The Creature Keeper - chapter 37

“They’re wondering about the same thing. The only anomalies are the Experimental Subjects from Babel Tower, so the investigation is still ongoing. But these creatures… honestly, how much do humans really understand about them?”

Tang Rou calmed herself.

Indeed, they studied them, controlled them, raised them, but never truly understood them.

Are humans truly the species standing at the top of the food chain, looking down upon the world, or are they just defective products destined to be eliminated by the cruel laws of nature?

“Recently, there’s been some new activity in the sea. They’re monitoring it, and we should have results by this afternoon.”

As they spoke, they arrived at the place where Number 17 was being held.

Tang Rou unlocked a new map-this was yet another place she had never set foot in before, and it looked especially strict and intimidating.

The towering Metal Tower Structure Building reminded her of some kind of doomsday survivor sanctuary, full of religious ritual. The square-shaped corridors were lined with one heavy metal door after another, thick and unyielding, with several Security Officers fully armed and heavily guarding each level.

At every door, Tang Rou’s identity had to be verified again.

She looked at Aselan with a questioning gaze, silently asking what exactly Number 17 had done. Aselan only replied, “You’d better ask him yourself.”

After a pause, she added, “But he might not admit it.”

Layer after layer, like an endless nesting doll.

The stairs kept going down. Tang Rou estimated they were about at Underground Level 3.

At the very end, she saw an enormous pane of glass. Inside was a metal space as large as a soccer field.

A small shadow could be vaguely seen pressed against the innermost wall, its condition unclear.

Tang Rou asked, “Is there a door? Let me in.”

The fully armed Security Officers seemed uneasy. Aselan chimed in, “She’s Tang Rou, the Gold Medal Feeder from Sector S. Haven’t you heard of her?”

Seeing their unmoved expressions, she pointed at Number 17 inside. “The thing you’re guarding so tightly? In her Office, it’s just kept free-range, crawling all over the place without even a single lock!”

Tang Rou: “…”

What kind of description is that?

Aselan stood beside Tang Rou, borrowing her authority. “You should know this thing only listens to her. If you don’t let her in, do you know what will happen when he recovers? Can you take responsibility for that?”

Of course, the Security Officers wouldn’t just take Aselan’s word for it. They reported upwards, and instructions came back through their Micro Earpiece. The Security Officer then operated the controls and opened the heavy door.

“You may enter.”

Aselan stepped back. “I’ll leave you two to catch up.”

Tang Rou walked in.

They hadn’t provided Number 17 with water; the floor was rather dry.

She frowned, making her way toward the Experimental Subject who looked especially small in the vast space.

Before seeing him, Tang Rou had wondered if perhaps Number 17 had done something terrible to be locked away in such a tightly sealed underground cell.

But the moment she saw Number 17, all those thoughts vanished from her mind.

The young man’s hair was damp, curled up on the cold floor.

Weak, convulsing.

He looked so fragile he might shatter at a touch, his exquisitely inhuman face pale to the point of transparency. Everywhere her eyes landed, his body was covered in wounds; broken antennae hadn’t even had time to regrow, pitifully curled up.

Where once his skin had been flawless, now there were cracks of all sizes-some still oozing blue blood, some already healed.
Tang Rou’s breath caught.

He opened his eyes, those deep green eyes like ink gazing at her, his eyelashes trembling lightly. There was none of the usual joy, anger, sorrow, or happiness on his face, so it was impossible to tell if he was in pain.

Yet that faint, barely audible voice made one think he might faint at any moment.

“Rou.”

Just that single breathy word squeezed Tang Rou’s heart, leaving it aching and sour.

“What happened?” She crouched in front of Number 17, reaching out to brush aside the damp, dark green hair on his forehead.

That handsome, godlike face was revealed, and soft, translucent tentacles curled around Tang Rou’s wrist.

The young man looked as if he was drifting in and out of consciousness, yet he clung to her hand, struggling to move his body closer to her, almost about to pass out, but his eyes never left her, as if Tang Rou was his last source of light, relying on her completely, adoring her.

Tang Rou checked his condition, her heart aching as she asked, “What happened? Did someone hurt you?”

Number 17 said nothing, or perhaps he was too exhausted-his arms couldn’t lift, his tentacles gently pried at Tang Rou’s arm, quietly nestling into her embrace.

Then he closed his eyes.

Like a deeply wounded cub, returning to the home that gave him a sense of security.

Aselan quietly approached, not wanting to break the tender moment, but couldn’t help saying, “Comfort him as you see fit, but the other Experimental Subjects are even more seriously injured. You can’t just let him get away with it at a time like this…”

Tang Rou was heartbroken, “How badly they’re hurt has nothing to do with me. But why did they hurt Little Octopus?”

“Wait, you call him Little Octopus?” Aselan’s mouth twitched. “Yesterday the Base did a sweep and pulled the surveillance footage. Turns out they really did gang up on your Little Octopus, but your Little Octopus also…”

Tang Rou was stunned, her voice rising, “They all attacked Number 17 together?!”

“…” Aselan said quietly, “I think you should let me finish first.”

The translucent tentacles silently crept up Tang Rou’s neck, gently but possessively turning her face toward him.

Tang Rou’s emotions gave him a sense of being cared for, a satisfying feeling. The Feeder was clearly angry, but he understood what she meant-she was angry because others had hurt him.

What a blissful happiness.

The young man opened his eyes and looked at her. His face showed no expression, yet somehow gave the impression of a clingy puppy.

“Look… at me…”

He spoke in a voice as faint as a thread.

But the pressure of the tentacles on Tang Rou made her suspect that this Little Octopus might be feigning weakness on purpose.

After all, these highly intelligent beings were masters at pretending to be innocent.

Aselan twitched again, speaking from behind Tang Rou, “He… your Little Octopus does look injured now, but you should know that more than thirty Experimental Subjects were seriously injured because of him, over ten Experimental Subjects died, and about a hundred more entered a stress response-right now, roughly a hundred Experimental Subjects have suffered varying degrees of harm because of him.”

Tang Rou’s focus shifted, “So yesterday, over a hundred Experimental Subjects attacked him alone?”

The tentacle around her neck tightened, and she felt damp hair pressed against her skin, the young man’s forehead resting on her collarbone.

Tang Rou tried to push him away, but he just curled around her fingers, happily sticking close again.

“That’s not wrong, but-wait!” Aselan was speechless. “Shouldn’t you be asking how he managed to injure so many Experimental Subjects by himself? Babel Tower has now classified him as a Top-Level Dangerous Subject.”