The Monster Association's underground structure was far more complex than imagined, with vastly different styles in various areas. Some places were as crude as city sewers, some built like ancient palaces, some primitive caves, and others fully equipped with modern facilities—almost indistinguishable from human cities.
For example, the current level Jack was targeting—where the Monster Cell production device was located—had a much higher technological content than other places. It was built entirely like a modern research institute.
Jack, hidden in the shadows, looked up to see thick, nested, multi-alloy gates tightly sealed. The authentication system above the gate glowed with a faint red light, constantly scanning the space before it. Without an access card, one would essentially have to force their way in, triggering an alarm in the process.
But for Jack now, the seemingly impregnable defense was actually an illusion. His body, clinging to the shadows, took advantage of a moment when the surveillance turned away—his light-and-shadow form flickered, and he had already silently seeped through a gap beneath the gate. In his "Shadow Stealth" form, he seemed to be moving in another dimension, immune to most physical obstructions.
Easily passing through the gate, the next moment, Jack's vision opened up, and he found himself in a large-scale laboratory. Unlike the cool tones of the House of Evolution—full of cutting-edge technology—the style here was rough and crude. The air was filled with a strong scent of nutrient solution and strange energy fluctuations, and ten large cultivation devices connected to huge pipes emitted a dull roar. Various pipelines were haphazardly laid out on the ground and walls, like the entangled blood vessels of a dying giant beast.
Each cultivation device was loaded with a giant cylindrical cultivation tank, over twenty meters in diameter and extending through the entire height of the space, with transparent reinforced glass filled with a light green cultivation liquid. This scene gave Jack a strong sense of déjà vu—it was almost identical to the cultivation tanks he had seen in the House of Evolution.
"No—there's still a difference. Though the cultivation equipment here looks old, it has… quantity and abundance."
With a thought from Jack, the newly acquired SSR ability, "Electromagnetic Rampage," was immediately activated.
*BUZZ— *
An invisible, intangible terrifying magnetic field instantly radiated outward from him as its center, engulfing the entire laboratory like an unseen tide. All monitoring equipment and sensing instruments were instantly interfered with—the precise sensing instrument needles spun wildly, and the current surveillance was completely overwritten by the previous normal footage.
Having created a safe information vacuum, the next moment, Jack's figure condensed from a distorted shadow, appearing before the automated production device. Watching the "Monster Cells" continuously spew and fall from the pipes into each tank, piling up like mountains, his breathing involuntarily quickened.
Multiple fist-sized Monster Cells continuously dropped from each huge pipe opening, densely accumulating at the bottom, with each giant tank filled more than one-third full. This was, in the true sense of the word—piled up like mountains.
Based on a simple estimation of the number of tanks, their volume, and the size of a single Monster Cell, the current reserves were at least hundreds of thousands—and they were still in a 24-hour continuous production state.
This immense fortune has finally fallen to me.
Just as Jack was about to repeat his trick—transforming into a shadow to infiltrate the cultivation tank and enjoy this feast—
*CLICK. *
A slight metallic bolt-turning sound, particularly abrupt amidst the noisy roar, as another small door in the laboratory was pushed open without warning. A humanoid Monster with a spotted dog head, wearing a stained white lab coat, walked in holding a cup of steaming coffee. He seemed to be a resident Dog-Head Weirdo Researcher here, yawning as he walked, muttering, "Seriously, Gyoro Gyoro is rushing me again, and the activity of this batch hasn't even been adjusted to its optimal state yet…"
He was extremely familiar with the environment here, casually placing the cup on a workbench piled with blueprints, stretching, and looking up, preparing to begin another day of tedious inspection work.
The next second, his movements, along with the yawn on his face, froze.
In his line of sight, a pitch-black Insectoid Monster, exuding a terrifying aura, was quietly observing him with interest. The air seemed to solidify at this moment.
The Dog-Head Weirdo Researcher's eyes instantly widened, his mouth unconsciously agape, and the liquid in his cup spilled out by more than half due to his shaking hand, scalding him into a shiver.
"You… who are you?! How are you here?!"
A sharp shriek brewed in his throat—the alarm button was less than half a meter from his hand. As soon as his finger pressed it, an alarm would immediately be sent to Gyoro Gyoro's chambers.
But he was destined not to get that chance.
Just as he was about to make a move, the Dog-Head Weirdo Researcher's vision was completely enveloped by the crimson light in Jack's eyes.
In the dark mental vision, two crimson eyes—larger than the bewildered Dog-Head Weirdo's body—suddenly lit up behind him. Within the pupils, like a gaze from hell, three pitch-black tomoe quietly emerged, accelerating silently to form a circle.
Sharingan—
Amaterasu! ✘
"Imagination Power"—
"Mind Penetration"! ♦
The moment their gazes met, an overwhelmingly powerful mental force, along with Jack's custom illusion, surged into the Dog-Head Weirdo Researcher's brain like a bursting flood, instantly breaching his already weak mental defenses. His subconscious, unable to resist, was like a lamb stripped bare—completely rewritten the moment their eyes met.
"Gyoro Gyoro sent me to pick up the goods—this latest batch needs to be expedited."
With the ability in effect, Jack's tone, like greeting an old friend, landed in the Dog-Head Weirdo Researcher's ears, immediately creating a sense of natural familiarity.
"Oh—oh! So it's you, sir!"
He looked enlightened, then scratched his head a little sheepishly.
"I was wondering—how could an outsider get in here! You scared me! You've come at just the right time, sir. Though the activity of this batch of cells is a bit low, the effect should be fine—by the way… is it still the old rule this time—you'll pick up the goods yourself?"
In his altered perception, this sir was one of Gyoro Gyoro's direct subordinates, specifically responsible for transporting goods, and possessed extremely high authority. His presence here, and his actions, were all perfectly logical. Therefore, the Dog-Head Weirdo completely ignored his previous tension, speaking in a very familiar manner.
Jack nodded approvingly. "Yes—I'll do it myself. You go about your business—those instruments seem to be having some issues."
"Alrighty!"