Chapter 619: Mutation
Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
The Petrachelys, Laboratory Section.
Four dead bodies were safely brought back to the spacecraft's on-board laboratory and immediately transferred to the sealed containers, which were equipped with scanning capabilities. These giant humanoids like the ones found in mythology were suspended mid-air in the anti-gravity field as a light blue halo swept across their bodies—an instrument was scanning the structure of their bodies.
"We found them, the pilots of the black battleship, a giant race." Hao Ren pointed to one of the containers. "Aside from their skin color and body size, they're basically no different from humans. However, their bodies are definitely not ordinary. They've been soaking at the bottom of the ocean in Io for more than 10,000 years, yet there are no signs of decay and they look like they've just died."
Nangong Sanba raised his head. "Hey... these guys are really big. No wonder their spacecraft was made in a huge, exaggerated size."
"That leads me to think of the 'bomb' that we picked up on the Zalazarn." Vivian suddenly gave Hao Ren's arm a nudge. "At first, we thought it was a shell, but judging from the size of these giants now, I'm afraid that it could actually be a bullet, grenade or something else."
Hao Ren thought for a moment. "Could it also be a bomblet of cluster bomb?"
Lily poked them both on their arms. "What's the purpose of knowing this?"
The MDT flew around the containers a few times and projected a hologram. "They have two sets of each important organ in their bodies; their bones are rich in metal elements; the bone plates in their abdominal and chest cavity are semi-closed like an armor; somatic cells are extremely strong, and almost at the limit of natural evolution. To be honest, I suspect that their off-the-charts physique aren't the result of evolution."
"Why did they want to destroy Io?" Shaqira looked up at the giants with red skin. The scales below her cheeks shimmerws and her tail swished in the air in agitation. "Who have we offended again?"
"I guess it's about the brain monster." Hao Ren shrugged. "MDT, check if they've been influenced by the brain monster. If so, there must be some signs of damage in their brains…"
"About that..." the MDT sounded wry. "I have a different thought."
Everyone was all ears as the MDT displayed a new set of holograms in the air. "Let's be mentally prepared. The visuals and the corresponding associative effects may be disturbing."
The hologram showed the images of the giants' heads and their brain structures very clearly.
"Don't they look familiar?" The MDT hovered in front of Hao Ren.
Lily was wide-eyed and exclaimed in shock, "Their brains..."
"Those are obviously lesions. The brain's expanded so much that it almost pushed the skull open, and there is a clear separation between the brain tissue and the surrounding flesh. There are some abnormal structures appearing in the lower part of the brain, which should only be the intermediate phase of the lesion process, not the final form," said the MDT while it started a simulation of the evolutionary process. The giant's skull, hair, skin and other structures were peeled off layer-by-layer in the hologram, showing the state of the brain. Subsequently, the brain slowly morphed. "If this lesion continues, then some of their brain structures will swallow, extract, and distort the organs in their chest. There will also be some unpredictable conditions. I can only simulate so much, but that's the outcome…"
As the simulation ended, the visual of an irregular mass of meat appeared. It had the appearance of a brain, and on its lower part, there were many bizarre tentacles.
"The brain monster..." Hao Ren mumbled to himself. "...Vivian, you don't have to cook me dinner tonight."
Nangong Sanba held his chest and said, "Me too."
Lily's ears stood up straight. "Awesome! Could you give their portions to me, Battie?"
Everyone stared at the amazing husky. She was not self-conscious at all. "Why are you people staring at me like that? Whatever it is, eating is the most important of all. Who knows if we might come across something even more disgusting? By then, are you people going to starve yourself to death simply because things are gross? Look how short-sighted you people are."
Vivian smacked herself on the head. "The husky always become so wise on such bizarre things."
Y'zaks was also a little stunned, looking at the brain monster simulation. As a great demon, he had seen and experienced enough. However, never in his life had he seen such an amazing "evolutionary phenomenon". He scratched his head and said, "Could it be that the brain monsters are the result of the mutation of the giants' brains?"
"Probably... It could be a mutation, or it could also be a lesion, or something else. Let's say, the brains themselves are a parasite that reside in the giants. After the death of the physical body, they try to come out and survive on their own." The MDT swung from side to side in the air. "Don't be surprised; there's a creature called the 'X-Blood'. They exist in a liquid form, living as parasites in other organisms as blood. They are the main inhabitants of the Wycathe Civilization Sphere. How wonderful is the world!"
Y'zaks' mind went blank for a long while before he muttered to himself, "That's a masterpiece of Mother Nature…"
Lily blinked. "That is to say, the giants have no brains and thoughts; they're actually the 'vessel' of the brain?"
"You're a real novelist, very quick-witted. However, what I said is just hypothetical; the possibility is remote." The MDT shook. "I've just examined the genetic factors of the brain and other tissues; they have a high consistency, so I've ruled out the possibility of parasitism. The brain's breakaway to change into a brain monster should be the result of some kind of mutation. In the eyes of most intelligent beings in the world, this is a horrifying mutation and not of natural evolution. Anyway, this is the biggest brain hole I've ever seen in my life…"
"Judging from the brain's condition, the mutation happened before they attacked Io," Nangong Sanba guessed. "That is, the giants were still themselves when they happened to pass by Io. However, when their brains got out of control, they turned back to Io and launched the attack. After the destruction of Io, some of the surviving giants became brain monsters—the one on Earth is one of them.
Hao Ren immediately came to his senses. "If the brain monsters came from the giants, then the brain monster in Holletta must have come from the same source!"
"That means, all members of this giant race mutated into the big brains?" Vivian finally figured out what Hao Ren meant. These giants in front of them had passed by Io in their spacecrafts, a few billion light years away from Holletta. The brain monsters, which mutated in the spacecrafts should theoretically not have appeared in Holletta. So, there was only one possibility: the same terrible thing had happened to giant races elsewhere in the universe, hence the reason the brain monsters appeared in Holletta!
Even the siren queen was not bothered to study why these giants wanted to destroy Io; she was very stunned by the creepy mutation. "What happened to the giants?"
Hao Ren grabbed the MDT. "I'm going over to the lab next door to check on them!"
The MDT protested, "Hey, be more gentle! Can you be more professional while using an instrument of precision like me? You're holding me upside down! Damn you, you've hit my left corner on the door frame!"
After Hao Ren rushed out with the MDT, Lily looked at Vivian and said, "I feel that the PDA's illness is getting worse."
"It wouldn't be so bad if hadn't used it to watch too many Korean dramas."
"You're blaming me?"
Since the giants were an accidental discovery, they did not manage to create enough space for the samples in the main laboratory. Therefore, they had to place the samples in a spare lab. It was separated by a wall from the main laboratory, where the brain monsters were being kept. Hao Ren brought the MDT next door, and activated the container tube in the center of the room. The container's silver protective alloy shield slowly descended. The giant brain was still floating in the container.
"Hey, Big Head!" Hao Ren did not connect with it telepathically; there was no need for that this time. "I'm about to show you something!"
As he spoke, he began to project the holograms from the MDT and zoomed in on the images of the giants for the giant brain to see.
"Look at these people. Don't you know them?"
Hao Ren thought that the giant brain would surely have some kind of reaction this time, unlike the uncooperative attitude it had towards the violent and non-violent stimulations used previously. However, the giant brain did not budge.
"What's going on?" Hao Ren stepped forward and tapped the cylinder. "Is it dead?"
The MDT started the instrument to examine the brain. All of a sudden, it whistled. "It's gone!"