"Doctor Selene, something big has happened! Someone is trying to steal our latest invention!" It was a young woman's voice, rushing into the room. Her breathing was slightly erratic, and beads of sweat were clearly visible on her forehead.
"You mean Unit 7?" Selene, who had been resting her head on the desk, quickly lifted it, looking directly at the woman who came to report. Selene's eyes were filled with worry, and she could no longer allow herself to rest.
"What about the security unit?" The young woman rose from her seat before putting on the long white coat that was neatly draped over the soft texture of her chair.
Compared to years ago, Selene had grown up significantly. Although her body remained slender, just as when she was a girl, her current figure had clearly defined curves, and she exuded more mature charm than in the past.
Selene tidied her hair slightly as she walked out of the lab. The young woman's silver-grey hair was a little disheveled but not so messy that it couldn't be straightened. It didn't take long for Selene to fix her hair, which made her current look vastly different from the previously exhausted scientist. Now, she was a scientist serious about her work.
"The culprit is a cult follower. The security unit is trying to stop him, but he's too strong. They can barely resist him! We're now calling for reinforcements from other labs and from headquarters," The young little assistant, Erin, replied to Selene's question with a slightly trembling voice. She bit her lip anxiously, and with stress accumulating more and more with each passing second, Erin's heart pounded heavily.
"A cult follower…" Selene murmured, clenching her fist slightly. The young woman's footsteps quickened. She rushed to the security unit. As she entered the Unit 7 artifact storage room, both young women's eyes suddenly widened in shock. Their hearts trembled with fear at the horrifying scene that unfolded. Crimson blood splattered across the laboratory. Scattered organ fragments lay on the floor. The continuous, agonizing screams of the security unit echoed without end.
The cult follower covered his body with red clothing, concealing his face. Every time he moved, the dagger in his hand moved gracefully and dangerously. With the aid of supernatural power, the cult follower could draw out the maximum efficiency of interdimensional energy. The tendons and senses of the security unit members were severed easily, as if creating a masterpiece of exquisite art by a skilled artist.
"Hahahaha, is this all you've got? PRIORITY isn't much after all! Alright, I'll play with you all a bit." The cult follower extended his tongue to lick the blood off the sharp blade of the dagger. His tongue was slightly different from a human's, being pointed and bifurcated like a reptile's tongue.
Insane, psychopathic laughter echoed in the room.
The cult follower became excited every time he saw the security unit members screaming in pain. His attacks often targeted points that could inflict the most suffering and also paralyze the opponent.
Mostly, he slashed at fingers, Achilles tendons, dental nerves, eyeballs, and the cervical spine, among others, before the cult follower slowly and cruelly cut organs into pieces, one by one, with cold indifference.
Such actions instilled extreme fear and chills in the two young women in the room. Selene tried her utmost to resist vomiting. As for Erin, she was almost at her limit. Her face was pale, almost fainting. The young woman looked incredibly pitiable.
"Doctor Selene, Miss Erin, please leave! This cult follower is stronger than anyone we've faced before. We're not confident we can protect you." The head of the security unit rushed forward to stand in front of Selene, his back to them. His eyes were fixed, vigilantly watching for attacks from the enemy that might harm them both.
"..." Selene bit her lip so hard it bled, as she watched the tragic events unfold. A feeling of weakness spread throughout the young woman's body. In such a situation, she could do nothing but watch, letting others help. Selene wanted power. Power that could help others and not let them sacrifice themselves.
"Erin, please get me the EM2 serum." Selene said in a serious tone, her eyes fixed on the cult follower. She had made up her mind. The young woman's eyes sparkled brightly, reflecting intense determination—a sparkle Kilenc had seen in the past. If he saw it again, he wouldn't be able to resist being captivated and would feel excitement almost beyond his control.
"Doctor… are you really sure? That serum hasn't been fully developed. There's a chance that…" Erin's voice clearly showed hesitation. However, Selene ignored it. She immediately cut the other's sentence short, giving Erin no chance to persuade her.
"Stop wasting time, go get it for me! Or do you want your salary cut this month, Erin?" Selene's serious gaze made Erin unable to refuse the order. She looked at the doctor hesitantly as if wanting to say something, but ultimately decided not to speak.
"If that is your wish, I will get it for you immediately, Doctor." Erin nodded obediently, then quickly ran out of the room. The young woman used all her remaining strength to achieve her goal, even drawing upon the interdimensional energy within her own body to enhance her speed.
After seeing Erin off, Selene's demeanor relaxed. She turned to ask the head of the security unit,
"Mr. James, may I ask you directly, what are our chances of winning against him? How long can we hold him off from escaping?"
"Doctor…" The head of the security unit stared at Selene, speechless. He felt even more powerless than the young woman in front of him. Even though he was the head of the lab's security unit, he couldn't reduce the worry and risk for Doctor Selene at all, forcing her to ask that question. Doctor Selene was just a scientist. She wasn't even like him. Yet, the young woman was filled with a captivating determination that displayed strength.
"Doctor Selene, we might have no chance of winning against him at all, and I'm afraid five minutes is the absolute limit to hold this man off. So… please escape like the other scientists. You are invaluable individuals who cannot be replaced. If we can't protect you, we won't be able to rest in peace…" After that, the head of the security unit let out a laugh, trying to ease the tension in the conversation.
"…Don't worry about us. This job is already risky. The contract also states that we can die at any time. Besides, the compensation is very high. We get to protect people who can create the future and also earn money to support our families. Those two things alone are worth it."
James smiled slightly before turning his back to Selene again. His weapon was ready for combat at all times. If the cult follower attacked Doctor Selene, he would use everything he had to protect her. And if Doctor Selene decided to escape, James would immediately join his comrades in the fight.
"Don't act like dying is that easy! Every life has its own value. No one can replace another's value. Even if I'm involved in researching technology that can save the world, that doesn't mean your value is less than mine, Mr. James!" Selene's demeanor was more serious than ever before. Throughout James's career, he had never seen the Doctor like this. This was the first time he had witnessed this side of her.
Selene's voice was filled with displeasure. "I won't run away! And I won't stay here to be a burden either. Don't act like I'm a precious, fragile object that needs constant protection. I'm a human! A human just like you. Don't sacrifice yourselves for me. Don't ever say such sad words again, because I won't accept them!"
"I'll fight too! After all, that thing stole the artifact that we put so much effort into researching and developing. I won't just stand by and let someone steal my daughter. Even if I get hurt, it's fine!" Selene still harbored some fear deep in her mind, but she chose to ignore it. At this moment, what she should do was…
"This is the meaning of its existence! Please support me." In that last second, all hesitation, fear, and worry vanished from the young woman's mind. Selene raised her arm high above her head. The young woman's long white coat moved slightly, rustling.
"Activate primary system!" As soon as Selene's voice ended, a faint blue light shone from the direction of the cult follower. The stolen Unit 7 artifact glowed brightly throughout the laboratory. Amidst everyone's shock and awe, Selene displayed a gentle smile.
"Let me do something for everyone too…"
The moment the young woman's words finished, a mechanical sound rang out as a warning.
[Received request to activate primary system in advance.]
[Identity verification of requestor successful. Approval granted.]
[Highest access level: Doctor Selene Calderon.]
Meanwhile, far from the laboratory, in the exosphere, hundreds of thousands of meters above Earth, dozens of satellites communicated with each other, sending signals through a global network, like a heavenly web connecting everything into one. This was done through a core protocol that nothing could obstruct or stop.
This was one of humanity's most wondrous and valuable inventions. It was a technology that would allow humanity to continue moving forward, even if what they faced was something incomprehensible, cruel, and merciless… The Cell Protocol.
The core of all anti-interdimensional threat weapons. The sole miracle humanity possessed. A weapon used to slay 'Gods' who looked down on and misunderstood humanity! Proof of an intense determination to never surrender to any fate… Tangible hope!
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BOOM!!! An explosion shook the entire area. The laboratory was partially destroyed. Half of the cult follower's body became a gaping hole, with blood slowly flowing from the wound. His hood opened, revealing white hair and wide, disbelieving golden eyes.
A blue beam of light zigzagged through the injured security unit members. The beam shot so fast it was almost invisible to the naked eye before it stopped in the hand of the young woman in white. Her long, silver-grey hair flowed in the wind generated by the movement of the technological artifact, as did her coat, which shifted continuously.
Selene's eyes dimmed slightly, a result of accumulated fatigue combined with the cost of using the ultimate weapon. However, even though the young woman's eyes no longer sparkled as before, the intense determination in her gaze remained. She gripped the black technological spear tightly in her hand, ready to confront the cult follower.
"Doctor! Your body won't be able to handle it!" The head of the security unit felt no joy whatsoever. He gritted his teeth, unable to say anything more. He couldn't defy this young woman. Besides, she was doing it to protect them. James's feelings were very complex at this moment. He silently promised himself that he would become stronger. His strength wasn't enough. If it weren't, Doctor Selene wouldn't have traded her body's lifespan like this…
"Don't worry about me. I won't die easily. I'm scared of dying too." Selene's smile lifted slightly, bringing warmth to this cold place. The young woman no longer paid attention to James. Her gaze met the enraged eyes of the cult follower.
Selene took a deep breath before moving her body, which was enhanced by the interdimensional energy within her and the primary system of the technological spear. The laboratory was slowly engulfed in a faint blue light. The coldness of the snowy season turned into warmth from the actions of one young woman.
In Southern Sector G, at the time the moon was at its zenith, darkness covered the world. Many residents in the area saw a large beam of light shoot up into the sky from the direction where the laboratory was located. The beam lasted for almost five minutes before slowly dissolving into fragments of light.
On that day, the sky was beautiful beyond description. An unknown warmth embraced the biting cold of the season. Just as the weather changed, people found their hearts strangely warm.