there in this base altogether?”

Anran continued questioning him. She was very satisfied with Shu Mingxu’s cooperation. He was much better than those fire-loving lunatics from before.

“There are seventeen in total. There were originally twenty-four experimental subjects, but seven have already died.”

Shu Mingxu told her everything he knew.

“Exactly how strong are these monsters?”

“Even the weakest one, Subject No. 7, could be called the king of land beasts on No. 1886. Anything slightly stronger is completely comparable to an armored vehicle. As for the strongest few, it is hard to describe their power. But the most terrifying one is still Subject No. 24.”

Shu Mingxu fell silent for a moment. Under Anran’s dangerous stare, he said, “Subject No. 24 is still only a half-finished product right now. Once it is fully completed, I have heard its power could rival Heloise.”

“…”

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Holy shit.

Anran was stunned on the spot.

That monster was that strong?

“You are not lying to me, are you?” Anran tightened her grip.

“I am not lying. That monster was created from a human body. Rainer is doing the final experiment on it right now. If nothing goes wrong, he will succeed in another half hour.”

Why did this guy feel like a mole?

Anran’s face was full of suspicion.

“Which number is the weakest monster?”

“No. 3.”

Shu Mingxu’s eyes swept over Anran and Aila. “If you are targeting this laboratory, the two of you definitely cannot do it alone. You are people from Nine Songs, right? You can ignore the Equipment Department and the guards, but if you want to destroy this base, you must kill these monsters first. Otherwise, once they are released, it will be too late.”

Damn it, this script was all wrong.

Anran was speechless.

How did she casually grab one person for questioning and end up with such a weirdo?

Was he telling the truth or not?

Her eyes shifted, and Anran said, “The two of us are the vanguard. The others will be here soon. According to you, then, how can these monsters be killed?”

“Other than Subject No. 24, all the other subjects are very afraid of Red Silk Reagent. The culture fluid they are soaking in is mixed with diluted Red Silk Reagent. As soon as they come into contact with Red Silk Reagent, these subjects will immediately fall into a weakened state. If you want to kill the monsters, the best time is while they are weakened.”

Red Silk Reagent. Was that the pale red liquid she had seen through the camera earlier?

Anran believed him a little more.

“Can the human body come into contact with that culture fluid?”

“That is not a problem, but it cannot touch it for too long. You must wash the area that came into contact with it with clean water.”

“Where is the Red Silk Reagent?”

“I can take you there.”

Anran narrowed her eyes. “First, take me to the control room. The place with the switches that control the doors in the corridor.”

While the spider robot had been moving forward, Anran had noticed many doors in the corridor that opened and closed vertically. Presumably, they had been installed to prevent rampaging monsters from breaking out. If anything happened, the place could be quickly sealed off.

“The switches are at the end of the corridor,” Shu Mingxu said. “The Red Silk Reagent is nearby too. I know you do not trust me, but we really cannot delay any longer. Once Rainer completes his experiment, dealing with these monsters will become extremely difficult.”

Anran said nothing.

“Lead the way.” Anran pressed the gun against Shu Mingxu’s waist.

She was going to gamble on this.

Although she cherished her life, Anran was even more willing to stake it.

If she kept acting as meek as a little lamb and never made any major progress, then in the end she would still find it hard to escape being killed by players.

At best, she would only survive a little longer, and it would still be an utterly stifling life.

She might as well go wild for once. Who knew, maybe she would take off.

Besides, he knew absolutely nothing about her strength or Aila’s strength. That was a trump card too.

“Hm?”

Anran let out a soft sound of surprise.

“What is it?”

Walking ahead of her, Shu Mingxu turned back in confusion.

Anran jabbed the gun into his waist. “It is none of your business. Just lead.”

In fact, Anran had realized that Shu Mingxu was walking in the opposite direction.

At first, she had assumed the end of the corridor meant the place where Rainer was. Now it seemed it was the exact opposite direction.

“This side is the usual office area. That side is the experimental area, and hardly anyone goes there normally. Rainer is there right now,” Shu Mingxu said.

Anran neither agreed nor disagreed.

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She continuously used Scout on the monsters beside them.

Even the lowest-level one was Level 16, and she had even seen a Level 20 monster.

If killing ten of these things would get her the alloy blueprint, then that blueprint had to be pretty damn awesome.

“Shu Mingxu, why are you…”

After they rounded a corner, another white coat was just about to ask a question when Shu Mingxu suddenly covered his mouth.

Aila brought the iron rod down with one swing, and that guy instantly went GG.

Anran shot Shu Mingxu a glance.

This guy really was a traitor?

Thwip!

“Aah!”

After taking out two more people on the way, they finally reached their destination.

The control switches were on the wall to the left, while the room on the right held more than twenty bottles of pale red reagent.

“This is the Red Silk Reagent. If you smash it directly onto an experimental subject, it will take effect,” Shu Mingxu said.

Anran picked up a small bottle.

Then she suddenly shot Aila a look.

“…”

(〃’▽’〃)

“…”

Anran hurriedly gave another look.

[?ヘ??]

“…”

Forget it. Better do it myself.

Smack!

Anran struck Shu Mingxu hard, knocking him into a stunned state, then tied him up.

“So Anran wanted me to hit him,” Aila said cutely.

“…”

I…

Forget it.

Anran walked over to the control switches and pressed several buttons in succession. The doors in the corridor immediately began to move.

“Aila, watch him. I will go test it first.”

The weakest monster, Subject No. 3, that Level 16 creature, was not far ahead now and had already been separated from the other subjects.

“Red Silk Reagent.”

Holding a bottle of reagent in her hand, Anran walked toward Subject No. 3.

At worst, even if she could not beat the monster, she could still flee through another door behind her.

With that monster’s size, it probably would not be able to squeeze through right away.

Crash!

The glass wall shattered all over the floor under Anran’s heavy blow.

Next came the culture tank.

She opened a small hatch at the top and threw a bomb inside.

That was right.

There was no way Anran was stupid enough to walk up and use the Red Silk Reagent on the monster right away. What if it was actually some kind of strength-enhancing drug?

Better blow it into serious injury first!