You were given the authority to tame beasts, not to raise unspeakable animals.

The heatwave on the field was still intense. A sharp, piercing electrical shriek cut through the air, abruptly silencing the clamor.

A voice came over the loudspeaker. It was completely flat, devoid of any inflection. It carried a cold, unyielding quality, like an ironclad rule.

"Contestant Chen Mo, immediately stop moving. Repeat, remain in place and await investigation."

Chen Mo's toes, which were heading towards the finance office, froze in mid-air. He then landed back where he was. It seemed the prize money wouldn't be in his pocket for a while.

On both sides of the passage, a chaotic clattering sound of metal clanging echoed.

Four riot police officers clad in full black riot gear rapidly approached. The blue arcs at the tips of their electromagnetic restraints crackled. Their actions in blocking the intersection were as if facing a formidable enemy. Their eyes behind their masks were filled with vigilance, as if they were not apprehending a high school student, but rather an S-class ferocious beast ready to pounce and attack at any moment.

The middle-aged man leading the group wore a metal nameplate pinned to his chest. The words "Chief Referee" were engraved on it.

His face was pale. He looked over Chen Mo's shoulder, his gaze fixed on the motionless canvas bag.

"Chen Mo, someone has reported you for illegally using high-risk psychoactive substances during the competition."

Chief Referee Zhao Tiemian raised his hand and pointed to a spot not far away.

In the corridor over there, two medical staff were carrying a stretcher and running frantically.

Even with his hands and feet bound by two thick leather straps, Gao Hao on the stretcher was still violently thrusting his back. A strange, crowing sound, like a rooster crowing, escaped his throat. Cloudy white foam spilled from the corners of his mouth, soaking a large patch of the bedding.

This appearance is less like someone who lost a game and more like a severely manic person who escaped from a mental hospital.

"The Fiery Dragon isn't doing much better; it's currently banging its head against the wall in the quarantine zone."

Zhao Tiemian withdrew his gaze. His tone was heavy and cold.

"That's a Class A dragon beast, extremely resistant to poison. To destroy it like this in an instant, the dose you used could probably kill an elephant."

Chen Mo looked at the other person, his expression as calm as if he were listening to someone else's gossip.

"Your Honor, such an accusation requires evidence."

Chen Mo spread his hands.

"Thousands of eyes were watching, and I didn't even move a finger. Did I poison them with my mind?"

"We'll have to go to the testing lab to discuss that."

Zhao Tiemian didn't want to waste words. He waved his hand and gave the order.

"Take it away. That bag is top-level evidence; confiscate it."

A member of the police force stepped forward upon hearing the commotion and reached for the backpack strap on Chen Mo's shoulder.

"Don't touch it."

Chen Mo's voice wasn't loud, yet it caused the team member's outstretched hand to freeze in mid-air.

Chen Mo turned his head to the side, his eyes revealing a sincere admonition.

"It's timid and shy. If you try to take it by force, it might... have a stress reaction."

The team member stared at the ordinary canvas bag. A chill ran down his spine for no apparent reason. Every hair on his body stood on end.

A primal alarm bell rang in his mind. No matter what, he dared not move that hand forward even an inch.

Zhao Tiemian's brows furrowed deeply. He let out a cold snort.

"Let him carry it himself. Go to the number one fully enclosed testing room."

Testing Room No. 1.

This is the area with the highest level of protection in the arena.

The walls were made of thick lead plates. The harsh white light of the operating lights illuminated every corner of the room, leaving no room to hide. The air was filled with a suffocating smell of ozone and disinfectant.

A huge one-way glass panel was embedded in the north wall. Behind the glass, figures could be seen in many places. Clearly, quite a few important figures were closely monitoring the test.

"Release your tamed beast."

The young technician in charge of the testing wore heavy protective goggles. In his hand, he held a titanium probe powerful enough to pierce an alloy steel plate. Behind him, a row of high-precision analyzers emitted a low hum as they warmed up.

Chen Mo sighed softly and placed his backpack on the cold stainless steel workbench.

The zipper slid open.

A dark, slippery, soft mass slid out under gravity and landed sprawled on the table, like a piece of grass jelly that had melted because it was forgotten to be refrigerated.

The technician was stunned for a moment. He turned to look at Zhao Tiemian.

The doubt in his eyes was obvious.

That's it?

Is this the culprit who drove Yalong mad?

Don't be fooled by appearances.

Zhao Tiemian stood outside the safety line with his arms crossed. His gaze was sinister.

"The Abyss mutants are masters of disguise. We'll take direct samples and perform cellular-level mapping analysis."

The technician nodded. He gripped the probe tightly, held his breath, and leaned closer to the clump of black substance.

Just as the needle tip was about to touch the little black skin.

Chen Mo murmured to himself.

"Little Black, bear with it. Don't eat it, and don't scare anyone. Just transform into something harmless. How about a jellyfish?"

Little Black received the order. He was originally planning to teach this toothpick that had offended the divine body a lesson.

Upon hearing the instructions of its long-term meal ticket, the hundreds of tiny compound eyes on its body that were about to open reluctantly closed.

Nourishing.

The probe is inserted.

There was no resistance. Nor was there any blood flow.

It felt empty to the touch. As if I had pierced through a deep sea fog.

The technician quickly withdrew the probe, smeared the tiny black particles onto a glass slide, and then placed it under a high-powered microscope.

"Gene sequencing is underway..."

The technician adjusted the focus while bringing his eye closer to the eyepiece.

however.

The moment his gaze passed through the lens and touched that microscopic world.

The cell wall, mitochondria, and nucleus that should have been there were all absent.

A vast expanse of swirling stars filled my vision.

No. That's not the starry sky.

Those were countless faces screaming silently. They were twisted and stretched, forming a bizarre spiral that defied geometric logic.

Then, those spirals began to spin wildly.

They coalesced into a gigantic, ancient, malevolent single eye. Through the microscope's lens, it pierced straight into his retina!

"what!"

A short, terrified scream rang out.

The technician fell backward, chair overturning to the ground. His face was deathly pale, like a corpse just pulled from an ice hole. He trembled violently, his teeth chattering.

"What's going on?!"

Zhao Tiemian strode forward.

"Eyes...eyes...so many eyes..."

The technician pointed to the microscope. Pupils dilated. He was already disoriented.

"It's...it's alive! It's alive under the microscope!"