Chapter 64
Looking at the emphatic “NO” on the page, Su Ci nodded in satisfaction.
So that meant this human base officially did not support using the cubs for experimental research. This aligned well with the impression Su Ci had developed of Base 24 over the past few days.
The base had upright people like Yan Ping, individuals like Gu Qingshen who, under the influence of the blood mist, had developed purifying abilities, and researchers like Zhuang Shisong, who devoted themselves to cultivating superior plants and purifying green crops…
Yes, there were shortcomings in raising the cubs, but these arose from a lack of skill and resources rather than deliberate mistreatment. Apart from A-Yan, who was a special case, the other children were healthy, well-fed, and adorable. There was no evidence of intentional neglect.
There might be a few malicious individuals, but overall, the base left Su Ci with a relatively decent impression. If things had been worse, Su Ci might have chosen a very different way of staying here, rather than continuing to play the role of a caretaker.
“Alright, I understand. Thanks for the clarification.”
With another casual wave of his hand, the quiet, hovering manual began to retract, reversing its path. With a soft whoosh, it slid seamlessly back into the groove in the wall where it belonged.
The book spirit’s nascent form, which had been eagerly anticipating its release: ???
Is this your idea of showing gratitude? Huh?!
Following this crushing disappointment, the manual trembled with a surge of furious emotional energy, as if it were about to burst into a rage. The entire book quivered violently, threatening to do something drastic.
Sensing this wave of agitation, Su Ci raised his gaze and shot it a calm, faintly chilly look.
“…”
The enraged book spirit instantly fell silent. Its trembling stopped, its emotional fluctuations vanished, and it once again resumed its role as a quiet and obedient wall decoration.
A-Yan, lying nearby, was curious as to why the caretaker had questioned the book spirit. Had the research institute taken one of the cubs away? However, he didn’t ask.
After all, if it was something he needed to know, the caretaker would tell him sooner or later.
The little boy obediently burrowed into the bed, warming the cold blankets with his body heat. That way, when the caretaker went to bed, he would sleep comfortably!
Su Ci ended his “friendly conversation” with the book spirit and turned around to see the child lying sweetly in the bed, waiting for him. At that moment, a wave of drowsiness washed over him.
Forget it. Nothing is more important than eating and sleeping. Whatever it is, it can wait until tomorrow. Besides, it was already late; even if he could bring Number Four back, it would have to wait until the next day.
Su Ci lifted the blanket, lay down, and casually pulled A-Yan into his arms to use as a pillow. Before closing his eyes, a faint flash of golden light flickered across his gaze.
As that golden light appeared and faded, the previously rowdy cubs in their rooms all quietly closed their eyes and fell asleep.
The entire nursery fell into a serene silence, and even the caretaker robot 4586 entered standby mode.
The night was peaceful and tranquil.
Not just the nursery, but most of Base 24 had darkened as well. Only the guards and members of the Operations Division remained awake, patrolling in the biting night wind.
Above the base, the blood mist clouds drifted slowly. Then, without warning, their previously calm flow began to pick up speed. The clouds churned and howled, letting out an eerie, mournful wail.
The patrol team from the Operations Division was the first to notice the anomaly.
“Is it just me, or did the temperature drop?”
Xun Xiaoyu’s expression turned grim. Having lived on Prison Star for several years, she knew how critical it was to take even the slightest changes seriously—any negligence could lead to disaster.
“Everyone, gather up!”
She quickly summoned her team and called for the base’s central AI to report the situation.
In the short time it took to issue those two orders, the temperature had already plummeted to freezing, and it continued to drop rapidly.
The dew that had condensed on the buildings had frozen into frost flowers. However, instead of a pure white color, the frost flowers turned blood-red as the concentration of pollutants in the air increased.
As the temperature continued to fall, the red color deepened, and the frost spread outward, covering more and more surfaces. Even areas that lacked moisture began to freeze under the passing red mist, sprouting eerie frost flowers wherever it touched.
At this point, Xun Xiaoyu had just activated the central AI and hadn’t yet reported the anomaly.
Suddenly, the entire base erupted with blaring alarm sirens.
“Warning! Warning! Meteorological scans have detected the formation of Blood Frost at Base 24! All personnel outside the facility are to immediately take shelter in the nearest building!”
“Warning! Warning! Meteorological scans have detected the formation of Blood Frost…”
Hearing the blaring alarms, Xun Xiaoyu decisively canceled her attempt to report to the central AI. She quickly led her team toward the nearest base building.
Although their combat suits had temperature-regulating functions that automatically activated when the temperature dropped, during Blood Frost weather, temperatures could plummet to as low as -100 degrees Celsius.
Fighting in such conditions was extremely unfavorable. If their suits were damaged, not only would their mobility be severely hindered, but they would also face the deadly risk of being instantly frozen.
Thus, even members of the Operations Division had to seek shelter in buildings as quickly as possible during Blood Frost conditions.
Fortunately, Blood Frost typically formed at night. Since base regulations restricted nighttime outdoor activities—apart from patrol guards and Operations Division members—there weren’t usually many people outside needing rescue.
Xun Xiaoyu had just led her team into a nearby building when she noticed chatter in the group chat.
[That was close! I just made it back to my dorm before the frost hit. It’s freezing out there!]
If Xun Xiaoyu remembered correctly, the person speaking was part of the Maintenance Team. She frowned slightly and typed a response:
[Why were you out so late?]
[Evening, Captain Xun! I didn’t want to be, either. I was collecting water samples underground with the team from the cultivation garden. We were delayed on the way back.]
Xun Xiaoyu nodded to herself in understanding. She had indeed heard about the cultivation garden’s ongoing water sample investigation; the team had discussed it earlier in their private chat.
She typed back: [Understood. Has everyone made it back to their dorms?]
[Yes, yes, we’re all back. Don’t worry, Captain Xun! You all work so hard, too.]
Xun Xiaoyu replied with a smiling emoji and closed the group chat.
She turned her gaze to the view outside the building. By now, a thick layer of frost flowers had condensed on the glass windows, their deep blood-red hue dominating the landscape. Even the surveillance cameras scattered throughout the base were gradually losing visibility.
Under the force of this terrifying natural phenomenon, neither humans nor machines could operate freely.
Xun Xiaoyu’s expression turned grim.
In the past, as long as they sheltered inside buildings, they could ensure their safety. But after experiencing the Blood Rain weather previously, no one dared to take that safety for granted anymore.
Without the cameras, the Operations Division lost the base’s AI as their “eyes,” leaving them unable to accurately locate any wandering monsters or assist personnel stranded outside in a timely manner.
Worse still, with their team now scattered, they could no longer act cohesively or provide immediate reinforcements wherever a fight might occur.
At this critical moment, on the brink of facing unknown threats, Xun Xiaoyu and every member of the Operations Division fully recognized the severity of the situation.
Suddenly, Xun Xiaoyu’s brow furrowed deeply.
She stared at the window, now nearly completely covered in frost flowers. Through the blood-red frost, she seemed to glimpse a figure stumbling forward against the howling night wind.
But just as she tried to focus for a clearer look, the alarm blared again.
“All personnel still outdoors, please take shelter in the nearest building immediately! All building pathways will close in one minute! Countdown begins!”
As the alarm blared, the metallic shutters over the windows slammed down with a heavy clang, cutting off Xun Xiaoyu’s view completely.
She let out a soft sigh, telling herself that since no distress signals had been received from anyone outside, it must have just been her imagination.
Raising her gaze toward the nursery, she silently hoped that those little ones would behave tonight and not do anything to attract the attention of the monsters…
*
On the fourth floor of the nursery, as the Blood Frost descended, the small lamps in Room 4 and Room 5 still glowed faintly.
In her room, the little girl was hunched over her small desk, gripping a light red crayon as she meticulously colored on a piece of paper. Neatly arranged beside her were four Star-chain Fruits—their crimson peels glistening faintly, exuding a soft, sweet aroma.
From the moment the blood-colored mist began swirling outside the window, the fruits seemed to take on an increasingly eerie quality.
The little girl remained completely oblivious, her crayon moving continuously across the blank paper. Her use of colors was bold and abstract, making it impossible to tell what exactly she was drawing.
She was so absorbed in her work that she didn’t even notice her palms smudged with red pigment.
As time passed, the temperature outside dropped lower and lower.
Within the sealed, cramped room, strange noises began to emerge.
It started with a laugh—sharp and manic—impossible to discern whether the voice belonged to a man or a woman.
At first, the laugh was faint, so indistinct that it was almost impossible to notice. But as the little girl continued to draw, the sound grew louder, sharper, and more piercing.
Soon, whispers began to accompany the laughter—murmurs of countless voices reverberating in the room. The sound would have made any normal person dizzy and wracked with headaches.
Finally, the little girl’s crayon halted.
A blood mist began seeping from her drawing, spreading outward and filling the small room. The murmurs and laughter coalesced into a single, surreal voice.
“Oh, my darling little one, we meet again!”
As the voice echoed, the room was filled with cacophonous, high-pitched laughter—as though countless men and women were cackling together in madness.
The little girl, who had been focused on her drawing, finally lifted her head.
Her face showed no trace of fear. Her once adorable amber-brown eyes had turned into slitted beast-like pupils, the deep crimson hue reminiscent of something soaked in blood.
“I want my brother,” she said.
“Oh? My dear little treasure, hasn’t your brother come back yet? Did those hypocritical humans take him away to do something terrible? You poor, poor child… What will you do if you lose your brother forever? Hahahaha…”
The laughter echoed through the room, alternating between mockery and fake tenderness, dripping with malice.
“Shut up!”
Number Five shouted furiously, her small hands clenching into fists as she slammed them onto the table with all her might.
The crayon in her grip snapped into two pieces, and the shards pierced her skin, causing blood to drip steadily onto the paper.
The laughter paused for a brief moment before becoming even more deranged. The blood-red mist swirling through the room gathered near the little girl’s hands, circling and writhing like sharks that had caught the scent of blood.
The laughter in the room grew wilder, more manic.
“My dear, don’t be angry. You must remember, we’re on the same side.”
The surreal voice turned soft and coaxing, full of temptation.
“All you need to do is offer me your soul. Lend me your power, and once we become one, I can rescue your brother.”
“That way, we can leave this horrible place together. The three of us can live happily ever after. Doesn’t that sound wonderful? What are you hesitating for?”
The little girl, who had only just turned five, still had a face full of innocence and childish softness. She listened to the eerie voice rising from the crimson mist, her head lowering slightly as her gaze settled on the four neatly arranged Star-chain Fruits beside her.
Tears rolled down from her deep crimson, beast-like pupils. A single drop fell onto her drawing with a faint drip, spreading outwards into a blooming red stain.
Finally, the little girl spoke softly.
“Okay.”
Oh no
No!!