Jiang Yue’s eyes were blindfolded, and she was wearing specially made noise-canceling earplugs.
Some Alphas with exceptional senses could navigate routes using only their hearing.
Jiang Yue’s auditory range was unusually extreme, sounds that seemed ordinary to a normal person were amplified endlessly in her ears, every detail crystal clear.
She quietly counted the hours in her mind, and after roughly six hours, the car finally came to a stop.
After taking three elevators and walking down two long corridors, the air temperature hovered around 27 degrees Celsius, the floor was smooth and even, and a faint fragrance lingered in the air.
The scent was eerily familiar, it was the smell of the blue-eyed millipede.
The aroma grew stronger and stronger, almost suffocating. Too much exposure to it could make someone dizzy, and Jiang Yue was already starting to feel lightheaded.
She raised a hand to cover her nose, thinking to herself: Could this be the hatching ground of the blue-eyed millipedes?
But why had Fu Yan and Si Xing’an brought her here? Surely they wouldn’t actually cut her up for research… would they?
Is it still possible to run now?
After thinking about the massive muscles on Fu Yan and Si Xing’an, Jiang Yue realized that her chances of escaping were slim to none.
Just as she imagined herself tied to an operating table, someone removed the earplugs and blindfold from her face.
The environment was dimly lit, and Jiang Yue guessed that this place must have been built deep underground. She squinted, trying to adjust to the light.
Fu Yan handed Jiang Yue a set of breathing apparatus. “Put it on. The further in we go, the stronger the smell gets.”
Jiang Yue donned the respirator and looked around. “What is this place?”
Fu Yan pressed a hand on her shoulder and said in a low voice, “Don’t ask too many questions. Just follow me.”
The two of them walked down the corridor until they stopped in front of a conference room. The room had no windows; its walls were made of hard, cold metal. The ceiling lights were only half on, casting a dim glow, and the atmosphere carried an indescribable sense of oppression.
In the center of the conference room sat a large black metal table.
The table was surrounded by people, all wearing respirators, and they all turned to look at Jiang Yue.
Jiang Yue followed closely behind the two teachers as they walked in.
Her appearance seemed to brighten everyone’s eyes; after all, it had been a long time since such a fresh, young face had appeared here.
Everyone here was dressed in black uniforms, their cuffs and collars adorned with intricate insignias.
An Alpha sitting at the front turned to look at Jiang Yue. He was a male Alpha, with dark red eyes like blood plasma, and he spoke in a gentle tone: “Unbelievable… such a young child, and she can materialize her spiritual power without any training.”
The female Alpha with short chestnut hair sitting beside him nodded in approval. “Indeed. A very talented child. I’ve seen her before, when I served as an examiner at the Federal Military Academy.”
She looked up at Fu Yan, her brown eyes cold. “Fu Yan, what are you doing bringing your student here instead of teaching her properly? This is no place for a child.”
The people here all had different demeanors, but each carried an undeniable aura of authority and power. Jiang Yue, by contrast, felt small, pitiful, and helpless, wishing she could shrink into the cracks of the floor.
Fu Yan shot back, a hint of sarcasm in his voice: “True, she won’t turn eighteen for another two months, so she is still technically a child. But you shouldn’t underestimate her just because of her age.”
The female Alpha said, “This isn’t right. She’s never undergone any spiritual training and doesn’t understand how to use her abilities properly.”
The red-eyed Alpha nodded in agreement. “Ye Xi is correct. This child hasn’t had professional training. Pushing her too fast could cause psychological problems. She really shouldn’t be exposed to this so early.”
At the other end of the long table, a male Alpha slammed his fist onto it, speaking with agitation: “If not now, then when? Are we supposed to let her stay in the cradle forever? Lu Xiu, the situation is already severe. Even the Federal Military Academy has become a sieve; the entire dormitory building is infested with Zergs. Do you know what that means?”
This Alpha was dressed sloppily; his uniform was wrinkled, his black hair so messy it could pass for a bird’s nest, and dark circles ringed his eyes, clearly a veteran night owl.
Yet his eyes were strikingly bright, burning with a terrifying intensity.
He roared, “If not now, then when? Now that something like this has happened, who can find a successor for Xiang Liu?”
The red-eyed male Alpha’s gentle expression took on a hint of agitation. “Chu Xiao, we’ve pushed students before, this isn’t the first time. Haven’t you seen the results?”
The female Alpha with chestnut hair let out a derisive laugh. “Principal Chu, you’d better strengthen security at the Federal Academy. The anatomy instructors colluding with students to sell Zerg eggs; if this gets out, the academy’s reputation will be ruined.”
“Heh, and Apartment Building No. 2… what’s going on with that construction crew? How did those Zergs get in? You owe us an explanation for these matters as well, don’t you?”
Chu Xiao’s face turned red as he shouted angrily, “There’s a saying: ‘A thief is never caught because of constant vigilance.’ You’re impressive! You’re brilliant! You anticipate everything perfectly! So how do you explain this? Don’t even talk about the academy, Liyue itself is almost compromised!”
As soon as he finished, the conference room fell into an eerie silence.
Jiang Yue looked down and counted quietly for a few seconds. By the time she reached thirty-eight, someone finally spoke.
Si Xing’an cleared his throat twice and, smiling gently, said, “Everyone, let’s not quarrel. Bringing Jiang Yue here was approved by our superiors. Don’t forget, she’s a powerful individual who can materialize spiritual power. She shouldn’t be treated like a mere child.”
The atmosphere in the conference room eased slightly. The red-eyed male Alpha looked at Jiang Yue. “Child, release your spiritual body.”
Jiang Yue nodded. She closed her eyes and drew the invisible force from within her body.
Ripples of transparent energy appeared in the air, and from within them, a transparent golden eagle emerged. Its wingspan was about a meter, exuding a majestic and powerful presence.
The temperature in the conference room began to drop sharply. After flying for a short while, the golden eagle perched on Jiang Yue’s shoulder. It preened the feathers on its wings and nudged her face gently with its head.
To be honest, Jiang Yue was especially afraid of sharp-beaked animals. She couldn’t understand why her spiritual body had taken the shape of a large eagle.
The people in the conference room began speaking in hushed tones.
“Truly extraordinary talent. Looks like she’s an aggressive Alpha, her spiritual body is even a fierce bird of prey.”
“Her spiritual body is huge! When my spiritual body first manifested, it was only as big as a little mouse. I understand the principle, but why is hers so big?”
“It seems we don’t need to worry about her psychological endurance. Her spiritual body says it all. We really can’t treat her like a child anymore.”
“There aren’t many people who can materialize their spiritual bodies. Exposing her to this earlier isn’t necessarily a bad thing.”
“She’s a promising talent. Focusing on her training makes perfect sense.”
Jiang Yue was stunned into numbness.
She really didn’t need any “special training”, thank you very much.
Was it so hard to just quietly finish military school and find a job to support herself?
Why was everything veering further and further into the bizarre?
She subtly took a step back, trying to hide behind Fu Yan and Si Xing’an.
But in the end, it was unavoidable. A light screen appeared on their terminals, and most people chose to approve.
And so, Jiang Yue was taken away by the female Alpha with chestnut short hair.
Her name was Ye Xi, a very young major.
She led Jiang Yue into an office and had her sign a stack of confidentiality documents.
Jiang Yue was nearly in tears. She asked the female Alpha with a forlorn expression, “Do I have to go?”
Ye Xi furrowed her brows. “Why?”
Jiang Yue’s lips trembled. “Because… I feel like this isn’t a good thing. Major Ye Xi, I’m really timid, and I’m very scared right now.”
Ye Xi looked at her. “Tell me why you’re afraid.”
Jiang Yue pressed the respirator on her face and said, “The blastozyme in this air has already reached a lethal concentration. I learned about it in anatomy class, blastozyme extracted from blue-eyed millipede eggs can stabilize agitated spiritual bodies. I really can’t imagine under what circumstances such a high concentration would be necessary.”
Ye Xi nodded approvingly. “Not bad. Your reasoning is clear. You can try making a bolder hypothesis.”
Jiang Yue said weakly, “Surely it’s not meant to stabilize human spiritual bodies, is it?”
She looked at the terminal. The respirator was connected to it, and the numbers displayed were 350 times the lethal dose.
The figure made Jiang Yue break out in a cold sweat. She had pressed the respirator countless times along the way.
“Major Ye Xi, I only know that humans cannot survive in this concentration of blastozyme. Even a genius with a spiritual power level of 3S couldn’t.”
Ye Xi let out a soft laugh. Her facial features were gentle, and when she smiled, the aura of solemn detachment around her melted away. She looked like a kind and beautiful girl-next-door, which greatly increased Jiang Yue’s fondness for her.
Ye Xi said, “You’re really calm. The first time I came here, my back was drenched in cold sweat, and yet you’re still joking with me.”
Jiang Yue swallowed hard. “No, Major Ye Xi, I’m really, really scared. Believe me, I’m completely panicked right now.”
Ye Xi let out a soft laugh, clearly unconvinced.
“All right, enough chatter. Come with me.”
Jiang Yue had no choice but to follow behind her, on the verge of tears but unable to cry.
Along the way, countless electronic eyes tracked her every move. Her terminal was completely blocked, unable to even display the time.
Finally, after the last smart mechanical door scanned her information, it slowly opened. Jiang Yue’s right foot stepped forward, and then froze midair, hovering for a long moment before touching down.
Before her lay an enormous pit, its depth impossible to gauge. Smart lights were embedded in the damp earthen walls, casting a terrifying, chilling glow over the scene.
Around the massive pit spiraled a series of stepped platforms, and on these platforms stood numerous alloy cages as tall as a person.
Each cage held a human. Jiang Yue could no longer make out their faces, as their bodies were grotesquely deformed by the masses of Zerg eggs. Their skin was so thin and translucent that the dense blue eggs beneath were clearly visible under the lights.
Jiang Yue began to gag.
Ye Xi spoke coldly and without emotion: “Swallow it back.”
Jiang Yue forced it down.
Tears shimmered in her eyes as she trembled, pressing her fingers against the respirator on her face.
She couldn’t possibly vomit into the respirator, it was her lifeline. The terminal now showed a reading of 450, 450 times the lethal dose of blastozyme. Even a single inhalation would be fatal.
Jiang Yue patted her chest, mustering her courage, and looked ahead.
Beneath each of the cages lay a blue-eyed millipede about twenty meters long. The brains of the millipede were connected to the humans’ brains by delicate, pale pink thread-like strands.
The strands were soft and glossy, with countless tiny pink lights drifting within them. The lights flickered as if breathing.
These threads stretched all the way down to the very depths of the enormous pit, adding a strange touch of beauty and an eerie, almost romantic elegance to the horrifying, disgusting scene.
Countless pink glows were reflected in the female Alpha’s gray eyes. Jiang Yue widened her eyes and murmured, “I’ve seen this thing before.”
“What exactly is this?”
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Sam Williams On TYMIMA Chapter 152