Chapter 13

Elara had lost all her family at sea ten years ago. She had no one else in her life except Ashley, with whom she'd grown up at the orphanage, and her test subjects. She couldn't explain what she'd done, but her affection for them was genuine—she loved them like they were her family. No.17 watched her, so heartbroken that he couldn't breathe. A sharp pain shot through his chest, worse than any splitting experiment he'd experienced. "Elle…" he called in trepidation. He used the remnants of his strength to crawl toward her, dragging his broken limbs and tentacles. "This is amazing." Behind the screen, the researchers exclaimed in shock while watching him. They couldn't help being in awe of the miracles the Creator had brought forth. No.17's healing speed surpassed anything they'd seen in previous attacks, and his tenacious vitality was astonishing. But what surprised them most was that he possessed emotions. How could this be? How could a cold-blooded creature be capable of feeling anything? The scene playing out before them carried an eerie yet heartwarming beauty, like a tender moment occurring amid the cruelest war. They looked at No.17, who had been close to being pronounced dead. Upon hearing Elara's gentle calls, he miraculously awakened and displayed a tenderness that contrasted starkly with his earlier ferocity. The glass showed his reflection—disheveled, dirty, and broken. He approached Elara happily but felt deeply inferior when he saw himself in the glass. He was hideous, and his body was battered and broken. His hair was matted, and he was covered in injuries. His broken limbs and blood covered the floor, leaving it sticky and gooey. No.17 remembered No.11, the delicate, beautiful sea hare that Elara adored. Inferiority and fear filled his eyes. He lowered his head and shrunk back, stopping himself from getting any closer. Then, he covered his face with his hands. Elara was even more saddened when she saw that. "Experiment A-17's extensive wounds have healed. His newly formed tentacles appear to exhibit controlled retraction," a researcher said. "He can control it?" "He seems to be able to hide his tentacles." This was yet another surprising discovery. Elara was still calling out to No.17. "Don't be scared, Alphino. Put your hands down and come to me." Her calls were like divine commands. He was her most faithful believer and would forever obey her summons. Although he had earlier displayed terrifying power and danger under the barrage of deadly weapons, he now revealed subtle traces of pain. His tentacles trembled, betraying a hint of grievance. He slowly lowered his hands to reveal his refined, chiseled face. There was a trace of desire in his eyes. He inched toward her as she patiently soothed him through the glass. It was as if she were calming a distressed young animal. "It's okay—you're fine now. Come to me." No.17's body seemed particularly pale amid the destruction, like a beautiful gem that had been dirtied and soiled. Taut flesh stretched over his bones, and his movements were elegant. He approached Elara and carefully pressed a relatively healed tentacle to the glass, almost as if he were touching her. All he could do was trace her features and look at her lovingly. He looked pitiful, and he seemed detached from the wreckage behind him. It was like an abstract painting. "He's like a domesticated dog," someone said. "How can a cold-blooded creature be domesticated? They don't have emotions… right?" Everything that had happened before their very eyes seemed to disprove that. Stephen pulled up Elara's details, and his gaze darkened when he saw her name. His assistant said, "Elara Turner is the most outstanding keeper Zone A has had thus far. One of the high-grade creatures under her care has already ascended to Zone S—the blue bottle jellyfish mutant." No.17 was the second, and he was proving to be more of a masterpiece than No.4. Everyone drowned in the delight of the successful experiment. The degree of success had far exceeded their imaginations, and No.17 could now ascend to a double S+ rank. This was unprecedented; everyone present was as excited and agitated as if they'd witnessed a miracle. Ashley, who waited outside the contamination zone, was overjoyed when she saw the test results on the QLED screen. She'd already picked out a new bar to take Elara for drinks so they could celebrate. Stephen fixed his stare on Elara and No.17 as everyone around him cheered. His eyes glinted oddly. Then, his voice rang out coldly, sounding odd amid the celebrations. "Remove the isolation panel." "What?" The researchers thought they'd misheard him. An eerie smile slowly spread on Stephen's face. "Remove the isolation panel and aim the weapons at the woman. Attack her." He pointed at Elara. … Elara didn't want to shed tears before her experimental subject, but her heart ached so badly for No.17. He was covered in injuries, and his face—incapable of showing emotion—had blood and body tissues splattered on it. He looked like an angel who was gravely injured after crashing into an abyss due to his wings being clipped. Despite the injuries and pain, No.17's eyes were filled with joy and happiness. "Elle…" Could he be with her now? Could he go to where she was? He raised a hand, feeling regretful and mad at himself when he saw his soiled palms. He wiped them awkwardly on his waist and abdomen before touching the glass. Would she scorn him for being dirty? He felt uneasy. "Go with you…" He wanted her to make good on her promise. "Alive. Go with you." Elara dried her tears and smiled. "You'll be out of there soon, okay? Congratulations on your ascendance." No.17's icy face showed a hint of shyness, which looked rather odd. He lowered his head and leaned closer to the glass. "Call my… name." He wanted to hear her utter his name again. The tips of his tentacles pointed downward; somehow, he conjured the image of a shy little girl. Elara couldn't help laughing. She said, "Alphino." He made a sound of acknowledgment, his lashes fluttering as he tried to suppress his overwhelming joy. Unfortunately, the heartlessness and cruelty of people in power were far beyond Elara's imagination. After detecting the possibility of pushing No.17 to evolve further, they cruelly aimed their weapons at a weak and defenseless human. The glass between Elara and No.17 disappeared. The latter was stunned for a split second before he detected danger. His tentacles reached for her soft palm and held it almost instinctively. In the next second, his eyes widened. He swiftly pulled Elara into his embrace, using the weakest part of his body—his humanlike torso—to shield her. He did his best to ensure that not even an inch of her skin was exposed. Elara widened her eyes dazedly when cold, light-blue blood splattered on her face. She had no idea what had just happened. Why was No.17 out of the experimentation chamber? Why were there so many explosions? The noise was deafening. No.17 shuddered in agony as he held her tightly, curling around her to shield her better. His tentacles covered her ears in place of his hands, blocking out the scary sound of things breaking. "No.17… Alphino?" He held her, feeling agonized and infuriated. They dared harm her!