Vampirzahn

Kapitel 25

Li Ming thought "she" would be there, but to his surprise, the place was empty.

Liming looked around the corridor. He only saw the slippery, sticky liquid in the section between the culture room and the research room, while the rest of the corridor was clean and free of slime. It seemed that "Eve1" didn't run out from the corridor. Liming returned to the research room, desperately searching for any trace left by "Eve1".

"Where did they go...where did they go?!"

For a fertilized egg to mature, the right time and environment are essential. For the uterus to function properly, appropriate endocrine regulation is necessary. But can "Eve1" do all this? Has "she" truly evolved to this stage? Liming deeply doubts this. At least, while "Eve1," who mated with Liming, looks exactly like Shengmei on the outside, "her" internal body hasn't evolved to be completely like a human's. No matter how much she evolves, "Eve1" can never become a complete human and therefore cannot have a complete uterus. Liming intuitively senses this. In short, "Eve1's" power alone is insufficient to nurture and grow this painstakingly obtained fertilized egg. So, how does "Eve1" intend to care for the fertilized egg? Liming racks his brains, thinking desperately.

Was she going to do what she did to Asakura—possess someone else's body and use another woman's uterus to raise a child? No, even if she did, it wouldn't work. Toshiaki immediately dismissed the idea; another woman's body would definitely reject the fertilized egg. Of course, an ordinary fertilized egg wouldn't be a problem, but now "Eve1" had the ability to reproduce at will and change its shape arbitrarily. "Her" cells were no longer simply "human" cells. "Humans" gradually differentiated from the species "Homo sapiens." The possibility of "Eve1's" fertilized egg developing in a "human's" uterus was very small. Even transplanting a fertilized egg from a different species into a "human" wouldn't allow it to develop, let alone "Eve1." So what did "she" intend to do? "..."

etc.

All the doubts converged on one point.

There is only one possibility.

There is a woman who can nurture the fertilized egg.

The fertilized egg of "Eve1" is a cell about to differentiate from "human," meaning it is still in the process of evolution. During the transition between species, there should be some "overlapping" parts between the two species. If possible, wouldn't "human" possessing this "overlapping" part be able to accept the fertilized egg of "Eve1"? If it were in this woman's uterus, the fertilized egg could grow and develop into a fetus.

"...Stop, I beg you, please don't do this..."

Li Ming clutched his head and screamed at the top of his lungs.

Section 61

Saint-Mei's death, the use of her kidney for transplantation, and his own use of liver cells for initial culture—all of this was proceeding according to the pre-arranged plan of "Eve1." He had once been engrossed in the experimental results displayed by "Eve1," even giving "her" an inducer to help "her" complete "her" plan. Li Ming's emotions surged like a burst dam. He became increasingly agitated, gradually losing control, and was on the verge of bursting into tears. At that moment, a "thump" sounded in the room.

Li Ming was startled and looked up.

It's a washing station.

"Parasite Eve"

Chapter Nine

Mariko sensed it.

Something is coming.

Darkness. I don't know exactly where I am, but something is coming from the darkness.

Mariko pressed her ear to the pillow, listening intently. It was down below. Not from downstairs, but from even lower down. Underground, perhaps in the soil, something was moving at an astonishing speed, like a subway train hurtling through the air. Mariko swallowed hard.

Father just went home. Visiting hours ended at seven. Father had been staying by Mariko's side since the beginning of the day. This was the first time they had spent so much time together. Although she hadn't spoken much to her father, Mariko felt at ease just having him by her side. Mariko pressed her ear to the pillow, her eyes darting around as she looked.

There is no one in the ward now.

Her father had gone home, and the nurses had left. Mariko suddenly felt the ward was empty. This ward was far too big for her to be alone.

A deathly silence fell over the surroundings; not a sound could be heard. "Why is everyone gone, the corridor seems empty?" Mariko wondered. Normally, she could hear the nurses rushing by, or the coughing of patients in some unknown ward. Even without those sounds, the wind, cars, and air conditioner fans would still reach her ears like noise. Now, even that was gone. People, machines, air—everything had vanished. It was as if the people in the hospital had disappeared from the face of the earth. The only sound now was coming from the earth itself.

The sound reached Mariko's ears from a great distance. It grew louder and louder, approaching her. "Boom, boom, boom," it roared as it came closer.

"thump".

The kidney twitched.

Mari stared in horror at her lower abdomen. It was true; just now, the transplanted kidney had made a sound.

Mariko glanced around hurriedly. The clock on the wall pointed to 7:30. She touched her face with her hand, then shook her head and tried placing her hand on her heart.

I am definitely awake now. I'm awake, my eyes are open, this isn't a dream. But my kidneys really did twitch just now, just like in my dreams…

"thump".

"What happened?"

Mariko panicked instantly. She touched her lower abdomen; it was hot, and her whole body felt hot. Mariko pressed her ear to the pillow again and screamed in fright. The sound she had just heard had become even louder. "Ugh!"

Mari pulled the blanket over her head, and her body began to tremble.

She's finally here. She's come to get her kidney back. She's probably crawling out of her grave right now and will be at the hospital soon. She walks in with a "pat-pat" sound, then opens the door and enters the room. She definitely thinks I took her kidney, so she's here to take it back. She's going to reach into my body and dig it out.

Inside Mariko's body, her kidneys throbbed once more.

"Parasite Eve"

Section 62

Chapter Ten

"I told you I need to see the woman who received the kidney transplant, right now!"

Liming called the Municipal Central Hospital from his research lab. "Eve1" was determined to appear at the hospital, and he was determined to protect the woman who was receiving the transplant.

“I apologized. Hospital regulations state that the surviving family members of donors are not allowed to meet with transplant patients.”

The hospital's gatekeeper stubbornly insisted on this point. Li Ming impatiently roared, "This isn't the time for this nonsense. We must immediately arrange for that person to hide in a safe place, or disaster will befall us. Hurry, don't waste a second!"

"Excuse me, what are you talking about?" The other person's tone suddenly changed.

“I’m saying this patient is in danger. Don’t you understand?” Li Ming roared in fury.

"If this is a prank, please stop."

"Damn it! Didn't I just say I'm the donor's husband, and my name is..."

"I don't know what your intentions are. But please don't harass our patients. Our hospital is heavily guarded, and we conduct regular checkups on all patients. If you continue to bother us, I will call the police."

"You bastard!"

Li Ming rudely hung up the phone.

This is outrageous. But we can't just let it go and abandon it.

Li Ming tucked his open shirt into his trousers, left the room, and ran down the dark corridor. The elevator was stopped on the fifth floor. He opened the door, went in, pressed the button for the first floor, and the door closed. The elevator began its slow descent.

"Damn it." Li Ming cursed as the elevator moved too slowly.

Where is "Eve1" now?

Liming was only worried about this. A sink in the lab was stained with pieces of "Eve1's" flesh. Liming stuck his finger into the drain and found bits of flesh stuck inside. He immediately understood that "Eve1" had escaped into the sewers. "Eve1" now possessed the ability to change its shape at will. For "Eve1," becoming a sticky, fluid substance and crawling through the narrow sewers would be effortless. The fertilized egg was definitely in the center of this piece of flesh and was well-preserved. It was difficult to guess "Eve1's" route. Checking each and every one of the crisscrossing sewers beneath the streets was impractical. However, one thing was certain: "Eve1" would definitely appear at the Municipal Central Hospital. Only there could "Eve1" be killed.

The elevator stopped, and as soon as the doors opened, Liming rushed out. He ran through the dark lobby towards his car parked at the entrance. The car keys were still in the ignition.

Li Ming got into the car, started the engine, and stepped on the gas pedal hard. The car shot off with a "whoosh".

It would take about fifteen minutes to get to the hospital from here; he wasn't sure if he could make it in time. Liming wasn't sure either, but he had no other choice but to go and see what happened. At least he had to ensure the safety of the female transplant recipient. But even if he got to the hospital, how could he find the transplant recipient? The Municipal Central Hospital was one of the few hospitals in the area capable of performing kidney transplants. There should be several transplant recipients. How could he find the one he was looking for among them? Asking the receptionist or the nurses wouldn't help; explaining what had happened, they probably wouldn't believe him. If possible, he should try to find the woman named Oda, the transplant coordinator who had written to him several times, or tell the doctor in charge of the transplant surgery. Liming shook his head. It was useless; no matter what method he used, he shouldn't have too much hope, because the hospital was doing everything it could to prevent the donor's family from contacting the transplant recipient. There would always be a way…

No, we have to think of something. We can't let more people become victims.

Li Ming continued to press the accelerator. The car sped past the bend on the downhill road.

"Parasite Eve"

Chapter Eleven

The lobby at the hospital entrance was completely silent. An Qizhongde sat alone on the sofa.

The lights were all off. The registration window, usually crowded with patients, was now draped with beige curtains, as if refusing to accept Anqi. The neatly arranged black sofas, usually arranged in rows, looked somewhat comical now that no one was there. The large clock on the wall ticked away, the seconds ticking away. In the noisy daytime, probably no one would hear that sound, but now it made people uneasy. Only the dispensing window had a yellow light on. But even that window's curtains were drawn, and nothing could be seen inside, as if someone was moving. But what they were doing, Anqi didn't know. Anqi looked up at the clock on the wall. He had been sitting there for more than thirty minutes.

Mariko's face appeared before him. Mari seemed to be afraid of something. What was it? Mariko didn't say. Mariko still hadn't completely opened her heart to herself, but sometimes she would cast a pleading look at Anzai. Anzai could read something was on Mariko's mind in her eyes. But when Anzai looked back at her, she would suddenly turn her face away. What should she do? She seemed confused even herself. It was time to visit; it was time to leave.

When Anqi stood up, Mariko raised her upper body and stared at him, her eyes seeming to say, "Don't go, I'm so scared."

Anqi remembered what Mariko had said last night. Anqi squeezed Mariko's hand, and Mariko squeezed it back tightly. When Anqi was about to let go, Mariko still held Anqi's hand tightly, not letting go for a while, and Anqi stared intently at her hand.

Section 63

"I have to go," Anzai said, releasing Mariko's hand.

From the moment he left the ward until he closed the door, Anzai felt that Mariko was watching him the whole time, and when he closed the door, he felt an almost desperate pain wash over him.

“There’s nothing I can do, it’s time to visit the room.” Anqi advised her like this at that time, appearing like a wise and understanding elder.

As he walked down the corridor towards the elevator, he immediately realized his mistake. Visiting hours weren't an issue at all. Shouldn't he be by Mariko's side? He had been trying so hard to understand Mariko, but it was all just pretense, wasn't it? Mariko had seen through this, which was why she hadn't fully opened up to him. Wasn't that right? Anqi tried to turn back, but his legs wouldn't obey him and kept moving forward. Mariko's ward receded into the distance behind him. He had no motivation to return, but he couldn't go home either. Anqi sat in the lobby, trying to calm down this ambiguous feeling. What should he do now? He didn't know; he was completely lost. He was stuck here, unable to go anywhere.

What are you doing there?

Anqi was startled when he suddenly heard someone talking to him.

A middle-aged nurse stood there, carrying something that looked like a shopping basket, staring at him. She seemed to be there to pick up medication. Judging from her appearance, if it weren't for her white nurse's uniform, one would think she was shopping at a farmers' market or supermarket. Seeing Anqi's hesitant manner, the nurse walked over without any hesitation.

"The house visit is already over. Why are you still sitting here?"

"that……"

"I'm warning you, the security guards will be patrolling soon. I advise you to leave as soon as possible."

"..."

Anqi slowly stood up. The main gate was closed, so he had to go out through the temporary passage.

"Hey, please, stop being so slow, okay?" Hu Shi yelled at An Qi's back.

Anqi walked down the corridor, thinking that although he was worried about Mariko, there was nothing he could do about it now. But he couldn't just sit there forever. Having an excuse to go home wasn't necessarily a bad thing. The temporary passageway was a stark contrast to the main entrance. There were no neatly arranged trees, no taxi stand, not even any lighting; he couldn't see anything more than a few dozen meters ahead. Perhaps going straight ahead would lead to a dead end. A few bicycles and small cars were parked at the entrance. Water trickled from the drains along the wall. Which way should he go to reach the parking lot? Anqi took a few steps, looking around.

Just then, a low thud came from beneath his feet. Anqi looked down in surprise and found himself standing on top of a manhole cover.

A slight vibration came from beneath his feet, gradually growing louder. "It's the sound of water flowing in the sewer," Anqi initially thought. But if it was just water, something sounded off. He felt something moving in the sewer—a rat? No, something much bigger than a rat.

Anqi noticed that the thing was coming towards him. As the sound grew louder, the manhole cover resonated with it and began to make a "clattering" sound.

Anqi quickly ducked to the side. He strained his ears, listening intently. Where was it coming from? Which direction was the sound approaching? Anqi listened intently, determined to get to the bottom of it all. The sound seemed to be something rolling or crawling against the sewer pipe walls. Although it was still impossible to determine whether it was a living being or a machine, it was undoubtedly rushing towards them at an alarming speed. The manhole cover was now clearly beginning to vibrate violently.

Anqi looked up, facing the opposite direction, the voice coming directly from in front of him. His gaze fell on the manhole cover beneath his feet, and he couldn't help but gasp. Turning back, he saw the temporary passage right there. The direction the voice came from, the manhole cover, and the temporary passage were all in a straight line. What? Was this heading towards the hospital?

Anqi turned his head and looked again at the source of the sound. But all he saw was darkness, so dark that even the hospital room lights couldn't reach it; even the shadows of nearby houses and telephone poles had vanished into the darkness. The manhole had become an amplifier, and the sound began to rumble like an earthquake. Perhaps because of the wind, Anqi could hear air leaking from the edge of the manhole cover. Now Anqi clearly understood what the thing crawling underground looked like. It was huge, much larger than Anqi had imagined, definitely not some small animal like a rat or snake. It might even be bigger than Anqi; it was sliding forward, and he could even hear the rhythm of its breathing. Its movements exuded confidence and unwavering determination; its sound said it all—it was charging straight towards him.

Anqi trembled uncontrollably. He stared into the darkness opposite him, watching the ground tremble like waves approaching. Twenty meters. A sound came from the darkness. Fifteen meters. The asphalt road trembled slightly. Ten meters. Anqi retreated, his eyes fixed on the source of the sound. The thing gradually drew closer, moving five meters towards Anqi.

"Don't come any closer!" Anqi shouted, but no sound came out.

Three meters. The manhole cover looked like it was about to fall apart, rattling and clattering. A kind of viscous sound came from it.

"Don't come any closer! Don't come any closer!" Anqi shouted repeatedly.