Dual Personality

The teacher broke free from his restraints, giving the two security guards a thorough beating. He even snatched one guard's gun and was about to fire when he regained his senses again.

He went back and forth like this seven times. During one of his lucid periods, the two guards locked him in a small dark room in the basement and called the police.

The Executive Department's guards arrived quickly.

After determining he was a genetic monster who had ingested the miracle drug, they contacted the Pioneers.

By the time Tu Ran reached the second underground floor of the teaching building, Min Tao and the others had already entered the small dark room.

A ring of guards surrounded the room.

When they saw Tu Ran approaching, they parted to let her through.

She couldn't see what was happening inside, but judging by the sounds, the fight was intense.

"Do we have any requirements for this genetic monster? Dead or alive?" Tu Ran looked at the guard beside her.

The guard said, "Alive. The Research Institute believes this genetic monster can briefly control its human rationality, making it of great research value. It must be taken alive."

Tu Ran thought: She knew it. Those people at the Research Institute always talked big without any skin in the game.

After all, they didn't have to risk their lives to capture it alive. They could just stay safe and sound in the institute, waiting for an anesthetized, completely defenseless research subject to be delivered to them.

They'd never face danger or death.

"What's the situation inside? How long have they been fighting?"

"Over ten minutes now," the guard said, glancing at the small dark room where bullets were crackling. He looked puzzled. "The school security said this guy only goes berserk for three to four minutes each time, then has a lucid period of about ten minutes before losing it again. But more than ten minutes have passed, and the fighting inside shows no sign of stopping."

It could only mean the episode had been extended.

Using human rationality to resist the miracle drug's erosion of the brain—how could that possibly be easy?

Otherwise, why was he the only one who could briefly regain consciousness while everyone else couldn't?

Tu Ran had a feeling this man might be the key to the Federation creating a true genetically modified human.

"How good is his defense? Can anesthesia darts get through?"

The guard shook his head. "Pioneer Min Tao went in with an anesthesia gun."

Well, same stubborn nature as the alien species in the Threshold.

"Open the door. I'm going in to take a look." Tu Ran stood at the entrance, raising her machine gun in readiness.

The guard beside the door pushed it open, and Tu Ran charged inside immediately. The door closed quickly behind her.

This small dark room was originally an underground bomb shelter. It was spacious, taking up the entire second basement level of the teaching building, with thick, sealed walls. No matter how intense the firefight inside, the walls wouldn't be damaged.

There were no windows for lighting—only rows of dim lights on the ceiling illuminating the entire space.

Tu Ran rushed in and spotted the target at once.

He barely maintained a human shape—arms and legs, no extra appendages—but his muscles were massively swollen. Standing in the low-ceilinged shelter, he even had to bow his head. His skin was silvery-white, as if plated with a layer of silver.

The bullets Min Tao and the others fired left no mark on him at all.

Let alone the anesthesia darts.

"Min Tao, you and I will attack together. Pry its mouth open. Xiao Di, take the anesthesia gun and find a chance to shoot it through its mouth."

"Yes!" The two nodded and moved according to her orders. Min Tao tossed the anesthesia gun to Xiao Di, then raised his machine gun and opened fire at the monster.

The bullets striking its body produced crisp clangs, as if hitting a wall of bronze and iron. The monster shielded its face with its hands and charged into the gunfire.

Min Tao immediately dropped his machine gun and delivered a flying kick aimed at its head.

The immense force sent the monster stumbling back two steps, its skull smacking against the ceiling.

Standing behind the monster, Tu Ran drew her long blade and charged at it.

One slash to its neck: the blade meeting the silver armor sent a jolt of numbing pain through her entire arm.

The monster's backward retreat was halted, and it lurched forward instead.

Its defense was excellent, but its agility was lacking. Combined with the low ceiling restricting its movements, it couldn't even run fast.

Tu Ran and Min Tao attacked from front and back, working in perfect coordination. The monster staggered this way and that, barely managing to keep its balance.

Tu Ran gathered her strength and, with a final kick powered by "Tremendous Strength," slammed into the back of its knee.

Its body instantly gave way, toppling forward and landing heavily on its knees.

Seizing the moment, Tu Ran lunged at it, tackling it to the ground.

Min Tao immediately jumped on as well, joining her in pinning down the monster's upper body.

The monster scraped against the floor, struggling to get up.

If it were just two ordinary humans on its back, it wouldn't have any trouble breaking free.

But Tu Ran was on its back now, secretly using "Tremendous Strength" to amplify the pressure. Even with two such monsters on her, she could hold them down.

Tu Ran grabbed a fistful of its hair and forced its head up, its mouth naturally falling open.

"Xiao Di, now!"

Bang—an anesthesia dart shot through the air, piercing straight into the monster's mouth.

The monster thrashed even more violently, gagging with its mouth wide open while its thick arms pounded the ground with a thunderous rumble, as if trying to crack the floor open.

The long-neglected shelter instantly filled with swirling dust.

As everyone's vision blurred, Tu Ran drove the edge of her palm into the back of its neck.

The blow was vicious enough to knock the monster out on the spot.

As the dust settled, Xiao Di stared at the no-longer-struggling monster and said happily, "The anesthetic has taken effect. It's out."

"Yeah." Tu Ran smiled in agreement.

Tu Ran and Min Tao both climbed off the monster.

"Zero, tell them to come in." Tu Ran called out to Zero.

The heavy shelter door opened from the outside, and a group of guards rushed in, surrounding the fallen monster with their guns drawn.

Behind them, the Research Institute personnel followed close behind.

Tu Ran and the other two exited the shelter. Whatever happened next was no longer their business.

As soon as they came out, Min Tao slid down the wall to sit on the floor.

"Brother Tao, are you okay?" Xiao Di stepped forward with concern.

Min Tao shook his head, opened his helmet, and let out a long breath. "I'm exhausted."

All that punching and kicking at the monster had really taken a toll on his stamina.

He looked at Tu Ran, who hadn't changed at all, and said in surprise, "You've got that much stamina?"

Tu Ran nodded, her expression unchanged. "Mm, I train a lot in my spare time."

"Impressive." Min Tao gave her an admiring thumbs-up.

Tu Ran pressed her lips together and pretended to look elsewhere.

She had her "Adamantine Body"—no matter how tired she got, she could recover quickly.

"Seems like I need to step up my training too." Min Tao shook his head with a sigh.

"Brother Tao, you're amazing too," Xiao Di consoled him.

Tu Ran nodded sincerely. "He really is impressive."