Chapter 2: Transformation

Song Shi didn’t know how she saw it.

If awakening were easy, there wouldn’t be these so-called supernatural power stimulation experiments that cost lives.

Before she woke up, she had overheard someone say, The differentiation value is only 26% and It’s impossible to awaken.

This made it clear that only individuals with a differentiation value above a certain threshold were sent here for the experiments, and that threshold wasn’t much lower than 26%.

She also noticed that the subjects here were almost all young, around 17 or 18 years old. There were no children, nor were there any middle-aged or elderly participants. 

She surmised that 17 or 18 might be the final age at which one could awaken, and that those brought here had the potential but had yet to do so.

The truly gifted had likely already awakened before reaching this age. 

In other words, those sent here were high-probability candidates for differentiation but lacked natural talent.

Even though it was considered a high probability, from the time Song Shi woke up until now, she had only witnessed one successful awakening: That of the girl from the flying department, while the number of deaths was countless.

This showed that those labeled as high-probability differentiators weren’t truly as likely to awaken as it seemed. They simply had a higher chance compared to ordinary people.

The experimental base spared no expense, showing no regard for life or death, and placed those with a high probability of differentiation in danger, all in an effort to forcefully trigger their superpowers. 

This alone revealed the overwhelming desire of the forces behind the base to create more awakened individuals.

But who exactly were these forces? Was it a legitimate government agency, or a rogue terrorist organization?

Looking around, Song Shi saw that the base was massive, equipped with advanced weaponry, well-trained gunmen, and hundreds of high-probability differentiators gathered in one place.

Judging by the desperation of the forces behind the scenes for awakened individuals, it's clear that awakened people are rare in this world. 

To gather hundreds of potential awakeners at once would require immense manpower and resources, something far beyond the capacity of an ordinary organization.

Moreover, if so many high-probability awakeners disappeared from a country every year, it should have drawn the attention of relevant authorities by now.

For this experiment to have continued for so many years, Song Shi suspected it had government backing.

It felt like a grim rite of passage.

Perhaps there was a mandate: Anyone who, after undergoing certain tests, was found to have a differentiation value above a set threshold and had not awakened by the age of eighteen would be forcibly sent here to undergo superpower stimulation.

This experiment was undoubtedly inhumane.

Song Shi found it hard to believe that, in a peaceful and stable society, any government would condone such an atrocity.

There had to be more to it. This world was likely not at peace. Some crisis must have arisen, something beyond the reach of human technology. 

A crisis that had pushed humanity and its governments into a desperate corner, making awakened individuals a necessity.

But what exactly was this crisis?

Song Shi instinctively looked up. The Exotic's beast's dark, vertical pupils glinted with greed and cruelty. 

It growled low in its throat, crouching as its forelimbs tensed, readying for an attack.

That was the signal.

"Run!"

Song Shi's scattered thoughts snapped into focus as she swiftly dodged to the side.

The exotic beast could no longer hold back and lunged at the crowded group.

It was massive. With a single leap, its outstretched limbs nearly spanned two-thirds of the diameter of the glass enclosure.

The experiment participants who had entered earlier instinctively huddled together, seeking safety in numbers.

Despite being high-probability differentiaters with a greater chance of awakening than the average person, for now, they were just ordinary people, powerless and without any combat ability.

When the exotic beast launched its sudden attack, even though Song Shi had warned them in advance, those crowded in the center had no time to react. 

Several were instantly knocked down by the creature's forceful strike.

With a crisp crack, someone was bitten in half like a piece of dead wood. Blood burst out and splashed on the glass enclosure.. 

Internal organs were scattered all over the ground, and the unique pungent smell of human internal organs diffused.

Standing in a temporarily safe area, Song Shi pinched her nose and instinctively took a few steps back.

Earlier, she had been outside the glass enclosure, merely observing.

Though she had witnessed people dying in various horrific ways, some even more gruesome than what was happening now, it had all been behind the barrier of glass, with the stench of blood far removed.

But now, she felt as though she were trapped in a slaughterhouse, surrounded by blood and bodies, almost within the jaws of the exotic beast. 

The nauseating stench of blood overwhelmed her senses, making her stomach churn.

"You don't look so good." A nudge at her elbow broke her focus. 

Song Shi turned to see the boy who had previously mentioned teaming up with her. She hadn't even noticed when he'd come to stand behind her.

Song Shi remained silent, afraid that if she opened her mouth, she might vomit.

"Run! It's coming this way!" The boy's eyes widened in alarm as he suddenly grabbed her wrist, pulling her toward another direction.

Song Shi felt the ground tremble beneath her feet. 

Without glancing back, she quickly scanned the direction the other experimenters were fleeing, then grabbed the boy's arm and bolted in that direction.

She moved so fast that the boy was nearly dragged along behind her.

The sound of claws scraping against the floor echoed from behind, and Song Shi guessed the monster was trying to stop abruptly, avoiding a collision with the glass enclosure. 

But it wasn’t enough, the impact reverberated through the air as the beast slammed into the barrier, causing the entire structure to hum and vibrate.

This glass enclosure, though vast for humans, still managed to restrict the movements of the massive creature.

That was good news.

At least she wouldn’t be entirely helpless against the beast, forced to wait for death.

After shoving the boy into the crowd, Song Shi glanced back, only to see the exotic beast had already turned its hulking body around and was charging at them again.

She tried to dodge immediately, but a heavy object caught her arm, stopping her in her tracks.

It was that boy again.

"Take me with you. Aren’t we supposed to be working together?"

"I never agreed to that." Song Shi replied bluntly, raising her hand to push him away.

In this situation, she had no desire to carry a dead weight.

But the boy clung to her arm, wrapping himself around it. 

"You just need to run with me. You're fast enough, it won’t slow you down. If we run into danger, you can use me as a shield." When he saw that Song Shi wasn’t swayed, his eyes glistened, and he looked on the verge of tears. 

"You can’t repay kindness with cruelty. I just warned you about the monster behind us!"

Song Shi gritted her teeth, knowing she had no choice but to take him along.

The moment they started moving again, the exotic beast lunged, slamming its tail against the glass cover like a scorpion’s sting. 

Two of the experimenters running in the opposite direction weren’t so lucky, they were caught under its hind claws, crushed in an instant.

Its claws had previously broken through the compacted soil, so you can imagine how sharp they were. 

The moment the two men were pressed down by it, its sharp claws pierced their chests and went straight into their internal organs.

Blood mixed with internal organ fragments flowed out of their mouths. Song Shi just took a look and turned away.

The sound of crunch, crunch soon rang out, and human bones were bitten to pieces by the exotic beast. 

The enclosed space inside the glass enclosure amplified the sound infinitely, and Song Shi felt that her bones were aching.

Facing the enormous creature, Song Shi felt a wave of despair. She couldn’t see any path to survival under the claws of this monstrous beast. 

Everything she did now felt like a futile struggle, merely delaying the inevitable. It was only a matter of time before death caught up to her.

In this artificially constructed glass dome designed to stimulate the awakening of high-probability differentiaters, awakening was her only hope of survival.

But that hope felt distant and elusive, like chasing a mirage.

Song Shi's depressed mood didn't even last long, because the exotic beast quickly devoured the two men and turned to look at other people.

The second group of the Contract and Berserk Departments originally had fifteen members. 

Of the three who had resisted the gunman outside the glass cover earlier, two were from this group. Now, with three more swallowed by the beast, only ten remained.

Each time the creature lunged, another person was devoured, their frantic struggles proving futile in the face of certain death.

Their daggers were utterly useless.

The group's numbers continued to dwindle, yet not a single person had awakened.

Bright red blood now coated the entire ground, seeping deep into the earth. With every step, Song Shi could feel the sickening stickiness beneath her shoes.

Sweat beaded on her forehead. 

Despite her physical endurance, she was growing exhausted from dragging the boy along, dodging the relentless pursuit of the beast, and circling the perimeter of the glass dome countless times.

Only two remained within the glass enclosure.

All hope of awakening now seemed to rest on them.

Once again, Song Shi led the boy beside her to evade the strange beast's attack. 

She leaned against the glass, gasping for breath, the metallic taste of blood rising in her throat.

Her movements had noticeably slowed, a dangerous sign.

She might not escape unscathed next time.

"Go on your own." Song Shi said, pushing the boy's arm away. 

"I've helped you dodge countless times. Don’t throw that repaying kindness with enmity line at me again."

The boy reluctantly withdrew his hand, but his eyes widened as he looked past her. 

"It's coming again, run!" He shouted, pulling her arm.

After so many evasions, Song Shi’s body reacted instinctively. Even though she sensed something wasn’t right, she followed him without thinking.

However, she never anticipated that the monster would move significantly faster this time. 

Song Shi could distinctly smell the blood and the foul stench emanating from the creature's mouth, along with the hot breath washing over her back.

It was already right behind them.

Taking a deep breath, Song Shi prepared for one last attempt.

Suddenly, the boy turned his head, his handsome, fair face twisted with ruthlessness. With surprising strength, he shoved Song Shi forcefully toward the monster.

In that instant, fear of being bitten and swallowed didn't dominate her thoughts, nor did regret or betrayal. 

Instead, what surged within her was a raw, bloodthirsty rage, anger at being controlled by this exotic beast.

This feeling was far more intense and genuine than the fear that had haunted her since arriving here. 

At that moment, Song Shi felt truly alive, as if she had fully integrated into this body and embraced her true self.

Song Shi's body was leaning back, the exotic beast's curved fangs had reached the back of her head, sticking to her scalp. 

The smell of blood, a hundred times stronger than anywhere else, hit her face. Her blood was boiling, and her every sense was adjusted to the maximum.

At the critical moment, Song Shi held the dagger and inserted it into the monster's mouth before it closed its mouth, inserting it into the tender flesh which was a hundred times softer than its skin outside.

Using this force, she quickly pulled out her head, drew out the dagger, slid her body down, and rolled twice on the ground.

All this happened in an instant. 

By the time the pain from the monster's mouth traveled along the nerves to its brain and caused an angry reaction, Song Shi was already two meters away from it.

Meanwhile, the traitor who had pushed her out remained frozen in front of the exotic beast.

The creature roared in pain and anger, the force of its breath splattering against his face. Only then did he react, turning to flee.

"Trying to run?"

Song Shi appeared before him, a half-smile playing on her lips.

His face went pale, and his voice trembled as he stammered, "I didn't mean to do that! It just appeared so suddenly, and I was scared-ah!"

Song Shi didn't have the patience to hear his excuses. 

She lifted her foot and kicked him hard in the chest, sending his frail body flying directly into the open maw of the monster.

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