It wanted so much more!
As soon as An Yan looked into its eyes, she knew what it was thinking. She reached out to stroke its tail again and said, "You can only have one thing!"
The light in Little Squirrel’s eyes suddenly dimd a bit.
An Yan was amused by its reaction. "Don’t be too greedy," she said. "Your main task right now is to heal properly. Go to sleep."
Little Squirrel obediently closed its eyelids.
An Yan turned, sat back down at her desk, and opened her computer.
This ti, she was looking into the research institute—specifically, Matsumoto Mina’s scientific research projects.
As she read on, An Yan’s brows furrowed.
Among Matsumoto Mina’s projects was one on genetic hybridization!
In An Yan’s mind, genetic hybridization was generally used for crops. Rice hybridization increased rice yields, and fruit tree hybridization expanded the variety of fruits; in short, all these projects served humanity. But Matsumoto Mina was researching animal hybridization. She wanted to find the secret to immortality through these experints! The animals she chose for hybridization all possessed so special trait. For example, the gecko could shed its tail to survive. The lobster, whose various tissues contained telorase, was one of the few long-lived species. There was also the immortal jellyfish, said to be able to revert from its adult stage to its juvenile stage!
Beyond these longevity pursuits, Matsumoto Mina was also researching how to enhance human combat abilities. Thus, she fused human DNA with that of wild beasts—lions, tigers, elephants, whales, sharks, and so on.
As she continued reading, An Yan suddenly thought of a foreign film. It was about a scientist couple who created a new species by hybridizing human and animal DNA, a being possessing both human intelligence and animal instincts. This new species first had relations with the female scientist’s husband in the guise of a woman, then transford into a man and violated the female scientist.
What the film aid to discuss, An Yan thought, was probably humanity’s bottom line. It’s undeniable that humans are intelligent, but do intelligent beings have the right to create other life? If this newly created life isn’t controlled, can humanity destroy it without any obstacles? And what if they can’t destroy it? Would humanity be willing to relinquish the world it has ruled for so many years?
In the end, the male scientist was killed by this new species he and his wife had created, while the female scientist killed the new being herself. The movie perhaps conveyed that humanity shouldn’t, out of greed, carelessly cross lines they shouldn’t. Because the consequence of crossing those lines could very well be the end of life itself!
The movie was fictional, a hypothesis. But Matsumoto Mina was seriously trying to bring such scenes to life!
An Yan took a deep breath. "If I stop this project," she mused aloud, "would it count as saving people?"
The large tree in her mind remained motionless.
"What if I destroy this place?" she asked.
The dozen or so leaves on the Talisman Technique branch of the tree swayed up and down, indicating agreent.
"Then let’s destroy it!"
***
「A new day.」
Sunlight stread in through the wooden window, brightening the entire room.
An Yan, who had been sitting cross-legged on the ground practicing her techniques all night, slowly opened her eyes.
She got up to check on Little Squirrel.
It was already awake.
"I’ll be going out for a while. You stay here and behave," she said.
An Yan then transfused so Spiritual Energy into it.
A hint of slight grievance appeared in Little Squirrel’s eyes. It wanted to stay by its owner’s side and didn’t want to be left with soone else again.
"Be good," An Yan reassured it. "Once you’re healed, I’ll let you follow all the ti! I’ll absolutely never let anyone snatch you away again."
Little Squirrel finally cheered up.
"However, although you’re here, you can’t let people see you, so..."
An Yan summoned Spiritual Energy, raised her hand to draw several Talismans, and pressed them down in sequence according to their designated positions.
In the blink of an eye, Little Squirrel vanished.
The spot on the windowsill where its little bed had been was now empty.
An Yan’s use of Talismans to create a Formation was a success!
***
「The research institute.」
As usual, An Yan sat in her office for a while before getting up to start her rounds.
Ever since her victorious battle against Matsumoto Mina at the docks, her subordinates treated her with an even higher level of respect. They would bow and greet her from a distance.
An Yan was very satisfied with this developnt!
Greeting people along the way, she arrived at the elevator.
The first to third basent levels were office areas; the fifth to seventh basent levels were production areas. Below the seventh basent level, starting from B8, were the research areas.
This was An Yan’s first ti going to these lower levels.
The deeper she went, the colder the air beca.
With her clairvoyant vision, An Yan could faintly see dark grey, thread-like wisps of energy floating in the air.
The elevator automatically stopped when it reached the eighth basent level.
An Yan stepped out.
Before her was an empty hall. It looked like a bare, unfinished structure.
This is strange, how could there be an unfinished area in a place like this? Another Formation?
As she was frowning, a voice suddenly rang out, "Miss Saori, why have you co down here?"
As the voice spoke, a figure abruptly appeared before her. Simultaneously, the unfinished structure behind her vanished, replaced by a long corridor. On one side of the corridor was a round pit, and on the other, a tal door.
"And why can’t I?" An Yan lifted her chin, her gaze arrogant as she looked down on the staff mber addressing her.
He wore a white jumpsuit with a na badge on his chest:
Kirihara Ichiro.
Genetic Fusion Project Team.
Kirihara Ichiro felt sowhat suffocated by her aura, but he still adamantly blocked her path, stating, "This is a critical project site. The departnt head has ordered that no non-research personnel are permitted to enter the eighth basent level or any levels below it!"
"The departnt head said that?" An Yan asked.
"Yes! It’s the departnt head’s order!"
"Alright then, I won’t go."
Watching An Yan turn and leave, Kirihara Ichiro breathed a sigh of relief.
These days, all the research staff, including him, had heard of this Miss Saori’s reputation. Fierce and uncompromising! Anyone who displeased her was directly kicked out! They weren’t even given a chance to repent and nd their ways! Luckily, they were researchers, and the Matsumoto Group still relied on their work. Otherwise, he couldn’t imagine if he would still have his job after daring to block her.
Just as this thought crossed Kirihara’s mind, he felt his consciousness waver. His body moved forward uncontrollably, again and again, until it stopped in a surveillance blind spot.
Miss Saori, who had clearly left monts before, now reappeared before him, a knowing smile on her face.
A few minutes later.
An Yan first gave Kirihara Ichiro an injection. After confirming he was unconscious, she set up a Formation to hide his body. Then, she used a Disguise Talisman to take on Kirihara Ichiro’s appearance.
With a confident swagger, she entered the so-called critical project site.
An Yan took a deep breath and began to dismantle the Blinding Spell in the area.
Breaking this Formation would also help her understand Matsumoto Mina’s thods for setting them up. During their last contest, she had seen Matsumoto Mina deploy a Formation. Although she had only witnessed the latter half of the process, she was certain it was derived from the Five Elents and Eight Trigrams.
An Yan calculated and unraveled the spell step by step, finally locating the formation’s core—a Talisman.
And it was of a higher grade than her own Talismans!
Just as An Yan was intently studying this Talisman, a nearby door suddenly opened. A portly man erged, and upon seeing "Kirihara Ichiro," his face imdiately darkened with displeasure.
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