Forced growth
Chi An knew very well that she had been under surveillance the whole time.
This feeling was all too familiar to him.
From the moment he stepped into the Laboratory as a child, this feeling of being watched has been a constant companion, never ceasing.
He didn't understand why the Demon Race and the Beastfolk would allow him to roam freely outside.
Perhaps it's out of a need for mutual checks and balances, or perhaps it's some kind of tacit agreement.
Regardless, he did enjoy three years of relatively "leisurely" life as a result.
Without rules or behavioral restrictions, hunters can choose their prey at will.
These three years were the most leisurely and carefree time in his long and tedious life.
However, now that three years have passed, the Beastfolk have finally lost their patience and made their move.
They wanted to take the experimental subject with the Eye of Madness — Chi An —back into that cold, pale Laboratory.
But Chi An today is no longer the indifferent, manipulated experimental subject she once was.
Recalling the condescending gazes of those lab technicians, all he wanted to do was gouge out their eyeballs and make them eat them.
He now feels nothing but disgust for that place filled with repression and constraint.
After all, everything there revolves around experiments.
To keep the test subjects in optimal condition at all times, they were not even allowed to eat normally, and could only survive by drinking those strange-tasting nutrient solutions.
But for Chi An, who had already tasted the sweetness and was now completely unable to stop, Chi An.
This kind of life was pure torture, something he absolutely could not accept.
Chi An stopped running away.
In the instant he turned around, a jet-black dagger, as dark as an earlobe, appeared in his hand, flashing a cold light in the shadowy jungle.
He unleashed the long-lost dark wings that had been artificially transplanted onto his back. The outstretched wings stirred up a breeze, which suddenly blew away the hooded robe that had been covering his face.
The long robes fluttered and fell in the air.
As the robe was removed, Chi An's face was finally revealed without reservation.
His short, wolf-tail hair danced gently in the air currents stirred by the tossing of his robe.
Her jet-black hair shimmered in the dim sunlight filtering through the trees.
He was clearly from the era before the Demon Race broke with the Beastfolk race.
At this moment, however, he looks as young as an innocent minor.
His appearance alone speaks volumes about his special nature.
Not to mention the dark ear feathers that were torn off not long ago but have now been repaired.
Clearly, this is the result of the Undying Cells having perfectly integrated into his body.
Therefore, he can remain young forever without having to suffer the cost of a short lifespan.
In addition, his scarlet eyes were also a product of experimentation.
That was a rare creation that incorporated the Eye of Madness.
Without a doubt, Chi An can be considered the most successful and precious experimental subject in the history of both the demon and beast races.
His existence not only represents a technological breakthrough, but also symbolizes a possibility and a more powerful path of evolution.
Therefore, when the Beastfolk pursuer realized that Chi An was no longer running away, he frowned with worry.
His mission was to bring back live test subjects, and he must not kill them.
Therefore, his initial idea was to let the other party escape, exhaust their Psychic Energy as much as possible, and then capture them at the end.
This method is very time-consuming.
Therefore, he specifically selected prey to attack after the attack on the Shahai City.
However, this method is reliable.
But he wasn't a lab technician after Chi An, and he misjudged the extent of Chi An's resistance to the Laboratory and the sharpness of Chi An's sensory abilities.
The Chi An pursuit triggered the madness within Chi An.
The Beastfolk pursuers, who had stopped their pursuit, glanced down at the signal sensor.
He used this precise method to Chi An's location.
The signal sensor detected the next target location, which was right behind the Beastfolk soldier!
"Clang!"
The soldier instinctively turned to block, barely stopping the dagger that was only an inch away from the back of his head.
His pupils dilated slightly in shock, meeting Chi An's blood-red eyes.
Eye of Madness, activate!
The frantic babbling echoed in the Beastfolk' ears.
His body began to throb with pain, and the Beastfolk knew that if this continued, he would definitely be killed.
The threat of death made the Beastfolk hold back.
The mace, which had been blocking the dagger, suddenly exerted force, and the resulting swing almost Chi An flying.
"Call!"
The sickening whistling of heavy weapons followed one after another, Beastfolk spun around and swung down heavily once more.
Chi An raised his hand and used his dagger to parry.
"Bang!"
The immense force caused the ground beneath his feet to collapse, and his ulna bone in his arm to shatter inch by inch.
But the next moment, the injury was instantly healed.
Following the enemy's force, Chi An Chi An countered with a fluid and effortless counterattack.
The speed was so fast that the Beastfolk pursuers' expressions changed.
Not good!
The Beastfolk soldier only had time to turn his head to dodge the attack aimed directly at his eyes, but a patch of his hair was shaved off.
He immediately realized a fact.
Chi An was indeed a level below him in cultivation, his actual combat strength was not necessarily much weaker.
In fact, if his Psychic Energy reserves hadn't been depleted, Chi An be slightly stronger than him.
Recalling the look of pity in the researcher's eyes when he received the mission, he finally understood.
Chi An had always been under the control of the Beastfolk, even though they were eager to retrieve the experimental subject.
However, Chi An's current level is still not up to par.
Therefore, they had to put some pressure on the experimental subject to stimulate his rapid growth.
He was the victim used to increase stress.
A sudden surge of anger swept through my mind, and the whispers around me grew increasingly chaotic.
The Beastfolk pursuers' killing intent toward Chi An reached its peak in an instant.
To hell with ensuring the test subjects live!
Chi An immediately sensed that the other person's aura had changed.
A knowing glint flashed in his eyes.
This Beastfolk also had a portion of the Eye of Madness's tissue injected into his body.
This was a sacrifice used to "force his growth".
If you don't kill the other person, you will be killed.
If he kills the opponent, the Eye of Madness within him will grow even stronger.
This puts his body at risk of breaking down.
A strange smile, unnoticed even by himself, appeared on Chi An's face, which had remained expressionless for Chi An long.
He remained fully conscious as he watched his attacks grow increasingly frenzied.
As if controlling a body that is not one's own, ignoring all damage, attacking the enemy's vitals.
It was nothing more than a gamble on whether absorbing more cells from the Eye of Madness would cause a sudden death.
He can already suppress the two pairs of Eye of Madness within his body, so what's a little more cell tissue?
Just as they were locked in combat...
Beyond the mountains and forests, on the edge of the desert, Shisui was flying towards them, following the energy fluctuations left by the Eye of Madness.