Meanwhile, in the same building, 3rd Floor Laboratory;
The sterile lab was dimly lit with white fluorescents humming overhead. Alone at the center, Li Liu stood with her eyes calm and movements precise. Her face, usually soft and quiet, now bore the expression of a professional.
In the reinforced cage beside her, a Scarlet Gorilla, a level-47 monster, was in a state of deep sleep, owing to a powerful sleeping drug, CZ13P. Around them, five guards in dark security uniforms stood tense with Mana rifles slung across their backs. Their hands are near triggers, ready to fire at the monster if it goes out of control. After all, it was a Lord Tier.
At the far end of the lab stood the branch vice president, a woman in her late fifties, dressed in a formal navy-blue tunic, with white hair that coiled in a tight bun. She simply watched everything like a silent spectator.
As for Li Liu, she was busy at the long steel workbench. She had a large alchemical vessel already half-filled with distilled water, and she began adding ingredients one by one:
Black Candle Herb
A Lord-tier Undead Crystal Core
Luminous Powder
Diluted Sulfuric Acid (1 part to 10)
Six Skeleton Mushrooms
Three Grass Knots
The concoction hissed and boiled as she stirred, releasing plumes of gray smoke.
Twenty minutes passed.
The liquid inside darkened and thickened, and a strange glow pulsed from its depths.
She then turned toward the guards. "Bring the subject forward."
They wheeled the cage to the vessel and stepped away.
Upon the injection of the reversal agent that removed the effects of sleep, the Lord Tier gorilla stirred awake, woke with a sudden jolt, and let out a sharp, guttural roar. "Raaaaa…"
Li Liu stepped forward without hesitation. "Shhh… It's alright, dear," she whispered, her voice seemed smooth and sweet as she caressed its face. "I'm here to cure your lesion."
She then offered a handful of azure nightberries with the other hand. The gorilla sniffed them, ate them, and became visibly relaxed at once.
"You've suffered long enough," she then said, continuing to brush its cheek gently. "Now it's time to heal. Step into the bath and take a nap. When you wake up, you'll be stronger."
The gorilla hesitated but then obeyed.
It stepped out of its cage, slowly, almost reverently, and dipped one massive foot into the black solution. It paused… and then moved further in. By the time it submerged up to its neck, its eyes were already drooping.
Li Liu gently closed the reinforced lid.
Four Hours Later
Clack.
The seal hissed as she unlatched the lid. A black vapor burst from within, appearing acidic and releasing a foul smell. The lab's ceiling purifiers were activated automatically, sucking the stench out in seconds.
Then, from within the vessel, a figure rose, though it was no longer a Scarlet Gorilla.
What emerged was a towering undead gorilla, its fur now jet-black and faintly translucent.
The bones within its body glowed faintly with an eerie blue light, and where once there were organs, now only a still-beating heart hovered inside its ribcage like a suspended gemstone.
Gasps rang out among the guards. Even the hardened woman at the back raised her eyebrows in awe.
Li Liu stepped forward with a handheld bioscanner and aimed it at the beast.
[Species: Apocalypse Gorilla]
[Type: Undead]
[Element: Dark]
[Level: 50]
[Potential: Level-70]
A long silence filled the room.
Then the vice president of the association finally stepped forward with a slow, deliberate clap. Her eyes gleamed with something between excitement and astonishment.
"Well done, Li Liu," she said. "As of this moment, you are recognized as an S-Class Monster Trainer."
The guards straightened immediately.
The woman continued, "You are now the 7th active S-Class in Huaxi City, and the 126th in the entire country. It's been over a decade since I witnessed a trainer of your level. You'll be honored directly by the President. Today, your name joins the ranks of the elite."
Li Liu gave a small smile. "Thank you… Vice President Yan. But I have one request."
The woman tilted her head. "Go on."
"I want to keep this confidential. As far as the public is concerned, I'm just a B-Class trainer applying for A-Class certification. Please let it stay that way."
There was a long pause. The old woman's eyes narrowed slightly. "That's... unusual."
"I have my reasons," Li Liu said softly. Averting her gaze, she said, "Let's just say… There are things I'm not ready to reveal yet."
The woman looked at her, stared at her for a few seconds in silence, and then slowly nodded. "Okay."
She turned toward the stunned lab staff and barked with sudden authority. "You heard her. This is to remain classified. Leak even a word of what happened here, and I'll personally see to it you're not just fired, but blacklisted from every licensed facility in the country. Are we clear?"
"Yes, ma'am!" the guards and technicians chorused.
Li Liu turned back toward the now-kneeling Apocalypse Gorilla. It lowered its head, silent and obedient. She placed a hand on its rough fur and caressed it with affection in her eyes. "May you find a hunter that would not only accept your strength but also your nature."
Same time;
Xiao Estate – Private Study Room
*Tap*
The shattered mug rolled to a stop at the foot of a towering wooden cabinet, and black coffee stained the jade-tiled floor as Jiang Fei stood with his hand still clenched from the throw.
On the other end of the phone, a voice stammered, "Sir… I just confirmed it. Lin Fang passed the trials and received the ticket to the final trial."
Click.
Jiang Fei ended the call without another word.
He clenched his jaw, pacing across the room like a beast in a cage. "Unbelievable…" he hissed in anger. "That bastard actually passed the third trial? That too under someone like Feng Xiu's supervision."
He stared at the cracked mug on the floor, muttering low and dark. "I thought I'd meet him again after the exam… laugh in his face, watch him crumble like the failure he always was in his past. Zhi Yan would have then given up. But now…"
He gritted his teeth. "Now he's going to get even closer to Zhi Yan. She'll support him even more, thinking he has potential."
In an anger-filled face, he punched the wall with his bare fist. The wooden panel cracked slightly.
"No. I don't care what she thinks. Whether she likes him or not, it doesn't matter." His voice trembled with rising madness. "I won't allow him to rise."
He stormed to his desk and flung open the bottom drawer.
Inside was a sleek, black case, sealed and marked with a red fingerprint sensor. He pressed his thumb against it. A soft click sounded.
The lid opened, revealing a sleek, crystal cube-like thing, humming faintly with suppressed energy.
Jiang Fei picked it up with shaking hands.
"Lin Fang…" he whispered with venom. "You are fuck*ng plainfolk with a trashy background. You should know your place and not aim for the things you are disqualified from even looking at."