Chapter 157: Breaking the Cocoon

The news that Hoffman and the female researcher also had embryos in their wombs exploded within the airtight underground fortress of the Prometheus Research Institute.

Panic, like an invisible, airborne super‑virus, infected everyone.

An emergency inspection order was issued immediately.

The result was shocking.

Including Hoffman, all seven core researchers who had any direct or indirect close contact with Emily—regardless of gender or age—were without exception.

In each of their wombs, a bizarre embryo was growing at a terrifyingly rapid pace.

Within the institute, the scientists who usually wore suits and claimed to be pioneers of human evolution were thrown into complete disarray.

"Director! What on earth is happening? Is this a new kind of virus? Airborne?"

"My God, I only performed a close‑up examination on her once, without even touching her!"

"Help me! I don't want a monster growing inside my belly!"

Caven, the institute's head, looked at the chaotic colleagues with no hint of pity in his eyes, only the scrutiny he reserved for experimental material.

"Quiet."

Caven's voice rang clearly to every corner, bearing unquestionable authority.

"From now on, all infected individuals are to be placed immediately into Number Seven Isolation Observation Zone."

The words caused an uproar throughout the room.

What is the Isolation Observation Zone? It's a place for holding test subjects!

This is not quarantine treatment; it's clearly treating them as lab mice!

"No! Caven! You can't do this!"

Dr. Hoffman was the first to react:

"I proposed this project! You can't treat me as a test subject! Release me!"

But pleading was useless.

Heavily armed security personnel soon appeared, pointing their guns at them.

They were forced into the isolation observation chamber.

The once‑high‑and‑mighty scientists now stripped away all pretense, reduced to the most wretched prisoners.

They frantically pounded the thick alloy glass, crying, cursing, and begging at the cold surveillance probes.

In response, only the alloy doors slowly closed and communications were completely cut off.

Seven side‑by‑side transparent cages identical to Emily's became their new abode.

Dr. Hoffman collapsed onto the cold metal floor, gasping in despair.

He lifted his head and, through several layers of blast‑proof glass, could just see the scene in the opposite ward.

The woman he had personally sent to hell, Emily, lay on the bed as fragile as a wisp of breath.

At one time, he stood outside, separated by glass, admiring her pain and despair with the gaze one gives to a rare animal.

Now, he had become a trapped beast in a cage.

How ironic.

An overwhelming sense of absurdity and terror, like two invisible giant hands, clutched his heart so tightly he nearly suffocated.

One day later.

Hoffman's abdomen swelled at a visibly rapid rate.

The life force within his body was being wildly drained by that damned monster.

His skin began to loosen, his hair started falling out.

He finally experienced firsthand everything Emily had endured.

Just as Hoffman's mind teetered on the brink of collapse.

On the opposite bed, the emaciated, unrecognizable Emily seemed to notice his stare.

She mustered all her strength and, slowly, with great difficulty, turned her head.

From her gaze, Hoffman read everything she wanted to say.

Mockery.

The next second.

Emily's cracked, almost bloodless mouth corner twitched slightly upward.

It was an extremely faint, barely discernible curve.

Yet it was like the sharpest dagger, precisely stabbing the proud, arrogant heart of Dr. Hoffman.

It was the most ruthless, thorough contempt for him, the originator of this tragedy.

"Aaaah!"

Hoffman's mental defenses shattered completely at that moment.

He battered the blast‑proof glass with his head like a madman, emitting a beast‑like roar.

Some time later.

When the seven researchers' bellies swelled to the size of a five‑month pregnancy, Emily's vital signs finally dropped to zero.

Her body had been completely drained by the monster inside her womb.

【Warning! Observation target A‑01's vital signs are about to disappear!】

【Warning! Abdominal biological activity fluctuations have peaked!】

In the Main Control Room, a shrill alarm blared.

Childbirth was about to begin.

Everyone stood up anxiously.

Only Caven still sat steadily on his throne.

A near‑mad fervor flickered across his face.

He stared fixedly at the massive central screen, as if watching a long‑awaited century‑premiere.

"Activate all high‑definition cameras! All life‑detectors! Switch to infrared spectrum mode!"

"I will record every detail of this great moment! Every single one!"

His voice trembled slightly from overexcitement.

On the screen.

Emily, who had been as lifeless as a corpse, suddenly began to convulse violently.

From her throat came a ho‑ho, ragged, broken‑bellows‑like roar.

Her grotesquely oversized belly was stretched to the limit, its skin as thin as a sheet of transparent plastic.

One could even see clearly inside a coiled, massive black shadow, thrashing wildly!

It seemed something was impatiently trying to break free from that withered husk!

The atmosphere was tense to the extreme.

Suddenly!

"Pfft!"

A muffled, flesh‑rending screech!

Under the horrified gazes of everyone.

Right in the center of Emily's abdomen, a fist‑sized blood hole burst open!

Viscous, dark‑red blood mixed with cloudy amniotic fluid spurted out!

Immediately after.

A baby arm, entirely bluish‑black, slick with slime, its five slender fingers like spider segments, brazenly emerged!

The skin on that arm bore a weird, embryonic‑like translucence.

It flailed aimlessly in the air, then with a "clang" it clutched the metal rail of the hospital bed tightly!

"It's out!"

A researcher shouted hoarsely.

However, the creature had not emerged completely.

Only its upper body burst through the belly, revealing a similarly bluish‑black head with indistinct features, its eyeballs as black as ink, lacking any white.

Its lower half remained connected to Emily's flesh and organs in an extremely bizarre manner.

It was not being "born".

It was "Break Cocoon"!

"Zoom in! Maximize it for me!"

Caven commanded excitedly.

At the instant the image was magnified.

Mutation surged!

Emily, whose vital signs had all dropped to zero and should have been utterly "dead".

Her tightly shut eyes snapped open!

What kind of eyes were those?

No pupils, no focus, only a sickening, pure pallor!

The next second.

Her previously limp limbs suddenly braced against the bed at a joint angle that completely defied human anatomy!

Her waist arched upward with an unbelievable force, forming a terrifying bridge!

This motion hoisted the "ghost infant" that had just burst from her abdomen high toward the ceiling!

"Click! Click!"

The alloy restraints binding her limbs snapped apart amid a grating, teeth‑gnawing metallic twisting sound!

She came back to life.

Or rather, something else revived her corpse!

"—Yi!!!!!!"

A scream unlike any human could produce, a terrifying shriek sharp enough to pierce eardrums, erupted from Emily's mouth stretched to its limit!