Dr. Connors' body swelled at a visible rate, metallic green scales erupting across his skin. They looked unnaturally hard—far tougher than the lizard hide he'd borne in previous transformations.
Not only had his skin changed, but his height had as well.
Even at his largest before, Connors had barely reached two meters as the Lizard.
But now, infused with the new serum, his body ballooned upward with terrifying speed.
In the blink of an eye, he shattered the laboratory ceiling—his height now a monstrous five meters.
His appearance had also transformed dramatically. Where once he resembled a giant lizard, he now seemed to have regressed to something far more primal—almost dinosaurian, like a living relic from the age of tyrants.
"Hahaha! Beautiful—absolutely gorgeous!!!"
From the shadows, Dr. Stern stepped forward, eyes gleaming with manic glee.
"Connors, I added Tyrannosaurus rex genes—extracted from amber—and even a touch of Hulk DNA to your serum. Now, in addition to your lizard regeneration, you've got the bite force of a T. rex and strength rivaling the Hulk himself. You're stronger than ever! Let those invading enemies see what you're made of!"
But Connors didn't share his enthusiasm.
Enraged by Stern's laughter, he whipped his massive tail around with blinding speed—so fast it cracked the air like a whip.
The tail slammed into Dr. Stern like a cannonball, blasting him clean through the stone wall and sending him hurtling dozens of meters away.
"I'll kill you!! ROAR!" Connors bellowed, the sound shaking the ruins of the lab.
He leapt skyward, clearing dozens of meters in a single bound, and lunged after Stern with murderous intent.
Yet despite his disheveled appearance, Stern was unharmed—clear proof he'd enhanced his own body in recent days.
Still grinning like a madman, he pulled a small device from his pocket and pressed a button.
Instantly, Connors froze—then screamed in agony. His eyes glazed over, losing all trace of humanity, replaced by mindless, frenzied bloodlust.
Stern chuckled darkly. "Did you really think I wouldn't prepare for something like this, Connors? You're a magnificent weapon—but even the finest blade needs a leash."
He tapped the device again. "In that serum, alongside the T. rex and Hulk genes, I also added a neural toxin. With this button, I can twist your pain into obedience and turn you into the perfect killing machine."
"Now," he commanded, voice sharp with authority, "hunt down that damned silver-haired woman!"
Without another word, Stern bolted into the lab's secret passage—fleeing with practiced urgency.
Caution was his creed. It's what had kept him alive this long.
He had confidence in his creation—but not enough to stay and watch it work.
Connors was just a tool. If it broke while doing its job? So be it.
---
Just as Stern vanished into the underground tunnel, a figure descended from above like judgment itself.
A2 landed before the towering five-meter monster, her silver hair catching the dim lab light.
Even she looked momentarily surprised.
"What's going on? Connors—is that you?" she asked, brow furrowed.
Her answer came in the form of a razor-sharp claw slashing toward her throat.
A2 didn't flinch.
The instant the claw struck, her body's density shifted—and the limb passed harmlessly through her, as if she were made of mist.
"Another brute who thinks power equals victory," she scoffed. "How utterly boring."
With a flick of her wrist, a sleek, ornate spring knife materialized in her hand.
"I'll ask once more—are you Connors?"
The monster only roared in reply, swinging a fist with enough force to crumple a tank.
A2 didn't move.
In one fluid motion, her arm flashed silver.
Before Connors could even register the movement, his right fist and both legs were severed at the joint.
Blood erupted across the floor, and the hulking form collapsed like a felled colossus—utterly incapacitated.
Then, in a blur, A2 vanished.
She reappeared beside the lab's monitoring console. Her finger extended, nanites rippling across its surface until it reshaped into a USB connector. She plugged herself in—and in seconds, replayed the entire confrontation.
"A secret passage?" she muttered. "Clever. But not clever enough."
She issued a silent command.
Above, more than a dozen Faceless drones swooped down, hovering midair as they emitted focused ultrasonic pulses into the ground.
Within moments, the hidden tunnel's layout glowed clearly in her visor.
---
Deep inside the passage, Dr. Stern suddenly shuddered—a primal chill racing down his spine.
Something was wrong.
Without hesitation, he slammed his thumb onto a detonator strapped to his wrist.
BOOM!!!
The entire base erupted in a firestorm of concrete and steel.
The
laboratory—and everyone inside—was buried under an avalanche of rubble.
Or so he hoped.
Visit patreon.com/ShiroTL to gain access to 40+ chapters