The Creature Keeper - Chapter 10

The boy’s eyes were red as he shook his head, unwilling to let go, his crimson lips bitten until they were bright red.

Tang Rou wiped away the crystalline tear that had fallen from the corner of the boy’s eye. Amid Number 11’s tearful and reluctant cries, she gently pulled her hand away and closed the lid of the incubator.

Such a frail, weeping boy-if seen by the lust-driven researchers in the Base-would surely arouse a surging desire to torment.

But not her.

Tang Rou wiped her hands clean. Under Number 17’s gaze, full of longing and anticipation, she walked past him without so much as a sideways glance.

The poor octopus gazed after her as she grew ever more distant, a trace of confusion appearing on his face.

Why wouldn’t she look at him?

Why was she ignoring him?

He had thought that after the Feeder was close to the Sea Rabbit boy, she would come over to pat his head, smile at him, perhaps say a few words, or even touch his tentacles. That way, he could endure it-even if the Feeder ignored him and went to the Sea Rabbit first, he could still endure it.

He had always quietly and patiently waited, hoping the Feeder would look at him before she left.

Yet not even a glance came his way.

Had he done something wrong?

Had he angered her?

Countless suckers pressed against the glass of the tank, their initial joy giving way to helpless dejection, the dangerous and fearsome creature drooping his head like a puppy abandoned by its master.

The light in his eyes was extinguished, and in the delighted, faintly flushed face of the beautiful Sea Rabbit, his anger only grew.

Yet in his darkest moment of despair, the Feeder who haunted his thoughts returned.

She walked toward him.

The Half-Octopus Youth was at a loss, not knowing how to please her. He thought she preferred those fragile and beautiful creatures, and so he grew self-conscious, even more docile, carefully pressing close to the glass.

He gazed at her with longing, yet held himself back.

Unlike usual, Tang Rou did not lift her hand to interact with him. She stood still, unmoved by his efforts and yearning.

Finally, in his increasingly panicked eyes, she softly asked, “Do you want to come find me?”

He was stunned.

“Do you want to leave with me?” she asked again.

Her voice was like a spell, possessing a power that drove him mad.

In the eyes of the cold and elegant youth was a fervor utterly at odds with his outward appearance. His tentacles pressed uncontrollably against the glass, desperate to escape the incubation tank, every cell in his body clamoring to break free and be with her-to nestle by her feet, to be caressed by her, to have her gently pry open his lips and feed him a piece of candy.

He was possessed by the desire.

And yet, from start to finish, she remained calm, watching the increasingly unhinged, handsome creature behind the glass with a faint smile.

She enunciated each word clearly, “Level Four Division Experiment. Survive, and you can see me again.”

Her words fell with weight.

To go with her became an obsession for the Half-Octopus Youth.

Desire would ignite this creature’s limitless potential.

He was filled with longing, his eyes now burning with a deep, terrifying obsession.

To find her.

If he survived, he could go to her.

He had to go to her.

Tang Rou turned and left the youth who gazed at her with infatuation behind, striding away toward Sector S without looking back.

After seeing the almost crazed look in Number 17’s eyes, her anxious heart finally settled a little.

He would probably fight with everything he had to withstand all the torment and make it through this dreadful experiment.

Beneath her calm exterior, Tang Rou’s palms had grown slick with sweat from the tension.

She was the Base’s most outstanding Feeder.

She was the one in the Base who best knew how to control them.

.

As the highest-level division test, the Level Four Division Experiment would be conducted in Sector S, the area with the highest defense and security in the Base.

The Half-Octopus Experimental Subject was sealed inside a water tank by layers upon layers of metal walls, bound with chains, and escorted by a massive team armed with laser weapons, sent into the mysterious and dangerous Sector S.
As soon as they entered the testing chamber, all personnel quickly evacuated. Under the control of automated equipment, the sealed container slowly opened. Behind the screen, the bioengineers stood at the ready, their eyes fixed unblinkingly on the movements in the water tank.

Soon, broad, wet tentacles slowly probed out from the edge of the container-one, two, countless tentacles emerged. Amidst the eerie, inky blue tentacles, they caught a glimpse of something different: a streak of white.

It was as clear as a beautiful jade shining among rough stones.

It was a Half-Octopus Youth with the appearance of a handsome young man.

His hair was a glossy, inky green, at first glance resembling algae so black it shimmered with a faint green light. Slightly curled and damp, a few strands fell down, obscuring his pale face.

His features were exquisite, like a statue of a deity sculpted by an ancient Greek artist.

His movements were slow, and beneath those strange, terrifyingly destructive tentacles, there was an unexpected air of elegance about him, like a young master carefully raised by an ancient noble family.

He stepped out of the water tank in an orderly manner. Clear, tight muscle lines covered his youthful, pale body, winding over his bones in deep, graceful shapes.

Everyone held their breath, watching him without blinking.

After he had completely left the water tank, his inorganic, glass-like eyes slowly turned, as if searching for something.

“What is he looking for?” someone asked.

“I don’t know, maybe he’s observing.”

Another person disagreed, “He doesn’t look like he’s observing. It seems more like he’s searching.”

This was clearly one of the most dangerous creatures, so why did he seem completely non-aggressive at this moment? He even appeared… eerily docile.

This abnormal situation was shattered during the first attack.

His ferocity stunned the engineers in the Observation Room. They marveled at the greatness of the Creator. The handsome Half-Octopus Youth displayed a ruthless, bloodthirsty nature. His attack power far exceeded their expectations. The dangerous creatures released for the first time were slaughtered by him almost instantly, and despite such brutal aggression, not a single drop of blood stained his strikingly handsome face.

“He’s absolutely perfect,” someone sighed.

“Alright, prepare to begin the division.”

The experimenter then pressed the button.

Amidst the terrifyingly dense physical attacks, someone pushed up their glasses and said, “He… still seems to be searching.”

He was fending off savage attacks while still distractedly scanning the area with his gaze.

What exactly was he looking for?

At the same time, Tang Rou also arrived at the testing area, but she was locked outside the entrance, negotiating with the heavily armed guards.

She wanted to go in. With her present, Number 17 would have a better chance of making it through this test.

However, the armed guards remained expressionless. They were accustomed to life and death, felt no so-called sympathy, and would not break the rules to let anyone through because of her pleas.

Meanwhile, a group of people appeared at the end of the corridor.

They wore uniforms of a higher rank. The man in the lead had wrinkles at the corners of his eyes but still looked vigorous. A thin pair of gold-rimmed glasses perched on his nose as he looked down at a light screen, discussing something in a low voice with an assistant at his side.

His right sleeve hung empty-he was missing an arm.

He was one of the senior professors in Sector S. Tang Rou remembered his surname was Xu; not long ago, she had seen him being carried out of Sector S, clutching his bleeding, severed limb.

She never expected that Number 17’s advancement would alarm even him?