Chapter 401: Extraterrestrial Evil
The cold wind howled, and ice and snow swirled.
A military-spec helicopter descended from the sky with a deafening roar, its rotors kicking up a blizzard of ice shards.
“Professor Karl!”
Major General Hausman, a burly white man, shielded his eyes with one hand and yelled:
“We’re here.”
His shout was barely audible over the sound of the spinning rotors.
“Mm.”
Karl nodded and jumped out of the cabin.
His lithe figure and agile movements made Hausman raise an eyebrow slightly before he withdrew his gaze.
It seemed this Professor Karl was not as frail as his age suggested, nor as scholarly as his demeanor implied.
This was the polar region.
A temporary camp set up by the military.
Searchlights stood around, scanning the camp, and some uniformed personnel were busy at work.
“Mr. Auston.”
Leading Karl to a tent, Hausman gestured:
“This is Professor Karl, an expert in biological genetics. Professor, this is Mr. Auston, the sponsor of this operation.”
It was well-known that the Federal military cooperated with various commercial groups, and some commercial groups even had their own independent armed forces.
The military,
also needed to eat.
The salaries issued by the Federation alone were probably not even enough to cover the cost of recruitment, so cooperation was inevitable.
“Auston?” Karl reached out and lightly shook the other man’s hand:
“I’ve seen your interviews on television. You’re hailed as the most talented entrepreneur of the past century in the Federation. It’s a pleasure to meet you.”
“Likewise.” Auston wore wire-rimmed glasses and a well-tailored suit, with a rapier at his waist. His attire was somewhat incongruous, yet he exuded a natural air of heroism that set him apart from ordinary businessmen.
He smiled and said:
“Professor Karl’s research in genetics is truly astounding. I’ve always wanted to visit you.”
“Thank you for your trouble.”
“Even without the military’s request, the payment alone was worth the trip.” Karl smiled:
“Where is it?”
“Inside!”
Hausman and Auston gestured backward at the same time.
“Professor, please!”
Behind the tent was a large base that extended deep into the ice, completely hidden from view on the surface.
The ice layer of the base was very thick, but there was still water underneath. The base used a sturdy, transparent material to separate the water flow.
Karl touched the wall.
“This is the latest composite material developed. It can withstand low temperatures, and the lower the temperature, the higher its hardness.”
Auston explained:
“It’s worthless anywhere else, but it’s perfect for the polar region, where the temperature is always below freezing.”
Karl nodded slowly.
Entering the base, staff in safety suits were busy at work.
The most conspicuous thing here was a black sphere placed in the center, the entire sphere frozen solid.
“Professor.”
Upon arriving here, Auston was the host. He opened a screen, zooming in on the details of the black sphere:
“This thing fell from the sky more than ten days ago. It’s suspected to be a meteorite, but we analyzed organic matter from it…”
“We suspect it might be some kind of life form.”
“Through several detection methods such as isotope decay, we discovered that this creature may have existed hundreds of millions of years ago.”
Hundreds of millions of years ago?
Karl’s eyes flickered slightly as he opened the documents he was handed.
“Fossils of creatures from hundreds of millions of years ago aren’t rare, but this thing… you say it might still be alive?”
“Yes.”
Auston’s face was grave:
“It’s still alive!”
“As long as the temperature rises above a certain level, it will awaken. Below a certain level, it will fall into hibernation. We don’t know if it’s dangerous, so we troubled Professor Karl to come and take a look.”
“Mm.” Karl nodded, put down the documents, and went to a small laboratory, where a black stone the size of a fingernail was placed.
The black stone was placed in a sturdy alloy container, and various instruments observed the reactions inside.
As the temperature rose, the black stone would liquefy and dissolve.
When the temperature dropped,
it would solidify.
“We’ve tried it.”
Military Major General Hausman’s voice was solemn:
“This thing is extremely hard and heat-resistant. Only large machinery can slowly grind and crush it.”
“And…”
“It’s very aggressive!”
“Aggressive?” Karl looked up:
“Was anyone injured?”
“This…” Hausman’s expression changed slightly:
“Military secret, it’s not convenient to talk about right now.”
◈◈◈
It seemed that people had died or been injured during the process, or that the injured were under illegal surveillance. Karl understood.
“I need some time and some equipment.”
Stretching his limbs, he said:
“Is there a lab arranged for me? The stuff I brought is being unloaded. I might need it later.”
“Yes.”
“Your lab is this way.”
A few hours later.
Karl used tweezers to pick up something that looked like a strand of hair and placed it in a petri dish, observing the details.
“A very strange creature, possessing characteristics of both carbon-based and silicon-based life, with a terrifying assimilation ability.”
“Hmm…”
He looked up and lit up the screen:
“This is its true form.”
Auston, who was woken up from a daze, was instantly intrigued. He looked at the screen thoughtfully:
“A parasite?”
“More or less.”
Karl nodded:
“That stone has nearly three million parasites. Each one can assimilate a living being.”
“After assimilation, it can absorb nutrients from the host to divide and reproduce, expanding the population.”
“Assimilation and division are instincts of its genetic makeup, and from what I can see, this process is irreversible.”
?
Auston’s face paled.
This was no longer something that could be described as interesting, but rather terrifying and horrifying.
“Supernatural…”
“Professor Karl, how can we kill it?”
“An energy shock exceeding a certain level might do it, but ordinary people certainly don’t have that kind of power.” Karl shook his head:
“Lowering the temperature can reduce its biological activity. We should be grateful that it landed in the polar region.”
Coincidence?
Definitely not!
This thing was intent on annihilating all living beings. It was definitely the instinct of the gods’ remaining will.
“Destroy it!”
Auston roared:
“It must be destroyed!”
“Yes.”
Karl nodded:
“If this thing leaves the base and revives, it will quickly spread and destroy everything.”
“They can hide in bread and soil, as small as a strand of hair, making them impossible to detect.”
“And one more thing…”
“This stone isn’t complete. A part of it should have been taken away. We need to find it back as soon as possible.”
Incomplete?
Auston’s eyes flickered:
“The polar research team took some samples!”
He turned around and quickly went to his quarters, dialing a number.
Watching Auston’s retreating figure, Karl shook his head slightly and looked at the laboratory in front of him, lost in thought.
“From beyond the sky…”
“An extraterrestrial deity!”
“It seems the deities outside can’t sit still anymore. The Child of Destruction inherited the Blood Clan’s venomous nature, and it can also reproduce. If it spreads to other worlds…”
“The Twilight of the Gods is coming!”
*
*
*
Cloud Shield University.
Institute of Material Research.
It was already evening, but some researchers still hadn’t left, observing several black worms.
“Professor.”
A female graduate student said:
“Through our research, we’ve found that black worms parasitize hosts and enhance their physical qualities.”
“This is a great discovery!”
Her voice couldn’t hide her excitement.
If they could extract the substances that enhance physical qualities, it would definitely shake the entire field of biology.
“Then…”
The gray-haired professor said:
“Is the parasitized creature a black worm or the original host?”
“This…” The girl was stunned.
“Bang!”
“Something bad happened! The parasitized white mouse broke the glass, bit Newman, and escaped.”
“What?”
