After Being Parasiticized By A Monster - Chapter 39

Chapter 39: Is This What Love Feels Like?

The Security Department’s most practical method for dealing with parasitic marine monsters is isolation and observation, known as the “Seven-Day Wet-Dry Alternating Method.”

The basic procedure is as follows:

First, the suspicious person is isolated from water for three days. This includes, but is not limited to, extreme conditions such as providing no extra water beyond normal meals and maintaining the isolation room’s air humidity standard below 10%.

Usually, most mutated organisms show abnormalities after these three days, either by harming the host or exhibiting signs of madness.

If there is no change, then a simulated water environment (a bathtub or pool) is provided for one day. Considering that the human body should not be immersed for too long, this is done intermittently, totaling no less than 12 hours.

Having been suppressed in the previous stage, the extremely dehydrated parasite will instinctively try to absorb a large amount of water, thereby revealing its true form.

Past experience shows that 85% of the monsters are exposed in the first stage, and 100% are exposed within four days.

However, to guard against potential highly intelligent monsters that might endure the above two stages through sheer willpower, there is a second round of dry environment testing.

The entire seven days are fully recorded, and physiological data is re-measured every six hours.

It can be said that if a parasite exists and is suspected by the Security Department, it is invariably exposed with no place to hide.

…

The Interrogation

The more Cheng Ming listened, the more her heart sank.

Of course, it might not be her emotion, but that of the parasite inside her.

It had become completely silent as a mouse.

After a brief overview of the situation, Yan Li closed the related documents and asked:

“Can you accept this?”

“No!” Little Ming let out a sharp, exploding sound in her head.

Cheng Ming instantly knitted her brows. She raised her hand to press her throbbing forehead, feigning a thoughtful, troubled expression, and tried hard to keep her voice steady. “This is too long. You know our research is at a critical stage…”

“You can work in the isolation room. I will apply to have the experimental data copied for you during this period.”

“Are you sure a person isolated from water for three days can survive? As you can see, my physical condition has always been poor.”

This was a subtle threat—if something happens to me, can you take responsibility?

“Relevant personnel will adjust your meal specifications based on your physiological data.”

Meaning, if they saw she couldn’t hold on, they would moderately increase the water content of her food.

Yan Li was expressionless, incredibly tough like a piece of iron, with no gaps to exploit.

“…”

Cheng Ming stared at her for a long time, her expression equally still, with only slow, steady breaths.

Yan Li pressed a button on her wrist communicator. A faint ding sounded, but it didn’t come from her wrist; it came from the wall next to her—

“Let’s begin when you’re ready. The door is behind your right shoulder.”

Cheng Ming looked over. A virtual screen popped out from the previously smooth wall. At the same time, a dull grinding sound was heard. The white wall pulled apart like the wing of an insect, revealing a passage wide enough for one person to pass through.

She wasn’t being given a chance to argue.

“…Alright.”

Cheng Ming stood up, paused, and let out a light, chuckle.

The words were soft as they left her tongue, but landed heavily. “But honestly, Team Leader Yan, I don’t think you have the authority to use private torture on me.”

She had been caught off guard and panicked.

Thinking calmly, even if she had to be interrogated, it shouldn’t be done by her squad, should it?

Having dealt with the Security Department quite a bit, and knowing insiders like Qu Ying and Han Xuhua, she had some understanding of the investigative division of labor.

Thus, she belatedly realized the strangeness of the situation.

She circled the table from the other side. As she brushed past Yan Li, she said softly:

“Do you need the credit that badly?”

It seemed like an offhand taunt, but to Yan Li, the words were earth-shattering.

Like a needle—no, a sharp drill bit—boring through a false shell, unleashing pus and oozing bl00d.

The seemingly decent exterior was full of private sores wrapped in ambition.

Identity, experience, appearance, personality… they were completely different and moving in opposite directions, yet their crossed, similar figures in this moment were like two sides of a mirror.

One for a mother, one for a sister.

Yan Li watched her walk past toward the interior. Her expression didn’t change much, but only she knew how her fingers slowly tightened into fists.

…

The Siren’s Question

On Cheng Ming’s side, the fish-fungus facing imminent torture tried to make a final struggle. “Let me kill her, right now—”

It was frantically clamoring.

Cheng Ming stood before the virtual screen, enduring the throbbing pain in her cerebral bl00d vessels, wishing her neural axons could turn into a palm to slap it.

“Behave yourself.”

“If you reveal yourself, you’ll definitely cause more trouble.”

“So, the urgent priority is for you to be quiet… No, I need you to ‘die’ for a bit. Withdraw the excess cells, and then pray you’re not exposed.”

Neural communication was convenient. An electrochemical signal transfer was measured in milliseconds. In a few short seconds, she and Little Ming had gone through many rounds of squabbling.

“Then I won’t be able to perceive your condition or provide assistance.”

“I don’t need you right now!”

“…”

At these words, Little Ming fell silent.

Silence suddenly descended upon her ears. Cheng Ming adjusted her breathing rate, realizing that her response had been a bit harsh due to being influenced by negative emotions.

Her personal information was being input. She stared at the screen in front of her, her mind no longer focused on it, and silently pursed her lips.

“I didn’t mean that… How are you feeling?”

The rapidly changing thoughts were like waves hitting the shore. An occasional wet splash patted her mind, carrying a trace of apology.

She felt the sudden low spirits of the parasite through the countless secretly entwining threads in the quiet corners of her mind.

The message was like a drop on a stone, with no reply for a long time.

Cheng Ming thought it was angry.

But then, a new, late wave rolled in, stirring up ripples in her mind.

“A little uncomfortable. Heavy in my heart.”

Little Ming described it truthfully, then seemed to savor the feeling. “Is this what love feels like?”

Cheng Ming: “…”

This is what needing a good lesson feels like.

You definitely don’t lack a partner; you lack a mother.

Beep.

ID entry was complete. Cheng Ming gently inhaled.

Knowing someone was watching behind her, she didn’t turn around. She walked through the passage and saw the isolation room, furnished similarly to a hospital ward.

She wasn’t without worry, but it was unavoidable.

Besides, her situation was too unique.

She and the parasite within her were completely integrated and symbiotic. Even letting Little Ming seal itself up, as it did in the past to deal with viruses, she was somewhat curious about the final outcome.

However, the more frustrating part was that she had been working underwater and had nothing with her except communication equipment for the experimental zone. Rescued in a hurry, she didn’t even have time to bring her phone, essentially putting herself completely in Yan Li’s hands. Consequently, she couldn’t call for outside help now.

Although, she didn’t seem to have any suitable outside help anyway.

If only Sister Ying was here…

Cheng Ming thought with regret before entering the isolation room.

…

The Hunter and the Prey

Far away in the vast ocean, Qu Ying, who was currently on Cheng Ming’s mind, seemed to have run into some trouble herself.

She stepped onto the third deck. A panel disguised as part of the ship’s overall structure was lifted, revealing a secret storage compartment—

The Sub-Parasite that had been strictly hidden for tracking purposes.

Waaah—Waaah—

A tender cry, faint but extremely piercing, came from the dark storage compartment emitting a chill.

Looking at the small, non-human-like creature twisting and struggling inside, exposed to the air abruptly, she curved her lips, her voice deep and significant:

“So this is the so-called ‘Hounds’…”

It really was no surprise.

After all, this was the Security Department’s most “notorious” Third Division, the Biology Department.

The one most fond of creating and using biological instruments.

A gun barrel was pointed at her from behind.

The guard’s voice was tight as a drawn string: “Commander Qu…”

She turned. Under her dominating gaze, the guard retreated half a step, looking tense, displaying vigilance and fear.

“What, afraid I’ll suddenly go mad?”

Qu Ying smiled.

But it had to be said that in the dead of night on the sea, in the thick, suffocating air before a storm, amidst the abyssal darkness and silence, her smile was chillingly sinister.

“Relax.”

The wind and waves were immense.

Mountains of water occasionally rose up—waves flipped by the gale—crashing heavily against the hull. The cold, wet seawater even streamed onto the lower deck.

She stood poised and relaxed within the rocking ship.

It was the soldiers in their exoskeleton armor opposite her who were too tense. She didn’t blame them; she was acting too much like a villain.

The mission was in its final stages, and they were on their way back, escorting the capture.

Most of the armed forces had been diverted to guard the newly captured rare species, leading to a lapse in security that allowed Qu Ying to find an opportunity to investigate.

Being too far from land and staying at sea for long periods was detrimental to human mental health. Having just concluded a grueling battle that, while successful, was messy, most personnel were mentally strained.

Especially the most unstable test subject, who was a key target for monitoring and defense.

A major incident, whose details had been tightly sealed, had occurred before: during a return journey, when everyone’s emotions had eased and vigilance had relaxed, a test subject suddenly lost control, dragging the entire vessel to the bottom of the deep sea.

It was after that the regulation was put in place that accompanying “Evolvers” must be injected with strong inhibitory drugs outside of combat time.

The experimenters, however, were accustomed to this.

Soon, Chen Ke arrived at the scene, protected by two team members. She stood at the end of the steps and knocked twice on the metal wall. “What’s going on here?” she asked with a smile.

Many eyes turned toward her. Under the gaze of the crowd, she calmly raised her hand and tapped the control panel.

The exterior panel of the storage compartment, the center of the dispute, slid down, sealed, and locked again.

It blocked all eyes intending to look at the small monster inside, which was stitched together from a baby’s body and a transparent fish egg head.

Qu Ying looked at the experimenter, raised an eyebrow, and then burst into sudden laughter.

The laughter did nothing to ease the atmosphere.

Under the increasingly vigilant gazes of the guards, she moved.

Qu Ying stepped onto the stairs, crossed the distance in a few strides, and walked out, saying airily: “Nothing. I just suddenly felt like I’m quite humane…”

As she passed the experimenter, she tilted her head, her voice stretched by the eerie sea wind like a ghost’s. “Dr. Chen Ke, what do you say?”

“…”

Chen Ke remained silent, smiling as she watched her leave.

The third deck was deadly silent.

After a long while, a clerical staff member rushed over, breaking the silence. She held a communicator in one hand and a report in the other.

“Doctor, the Second Ship’s First Officer is asking if we’re certain about the course change. The route to Lanjiang has very poor conditions. We’re expected to be delayed by at least a month…”

“Hmm, time is not an issue.”

Chen Ke tried to put her hands in her pockets, only to realize she was wearing a protective jumpsuit and couldn’t make the movement. She just let her arms drop.

She sighed. “Red Rock Bay has been temporarily borrowed as an experimental site. We’ll have to find another place.”

…

The Fourth Day

Splash—

Water splashed onto the floor. The warm water submerged her head.

Cheng Ming completely immersed herself in the liquid.

Even for a normal person, prolonged water deprivation is dangerous.

Dry skin and mucous membranes, peeling, or even sores; slowed metabolism, decreased bl00d flow, accelerated heart rate, and extreme physical fatigue; dehydration of brain cells, leading to confusion, or in severe cases, auditory hallucinations and mania…

She experienced all of these symptoms.

And the symptoms were far more severe than in an average person.

Her lips and throat felt parched as if burned by fire. Every cell in her body screamed for thirst. She suspected that if she were given a river now, she could turn into the mythological figure Kua’e (夸娥) chasing the sun and suck the water dry.

Her nostrils and ear canals were blocked by the water flow. Only after becoming slightly more alert did Cheng Ming belatedly remember that she couldn’t consume this water.

If the water level was found to have dropped significantly later, she would be in trouble. Forcing herself to climb out with difficulty, she collapsed, panting, on the edge of the glass water-bath chamber, her eyes closed.

It was already the fourth day.

Today, they did provide drinking water, and it was unlimited. Of course, it was supplied in small, frequent amounts, otherwise, it could lead to water poisoning.

However, the little sanity she had left told her she must restrain herself. She could only force herself to keep her water intake within a normal range.

There was still one more round of a three-day dry trial to go.

Thinking of this, Cheng Ming felt breathless.

She looked at the back of her hand. Her chapped, dull skin was swollen and sickly white from the water. The smell of bl00d stubbornly lingered in her nostrils with every breath.

She suspected the air humidity in the isolation room was less than 5%.

Was Yan Li perhaps trying to kill her?