Chapter 335: Transformation into Monsters!
Grodd's Lair
The world is never short of self-proclaimed clever people. In a way, Luke was one of them, but the difference was that he had died once. The memories and experiences of two lifetimes allowed him to pause, think carefully, and then decide when faced with temptation.
Due to its geography, Central City's drainage system was enormous. Hundreds of interconnected waterways crisscrossed and weaved through it, like a massive underground labyrinth.
Lex Luthor hated the sewers, but to observe the true combat capability of his test subjects, he had to be there. Accompanying him were Sam Lane and nine special operations soldiers wearing Tesla kinetic combat suits.
The air quality in the sewers was terrible, permeated by a faint, continuous stench of decay. Walking through it made one's entire body uncomfortable.
"General, I don't understand why we have to set the battlefield here."
"You'll see soon enough."
Sam Lane didn't bother to explain and continued forward. The group walked out of a pipe and arrived at a four-way intersection.
A mysterious figure wearing a black uniform and a mask stood at the exit. Upon seeing Sam Lane, he bowed.
"General!"
Sam Lane nodded. "Where are they?"
"The second exit on the right. Go to the end, turn left, and that's their base."
"How many?"
"Seventeen. I killed one, so sixteen remain."
Sam Lane acknowledged this. "Your mission is complete. You may return."
"Please be careful, General. Their strength is considerable."
The mysterious person bowed again, then flashed, integrating into the darkness like a shadow.
Luthor saw clearly that the man had genuinely turned into a shadow, not just a live person.
"I didn't expect A.R.G.U.S. to have someone like that. If I'm not mistaken, he must be a metahuman!"
Sam Lane replied curtly,
"If you are interested in A.R.G.U.S., you're welcome to visit the department. If you join, I'll let you take the position of logistics director."
Luthor smiled and shook his head.
"Don't joke, General. I don't have time to work for a government department."
Sam Lane snorted and led the way into the second tunnel on the right. After a few steps, a dark shape was visible in the water. Approaching it revealed a corpse lying in the sewage.
The corpse was not human but a black-furred gorilla over 2.2 meters tall and incredibly muscular. Even more strangely, the gorilla was wearing armor and clutching a weapon similar to a firearm.
Luthor stared at it for a few moments, his expression extremely grim.
"Don't tell me this is the target we're supposed to deal with."
"Your judgment is correct."
Sam Lane stood with his hands behind his back, carefully examining the incision on the gorilla's neck. After a long pause, he instructed his men,
"Remember, the gorillas' weakness is their heads. Don't waste bullets on their bodies; that will only provoke their ferocity."
The soldiers nodded in unison. Sam Lane then turned to the back of the group.
"Mr. Luthor, it's your turn to proceed."
Lex Luthor looked around, his expression utterly cold. "Since we have chosen to cooperate, we should be honest, not conceal the truth. General, I have shown my sincerity; where is yours?" He glanced at the corpse and continued,
"In my understanding, only intelligent beings wear armor and carry weapons, not just black-furred gorillas."
Sam Lane frowned slightly.
"What do you want to know?"
"The gorillas' origin, purpose, and identity."
Sam Lane scoffed. "I don't know the answers to your questions myself, so how can I explain them to you? All I can tell you is that this is a tribe of highly intelligent gorillas entrenched in the Central City sewers, and they seem to be conducting some kind of human experimentation."
"Human experimentation?"
Luthor's mind churned. "What kind of human experimentation?"
"You'll find out in a moment."
Sam Lane didn't want to waste time here. "Any more questions? If not, let's begin. Let me witness just how strong your agent is."
Luthor was dissatisfied with the answer but decided to tolerate it. He opened his briefcase and took out three modified purple agents. Simultaneously, three selected soldiers stepped out of the group.
They were elite, rigorously trained soldiers, loyal to their country, to A.R.G.U.S., and to Sam Lane.
None of the three spoke or showed any hesitation. They accepted the agents from Luthor and, under the silent gaze of the others, injected them into their arms.
The Transformation
The purple agent flowed through their blood vessels and spread throughout their bodies. Gradually, their bodies began to change. Their faces contorted and became grotesque, as if they were experiencing extreme pain. Their eyeballs became bloodshot, eventually being replaced by a bloody red color.
A savage, raging killing intent radiated from them, like beasts tormented by hunger.
Sam Lane's expression subtly changed. He instinctively backed away. The remaining soldiers stepped forward, shielding Sam Lane.
Low, deep growls echoed in the pipe.
Under the flickering lights, the three human shadows rapidly grew larger. The muscles on their bodies wriggled like worms, continuously swelling and expanding. Their clothes tore and shredded into strips. Beneath the strips was purplish-brown flesh, solid as marble.
In a matter of moments, the three soldiers shed their human forms, transforming into terrifying giant monsters over 2.5 meters tall.
Witnessing this, Sam Lane felt his fingers tremble. The surging power was both exciting and frightening. Can this truly be controlled by humans?
He asked himself, then immediately pushed the doubt aside and shouted,
"Sam! Drake! Kahn! How do you feel?"
The special forces soldier named Sam grabbed his head and said in a hoarse voice,
"Excellent, General. No problem. I can control myself."
Kahn, standing beside him, showed a bloodthirsty grin.
"Give the order, General. We can't wait."
"Good!"
Sam Lane let out a long sigh of relief. The others wore similar expressions. They had genuinely worried that the injected comrades would descend into madness and destroy everything without control—an outcome no one wanted to see.
Lex Luthor added,
"The agent's effect only lasts for half an hour. After thirty minutes, you will enter a state of extreme weakness. Without food replenishment, your bodies will quickly atrophy and eventually die."
"Here are the warning devices!"
Luthor produced three specialized bracelets. "The bracelets will sound an alarm when time is running low. You must return immediately when you hear it."
The three monsters looked at the General. Seeing him nod, they reluctantly took the bracelets and put them on their wrists.
Sam Lane stepped forward, his expression solemn.
"Remember, the target is the mutant gorillas. Leave three alive; the rest are expendable, whether dead or alive. Understand?"
"Rest assured, General. No one leaves the sewers alive."
The three men saluted, their eyes flashing with bloodlust, and strode deep into the pipe like hungry beasts.
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