Chapter 104: Be Gentle
Fude knocked on a door and entered the room slowly, closing the door behind him.
Inside the room, two oil lamps cast overlapping shadows, stretching out a thin figure.
The figure had a thin face with full cheeks, and a pair of slightly narrow eyes that appeared calm. He had a stack of documents on his desk and was currently flipping through a thick book. He not stopping even when Fude walked up behind him.
When Fude wasn't sure whether to call out to him, the thin man casually gestured for Fude to sit on the side and whispered, "Fude, wait for me for a while."
Fude remained silent and sat quietly on a nearby chair, watching their leader flipping through the pages of the book.
After some time had passed, the thin man let out a long breath, closed the book, and muttered to himself, "Almost done!"
He pushed the book forward and turned around to ask, "What's the situation, Fude? How did tonight's operation go?"
Fude answered earnestly, "It failed, Leader An."
Although their leader, An, didn't appear to be very imposing, Fude didn't dare to be insolent in front of him. Perhaps this was what they called reverence—first respect, followed by fear.
An nodded, unconcerned, and said, "It's alright. That matter is not important."
Then he gestured towards Fude's arm and asked, "What happened to your arm?"
Fude moved his arm a bit and replied, "It can be repaired shortly, no problem."
An leaned back in his chair, looking comfortable, and said casually, "Did you do it yourself? Not many people in this Siling City can willingly cut their own flesh."
Fude nodded and said, "Indeed, I encountered a very small strange person and a 'Shenjia' individual. The small guy looked like an ordinary person, but he could easily pierce through my armor in an instant. It felt very peculiar."
An became serious and furrowed his brow, asking, "Do you know which sequence they belong to?"
Fude shook his head and said, "I don't know."
Then he speculated, "Could it be a fourth-level mutant person of the 'Night Walker' sequence, the 'Night Demon'?"
An responded slowly, "It's possible."
Fude hesitated and said, "But we don't have any 'Night Demons' in Siling City..."
An lightly scratched his forehead with a sharp fingernail. "It doesn't have to be from Siling City. It could be from elsewhere."
Fude became worried. The more high-level anomalous individuals there were, the more dangerous it was for him as a mere second-level player. But there was no other choice. Siling City, being a small city, was the best option for those fourth-level anomalous individuals who had failed in the competition within larger cities.
An murmured, "Fude, don't worry. Let this city descend into chaos. Only when it's in chaos will we have an opportunity! The appearance of the 'Night Demon' is not important; it may even work to our advantage. Now, we're just waiting for an opportunity. Soon, the 'Heaven's Gate Society' and the 'Divine Light Society' will engage in a deadly battle. We just need to sit back and reap the benefits. Just wait!"
Then he turned to Fude and said earnestly, "Fude, once we succeed in advancing, I will take you away from here and go to a bigger city, where you can experience the true beauty of the world."
Fude had always believed in An's words because An was the one who had brought hope into his life.
Fude asked, "What should I do next, then?"
An pointed to his forehead and said slowly, "I've already identified the locations of the 'Heaven's Gate Society' and the 'Divine Light Society' and found out their identities. In other words, I've caught their lifelines."
He took out two scrolls from the side and slowly unfolded them, revealing portraits of a girl and a boy, with detailed labels of their identities and frequent whereabouts.
An took out two different badges and said, "You and Yiyi will assassinate them. Each of you choose a target. But remember, the first assassination should not succeed. Leave this imitation badge behind. The second assassination must be fatal, and then you both should leave immediately!"
Fude understood An's intentions and nodded as he accepted the portraits and badges.
...
Su Hao stared intently at Yashan, observing his changes. Every so often, he would swiftly stab Yashan's arm with a small knife, drawing some blood into a bottle.
Yashan seemed completely unaware and remained in a deep sleep.
Soon, Yashan's body began to undergo changes. The scales covering his entire body gradually receded, and his figure shrank, turning into an ordinary person.
Then his skin started darkening, gradually turning black.
Taking advantage of the situation, Su Hao stabbed him repeatedly, collecting blood samples. He increased the frequency of extracting blood, almost stabbing every ten seconds.
What surprised Su Hao was that as Yashan's body turned black, the wounds he had just inflicted on him healed completely, as if Yashan possessed a powerful regenerative ability.
Shortly after, Yashan's surface color began to fade, returning to its original appearance. Within a minute, his body turned black once again, slowly transforming towards a carapace-like form. At the same time, his entire body inflated like a balloon, growing thicker, larger, and taller.
"Such a miraculous life, such incredible changes. How did all this happen?" Su Hao watched the entire process with a look of curiosity and bewilderment.
Su Hao's heart raced, and he gradually became excited. "Everything in the world must have its inherent laws; nothing comes into being or disappears without reason. There must be a principle behind these changes."
Understanding the underlying rules of evolution and transformation in this world meant everything to him. It meant not only having ultimate control over the power of this world but also uncovering the mysteries of life in the universe.
Contemplating these questions, Su Hao's hands moved swiftly. Soon, there was only one bottle left. Yashan's evolution was also coming to an end.
He returned to his human appearance, lying on the ground wearing only a pair of shorts.
A few minutes later, Yashan gradually woke up, excitement evident in his eyes.
"Wei, Boss, I did it!" He jumped up, extended his hand, and clenched his fist slowly. His body quickly turned black and robust, and within moments, he transformed into a tall carapace-covered figure, his face concealed by a thick carapace mask, making it impossible to discern his features.
At this moment, Yashan noticed the neatly arranged small bottles at his feet and curiously asked, "Wei, Boss, why do you have so many small bottles here? What are they for?"
Su Hao waved his hand and said, "It's nothing. How is it overall?"
Yashan jumped up excitedly and exclaimed, "It's amazing! This is the 'Hengxingzhe' (Rampager). I've never felt so full of vitality before. I feel invincible. But right now, my energy is
running low, and I'm feeling a bit weak overall."
Su Hao said, "I didn't ask if you're happy. I want to know what abilities you obtained. Tell me everything."
Yashan chuckled, "My scales have completely regressed, replaced by this carapace. It's like wearing a thick armor all over my body. It's difficult for blades or spears to harm me. The thickest part is probably this thick..."
Yashan gestured with his hand, indicating a thickness of about five centimeters.
A five-centimeter carapace...
Su Hao handed over the last empty bottle and said, "Here, fill it up!"
Yashan instinctively reached out to take it, but suddenly remembered something and noticed the neatly arranged small bottles on the ground.
Yashan: "..."
Are these the experimental subjects that Boss Wei mentioned?
Just as he was about to find a place on his body to make a cut and collect blood, Su Hao, considerate as ever, handed him a short knife.
The blade still had fresh bloodstains on it, causing Yashan to feel an inexplicable fear. What had he experienced while he was unconscious?
Yashan wanted to reach out and take the knife but was met with a twist of Su Hao's wrist as he withdrew it. Su Hao said, "Let me do it myself, and while I'm at it, I'll test the strength of your carapace."
Yashan suddenly remembered the scene when Boss Wei stabbed another 'Rampager' in the lower back, and he gulped, saying, "Boss Wei, please be gentle!"
(ha u thought u were getting something naughty eh)
(Translated by begs)