Prelude to Contamination

Chapter 50

Starting is often the hardest part, but once you find one opening, everything else unravels naturally.

The Third-Generation Experiment Subject was like that, and so was the Science Academy.

After meeting The Hound, all the Science Academy's data on him appeared in the book, and those hidden, undiscovered labs surfaced. Lan said a simple goodbye to his brother and set off—though before leaving he specifically warned Shen Wang: absolutely no going out with any bad kids from outside!

Just when he thought his brother would find him annoying again, Shen Wang called out 'Ge' at the door. When Lan turned around, Shen Wang hugged him.

What was life like in the Science Academy? Shen Wang didn't know—he'd never experienced it or even heard about it. He just instinctively knew it wouldn't be easy there. But beyond his hatred for the Academy, Lan never told Shen Wang what kind of life he'd lived; he deliberately avoided bringing it up in front of him.

By the time Shen Wang recognized him, he was already the No. 2 fugitive on the Wanted List, an S-rank dual-talent defector, a relentless avenger chasing the Science Academy—powerful and vengeful.

But if he hadn't lost so much, why would he keep going after the Science Academy like that?

A belated heartache finally surged up.

'Ge, don't get hurt,' Shen Wang said. 'Come back safe.'

Lan froze for a moment, the innate gloom around him dissipating quickly. He hadn't expected his brother to be this close to him. Finally, he clumsily hugged him back.

'Nothing will happen,' Lan reassured his brother. 'They still can't hurt me.'

'Really.'

'After this is settled, we can go find Mom together. Believe me, Mom is the best woman in the world.'

'Mm,' Shen Wang nodded. 'Okay.'

Lan thought: Finally, I've beaten that damned Zhou Xiangzhe at something.

His younger brother truly was the most wonderful person in the world, deserving of everyone's love.

/

The Science Academy's security was tight, its location hidden. To avoid detection by Lan, they racked their brains and used every trick in the book. That was how they finally managed to successfully experiment on the Third Generation despite Lan's relentless pursuit.

But Lan still hindered their progress. As a result, the Third Generation's compliance was extremely low, his mental state alarming. Even now, he could barely maintain superficial obedience.

Outside the glass wall, several people in white coats, masks, and white gloves stood watching the person inside.

The Hound sat on the floor with his head hanging low—it was unclear if he was passed out or just sitting there. His arms were bound tightly behind his back, his gray protective suit still speckled with bloodstains. It wasn't that they didn't plan to change it; it was just that he was too aggressive. Any attempt to get close would be met with biting and tearing.

In the end, they could only inject him with sedatives to forcibly drain his strength.

'His compliance is way too low. He's a complete failure.'

'But his talent is genuinely S-rank. An S-rank Perception Type talent could be immensely useful.'

'What's the use of an S-rank that won't obey?'

'The gap with Lan is too huge. If it weren't for Lan...'

They exchanged a glance and sighed in unison. Even now, the Science Academy considered Lan their greatest masterpiece. S-rank Precognition was already an outrageous talent, and with Lan being dual-talented, it was like a gift from the gods. But no one expected that Lan's obedience had been an act all along.

On his very first mission after success, he defected and has been locked in a life-or-death struggle with them ever since.

'For humanity'—such a grand vision couldn't brainwash him at all.

'What do we do now? We lost a researcher on his very first field mission.'

'I'd say the researcher himself was too careless, getting so close to The Hound. We'll tame him a while longer—there will still be chances later.'

'That's all we can do.'

The group took one last look at The Hound with his eyes shut, then turned and left to redraw their plans.

They were determined to turn this wild wolf into a tail-wagging dog.

After they left, a person walked over calmly, reading a book. Lan stood in front of the glass door, looking at the person inside and verifying the information in his book.

Except when facing his younger brother, Lan's demeanor was mostly gloomy, especially in this environment.

The incandescent light fell on him, the extreme coldness of metal creating an eerie atmosphere. Holding a book in his hands, he looked even more like a ghost from a sci-fi wasteland.

Lan snapped his book shut with a thud, emotionless in his silver-purple eyes. He reached out and rapped on the window with his knuckle.

'I know you're awake. Open your eyes.'

The person inside didn't move, so Lan didn't mind the trouble and knocked again.

Finally, The Hound opened his eyes. He looked at Lan outside the door, Lan's figure reflected in his deep blue eyes. Seeing Lan, he bared his teeth, revealing sharp canines—though with the muzzle clamped on, it wasn't very clear.

'You really came,' The Hound said, his voice still hoarse. 'Revisiting old haunts, how does it feel?'

'Better than how you're feeling now,' Lan said. 'You're in quite the mood, daring to provoke me at a time like this.'

So The Hound laughed, freely and with a touch of madness.

The Science Academy wasn't wrong about one thing: The Hound's mental state was extremely unstable. He completely lacked compliance, and his mental abnormalities were growing more severe.

After laughing enough, The Hound finally exhaled and asked, 'How did you escape back then? I heard you faked it really well—you waited until they trusted you enough to send you on your first mission, then turned on them right there. Wasn't it exhausting to pretend? I can't do that at all. I don't want to pretend, I just want to tear apart everyone who shows up in front of me.'

'Tear them apart!'

'Yeah, yeah, you've got the sharpest teeth,' Lan said. 'Where is Xianji?'

The Hound licked his teeth, staring at Lan. 'Then you have to tell me why you're looking for the first one.'

'To screw over the Science Academy, obviously,' Lan replied. 'A screw-up of unprecedented proportions.'

'You said you'd take me with you. Is that true?'

'That depends on whether you want to come with me,' Lan replied. 'The way you are now, it doesn't look like you do.'

So The Hound laughed again.

He laughed and said, 'Thanks to you, those bastards planted a chip in my brain. No matter where I go, the chip reports my location to them. Even if I get out, they'll find me.'

'But that's okay. I like you.'

'Being liked by a lunatic isn't a good thing.'

'We've been through this together, at least. Don't you think that's a bit harsh?' The Hound struggled a bit, but the chains were too tight to break free. So he gave up struggling and just collapsed onto the floor. 'Too tight.'

Lan eyed the chains on him. 'What did you even do? For them to lock you up this tight in a place like this.'

'I just bit to death a few people who brought food and ran tests.'

The Hound bared his sharp fangs, like a little beast showing off its teeth. 'My teeth are really useful.'

Fierce indeed.

'Once we're out of here, even if you have a tracker, they'll just be delivering themselves to you.' Lan calmly returned to the earlier topic, his tone slightly gloomier than before. 'If I didn't have things to do, I'd be happy to have a bait that draws the Science Academy over.'

The Hound pulled on his chains and crawled toward Lan, but the chains went taut, trapping him firmly in place.

The Hound didn't mind, just laughed and asked, 'So how about I be your bait, then?'

'I think I'd be well-suited for the job.'

Lan crouched down and looked at him. 'Before any talk of bait, you need to tell me where Xianji is.'

'Let me loose and I'll take you there. The paths here are too complicated; I can't explain it clearly, and you won't understand just from hearing.'

Lan never planned to leave the Third-Generation Experiment Subject with the Science Academy anyway. No matter what The Hound's intentions were, Lan would break the chain around his neck. Whether he escaped or stayed to tear the Academy apart, either would be a win for Lan.

The pages of the book in his hand fluttered without wind, flipping to a certain spot.

Lan reached out and typed a few letters on the display in front of him, then placed his book against the scanner beside it. With a click, the glass door opened.

Lan walked in, book in hand, and looked at The Hound held by the chains. Up close, he could clearly see the madness in The Hound's deep blue eye.

'You swear you'll take me to Xianji first?'

'Of course.' A hint of a smile escaped The Hound's lips. 'Trust me, I never lie.'

Lan glanced at his book. 'Oh? You know I'm a Mutant with the Precognition talent?'

'A little lunatic who survived by trickery and deceit—every bit of your exploits is meticulously recorded in my book.'

'If you're so impressive, go find Xianji yourself.' The Hound showed no fear at all; he was even still smiling. 'Since you need my help, at least give me something in return, and don't set such high demands. You're not my parents.'

Lan closed his book and tapped the glass with his hand. With a click, The Hound found the chains binding him had unlocked.

He quickly shifted out of the uncomfortable position and ripped off the muzzle that had been clamped on his face for who knows how long.

Gulping in air, he panted heavily, revealing his sharp teeth, looking more than ever like a wolf forcibly locked up here.

Once he'd caught his breath, The Hound braced against the wall and stood up.

'Stop hugging that crappy book of yours and come help me.'

Lan looked him over with disgust. 'You dare call it a crappy book?'

'I don't know if it's crappy or not. All I know is I was sedated, and if you don't help me I can't walk at all.' The Hound bared his teeth at him. 'Weren't you looking for Xianji? Then help me, and I'll take you to him.'

The forcibly captured wolf was full of hostility toward his captors, but he showed no wariness toward the person coming to do mischief with him—on the contrary, he was eager.

Lan held his book in one hand, thinking that this person might not be as mentally unstable as he'd imagined—in fact, you could even call him mentally formidable.

Such strong mental fortitude was the foundation that allowed him to awaken as an S-rank Mutant.

'Any slower and they'll notice the door's been opened,' The Hound said, impatient with him.

So Lan helped him out, and it was only then that he noticed The Hound's abnormal condition.

He was breathing heavily, not just from the sedation-induced limpness but also involuntary trembling, all of which had been concealed by his brazen nature—Lan hadn't noticed a thing before.

Lan supported The Hound with one hand and flipped open his book with the other to read.

The Hound idly glanced over and saw page after page of blank paper.

'You can see words?'

Lan ignored him, carefully reading about what The Hound had endured in the lab.

The Hound wasn't old—barely twenty this year. He was just a teenager when the Science Academy brought him in. He grew up scrabbling in the apocalypse, born Outside the High Wall, living among the poor. After arriving at The High Wall, he had neither talent nor ability, and there was no place for him here.

But he had a stubborn nature and hated admitting defeat, even after being caught and sent to the Science Academy.

To make him compliant, the Science Academy tried many methods, including tampering with his memories. So The Hound had already lost most of his memories—he'd forgotten his name and where he came from. The only thing he remembered was fiercely resisting all the Academy's decisions.

In the end, the Science Academy ran out of options and resorted to electric shocks as punishment.

During the day, he'd killed a researcher at The Outer Wall, so he was immediately sent back to the Academy, sedated, and punished with electric shocks.

'I'm not sure who this Xianji you're talking about is, but I can definitely smell something strange.' The Hound said, 'That smell occasionally comes from the old bastard who stops by. You know that old bastard?'

Lan looked at him. 'Whether I know or not doesn't matter. What matters is that you can find him.'

'Of course I can find him.' The Hound's smile was sardonic. 'Ridiculous. Isn't my talent precisely for this kind of thing?'

He directed Lan. All along the way, surveillance cameras were running and researchers were walking around, but surprisingly, no one noticed them at all. The Hound reached out a clawed hand to grab at one, but Lan spotted it in time and smacked his hand.

So The Hound just snorted and pulled his hand back, continuing forward.

They walked like that all the way, opening countless doors, until The Hound finally said, 'It's just ahead.'

Lan kept walking forward. Just then, with a click, the door in front of them opened and a person in white protective gear stepped out. Even through the protective mask, his white hair was visible—he had to be quite old.

He brushed past Lan. The Hound glanced at him and stuck out his tongue, his single deep-blue eye brimming with crazed malice. One look and you knew this old bastard was one of the lead researchers on the experiment.

Lan immediately knocked The Hound with the corner of his book. The Hound covered his forehead, gave Lan a vicious glare, then turned back to look ahead.

But just then, the old man suddenly stopped, as if he'd noticed something, and looked back over his shoulder.

Only the empty corridor told him there was nothing there.

The old man frowned slightly, turned back, and muttered to himself, 'What's going on?'

As he watched him leave, The Hound laughed. 'Impressive, he didn't even see us? What kind of talent is this? To be this unnoticeable—it's amazing.'

Lan dragged him forward. 'Shut up and don't cause trouble.'

'I'm clearly your signpost leading the way! How is that causing trouble!'

Lan couldn't be bothered to argue, so he just hauled the man into the lab ahead.

Unlike Jian Ruofan [he/him]'s safe house frozen by Glaciation at the Anti-Contamination Center, this place reeked of chemicals and cold metal. Lan didn't need to memorize the names of these medicinal ingredients — the moment he stepped in, everything logged itself into his book.

He pulled The Hound straight behind the barrier, and there was the first-generation experiment subject, Xianji.

A man with long blue hair was suspended in a transparent glass tank, tubes connected all over his body. An oxygen tube was inserted into his mouth and nose. He had long been near death from the backlash of the Vanishing Project, but the Science Academy refused to let the project fail, so they forcibly kept him alive.

Soaked inside, neither dead nor alive, like an unfeeling corpse.

The Hound sized him up. 'I've heard about him. Unlike you, he was originally from the Science Academy, and he volunteered for the experiment. Truly selfless!'

'It was his success that led to the establishment and implementation of the Vanishing Project, and ultimately to the birth of the Second and Third Generation Experiment Subjects. Do you still think that's selfless?'

The Hound leaned against the glass. 'Heh, no matter how selfless he was, it has nothing to do with me. The Science Academy only produces high-grade tools, and I don't want to be that tool.'

Lan glanced at him. 'Found the person. What do you plan to do now?'

'Didn't you need bait?' The Hound said. 'I like this game of hunting the Science Academy too. Count me in.'

Lan neither agreed nor refused; he just placed his hand on the glass.

The man suspended in liquid kept his eyes closed all along, looking somewhat pitiful. But he had volunteered—there was no one to blame for his pity.

Lan murmured softly, his voice carrying a dead-serious calm. 'Are you in pain?'

'It's okay. I'm here to free you from your pain.'

'Of course, even if you're not in pain, I'll still forcibly free you.'

/

After leaving, the Researcher still felt something was off. He had a restless unease in his heart, a sense that something was about to happen.

So he made a call.

'Go check on The Hound.'

On the other end was his student, who sounded surprised. 'Teacher? We just came back from The Hound's room. Why do we need to go back?'

'I just have a bad feeling.'

'You must have just come back from Xianji's room, Teacher. You always feel uneasy when you return from there.' The student sighed. 'Teacher, you're worrying too much. Even if deserters are watching closely, they won't find this place anytime soon, and we're moving to a new lab in a couple of days.'

The Researcher frowned. 'Do I really feel uneasy every time I come back from Xianji's room?'

'Yes, Teacher. You should get The Doctor to prescribe some sedatives and get a good night's sleep,' the student said.

'My worry is because the current situation is so dire, but continuing the research won't hurt.' The Researcher sighed. 'Back then, the Vanishing Project was semi-failed. Everyone rushed too much, and this is the result we got. But as long as Xianji isn't dead, we can use his characteristics to keep controlling the Grade S Contaminants.'

'The Hound may be disobedient, but he can be used as a consumable, so he's still useful.'

Those words were so cold and ruthless, but in the Science Academy's eyes, the cost of dealing with a Grade S Contaminant was enormous. If they could create artificial consumables to keep the Grade S Contaminants continuously in a sealed state, that was a viable method.

The student sighed and walked over to the monitoring area. To reassure his teacher, he pulled up the surveillance feed opposite The Hound's room, even though he knew nothing could possibly go wrong.

But the moment he saw the feed, his eyes widened.

'H-h-how?!'

The Researcher heard his student's distorted voice. 'What happened?!'

'Teacher! The Hound is gone!'

'The door to his control room is open, and he's not inside!'

'What? How is this possible? Find him immediately! Check the surveillance! Send people to look!'

The alarm blared instantly. The researchers still at work looked up in shock at the flashing red lights on the walls. Once they realized what the lights meant, every face changed color. They rushed out at once, abandoning even the files in their hands.

The Researcher heard the alarm too. Suddenly realizing something, he quickly pulled out the tracker from his pocket. The moment he saw the location, his face went deathly pale.

He turned and ran back, issuing orders as he ran.

'Check the surveillance at Xianji's door immediately!'

'I can't! Teacher! I don't have the authorization!'

'Damn it!' The Researcher hung up quickly, clutching his phone as he rushed back, panting.

With trembling hands, he kept pressing the code lock. After a series of operations, the door finally opened, but he was too late. Before him was only the wide-open door and an empty, utterly destroyed room.

He braced against the wall and walked in. The moment he saw the scene inside, his vision went black.

Mustering his last breath, he pressed the call button.

'Report!'

'Xianji is dead! The Vanishing Project has completely failed!'

'I repeat: the Vanishing Project has completely failed!'

……

The Outer Wall was a place anyone could enter and leave at will. Even late at night, people were walking around outside. Someone wrapped up as tightly as Lan was extremely common; even without using his talent, he didn't stand out.

With the flyer issue from a Grade S Contaminant, and after endless rumors spread, some people at The Outer Wall wanted to leave, making nighttime even more crowded.

They couldn't get into Central City—they couldn't just stay here and wait to die.

The Hound had a black cloak forcibly thrown over him, looking thoroughly displeased. As he trudged along slowly, he eyed the people moving around him with an air of picking out someone annoying to pounce on and bite.

Lan shot him a glance and then smacked his head with the book.

'Walk properly.'

'You're so fierce,' The Hound said with disgust. 'I'm just looking, not actually biting.'

'Drawing attention isn't good. I have things to do later, so don't cause me trouble.'

The Hound ground his teeth but didn't argue further.

Lan brought him to the spot where he and Drifting Fish had made flyers during the day. By the time they arrived, Drifting Fish had already left, leaving behind a pile of printed flyers on blue paper.

He picked one up and looked at it, his eyes filling with disgust once again.

Still as ugly as ever.

But when The Hound saw the flyer, he realized this was Lan's doing. Remembering how the Science Academy had gone to such lengths to take him out during the day, only to be spotted by Lan—how cosmically unlucky—he found it hilarious and started laughing.

'Laughing like that in the middle of the night, aren't you scared you'll terrify someone?'

'I want to, so what? None of your business.' The Hound snatched the flyer from Lan's hand, opened his mouth, and tore it into shreds. 'And I'll bite stuff to bits if I want—none of your business!'

Lan: ...

Was he really a Third-Generation Experiment Subject and not some husky turned into a spirit?

He'd seen so many Mutants and Contaminants, even lower Grade A ones, and none of them had this kind of quirk.

Lan pulled out a stack of flyers. 'Keep biting?'

The Hound opened his mouth and chomped down, his sharp fangs piercing through the stack of flyers.

Lan tugged the flyers and shook them; The Hound's head shook along with them.

As expected, whether dog or wolf, neither is the least bit cute.

The next day, an urgent notice came from the Anti-Contamination Center: the flyers had finally appeared inside Central City. The flyers had upgraded again, this time with a row of very discreet small print.

【Stupid boss, just die already!】

Central City was deeply worried, afraid that this might be some hidden Mental Contamination. Was this resentment-filled message a sign that Drifting Fish had finally lost patience and decided to corrupt humans? What was it planning? Targeting bosses? Who did this so-called 'boss' refer to?

Or did it mean all people in charge?

Amid these layered concerns, several high-ranking officials gathered together, including a few representatives from the dispatch team and security forces. Zhou Xiangzhe was also one of the representatives.

They sat in the conference room, solemnly discussing the Contaminant problem and, incidentally, the purpose behind its flyer distribution. Zhou Xiangzhe—no one could tell if he was listening or not—stayed silent the whole time.

It was Shen Wang, who had come along with Zhou Xiangzhe, who reached out and picked up one of the flyers from the table.

'Hey! Don't!' the person across from him said anxiously. 'It hasn't been tested for contamination yet!'

'It's fine,' another person who knew Shen Wang said. 'He's a Mutant with the Contamination Immunity talent, a new member of North Star, and one of the personnel handling the Grade S Contamination Source this time.'

'Contamination Immunity?! So it's him!'

After that, no one in the room cared whether Shen Wang picked up the flyer or not. Even if it was contaminated, it didn't matter—Shen Wang couldn't be contaminated.

But Shen Wang looked at the flyer curiously because there was clearly a strange hole in it, right in the middle, along with some impressions... Shen Wang thought it looked like a bite mark from sharp teeth.

He reached out and grabbed the remaining flyers, finding holes in them as well.

'What's wrong?' Zhou Xiangzhe asked him.

'Nothing...' Shen Wang stacked the flyers, confirming the holes were in the same spot and weren't some kind of manufactured effect.

After a moment's silence, he spoke. 'Under what circumstances would a Contaminant get so angry it bites the flyers?'

Zhou Xiangzhe: ?

Everyone present fell silent at this question.

A Contaminant was so angry it bit the flyers?

What? Drifting Fish spent its own money to print and distribute flyers but didn't get a single order, so it got so mad it started chewing on the flyers raw?