Chapter 204: Mermaid Reef 05

Her gaze gradually steadied; since she once could run out, she can do so now as well!

During their conversation, Ye Xi'an didn't even notice that her wound's healing speed had quickened again.

After midnight's deep sleep, a few thin, pitiful milky‑white spirit‑force threads slipped out of Ye Xi'an's body, as if fearing detection, and drifted stealthily to Bao Jing's side, then gently adhered to the wounds of Bao Jing and the others, weaving like cloth to seal the injuries.

The next day, Lin Si arrived early to check on the test subjects; although after yesterday's dissection he had the doctors treat them promptly, these few beast‑people weren't 068, lacking such perverse self‑healing, and if they died it would be a waste.

Just looking at the scabbed severed limbs, his brows knit; how could these people recover so quickly?

Could they, like 068, possess an extremely perverse healing ability?

A hint of aristocratic smile curled Lin Si's mouth: "Interesting."

Lin Si's voice was far more effective than a phone alarm; the moment the still‑asleep Ye Xi'an heard it, her hair stood on end, her eyes snapped open, and her gaze locked onto Lin Si in an instant.

"Lin Si!"

Seeing Ye Xi'an awake, Lin Si's mouth curved into a gentle smile: "068, you used to call me Dr. Lin."

"Pah! You think I'll call you doctor? You're a cold‑blooded pervert!"

Ye Xi'an's fierce voice roused Bao Jing and the other two as well.

Because of severe blood loss, the three's faces were pallid and their speech weak; Bao Jing mumbled groggily, "An'an."

Ye Xi'an looked immediately, and at the same time Lin Si also noticed him.

"Awake? Then let's continue."

Lin Si's words were casual, but to Ye Xi'an they sounded like a demon's whisper.

"Again you!" Bao Jing's instinct urged a clenched fist, only to find he no longer had any limbs.

"You dead pervert, if you have the guts, come at me alone!"

Lin Si chuckled, a magnetic laugh spilling from his mouth: "That won't do; you alone isn't enough."

He stepped forward, pinching Bao Jing's chin, forcing him to lift his head and meet his gaze: "Even after I tore off your limbs, can you still become a beast?"

Bao Jing struggled, shaking his head away, refusing to look at Lin Si.

Lin Si straightened, expression unchanged: "Fine, looks like I'll have to do it myself."

"Li Zhao, extract his eyeball for me."

Li Zhao immediately stepped forward, ready to act.

Ye Xi'an stared, watching Li Zhao about to strike Bao Jing; she hurriedly pleaded: "Lin Si, he's already very weak; if you do that, he won't survive!"

Lin Si gave Ye Xi'an a cold glance: "So what? Even if he dies, there are still two over there."

"Do it!"

"No! Lin Si, I beg you!"

Bao Jing's face was held by a machine; hearing Ye Xi'an plead with Lin Si for him, his heart ached: "An'an, if you don't beg this pervert, even if you die for me, you must not sacrifice yourself!"

Li Zhao's snarling face brandished a knife: "Hmph, such a tough mouth—wonder if it's as hard as my scalpel?"

With that, Li Zhao brutally gouged Bao Jing's eyeball out; his technique was crude, yet the eye remained remarkably intact, even showing attached vessels and nerves.

Yi Yang and Ji Jiangci both turned away, unable to bear Bao Jing's tragic state.

Crimson blood stained Ye Xi'an's eyes; a rush of heat surged from her chest upward, her cheeks and sclera turning frighteningly red.

"Lin Si!" Ye Xi'an gritted her teeth; she had once thought Lin Si was a mad scientist obsessed with results, ignoring others' feelings.

Now it seemed that "new humanity," "evolution" were merely excuses for Lin Si to vent his inner lust; he did it on purpose, taking pleasure in tormenting others.

"068, I still love watching that expression of yours." The long‑masked Lin Si finally showed a glimpse of his true self, reveling in Ye Xi'an's pain—far more entertaining than any experiment.

He urged Li Zhao to speed up: "Li Zhao, quickly remove the other eye for me!"

"Don't touch them!"

Ye Xi'an let out a roar, no longer meek, sharp enough to split stone and pierce clouds.

A massive surge of spirit‑force erupted from Ye Xi'an's body like a tsunami.

Purple light instantly filled the entire laboratory, bearing a heart‑pounding pressure.

"Lin Si! I want you dead!"

Ye Xi'an's voice was harrowing, not only for Bao Jing but for her former self as well.

Two cat ears sprouted atop her head, hair bristling, violet pupils shining terrifyingly, as if they could pierce all illusion.

【Spirit‑force level breakthrough! Level 7!】

【Spirit‑force level breakthrough! Level 8!】

The compressed energy absorbed from Ice Grass broke its restraints, raising Ye Xi'an's ability rank straight to Level 9.

The boost in spirit‑force also restored her memory; everything here was false, and they had been trapped the moment they emerged from the spatial gate.

Who was harming them?

"Hmph, Lin Si, even if you're a fake, I'll tear your corpse to pieces!"

Intangible spirit‑force morphed into a nightmarish horror, slamming into Lin Si and Li Zhao.

Lin Si's smile on his face froze for the first time; he let out a muffled hum, clutching his head, staggering backward, and his silver‑threaded glasses fell to the ground.

Li Zhao let out a wretched scream, his eyes rolling white as he fainted.

The lab's equipment emitted a shrill alarm under the violent spirit‑force shock, lights flickering erratically.

Dense spirit‑force threads, as thick as a baby's arm, surged out, binding and hoisting Lin Si and Li Zhao; Ye Xi'an merely thought a slight intention, and the two were ripped apart.

Blood sprayed like mist from the air, waking the three who were already bewildered.

"I… damn." Yi Yang was stunned: "Is this my wife?"

Bao Jing also swallowed hard, relieved that he wasn't the one who angered Ye Xi'an.

Ji Jiangci stared entranced at Ye Xi'an's cat ears, regretting that he now had no hands to touch them.

After dealing with Lin Si, Ye Xi'an's single glance caused the metal restraints binding them to release themselves.

Yi Yang writhed excitedly on the bed like a pupa; if he still had legs, he would have already jumped up.

「Honey, you're so awesome! 」

After saying that, he again burst into tears, sobbing miserably.

「But I have no hands or feet now; wife, you'll surely despise me, waa~」

Yi Yang cried sadly, feeling his life was truly miserable; after great difficulty he had raised his ability level, but now his hands and feet were gone.

Bao Jing also reddened his eyes: "Yeah, An An, we both have no hands or feet now; we can't protect you, so we're useless."

He despairingly closed his eyes, more painful than when Li Zhao gouged out his eyes: 'You.... go find another male!'

(End of chapter)