13 Monster (13)

After cleaning the kitchen, Xue Ning turned on the stove, quickly cooked the meat, and placed it on a plate in front of Chen Song, setting the chopsticks beside him.

Chen Song held the plate in both hands, his expression faintly perplexed.

…Does he not know how to use chopsticks?

Xue Ning watched him closely. In the lamplight, Chen Song exuded an unexpected gentleness, the warm yellow glow softening his sharp features. His tail hung behind him, out of sight, and aside from his bare chest, he looked almost like a normal person.

Her courage grew. She furrowed her brows and asked, “Didn’t you say… you have memories?”

She hadn’t meant to doubt him, but the question slipped out. After all, how much he remembered directly affected her safety. If he only recalled his name and was still, at heart, a slaughterer, her situation would be dire—he was an extremely cruel and bloodthirsty creature. If caught by him, even with eight legs, Xue Ning couldn’t escape.

Chen Song nodded slightly, then his voice, rough and low, said, “Sorry, let me think…”

He frowned, and simply reached out to grab the stir-fried meat. Fresh from the pan, the meat was firm, its surface glistening with golden oil, occasionally splattering with crispy bits. He swallowed it whole, the chunks needing no chewing, his Adam’s apple bobbing twice as he gulped it down.

…Isn’t it hot?

Seeing him unfazed, Xue Ning pressed her lips together and pretended not to notice.

Once he finished, Xue Ning reached for the plate to wash it, but Chen Song clung to it, his gaze filled with earnest longing. She tugged harder, and finally he let go, then lifted his oil-smeared palm to his face and extended a crimson tongue, licking it clean like a feline.

Xue Ning stiffened under his gaze.

“Hungry,” he murmured.

A dissatisfied grunt escaped his throat as he repeated, “Very hungry, want more.”

The slender tail coiled around his neck slithered, probing toward her. When it was less than a fist’s distance away, the tip drooped and slowly returned to his neck, dark and sleek, trailing viscous fluid that dripped onto his bare chest, muscles taut and shining honey-bronze under the light.

Xue Ning averted her eyes and silently cooked all the remaining meat in the fridge.

…Eat your fill and leave already!

Once the fridge was empty, Chen Song devoured even the compressed biscuits she’d bought from the convenience store. Her question was answered: he could eat anything, and his appetite was insatiable, leaving her with nothing.

When Chen Song finished licking the crumbs from his lips and looked at her, Xue Ning spread her hands and said, “There’s nothing left, you’ve eaten everything. So… what’s next for you?”

Maybe it’s time for him to go?

Chen Song’s mouth curled into a perfect arc. Though not full, he seemed content. After a moment’s thought, he said, “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” Xue Ning replied, lips twitching.

Though she wished he’d leave, she had no bargaining power—like a fish fillet on the chopping board.

Her gaze slid over the body of the specimen from Room 01: muscular chest like a mountain, tightly packed scales overlaying his skin, edges sharp as blades when flared. His waist and abdomen were hidden by trousers—stolen from somewhere, obviously the wrong size, stretched tight over powerful legs…

Xue Ning’s heart sank. In the laboratory, he’d been just an experiment, danger controllable. Now, with the Room 01 specimen in her home, her protective shield shattered, death could come at any moment, leaving her deeply insecure.

Her eyes lingered on the tail wrapped around his neck. She walked to the bed and, with a clear hint, said, “You have my communicator, so I can’t contact the research base. Please rest assured, I won’t reveal your whereabouts… You can safely leave. Is your residence nearby?”

If the Room 01 specimen retained full consciousness yet had the instincts of a slaughterer, it would be terrifying—she wouldn’t be able to deceive him with words.

But from her observations, the Room 01 specimen only remembered his name and hadn’t shown any bloodthirsty instincts in her presence, behaving with the innocence of a young beast.

When she said eating that way wasn’t proper, for safety, he simply vomited up all the food he’d swallowed, trusting her words completely. Though unsure how long that trust would last, her priority was to get him out.

Finally, she boldly added that question—to learn where he stayed, so she could later report to the institute.

Chen Song replied, “Here.”

Xue Ning was taken aback. “…Ah?”

Chen Song lowered his head, scarlet eyes fixed on her, the fractured blood vessels oppressive. He repeated, “I am here.”

“Not leaving.” His tone was chilling.

Xue Ning fell silent, trembling as she pulled the curtains open. Despite the small window, the outside world couldn’t see in, but opening the curtains made the air feel less stifling. The Room 01 specimen stood in the room, his imposing figure seeming to cool and thicken the atmosphere.

She glanced at the bed covered in viscous fluid and worried—if he wanted to sleep there, would she have enough sheets to change?

But he didn’t seem intent on controlling her movements. Perhaps tomorrow she could pretend to go to work and slip away?

Lost in thought, Xue Ning took out a clean sheet and began making the bed. As she bent over, a sudden shiver rolled down her back—a dark shadow loomed, and she heard clear, damp breaths beside her ear.

—He was approaching.

In a flash, Xue Ning spun around, pulling a fruit knife from her sleeve, its tip aimed at the Room 01 specimen’s throat.

The throat was his most vulnerable spot.

No scales covered it, only thin flesh.

The slender tail, as soon as she attacked, uncoiled from his neck and darted toward her. As the knife tip neared his throat, the tail wrapped around her waist, tightening and soaking her clothes with slime. She twisted her wrist, turning the blade vertical and stabbing toward the unguarded side of his neck.

Blue veins bulged, clearly visible.

The sharp blade sliced a thin cut on his neck, fresh blood welling bright and vivid.

Just a bit more and she’d have pierced his throat.

Her wrist was caught, a tight grip leaving a red mark.

The man stared at her impassively, his gaze cold as a serpent.

Xue Ning stammered, “I… I thought you were…” Her lips dry, she pressed them together and continued in a hoarse voice, “I thought you were going to attack me.”

The tail around her waist tightened; Xue Ning struggled to breathe.

If given another chance, she would still unhesitatingly grip the knife and strike at the Room 01 specimen.

Better to act than suffer in suspense.

Her lashes quivered, a hint of moisture brimming. His pupils, like rusted iron, reflected her fractured face.

Yet the tail, instead of squeezing further, slowly loosened—an impossible act. His tail easily brought to mind a snake, tightening to suffocate prey. Did he enjoy this torment?

Xue Ning’s expression darkened, then turned slightly blank.

The tail slid from her waist to her chest, then wrapped around her neck, leaving glistening trails wherever it passed. The cool, slippery sensation of scales made her shudder.

He still held her wrist, and with his other hand, his rough, sharp nails brushed her face, leaving a red mark on her pale skin. He withdrew his hand, a strange emotion flickering in his eyes.

His fingertips bore cool traces of moisture.

“…Tears,” he murmured, voice clear but rough.

His Adam’s apple bobbed twice. “Don’t be afraid.”

He touched her no more; the tail entwined around Xue Ning’s neck moved, slick surface brushing her eyes and tightening gently. Her eyelids felt pressure, an odd softness, and when she opened her eyes, her face was covered in damp slime.

Chen Song gazed at her impassively, lips pressed hard together. The tail left her and coiled once more around his neck. He turned and crouched at the foot of the bed, his back to Xue Ning.

His silhouette was suffused with a nameless sense of loss.

Slime slid into Xue Ning’s mouth; instinctively, she tasted it—salty and bitter.

Her brows furrowed deeply in confusion.

…What does he really want?

……

X Research Base.

On a massive screen, overlapping images flickered as researchers sat with grim faces.

“He destroyed the footage; we have no way of tracking him for now.”

The man seated at the head, his hair white and face furrowed, closed his eyes in contemplation. After a moment, his voice cracked like dry bark: “If he could destroy the footage, it means he retains his memory. The worst case is that he’s become a monster with a researcher’s consciousness. He is a key researcher, and knows the base’s secrets. If that happens, we can only initiate bombing…”

Sacrifice the lives of everyone in Hope Fortress to prevent the emergence of a sentient monster.

A researcher nodded. “Report, Professor. The fortress is currently stable, no suspicious killings have been found.”

A barely audible sigh escaped; the professor’s rigid posture sagged. He said, “Contact the Security Administration, have them send people to search for the Room 01 specimen with the institute.”

The researcher responded, “We’ve prioritized security at the entrances and exits. If the fortress’s defenses are breached, even bombing wouldn’t be fast enough.”

“Have you found the infected?”

The researchers exchanged glances, brows tightly knit. “…No.”

The situation was dire.

Hope Fortress was built underground, with a tunnel leading to the surface.

Both ends of the tunnel were heavily guarded, yet days ago, a group of survivors from the surface arrived, their blood staining the tunnel entrance, drawing the slaughterer’s attention.

Worse, among these survivors were infected, some attempting to open the tunnel from within. Thankfully, the tunnel’s operation was managed by specialists, so their abnormal behavior was noticed.

A call from the Security Administration came through—a commanding female voice spoke: “Professor, we’re following up on your request, but according to the institute’s assessment, the escaped specimen should still retain human consciousness. As long as he doesn’t threaten the fortress, we’ll cooperate as much as possible, but we simply can’t spare more personnel.”

She sounded weary. “The more pressing issue is the infected. We’ve caught the most severely infected, but some still appear human and are hiding among residents, posing unpredictable risks. Our people are pursuing them…”

She continued, “You know, we have very few available staff inside the fortress right now.”

The professor acknowledged her words.

The call ended.

Deep wrinkles etched his face; in the silent lab, the professor coughed twice. “You’re all young, don’t be so gloomy. Things aren’t irreversible yet. Xiao Song was able to independently carry out the ‘Gene Enhancement’ project. Don’t think you’re inferior; work harder, and perhaps you can replicate his experiment. Then you’ll be the hope of the fortress, maybe even all humanity.”

Researcher Chen had been on the final step of his experiment. If successful, the specimen would retain human consciousness to the greatest extent and improve ordinary physical abilities. Humanity’s return to the surface would be within reach.

Tragically, at the last moment, he died in the lab.

The experiment was forced to halt.

The researchers looked at each other.

“Researcher Chen was exceptional—I can’t compare. If new reagents are developed, I volunteer to be the first to try!”

Another researcher timidly raised a hand. “I’d volunteer too, but I have one request…”

“If I lose consciousness and go berserk, please kill me quickly—don’t torture me, I can’t stand pain…”

The base was already short-staffed, and for a while, the lab was filled with their voices.

Some dreamed of life on the surface, some reminisced about the past, others feared the slaughterer breaching the fortress—though such talk was quickly drowned out by scolding.

Some things were not to be said—no tempting fate.

The professor watched them, his face calm but his heart heavy with worry.

He hoped the Room 01 specimen could regain human consciousness. Whatever the reason, he wished Researcher Chen could still be alive, though it seemed impossible.

His greatest fear was that the Room 01 specimen would harm others. If so, the base would have to eliminate him.

It was a step he dreaded but would have to take.