Chapter 392

The laboratory fire erupted without warning, catching everyone off guard. Thick black smoke billowed as hundreds of people in the laboratory scrambled in panic, fleeing in all directions.

Bruce’s expression turned grave the moment he witnessed the scene. Meanwhile, his subordinates were already overwhelmed, scrambling to contain the chaos.

Originally, their plan was to sneak into the laboratory today, eliminate all the test subjects, and then demolish the entire facility. Unexpectedly, disaster struck.

“What happened?” Bruce demanded.

One of the staff reported urgently, “The virus mutated. One test subject developed superhuman strength, injured our people, and escaped.”

“Where did it go?” Bruce demanded.

The staff stammered, “N–no idea… We haven’t found the subject yet.”

Bruce ordered, “Expand the lockdown perimeter immediately. Don’t let it enter the city limits.”

“Many others have escaped as well. We can’t be sure if any of them are infected,” the staff said.

Bruce’s voice dropped to a cold, clipped edge. “Find the mutant. That’s the priority.”

Above them, a crescent moon hung low over the trees, casting silver light across the woods.

Natalie wore a white jumpsuit marked with a serial number—Subject 110 in Immortality Project. Unlike the previous 109 test subjects, she had been perfectly healthy.

Now, her clothes were splattered with blood. Under the moonlight, her mutation was unmistakable. Her nails had grown long and razor-sharp, her eyes burned red, and thick patches of coarse hair covered her skin.

As the hem of her jumpsuit fluttered, black scales glistened beneath, making her every inch the monster.

‘I never thought I’d be tricked into a hellhole like that,’ Natalie thought bitterly. ‘Tortured until I turned into… whatever this is. Am I a human or a monster now? Or just something in between?’

At least she hadn’t lost her mind like the others. Most of the test subjects went feral once the virus took hold—but not her.

She felt stronger now. Her limbs were lighter, her movements sharper, her body humming with power. Sure, she was covered in too much hair, but her skin had lost every trace of melanin. It was ghostly pale and cold to the touch.

Natalie was ravenous now, her stomach gnawing at her. It didn’t matter what it was—she just needed to eat. Then, she spotted the glowing neon sign of a 24-hour convenience store. So, she had made her way into town.

Driven by ravenous hunger, she barged into the store without a second thought and began tearing through everything, desperately searching for food.

The cashier jumped in fright, mistaking her for a homeless person or a lunatic. Grabbing the bat from under the counter, he marched over and growled, “Get out now, or I’ll make you!”

Natalie tore through bags of chips and gulped down sodas, yet her hunger never faded. Oblivious to the voices around her, she just kept stuffing food into her mouth with ravenous abandon.

Just as the cashier raised the bat to strike, Natalie reacted with inhuman speed. She spun around, grabbed the bat, and with a powerful shove, sent the cashier flying nearly ten feet across the store.

Staggering to his feet, the cashier stared in horror as Natalie lunged at the fish tank, snatched up a live fish, and gulped it down whole.

The sight made the cashier’s stomach churn. His blood ran cold, and his knees nearly gave out. With trembling hands, he fumbled for his phone and dialed the police.

The cops arrived swiftly. They were just two officers on night duty from the local station. When they walked in, the convenience store was in complete disarray. The shelves were overturned, wrappers strewn everywhere, and nearly all the food had been devoured. Finally, Natalie let out a guttural belch.

“That’s her. Hurry, arrest her! She was eating the goldfish like some kind of monster!” the cashier cried out, pointing frantically.

“She ate every single one I had!” he added, his voice shaking with outrage.

The cashier shouted, “You freak! You’re a monster!”

Only then did Natalie realize with horror what she had just eaten. Her face drained of color as she protested vehemently, “I’m not.”

A sudden, inexplicable rage surged within her. The officers were skeptical at first, but the sight of goldfish remains scattered on the floor convinced them.

As they closed in on her, the enraged Natalie bared her razor-sharp claws and lunged at them. Her eyes were bloodshot as she snarled. “Apologize to me right now!”