His magnetic control armour was primed and ready. Xiao Han prepared himself for combat or flight.
However, the owner of those enormous eyes simply stared in the direction of the doorway, as if it could not see Xiao Han at all. It stood motionless.
"Phototactic weak vision?"
Xiao Han felt a surge of relief. Good thing he had not used his torch, or he would have suffered the same fate as the pilgrims.
The monster was over three metres tall. Its frame was vaguely humanoid, with massive, layered muscles stacked like small hills. Yet it lacked any sense of physical power—it was more like a bloated mound of flesh, nauseating to look at. Its muscles were rotting, with hollow gaps in places, and plump white maggots crawled lazily through the decay. Compared to its enormous body, its head and neck were strikingly small. The skin, stretched taut over bulging muscles, distorted its features grotesquely. It was a jarring sight, evoking words like "deformed," "nightmarish," and "twisted."
Xiao Han scanned the room. It was filled with medical equipment and four experimental pods, the purpose of which was unclear. Two were crushed, one had its hatch open, and the last was sealed shut.
Tubes for fluid delivery were plugged into the pods, connected to a transparent container beside them. The container held only dried, fluorescent residue.
He stepped back cautiously. Seeing no reaction from the monster, he breathed a little easier and continued down the corridor. Soon, he encountered a second and third metal door, both sealed shut by rusted, sliding alloy barriers. The card readers beside them had corroded into nearly solid lumps of rust—completely useless.
Xiao Han did not give up. He pried open a card reader with some effort and examined the model.
Well... he could not identify it.
But that did not matter.
"This must be a secret military base from decades ago. It was abandoned for some reason—probably biochemical experiments gone wrong. Or maybe they succeeded? That muscle-bound thing doesn't look like any normal creature... Hang on, this corridor is way too long. How big is this base?"
The dark corridor stretched on in silence. The deeper he went, the heavier the darkness became, almost solidifying around him. His night-vision goggles could only see about five metres ahead; beyond that was pure black. Xiao Han was grateful he did not suffer from claustrophobia or thalassophobia.
A sense of danger prickled at him like a blade poised before his eyes. Even with Xiao Han's steel nerves, cold sweat broke out across his body. It was a primal response to unknown peril. Too much tension would impair his reflexes, so he silently recited a mantra to calm himself—something about a tranquil mind, unshaken even if the sky fell, a gentle breeze, unrippled water... mountain heights, immortals dwelling, an old steed's ambition... he had no idea what he was saying, but it did ease his nerves.
Along the way, he passed a dozen doorways. Only the first room with the monster had been open; the rest were sealed. Finally, he reached the end of the corridor—a larger gateway, presumably the main chamber. The alloy door had only lowered by about a third, leaving enough space to enter.
This was the second accessible room. Following dungeon logic, there should be useful information inside.
It appeared to be a large laboratory, filled with rusted equipment. In the centre were rows of experimental pods identical to those in the first room.
"Seems safe."
Dust and a pungent, decaying smell hit him. A corpse lay beside the workbench, now desiccated, clad in ragged cloth remnants that vaguely resembled a lab coat.
Xiao Han spotted a journal on the workbench next to the body. He brushed off the dust, hoping to find something useful. Flipping it open, he saw it was a diary.
[13 July – Dr. X conducted the 67th modification of the Phironia serum. The mouse trial results were very promising. Finally, the serum's effects met our expectations. If no adverse reactions occur, we can proceed to human trials.]
**102 Serum**
His magnetic control armour was primed and ready. Xiao Han prepared himself for combat or flight.
However, the owner of those enormous eyes simply stared in the direction of the doorway, as if it could not see Xiao Han at all. It stood motionless.
"Phototactic weak vision?"
Xiao Han felt a surge of relief. Good thing he had not used his torch, or he would have suffered the same fate as the pilgrims.
The monster was over three metres tall. Its frame was vaguely humanoid, with massive, layered muscles stacked like small hills. Yet it lacked any sense of physical power—it was more like a bloated mound of flesh, nauseating to look at. Its muscles were rotting, with hollow gaps in places, and plump white maggots crawled lazily through the decay. Compared to its enormous body, its head and neck were strikingly small. The skin, stretched taut over bulging muscles, distorted its features grotesquely. It was a jarring sight, evoking words like "deformed," "nightmarish," and "twisted."
Xiao Han scanned the room. It was filled with medical equipment and four experimental pods, the purpose of which was unclear. Two were crushed, one had its hatch open, and the last was sealed shut.
Tubes for fluid delivery were plugged into the pods, connected to a transparent container beside them. The container held only dried, fluorescent residue.
He stepped back cautiously. Seeing no reaction from the monster, he breathed a little easier and continued down the corridor. Soon, he encountered a second and third metal door, both sealed shut by rusted, sliding alloy barriers. The card readers beside them had corroded into nearly solid lumps of rust—completely useless.
Xiao Han did not give up. He pried open a card reader with some effort and examined the model.
Well... he could not identify it.
But that did not matter.
"This must be a secret military base from decades ago. It was abandoned for some reason—probably biochemical experiments gone wrong. Or maybe they succeeded? That muscle-bound thing does not look like any normal creature... Hang on, this corridor is way too long. How big is this base?"
The dark corridor stretched on in silence. The deeper he went, the heavier the darkness became, almost solidifying around him. His night-vision goggles could only see about five metres ahead; beyond that was pure black. Xiao Han was grateful he did not suffer from claustrophobia or thalassophobia.
A sense of danger prickled at him like a blade poised before his eyes. Even with Xiao Han's steel nerves, cold sweat broke out across his body. It was a primal response to unknown peril. Too much tension would impair his reflexes, so he silently recited a mantra to calm himself—something about a tranquil mind, unshaken even if the sky fell, a gentle breeze, unrippled water... mountain heights, immortals dwelling, an old steed's ambition... he had no idea what he was saying, but it did ease his nerves.
Along the way, he passed a dozen doorways. Only the first room with the monster had been open; the rest were sealed. Finally, he reached the end of the corridor—a larger gateway, presumably the main chamber. The alloy door had only lowered by about a third, leaving enough space to enter.
This was the second accessible room. Following dungeon logic, there should be useful information inside.
It appeared to be a large laboratory, filled with rusted equipment. In the centre were rows of experimental pods identical to those in the first room.
"Seems safe."
Dust and a pungent, decaying smell hit him. A corpse lay beside the workbench, now desiccated, clad in ragged cloth remnants that vaguely resembled a lab coat.
Xiao Han spotted a journal on the workbench next to the body. He brushed off the dust, hoping to find something useful. Flipping it open, he saw it was a diary.
[13 July – Dr. X conducted the 67th modification of the Phironia serum. The mouse trial results were very promising. Finally, the serum's effects met our expectations. If no adverse reactions occur, we can proceed to human trials.]
[17 July – The mouse test subject died. Another failure. Cause of death: organ failure (trial appendix [torn out]). Dr. X seemed very dejected and locked himself in his room. When I passed by, I heard him smashing things.]
[20 July – Dr. X insisted on proceeding with human trials. The higher-ups approved his application. This is madness! Has he forgotten the consequences of the failure of Subject 000? (trial appendix [torn out])]
[26 July – The base issued new regulations. All researchers must hand over any electronic devices. External network access is prohibited. Has the war situation outside deteriorated to this extent?]
[5 August – This is the seventh day since Subject 008 was injected with the Phironia serum. The subject is in stable condition. No noticeable changes yet. Dr. X seems disappointed.]
[11 August – We were ordered to evacuate. I heard there was a major setback on the front lines. They want to preserve remaining forces. Everyone is frightened—even Dr. X, who is usually so composed. No one wants to believe we are losing. But I had already braced myself. Over the past few weeks, the number of guards at the base has dwindled. I know it means the front lines are suffering heavy losses and need reinforcements. Damn it! If I hadn't switched from being a battlefield medic, I wouldn't be trapped in this stifling base now. Everyone's face is pale and lifeless. I hate this place!]
[14 August – Evacuation starts tomorrow. Heading to Base 03 for shelter. Time is tight. All Phironia serum trial data has been backed up. Original files have been destroyed. Those guards are so rough—they seem ready to trigger the base's self-destruct system. Dr. X took several vials of the finished Phironia serum. The rest have been destroyed.]
The journal ended there. Xiao Han flipped through the earlier pages but found nothing else of value. Many pages had been torn out.
The corpse beside him clearly showed that this group had not made it out. Something had happened between the 14th and 15th of August, causing a large number of deaths. Most of them had died in the lower levels of the base. Those countless red compound eyes were the eyes of desert carrion beetles.
"What exactly is the Phironia serum?" Xiao Han felt a flicker of curiosity. He recalled the dried fluorescent residue in the container inside the first room's experimental pod. That must have been serum residue. The diary mentioned that "Dr. X took several vials of the finished serum." His body had most likely ended up in the lower levels as well. Xiao Han had no intention of venturing into that restricted zone. It seemed he would not get his hands on it.
"Well, this trip was a bust." Xiao Han shook his head. Then he looked up—and paused.
A black case sat on the central workbench. He strode over in three quick steps and opened the lid. Inside were three vials of gleaming fluorescent solution.
In that instant, a flood of old sayings rushed through his mind: "Where the road ends, a new path begins; after endless searching, the prize appears when you least expect it; turn around, and there it is, in the dimming light."
Xiao Han glanced at the corpse at his feet. His mouth twitched. Could this be Dr. X?
He picked up the three vials and examined them.
"Why would something this colour be called a serum?"
[You have obtained [Phironia Serum (Incomplete)] x3.]
[Phironia Serum (Incomplete): A biochemical agent designed to enhance the body. It appears to have not yet reached perfection. Using it carries a risk of abnormal mutation. P.S. These may be the last three vials of Phironia serum in existence.]
"A biochemical agent. An incomplete one with severe side effects. If I used this, I would probably end up looking like that muscle-bound thing. Terrifying..." Xiao Han shuddered.
"There is probably nothing else here. Time to leave. This place is giving me the creeps."
Xiao Han turned around and suddenly realised that the muscle-bound monster was standing behind him, towering over him, staring down silently. It had made no sound at all.
That day, another creature joined the ranks of those that move without a sound—like a headteacher sneaking up behind you.