The Creature Keeper - chapter 33

Serpentine.

Bluish-gray, icy cold.

The Base had records of this: among the S-Class Experimental Subjects, there was an Electric Eel creature with just such an appearance.

Humanoid with a snake tail, no hair, no eyebrows, a thin gray membrane covering the eyes, no eyelids-a form beyond human imagination that made Tang Rou feel an inexplicable fear.

As soon as it entered, it began sniffing the air for something. Its head slowly turned toward the sofa.

Tang Rou quickly pulled the Mermaid under the sofa.

The space beneath the sofa was cramped; they could only curl up and hide part of themselves.

Perhaps because the Mermaid herself was also an alien creature, she remained calm throughout, never showing any sign of fear.

She cooperated with Tang Rou’s actions-when Tang Rou hid, she hid; when Tang Rou crawled under the sofa, she followed.

As a Feeder, Tang Rou knew well that, as a marine creature, the Mermaid probably couldn’t comprehend her own fear.

The octopus Experimental Subject in Tang Rou’s hands was the same: that handsome face was like a mask of anthropomorphism, devoid of any warmth, let alone joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness.

Thinking of this, Tang Rou couldn’t help but feel agitated.

There was a severed tentacle of Number 17 on the Hexagonal Plaza, suggesting he had been attacked.

Tang Rou had thought she could hold out until the Rescue Team arrived, but now it seemed extremely difficult.

Outside the sofa, the Sea Slug detected another uninvited intruder and shot across the room like a stretched bolt of lightning.

Clearly, the Eel-Tailed Experimental Subject was no pushover either.

Its long, pitch-black tail suddenly lashed out, wrapping around the Sea Slug’s slimy, massive body, squeezing and tightening with immense force, coiling again and again, constricting it like a snake strangling its prey.

The Sea Slug became violently agitated, its gaping maw opening to reveal rows upon rows of keratinized teeth, attempting to swallow the Snake-Tailed Creature whole.

But the Snake-Tailed Creature was even more agile.

Its body spun, appearing on the Sea Slug’s back, upper body raised high.

Then, Tang Rou witnessed an utterly terrifying scene.

The Snake-Tailed Creature suddenly opened its mouth wide, its jaws distending to a horrifying degree, and swallowed the Sea Slug’s head in one gulp.

At the same time, its tail tightened, biting down hard on its opponent.

At first, the Sea Slug still had the strength to thrash about wildly, trying to shake off whatever was biting it, even striking the sofa where Tang Rou and the Mermaid were hiding.

But in the next instant, a strange and dazzling blue light flickered across its body, and the room was filled with the crackling sound of electricity.

Electric Eel.

Not long ago, Sector S had conducted a shocking experiment called the Electric Eel Experiment.

It was said to use the Electric Eel’s powerful current to modify humans, with extremely cruel methods, also known as Synesthesia Modification.

Rumor had it that the experiment’s mortality rate was as high as 99.99%.

The Electric Eel known to humans is a freshwater fish, but the humanoid Experimental Subject before them was an unfathomable deep-sea alien creature.

Countless charred, festering holes appeared on the Sea Slug’s body, blue electric light crackling.

It was a very brief process-a swift death.

Until it slowly ceased its writhing.

The victorious Electric Eel released its jaws, spat out the Sea Slug’s massive head, licked the blood from its lips, and flicked its tail, assuming the proud posture of a triumphant conqueror.
He was in no hurry to leave. He drifted over to Tang Rou’s desk and noticed the remaining culture dishes. Extending a finger like an elegant noble, he dipped it into one, then licked his fingertip. The eyes, covered with a gray membrane, narrowed as if savoring the taste.

At the same time, he was constantly discharging electricity.

High-voltage currents surged into every conductive object. The wooden desk suddenly splintered, cracks appearing across its surface.

The Eel-tailed Creature was far more dangerous than the Sea Slug; it possessed intelligence.

Its eel tail swayed as it slowly roamed the spacious room, curiously observing the distinctly feminine space, even picking up the flowers that had been knocked to the floor and spilled from their vase.

Everything it touched was destroyed by the intense electric current.

The flowers withered instantly, the computer flashed brightly for a moment before exploding. If this were underwater, such voltage would likely kill every creature in the surrounding sea in an instant.

The current even spread to the sofa area. Tang Rou’s hair frizzed upward, and the Mermaid beside her reached out curiously to smooth it, causing it to crackle and stand even higher.

“…” She looked over with a blank expression.

The Mermaid looked innocent.

What was infuriating was that his hair, as always, hung smoothly over his shoulders, completely unaffected by the static.

Did static electricity discriminate?

Just then, the long eel tail slid in their direction.

Tang Rou’s expression tightened. Beneath them was a wooden floor-non-insulating.

The Mermaid’s body had blood and water-not insulating.

The leather sofa above them-not insulating.

Not far away, the glass wall, the tiles, and the floor-those were insulating materials.

Tang Rou observed quietly and saw the silhouette of Number Four behind the glass wall.

It floated in the distant water, its bell contracting.

When had Number Four returned?

The eel tail was already near the edge of the wooden floor, its tip crackling with strong currents, brilliant blue light darting like branches along the dark, slender tail.

What should she do?

Tang Rou thought rapidly.

If discovered, both she and the Mermaid would die.

In a flash, she remembered the Rubber Gloves she’d tossed onto the sofa after applying medicine to the Mermaid.

Rubber-an insulator.

The laboratory’s Rubber Gloves were specially treated and could be very helpful.

But the problem was, how to get the rubber?

Behind the glass panel, the Jellyfish expanded its bell, its poisonous tentacles rising and falling, soft and beautiful.

It seemed she had to take a gamble.

Tang Rou didn’t have much chance of winning.

But the sofa was almost unable to hide them; exposed to the high current, her body was already showing signs of rejection and discomfort.

Running through her plan quickly in her mind, Tang Rou steeled herself, patted the Mermaid’s shoulder, met his faintly glowing silvery eyes, and mouthed for him to retract his tail.

The Mermaid stared at her.

Tang Rou whispered, “We’ll be discovered.”

He chose to follow her advice, enduring the pain as he curled up his tail.

The bandaged, cocooned stump of his tail oozed golden-red blood from the movement, emitting a strange, subtle fragrance.