130 A Cruel Experiment!

Chen Yilei curled his body in terror.

Madman! A madman!

That was the only word echoing in his mind now. This director, who appeared so kind and benevolent, was a lunatic!

Alchemy? Science? Sorcery?

Chen Yilei could not comprehend these terms, and he had no desire to understand what they meant.

"Do you know of Frankenstein?" the director asked, staring directly into Chen Yilei’s eyes.

"N-no… I don't," Chen Yilei stammered in reply.

A flicker of disappointment crossed the director's eyes. It was clear he had not expected Chen Yilei to be so ignorant.

"Frankenstein is the legendary artificial human, a resurrected creature created by the scientist Krampe!" a man nearby offered an explanation. The man’s eyes glowed with the same frenzied light.

With that reminder, it clicked for Chen Yilei. He recalled the image of Frankenstein from countless films: a giant monster covered in stitches. Could it be that the director intended to turn him into that very monster?

"Don't worry. Although you are pathetically stupid, you are well-suited to become a Frankenstein. With this new technique, you have at least a one-in-five chance of survival," the director said with confidence.

"You're crazy! You're a madman! This is impossible! Let me go!" Chen Yilei wailed.

The director did not grow angry at these words; instead, he looked at Chen Yilei with profound pity—the kind of look one gives to an inferior species.

However, the other doctors were not as forgiving.

"The director’s hypothesis is viable. A hundred years ago, people didn't believe organ transplants were possible either."

"Exactly. Nowadays, many organs are even artificial or lab-grown."

"We have already had a successful case, though it only survived for three days."

The doctors' eyes burned with fanaticism. They were not mentally ill patients, but the original doctors of the hospital who had been persuaded by the director's theories and had voluntarily chosen to follow him on this grand path toward human evolution.

Chen Yilei fell into total despair. These were lunatics—unreasonable, deranged madmen! All their talk of science and humanity was just a pretext to kill him!

"Proceed. Let's not waste time, or the other half of the materials won't be fresh," the director said, waving his hand.

"Yes!"

The doctors stopped wasting words and forcibly restrained Chen Yilei to the operating table. Ignoring his struggles, they began their work. It was fortunate for Chen Yilei that he lost consciousness the moment the blade touched his skin, sparing him from experiencing the agony that followed.

Soon, a crystal core was embedded into his skull.

"Director, there is no rejection reaction! But the consumable has expired." A male doctor sounded excited.

"It doesn't matter! Extract the other half of the materials and suture it now!" The director’s eyes grew even more intense.

"Yes!"

The doctors hurried to bring out the so-called "other half of the materials." It was actually a Tier 2 mutant! The creature looked utterly wretched, its four limbs already severed. Its entire body was wrapped in restraints, and even its teeth had been knocked out. Only the movement of its head proved it was still alive. Yet, this Tier 2 mutant had lost all the ferocity and cruelty a zombie should possess. Its eyes were hollow, as if it had abandoned all hope.

Soon, a stitched-up monster lay on the operating table. The head was still Chen Yilei's, but much of his body had been replaced by zombie tissue—such as his heart and other vital organs. A normal human heart is red, but the zombie's heart was a dark, bruised color, beating with violent intensity.

Just then, someone knocked frantically at the door.

*Thump, thump, thump.*

"We are in the middle of a surgery!" the director roared, annoyed at the interruption.

"Director! The consumables in the basement have escaped! And there is an intruder—a powered individual!" the person outside shouted.

"Never mind those consumables; if they’re gone, we can just catch more! Kill the intruder," the director sneered.

"But that fellow is very strong! We can't stop him; he's already heading this way!" the voice outside said with urgency.

Hearing this, the director frowned. "You go out and stop him. I will handle the rest! Use the drugs if necessary. I will solve the side effect issues sooner or later." The director picked up a scalpel.

"Yes!"

The four men did not hesitate for a second and rushed toward the door. The director's orders were absolute commands to them. It was a pity they would miss the culmination of this great experiment, but they were certain that as long as they followed the director, they would witness more greatness ahead.

Each man pulled out a syringe and stabbed it ruthlessly into his own arm. Their expressions turned savage, and their movements became faster than before.

As they left, a flash of electricity sparked within the operating room.

"Oh..."

Then, a strange, guttural roar echoed out.

...

"So many powered individuals... at least a dozen. There are really a lot of people gathered here," Xue Feng muttered to himself.

Dozens of charred corpses lay around him, among them several powered individuals. This only deepened Xue Feng’s curiosity. Why was North Mountain Hospital able to gather so many people? Was it truly, as the old director claimed, a place for research on superpowered beings? Or was there another secret? If they could manufacture powered individuals, the numbers should be far higher than this.

Just as he was pondering, four men suddenly charged toward him. They were wearing white lab coats, and each held a scalpel in their hand.

Xue Feng naturally rushed forward with his axe, but he soon realized something was wrong. These individuals were incredibly fast and possessed immense strength. He couldn't gain the upper hand in close-quarters combat. In fact, due to a moment of carelessness, his arm was slashed by a scalpel, leaving a ten-centimeter-long wound.

*How is this possible?*

Xue Feng had been using his powers the entire time.

"You people..." Xue Feng stepped back, squinting at the group. He realized what was wrong. These men were clearly not ordinary; their physical fitness far exceeded that of a normal person. They had to be powered individuals! But their enhancements were purely physical. How could it be such a coincidence that all of them had the exact same power?

Suddenly, Xue Feng’s eyes widened. The lunatic he had encountered on the plane seemed to have the exact same abilities as these men—high speed and great strength, with no other special abilities displayed.

"Heh, this is the Transcendent Body! It is the director’s greatest research achievement!"

"Tremble, mortal! This is a world you cannot comprehend!"

"Submit obediently to the director, and you might still have a chance to live."

The men wore expressions of fanatical devotion.