Chapter 141: The Rupture

Xie Liu pushed open the door to the medical bay. With a long, drawn-out creak, the entire room was revealed to him.

It was nothing out of the ordinary, matching the image of a medical bay that Xie Liu had in his mind. Medical pods stood everywhere, though most were pitch black, clearly having been out of commission for a long time. It was identical to any other medical bay; a faint light emanated from the depths of the room, casting a dim glow across the entire space.

Silence was the only atmosphere here. Xie Liu slowly placed his hand on the hilt of his blade. Though he did not believe anything could threaten him, he held to the principle that "caution is the parent of safety," and he did not lower his guard.

He walked slowly toward the only light source at the back of the room, his military boots echoing with a rhythmic thud against the floor. As his footsteps drew him deeper into the room, Xie Liu finally caught sight of a staff member.

A young woman in a white lab coat was busy scribbling something down, occasionally picking up a test tube to inspect it closely, completely unaware of Xie Liu appearing behind her. He walked right up behind her, but the female doctor remained oblivious, excitedly comparing parameters on a document with those of the sample in her hand. She was undoubtedly a scholar.

Xie Liu had always kept his distance from such intellectuals; being around them always made him feel unmotivated by comparison. However, he had no time for such reflections now. He stood behind her and raised his hand, thinking that knocking her out should suffice.

Just as that thought crossed his mind, his attention was caught by the document in her hand: *On the Genetic Compatibility Index Between Transhumans and Supers.*

Xie Liu frowned at the title and, without a second thought, brought his hand down in a chopping motion, knocking the hardworking doctor unconscious. He picked up the report she had been holding and furrowed his brows; it seemed this doctor had conducted significant research into the reproductive isolation between transhumans and supers.

His eyes scanned the first line of the report, and his expression darkened further.

"For many years, it has been assumed that the transhumans of the Special Alliance are a subspecies and exist in reproductive isolation from true humans, a factor that has fueled mutual hostility for centuries."

"However, we have never identified the cause of this isolation. Scholars generally believe that the non-human genes introduced into transhumans prevent the integration of pure human genes, creating a kind of rejection mechanism."

"A century ago, the scholar Aaron posited that foreign genes, once integrated into human DNA, significantly increase the probability of mutation. This was proven during the early days of experimentation by the high mortality rate among transhumans."

"Aaron further believed that this massive genetic mutation was a result of natural selection. Since the genes of different species are inherently incompatible, forced fusion is bound to fail. Mutations are the method of evolutionary natural selection, with the genes themselves seeking a stable equilibrium. This explains why, after the initial mass deaths, the surviving transhumans rarely succumbed to such events. However, the gap between these mutated genes and pure human genes has become too great, resulting in reproductive isolation."

This was the first time Xie Liu had heard this theory. He had paid little attention to transhumans in the past, knowing only that they were born through gene fusion; he knew nothing of the details or the process. As for reproductive isolation, it was never a concern of his.

"Some scholars also argue that the reproductive isolation of transhumans is not entirely a genetic issue, but rather that once a transhuman reaches maturity, their physical structure differs significantly from that of a pure human, creating a physiological barrier."

Xie Liu gave a helpless, bitter smile and continued reading.

"However, I believe the reproductive isolation between transhumans and pure humans is not yet insurmountable; we simply have not found the right method. If the correct path is discovered, transhumans and pure humans can indeed produce offspring."

Below this were pages of experiments and analyses. By the end, Xie Liu realized her research was still in the testing phase and had reached no concrete conclusions, though it had made significant progress. He set the report down, feeling a sense of bewilderment. If this report were truly uploaded to the Fantasy City database, it would trigger a storm.

His intuition told him that he should destroy the report. No, the report alone was not enough; to truly resolve this, he would have to kill the doctor.

Seeing her slumped over the desk, she didn't look like someone who had been knocked out—she looked like she had simply fallen asleep, her lips smacking in her dreams. There were dark circles under her eyes, evidence that she had been working without sleep for her research. Seeing this, Xie Liu withdrew his hand from his blade.

Killing this doctor was useless. Kill her, and someone else would take up the research. Eventually, someone would find a way to break the reproductive barrier. Truth exists, and people will always pursue it.

Xie Liu placed the report back where he found it. This was not his concern; his only goal was to save a life.

He knocked out the only staff member present and began searching for Wang Qi's medical pod. A rumbling sound came from overhead; it seemed the battle was escalating. He wondered how many men Blood Wolf had brought this time.

Xie Liu’s guess was correct. Blood Wolf had intended to strike this branch, but Xie Liu’s interference had forced him to act early. He hoped the Cataclysm Legion could hold off the attacking transhumans and special forces.

Xie Liu walked past rows of medical pods. The main force of the Cataclysm Legion was stationed at the Huaxia branch. Although this was only a sub-base, there were hundreds of pods. He knew that the Cataclysm Legion alone had many such sub-bases, to say nothing of the hundred other legions like them. Fantasy City never skimped on the Joint Task Force; they had built an army armed to the teeth.

Xie Liu finally found Wang Qi in pod number seventy-seven. Seeing that his wounds had mostly healed, he knew his previous assessment had been correct.

He walked up to the pod and tapped on the glass. Wang Qi’s body, suspended in the translucent green liquid, trembled, and he slowly opened his eyes. When he saw Xie Liu, he clearly looked shocked.

Wang Qi moved his body, his mouth—covered by an oxygen mask—opening and closing as if trying to speak, but no sound emerged. Xie Liu tapped the glass again and said, "I know what you need. I'm getting you out."

The medical pod was automated; if the treatment wasn't finished, Xie Liu couldn't release the patient. He checked the time—there were twenty minutes left. But Xie Liu couldn't wait that long. Wang Qi’s wounds were mostly healed; the remaining scars were trivial.

Thinking this, Xie Liu stepped back and placed his hand on the hilt of his blade. He had to shatter the glass without harming Wang Qi. For anyone else, it would be a daunting task, but for Xie Liu, it was simple. His mutated eyes allowed him to observe distance perfectly, and combined with the physical enhancements that accompanied the mutation, his bodily functions were formidable.

Xie Liu stood silent for a moment, then slowly bowed his head, hand on the hilt, every muscle in his body tensing.

Two flashes of light cut through the air. The glass above Wang Qi’s head and below his feet was sliced clean, and the center shattered. Wang Qi tumbled out into the sea of medicinal fluid.

"There are clothes over there. Put them on quickly. I don't have time to explain; we need to get out first," Xie Liu said, pointing to the wardrobe by the wall.

Wang Qi knew this wasn't the time for questions. He wiped himself clean and put on the clothes.

"Listen to me now. Your wife is waiting for you outside. You have no choice left; you have to run," Xie Liu said urgently, leading Wang Qi toward the door. The noise from above was more than just chaotic; explosions were now audible.

"No way, they're causing this much trouble?" Xie Liu was surprised. He had thought that with his warning, the Cataclysm Legion would be prepared to repel Blood Wolf’s attack quickly. He had underestimated the situation.

Xie Liu didn't realize how much he had helped the Cataclysm Legion. It wasn't just one B-class Blood Wolf attacking, but nineteen of them, plus over a hundred C-class and D-class special forces. They had intended to raze the base in one go, but because of Xie Liu’s interference, the Cataclysm Legion had been able to teleport in over a hundred soldiers, turning the battle into a stalemate.

This actually made Xie Liu’s rescue mission easier. He led Wang Qi toward the exit; they had to return to the surface to escape.

They moved quickly through the rows of medical pods, knowing that as the battle raged, wounded soldiers would soon be brought down for treatment, and they would be trapped. They were moving at top speed when a specific medical pod caught Xie Liu’s eye—the one containing Wu Yuan.

Wu Yuan spotted Xie Liu and Wang Qi, his face contorting with shock and rage. He struggled violently, slamming against the glass in a desperate attempt to break free and charge at them.

At that moment, Wu Yuan realized the purpose of Xie Liu’s visit and how he had been played. More importantly, he could feel the tremors from the surface—the base was under attack, and with Xie Liu appearing at this exact moment, it was only natural for Wu Yuan to assume that Xie Liu had led the attackers there.

"Traitor!" Wu Yuan roared, his voice muffled by the glass. But his treatment still had ten minutes left.

"Let’s go, ignore him," Xie Liu said, pulling Wang Qi away. Wu Yuan was left behind, glaring hatefully at the two as they disappeared.

Ten minutes later, with a mechanical chime, Wu Yuan fell out of his pod. He knelt on the floor, naked, his cardiopulmonary functions not yet fully recovered from the treatment. Despite his weakness, he let out a roar filled with malice.

"Dead Eye! I will make you pay with your life!"