The Beautiful, Strong, and Tragic Female Lead is Mine [Transmigration Into a Novel] - Chapter 49

Ning Ximing’s gaze and voice were cold, causing Xie Zhitian’s heart to skip a beat.

The physical evolution of the Xenomorphs was the final step and the most dangerous one. The sudden responsibility falling on her shoulders made it impossible for her to feel nothing.

Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang exchanged a look. Before they could react, He Yuzhu spoke up.

“Sister Ximing, the results from the second step of taming are still unstable, and the Xenomorphs aren’t particularly obedient. If we start the third step now, it feels a bit like rushing things. Besides, they’re both newcomers. It’s not suitable for them to take on such a high-difficulty task right away. What if something goes wrong? Maybe we should…”

“All experiments have risks, they’re unavoidable. No one has experience with this final step, so it’s not a bad thing to let the newcomers try.”

Ning Ximing’s tone was flat. She glanced at He Yuzhu. “Or are you willing to take their place?”

He Yuzhu was momentarily speechless. “I…”

“No need, we’ll do it.”

Xie Zhitian stood up and smiled at the people on the other side of the railing. “It’s just a few Xenomorphs. I’ve seen plenty before, there’s nothing to be afraid of.”

“Are you crazy…?” He Yuzhu was anxious and tried to stop her, but upon meeting Ning Ximing’s gaze, she bit back the rest of her words. She didn’t dare say more, for fear of making Ning Ximing angry and making things worse.

Ning Ximing’s eyes rested on Xie Zhitian for two seconds, as if contemplating something.

After a moment, she spoke. “Someone will take you two over shortly.”

Xie Zhitian replied, “We understand.”

Ning Ximing didn’t look at her again. She said to He Yuzhu, “You’ll stay on standby today.”

Then she turned and walked away, her back quickly disappearing into the dim light of the corridor.

From a leader’s perspective, there was nothing wrong with letting newcomers attempt the final step. If they succeeded, everyone would be happy. If they failed, it would only be the loss of two newcomers, and they would still gain experience for those who came after.

In short, they were serving as cannon fodder.

He Yuzhu was filled with guilt, her voice deflated. “I’m so sorry. I’m new here too and I don’t know her well, so I really couldn’t convince her.”

“What do you have to be sorry for?” Xie Zhitian comforted her. “Trying the third step is also a good opportunity to gather more information.”

Luo Yang said seriously, “Don’t worry. If anything unexpected happens, I will kill the Xenomorphs.”

He Yuzhu said, “Don’t be careless. The evolved Xenomorphs are not the same as ordinary ones. They’ll give you weapons for self-defense before the work, but you have to return them when you go back to the living quarters. You should pick out a good one later. It’s a shame I have to stay here as a hostage today, so I can’t help.”

Luo Yang said, “It’s alright. You’ve already helped us a lot. Just get some rest.”

Half an hour later, two men who looked like guards came and opened the door, brusquely saying, “You two, come on out.”

Xie Zhitian gave He Yuzhu a reassuring look and obediently stood up. She and Luo Yang followed the men down the long corridor.

The underground complex was a bit larger than she had imagined. The rooms on both sides of the corridor were right next to each other, each holding 3 to 5 people. Along the way, they passed other warriors who had come out of their rooms. When they saw Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang being led to a different area, they immediately realized they were heading for the third stage of modification.

The expressions on many of the warriors’ faces became complex, a mix of sympathy, fear, and anger. Some were already numb and looked lifeless, not reacting at all.

Xie Zhitian noticed that most of the guards in the underground complex were male, while all the warriors involved in Xenomorph modification were female. Perhaps it was because the abilities of the male modified humans were insufficient, so they weren’t brought in. But as she recalled the attitudes of everyone since they entered the complex, she felt it was more than just that.

The two men led Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang to a sturdy metal door and said, “Get inside.”

The moment they stepped into the room, the heavy metal door behind them closed with a muffled thud.

Although she was mentally prepared, a chill still ran down Xie Zhitian’s spine when she saw the scene inside.

It was a room of about 30 square meters, with iron cages built into each of the four walls. The bars of the cages were as thick as a bowl’s rim and reached the ceiling.

There was one Xenomorph in each of the four cages, and a guard stood in front of each cage door. There were three male guards and one female, all holding weapons and looking somewhat nervous.

When the Xenomorphs saw someone enter, their movements paused for a moment, and then they all looked over in unison.

Xie Zhitian frowned.

He Yuzhu was right. After the first and second stages of modification, a bizarre disharmony had been added to the Xenomorphs. Their eyes held a chaotic quality, somewhere between a human’s and a beast’s.

It was difficult to describe the feeling. If she had to make a comparison, it was a bit like the eyes of a person with a mental illness who had a poor grasp of reality.

In the center of the room was a long metal table, covered with various weapons and many bottles and jars containing agents of different colors and textures.

Ning Ximing stood in front of the table, a black whip hanging from her waist and a long sword on her back. The stray wisps of hair on her forehead cast a faint shadow, and the emotions in her eyes were unreadable.

Xie Zhitian was a little surprised that she would be here. She had thought a lower-ranking staff member would be the one to carry out such a dangerous task.

She thought for a moment and tentatively began to speak. “These are the only precious experimental subjects, of course I must be present.”

Ning Ximing spoke coldly. “Moreover, it’s inevitable that some people might try to be too clever and play tricks. I won’t allow that to happen.”

Xie Zhitian smiled, neither subservient nor arrogant. “A very good reason.”

Ning Ximing lightly tapped the tabletop. “You can choose any of these weapons for self-defense. But remember, if you get into a physical conflict with a Xenomorph, you must incapacitate it without killing it, while preserving its life. You cannot run. You have to stop the out-of-control Xenomorphs and let the guards leave first. You also cannot accidentally kill these Xenomorphs, or the consequences will be more than you can bear.”

She glanced at the menacing Xenomorphs in the cages. “Even if a fight breaks out, you two probably won’t be a match for them. The current strength of the bars is enough to hold them, but no one knows what the physical abilities of the evolved Xenomorphs will be like. If you are unfortunately injured or even die in the process, there’s nothing that can be done.”

Ning Ximing’s words sounded ruthless, but they contained a clear warning.

This meant that she and Luo Yang were at the bottom of the food chain here, essentially serving as cannon fodder. They would be watched by the guards and Ning Ximing, and if an accident occurred, they would have to prioritize the safety of these people, or face a terrible fate themselves.

Even if the Xenomorphs went out of control, they couldn’t kill them. They would be subjected to a very cruel punishment. The challenge was how to control them, not how to kill them.

Xie Zhitian pondered this, an idea already forming in her mind.

She looked at Ning Ximing and smiled. “I understand. Here, human life isn’t as valuable as these few Xenomorphs. We will be kind to them to save our own lives.”

Luo Yang didn’t speak. She calmly walked to the table and began to choose weapons one by one.

A flash of surprise appeared in Ning Ximing’s eyes. Newcomers had been coming to the underground complex in a steady stream lately. Most of them either collapsed in despair or became hysterical, and it would take a while for them to calm down.

So when she learned that Zhou Quan had decided to arrange for newcomers to test the waters of the third step, she had been prepared for a chaotic scene.

But it seemed she had worried too much. The two girls in front of her were not panicked. Instead, they quickly accepted reality and got to work, which was a little hard to believe.

Luo Yang quickly chose a weapon for herself. The room was not particularly spacious, so long-range weapons were not practical. She chose a sharp long sword for herself and a broad-bladed long saber for Xie Zhitian.

Although the Xenomorphs were twice the size of a human, they were still made of flesh and blood. For close-quarters combat, heavy and sharp weapons were the best choice.

After examining the weapons, Luo Yang looked up and asked Ning Ximing, “What methods can be used to induce the Xenomorphs’ physical evolution?”

Ning Ximing walked to one of the cages. The moment she approached, the Xenomorph inside lunged forward, hitting the bars and making a deafening sound.

The gust of wind from the Xenomorph’s movement stirred Ning Ximing’s short hair, but the expression on her face didn’t change at all. She paid no attention to the snarling Xenomorph inside and motioned for Xie Zhitian and Luo Yang to come closer.

Seeing that Ning Ximing had no reaction, the Xenomorph’s eyes flashed with a sinister look, and it slowly retreated back into the shadows of the cage.

Ning Ximing pointed to a row of buttons on the wall next to the cage door. “This is the first method: a ray. There are four types of rays. Pressing different buttons will shine different rays on this Xenomorph. You can adjust the time and intensity based on the Xenomorph’s reaction.”

She then pointed to a hanging feeding trough in front of the cage door. “The second method: agents. There are six types of agents on the table. In the box under the table are the Xenomorph’s feed. You will mix the agents into the feed to induce them to eat.”

“These two methods are to be used together. If things go smoothly, we will perform surgical modifications on the Xenomorphs later to adjust and stabilize the effects.”

Luo Yang’s eyes trembled slightly. This process was too similar to the modified human project. Even though a lot of time had passed, hearing about it again still made her feel uncomfortable.

If she really saw a Xenomorph go out of control, she would definitely recall the companions who had died in front of her because they lost control, and also her own unbearable past.

She took a deep breath, trying hard to calm her mind, when a soft warmth suddenly touched her palm.

It was Xie Zhitian holding her hand.

Luo Yang looked over. The other girl smiled at her and soundlessly mouthed a few words.

“Don’t be afraid, I’m here.”

Ning Ximing showed no interest in their small gestures and continued on her own. “The experimental subjects are very valuable. We’ll take them one by one. Don’t add too much of the agents at once; a few milliliters at a time is enough. Dilute them with water and mix them thoroughly into the feed for a better effect.”

Xie Zhitian answered, “Understood.”

She walked to the table and dragged out the large metal box from underneath. The box was topped with a few metal basins and two large wooden spoons, which were likely used to mix the feed.

When she lifted the lid, a fishy smell assailed her. Inside was ground raw meat, mixed with blood, which looked disgusting. However, the Xenomorphs in the cages became very excited, their breathing growing heavier as they stared intently in the direction of the food.

Ning Ximing said, “To get a better effect, they were starved for a day.”

These Xenomorphs had developed a certain level of intelligence. If they weren’t extremely hungry, they probably wouldn’t willingly eat food mixed with agents.

She then said to the guards, “Keep a close eye on them. Don’t let anything go wrong.”

Luo Yang took an empty metal basin from the side and used a large wooden spoon to scoop in about half a basin of the minced meat. With her back to Ning Ximing, she winked at Xie Zhitian.

Xie Zhitian understood. She casually picked up a vial from the table. It was a small bottle containing 100ml of a transparent, colorless agent, with a scale marked on the outside of the glass.

She held up the vial and shook it at Ning Ximing. “Miss Ning, I’ll start by adding 5ml to test it. Is that okay?”

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