The Experiment, Reopened: Ants

Sui Yang, who had never bothered to concern himself with what was "correct" from the very beginning, continued to give little thought to the consequences of Accra's overexposure.

Those unscrupulous media outlets and organizations would be "handled" by various professionals depending on the situation; once the "fuel" was removed, the heat would naturally cease to burn.

Therefore, Sui Yang never worried about such things, and at this moment, his focus was entirely on the progress of the "sample experiments."

Shifting his bird's-eye view away from the city of Accra, which was on the verge of true modernization, he moved his gaze gradually toward the north.

Leaving behind the beaches and the coastline, he arrived at the industrial zone, a place sprawling with factories and workshops.

The largest and most extensive of these, as well as the most heavily guarded, was Atlas Park.

As the sun vanished completely below the horizon and the streetlights flickered to life one by one, tens of thousands of workers reached the end of their shifts.

At this hour, the workers either headed straight back to their dorms to prepare for an evening of gaming or movies, or they boarded the public transport provided by the company to head into the bustling city, planning to drink and chat with their coworkers—everyone had their own way of spending the night.

However, the three-story Bioengineering Department building located in the heart of the park, and the people busy within it, seemed entirely unfamiliar with the concept of clocking out.

Both the main and side entrances of the building were guarded by ARS personnel equipped with live ammunition, with sniper posts hidden in the shadows.

From the moment ordinary workers were hired at the park, their direct supervisors would give them stern warnings to strictly adhere to all rules and regulations and never to set foot where they didn't belong, lest they face consequences far worse than "taking a bullet."

After all, the core of the park held many of Atlas's most guarded secrets.

Deep in a laboratory on the third basement level of the Bioengineering Department building:

"No! Please, I beg you, no... don't! I'm innocent, I'm really not a murderer... I'm really not..."

A wail of desperate pleading echoed through the small, sealed space.

The source of the sound was an adult male with a thin build, dressed in an orange prison uniform, lying on a multi-functional operating table with his neck, limbs, and waist secured by metal chains.

Struggling and wailing were both futile.

This was an isolation chamber equipped with multi-purpose robotic arms, designed to operate without the need for researchers to be present, thereby avoiding close contact with the test subject and greatly reducing the risk of accidental infection.

In each of the four corners, a monitoring device with a steady red light indicated that recording was in progress. Additionally, a one-way window was installed on the left side to allow for direct observation of the activities unfolding within the chamber.

As for the man in the prison uniform, he was what one might call "Disposable Human Experimental Materials."

However, such individuals were usually referred to internally by the company as "D-Class Materials," and were viewed by the more hot-tempered ARS soldiers as "D-Class Scum."

"Subject D-00267." At this moment, a broadcast with a heavy nasal tone and little emotional fluctuation resonated throughout the isolation chamber:

"According to files provided by Ephrata Prison, between 1986 and June 1, 1990, you murdered a total of three victims, including a 16-year-old girl, using exceptionally cruel methods. You were sentenced to life imprisonment without the possibility of parole."

"No! It wasn't me! I'm innocent!"

Hearing this, the D-Class material immediately denied the crimes with a hoarse, desperate cry.

The broadcast, however, ignored him entirely.

Simultaneously, several holographic screens materialized above the D-Class material's line of sight, playing a wealth of incriminating surveillance footage, videos, and testimonies from witnesses whose faces were pixelated and voices modulated to protect their identities.

"D-00267, you may question the police, prosecutors, and juries of Washington State, but please do not question the professionalism of the Atlas Investigation Department. It damages their reputation and affects the department's year-end evaluation."

"Finally, Atlas sincerely thanks you for your unconditional cooperation in assisting us with this experiment."

""

After viewing the evidence and listening to the broadcast, D-00267 immediately dropped his innocent, pitiful act, a flash of malice crossing his eyes.

But before "he" could continue to plead for mercy, a robotic arm tipped with a needle moved to his neck, pierced his skin, and rapidly injected the entire contents of the red liquid from the transparent cylinder into his body.

?!

The sudden injection, combined with the terror of the unknown experiment, sent D-00267 into a fresh panic.

"Spare... urgh... urgh... Pfft!!!"

In mere seconds, D-00267's veins bulged, he vomited blood, and his body began to convulse uncontrollably.

Finally...

With a crisp "Bang!" sound, D-00267's head exploded from the inside out.

"Hiss!!"

Accompanied by a bestial roar, tumor-like tissue resembling an ant's head, along with a mass of vine-like tentacles, completely seized control of D-00267's body.

Restrained by the metal chains, the mutant struggled violently, its wrists and ankles twisting at grotesque angles.

It seemed to be trying to tear its own body apart in a desperate bid to survive.

But before it could, multiple robotic arms converged around the operating table, quickly completing the extraction of blood, tissue, and other samples.

Then...

"BOOM!!!"

Flames swept through everything in an instant, continuing for several dozen seconds.

When the isolation chamber returned to silence, the heat-resistant equipment and walls were merely "scorched," while the mutant, which hadn't even had the chance to scream, had been reduced to ash.

"Whoosh!"

Following this, the isolation chamber was flooded with a pale white, dense disinfectant mist.

Meanwhile.

In the third-floor corridor of the Bioengineering Department building;

"You all did well this time. Vought is already starting to get anxious. Tell me, what is it that you want?" Sui Yang walked along, offering praise and affirmation to Arthur and the others following at his side.

"Boss..." Arthur chuckled, wearing a look that suggested he had been planning this for a long time. "I heard from Supervisor Wang that the R&D Department is currently researching Optical Camouflage. I was wondering..."

"When the individual camouflage gear is ready, I'll make sure your Hunters are the first to be equipped."

"Hahaha! That would be fantastic!"

Arthur's hearty laughter echoed throughout the entire floor, and even the Hunters beside him had eyes shining with anticipation for the new equipment.

"That's enough." Sui Yang couldn't help but shake his head slightly, then instructed, "I will open the portal again the day after tomorrow. Before then, you and your Hunters must make all necessary preparations and coordinate with the elites of the Third Company to provide fire support for the Investigators. Understood?"

"Yes!"

"Good."

With that, Sui Yang used his top-level clearance to unlock the sensor door and entered an office, while Arthur and the others remained outside to stand guard.

Inside the office;

"As expected... just as I thought... the ant-based virus is easier to mold, but how can I avoid causing massive genetic mutations in humans? Hmm... it's difficult, but I like it."

Alexia, sitting behind the computer, was so overly focused on her research that she did not notice Sui Yang had already arrived at her desk.