193 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Chen Wan and Wei Siyu, along with a few others, collected their equipment early the next morning. The group going out this time was relatively small and primarily focused on gathering clues. Two small military squads, consisting of fifty soldiers total, accompanied them. Beyond those, it was just Chen Wan, the other superhumans, and six armored vehicles setting out from the base. The convoy traveled straight to the small town where several people had gone missing in recent days. Meanwhile, on the sixth floor of the county hospital, in the laboratory, an assistant drew every last drop of blood from two ordinary people on whom the experiments had failed, storing it in the blood bank for future use. A man, accustomed to such scenes, chuckled softly and began, "Among the people brought in these past few days, only one was a superhuman, and not a very useful one at that. I heard your experiment has failed again." Dr. Wu, busy washing his hands, laughed and said, "It's not that easy to succeed. You six are the most perfect creations I've produced so far." "True," said Shitou, the man, standing tall and even more vibrant than before. "Not many share my iron will. Anyway, there are plenty of people in Zone One who deserve death. I'll capture them one by one for your experiments. Oh, and there are several superhumans with mental abilities there. I'm sure that would interest you, Doctor?" "Naturally. Mental ability superhumans are the hardest to acquire. If you manage it, Hades will undoubtedly reward you." Dr. Wu's eyes gleamed at the mention of mental ability superhumans. He had only experimented on two; one had died, but the other turned out to be remarkably powerful. Shitou gave a cold smile, his eyes filled with icy resolve. "Oh, I'll get them. Those pretentious fools deserve death, including you, Doctor." His gaze swept coldly over Dr. Wu. Unperturbed, Dr. Wu took another sip of tea before leisurely responding. "You have too much love for your own life to act on such thoughts. Remember, Hades and I control a little switch within your body. A mere flick or our deaths would trigger a bomb inside you, destroying you in an instance. Young people shouldn't be so impulsive." "I'm just joking. I can't die so easily; my revenge isn't complete. You only harmed Keqing and me after we left Zone One, but the ones who truly pushed us to the brink were those in Zone One, especially Chen Wan and Wei Siyu's squad. Everyone there deserves to experience the agony I've endured these past three months." Shitou's expression twisted with malevolence, veins taut as if he wished to strangle Chen Wan and her companions at that very moment. "Precisely. 'New Heaven' is merely an aid; your real target should be those you despise the most," Dr. Wu stated with a smile. Shitou nodded before asking, "How is Keqing now?" After a moment’s hesitation, he continued, "And how is the baby inside her?" "The child is thriving and remains dormant in the womb with no movement yet, which is normal. Regular babies only start moving after four months. Don't worry," Dr. Yang replied with a smile, then added, "Would you like to see Keqing? She always speaks of you, and you haven't visited her since you awoke." Shitou clenched his fists tightly, recalling past events. Back then, his sole concern was survival, even suggesting Keqing and the baby take his place as guinea pigs. Now, the thought of facing her filled him with dread. Seeing Shitou's anxiety, Dr. Yang laughed lightly. "She hasn't blamed you. Besides, the staff take good care of her. She eats well, drinks well, and has a nutritionist to plan her diet. You should see her." Swallowing hard, Shitou finally nodded silently. He followed Dr. Wu down the narrow corridor extending from the sixth floor. As Dr. Wu said, he couldn't kill Dr. Wu or Hades; his life was in their hands. Thus, he swallowed his bitterness, channeling all his hatred toward Wei Siyu and her group for reducing him and Keqing to this. Dr. Wu and several staff members led Shitou to a small glass room at the end of the sixth floor. The room was about 20 square meters, sufficient for one person to live. Keqing lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling, one wrist shackled with a long chain to prevent her escape. At a glance, Shitou's fists clenched tightly. Dr. Wu, noticing Shitou's reaction, smiled even more broadly. He delighted in witnessing these painful scenes—a spectacle sometimes more intriguing than parting through death. Intending to stay, he and a few assistants entered the room, even arranging a chair to watch the two before him as if enjoying an engrossing film. Shitou hesitated to meet Keqing's eyes, finally gathering the courage to look at her. Keqing merely gave him a blank stare, as if he were thin air. For three months, she had tried every means, acted out of sheer desperation, but all to no avail—all meaningless in these people's eyes. She was drained of the will to resist, wishing for death as a release from this torture. Seeing this, a pang of guilt hit Shitou, his eyes welling up. He held back tears and looked at Dr. Wu, speaking coldly, "I need to speak to my girlfriend alone. Leave us." "Shitou, have you forgotten your place? In 'New Heaven,' the only one who can order me is Hades. You're not qualified to speak to me like this. Hurry and talk to her; don't disrupt my specimens' rest." Veins bulging, Shitou turned away in fury. Mustering courage, he faced Keqing, "How are you? Is there anything wrong with your body?" Keqing stared blankly at him, no desire for interaction. Her gaze was icy, as if having seen through the man before her. Panicked, Shitou spoke hastily, "Keqing? What's wrong? Talk to me!" Turning to Dr. Wu, he shouted, "What happened to her? If you don't explain, I'll take you down with me." Dr. Wu laughed heartily, answering with a gentle tone, "I know your type. You value your life above all and wouldn't drag us down to death. Do you really think I'd install only one little thing in you?" "You—!" Shitou's veins bulged, face flushed, but Dr. Wu's words rang true. He wouldn't sacrifice his life or Keqing's and the child's for others. "Ahhh..." As Keqing's anguished cries filled the room, everyone's eyes turned toward her. Seemingly contemplating something intriguing, Dr. Wu commented, "The child inside her seems active. Quick, restrain her." As assistants approached, Shitou stopped them. "What are you trying to do to her?" Sneering, Dr. Wu mocked, "In over three months, we've done everything we wanted. What's the point of this now? We know her body better than anyone. If you want her to die before your eyes, keep blocking us." After a struggle, Shitou conceded, lowering his arms in resignation. The assistants efficiently bound Keqing’s hands and feet with iron shackles on the bed. One assistant lifted her shirt, revealing a swollen abdomen appearing more like six months pregnant rather than three. With each of Keqing's anguished screams, whatever was inside her abdomen pushed against her insides, not as a baby but a monster. Keqing's screams escalated in agony, and Dr. Wu's grin widened eagerly. "The little creature inside has awoken. It's likely coming out soon." "What do you mean?" Shitou's heart turned cold, feeling as if plunged into icy depths. "Exactly what I said. To it, the mother is just a source of sustenance. Now that it’s awake, it will consume the surrounding nutrients to sustain itself. Watch, it's coming out," Dr. Wu declared with fervor, his words rendering Shitou weak at the knees. “No, please... It hurts! It’s killing me...” Keqing finally managed a few fragmented words. But as whatever was inside continued its consumption, her body convulsed. In about ten minutes, something broke through her belly, crawling out, as Keqing, immersed in excruciating agony, passed away unnoticed. Shitou was paralyzed with horror at the scene before him, collapsing onto the floor as he scrambled backwards, trembling. His stomach churned violently, and he vomited where he sat. The creature was about the size of a normal newborn, roughly 50 centimeters in length. However, its body was slick with mucus and bits of Keqing’s internal organs, its skin a bluish-purple hue, resembling a stillborn. When it opened its mouth, a row of sharp, bloodstained teeth was revealed. Its eyes darted about, filled with a bloodthirsty thrill, and it lunged toward Dr. Wu as though eager to sink its teeth into his neck. With a nonchalant chuckle, Dr. Wu pressed a button in his pocket. Immediately, a shrill scream erupted from the creature, as if it were being electrocuted, sending chills down everyone's spine. Watching the creature suffer, Dr. Wu leaned in closer with a soft laugh. "You are nothing more than a dog of my design. Why would your master fail to control his dog? While you were still in your mother’s womb, I enhanced you—not only did I insert zombie genes, but I also bestowed upon you an intelligence beyond that of an infant and implanted genes from a mutated dog. Now, what shall we call you? A human-dog-zombie hybrid monster? Hahaha." The more the creature writhed in agony, the clearer Dr. Wu's laughter rang, as if he were watching a captivating comedy, unable to stop. Nearby, after vomiting, Shitou realized what had happened, throwing himself sobbing beside Keqing. Gazing at her lifeless body, torn open, and then at the wailing creature, he gritted his teeth and lunged at Dr. Wu. "I've changed my mind now—I want to die with you." No sooner had he finished speaking than a surge of electricity hit him, sending waves of excruciating pain through his augmentations, making him writhe on the floor alongside the creature. Dr. Wu's face softened into a gentle smile as he spoke soothingly, "Of course, a dog's master will keep it on a leash, lest the dog bites its owner. Both you and your monstrous son—if you wish to live comfortably, do not provoke Hades or me. I have the power to elevate you above others, or turn you into a smear of flesh in an instant. Do you understand?" "I understand, I won't dare again, I promise." After Shitou pleaded multiple times, Dr. Wu finally stopped. No pop-up ads on our site. Permanent domain: xbanxia.com