Hunter of Mysterious Creature-Chapter 458 - 74: Photosensitive Mutation

According to the latest revised version of the "Mysterious Creature Research Institute Field Operations Department Agent Action Manual 4717", Chapter 4, Section 6, field agents, when faced with unknown entities, must prioritize the use of remote weapons far over close combat weapons. Direct contact with entities must be avoided unless absolutely necessary.

Although the ruler-radius in Ling Xiao's hand had returned to normal, he did not rush forward to engage the "woman" in hand-to-hand combat. Instead, without hesitation, he jumped off the bed and sliced open his aluminum suitcase with a knife.

A pile of folded clothes tumbled out of the suitcase. Ling Xiao, quick-eyed and swift-handed, grabbed the tactical flashlight that rolled out with the clothes, adjusted it directly to the highest intensity strobe mode, aimed the lamp head at the "woman," and flipped the switch!

Intense light flashed out, causing even Ling Xiao, who was not in the direct path of the light, to instinctively squint.

Exposed directly to the intense light, the "woman" emitted a piercing scream; her entire skin began to ulcerate and ooze, a pungent stench spreading throughout the room.

She frantically flailed her limbs, tearing the sheets and bedding to shreds, the cotton filling inside floating everywhere, under the flashlight's illumination, like a flurry of goose feathers.

Ling Xiao took a step back, holding the flashlight, his peripheral vision glancing at the room door.

Though the "woman" in front of him appeared to be in extreme pain, Ling Xiao's intuition told him that she hadn't sustained any substantial injuries — the intense light, while causing severe irritation, couldn't kill her, instead, it only enraged her.

As Ling Xiao took a small step towards the door, the jawless "woman" suddenly stopped screaming — she twisted her neck, her blood-red eyes locked on Ling Xiao.

...

...

Dubhe Tower, Number Two Containment Area.

"I say, why do you still have such a worried look on your face?" Sun Hang elbowed Yuri, "Didn't you say this Entity No. 549 is very weak? In Chunming City's security strength, you could hardly walk two steps without encountering sheriffs patrolling with weapons, wouldn't this guy running out be courting death?"

"Very weak... only under suitable containment conditions, but once it escapes..." Yuri sighed again, "I haven't mentioned the uniqueness of Entity No. 549 to you, have I?"

"It becomes agitated upon encountering light?" Sun Hang asked, puzzled.

"If it merely became agitated upon light exposure, it wouldn't be contained here..." Yuri shook his head, "The most unique aspect of Entity No. 549's mimetic hazard is that once its body tissue comes into contact with light, it begins to mutate rapidly; the higher the light intensity, the faster the mutation, the more severe the mutation... If we let it escape outside, no one knows what kind of monster it will transform into when we find it again."

"There's such a capability?" Sun Hang instantly realized the seriousness of the problem.

Although it's already nighttime, for Chunming, this city that never sleeps, there are light sources everywhere outside, those bustling commercial streets with their various advertising screens and neon signs, the high-intensity street lights illuminating the entire city like daylight.

The intensity of light exposure under those streetlights is even stronger than standing under the midday sun.

The excellent infrastructure of Chunming City at this moment turns out to be the greatest aid for Entity No. 549's mutation. 𝚏𝗿𝗲𝐞𝚠𝕖𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝕖𝚕.𝚌𝗼𝗺

"Therefore, we must find it as quickly as possible." Yuri said, "Every minute it's missing, the risk escalates exponentially... If we can't find it within 24 hours, the consequences will be unimaginable."

"...If Anna intervened, then, where would she put Entity No. 549?" Sun Hang couldn't help but ponder.

In a moment of confusion, a flash of inspiration suddenly occurred.

"Where is Ling Xiao now?" Sun Hang immediately asked.

"Uh... Are you referring to the boy who was on the same flight as you, here for the abnormal ability test?" Yuri was slightly stunned, "If there's nothing unexpected, he should be at Peony Slope in the suburbs, the test site for the Abnormal Ability Management Department is established there... What's the matter?"

"Contact Peony Slope immediately, ask them..."

Before Sun Hang could finish his words, Yuri's phone suddenly rang.

Looking down, the call was from the Deputy Head of the Number One Workgroup of the Abnormal Ability Management Department — Sun Qiong.

It was this woman who took Ling Xiao away earlier.

The two exchanged glances, Yuri silently pressed the speakerphone button.

"Is this the head of the containment area, Yuri Ivanov?" Sun Qiong's tone was urgent, even directly skipping Yuri's middle name.

"That's me, may I know what has happened?"

"Peony Slope Experimental Base detected a mimetic hazard response, after comparison with the database, found the response frequency is basically consistent with the known entity 'Bing Erjiu Wuliao·Zhan Yan'. While browsing the entity's files, I discovered it was contained in our headquarters' Number Two Containment Area, containment number '2-549', so I need to confirm with you, whether Entity No. 549 is..."

Before Sun Qiong could finish her words, Yuri interrupted her: "To be honest, just ten minutes ago, Entity No. 549 breached containment in a way we cannot comprehend, without leaving any traces! Please immediately control the area where the entity is located, my personnel will rush there — additionally, cut off all power to the area where the entity is located, shut down all illuminating devices... Light induces frenzy in Entity No. 549, and accelerates its mimetic mutation, which is not marked in low-security-level files!"

"Understood!" Sun Qiong said, and the next moment Yuri and Sun Hang heard her shouting to the people around her, "Hurry! Go cut off the power to Building Three now! The whole base is in the most strict lighting control mode! Equip all personnel with head-mounted night vision equipment! Do it immediately!!"

"Group Leader Sun Qiong," Yuri continued, "Could you explain to us the current situation of Entity No. 549? If its mutation level is not high, with your armed forces, you should be able to subdue it."

"We have not seen Entity No. 549!" Sun Qiong said helplessly, "About six minutes ago, Building Three was suddenly isolated by an invisible force, people inside can't get out, people outside can't get in... We can only determine through mimetic fluctuations that the exact location of Entity No. 549 should be in Room 608... But there are currently no armed personnel inside Building Three, and we can't get the people inside to investigate the room..."

"What's Room 608 used for?" Yuri immediately asked.

"It is a guest room for temporary personnel..." Sun Qiong replied.

"Is Ling Xiao inside?" Sun Hang's voice interjected.

"How do you know? Wait... Is it Mr. Sun Hang?"

[P.S. There should be another update later.]