Chapter 13: Suspended Animation

Chapter 13: Pretend Death

-------------------------

The live broadcast was initially a marketing ploy by the dark side, using pharmaceuticals to reap exorbitant profits. Human life was the key emotional trigger for consumers to protect themselves. However, the content of the broadcast couldn't be too straightforward, nor could it overly emphasize the potions themselves. Otherwise, it might be exposed by some perceptive individuals, resulting in a significant marketing disaster. After all, amidst the multitude of ordinary people, there were also those who were lucid and capable of causing disruption. Therefore, before embarking on this capital-driven operation, the Tiexi headquarters' team of peak intellects must have simulated countless scenarios. Thus, another aspect of the broadcast was proposed.

Human nature.

"Let these viewers realize the terror of human nature. Let them imagine their own vulnerability and helplessness as ordinary people in an apocalyptic future. Let them fear their future and yearn for mutation and disaster avoidance with a sense of luck."

"The logic of the human heart is the ultimate law of the market."

In a massive laboratory, a well-dressed gentleman in a suit polished his glasses while observing a female researcher in a white coat who was conducting tests. She seemed unconvinced by this line of reasoning. "I believe economics is just that - economics. It can fuel the desire to purchase, but involving too much could lead to the collapse of society. Humans are complex beings. If their bodies can undergo tremendous changes, how much more so their hearts? I advise you to focus less on these schemes to avoid losing more than you gain."

"Also, my teacher believes that anyone who manages to escape in the end should be brought back."

Unperturbed, the man continued to polish his glasses, as the lives of the pawns involved were of little consequence. He spoke leisurely, "They haven't truly mutated, yet they still hold research value?"

The female researcher turned her face, holding a test tube with different liquids undergoing a reaction. She placed it in a reaction vessel, allowing the released gas to accumulate and react with the experimental insects prepared inside.

"He said yes."

"Countless failures pave the way to success, and one of those failures might just be the turning point. Under such high-pressure conditions, with the influence of drugs, the parasitic relationship between the insects and human bodies, the eruption of human potential in times of crisis, the display of willpower, changes in the environment, and... all these are things that a normal laboratory cannot provide. It might just be an advertisement for your front-end project, but for the teacher, it's an experiment. Since you've achieved your goal, it doesn't make sense for him to gain nothing, so the subject must be brought back."

The man replied, "The live broadcast is open to society, and too many people know about it. If the truth were to be discovered, the consequences would be severe. I don't think it's a good idea. If there really is valuable material, we can plan another attempt next time."

The female researcher remained noncommittal. "You can discuss it with the teacher, but he'll probably mock you by asking if you didn't arrange for disciples to handle the aftermath? Or if your disciples couldn't deal with the organizations inside the ruins area?"

The man finished wiping his glasses, neatly folded the cloth, and handed it over. The ferocious mechanical dog lying beside him stood up, its muscular body terrifying. It opened its mouth, revealing sharp teeth that gripped the eyeglass cloth without damaging it at all, showcasing its advanced technology. The man elegantly put on his glasses and pushed them up with a finger.

He didn't mention that the real enemy was another conglomerate.

Tiange's grand wealth initiative couldn't be intercepted by other conglomerates. As the initiators with a first-mover advantage, if they couldn't counter the subsequent moves of their enemies, it would only show that Tiange was weaker or that they themselves were trash.

This woman clearly knew this but chose not to say it. Her slender, tall figure leaned against the research table, her beauty not concealed by the white lab coat. Her tone was almost mocking, carrying a bloody and critical air of a medical researcher, but she had an exceptionally beautiful appearance.

No matter how picky one was, her remarkable intelligence and looks matched perfectly, making it impossible to bear any ill will towards her.

One had to admit that humans were quite tolerant when it came to attractiveness.

Even amidst the impending destruction of the world, it remained so.

The decision is not subject to change, even though I am of the Carol family. However, the Eastern Master of the Celestial Jade is not solely represented by me, Carol. Should it be truly necessary, I suggest Professor Phil directly propose his suggestion to the Decision Council.

He straightened, lifting himself from the lab bench with an erect and dignified posture, tall and commanding, his brows and eyes exuding a cold sternness.

"Yet, my sense is that these front-line, lowly DE-class convicts lack the finesse required for such abilities. Perhaps in the future, we could select some higher-ranking prisoners from their ranks for experimental purposes."

He was just about to leave when, all of a sudden.

The creature in the reaction vessel let out a warped screech, and he turned to look, as did the female researcher, both unable to tear their eyes away.

One of the worms was frenziedly devouring the others, growing in size with each consumption, its pitch-black body intensifying. When it had finished off all the other worms, it convulsed amidst the intense azure gas emitted by the reagent. Its skin began to stiffen and shed its outer layer...

In the end,

Bang!

It burst, splattering into a mushy mess.

Faced with such a gruesome scene, the man raised an eyebrow but didn't seem too bothered. He chuckled.

"Assistant Lin Sui, it seems your experiment has failed again."

Leaving the room, the female researcher, Lin Sui, sat down and pondered over the results in the reaction vessel.

This was not the first time she had conducted such an experiment, but this one had been more intense. It could be due to the gradual maturation of the insect bodies, the increased radiation intensity, or – and this was her suspicion – the fact that some of the insects she had chosen for this experiment were larvae taken from another department of the research facility. She guessed that these people had already started using human hosts to cultivate the larvae prior to this live broadcast. They seemed different from the ones normally bred, possibly because they were the ones destined to devour the other larvae and become the queen.

So, the human body truly is mystical, isn't it?

As a cultivation medium... Lin Sui frowned slightly, instinctively turning her head to look at the laboratory monitor hanging in front of her, which was also broadcasting the event live.

She wasn't particularly interested in the so-called advertising live stream planned by the conglomerate's front-end department. However, as the product involved a pharmaceutical compound related to the lab, and her mentor had shown great interest in this experiment, she had decided to watch the live stream as well.

Earlier, she had caught a glimpse of a frail girl, unable to care for herself, being shot and falling into a pile of medicinal herbs in the dimly lit storage room.

She had averted her gaze and engaged in conversation with the man, but now, upon another glance, something suddenly occurred to her.

Those medicinal herbs... They seemed off.

"Ye Chen!"

Jenny scrambled up.

Seeing Sui Xin dealt with, Ye Chen dashed out of the door swiftly and sealed it even more promptly by pressing the control lock. The door shut rapidly.

He stood there, witnessing his former comrade and beloved being entangled by the red insects in their desperate struggle.

Did his emotions shift?

Who could tell? After all, if one had witnessed dozens of their classmates or relatives desperately fighting for survival in life-threatening situations throughout thirty years, they would remain as cold as ever during the N+1th such scenario.

Thus, his gaze was icy, exceptionally so. One hand held his gun, ready to fend off enemies for self-preservation, while the other felt the valuable medicinal herbs in his bag.

Aside from that, there was not a ripple in his demeanor.

Bang!

The door slammed shut.

In the pitch darkness, the audience could only hear Jenny's anguished screams. Suddenly, there was a loud bang.

The sound of a gunshot.

Did she find a gun and take her own life?

After that, they heard the rustling of the Red Rust Ironworms crawling, but that sound soon faded away as well.

The consortium members were surprised.

"The Red Rust Ironworms can corrode protective gear, but not the camera button. Why is there no sound now?"

Sui Xin had been shot and fallen into the pile of medicinal herbs, lying prone on them. It wasn't strange that the screen went black.

"Jenny was also on the ground, with the button pressed against the floor. After so much flesh and blood had been consumed by the Blood Rust Ironworms, their blood would likely cover the button, blocking the microphone's sound hole. Once it coagulated, it would further muffle any noise. The technology isn't advanced enough to utilize ultrasound yet."

It was just a live-streaming device; it wouldn't be that sophisticated.

"It's a shame we didn't capture the contents inside. Otherwise, the audience would've truly grasped the value of the serum," a high-ranking official commented calmly, his face radiating an aura of benevolence, yet with a subtle twinkle in his eyes.

The technical team had merely been jesting; they wouldn't waste such advanced equipment on these lowly front-liners, especially since the purpose of the live broadcast had already been fulfilled.

The surveillance feed promptly switched to other functional cameras, showing the situation with Huang Ye and the others.

---

In the darkness, a spotlight suddenly illuminated the area.

Those monitoring the live stream couldn't witness the light descending upon the dim and enclosed repository. Jenny, with her eyes wide open, stared at the person standing before her in her final moments.

Her neck was immobilized, allowing her to identify the intruder only by their shoe size.

They were small, a women's size, but slightly larger than hers, as the person towered over her petite frame. And it was this individual who had just pulled the trigger on her in the darkness.

A bullet pierced her arm and struck her side, lodging in her lungs near her armpit. One must admit that the shooter had decent aim, but they missed the heart—after all, they weren't a professional.

As Jenny lay on the verge of death, her eyes still retained the visual memory of the darkness around her.

Perhaps in the final moments of life, one's senses heighten to an extreme, or maybe it was just a hallucination brought on by the impending departure?

Despite the profound darkness, she could sense someone silently approaching from the pile of herbs, flipping her over, and soundlessly removing a button before attending to the wound.

Then, a spotlight illuminated the area.

It shone upon Jenny on the ground and also revealed the multitude of red corrosive iron worms wriggling around her.

She finally saw clearly.

She was utterly stunned.

Jenny's lips moved, "Sui..."

As Sui Xin pretended to fall into the pile of herbs after being shot, she deliberately positioned herself to cover the hidden camera and then swiftly removed her buttons to disable them.

After Ye Chen closed the door, plunging the pharmacy into darkness, she utilized the night vision function of her helmet to silently eliminate Jenny. Moments later, she manipulated the wireworms on Jenny's body to trigger the cameras, providing a plausible explanation for those monitoring remotely. With agility, she climbed out of the herb pile, retrieved the buttons, and disposed of them.

Step by step, she had logically freed herself from the live surveillance.

Freedom was regained.

With no more cameras in the pharmacy, she activated a spotlight.

In the span of just a few seconds, as Jenny lay on the verge of death, she saw Sui Xin's shoes and was utterly shocked, finally realizing that they had been deceived.

Scene after scene flashed through her mind, unraveling the truth like pulling threads from a cocoon.

How terrifying!

They had mistaken her for an innocent bookworm, when in reality, she was a fierce predator.

She had done this intentionally.

Deliberately separating us and luring us here... That insect-infested mushroom was also her ploy to draw both of us over.

So cunning!

Jenny was furious, yet all she could sense was death enveloping her body. But!

From her perspective, she saw Sui Xin turn on the spotlight, revealing that the pile of medicinal herbs—ostensibly a heap of mushrooms—behind the person suddenly stir!

The worm-ridden mushroom, its flesh and blood dripping, abruptly sat up.

Mushrooms have gained sentience?

In an instant!

The mushroom monster surges upward, its body entirely encrusted with fungal growths of corrosive vegetation. At first glance, it resembles some deep-sea creature infested by barnacles and the like, its surface densely packed to the point that even the sight might induce instant demise in those afflicted with trypophobia. What's more, these plants largely consist of sinister saprophytes, teeming with swarms of insects erupting from their ruptured husks and clinging onto the monster's form. Each tendril, each filament writhes and undulates, casting off as it moves in a grotesque shower...

Wireworm Mushroom Sprite?

With astonishing agility, he darted towards Sui Xin's back at an incredible speed.

The sound of the herbs rolling off him due to his touch or brush was still relatively soft.

But in that moment when he fiercely lunged at Xun Xin, he saw that slender figure in midair shift slightly.

She turned sideways.

Her gun was aimed at him.

Damn, she was prepared!

Unable to control his body in midair, he could only wildly fling the wireworms attached to his body towards her...

The dense wireworms seemed to exchange positions with the bullet in an unequal aerial dance.

Bang!

He was shot in the chest, tumbling to the ground and rolling over once. A disgusting, slimy substance and mushrooms fell from his body as he writhed in agony, vomiting loudly.

On Xun Xin's side, she watched helplessly as a wave of wireworms poured over her. She lacked the agility to dodge them, and some landed on her helmet and clothes, causing her to break out in goosebumps. However, before she could shake off the worms, they swiftly crawled down her body and onto the ground with a rustling sound.

She didn't dare to linger.

She retreated cautiously and swiftly, performing a backflip into the pile of medicinal herbs beside her, rolling around in the process.

This was the very area where she had pretended to be dead earlier.

The reason she had chosen to hide there was because it was a large heap of Neem bark. This herb was known for repelling insects, and creatures naturally avoided it. She had deliberately selected this spot to evade the Wireworms, successfully hiding from them twice. Moreover, she had stuffed a handful of the Neem bark into her pockets, which deterred the Red Rust Wireworms from approaching her. Even after landing on her, they quickly crawled off due to their biological aversion.

There were very few instances of molting in this area.

However, as Sui Xin landed and looked up, she saw the ugly creature she had shot pouncing onto Jenny. The Wireworms on its body were frantically detaching themselves, as if... searching for a new host?

Was this a living person, or someone who had survived despite being infested with so many Wireworms? Those mushroom-like plants were actually the result of the Wireworms' metamorphic secretions, which nourished the parasitic spores that developed within the protective cocoon.

It was horrifying and disgusting.

Sui Xin wasn't sure if this was an unintended consequence or something deliberately cultivated by the conglomerate, but either way, it repulsed her to the core.

And yet, the creature's wounded body seemed to regain some strength after the transfer of blood through the wireworms?

Jenny was already on the verge of death, but even a dying flame still held some warmth. Her cells were still active, and her senses might still be functioning. She watched in horror as the grotesque creature attempted to transfer those repulsive worms and fungal spores onto her body... But through the dual-headed plant's ability to siphon flesh and blood, it was rejuvenated. Its once-flaccid muscles bulged, and it regained its ferocity.

What the hell was this?!

Sui Xin was utterly shocked, quickly raising her gun to finish the job.

The creature sensed her intention and swiftly dodged, then, after shaking off a wave of slime, it leaped and dashed away with incredible speed.

It moved swiftly, while Sui Xin was at a disadvantage due to her lack of speed and physical prowess. She failed to keep up, and with a bang, she was slapped aside by the creature's massive hand. Her weapon flew out of her grasp, and she fell weakly into the pile of medicinal herbs. The protective suit she wore now seemed to be glued to the slime and insects all over her body. Then, it pounced down from the bag made of neem bark once more...