194 - Cinderella’s Dream: Together Forever

Dr. Wu heard Stone's pleas for mercy but did not stop the torment inflicted upon him and the creature. The more they suffered, the more benevolent Dr. Wu's smile became. It wasn't until Stone and the Monster Baby lay on the ground, foaming at the mouth, that Dr. Wu ceased their torture. Sitting on a chair brought by his assistant, he spoke with a gentle chuckle, "This was just a reminder for you. Dogs will always be dogs. Only through pain can you learn not to provoke your master." Stone's body was reddened from the electric shocks, and at this point, he lacked the strength to even respond. Dr. Wu then turned his gaze to the Monster Baby on the ground and chuckled slightly as he began, "I've implanted adult intelligence in you. If you can't distinguish whom to bite and whom not to, I'll have no choice but to preserve you in formalin as a specimen. Remember, there can't be a next time." The Monster Baby whimpered like a crying child and wiped its tears with its purplish hands. Dr. Wu, as if remembering something amusing, chuckled softly and said, "All right, today is the first day you two are meeting. You should catch up. We'll be leaving now." Dr. Wu left with a light laugh and his assistant. They returned to the laboratory hall, where a large screen was displaying real-time surveillance of Ke Qing's room. Stone had somewhat recovered by this time. He propped himself up and faced the crumpled small face of the Monster Baby. As he scrutinized this mucus-covered creature, it too was studying him. Due to the zombie gene implanted within, the Monster Baby was particularly bloodthirsty, yet it inherently possessed human emotions. Furthermore, with the adult intelligence Dr. Wu had forcibly inserted, it understood the man before it was its father. It took a few steps forward, hoping its father would embrace it like other human fathers. However, Stone managed to rise, grabbing a nearby chair and raising it high in his hands, glaring menacingly at the Monster Baby as he snapped, "You monster, come any closer and I'll crush you!" The Monster Baby appeared puzzled, wondering why the man its mind identified as its father was behaving so differently than expected. Perhaps its father was playing a game with it? As it took another step forward, Stone, seeing it dare to approach, hurled the chair with all his might at the Monster Baby. The impact sent it sprawling to the ground, wounds appearing on its head and arms as pale green blood oozed from its injuries. The Monster Baby began to wail, truly crying like a child. Its father had hit it, making it feel unwanted. Sneaking a glance at Stone, it saw him glaring with hatred in his eyes. The Monster Baby cried even harder; it was hurt, yet its father wouldn't even comfort it. Stone, filled with dread at the grotesque being before him, tossed away the chair stained with green blood, muttering to himself, "No, no, it can't be my son. That thing can't be my son." In a daze, he moved to the bloodied Ke Qing, using keys Dr. Wu had discarded on the floor to free her limbs. He wrapped Ke Qing's lifeless body in a blanket and carried her out. The little creature watched its father walk away, whimpered twice, and then leaped to grasp Stone's pant leg with its purplish hand. Stone kicked it hard, sending it flying across the room. Crying silently, it couldn't understand why its father didn't like it. With a stern face, Stone carried the body out of the county hospital, reaching a nearby field. He laid Ke Qing’s body down and began digging the earth with his bare hands, ignoring the pain as his hands became bloodied. It seemed he couldn’t feel the pain, finally having dug a grave large enough for one person. His eyes bloodshot, he lifted Ke Qing's body, whispering, "Ke Qing, if you sleep, it won’t hurt anymore. Don’t worry; Wei Si Yu, Chen Wan, and their squad, along with Cao Wei, Shang Nuan, and everyone from District One, they all deserve to die for what they did to you and our baby. Rest assured, I'll make them repay a hundredfold. You will not have died in vain." He tightened his grip on her body, bursting into tears. The sound was heart-wrenching, as if he was burying not just the deceased Ke Qing but his past self as well. By the time he returned to the county hospital, his hands stained with blood, the tears had long been wiped from his face, leaving only a venomous heart. Back on the sixth floor surgery room, he had Dr. Wu's assistant treat his injured fingers. Across from him were Dr. Wu and the Monster Baby. Dr. Wu seemed to have affection for the Monster Baby, gently disinfecting its wounds with iodine while soothing it, "Come now, let Uncle have a look at your injuries. There, there, no more tears. Your father may be harsh, but don’t worry, Uncle is here for you." After applying ointment and bandaging its wounds, Dr. Wu even patted the creature's head with affection, disregarding the slime covering its body. Stone watched the scene with cold eyes, letting out a disdainful snort without speaking further. A few minutes later, Liu Meng and others arrived at the surgical room. Spotting Stone, Liu Meng smirked, "Oh, you’re here too? I heard your girlfriend delivered a monster son. We thought we’d come have a look. Stone, congratulations." Liu Meng's tone dripped with sarcasm. Stone's hands had just been bandaged by Dr. Wu's assistant. Hearing Liu Meng’s remarks, Stone shot up from his seat and leaped towards Liu Meng. Just as the two were about to clash, Dr. Wu intervened, "It doesn’t matter to me if you two fight to the death, but if anyone dares to ruin my laboratory, you know the consequences." Though Dr. Wu’s voice was not loud, it was effective, instantly defusing the situation. Seeing them step back, he smiled and added, "There, that’s better. You’re both my creations, so there’s no need for conflict over trivial matters. The Lord of the Underworld wishes to see you, so let’s all meet him." Including Stone, there were seven modified individuals in total led by Dr. Wu. They climbed to the seventh floor of the hospital and approached a large, intricately carved wooden door. Dr. Wu respectfully knocked, and upon hearing a voice permitting their entry, opened the door. It was Stone's first time seeing the Lord of the Underworld, and he looked at a man clothed in a black robe with a golden mask seated behind a desk. The Lord of the Underworld greeted them with a soft voice, "It seems that our 'New World' grows stronger thanks to Dr. Wu's efforts." "Not at all, it’s all because of your guidance," Dr. Wu replied respectfully. "Our new recruit is named Stone, correct?" the Lord of the Underworld directed his gaze at Stone. Following Dr. Wu's example, Stone replied respectfully, "Yes, do you have any orders?" "You come from District One, and you should be quite familiar with it. You know that 'New World' settling here is not a long-term plan. Simply sourcing test subjects already expends significant effort. Strengthening our forces sooner would be ideal. I see District One as promising. Our aim should be to control its leaders and key espers; the rest of the ordinary people will fall in line easily." "Yes, that aligns with my intentions. I’ve interacted with some of the top espers there and can prepare in advance," Stone quickly said, eager for revenge against District One. "Good. Compile a list of District One’s defenses and powerful espers. They’ll serve as ready-made test subjects. We’re in no rush; we have plenty of time to take them down one by one," the Lord of the Underworld chuckled. "Certainly, I’ll get right to it," Stone left with a long-lost smile on his face, muttering as he walked away, "Wei Si Yu, Chen Wan, I’ll make you pay a hundredfold for the pain I endured." He repeated his vow while heading down to his third-floor room. "Liu Meng, have Stone focus on preparing that list for the next few days. Your capture missions must continue. Anytime District One sends people out, bring a few back and instill psychological fear. It’ll make our subsequent operations smoother, understand?" Dr. Wu instructed. "Understood, I’ll take Xiao Hai with me. For precautions, Zhu Qi Xing will join too. Kait and Huang Xiao can stay behind to rest—their presence isn’t necessary for those people," Liu Meng replied with a chuckle. "Fine, I don't care how many of you go, just make sure to bring the specimens back. Now, go get the job done," the Lord of the Underworld said with a hint of impatience in his voice, prompting Liu Meng and the others to leave. Following the plan, Liu Meng, Xiao Hai, and Zhu Ci Xing set up an ambush in the same town as last time. Meanwhile, Chen Wan and her group also arrived in the town. Surveying the area, Chen Wan instructed, "Everyone, refrain from acting on your own. Stay here, get off the vehicles, and rest for a few minutes." "Where should we start looking for clues about the missing people?" Wei Si Yu asked. "Patience. They'll come around eventually. Instead of wasting energy in search, it's better to wait in open spaces for them to reveal themselves. As long as we stick together, they won't be able to take any of us," Chen Wan replied, vigilant of her surroundings. "Agreed," Wei Si Yu nodded, finding Chen Wan's reasoning sound. The group waited for several hours, and as noon approached, there was still no sign of activity from the opposition. Liu Meng furrowed his brow as he watched Chen Wan's group. "What are the people from District One up to? Haven’t they always split into smaller teams to search for clues before?" Zhu Ci Xing sneered and remarked, "They've learned to adapt. They're waiting for us to take the bait!"