Superpower

This was why Ding Naiqing had said it was the first time he'd ever seen a reptile from the Squamata order. And why Xie Xu, upon hearing about it, had immediately remarked that it could spawn hundreds of offspring in a single day.

The snake before them was that unfortunate specimen.

Back then, it had been tiny—less than a meter long—curious about everything and harboring no hostility toward humans.

It hadn't known what its future held.

A nightmare of memories surged forth.

It had been taken to the human research institute, where it underwent a series of inhuman experiments.

As it had said: disassembly, modification, reassembly.

It had endured every one of them.

Because very few humans who entered the Threshold survived, they wanted to transform it into a biological weapon that could serve humanity.

They plucked out its scales and fitted it with armor plates made of the strongest materials.

They slit open its belly and cut into its brain, studying everything that humanity had not yet uncovered.

Its blood was drained by the bagful every day, and its body was injected with different fluids daily. To prevent escape, it was locked in a cage with no light.

It had no food; only nutrient solution sustained its life.

It spent seven years in that twilight existence until it reached adulthood.

In that world, a rare few adult alien creatures would develop an inner core and awaken a power.

Luckily, it discovered that an inner core had grown within its body, allowing it to see the past and the future.

Taking advantage of this ability, it slipped out of the research institute when the researchers weren't paying attention.

It emerged from the little box that held it, entering the vast human world.

There, it met a little girl who treated it with kindness.

Because of the rain, its armor plates malfunctioned, restricting its movement and leaving it powerless to flee.

It could only lie in a puddle like a piece of human garbage, no matter how frantic it grew, unable to budge an inch.

At that moment, a little girl holding an umbrella noticed it. She shielded it from the downpour, saw it still blinking, and carried it home. There, she wiped its scales clean and dried off its body.

It could move freely again, but it chose not to leave. It couldn't find its way back home.

And even if it did manage to return, its appearance would have gotten it shunned by other hook snakes.

So it stayed.

It didn't reveal itself as a mechanical snake.

Instead, it chose to possess a Black man's body, controlling his frame.

Having already been modified by humans, it didn't need to switch hosts. It kept inhabiting that Black man's body, living until now.

Later, the Threshold suddenly appeared in Regaken State.

Its kin—other hook snakes—came through the Threshold and happened to possess Kenny Igan's body, arriving at his farm.

These hook snakes made too much commotion, drawing the Federation's attention.

It had warned them to lie low, but its fellows were too greedy, switching hosts one after another, and the farm's death toll kept climbing.

That led to the current situation.

It had never wanted to hurt humans, even after humanity had contorted its body beyond recognition. Apart from that Black man, it had never killed any other human.

All it sought was to stay by Mrs. Igan's side.

But reality was always so cruel.

Tu Ran let out a sigh.

The wound at the back of the hook snake's neck was still bleeding, soaking the pristine white mattress.

She walked around the bed and stopped in front of Ding Naiqing.

A long knife lay at his side.

The hook snake had brought it in.

Tu Ran bent down slowly, picked up the knife, and gripped the handle firmly. She aimed at the back of the snake's neck and thrust downward.

It perfectly covered the wound left when they had removed the inner core.

She couldn't let anyone know she had obtained the hook snake's core.

This stab was to mislead others.

After doing all that, Tu Ran turned her gaze to Ding Naiqing, who was still unconscious.

She crouched down and patted his cheek.

The moment she touched his skin, scattered fragments of memory crowded into her mind.

They included Ding Naiqing's childhood, how he'd joined the Pioneer Team, and the dangers he'd encountered in the Threshold.

The sudden surge overwhelmed Tu Ran's mind, sending a tearing pain through her head.

So it was that by simply touching a person, she could read their past.

That was why Tubin had grabbed her a few times when they got off the plane that morning—those brief touches must have been how he'd learned about her past.

After three minutes, the pain in her head faded, and Tu Ran let out a deep breath. She looked at the still-unconscious Ding Naiqing and slapped him across the face.

"Wake up!"

Ding Naiqing snapped awake, blinking blankly as he looked around.

When his gaze landed on Tu Ran, his eyes curved instantly, and he called out happily, "Ran-jie."

He had no idea he'd just been slapped awake by this very person.

Tu Ran didn't answer. Instead, her eyes dark and focused, she asked, "What did you see before you passed out?"

Ding Naiqing flinched under her intense gaze. He got the feeling that Ran-jie had gone back to the stern, frowning version of herself.

He thought blankly for a moment, then—suddenly realizing—he shook his head frantically. "I saw nothing."

At least he was clever.

Tu Ran patted his shoulder and repeated, "Remember, you saw nothing. You fought with the alien and blacked out. Whatever happened after that, you have no idea."

"Yes," Ding Naiqing said, his big eyes blinking earnestly as he nodded.

At that moment, he knew that if he said the wrong thing, Ran-jie would have no hesitation about cutting off his head and blaming the alien.

Footsteps pounded down the hallway outside.

Then the door was kicked open.

It was the two backups Tu Ran had been waiting for.

But they were no longer needed now.

The two entered, saw the chaotic state of the room, and walked quickly to the hook snake.

It was already dead. They turned to Tu Ran, their tone confrontational. "You killed him?"

"It was too strong. I couldn't keep it under control without risking my own safety, and you two were nowhere to be found. I had no choice but to kill it," Tu Ran said without batting an eye.

By her logic, the snake's death was their fault?!

"The researchers will be here any minute. You'd better think about how you're going to explain this," they said, their tone sour.

Tu Ran gave them a lazy glance, then turned and walked out.

In the corridor, a team approached.

At the front was none other than Xie Xu.

Behind him followed Li Wenchuan.

He'd gotten here that fast?

Tu Ran was momentarily stunned.

Xie Xu walked past her, heading straight for the room where the snake lay dead.

Tu Ran watched his arrogant, strutting back and pursed her lips.

Li Wenchuan, on the other hand, was all smiles. He asked amiably, "How did the mission go?"

"Not great. He's dead."