The door stood open, revealing a cavernous room filled with various instruments and equipment.
Without a second thought, Lei Lie charged inside.
Then, he froze.
He had seen this room before.
It was the same laboratory he had just peered into from the ventilation duct.
The transparent containers, the people submerged in pale green liquid, the tubes and electrodes covering their bodies—
—it was all right there in front of him.
Lei Lie stood rooted to the spot, his breathing ragged as his gaze swept across the containers.
The young man was still inside his tank, his eyes wide with terror and his mouth opening and closing as if shouting.
Lei Lie couldn't hear a word, but he understood the look in those eyes.
“Save me...”
Lei Lie gritted his teeth but didn't move.
Years of surviving in the Outer City had taught Lei Lie not to meddle in others' business, especially now when his own life was on the line.
The glass walls of the containers were thick enough to be bulletproof, and he had no idea what the liquid inside was made of. The tubes and electrodes were connected to complex machinery; he had no clue what would happen if he started pulling them out.
Besides, he had pursuers hot on his heels.
He had to get out of here first!
Lei Lie spun around and bolted toward the door on the far side of the room.
Just as he reached the threshold, a dark shadow flashed in from outside.
Lei Lie's pupils constricted as his body instinctively lunged to the side.
Whoosh!
The sound of something tearing through the air whipped past his ear, carrying a sharp, biting chill.
From the corner of his eye, Lei Lie caught a glimpse of a hand.
It wasn't a normal hand.
The skin was an unnatural grayish-white, the nails were as black as ink, and the fingertips were slightly curved like the talons of a bird of prey.
Cold sweat instantly drenched Lei Lie’s back.
He saw the newcomer clearly.
It was a young man, seemingly in his early twenties, with a lean build and dressed in a black, skin-tight combat suit.
His skin was unnaturally pale, almost translucent, revealing the blue veins beneath.
His eyes were grey, his pupils slightly whitish as if covered by a layer of mist.
His face was devoid of expression, as cold and indifferent as a heartless machine.
Lei Lie focused his perception entirely on the young man, his ability core spinning at full throttle.
Level 3.
Level 3 Late Stage.
He was at the same level of strength as the Master.
But unlike the Master, the aura emanating from this person filled him with an instinctive revulsion.
It wasn't an aura a human should have.
It was something twisted, hybrid, and utterly unnatural.
The young man's gaze fell on Lei Lie, his greyish-white eyes showing not a hint of emotion.
He moved.
Without warning, he lunged at Lei Lie like a bolt of black lightning.
Lei Lie was ready; he rolled to the left, narrowly avoiding the strike.
But the young man was too fast.
Lei Lie was only halfway through his roll when the young man's leg swept toward him, whistling through the air.
Thud!
Lei Lie crossed his arms in front of his chest, bracing himself to block the kick.
The massive impact surged from his arms into his body, sending him flying backward until he slammed into a piece of equipment.
The machine let out a piercing alarm as sparks flew in every direction.
Lei Lie scrambled to his feet, his arms throbbing with a numbing pain.
He gritted his teeth and pushed his ability to its limit, his perception locking onto every one of the young man's movements.
The young man gave him no chance to catch his breath.
He lunged again, his hands striking in rapid succession, each blow carrying enough force to tear through steel.
Lei Lie struggled to keep up, barely managing to parry the onslaught.
He had plenty of combat experience, having spent years fighting for survival in the Ruin Zone and battling Level 3 Aberrants countless times.
But the person in front of him wasn't an Aberrant.
He possessed the strength and speed of an Aberrant, yet he also had human intelligence, combat techniques, and a twisted, unnatural combat instinct.
This was an enemy unlike any Lei Lie had ever faced.
Another punch came.
Lei Lie couldn't dodge, so he had no choice but to take it head-on.
Crack!
A sharp sound came from his left arm; the bone had fractured.
Lei Lie let out a muffled groan, his body staggering backward.
The young man didn't stop.
He closed the distance again, driving a knee into Lei Lie's abdomen.
Gah!
Lei Lie spat out a mouthful of blood, his body doubling over like a shrimp.
The young man didn't give him a chance to fall; he grabbed Lei Lie by the throat and hoisted him into the air.
Lei Lie's feet left the floor as his throat was squeezed in a death grip, making it harder and harder to breathe.
He struggled desperately, using his one good hand to try and pry the fingers away, but that hand was like a steel vise, unmoving.
The young man stared at him, those greyish-white eyes still devoid of any emotion.
Then, he let go.
Lei Lie collapsed onto the floor, gasping for air and coughing up bloody foam.
His left arm was useless, at least three of his ribs were broken, and his internal organs were throbbing with pain.
The young man stood before him, looking down.
Lei Lie looked up, staring intently into those greyish-white eyes.
“What... what the hell are you...?”
His voice was so raspy it was barely audible.
The young man didn't answer.
He raised his foot and stepped onto Lei Lie's chest.
Lei Lie felt his ribs groan under the unbearable weight.
Then, his vision went black, and he lost consciousness.
At the other end of the laboratory, several people in white coats stood behind a glass window, watching the one-sided battle.
Leading them was a middle-aged man in his forties, wearing gold-rimmed glasses. His hair was meticulously combed, and he had a lean face with high cheekbones.
With his hands tucked into the pockets of his white lab coat, a faint smile played on his lips, and his eyes betrayed an irrepressible excitement.
“Level 3...” he murmured, his voice filled with delight. “A Level 3 Ability User.”
He adjusted his glasses, his gaze falling on the fallen figure on the floor, a flicker of fanaticism in his eyes.
“All our previous test subjects were ordinary people. Level 1s were rare, and we didn't have a single Level 2.”
“But this one... he's actually a Level 3!”
“Ability Users like this aren't easy to catch. To have one delivered right to our doorstep is truly a rare find.”
He turned to his colleagues, his smile deepening.
“Tell me, what kind of results do you think we'll get if we use a Level 3 Ability User for our experiments?”
The other researchers in white coats all showed expressions of excitement.
A grey-haired old man adjusted his glasses, his eyes fixed on Lei Lie as if he were a precious exhibit.
“A Level 3 Ability User’s physical condition far exceeds that of an ordinary person, and their drug tolerance is much higher. We can use larger doses and attempt much bolder procedures.”
A young female researcher’s eyes lit up. “Previously, when we used ordinary people for live fusion experiments, the rejection rate was over ninety percent. Less than one in ten survived.”
“But what if we use a Level 3 Ability User? His physical attributes and self-healing capabilities are far superior. The rejection reaction to the Aberrant genes might drop significantly.”
“The fusion success rate might jump from ten percent to thirty percent—maybe even higher!”
Rate on N.U.
