LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 928
<928 – Titosso's Test (9)>
The state of the lower-tier research lab was shocking, as if the previous research facility had been merely a warm-up for serious research.
The most common sight here was researchers recording the imprisoned prisoners with monster cells planted in them.
Usually, they subjected them to torturous trials to collect various physical and mental change data for the record.
The problem arose when the distinction between ‘prisoner’ and ‘researcher’ began to blur.
[That guy must have had something wrong implanted.]
[Moss, it’s over there. The room where someone came out with an extra arm.]
[Points Mission Room…]
[No matter how great the welfare is around here, greed will surely lead to the grave.]
Why would someone undergo the mad act of implanting monster cells in their body and endure the side effects for the sake of better meals or more convenient facilities than upstairs?
The physical and mental fatigue of the graduate student seemed to have exceeded what a human could bear.
[I found one that seems to be okay. This way.]
[As expected from what senior said, this one seems to be relatively intact.]
Unlike the other researchers who were nearing non-human monsters, this researcher had particularly large breasts and long animal ears.
Milking with a fatigue-ridden face seemed to be quite familiar to them.
“Damn it. What’s wrong with having small breasts? I can’t believe I got obsessed with the idea of getting breast enhancement surgery. I really must be crazy.”
The cow-humanoid researcher put freshly squeezed milk bottles on display for sale.
The panel in front of the billing station showed two 150ml milk bottles full of mana, along with a hefty amount of points.
Senior’s point balance was an astounding 98.5 million points.
Unlike the upper-tier research lab researchers, who struggled with 1 million point exit permits, there was a considerable surplus here.
The cow-humanoid researcher manipulated the panel to search for products.
━━━
Graduate: 100 million points
━━━
Just a little bit more.
If they gather just a bit more points, they would graduate from the research lab.
What awaited afterward was the path to employment.
They could either stay at the Gift Academy or go wherever they were called.
They could aim to become an associate professor and pursue growth in the mana report at the Gift Academy, or descend into the mortal world and indulge in wealth and fame. A successful life could be fully enjoyed.
Compared to that, enduring the side effects of having to milk every day, while also boosting the mana of those who used them, was a cost worth bearing.
[These guys can’t be allowed.]
[Moss?]
[There’s a point detector.]
[It showed up on the dashboard, so it must be there.]
[That’s not it. There’s a specific trigger that detects points nearing 100 million.]
[…!]
Why would they need to measure points equivalent to 100 million points when there’s no discount event?
-This is a message from the situation room. A large number of monsters have breached the isolation area and escaped. All researchers on B6 should evacuate to the nearest shelter immediately.
Just in time, an emergency alert blared through the facility.
The face of the researcher, who had been planning to evacuate quickly, hardened.
The door wouldn’t open.
“Why do you tell us to evacuate when they’ve already raised the partition? Open the damn door, you trash!”
Fear appeared on the woman’s face as she pounded on the wall.
They had already arrived.
As if they had been dropped in via the shortest route.
As if they had come specifically for her from the start.
Monsters that had lost their human forms, or perhaps were never human, appeared from the opposite corridor.
“Don’t come! I really have almost gathered it all. If I just have a little more, I can graduate from the research lab!”
A sly grin crept across the monsters’ lips.
And then they lunged forward with a thud.
[Is it okay to reveal our existence?]
[We need at least one internal collaborator. We did our best to avoid being detected.]
[A watcher must have intentionally sent the monsters based on the situation. Our existence has likely been discovered.]
Jiang, refusing to watch the pitiful researcher suffer, risked exposure to rescue them.
[Mind Link. Respond via telepathic magic.]
[Who are you? Did you come to rescue me?]
[That’s right. And lead me to a place without surveillance devices. I have a few questions to ask. You’ll find it a cheap price for your life.]
The researcher nodded obediently.
[Your name.]
[Pai.]
[The research facility has no plans to help you graduate. Another newcomer was kidnapped for that purpose. Do you know the pretty child named Titosso who recently came down?]
[Titosso? I remember.]
[Where are they?]
[Further down. In the deep layer area.]
[…What could possibly be so great about going down to a place worse than this hell?]
[That kid was overflowing with energy. Unlike me, they could just physically beat down monsters.]
Titosso and physicality.
Jiang felt confused by the juxtaposition of those two words.
[Want to see the video record? I recorded it thinking it was a new type of monster.]
[I do.]
[But we need to go back to my personal room where my stuff is stored. Can you protect me while I pack?]
[Pai, you’re sly. You’re bringing this up to ensure your protection while gathering your belongings, aren’t you?]
[Still, it’s helpful, right?]
Jiang pondered.
Moss urged Jiang onward.
[I’m in favor.]
[That’s surprising. I thought you prioritized safety.]
[If the one we need to rescue is reliable, it’s not a bad thing. The retreat plan will be easier as well.]
Since both agreed, they decided to return to Pai’s personal room to secure the video magic tool.
Jiang’s judgment was also influenced by the fact that Pai was still in danger.
[Why isn’t the situation end notification popping up? I have to go back because of the walls. I know the way, but going the long way while avoiding the shortcut is exhausting.]
[That’s because the situation will continue until you die or are captured.]
[…]
[Jiang, don’t scare me. If you become uncooperative like that, it will cause trouble for us.]
[I’m just letting you know, that’s all.]
Arriving at the personal room, a suspicious monster stood in front of Pai’s door.
Seeing that face, Pai sprinted over excitedly.
“Owen! You’re alive?”
The creature, human in shape but made of thousands of tentacles, appeared to be trying desperately to maintain a human form, giving a rather unsettling impression.
However, it didn’t attack Pai or assault Jiang and Moss.
“Owen can’t speak. He has been in a state of ruin since receiving divine punishment before entering the research facility. The monster research has kept this kid alive.”
The technique wasn’t bad.
It was just the humans who misused it that were at fault.
[So why did Owen show up at this suspicious timing? It seems way too strange.]
“Owen, where have you been? What were you doing for a year until now?”
Some of Owen’s tentacles shaped up.
Underground.
Detention.
Rescue.
Blink?
[Titosso? This monster was sent by Titosso.]
[Owen is a person. He has always protected me, even today!]
[Yeah, a person. Anyway, can you ask if he can guide us to where Titosso is?]
Owen nodded.
Then he headed toward a ventilation duct where people wouldn’t pass.
Moss flinched at the thought of following the tentacles, but Jiang comfortably trailed behind.
[Moss, it’s better to let the tentacles clean up the dust as I lead through the ventilation duct. You’d actually be at a disadvantage up front!]
[…]
Moss, who seemed to have misgivings about using the duct, changed his mind when he saw monsters passing beneath the ceiling.
The monsters dispatched to target Pai arrived at the scene a bit late.
With the blockade and alarms still active, Jiang’s group passed through the duct even more cautiously.
[Ah, no way.]
Suddenly, Pai flailed their legs.
[What’s wrong?]
[My chest got stuck.]
[…]
[Aah, don’t push! It hurts, it hurts!]
Thanks to Jiang’s selfish retaliation, Pai managed to escape the duct, cradling their sore chest and pouting.
[Getting that monster cell implant was a huge mistake. They’re unnecessarily big, making my shoulders ache, I sweat too much, and milking is exhausting every day.]
[…]
They had shaken off their pursuers, but on the way down to the deep research lab, monsters were gathered with the intent to ambush.
[From here on, hiding our identities is impossible.]
[Moss, are you confident in a full-on battle?]
[The area control is being maintained by equipment. There’s no loss of combat power.]
[Then let’s do it.]
As Jiang emerged in the midst of the enemy camp, riding shadows, they pierced the monsters’ necks, hearts, and ankles, slipping seamlessly between their shadows.
In the chaos among the enemy ranks, Moss released his stealth and unleashed a torrent of firepower.
Screams erupted from monsters all around.
Jiang didn’t find the screams pleasing.
If they were human, they wouldn’t have made a peep before dying.
But monsters were different.
They were sturdy, and their physiological structure was somewhat different.
Instead, they were compensating for the insufficient firepower that Moss provided.
Energy pierced through their tough skin and flesh, turning the insides to mush.
“Grrrr!!”
Among the falling monsters, one particularly robust beast charged.
Before Jiang’s shadow slithered to keep up, Moss’ combat magic tool locked onto the target and a lightning-fast assault was absorbed by Owen’s body.
Tentacles scattered and quickly returned to their original form, burrowing into the monster’s joints.
Crack!
In an instant, all the joints of the monster broke, and it went limp.
[The monsters from the lower-tier lab aren’t ‘successful products’. The truly completed monsters were ‘delivered’ to the deep layer. Don’t relax just because you’ve won this round.]
[…What on earth did Titosso do to be roaming around just beating everyone up?]
Jiang felt a little overwhelmed.
Yet, passing through the final double barrier, the emotion they felt was fear.
Could it be that Titosso’s arms had turned into eight?
They might have turned into a 2.3-meter giant.
If a muscular giant’s body were hanging beneath Titosso’s face, could they still call that Titosso?
Amidst all kinds of swirling fears, they finally reached the deep area of the research facility.
“Yahaaap! Titos Light Punch!”
Boom!
Welcoming Jiang was Titosso, still with two arms and the same height as before, overwhelming the monsters with pure body strength turned into a giant blood augmentation effect of mana, shooting upward against the monsters attempting to ascend.
Seeing Jiang reveal himself from hiding, Titosso was startled.
“Jiang! What are you doing here?”
“What about you? What are you doing here?”
“I told you! If I stayed here, I could raise my mana control! By hitting monsters, my mana control is really going up. Look, my fists are glowing!”
Titosso was doing just fine.
It was just that they realized mana control as a martial art instead of as magic that was the real problem.