In the laboratory of the Materials Analysis Department at the Observation Station, a faint smell of disinfectant mixed with an indescribable corrosive scent.
Ron, wearing specially designed protective gear, stood in front of the analysis table, carefully observing the sample before him.
It was a piece of "Devouring Bacteria" brought back from the second layer of the Abyss, covered with fine textures and displaying an eerie dark red under special light.
"Hey, rookie, be careful. That thing isn't just ordinary stuff,"
Martin, a researcher sitting at the opposite workstation, reminded.
This man, appearing in his forties, had three fingers on his right hand completely keratinized, turning into a structure resembling a hard shell.
He was handling a batch of "Corrosion Worm" digestive fluid samples, skillfully yet extremely cautiously.
"The erosive nature of the Devouring Bacteria is extremely strong," Martin continued, glancing worriedly at the instrument Ron was operating:
