Chapter 17
995 Words
The manhole cover was nudged open, leaving a narrow slit.
Rainwater trickled through the gap and dripped into Qin Lie's eyes. He didn't wipe it away; instead, bracing himself against the rim with one hand, he hauled his body out of the sewer. Muddy water streamed down his trouser legs, pooling on the floor in a dark, murky stain.
The streetlamp in the alley flickered twice, then went out.
Ahead, an inconspicuous iron door cracked open. Su Hongxiu stood in the shadows, a towel in her hand.
"Come in."
Her voice was barely a whisper.
Qin Lie stepped across the threshold. His knees went weak, and he nearly collapsed to the floor. Su Hongxiu reached out to steady his arm; the skin beneath her palm felt terrifyingly hot to the touch.
Inside the hidden chamber, only the light above the operating table was illuminated.
Qin Lie hoisted himself onto the table. The cold metal pressed against his chest, triggering a spasm in his muscles. The clothes on his back were caked with a mixture of blood and sewage—stiff and hard as a shell. Su Hongxiu picked up a pair of shears and began cutting away the fabric along the edges of his wounds.
The cloth was fused to his flesh. As she peeled it away, beads of blood welled up to the surface.
"Silver residue," Su Hongxiu observed, her gaze fixed on the wounds.
The skin surrounding several of the puncture wounds had taken on a grayish-white hue, resembling metal corroded by acid. The werewolf genes beneath his skin thrashed restlessly, attempting to initiate healing, yet they were held in check by the silver-based toxins. The edges of the wounds twitched faintly, as if something were crawling just beneath the surface.
She picked up a spray bottle.
"Brace yourself."
She aimed the nozzle directly at the wounds. A cloud of white mist erupted from the tip.
Qin Lie's fingers clamped down on the edge of the operating table. The metal groaned under the strain, emitting a harsh, grating screech. His knuckles turned bone-white. Veins bulged across the back of his hands—thick, winding cords resembling earthworms.
The instant the spray made contact with his skin, a hiss escaped the wounds, accompanied by wisps of white smoke.
A searing pain surged upward along his nerves. Qin Lie clenched his jaw tight. His Adam's apple bobbed once. He did not utter a sound.
Su Hongxiu set aside the spray bottle and reached for a tube of bio-gel. She applied the viscous green gel to his wounds, and the burning sensation subsided instantly. The searing agony was quelled, and the frenzied throbbing beneath his skin also began to calm down significantly. "Your genetic fluctuations are unstable." Su Hongxiu peeled off her gloves and tossed them into the waste bin. "Had we waited another half-hour, the Silver Toxin would have reached your heart."
Qin Lie braced himself against the countertop and slowly sat up.
"What about the lab...?"
"Leave that be for now." Su Hongxiu turned toward the control console and pulled up a set of data readings. "In your current condition, stepping in there would be a death wish."
A red waveform pulsed across the screen.
The logo for the "Ark" Project flickered in the corner.
Qin Lie lowered his gaze to his hands. The edges of his fingernails still bore traces of black—the telltale signs of his bloodline's mutation. His short sword lay close at hand; the patterns etched into its blade appeared dull and lusterless.
From the street outside, the screech of brakes rang out.
Sharp. Abrupt.
Su Hongxiu froze.
Immediately following came the sound of rapid, heavy footsteps. Leather boots splashed through puddles—*slosh, slosh*—the sound of more than one person.
She raised a hand and pressed a panel on the wall.
A translucent, pale-blue energy field descended from the ceiling, enveloping the hidden chamber. A low hum filled the air, sealing off all sound from the outside world.
"My assistant will handle them," Su Hongxiu said.
Qin Lie snatched up his short sword. His body went rigid, poised to strike at any moment.
From beyond the sound-dampening barrier, a faint knocking could be heard.
*Thump. Thump. Thump.*
"Open up! Routine inspection!"
The voice sounded muffled, distorted by the thick door panel.
The assistant's footsteps approached the entrance. The lock clicked and turned.
"It's quite late; is there a problem?" The assistant's voice remained steady, though tinged with the mild annoyance of someone whose rest had been disturbed.
"We received a tip-off that you're harboring suspicious individuals here." The voice on the other side was cold and hard, carrying the oppressive weight of authority. "Open every room."
"This is a private clinic. Without a search warrant, I cannot..."
"Silver Cross Society—Special Operations Unit." The voice cut her off. "Step aside."
The sounds of a physical scuffle followed.
Footsteps entered the reception area. The scraping of tables and chairs being moved. Drawers being yanked open and slammed shut.
Inside the hidden chamber...
Qin Lie held his breath.
Su Hongxiu stood at his side, her hand resting on another surgical scalpel. They stood so close that they could hear the faint, rhythmic sound of each other's breathing. The wounds on Qin Lie's body still throbbed with a dull ache. With every heartbeat came a lingering tremor of dread.
The sounds of rummaging outside continued for five minutes.
"Boss, nothing found."
"What about the basement?"
"It's locked. They claim it's used for storing medical waste."
"Pry it open."
The assistant's voice rose slightly: "There's residual radiation down there. If something happens to you guys once you go in, who takes the fall?"
Silence.
Footsteps halted right outside the basement door.
Qin Lie tightened his grip on his sword.
A few seconds later, the footsteps retreated.
"Pull out."
The roar of engines sounded once more. The vehicle drove away from the mouth of the alley.
The shimmering light-shield vanished.
- Writer
