Chapter 324: Detoxification!
The Abomination
The series of changes in the Parasite exceeded humanity's understanding of life forms.
In common knowledge, every creature on earth is composed of different organs, whether they are animals, birds, insects, or invisible microorganisms.
Different organs possess different functions, merging to form a complete life form; this is what a species should look like, as biology teachers taught.
But the emergence of the Mountain of Flesh shattered that notion.
The human-like insect creature connected to the Mountain of Flesh was constantly tearing off the nodules on its body. Every piece torn off was replaced by new growth. Blood was splattered everywhere, and the cold wind carried a pungent, foul smell.
More horrifyingly, the nodules of flesh scattered on the ground were not dead; they were writhing like worms. Some were even sticking together, seemingly attempting to form another Mountain of Flesh.
The scene was terrifying and made everyone's skin crawl.
An agent moved his throat, asking in a hoarse voice,
"W-what is it doing?"
No one could answer. Everyone stared at the center of the ruins, their eyes flashing with unconcealed terror.
"Director, what should we do? Should we attack?"
At the sound of the question, dozens of eyes instinctively turned toward him. Scott Ruby, the FBI Director, gritted his teeth and shouted with all his strength,
"Fire! Shoot to kill!"
Having served on the battlefield, Scott knew they absolutely could not retreat now. If they showed any sign of backing down, the morale of the team would collapse, and he would have no way to answer to the White House.
The Director ordered the attack, and the snipers had no choice but to comply. They tossed aside their empty cannons and re-erected their heavy sniper rifles.
Bang!
The explosive sound ripped through the air. The high-explosive round fired from the heavy sniper rifle grazed a concrete wall and struck the Mountain of Flesh heavily.
The kinetic energy added by the bullet created large energy ripples in the stacked flesh. The scene looked like two equally matched boxers beating each other!
Boom!
The bullet exploded. The secondary impact finally shook the Mountain of Flesh, causing visible waves to ripple through it.
However, that was all.
The current Joshua was no longer a sitting duck. His strength was recovering rapidly.
The snipers, refusing to give up, aimed for the head and pulled their triggers again.
Five high-explosive rounds burst from the barrels, flying in from different directions.
Boom!
Explosions followed one after another. The monster's head was directly hit by the fiery impact generated by the bullets' explosion. Yet, everything remained as it was.
Joshua had suffered no substantial harm. His body had merely jolted backward significantly due to the blast. That was the only effect of five high-explosive rounds!
The air fell silent, and despair began to brew.
The snipers exchanged looks, at a loss for what to do next.
Scott was filled with utter frustration, his cheeks flushed abnormally red from stress, but he finally deflated like a burst balloon.
"Are there any more vials of the agent?"
His deputy gave a wry smile. "We have two spares, but..."
"There's no time to consider anything else! Get someone to throw those vials over! Even if it can't kill him, we can't let him recover! We must hold out for at least half an hour, no matter what!"
"Understood."
The deputy took a sharp breath and immediately dispatched agents to carry out the order. Just then, the Mountain of Flesh underwent a dramatic transformation.
Rebirth
The four-meter-tall mass of flesh began to violently churn up and down. Purple blood squirted from the seams, and the outer layer of flesh peeled away. The inside began to bloom like a grotesque chrysanthemum, the flesh layers stacking one upon another, forming a bizarre, floral pattern.
"What is it doing?"
Everyone was confused, unable to figure out the monster's intent.
Joshua, situated in the center of the bloom, clutched his head and let out a painful roar. His body was changing at a visible speed. The razor-toothed mouthparts vanished, and his human appearance returned. His blade-like claws retracted inward, and his muscle contour looked like that of a normal person again.
More shocking was his lower body.
The lower torso, originally fused with the Mountain of Flesh, slowly pulled away. Every separation ripped out a large amount of fresh blood. Soon, a completely new pair of legs formed, as if a viscous worm had shed its chrysalis to become human.
Under the moonlight.
Joshua, covered in blood, stood on the peak of the Mountain of Flesh, breathing heavily, in agony. When he finally looked up, all sound somehow vanished.
An aura called "death" spread through the surroundings.
At this moment, Scott finally understood the reason for the Mountain of Flesh.
He was detoxifying!
The agent provided by Lex Luthor was not as useless as they had thought. In fact, that agent had caused a massive impact on the Parasite's cells, nearly halting all cellular metabolism.
This damage, originating at the genetic level, was almost irreversible.
Therefore, Joshua adopted the simplest, cruelest, and bloodiest approach: he cut away all the infected cells, using the uninfected cells as a basis to re-create a new body.
This process must have caused him enormous physical pain, yet he endured it, shedding the old shell and achieving rebirth.
The air was unimaginably heavy!
Watching the man standing atop the Mountain of Flesh, everyone felt a stone pressing down on their hearts. Even breathing became difficult.
A monster like this was beyond the capability of ordinary humans. If he chose to begin a massacre, everyone present would die, without exception.
Time passed second by second.
Finally, Joshua moved. His eyes scanned the surroundings and finally landed on Debbie, who was clutching her thigh and gasping from pain. A complex emotion flashed in his eyes. In the end, he said nothing. With a single leap, he spread his wings mid-air, carried by a gust of wind, and flew off into the distant night sky.
A long while passed. Only after the figure vanished into the night did the surroundings return to normal.
"He... he just left?"
Scott murmured, his face blank with confusion, mixed with an almost imperceptible hint of relief.
The deputy wiped the cold sweat from his forehead, his voice hoarse.
"I-I guess so."
"Why did he leave? Why didn't he kill anyone? Isn't he the Parasite? Why didn't he consume our life force?"
Scott asked three questions in succession. His deputy could only manage a wry smile. A.R.G.U.S.'s intelligence clearly had a major flaw. The Parasite, Joshua Allen, was not simply a homicidal maniac. He seemed to possess an unknown side—humanity.
Dealing with a creature like this could not rely solely on brute force.
The sound of a helicopter propeller approached from above. A helicopter bearing the LuthorCorp logo landed in a nearby plaza. Lex Luthor, dressed in a formal suit, and four subordinates in specialized uniforms stepped out and strode toward them.
Under the flashing lights, the iconic bald head was instantly recognizable.
Scott's anger flared. He pointed at the ruined building and shouted fiercely,
"This is your 'foolproof' plan, Lex Luthor! Your intelligence was wrong, and your agent was useless! Because of your negligence, Metropolis nearly became a hellscape!"
"You owe me an explanation for this!"
Luthor glanced at the Mountain of Flesh in the ruins and frowned. "Director, the most urgent task right now is to capture the Parasite. I imagine you wouldn't want to see a tragedy like Glen Carr on tomorrow's front page."
"You..."
Scott was enraged, his cheeks twitching violently, but he ultimately held back. He turned and said,
"Come with me. I have something to discuss."
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