The Creature Keeper - Chapter 5

The woman looked around in panic, not seeing the metal box, and asked again, “Did you pour the stuff in?”

Tang Rou nodded. “I did.”

The woman raised her voice and repeated, “Did you really pour it in? Tell the truth!”

Tang Rou shook off her hand and coldly repeated, “I poured it in. I also found an injured Mermaid by the water tank. She needs treatment.”

The woman froze and stepped back two paces.

“Mermaid… What did you say?”

Her expression could no longer be described as panic; it was as if she had seen a ghost in broad daylight.

Her pupils shrank to pinpoints, her lips trembled twice, her face blank, muttering to herself.

“Impossible? That’s impossible… If you saw her, how could you still be alive?”

At that moment, footsteps and an exclamation came from behind. “Tang Rou, why are you here!”

Tang Rou turned to see Aselan running over from a distance, grabbing her into a hug. “Damn, I thought something happened to you!”

It was only after a moment that she noticed there was another person beside Tang Rou. Her face stiffened and she greeted respectfully, “Director Qin.”

The woman ignored Aselan, her face extremely grim, and threatened Tang Rou in a low voice, “Don’t say a word about what happened today.”

Pain shot through Tang Rou’s wrist bone, and she frowned.

Not far away, Sector S was surrounded by layers of armed personnel, a heavy metal defense net erected, as if some dangerous monster lurked inside.

Tang Rou took a step forward, but Aselan pulled her toward the escape passage.

“Don’t go over there. That’s not a place we should get involved with.”

Tang Rou asked, “Who was that woman just now?”

“The Special Grade Director of Sector S. She’s dangerous. You’d better stay away from her.”

After a pause, Aselan looked at her with a complicated expression. “A lot of people died today. The experiment failed. Number 17 has already been transferred back to your lab. There will be a new notice tomorrow.”

Tang Rou wanted to say something more, but Aselan gripped her shoulders, her voice trembling almost imperceptibly.

“Rou, we need to live well. Don’t concern yourself with things you shouldn’t.”

Tang Rou silently looked into Aselan’s eyes and swallowed her words.

Things she shouldn’t care about, she couldn’t care about.

That night, back at the hotel apartment, as Tang Rou was changing clothes, something fell to the floor with a crisp sound.

She bent down to pick it up and found it was a thin, ice-like scale.

Iridescent light shimmered, dreamlike and unreal.

That brief encounter felt like a dream.

Sector S remained a mysterious area she could never reach.

Because of the accident, the entire Babel Tower was sealed off for two days.

On the third day, Tang Rou returned to the lab. She had barely started working when Aselan came by with coffee, also informing her that Number 17 would undergo the Secondary Division Experiment at one o’clock in the afternoon.

Tang Rou took the coffee, and Aselan added, “A lot of people were disciplined over the accident a few days ago. They say it was a Special Grade Creature riot in Sector S, and the whole sector was nearly wiped out.”

“That serious?” Tang Rou couldn’t help but ask. “What’s kept inside?”

“No idea. I heard Professor Xu is looking for people, even asking who entered the Special Grade Zone yesterday.”

Tang Rou was taken aback. “Is there a problem?”

“Don’t know. Deputy Director Gao said he went in, but was immediately dismissed… Why are you suddenly interested in this?”

Tang Rou didn’t answer.

At one o’clock in the afternoon, Number 17 was escorted into the test chamber by the punctual security team.

His dark green eyes stared unblinkingly at Tang Rou, seeking comfort from her.

Tang Rou touched his hair gently and said in a soft voice, “Don’t be afraid. It’ll be over soon.”
The escort personnel nearby watched with curiosity at this rare mode of interaction.

Babel Tower firmly believed that the secret to human evolution lay hidden behind these mysterious life forms, and their research had reached the point of obsession.

The Division Experiment involved a massive deployment of Military weaponry, terrifying and cruel. Just standing outside the laboratory required wearing heavy protective suits, or else one could easily be affected by intense radiation.

Aselan waited with Tang Rou outside the laboratory, chatting idly with her about gene programming.

“The first batch of Gene-Edited Humans has entered testing. Congenital diseases have disappeared after genetic repair, turning them into perfect humans.”

Tang Rou asked, “Is the Second Respiratory System ready for use?”

“Yes, it passed underwater trials yesterday. It’s confirmed that those Gene-Edited Humans can breathe underwater. They succeeded.”

Tang Rou was slightly lost in thought.

Perfect humans?

Babel Tower had created humans with two respiratory systems. In a sense, those engineers had become creators.

From Homo sapiens to gods.

They wanted to rule everything, to stand forever at the top of the pyramid, controlling this planet that was gradually slipping out of control.

“But there’s a strange phenomenon. After thirty minutes underwater, they start to lose control and swim deeper. When pulled out, they claim to have heard strange sounds in the ocean.”

“Sounds?”

“Strangely, the receivers didn’t pick up any abnormal sound waves, but they said they heard… singing.”

“Singing?”

“Yes, they said it was very gentle, as if calling them over…”

They chatted casually, unaware that what they were discussing at that moment would one day change the entire human race.

They simply brushed past the topic, oblivious and unconcerned.

About four hours later, the Division Test was complete.

The heavy doors opened, and Number 17 was pushed out.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Tang Rou walked over, gently brushing aside the damp hair to reveal that pale, strangely beautiful face.

He looked somewhat weary, his lashes wet and clumped together, shadowing his eyes.

All his wounds had healed, his skin perfectly smooth, without a trace of past injury.

She patted his head. “Does it hurt?”

The Security Officers nearby exchanged glances, finding Tang Rou’s boldness in directly touching the Experimental Subject rather novel.

Number 17 lowered his eyes meekly, avoiding her gaze.

He hadn’t meant to make her worry, but he was too tired to put on a lively front, and so he drifted into sleep.

The researchers were still marveling, “It’s incredible. Previous Experimental Subjects would pass out during the test. Few could survive the Division Experiment, let alone remain conscious.”

Tang Rou looked over coldly. “No one told me this test was life-threatening.”

The researcher froze, then his eyes showed contempt.

“Because there are always some indecisive Feeders who interfere with the experiment, the dangers of the test are always kept secret. Please understand.”

It sounded like he was mocking Tang Rou’s “saintliness.”

But in the next second, the researcher stiffened.

He saw that dangerous Number 17 Experimental Subject looking at him with a gaze as dark as the abyss. Just one glance made him feel as if he’d fallen into an ice cave.

When he came to his senses, the Experimental Subject had already been taken away.

Someone beside him nudged his shoulder. “What are you spacing out for?”

The man hesitated, his expression odd. “Do you think… these cold-blooded creatures can have feelings?”