Chapter 41

Chapter 41

An omega cannot be marked by two alphas simultaneously. Even in special cases like Shen Hui, whose marks metabolize away with glandular metabolism, a second mark can only be accepted after the previous one has completely dissipated.

If a mark is forcibly applied, the scents of the two alphas will battle within the omega's body, treating it as a battlefield.

Just as the battlefield suffers the most devastation in war, the omega will endure excruciating pain akin to dismemberment.

All of Shen Hui's strength was drained away as the chill, invasive pheromones were forcefully injected into his gland, immediately detected and repelled by the scorching pheromones already present. The clash of cold and heat spread from the gland along his nerves, coursing through his entire body.

Both pheromones sought to fully claim his gland, leaving Shen Hui feeling as though he were trapped in an incessant hell, tossed between molten lava and freezing ice.

The intensity of Yan Jin's pheromones far exceeded Chen Shenzhi's expectations. Even with a continuous injection of pheromones, he couldn't fully mark Shen Hui's gland.

Nor did Shen Hui show any signs of transforming into an omega.

Chen Shenzhi, rarely showing discontent, felt a flicker of unwillingness. But if he continued forcing the injection, Shen Hui's barely stable gland would collapse.

Forced to release Shen Hui's gland, Chen Shenzhi caught the seeping bead of blood with his tongue.

The moment he let go, Shen Hui's tense body suddenly went limp and slid downward, only to be caught and lifted horizontally into Chen Shenzhi's arms.

He was drenched in cold sweat; the torture, akin to being sliced apart, had forced him to clench his teeth so tightly that blood trickled from the corner of his mouth.

Chen Shenzhi looked at the person lying obediently in his arms, knowing he was still conscious.

"Do you need to change your clothes? You might catch a cold like this," Chen Shenzhi asked with apparent concern, as if he weren't the culprit responsible for it all.

Shen Hui closed his eyes as if completely unconscious.

"Very well, I'll take you for an examination first." Chen Shenzhi carried him away from Raphael and headed toward a specific medical room.

In this research facility, there was no conventional medical room—only experimental subject observation and recovery rooms, which served two main functions.

One was to inject catalysts to aid the recovery of evolving alphas. If recovery was impossible or if they couldn't withstand the power of the Number One and went berserk, they would be electrocuted into unconsciousness and removed to be fed to Raphael.

The other was to monitor the glandular evolution of Raphael's food—the captive omegas. Those immature and mature were distinguished by different collars.

It was simple and brutal.

So when the boss carried in a fragile beta saying he needed an examination, everyone exchanged bewildered glances. Finally, a young man who had recently joined broke the silence and took over attending to Shen Hui.

Shen Hui instinctively glanced at the young man. The last time they had met, they were separated by a nutrient tank, where the young man lay pale, weak, and unconscious.

It was Gu Xun.

When he truly awoke, he wasn't as gentle and serene as Nathan had described. Instead, he was a typical researcher, giving off a precise, steady, and solemn aura.

Shen Hui instinctively glanced at the other's gland. Aside from the surgical scar from the transplant, there was nothing unusual.

"Don't worry, he was transplanted with a non-evolved gland," Chen Shenzhi explained with apparent concern. "Glands that evolve near Raphael are prone to lose control. I wouldn't risk it."

Shen Hui frowned slightly, sensing Gu Xun's importance.

"Gu Xun is my senior, a favored student of our teacher, and the only surviving core researcher from that experiment."

When Gu Xun heard this introduction, his expression remained unchanged. He glanced at Shen Hui in Chen Shenzhi's arms, then at Yan Jin, his tone tinged with dissatisfaction, almost reprimanding: "I told you his condition isn't suitable for marking."

His tone was like that of a senior researcher questioning a junior for not following experimental protocols.

Chen Shenzhi offered a perfunctory apology but defended himself firmly: "I'm an alpha. When the person I love carries another's scent, restlessness and impulsivity are instinctual. Don't be so strict, senior."

Though his words carried a hint of intimacy, Gu Xun ignored his reply and turned to Shen Hui: "Can you walk on your own?"

In truth, Shen Hui's legs were still weak; the pheromone exhaustion and the conflict between the two alphas made it difficult to stand, but he managed to steady himself.

Gu Xun glanced at him, seemingly confirming he could endure until the examination was over, then turned and said, "Follow me."

After taking a few steps, Shen Hui noticed Chen Shenzhi made no move to follow, surprised by his level of trust in Gu Xun.

The examination proceeded quickly. After drawing blood, Gu Xun placed the sample into the analyzer. With his back to Shen Hui, he suddenly spoke.

"Is Nathan dead?"

Shen Hui hesitated, then murmured in affirmation.

"How did he die?"

"Likely from a berserk rage caused by a genetic fusion agent."

Gu Xun clenched his fist, his voice trembling. "Did he... kill many people again?"

This time, Shen Hui paused for a moment. "No. I killed him before he went berserk."

Gu Xun's voice grew hoarse. "Thank you."

Shen Hui did not respond. Gu Xun stood with his back turned for a long time, the line of his white coat trembling faintly.

After a few minutes, Gu Xun turned around as if the conversation had never happened, though his eyes were slightly red.

He knew he should hate Nathan—after all, Nathan was the culprit behind his years of being comatose. But love and hate were intertwined in one person. Upon confirming his death, he couldn't describe the complexity of his emotions.

It was like having a necrotic piece of flesh removed—no longer painful, but leaving an emptiness.

Shen Hui considered expressing sympathy, but judging by the other's demeanor, it didn't seem appropriate, so he swallowed the words.

"I should be the one thanking you," Gu Xun said, surprisingly smiling at Shen Hui's expression. "When a fusion subject goes berserk, only an evolved omega can forcibly pacify them with pheromones. That's why your pheromones are completely drained, isn't it?"

Steering the conversation back to the main topic, Shen Hui didn't hesitate and asked directly, "What exactly happened in that experiment back then?"

Gu Xun knew Shen Hui would ask, but he struggled to find the right words. After a long silence, lost in memory, he finally pieced together his thoughts.

This revelation stunned Shen Hui. Were the evolved beings back then really that powerful?

But Gu Xun was fully immersed in the past, recalling Yang Jingqiao's radiant confidence: "The gland is a treasure bestowed upon humanity, guiding its progress."

However, the clones' short lifespan remained a fatal flaw. The demise of the Number One was sudden, leaving only a single gland sample preserved—the previous Number One.

Yet, this level of achievement was enough to captivate many. Numerous countries collectively approved the gland evolution experiment, which was implemented in Country G.

The experiment progressed smoothly after its official launch, but at the final hurdle, they encountered a major problem: ordinary human bodies couldn't withstand the power of an evolved gland, not even elite soldiers. So they sought alternative methods, and the only successful approach was genetic fusion with animal DNA.

But the fused alphas were prone to berserk rage and mutual consumption, like Nathan or Chen Shenzhi absorbing Shaoyao. However, under external pressure for results, Yang Jingqiao insisted on refusing to release the dangerous prototypes. Yet she couldn't stop it—no one could bear the risk of a broken funding chain. Eventually, the lab released the prototype alphas and created the initial version of Raphael.

"Because directionally high-matching omegas could alleviate the alphas' berserk rage, but like a drug temporarily restoring an addict to functionality, each relief raised the threshold, and omegas could even be sexually tortured to death." Gu Xun closed his eyes in pain, recalling those dark times. "Initially, Raphael was created only to amplify omega power to pacify the alphas."

Shen Hui understood that pioneering biological science often came with bloody sacrifices, but the reality was even more brutal than he had imagined.

"Those omegas..."

"Most are clones. Descended from Omega One."

Shen Hui's heart skipped a beat, thinking of the photo of himself with Uncle Yang. "I..."

"You're not," Gu Xun shook his head with certainty. "You were brought back by Teacher—a normal human embryo."

Gu Xun wasn't entirely sure of Shen Hui's origins either. Yang Jingqiao had suddenly returned with a cultivation pod one day, containing a four-month-old fetus—the future Shen Hui.

Shen Hui was born with congenital deficiencies and had to remain in the cultivation chamber for a full 24 months before opening his eyes.

The day he opened his eyes coincided with Raphael's rampage, which had devoured all the omegas and even begun turning on the beta researchers in a desperate frenzy. The entire lab was placed under a level-one alert.

Just as Yang Jingqiao was about to eliminate Raphael, the infant Shen Hui opened his eyes and let out an earth-shattering cry.

An overwhelming surge of pheromones erupted, flooding the entire research facility and directly confronting Raphael.

Snowflakes swirled through the air, settling in every corner of the institute. The enraged Raphael instantly calmed and returned to normal.

The survivors, having escaped death, stared at the newborn infant as if witnessing a miracle.

Recalling the event, Gu Xun's eyes still held awe. "So, having you means complete control over Raphael."

When Gu Xun woke up, he was tasked with calculating how many evolved alphas Raphael could pacify with Shen Hui's assistance—at least a hundred thousand.

A hundred thousand evolved alpha soldiers would be enough to ignite a new world war and dominate the battlefield. At the very least, they would become the nuclear weapon in a new balance of power.

Chen Shenzhi's ambitions were far greater than anyone imagined.

"That's why Chen Shenzhi must mark you thoroughly," Gu Xun said seriously, looking at Shen Hui. "You have to leave this place."

For both personal and professional reasons, Shen Hui absolutely did not want Chen Shenzhi to mark him. Glancing through the observation room's glass, he spotted seven or eight armed alpha patrols at key exits, with Chen Shenzhi himself guarding the main entrance.

"Do you have a plan?"

Since Gu Xun had brought it up so openly, he must have something in mind.

"Turn right from the medical room and go to the end—there's an emergency exit leading outside. Inside, there are ejection pods that go straight to the surface," Gu Xun whispered. "There will be desert off-road vehicles near the ejection point. They're part of the institute's emergency equipment. There's a tracker in your body—once you escape, the others will find you."

Shen Hui wanted to ask how he knew about the tracker, but he couldn't bring himself to speak.

Gu Xun misunderstood his hesitation. "The institute has a signal jammer—they can't detect you." After a moment, he added, "I haven't told Chen Shenzhi either."

Shen Hui opened his mouth but decided to return to the main topic. "But with my current strength, I can't even get past the observation room door."

"That's where I come in," Gu Xun said with a cunning wink.

Shen Hui felt a bit skeptical, but Gu Xun didn't give him time to react. The moment Chen Shenzhi pushed the door open, Gu Xun pressed a scalpel into Shen Hui's hand and guided it to his own neck.

In that instant, Shen Hui was forced into a posture of threatening Gu Xun.

Shen Hui: "..."

Chen Shenzhi: "..."

Truly the straightforward logic of a researcher.

Chen Shenzhi found the scene both amusing and exasperating. He asked politely, "What are you two doing?"

Gu Xun played his part as a hostage perfectly, feigning panic. "L-let him go!"

Chen Shenzhi looked at Shen Hui, his eyes conveying a "stop fooling around" expression.

Though it was childish, this was indeed an opportunity. Shen Hui's mind raced, and he pressed the blade harder against Gu Xun's neck, drawing a trickle of blood.

"Step aside!"

This time, it was Chen Shenzhi's turn to be surprised.

He knew Shen Hui wasn't the type to harm others for his own escape, but Gu Xun held critical information about Raphael's connection to alphas and omegas. He couldn't afford to lose him.

Most importantly, he was curious about what Shen Hui really intended to do.

So he obediently raised his hands and led everyone out of the medical room.

"Go left," Gu Xun whispered as they exited.

To the left of the medical room was a suspended corridor connected to Raphael, with light pouring down from above.

But Shen Hui moved to the right, stepping onto the corridor.

Gu Xun panicked. "What are you doing?"

Shen Hui whispered, "Have you ever tried bungee jumping, Mr. Gu?"

Gu Xun: "?!!"

The next second, Shen Hui shoved Gu Xun off the corridor!

The corridor was a full ten stories high, with Raphael's blood pool directly below! Gu Xun hadn't agreed to risk his life for this!

As Gu Xun fell, Chen Shenzhi's expression changed instantly. Without hesitation, he leaped after him, transforming into a giant serpent mid-air and coiling around Gu Xun to prevent him from becoming Raphael's meal.

But the moment he caught him, he realized something was wrong—Gu Xun's body was icy cold. In the blink of an eye, a ring of mysterious ice formed around Gu Xun's waist. Before the serpent could release him, the ice ring erupted with lightning speed, shooting out dozens of meters of ice spikes that instantly fused with the steel beams upon contact.

Gu Xun was securely suspended mid-air, while the serpent coiled around him was impaled by the sharp ice spikes, immobilized like a skewered kebab.

The serpent hissed dangerously, its body riddled with bloody holes. The moment blood flowed from the wounds, it froze into ice.

"Not good! He's escaping!"

The serpent, enduring the pain, saw that one of the ice spikes had pierced through the dome above Raphael. Yellow sand cascaded down, forming a golden waterfall in the sunlight.

Shen Hui's mind was made up. Confirming the exit above the dome, he leaped without hesitation onto the ice spikes. With a light step, he soared upward against the golden cascade of sand.

The sunlight draped him in golden wings; he looked like a bird breaking free from its cage, racing unhesitatingly toward his freedom.

The sight enraged the serpent. It struggled violently, breaking the ice spikes impaling its body, and lunged for Shen Hui despite its frozen wounds.

The scene was like a manifestation of a serpentine disaster—the lone protagonist escaping to freedom, pursued relentlessly by a frenzied, monstrous serpent.

"You can't escape!" the serpent roared, its elongated form shrinking back into human shape, but its face was twisted like a wrathful deity.

But he was too late. Shen Hui had already leaped into the light, only to realize something was wrong.

It wasn't the long-awaited fresh air—it was water.

Endless water enveloped him, seizing the opportunity to flood his nostrils and mouth.

Shen Hui coughed up a stream of bubbles before being abruptly dragged out the next second.

Chen Shenzhi stepped onto the corridor with the drenched man in his arms, his expression dark as he stared at the coughing figure.

“I’ve been too indulgent with you, A-Hui,” he gripped Shen Hui’s chin, forcing him to look him in the eye. “I originally intended to give you time to adjust slowly—after all, we’ll be spending a long life together. But now, I’ve changed my mind.”

The wounds where the ice spikes had pierced through him remained, making him a grisly and terrifying sight.

“I won’t give you another chance to leave.”

Shen Hui barely registered what he was saying. There was something wrong with the water he’d inhaled; his body felt scorching hot, and he only found a modicum of relief where he touched Chen Shenzhi.

By the time he managed to suppress the overwhelming heat and regain a sliver of clarity, he had already been tied to the bed.

Chen Shenzhi slowly and methodically loosened his crooked tie, unbuttoning his shirt one button at a time.

“Shen Hui, you brought this upon yourself.”

Author’s note: In truth, Shen Hui could have escaped, but Raphael sensed it and is currently interfering.

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