After listening to Xi Yu's long explanation, Lan Jin raised a question. "You're saying the human-sized mutated creatures in the forest used to be people. But what about the smaller mutated creatures outside? They couldn't have given birth to them, could they? How were those made?"
This, too, was an unintended consequence of the researchers' actions.
Xi Yu explained, "Not only Professor Pei, but no researcher could stand seeing their colleagues turned into monsters. We spent a great deal of manpower and resources to capture one of the mutated creatures that had once been a researcher. We locked it away and ran endless studies. At the same time, we studied other areas of the forest.
But no matter how much time passed, we found nothing.
Though we never found a way to turn those researchers back into humans, our research still uncovered many things. I can't tell you all of it, but everything changed when the apocalypse approached. One discovery triggered what later became the insect disaster.
These bugs, when alive, would cause redness, swelling, sores, and fever if they touched a human body, but nothing more. They could even be killed with insecticide.
But once they died, if wild animals ate them or they were used in some other way, those animals' bodies could not handle it and would mutate. That's why the creatures inside and outside the forest are so different in size and strength."
Even as ability users, the group still had questions.
Lao Gao asked, "Hold on. Animals that eat these bugs mutate. But why do humans gain abilities instead?"
Captain Zhang was able to explain this. "Your powers didn't come from the bugs alone. It's from plants mixed with the bugs. When plant energy and insect energy mix, the energy is weaker. But the bugs still matter. Why else would people who consumed bug powder vomit up worms when they turned normal, while those injured directly by plants never did?"
Xi Yu added, "I can't explain it perfectly, but I think it's the interaction between the two energies. It could also be their conflict. But one thing is certain: people who developed abilities from eating bug-and-plant mixtures went far less mad than those directly harmed by plants."
While talking, they reached the other side of the fourth floor. Just as they'd seen before, it was empty and bare. Unlike the neighboring room, it wasn't shrouded in darkness.
To avoid missing anything, they carefully tapped along the walls, even though nothing looked suspicious.
But as expected, they found nothing.
Captain Zhang said, "Let's check the walls on the third and second floors too, in case there are hidden compartments."
"Alright."
After another thorough search, the laboratories on those floors revealed nothing.
The group returned to the first-floor hall. Lan Jin glanced up at the corridor, unable to shake a feeling about the paintings.
She looked around and said, "Maybe it's just me, or maybe it's the design of this villa, but I feel like something is hidden behind those paintings. Putting such creepy artwork in such a spot might be meant to cover something."
After Lan Jin spoke, Zhou Zhi nodded. "I felt the same. Before we came in, I circled around the villa and thought there was something odd about that wall."
Captain Zhang asked, "Why didn't you two say anything earlier?"
Lan Jin replied, "That corridor up there is narrow. I was worried if we made a wrong move, we wouldn't have space to escape."
"Now that we know, let's take a closer look." Captain Zhang's tone was half an order, half a suggestion.
Lan Jin sighed. "You're the captain. You decide."
"It feels like nobody listens to me." Captain Zhang shook his head and said, "Alright. Since we can see the stairs and corridor from here, only a few of us should go up. Me, Lao Gao, Lan Jin, Ling Jiang, Shen Zhiyu, and Lao Shi will go."
Nobody objected to this plan. The six chosen went up to the second-floor corridor and carefully studied the three paintings.
As Zhou Zhi had said, neither the paintings nor their surroundings revealed anything unusual. If the problem wasn't in front, maybe it was behind. They decided to take them down.
The paintings were large. Lan Jin and Lao Gao stepped forward to remove the first one.
Behind it was nothing but bare wall.
They quickly moved to the second painting in the center.
Once it was lifted down, a safe was revealed, hidden in the wall. The group's spirits lifted. They hadn't expected to actually find something.
But a closer look showed the safe required a chip to open. They didn't try immediately. Instead, they checked all the paintings on this floor. In total, there were four safes.
Lan Jin said, "We found four chips in the boxes outside earlier. Could it be that each chip corresponds to one of these safes?"
Captain Zhang's eyes lit up. "We won't know unless we try. These safes are only about half my height. There can't be a body inside, right?"
Lao Gao joked, "We're not worried about a body. What if a swarm of flesh-eating bugs comes crawling out?"
Captain Zhang was speechless for a moment, then said, "Even if that's true, we still have to open them. Are we supposed to haul these safes down the mountain?"
Shen Zhiyu said impatiently, "Why are you two arguing? Open it and see what's inside. If there's a problem, we'll handle it. Why waste time?"
Lan Jin pulled out the four chips from her pouch. Holding them, she hesitated.
She looked back at the group and said, "Each chip must match a specific safe. If, and this is just a what-if, but if I try one chip three times on the wrong safe, won't it lock itself? I remember safes like these automatically lock if you fail three times."