The boy told him, “Don’t cry. There will be a home in the future.”

His tone was firm and warm, as if he had unlimited dependence on this belief. This was something that An Zhe hadn’t seen at the human base.

“Is this always the case here?” he asked.

“Eh?” The boy froze at first before laughing. “You will get used to it soon.”

The moment he finished speaking, he suddenly stopped. There was a sharp, shrill cry from the corridor.

CHAPTER 71

Then there was the sound of something breaking. Tang Lan frowned and strode out. The screams continued and there was the sound of fighting. The boy flinched sharply and grabbed An Zhe’s arm like he was seeking protection. However, he still staid, “Don’t be afraid. Someone has become a monster but Brother Tang can fight it.”

They looked out the open door and saw a human figure rolling in the open space in the centre. Dense tentacles grew on his back and his facial features were distorted and deformed into a mass of grey swelling. His limbs attacked wildly as another part of his body turned into a vine to fight. Tang Lan joined in and subdued the monster without much effort.

“Lock it up,” Tang Lan ordered. The thing was taken down and Tang Lan came back to the room.

“We have human consciousness now but we don’t know when it will be gone,” the boy whispered. “That’s why I cherish the time when I can be a person.”

Just then, a sound came from the window. An Zhe looked down and saw a large instrument in the open space in front of the building lighting up.

“Mr Polly seems to be doing this these days. It looks different from the previous research.” The boy muttered.

An Zhe looked over there and saw a red light from the machine as it lit up. He asked, “What is that?”

Tang Lan didn’t speak and just stared out the window. At the top of the mountain, the aurora and the starry sky became so low that it seemed they could reach out and touch it. There was silence in the room. A long time passed before Tang Lan opened his mouth.

“Mr Polly is a fusion scientist,” Tang Lan explained softly. “The fusionists believe that one day, we can find a way to peacefully fuse human and monster genes. People won’t become monsters with only instincts but will also possess a strong body and can adapt to the harsh environment.

“Like this.” He showed An Zhe his arm which was faintly covered with black scales. “The human body is really too fragile.”