Chapter 45: A Rare Specimen

After a while, an armored vehicle materialized before them. It had been dispatched specifically to receive Liu Xingluo and Bailu.

“I’ll go explain the situation to them. You stay put here. Absolutely do not make any dangerous moves, alright?”

“I understand. Don’t worry, I won’t do anything.”

‘Bailu trusted her so completely, and was even willing to negotiate with those people on her behalf. If she were to make any dangerous moves, wouldn’t that be a betrayal? Liu Xingluo would never stoop to such an act.’

She relayed the current situation to the individuals clad in protective suits. They readily accepted the explanation, for even Bailu, a known esper, had vouched for Liu Xingluo’s compliance.

As a precautionary measure, before Liu Xingluo could be safely escorted to the operations center, they deemed it necessary to implement certain safety protocols. These included binding her body with specialized restraints to prevent any movement, a measure that would also afford them a greater sense of security.

Liu Xingluo expressed her acceptance of this. To them, she was, after all, an aberrant beast, and despite her earnest efforts to appear harmless, an aberrant beast remained an aberrant beast.

“Um, could you perhaps loosen the restraints around my chest a little? They’re tied quite tightly here, and it’s rather uncomfortable.”

While the other bindings were tolerable, it was the constriction around her chest that caused Liu Xingluo discomfort, making her breathing feel somewhat restricted.

“Just bear with it for now. They’ll take you to the operations center soon, and once there, they’ll naturally loosen them for you.”

As a woman herself, Bailu understood the ramifications of such tight bindings on the body. However, it was impossible to loosen that specific area independently; these were not garments that could be adjusted individually. This minor discomfort, she reasoned, would pass quickly with a little patience.

“Alright then, I’ll endure it for now.”

‘It truly wasn’t an unbearable affliction. Her only hope was that they would swiftly escort her to the higher-ups. If too much time elapsed, she wasn’t certain how much longer she could hold out.’

In any case, she followed two of the protective-suited personnel into the vehicle’s compartment. Only after security was confirmed did the vehicle finally start its engines, transporting Liu Xingluo towards the operations center.

Bailu had not deceived her. After approximately ten minutes—without a phone or a clock, Liu Xingluo couldn’t ascertain the precise duration, but her internal sense suggested about ten minutes had passed—the vehicle came to a halt, and its door slid open. A squad of armed soldiers awaited her.

“This is quite the grand spectacle indeed. I never imagined I’d experience such a welcome in my lifetime.”

‘Such elaborate scenes, Liu Xingluo had only ever witnessed on television before. To now see and experience such treatment firsthand, would certainly add a bold stroke to the canvas of her life.’

“Disembark and follow us.”

One individual, who appeared to be the squad leader, leveled their weapon at Liu Xingluo, and issued the command.

‘It seemed the protective-suited personnel were merely tasked with bringing her here; the subsequent stages would be handled by a different team.’

‘Regardless of who was in charge, Liu Xingluo didn’t much care. Her sole concern was successfully meeting the person in charge here, and it would be even better if she could return home safely. As for anything else, Liu Xingluo had no interest; she was merely an ordinary citizen, and there was no need for her to concern herself with such matters.’

Following the squad leader, she walked until they reached a revolving door, which evidently marked Liu Xingluo’s ultimate destination.

“Doctor. The specimen has been brought to you.”

“Oh. Well done. Send her in.”

After the internal personnel were notified via the intercom by the door, the revolving door swung open, revealing the interior space.

“Enter.”

“Oh.”

Stepping into the room, Liu Xingluo couldn’t help but survey her surroundings. Screens displayed information utterly incomprehensible to an ordinary citizen like herself, and the fact that the leader had referred to the person inside as ‘Doctor’ only heightened her unease.

‘Could this be a laboratory? What purpose did bringing her here serve? They weren’t planning to dissect her for research, were they? After all, in the eyes of humans, she was a remarkably rare aberrant beast… If that were the case, she would have to summon Lain to protect her. She was terribly afraid of pain; even injections terrified her, let alone being dissected for study.’

“Hello. I’ve been thoroughly briefed on the situation by the higher-ups. You are Liu Xingluo, correct? It’s a pleasure to meet you. My name is Hoffman. Hoffman Gris. Everyone here calls me Doctor, and you may do the same.”

Just as Liu Xingluo pondered what fate awaited her, the man previously addressed as ‘Doctor’ had already approached her.

“Oh… Oh… Hello, Doctor.”

Under his intensely scrutinizing gaze, Liu Xingluo immediately felt a profound sense of discomfort pervade her. The way he looked at her felt less like he was observing a person and more like he was examining an object.

‘Indeed, this Doctor intended to study her, didn’t he?’

“Hmm… It’s quite unbelievable. Are you truly an aberrant beast? You differ vastly from any aberrant beasts I’ve studied in the past.”

Having been informed in advance that the specimen being brought in was an exceptionally rare aberrant beast, one that not only possessed a human-like appearance but could also converse with humans, Hoffman had harbored great anticipation. However, after his recent conversation with Liu Xingluo, he found himself disappointed, for Liu Xingluo displayed absolutely no discernible characteristics of an aberrant beast. By all appearances, she was simply an ordinary human girl.

“Of course not. I am human, or at least, that is what I believe myself to be. However, judging by the readings from your detectors, I am, without a doubt, currently an aberrant beast, aren’t I?”

“I see. So, you are an individual who transformed from human into an aberrant beast? Now that you mention it, the higher-ups did seem to allude to something of the sort, but never mind, it’s irrelevant. Regardless, you are a remarkably rare specimen, and that fact remains unchanged. Could you tell me how you accomplished this transformation?”

Hoffman was immensely intrigued by Liu Xingluo’s ability to transform from a human into an aberrant beast. He had previously conducted research into transplanting aberrant beast organs into human bodies, aiming to create semi-aberrant beasts endowed with formidable combat capabilities.

The number of espers remained exceedingly scarce, and the combat prowess of the aberrant beast forces was limited to subduing only the weakest of aberrant beasts. It was to compensate for this deficit in combat strength that he had undertaken such research. However, the research itself was inherently perilous. Before any participation, he would meticulously inform potential subjects of the experiment’s risks, allowing them ample time for consideration before they decided whether to proceed.

Yet, even with prior knowledge of the experiment’s inherent dangers, a considerable number of individuals still chose to participate. Their reasoning was simple: if the experiment succeeded, they, as semi-aberrant beasts reborn, would receive better treatment and be able to provide for their families more effectively. Even if it failed, their families would receive a substantial compensation package to improve their lives. Thus, whether successful or not, there was no loss for them.

Naturally, these researches had invariably ended in failure. Participants either succumbed to severe rejection reactions, dying on the spot, or they lost control of the aberrant beast organs, transforming into mindless semi-aberrant beasts who were then summarily executed.

However, Liu Xingluo’s astonishing ability to retain her sentience after transforming from a human into an aberrant beast, and even to exhibit no discernible difference from an ordinary human, ignited a spark of hope within Hoffman. He believed that with thorough research, this long-standing endeavor might finally be brought to fruition.