Chapter 145.1 – Fire Seed (14)
◎ The master of the Northern Base ◎
The laboratory door automatically opened to both sides, and a group of researchers in white robes entered, led by a middle-aged man with graying temples.
He seemed to have not slept for a long time, with a tired complexion and two large dark circles under his eyes.
His assistant respectfully called him, “Dr. Ning.”
Through the glass, Dr. Ning glanced at Song Ke sitting on the ground, lowered his head to review the awakener report on the screen.
After a few seconds, he looked up again. When facing her in person, Song Ke appeared completely normal. No one would think that the radiation level in her body exceeded that of an ordinary person by twenty times. It was as if she carried a nuclear bomb but casually wandered around.
Dr. Ning pressed the intercom button and calmly said, “I will conduct radiation endurance tests on you. I heard you are S7 level?”
Song Ke’s dark pupils stared at him, “Yes.”
Dr. Ning nodded with satisfaction, “Very well, your physical fitness is up to par. The experiment process may be a bit tough, so try to endure as much as possible. Your vital signs will be monitored throughout. If you really can’t handle it, just raise your hand, and I will stop.”
Hypocrite, Song Ke rolled her eyes.
Dr. Ning didn’t mind, “Let’s begin.”
In the capsule compartment, four built-in radiofrequency lamps above lit up, causing Song Ke to instinctively squint.
Dr. Ning waited in place for a moment, “Report the radiation level.”
“23%, 35%, 41%, 48%!” The assistant’s voice gradually changed tone.
No wonder he was surprised; this data had already exceeded their highest record. At that time, the test subject was a Fallen, and the critical point was only 47.75%.
Song Ke sat quietly in the capsule compartment, as if she couldn’t feel the changes in radiation at all. Nausea, vomiting, bleeding, and symptoms of decay that should have appeared were all absent.
Dr. Ning turned to look at the resonance spectrum analyzer. According to the image display, the organs in Song Ke’s body were functioning normally. The only noteworthy thing was that the massive radiation that had originally existed in her body seemed to be slowly flowing, greedily absorbing energy.
“Awakened energy report.”
“Stably maintained at 12,000.”
For an S7-level awakener, normal awakened energy fluctuated between 8,000 and 13,000. In other words, the current increase in radiation had no obvious effect on Song Ke’s awakened energy.
Dr. Ning calmly ordered, “Increase the radiation level.”
The assistant manipulated the instruments with trembling nerves, not daring to make the slightest mistake. Following Dr. Ning’s instructions, he adjusted the values to 50%, then raised them to 90% after a few cycles, briefly paused at 100%, and finally skyrocketed to 120%.
“Stop,” Dr. Ning raised his hand.
Song Ke felt a faint discomfort, not from the increasingly strong radiation, but from the oppressive atmosphere created by the surroundings – the glaring rays above, the flickering red lights, and the white-robed researchers coming and going. Her eyes lost focus, and hallucinatory symptoms gradually appeared, with voices in her ears screaming hysterically, like the cries of a desperate animal.
Taking a deep breath, Song Ke stood up irritably, covering her ears with both hands, pacing back and forth in the narrow space.
“Record: Radiation exceeds 120%. The experimental—the target shows obvious anxiety, pacing back and forth. DNA double strands normal, organs functioning normally, awakened energy… huh?” Dr. Ning’s eyes showed a hint of surprise. “Awakened energy value: 14,000.”
The assistants nearby collectively gasped. Not only did the target remain unscathed under the current terrifying level of radiation, but her surging awakened energy had already reached S8 level!
Dr. Ning’s eyes gleamed mysteriously. He clenched the screen tightly, unable to resist taking large strides forward until his nose almost touched the glass.
“Record: Radiation exceeds 120%. The target shows second awakening symptoms.”
“Increase the radiation level!”
“Doctor…” the assistant trembled as he reminded, “Exceeds 130%, the scale is maxed out.”
The machine they were currently using had limited instruments, with the highest scale being 130%. Astonishingly, though the machine had reached its limit, this extraordinary individual named Song Ke seemed to have no upper limit to her radiation tolerance.
Song Ke’s discomfort intensified. Under the intense radiation, her entire body felt like it was burning, her skin ached, cells died in large numbers, only to regenerate quickly. Something seemed eager to burst out and take control of her body. Song Ke’s limbs spasmed, and she staggered forward.
Bang!
With a deafening roar, Song Ke raised her fist and smashed it against the glass. Crimson blood flowed down, and although the glass didn’t shatter due to its special material, the entire laboratory floor shook violently. The researchers outside were frightened by her momentum, retreating in succession.
Tiny blood vessels appeared in the corners of Song Ke’s eyes. Her dark pupils, without blinking, were fixed on the people in white robes outside.
Dr. Ning glanced at the spectrum analyzer, observing her body greedily absorbing radiation, and all organ indices were in a chaotic state.
“Stop,” Dr. Ning ordered.
The assistant pressed the pause button, relieved.
Dr. Ning spoke slowly, “Record: Radiation exceeds 130%. The target’s anxiety intensifies, emotions approach losing control, awakened energy value… 18,000.”
Silence engulfed the surroundings.
“Gulp—” After a while, the sound of someone forcibly swallowing saliva was clearly heard.
What did 18,000 mean? That theoretically placed her at S9 level. If Song Ke wished, she could not only crush them like ants but effortlessly destroy an entire city.
After the radiation in the capsule compartment stabilized, Song Ke’s awakened energy slowly returned to 12,000, and other values returned to normal.
“Release the nutrient solution,” Dr. Ning whispered.
A hidden opening in the ceiling revealed itself, and a bag of liquid substance landed on the ground with a soft thud.
Song Ke didn’t touch it. She resembled a cold and vigilant young beast, curled up in the corner, observing each person with her pitch-black eyes.
Dr. Ning fell into contemplation, his expression unusually hesitant.
“Professor? Is there a problem?” the assistant asked.
“Her constitution is too special. Can we persuade her to cooperate with us for long-term experiments?” Dr. Ning inquired.
“Director He said… this ‘examination’ was a one-time thing,” the assistant cautiously reminded. “After all, she’s an S7-level superpower, and it’s already quite rare to ‘invite’ her once.”
While the assistant expressed this sentiment, internally, he silently criticized: Although the examination was requested by Director He, you, old man, are really lacking in courtesy. You came straight to perform a radiation test without even a proper greeting. If this S7-level individual doesn’t come after you for retribution, it’s already benevolent.
Dr. Ning also felt the hope was faint, “Then ask Director He to switch to a machine with a higher scale.”
“Now?” the assistant asked.
Dr. Ning’s expression remained unchanged, “If she wants results, it has to be now.”
Before the assistant could react, several security-uniformed awakeners rushed in.
“Dr. Ning, the laboratory is under attack! Please evacuate immediately!”
“Attack?” Dr. Ning repeated incredulously, “When you invited me here, didn’t you say that the security level was second only to the Awakener Department?”
*
Outside the laboratory, the fully armed V587 was tearing through the defenses.
In the storm of howling winds, the disorienting mist of bladed fog, and the elusive shadows of an assassin, various dazzling awakened abilities accurately struck the crowd. Despite numerous high-level awakeners guarding the area, this reckless six-person squad continued its unstoppable assault.
“How much longer?” Zhuang Qingyan asked.
“Two minutes,” Lu Xiaoyu replied.
The protective door of this laboratory was made of special materials, impervious to water and fire. A slash with a blade only left faint marks on it. Lu Xiaoyu quickly bypassed the firewall. Two minutes later, the door opened a narrow gap, and V587 repelled the security rushing out, swiftly entering.
“Time is limited. The Awakener Department has received the message; reinforcements are expected to arrive in ten minutes,” Lu Xiaoyu reminded.
“Find her first.” Zhuang Qingyan decisively led them straight to the laboratory. They caught He Qiuhong off guard, and once she reacted, it wouldn’t be so easy for them to escape.
In the bright corridor, security personnel shouted desperately, “Hurry! Go inform Dr. Ning to evacuate!”
A gust of wind passed, and the person shouting fell to the ground, writhing in agony. In his consciousness, there was a tearing pain.
A young man in black clothes and pants crouched down, coldly staring at him.
“The Dr. Ning you mentioned, could it be… Dr. Ning Rong?” Zhuang Qingyan asked indifferently.
The security officer’s face showed clear astonishment, as if saying: How do you know?
Zhuang Qingyan’s eyes were mysterious. He stepped over the fallen person and walked quickly towards the depths of the laboratory.
“Dr. Ning, you need to leave quickly!”
“You go first; I need to retrieve the research data.”
“Data isn’t as important as a person’s safety, Dr. Ning. Your safety comes first!” the urging person said anxiously.
“You don’t understand. Without the data, the research cannot continue. If there’s data… if there’s data, why am I still doing the most basic data testing until now!” Dr. Ning Rong suddenly raised his voice, his chest heaving.
Tap, tap, tap —
Steady footsteps, reminiscent of the tolling of a death bell, echoed in Ning Rong’s ears. A tall figure walked towards him against the light in the corridor, stopping in front of the two.
The nearby security personnel were on high alert, raising their guns at the newcomer. Su Cha flashed behind them, swiftly disarming the man.
“Ah!!!” A scream rang out, and the alarm bells suddenly blared around them. Frantic footsteps of people fleeing echoed continuously.
Ning Rong, holding a large pile of documents, felt a sense of fear. Unexpectedly, he met eyes with the young man in black, causing him to be momentarily stunned.
“Long time no see, Dr. Ning,” Zhuang Qingyan spoke casually.
“Old Zhuang?” Ning Rong blurted out, but his gaze froze. Soon, he self-denied, “No, Old Zhuang is already dead… It’s you.”
Ning Rong looked bewildered, “You’re alive, you actually… you’re still alive?”
Zhuang Qingyan stood in front of him, “Where is Song Ke?”
Ning Rong covered his face, seeming to laugh and cry at the same time, “If I had known you were still alive, why would I have gone through all this trouble…”
“Dr. Ning, we can catch up later. Where is Song Ke?” Zhuang Qingyan interrupted.
“Song Ke?” Ning Rong was puzzled for a second, then suddenly enlightened, “You mean the S7 that He Qiuhong sent?”
Zhuang Qingyan nodded, “Regardless of what you’ve done before, release her immediately.”
Unexpectedly, Ning Rong decisively refused, “I can’t release her! At least not now.”
“She just completed a radiation tolerance test, and the accumulated value in her body is too high. Any slight stimulation now could easily lead to a loss of control.”
“A radiation test?”
It was unclear what kind of relationship Zhuang Qingyan had with Ning Rong, but the latter was surprisingly unreserved. Without a second thought, he handed over a screen containing Song Ke’s complete superpower report.
“You’re also an expert; take a look yourself.”
“With her condition, these tests must be done, and the sooner the better.”
“Not to mention the unknown excessive radiation in her body, just consider those hidden genetic sequences. If we don’t figure out their specific origins, when they erupt one day, you know very well what the consequences will be.”
