Chapter 103: The Investigation (Part One)

Northern Military District:

In a dimly lit, sealed underground research base, within a high-radiation element isolation chamber, two figures clad in protective suits sat on the floor. Both showed signs of nearing a mental breakdown. The woman held a voice recorder, her lips quietly counting the passing seconds.

“16:23:07, 16:23:08, 16:23:09...” Her expression was numb as she continued counting time relentlessly.

“Enough! Shut up, will you? My head feels like it’s going to explode!” The man suddenly leapt up, his face twisted with agitation. “Can you be quiet for just a moment? Let me have some peace!”

The woman’s gaze hardened, and she pressed ‘record’ on the device. “16:23:15. Colonel Bapuya has reached the brink of collapse. The taut nerves have snapped. Our time is running out.”

“Damn you!” The middle-aged man exploded in rage, delivering a powerful kick that slammed the woman into the reinforced glass door with a dull thud.

Still furious, he stomped a few more times. The woman shielded herself, shrinking back, yet her hand gripped the recorder tightly—an unyielding hold that stoked his fury further. He reached out to seize the device but was stunned by the surprising strength in her grip; no matter how hard he tried, he could not pry it free.

“Let go, you bitch! Give me that damn thing!”

She did not respond, clutching the recorder with unwavering resolve, showing no hint of surrender.

“I said, let go!” His anger flared hotter. Straddling her, he intended to take more aggressive action. Suddenly, his hand brushed against her soft chest. Despite the thick protective suit, the sensation sent a shiver through him; his body froze, breath quickening. After a tense moment of silence, he ceased his attempt to snatch the recorder and instead tried to tear off her suit.

Ignoring him until now, the woman finally spoke: “Respectfully, sir, don’t let lust cloud your judgement. This is a high-radiation zone. If you remove your suit, my skin will necrotize within three minutes—yours will too.” A sardonic smile played on her lips. “If you want to do that, take it outside. I’ll accompany you.”

Her words were like a bucket of cold water poured over his head. He paused, then through the front viewport of his helmet caught the mocking glint in her eyes. A fresh surge of rage ignited within him.

With a roar, he tore at her clothing.

She blinked in surprise. “Oh? Is that so?”

Then, she ceased struggling, closing her eyes resignedly, a bitter self-mockery swirling in her heart: To think the final chapter of her life would be spent being ravished by some old man for three minutes... truly a miserable fate.

Yet, as if fate itself heard her scorn and could bear it no longer, just as he was about to undo the protective suit’s fastenings, a voice boomed from outside.

“What the—what am I seeing? Isn’t this the high-radiation isolation chamber?” A man in a black shirt approached, eyes shining with admiration. “Tsk tsk, the pursuits of the rich and powerful are truly something else—so thrilling!”

Human? Alive? Both inside froze, then burst into wild joy. The middle-aged man was the first to rise, pressing his face against the glass, scrutinizing the newcomer, fearful he had misread the situation.

“You... you’re human?”

The man, Guo Lang, sneered. “Did your mother teach you to speak to people like that, Colonel?” Given Guo Lang’s current perception and hearing, he could have observed them from afar long before now. They had been monitoring this area for over a minute.

Three minutes? Ha. Guo Lang’s pride swelled. Back in the day, his left hand’s attack speed was off the charts; he could maintain output for twenty minutes straight. Humans and humans—there’s just no comparison.

“Outside... outside there aren’t any monsters?”

The colonel asked eagerly.

“Monsters?” Guo Lang pulled a translucent white lump from his spatial pouch, pressing it against the glass.

“Ah!” The colonel recoiled in terror, stumbling back several paces before collapsing onto the floor. Unlike him, the woman leaned closer, peering at the object in Guo Lang’s hand. “Dead?”

“Mm.” Guo Lang nodded, waving the dried mass. “All dried up.”

“You killed these?” The woman’s face betrayed shock.

“No,” Guo Lang shook his head. “They were like this when we arrived. There are plenty outside. Can you tell us what happened here?”

“Natural causes?” The woman pondered, her expression thoughtful. The officer, however, broke into wild laughter. “Dead? They’re all dead? Ha! Bastards!” He shouted to the woman, “Open the door! I want out of this hellhole!”

The woman ignored him, turning instead to Guo Lang with a serious gaze. “May I ask your identity, sir?”

Guo Lang laughed. “Are you interrogating us? Even if we wanted to do something, do you really think you have the chance to resist in your state?”

“Isn’t there this door?” The woman calmly knocked on the glass. “It’s made with the latest composite technology. You’d need a missile to break through.”

“Oh, really?” Guo Lang poked at the glass with a finger. Cracks visibly spiderwebbed around the point of contact. Both inside recoiled several steps in shock.

“What... what are you?” the officer stammered, trembling as he pointed at Guo Lang.

Guo Lang frowned, realizing he had used only moderate force. Although the outer layer of the glass had fractured, a second inner layer remained unscathed. The woman had been right—the door was indeed incredibly tough.

The woman inside, reading Guo Lang’s expression, steadied herself and regained composure. “I told you—you can’t break it.”

Guo Lang smiled. “Did you forget one thing? Have you considered how we got in here? Your underground lab’s outer defenses are thick, and yet here we are.”

The woman fell silent, caught off guard. She had been holding on by sheer will. The fact that someone had breached this place meant the glass door would hardly stop them. Still, she clung to a faint hope, refusing to yield immediately.

Seeing her resistance, Guo Lang chuckled. “You’d better come out now. If I have to drag you out, the consequences won’t be pleasant. Just so you know, unlike that useless guy next to you, I can keep going for three straight hours without stopping.”

His words made Xie Lin, standing behind, twitch his face in silent bewilderment. He thought to himself, “Since changing roles, this guy’s personality has... gotten even more formidable. Before, he just hid his loser vibe, but now he’s pure badass!”

But one thing troubled Xie Lin. He noticed something different about Guo Lang since his return. Others might not have realized it, but Xie Lin was sensitive enough to see the darkness that once lurked in Guo Lang’s face had vanished. It was even stranger than what Jiang Liuying had done, as if those shadows were wiped clean. If Jiang Liuying’s case was a soul split, what was this?

Inside the isolation chamber, the woman smiled faintly at Guo Lang’s threat. “I’m looking forward to it, sir.”

“Uh...” Guo Lang was at a loss. Were women really this fearless nowadays? Resigned, he turned away. “Second Brother Xie!”

“You can mimic others’ skills, right?” Xie Lin asked with a grin.

“Not yours,” Guo Lang replied, laughing.

“Oh?” Xie Lin’s face flickered with thought. Then, with a gesture, a droplet of black liquid hovered in the air. With a flick of his finger, it shot straight toward the protective door.