Chapter 47

Jenny followed Vic out of the medical building.

Her face was pale and cold, her wide, bloodshot eyes giving her an almost feral appearance. Every step she took seemed to radiate an eerie detachment from the world around her.

The wounded crowded the hallways, some leaning against the walls for support, others being wheeled out on stretchers, too injured to move on their own. Each time they encountered a group of injured soldiers, Jenny, Vic, and Willife stepped aside, pressing themselves against the walls to let them pass.

The air was thick with the sharp, acrid stench of formalin, disinfectant, and the charred remains of war. It clung to their nostrils, mingling with the distant wails of the injured and the frantic calls of medics. It was the soundscape of a battlefield's aftermath, a grim reminder of humanity's fragility.

Stepping out of the medical building, they were met with an even heavier atmosphere. The air outside reeked of burning oil, gunpowder, and a faint chemical tang. It was oppressive, thick enough to claw at the back of the throat.

Vic stopped just outside the entrance, his voice deep and hard. "Look at this," he growled, gesturing to the scene of devastation. "This is what that beast did."

Hearing Bardi referred to as a "beast" sent a jolt of fury through Jenny. Her expression, already wild, twisted further into anger.

"Shut up!" she snapped, her voice sharp and raw. "I won't allow you to insult my Bardi!"

Vic stiffened, his suppressed rage bubbling to the surface. His eyes narrowed, and his hand twitched toward his sidearm, but he stopped himself.

Few people dared to speak to him that way, and fewer still lived to see the consequences.

He turned to face her, his glare icy and unrelenting, but before he could speak, Jenny raised her left hand and pressed her middle finger into the bullet wound beneath her collarbone.

The sudden pressure made fresh blood seep through the gauze wrapped around her shoulder. Her lips curled into a crazed grin as she felt the sharp pain.

"I don't care what you say," Jenny said, her voice trembling with emotion, her tone chilling. "Those soldiers out there don't matter. None of them do. Not when compared to him."

Every mention of Bardi's name was like a dagger twisting deeper into her heart.

And yet, when she pressed her fingers into the wound left by Bardi's bullet, a vivid image of him aiming the gun at her flashed through her mind. The memory stabbed deeper than any physical wound, dragging her into a spiral of despair and anguish.

Her body trembled uncontrollably. The agony wasn't just physical—it was emotional, psychological. It consumed her.

Vic's stern expression faltered as he looked at her. The rage that had been boiling inside him suddenly cooled.

She wasn't just angry. She was broken.

No—she was mad.

There was no reasoning with her, no point in arguing. She had descended into a state of madness that bordered on dangerous.

"She's insane," Vic muttered under his breath, averting his gaze.

But as long as she could still provide value, whether in her research or her role in bringing Bardi back, her madness was a secondary concern.

Jenny wiped her bloodstained finger across her lips, leaving a dark crimson streak that stood out starkly against her pale skin. Her lips curved into a macabre smile, both haunting and unhinged.

"It doesn't matter if all the soldiers here die," she said, her voice soft but chilling, her grin widening.

Vic suppressed a shiver of discomfort, his face tightening as he turned away from her and continued walking.

"Go to the underground research institute," he said curtly. "Bring all your research materials. We're leaving this place."

There was no future for this base. It had been compromised too thoroughly, and even if it weren't, it would soon fall under someone else's control. It was no longer suitable for their work.

Jenny followed him silently, her gaze flitting from one wounded soldier to another as they passed. Her head tilted slightly at odd angles, and her lips twitched into faint, cold smiles. Occasionally, she pressed her middle finger against her wound again, her bloodshot eyes growing darker with each step.

The stench of blood and smoke grew thicker as they descended into the underground research institute. By the time they reached the lower levels, the air was suffocating, heavy with the metallic tang of death and decay.

Vic covered his nose with his hand, grimacing as they passed soldiers carrying bodies on stretchers.

One of the stretchers bore the body of Slade. His chest was collapsed, his right eye a hollow, gaping socket. The once-formidable man now lay broken and lifeless, a grim reminder of Bardi's raw power.

Vic's lips tightened as he glanced at the corpse. Slade had been loyal, skilled, and dependable—a dog that had served him well for years. His death was a waste, a blow not just to the base but to Vic's personal plans.

"Wait," Jenny said abruptly, stretching out her right hand to stop the soldiers carrying Slade's body.

Her bloodshot eyes fixated on him.

Slade's chest cavity was caved in, his injuries grotesque. The saber that had once been lodged in his eye was gone, leaving the empty socket even more haunting to look at.

Vic frowned. "What? He hasn't had a heartbeat for thirty minutes."

Jenny placed her finger on Slade's aorta, stared into his bloodshot eyes for a while, and said, "Even if breathing stops and the heart isn't beating, it doesn't necessarily mean a person is truly dead." (T/N: Yes, you all saw this coming XD)

She grinned, her expression turning wild and manic. "Give him to me, and I'll turn him into the deadliest weapon on Earth."

Vic looked startled. "He's not dead yet?"

Jenny stood up, her expression suddenly turning cold again. "I don't know, but I feel like he still has brain activity. Let's test his willpower. Go retrieve the data."

Her temperament shifted so quickly it was dizzying. She operated entirely on her own whim, with no concern for others, as if life and death were just inconveniences to her.

Vic hesitated before speaking. "Save him. Do whatever it takes to keep him alive!"

Slade was his most trusted subordinate. His competence and loyalty were unparalleled, and if there was any chance to save him, Vic would take it.

However, Jenny showed no intention of following his orders. She replied coldly, "If he's alive, he'll hold on a little longer. If he's dead, toss him out."

Her words were as casual as deciding whether to throw away a stale piece of bread.

Vic's face tightened, his frustration evident. A wave of anger surged through him, and he briefly considered ending Jenny's madness with a bullet to her head. But he held himself back. She was too valuable, her work on enhanced soldiers was irreplaceable. And looking at her now, her bloodshot eyes and increasingly unhinged demeanor showed she had completely spiraled into insanity. She wasn't afraid of death at all.

Suppressing his fury, Vic clenched his fists and turned toward the inner laboratory.

Inside Jenny's lab, a mouse covered in tumors lay dead.

Jenny inspected the data and smiled, almost joyfully. "He erased all his genetic information and destroyed the blood samples. Truly remarkable, your expertise in biological genetics is extraordinary. Looking back, I can see now that you've been misleading me all along."

Her smile deepened, but it carried a twisted, bitter edge. Blood welled up in her dry, bloodshot eyes, staining her face with streaks of red tears.

Vic stood silently, his expression grim and displeased.

Jenny, her face streaked with bloody tears, stared at Vic with a chilling intensity. She tapped her head with her fingers. "It's all in here!"

Vic glanced at the tumor-covered mouse, his expression softening slightly. "What about this creature?"

Jenny sneered. "Throw it away. He'd never leave something so obvious behind."

She understood exactly what had happened with the tumor-ridden mouse. It wasn't some breakthrough mutation caused by her genetic serum, it was a grotesque side effect. The serum was far too potent, overstimulating the nervous system and brain, triggering uncontrolled cellular growth. The result was this mass of malignant tumors, a mouse riddled with muscle-like growths that rendered it a grotesque abomination.

In truth, the mouse had no potential for evolution or genetic mutation. Its erratic movements were the result of nerve overstimulation, and when the drug's effects wore off, the tumors proliferated uncontrollably, crushing it to death.

Simply put, it was nothing more than a tumor-filled corpse. It had nothing to do with creating Kryptonian genes or unlocking new possibilities in genetic engineering.

Yet to Jenny, the experiment wasn't a failure. She had already achieved her goal. Using the serum, she had successfully connected nervous system impulses, enabling even a crippled body to move its limbs.

The old man, Bori, had misunderstood the mouse's erratic movements, thinking they indicated enhanced physical strength. But Jenny had never intended to create a genetic serum for physical augmentation in the first place.

What she developed was a specialized catalyst that could absorb heat energy. Using infrared radiation overnight, the serum caused Bardi's unique cytoplasm to absorb sufficient thermal energy. This dissolved his cellular genes, preserving the heat energy within.

This wasn't a genetic serum in the traditional sense. The serum's genetic components had been completely dissolved by the catalyst, turning it into a liquid capable of retaining thermal energy.

Even if someone analyzed this serum now, they wouldn't find traces of Kryptonian genetic material. And drinking it wouldn't grant anyone Kryptonian powers or superhuman strength. At most, it would cause wild, uncontrollable muscle spasms, like a severe case of hyperactivity. The more someone consumed, the more tumors they would grow, leading to a painful death.

This serum was tailored specifically for Bardi's physiology. No one else could use it.

Jenny's true objective had been to give Bardi the ability to stand up again. The serum was designed solely to stimulate his nervous system and reawaken the motor potential in his limbs.

Of course, in theory, the serum could be diluted hundreds of times and mixed with normal human genes to create a variant usable by ordinary people. This might enhance reaction times and nerve responses, but that wasn't Jenny's priority.

Bardi, however, had understood the serum's true nature at a glance. That's why he had taken it with him.

Vic furrowed his brow, eyeing the tumor-ridden mouse skeptically. For something so grotesque, it certainly seemed... lively.

"No, biological research requires precision," Jenny suddenly said. Grabbing the tumor-covered mouse with one hand, she began dissecting it.

Moments later, she finished her tests. With a disgusted expression, she hurled the mouse against the wall. The corpse burst apart, splattering black blood everywhere. Jenny wiped her hands with a white towel, her voice icy. "Did you really think he'd be stupid enough to leave behind a sample? How naive of me."

Jenny stepped out of the lab, the corners of her mouth lifting into a humorless smile. Her bloodshot eyes gleamed as she spoke. "Let's go. It's time to create the most powerful weapon on Earth."