Even hybrid monsters have their day

In a forest far from the city, there was a heavily guarded place. It was rarely visited and looked no different from the rest of the forest from the outside, except for the trees.

However, careful observers will easily notice that many cameras are installed on those lush trees, either hidden in the branches or disguised as plants hanging on the trunks.

No one knows what's inside; even birds and beasts rarely venture into this area.

Underground, a hidden laboratory is located below.

The laboratory occupies a vast area, is clean and tidy, and seems to stretch as far as the eye can see, with countless small rooms neatly arranged at both ends.

A tall, slender figure wore a pure white lab coat and gold-rimmed glasses. Beneath the glasses were a pair of narrow, slightly upturned eyes with a beautiful curve. His features were handsome, but his expression seemed somewhat cold.

He surveyed each room like a king inspecting his possessions.

Occasionally, one or two people would pass by him carrying some bottles and jars, and respectfully call out "Dr. Qiu" to him.

His name is Qiu Pi, and he is exactly thirty years old this year. He completed his dual doctorates in biology and pharmacology at the age of 25 ahead of schedule, and was directly hired by the world-renowned Arans Bioengineering Co., Ltd. after graduation. Now, Arans has assigned him an independent studio for his research.

In the year 2130 AD, although technology was quite advanced, the Earth had been severely damaged due to humanity's insatiable demands. Severe pollution directly led to the extinction of species, and the law explicitly stipulated that no one may inhumanely detain animals for any reason or pretext.

To protect the remaining creatures, the law also stipulates that no group or individual is allowed to use them for experiments.

Qiu Pi stopped at the doorway of a room and glanced through the observation window at the scene inside. Something that looked like a monkey was sitting there, eating a meal specially prepared for it by the laboratory. Several tubes were inserted into its body, a large bulge protruded from the center of its forehead, and a thin membrane connected its arm to its body.

This was created by mixing and breeding genes from gorillas and birds, with the aim of developing a drug that could make people grow wings.

Animals can't be used for experiments? A mocking smile appeared on Qiu Pi's face. He gave a cold snort. Laws are always made for those who abide by them.

For some reason, Arans' boss seems obsessed with turning himself into a birdman. The head office has been conducting this research for decades without any results. Now that it's in his hands, there's finally some progress.

Suddenly, a piercing alarm sounded.

"What happened?" Qiu Pi rushed to the laboratory where the alarm had gone off. He walked up to the staff member who was frantically pressing buttons on a machine. The man was wearing the same white lab coat; it was his assistant, Lawyer Wang.

While operating the instruments and trying to stabilize the steadily rising data, Wang Lu said, "I don't know what's going on, but all the target's data have suddenly increased rapidly. If we can't bring it down, I'm afraid it might..."

"We absolutely cannot let anything happen to it." Qiu Pi looked at the fluctuating data on the instrument, his eyes filled with worry.

The creature in this lab is the mother specimen from which they collected samples. It's incredibly precious; reportedly, his boss spent a fortune and risked three lives to retrieve it from an unknown cave at the top of the snowy plateau. There might only be one left in the entire world. If anything were to happen to it, no amount of money could compensate for it.

Looking at the data that was still rising sharply, he picked up an injection bottle from the table and said to Lawyer Wang, "Open the door, I want to go in."

"No! The situation inside is unknown. That thing is extremely ferocious and hiding in the shadows. It would be very dangerous for you to rush in like this." Lawyer Wang rejected his suggestion without hesitation. Right now, they couldn't even find the thing on the monitors.

Qiu Pi said expressionlessly, "If it dies, who will take responsibility, you or me?"

“But…” Wang Lu glanced at the tightly sealed room, his eyes filled with hesitation. Being bitten by that thing was no fun.

"Open!"

Wang Lu finally opened the door and let Qiu Pi in.

As soon as the door behind him closed, Qiu Pi felt as if he had entered another world, a door that shut out all the light. He put on his special glasses and cautiously walked inside, searching for his target as he went.

Because they were worried it wouldn't adapt well to the new environment, this place was built to resemble its original cave. Therefore, the ground isn't flat, and you have to be extra careful when walking. Almost everything inside was moved from its original cave, showing how much care the owner has put into it.

It disliked sunlight and being disturbed, so Qiu Pi took every step with extra care, trying not to make a sound. He went to its favorite spot but found no trace of it, so he turned back and continued his search.

Just then, a strange sound came from the air, like something rapidly cutting through it. Qiu Pi immediately sensed something was wrong and quickly crouched down, covering his head. After a while, he raised his head again, but there was nothing there. He sighed and was about to stand up when he heard a snoring sound behind him.

Extremely close, so close that its breath almost hit his neck directly. Qiu Pi's face turned pale instantly. He slowly turned around, clutching the syringe tightly in his hand.

The creature seemed startled by his movement, suddenly letting out a strange cry and biting his neck. He endured the pain and suppressed his urge to struggle free, inserting the syringe into its body.

A few seconds later, it released him and collapsed to the ground.

After handing over everything to Wang Lu, Qiu Pi returned to his room. In the bathroom, looking at the teeth marks on his neck where blood was still seeping out, he cursed "beast" inwardly and pulled out a tissue to wipe away the blood.

Without the bloodstains to conceal them, the two teeth marks on his fair skin were particularly noticeable. He examined the teeth marks closely; they were thin, as if he had been stabbed by two sharp objects. But…

He remembered that when he examined it, it didn't have these sharp teeth in its mouth. What happened?

Inside the sealed space containing the mother body, no one noticed a darker color, even more so than black, seeping out wisps of black mist next to where the object had appeared. It was only the size of a ping-pong ball, yet the black mist within seemed endless, continuously seeping in. (To be continued.)