Sun Ya extended the knife and gently lifted the heart.
They had been so focused on the front that they had completely missed something like a pointed tip protruding from its side.
As the knife tip lifted it, the thing behind the heart was exposed before them.
It was a bright red, olive-shaped Flesh Ball.
They leaned closer to examine it. Su Jin's heartbeat sped up abnormally, and his pupils contracted. "Is this... a lymph node?"
"It isn't a lymph node." Sun Ya looked up at Su Jin in shock. "There are lymphatic capillaries in heart muscle, but even diseased tissue wouldn't grow into this shape, much less in this location. This thing doesn't belong in a human body... has your heartbeat sped up? Are you feeling hungry, too?"
"Yes." Su Jin nodded shakily, looking back at Sun Ya. "You... you feel it, too?"
"What's going on? It's getting stronger." Su Jin's expression twisted slightly.
Hunger!
The moment they saw the entire Flesh Ball, an unprecedented hunger erupted inside them. It seemed to possess an immense allure, compelling them to eat it!
Even lying amid a pile of disgusting entrails, it was almost impossible to resist.
Fortunately, both men had strong wills and retained their basic reason.
Sun Ya caught his breath, staring intently at the Flesh Ball as he murmured, almost to himself, "When a person is starving, the brain's physiological mechanisms redefine taste. Organs—high-energy foods with a foul, bloody smell—become the body's first choice. Food that was once hard to swallow becomes delicious. Nutrition is what matters."
"Mr. Sun, what are you talking about? Are you all right?" Su Jin hurriedly grabbed Sun Ya and gave him a shake.
"Don't worry. I'm fine." Sun Ya shook his head gently, looking thoughtful. "I'm wondering... is this thing tempting us, or are our bodies craving it?"
"That makes sense. I feel like eating it would give me some magical power."
"Could you stop thinking about those damn novels of yours? You're a grown man. Why are you still so childish?"
With that, Sun Ya cut the Flesh Ball free.
Then he placed it on the counter, preparing to cut the Flesh Ball open.
Su Jin reached out to stop him. "Wait, let me do it... I'm wearing thick layers. If highly corrosive liquid comes out when we cut it open, we'll be in trouble."
Sun Ya nodded and stepped aside for Su Jin.
"Go ahead. Be careful."
The sharp blade pressed against the Flesh Ball.
The moment it touched, it felt as though he were cutting into a tough rubber ball.
He had the sense that if he cut down hard, whatever might be inside would spray out all at once.
Su Jin turned the blade and stabbed down with its tip.
A little pressure pierced it, much like puncturing pigskin... then he angled the knife and sliced downward.
He left a little connective tissue at the bottom, stopping short of cutting the Flesh Ball completely in two.
The intense hunger surging through their bodies began to multiply, tormenting them as though they had gone days without food!
Gritting his teeth, Su Jin slowly pulled the Flesh Ball open with his hands.
Sun Ya's pupils widened. What lay inside utterly captivated them both.
Logically, with the Flesh Ball sliced in half, whatever was inside should have been cut in two as well.
But that was not what happened. Peeling back the fleshy membrane on either side was more like peeling a lychee.
A whole, exceptionally clear and transparent sphere of water appeared in the middle, without the slightest trace of a cut. It was almost impossible to notice without looking closely.
Sun Ya examined it for a moment, fighting his discomfort, then looked up at Su Jin. "It looks like a sphere of water... your vision is different from everyone else's. Can you see anything special?"
"A sphere of water? It looks rainbow-colored to me. Beautiful, like something good." Su Jin's nerves were taut.
Although he didn't know exactly what the sphere of water looked like to Sun Ya, the thing inside the Flesh Ball was indeed rainbow-colored in his eyes, with a luminous glow rolling through it.
It was completely unlike the gray mist, strikingly beautiful and entirely devoid of that ominous feeling.
"Pour it into this tray." Sun Ya tapped the tray he had prepared on the table.
Su Jin nodded.
He had barely tilted his hands when something unexpected happened!
The springy sphere of water first dropped onto his index finger, then slid down to the web between his thumb and forefinger. The glow within it passed through his glove and vanished.
The sphere spread across the web of his hand, evaporating without a trace.
"What's going on?!"
The sphere of water had inexplicably disappeared, making Sun Ya's hair stand on end.
Su Jin's hair bristled, too. He stared blankly at Sun Ya. "I think... I think I absorbed it..."
As he finished speaking, a rush of heat surged up to his head. His brain buzzed, his vision went black, and he passed out, faintly hearing Sun Ya's frantic shouts.
"Xiao Li! Xiao Li!!"
"Will the director wake up? It's already daylight."
"He has a high fever. Don't touch him. If he turns into a zombie, we'll be in trouble."
"From what we've observed so far, it doesn't really look like he's turning... his eyes are moving rapidly. Zombies probably don't dream."
"He's awake! He's awake! Fu Hu, keep that gun ready!"
In the darkness, Su Jin struggled to open his eyes, his vision blurred.
He tried to move, only to discover that his limbs were bound.
It took another two minutes for Su Jin to gradually come to his senses. He shook his head and asked hoarsely, "What happened...?"
"He can still talk. He's fine!" Fu Qingdai's previously troubled face lit up with delighted surprise.
Sun Ya crouched in front of Su Jin and poked his face with a small wooden stick. "Xiao Li... are you all right?"
"Water... get me some water. Cough, cough!"
Fu Qingdai hurried to the kitchen to fetch water. She returned with a cup and was about to help Su Jin drink when Sun Ya stopped her!
"Stop rushing around! Get a long spoon to give him water. Keep your distance."
"Heh, heh, heh..."
Hearing Su Jin's low chuckle sent a chill through everyone in the room.
Sun Ya's face was stern. "What are you laughing at?"
"An elder in the house really is a treasure... being cautious is good."
"You little bastard! You still have the time to joke at a moment like this? You scared us all half to fucking death!" Grumbling, Sun Ya took the long spoon filled with water and helped Su Jin drink. "Do you remember what happened?"
After drinking deeply, Su Jin recalled, "I remember absorbing that sphere of water. I was half asleep the whole time, and it felt like a current of air was rushing around inside me."
Sun Ya took notes, asked several more questions in succession, and pulled back his eyelids to examine his eyes. He began to relax.
"You're lucid. It looks like you're fine. Do you need us to untie you?"
Su Jin shook his head. "Don't rush. Let's observe a little longer. Something feels wrong with my body... I feel light, like I'm about to float."
"As long as you're lucid, everything else is a minor issue... untie him and keep observing!" Sun Ya gave the order without hesitation.
Hearing this, Fu Qingdai disregarded Fu Hu's attempt to stop her and hurried forward to untie Su Jin.
"Are you feeling okay, big brother?" Fu Qingdai asked with concern.
Su Jin patted her hand and stood up under everyone's watchful eyes.
The moment he straightened, that light, almost weightless sensation suddenly intensified.
Su Jin looked toward the wall to one side, and an idea struck him!
"Don't panic. Something's different about my body. I need to test it!"
With that, he ran toward the wall and climbed it in two or three strides.
Twisting sideways, he ran along the wall, his body almost parallel to the floor!
Only when he reached the corner of the room did he tumble to the ground with a thud, leaving everyone staring in astonishment.
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