As Irene’s voice echoed, complex emotions flickered in the pained eyes of the giant wolf. Suddenly, the glow of magical circuitry enveloped its body, causing it to shrink from the size of a van into a tall, slender man.
Perhaps as part of his transformation, he retained a layer of dark wolf fur that covered most of his body, preventing complete nudity.
Yvette stood by, silently assessing the features of the Werewolf Killer, now revealed to be Tennyson Norton, a young man with pronounced cheekbones and deep-set eyes.
However, his expression was peculiar—at times blank and at times lucid, as though he was battling for control over a second personality.
“Tennyson, what happened? Why have you become like this?” Irene asked anxiously.
Tennyson opened his mouth, seemingly about to speak, but the next moment he suddenly clutched his throat and began to writhe in agony. When Yvette pulled his hand away, he murmured in a dazed tone, “Kill me… please… just kill me…”
Stunned, Irene could hardly believe that Tennyson’s request was this. It sounded as if… he was no longer in control of himself.
“You can’t control yourself?” Yvette identified the pain and struggle behind his words.
“I… I am… no, I can’t say…” Tennyson gasped for breath, staring at the ground. After a long moment, he finally whispered, “Kill me… that’s the only outcome I can control…”
Yvette furrowed her brows slightly, beginning to grasp why the wolf had charged at her without trying to escape.Had he harbored a desire for death from the beginning?
Irene pressed on, “Why? Is it Linthou Biotech? Are they forcing you?”
Tennyson remained silent, his gaze fixed downward. Clearly, as long as he didn’t express a denial, it was to be interpreted as an affirmation.
“Are you afraid to speak, unwilling to speak, or… unable to speak?” Yvette asked.
These were her three hint directions—“afraid” suggested fear, “unwilling” indicated conflicting interests, and “unable” pointed to another type of situation. Among them, the latter seemed to indicate a form of coercive restraint. However, the specifics of this constraint remained shrouded in mystery.
“I cannot speak…” Tennyson finally said after a long silence. “I am merely… a testing tool… I cannot say anything…”
To be unable to speak suggested a unique constraint. No wonder Linthou Biotech allowed him to roam around committing murders… “Testing Tool” was the strongest implication.
Yvette comprehended but had no intention of acting violently. She aimed to turn Tennyson over to the AJSP, firstly for the 1 million bounty, and secondly, perhaps that would offer him protection.
After all, Irene’s affiliation with “Bird News,” a media outlet aligned with the Black Tower, meant that they were inherently opposed to Linthou Biotech. The Werewolf Killer was headline news, drawing considerable traffic for both parties. Even if Tennyson’s remaining life would indefinitely be spent in prison, it would still be preferable to suffering further under Linthou Biotech’s control and being denounced as a cruel serial killer.
Yet, just as she made that decision, footsteps echoed from a distance, growing louder.
She looked up to see more figures emerging in both the front and back of the road, each lit with the glow of magical circuitry. Their expressions were dull and vacant, appearing to be fellow abominations like Tennyson.
Irene covered her mouth in terror, clearly recognizing the significance of the glowing patterns on their bodies. The key issue, however, was that there were over a dozen of them!
If all these individuals shared Tennyson’s traits, then even Miss Nameless’s extraordinary powers couldn’t guarantee her protection!
“Haha…” Accompanied by the sound of clapping, the Werewolf Killers parted to let a middle-aged man in a white lab coat walk forward. He looked at the three of them and said, “It’s quite remarkable that a fledgling mercenary could defeat a ‘Beast Warrior’ so effortlessly. Miss Nameless, who might you truly be?”
Yvette maintained her composure, recognizing the middle-aged man through a quick online search. “Hewlett Sean, biological engineering advisor for Linthou Biotech, professor of runic biology at Agash University?”
“Correct.” He nodded without hesitation, adjusting his glasses to reveal his arms heavily marked with runic tattoos.
“Are you researching the ability to turn humans into beasts? Is Tennyson Norton your test subject?” Yvette probed.
“Although it’s rather obvious, Miss Nameless—or should I say, Miss Yvette Sien—you’re making me feel a bit shortchanged by asking so directly,” Hewlett said with a sly smile.
Yvette frowned slightly upon hearing this. He continued, “Instead of dodging questions, why don’t you answer one of mine in return? A fair exchange.”
“What do you want to know?”
“Well, my first question is… are you Zero?”
A deathly silence blanketed the air. Seeing the strange look in Hewlett’s eyes, Yvette instinctively felt confused.
She responded, “What is Zero?”
“You’re not Zero?” Hewlett asked, surprised by the genuine bewilderment in her expression. He then prompted, “How old are you?”
“That’s the second question.”
“Alright, alright… go ahead and ask your question.”
“Answer my previous question: Are you researching the ability to turn humans into beasts?”
“Sadly, the answer is no. The abilities of the Beast Warriors are outside my research scope; I merely conducted tests on them.” Hewlett answered with a slight smile.
Yvette contemplated the truthfulness of his words and replied nonchalantly, “I am sixteen.”
After providing her answer, she continued, “What experiments are you conducting on Tennyson Norton?”
“This is an experimental technology still under testing, which I might call ‘Soul Protocol.’ This technology allows us to input specific commands into a living organism’s body, akin to embedding a foundational protocol into a cognitive core, thereby effectively restraining those formerly unruly biological weapons. You can imagine its application, for example, by cultivating powerful war beasts that mimic the ‘Three Laws of Robotics,’ implanting a similar content within them; they will prioritize human command above all and obey orders like automata … Such a perfect technology, just thinking about it is thrilling, right?”
Evidently ecstatic about his research, Hewlett continued in one breath.
“Is it akin to hypnosis or cognitive modification?” Yvette asked.
“No, no, no, there’s a significant distinction. The brilliance of the Soul Protocol lies in its anchoring to the spirit, influencing both memory and physical being. For instance, using this technology, even if I make no changes to the subject’s cognition, I can lock down their ‘beastification’ ability. Moreover, activating or deactivating it only requires a ‘safety word.’”
Hewlett then sighed regretfully. “Of course, this is an experimental technique with many unaddressed issues, which makes it difficult to advance beyond the laboratory. For substantial application, it may still take a century.”
Using the spirit as an anchor? Yvette’s mind sparked as she suddenly asked, “Are you colluding with the Spirit Sect?”
She meant it merely as a probe, but to her surprise, a peculiar smile appeared on Hewlett’s face.
“Miss Nameless, your insights are genuinely terrifying; you grasped so quickly that this is a technology birthed from soul runes.”
Without directly addressing the subject of the Spirit Sect, he continued, “Good, now it’s my turn to ask. Based on our investigations, you and a blonde girl resurfaced on Ish Island, only to vanish for four years. Where did you go during that time?”
“I was hiding for a while,” Yvette responded, naturally avoiding the truth with a vague answer before continuing, “What is this Zero you mentioned?”
“Haha… Zero and One, are you not you and your golden-haired companion?”
After stating something that perplexed Yvette, Hewlett donned a seemingly friendly smile and counseled, “Miss Nameless, I hope you cooperate with me. Our company has goodwill toward you and One; we can provide whatever you desire—there’s no harm in cooperating for mutual benefit, is there?”
“You’ve mistaken me; I don’t know what Zero or One is, nor do I understand what you mean by cooperation. I’m still waiting for your explanation.” Yvette replied without emotion.
“Are you… really not?” Hewlett appeared hesitant, muttering to himself, “Though the ages don’t line up, who else could it be…?”
Then his expression turned cold. “Regardless of whether you are or not, the outcome remains unchanged, Miss Nameless. The company has goodwill toward you; I share the same sentiment and am willing to share so much with you. If you remain uncooperative, I will have to resort to some measures.”
…
As soon as he spoke those words, a chill swept through the atmosphere.
Irene’s heart raced, nervously glancing around, thinking that if a conflict erupted, both she and Tennyson would surely be doomed.
Miss Nameless appeared to possess a mysterious identity and overwhelming strength, ensuring her safety. But what about her? What would happen to Tennyson? Would they really be silenced by Linthou Biotech?
Then Irene heard Yvette say, “We can negotiate. You let them go, and once Irene Parker and Tennyson Norton have gotten far enough, I will speak with you.”
“Miss Nameless…” Irene called out, her heart swelling with gratitude.
Clearly, she saw that with Miss Nameless’s strength, if she wanted to escape, she could easily do so. Yet, she chose to prioritize her safety first!
What immense kindness!
And what a sense of contractual honor?!
Of course, she understood her role as a liability, so she refrained from saying more as she urged Tennyson to follow her, stepping toward the dim road’s end while discreetly calling for help and alerting the AJSP to prevent the heinous corporation from kidnapping them in the open.
…
Irene’s pace was somewhat slow, yet fortunately, Tennyson still exhibited a flicker of strength. After transforming into the giant wolf, he managed to carry her farther away, disappearing into the dark expanse of the roadway.
Seeing that, Hewlett’s expression remained unchanged. He didn’t care about whether Irene could call for help; before arriving, he had already employed measures to ensure the AJSP would respond at a snail’s pace.
He said, “With the irrelevant people gone, we should now take our leave, Miss Nameless.”
“Is that so?” Yvette replied, her expression neutral. “What if I refuse?”
“That would create some complications.” Hewlett sneered. “But I’d prefer you not test my patience any longer. While I’ll ensure your safety, it doesn’t preclude the process from becoming a bit rough…”
He fell silent, suddenly realizing that the whites of Yvette’s eyes had turned completely black.
Two dark red pupils shone against the backdrop of the pitch-black, radiating an unsettling evil aura, akin to a demonic god suddenly awakened.
“You…” Hewlett’s heart raced, sensing an instinctive alarm for danger as his fight-or-flight response was triggered.
Yet, before he could threaten further, the next second, he witnessed the beautiful silver hair of the young girl, shimmering with colors like a prism, thrashing wildly like a nest of snakes!
The strands abruptly elongated, piercing through the heads of each Beast Warrior surrounding them, leaving small puncture wounds oozing blood, causing them to collapse helplessly.
Hewlett’s pupils contracted sharply.
A total annihilation?
In this moment, the powers exhibited by this girl diverged completely from the methods she had used to violently defeat the Werewolf Killer and surpassed all of Hewlett’s expectations!
“You… how could you…”
As he watched the Beast Warriors collapse like puppets with severed strings, a cold dread surged up his spine.
Despite being in the top tier of global mages—the strongest 5%—he felt an emotion he hadn’t experienced in years: raw fear. Even the armored prosthetics beneath his clothes offered no sense of security.
As the silver-haired girl with the unsettling aura approached, Hewlett trembled backward, exclaiming, “This isn’t a human ability! You… you truly are Zero!! You can’t deny it!!”
With that, he turned to flee, his armored limbs extending from beneath his clothing, similar to Iron Man’s nanotech suit, forming into a ghostly blue battle armor.
However, the silver hair swiftly ensnared him, wrapping around his legs. With a tug, the augmented Hewlett was yanked forward like a kite with a severed string, crashing to the ground. He scrambled to crawl forward, still being dragged back toward the girl.
“Let, let me go! You witch!!” As the beautiful yet terrifying face drew closer, Hewlett screamed like a girl on the verge of being dragged into an alley by a thug.
Immediately, he unleashed several rune circles, each filled with a crimson energy pulse directed at the silver-haired girl.
These were military-grade spells worth 100,000 credits, potent enough to threaten military vehicles, yet they were effortlessly intercepted by the silver strands, bursting into explosive fireballs.
This incredible scene made Hewlett’s gallbladder quiver as he found himself plunged into a nightmare.