Apocalypse Circular

Song Hana ran straight through the second-floor research area, heading deeper into the base.

Meanwhile, Zhang Tianyi, leading his men, hastily followed her.

Soon, Lu Luo, carrying Zhou Kai on his back, also quickly passed through the staircase.

Carrying Zhou Kai like this is pretty stupid, he thought. It'll probably hinder me in the next fight. I should find a place to put him down.

But he hadn't expected that on this second floor below, over a dozen researchers were still scattered about, operating and adjusting test subjects.

In front of them, in various cultivation vats, resided a mix of test subjects: humans as well as Exotic Species.

The majority of the Exotic Species were smaller ones, while all the humans were women.

The researchers naturally noticed Lu Luo rushing in. It wasn't common for people to come here, especially strangers like Lu Luo.

Song Hana and Zhang Tianyi rushing past just now was one thing, but Lu Luo's appearance at this time clearly indicated a problem.

Besides, he's carrying someone on his back. What's he up to? More human experiments? one of them wondered.

A researcher, watching Lu Luo run, finally couldn't hold back and asked, "Hey, what are you doing?"

"Fixing the air conditioning."

After answering, Lu Luo didn't stop, continuing to run towards the deeper parts of the base.

"Fixing the air conditioning? Do we have air conditioning here?"

The researcher, puzzled, asked his colleague.

"We do, but it's a central ventilation system."

"And that guy?"

"Don't mind him. Just do our work here. Some things are out of our control. Only by minding nothing, and caring about nothing, can you survive here. Everyone's here just for some money. Why risk our lives for it? Maybe one day, we can actually get out of here alive!"

The one speaking was an elderly researcher, his voice laced with helplessness. As he spoke, he opened a locket with a photo inside. It showed a little girl, his granddaughter. He had been here for four years and hadn't seen his family in all that time.

The old researcher's words interrupted the other two, refocusing the trio on their respective duties.

Just as the old researcher said, most of the researchers here had come to risk their lives, driven by a desperate need for money. Their experiments and research were things ordinary people could never accept; not even their families could know.

If we just do our research honestly, maybe there's a chance to get out of here someday! But if you cause trouble, the only end here is death.

Neither Zhang Tianyi nor Song Hana were the tender-hearted type.

Just then, after several groups of people had passed through the experimental area, the human women in the cultivation vats suddenly opened their eyes.

WHIRRR!

The cultivation vats began to vibrate violently.

CRACKLE! The glass of the cultivation vats started to crack, and the researchers present became extremely panicked.

The few researchers conducting biological data analysis there all backed away.

"Old Liu, what's going on?"

"How would I know? It feels like some sort of life force in them was suddenly activated."

"So what do we do now?"

"Zhang Tianyi went down, probably in pursuit of that person. Let's run first; we can talk later!"

As these researchers scrambled away in panic, the women in the cultivation vats finally shattered the glass and jumped out.

They glanced at each other, then tore off the cables attached to their bodies and also rushed in the direction of Lu Luo and Zhang Tianyi.

Lu Luo passed through one experimental area after another, finally stopping in front of a circular staircase.

[Target found. They are in the second room at the bottom of the circular staircase, possibly organizing items. There's a deeper area ahead. Have you decided how you'll fight next?]

"I've decided."

Without another word, he vaulted the railing and jumped down.

After landing, he was now on the third level of this underground base.

He found that the cultivation tanks here no longer contained humans, but various Exotic Species.

In the largest central cultivation tank before him, a white Orochi was sleeping. Lu Luo wanted to use the Observer to scan the creature, but the glass blocked him.

[The glass of the cultivation tank has an energy-insulating effect. If you want to know its information, you can break the glass and let it out. That way, you can see its attributes.]

What a practical suggestion! Lu Luo thought with sarcasm. The Observer really spares no effort to prove its usefulness! To think it could offer a suggestion that only someone who's suffered a cerebral hemorrhage for the past ten years could come up with. Truly impressive.

As he passed by the cultivation tank, the Orochi seemed to sense something and opened its eyes to look at Lu Luo, a hint of confusion in its gaze.

Lu Luo's mood, already soured by Zhou Kai's severe injuries, prompted him to glare back.

"What are you cackling at?"

[The host's words... quite ambiguous! 'Cackling'... is he admitting he's a 'chicken'? (A play on words for coward). Alright, alright, no need to explain. I know you're not a 'chicken'. If you're not, then move forward; there's a path ahead.]

Lu Luo suppressed his urge to curse and continued deeper into the base.

As Lu Luo delved deeper, he saw a variety of Exotic Species, including one he recognized—a Red Shell, like the one he had killed before!

A Red Shell's stinger is highly valuable, Lu Luo thought. Too bad I don't have time to collect it now.

As he ran, Lu Luo suddenly stopped.

He noticed that in one of the rooms, several cultivation vats were empty.

Lu Luo pondered for three seconds, then jumped directly on top of one of the vats.

He wrenched open the sealed lid with brute force and dipped his finger into the liquid inside.

[A type of nutrient solution with biological repair effects, containing a small amount of Life Energy, absorbable by the Devourer.]

There's Life Energy in this? Is it the same concept as those little purple vials from Blue Sky Pharmaceuticals?

Lu Luo knew he couldn't keep chasing endlessly; he had to hide Zhou Kai first. An idea had already formed in his mind when he saw these empty cultivation vats.

Life Energy is like a potent poison to humans, so I have to filter it out of this solution.

"Devour!"

[You have absorbed 121 energy points. The Devourer has filtered out the impurities from the Life Energy for you.]

A whole vat only provided 121 energy points, Lu Luo mused. Far less potent than those little purple vials.

After cleaning the cultivation vat, Lu Luo spoke to the unconscious Zhou Kai, regardless of whether he could hear.

"Alright, Brother Kane, your bro can't stay with you the whole time now. Qiao Xing said you'll be okay, and I trust his word, so you rest here for a while. This vat contains nutrient and repair liquids. I'm going to avenge you now. Once I've dealt with them, I'll take you home!"

Lu Luo stripped Zhou Kai and placed him inside the cultivation vat.

He drained some of the liquid to ensure Zhou Kai wouldn't drown in the nutrient solution. Then he placed the lid on top without sealing it, leaving enough air for Zhou Kai.

After doing all this, Lu Luo used the covers from other nearby cultivation vats to further conceal Zhou Kai.

"Brother Kane, when we get back, I'll treat you to a tricycle ride—the 200-buck kind!"

Lu Luo knocked on the glass with his fist. After he left, Zhou Kai seemed to sense something and twitched his fingers, as if in response.

Now that Qiao Xing and Ludie have arrived, and Zhou Kai is going to be fine, it's time for us to settle the score with these people. Zhou Kai has suffered so much, his hand is practically ruined. And he's the third-in-command of Circular. Our Chief Financial Officer, the Godfather of Extramarital Affairs, Head of Human Resources, the King of Chicken Soup... What happened to Zhou Kai can't just be forgotten. This debt must be repaid. Revenge is a must.

What Lu Luo didn't know was that after he left, the other cultivation vats in Zhou Kai's room suddenly began to stir.

Exotic Species were also stored here, but these were not the usual animal types, but rather special plant types. Some of these plant-type Exotic Species even existed in the form of special particles within the cultivation vats.

After Lu Luo left, these seeds began to germinate rapidly, quickly turning into small plants floating in the nutrient solution.

Gradually, they grew sharp thorns and then suddenly struck the glass.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

CRACK!

As the first crack appeared, these pervasive plants rapidly forced their way into it, quickly shattering the cultivation vat.

They broke free from their respective cultivation vats and began to crawl towards the one holding Zhou Kai. Because Zhou Kai's cultivation vat wasn't sealed, the plants didn't need much effort to slip inside.

Soon, the small plants from the other four cultivation vats converged in Zhou Kai's vat.

They began to gnaw at Zhou Kai's arm, stripping away pieces of shredded flesh, consuming and digesting them. Then the four plants began to coalesce, latching onto Zhou Kai's shattered bones and completely decomposing his arm.

But just then, Zhou Kai suddenly woke up!

"Ugh!"

He looked at his right arm. It had been completely replaced by these plants, now a grotesque plant-like limb. Moreover, the plant-limb was still writhing continuously, as if in defiance.

Just as Zhou Kai was about to rip it out, the plant-limb acted first, its vines completely ensnaring him. Then, it extended a long vine, reaching out to activate the vat's self-repair mechanism.

The lid of the cultivation vat above Zhou Kai snapped shut instantly, severing the extended vine in the process.

However, the plant-limb didn't seem to care. It cheerfully continued to consume what was left of Zhou Kai's right hand, steadily advancing towards his right shoulder.

"What the hell is this!"

Zhou Kai tried to tear these things off, but how could human strength compare to that of Exotic Species? Especially a plant-type Exotic Species; their strength was far greater than humans imagined. They can break open soil, shatter roads and bridges, possessing some of the most indomitable strength in nature. If plants possessed complete sentience, they would be terrifying creatures—just like these plant-type Exotic Species.

In his panic, Zhou Kai fiercely kicked the cultivation vat. His struggles seemed to trigger some kind of safety measure in the vat. A gas was suddenly injected into the vat. It had no obvious effect on humans, but it possessed a very specific sedative effect on Exotic Species.

Under the influence of this gas, the plant-limb was no longer frantic, nor did it continue to gnaw at Zhou Kai's arm.

Just when Zhou Kai thought he was saved and could start figuring out a way to escape, the liquid in the cultivation vat was suddenly drained.

And then…

A purple liquid, pulsing with Life Energy, began to refill the vat!

"Fuck, this doesn't feel good at all!"

Life Energy began to seep from Zhou Kai's wounds, and the power of the Exotic Species continuously invaded his body. He convulsed, desperately trying to escape, but the purple Life Energy-infused liquid filled the vat too quickly, submerging him completely.

Zhou Kai felt he couldn't breathe! Intense pain pierced his brain.

"It's over... Brother Luo... Brother Gu... I'm a goner!"

But just as he felt death approaching, the plant-limb, having absorbed the Life Energy, began to undergo noticeable changes!

The four distinct plant forms began to merge, gradually becoming a new, singular plant entity. Yet, this was not the end. At the base of the plant-limb, where it connected to Zhou Kai's stump, his flesh and the plant's root system began to intertwine. With the aid of Life Energy, the two started to merge anew. Zhou Kai's blood vessels and the plant's roots combined tightly, gradually forming a new arm.

A plant-based arm.

Zhou Kai, who had been suffocating and clutching his throat, suddenly found his airway clear.

Huh? How can I breathe again?

He tried breathing underwater, and it seemed to actually work. He even tried a few breaststrokes in the vat. But how is this possible? How can I breathe underwater?

As Zhou Kai and the plant arm absorbed more Life Energy, his strength, agility, and Constitution all saw very obvious improvements—especially strength and Constitution, the two attributes where plant-based Exotic Species were strongest.

With the enhancement of his attributes, Zhou Kai instantly broke through the First Tier threshold, becoming a true First Tier Transcendent, and he was still rapidly advancing.

He had been practicing Qi Path, one of the six Hunter paths, but at that moment, all his Qi Path energy had automatically converted into a special green energy. The hard-earned Qi He he had accumulated over time vanished in a flash.

"Fuck! I spent so long training that with Fat Ding!"

In its place, a seed-like biological core appeared in his chest.

From this point, Zhou Kai's physical characteristics began to change more drastically—his height, appearance, and physique.

As the Life Energy in the vat began to dwindle, Zhou Kai felt his Enhancement rate slowing.

"Hey, where'd all the purple potion go? Gimme more!"

Zhou Kai's shift from abject terror to eagerly demanding "Gimme more!" hadn't actually taken very long.

He directly twisted open the lid of the vat above his head with his hand, oblivious to the immense strength required for such a feat. He scanned his surroundings and, upon finding the button that had previously sealed the vat, wanted to get out and press it again.

But if I get out to press that button, will the vat seal itself then? Is there some way I can reach that button from in here? Find a stick, maybe?

As he was thinking this, the fingers of his right hand began to extend unwittingly, growing longer and longer. Zhou Kai's arm also extended, stretching until it drooped onto the floor, and still, the growth didn't stop.

"Ah? This..."

Astonished yet intrigued, Zhou Kai tried to control his plant arm to reach for the button.

DING!

Success!

But just like before, he couldn't retract his plant arm in time, and it was severed again by the vat's closing lid.

"Fuck, that stings! Okay, actually, it's not *that* painful."

There was a sensation of pain, but it was definitely not the excruciating agony he'd imagined from having an arm severed. And the plant arm quickly regrew. This is actually pretty interesting! he thought.

Life Energy was injected into the vat once more, and Zhou Kai began to joyfully absorb it again.