"He's moving! He's moving..."
An eagle-eyed researcher staring intently at the surveillance screen suddenly cried out.
The others also noticed the movement inside the chamber on the screen. However, no trace of joy could be found on their faces. Instead, each one was etched with gravity.
"Will it be a success?" an unknown researcher asked quietly.
Inside the chamber, the golden-haired man on the experiment bed started moving more vigorously, and under everyone's gaze, he propped himself up on the edge of the bed and sat up.
"Where is this?"
He opened his bewildered eyes, looking at his surroundings. After surveying the area, he prepared to get off the bed and leave.
The man, who seemed still unaccustomed to his body, staggered as he stepped onto the solid floor, barely steadying himself by holding onto the edge of the bed.
After pausing for a good while, he finally adapted to his body. His originally weak legs gradually regained strength, and he began to explore along the white walls of the chamber.
Carefully avoiding the golden canisters under the mechanical arms, the golden-haired man finally reached the chamber's door.
"Let me out! Is anyone there? Let me out..."
After groping the tightly sealed door in vain for a way to open it, the golden-haired man began to shout for help.
"Dr. Lawrence, the experiment has failed! Should we destroy it?" a researcher cautiously asked, seeing their leader's troubled expression since the golden-haired man had gotten up.
Dr. Lawrence, his hair thinning on top, took off his round-frame glasses and wiped them gently. Then, in a chillingly cold voice, he ordered, "Destroy it immediately, and start preparing for the next experiment straight away."
"Oh, and how are the experimental results from the control group?" he asked his assistant after cleaning his glasses.
"The experimental subjects who volunteered for the experiment have a slightly higher tolerance level. In the recent batches of experiments, they have even managed to retain a few seconds of self-awareness."
"Hmm, inform the Military to send in another batch of volunteers."
"Yes, sir!"
Watching his assistant turn and leave the laboratory, Lawrence turned his gaze back to the experimental chamber, where the destruction was underway.
Inside the chamber, the golden-haired man who had been shouting for help now clung tightly to the chamber's wall, under attack from the autocannon.
"I acted so convincingly! How did you damn humans find out?" The golden-haired man's voice was now like a roar. The autocannon, capable of tearing ordinary humans to shreds, could only manage to repel him.
"How could this be?" The researchers responsible for the destruction looked at each other in disbelief as they saw the seemingly unscathed golden-haired man on the monitor. A feeling of unease simultaneously rose within them.
"It's been promoted! This Evil Spirit has advanced to an Evil Spirit! Quick, activate the Holy Water spray system!"
A red button was fiercely pressed. Multiple sprayers suddenly emerged from the walls and ceiling of the experimental chamber, and a mist of Holy Water sprayed out in an instant.
The golden-haired man, with no place to hide, was completely engulfed by the Holy Water mist that filled the chamber.
His originally smooth skin, upon contact with the Holy Water, started emitting black smoke and began to burn and decay slowly.
"Holy Water? It does sting a bit!" The golden-haired man caught a few drops of Holy Water in his hand, looking at the burned skin on his palm while a bizarre and ferocious smirk spread across his face.
"Quick! While we have the chance, restart the autocannon!"
Inside the chamber, the previously halted gun barrels started to rotate again, emitting a thunderous roar.
This time, his defenses greatly weakened by the Holy Water, the golden-haired man finally couldn't withstand the severe damage from the autocannon and was blown to pieces in the blink of an eye.
People outside the experimental chamber, witnessing the blood mist filling the space, stood stunned for a moment before looking at each other.
"Is this? Has it been successfully destroyed?"
"It... It should be..."
...
"Notify the Exorcists to come over immediately! A newly promoted Evil Spirit definitely holds great research value!" Dr. Lawrence's eyes gleamed as he excitedly watched the surveillance footage on the screen.
「Half a day later.」
The expected Exorcists were still nowhere to be seen.
"What's going on? Go and see what those Exorcists are up to!"
Lawrence's assistant immediately ran out.
「A minute later.」
"Doctor, the Exorcists, after hearing about the Evil Spirit's promotion, outright refused to come. They even tried to break out of the base and are now being guarded."
Upon hearing his assistant's report, Dr. Lawrence slammed the table in front of him in a rage.
"Damn cowards! Go, request the Military's Exorcism Department to come over."
"Yes!"
Before the assistant's figure had even left the lab, a huge noise suddenly emanated from within the normally calm laboratory.
BANG!
"What's going on?"
Everyone looked toward the source of the sound to find that it had come from the chamber holding the Evil Spirit. They hurriedly turned towards the surveillance footage displayed on the screen.
All they saw on the large screen was a picture of tranquility, but the loud noise they had just heard couldn't have been an illusion.
"'It's that Evil Spirit. I didn't expect it could affect the specially treated surveillance system,' Dr. Lawrence stated, his cold voice echoing in everyone's ears."
BANG! BANG! BANG... The continuous pounding grew louder, as if at any moment, the Evil Spirit would break through the mysterious Array surrounding the chamber.
"Issue a First Level alert! No need for approval anymore. Inform the Exorcism Department of the situation and have them come over immediately..."
BOOM!
Before Dr. Lawrence could finish his urgent instructions, a deafening explosion suddenly filled the room.
As everyone grimaced in pain, covering their ears, one researcher, glancing unintentionally at the outer wall of the chamber, suddenly displayed a look of terror.
"Run for your lives, the Exorcist's Array is gone!"
Following a piercing scream, the researchers in the lab, now ashen-faced, sprinted towards the exit, scrambling and rolling in their haste to escape.
Dr. Lawrence, equally pale, instead looked at a monitor flashing a red light inside the laboratory. Desperation, and a silent plea, filled his eyes.
"Please! Don't..."
「In a secret underground base far away in Washington.」
Three solemn figures were watching everything happening inside Laboratory 27 of the base through a large screen.
"Is this the seventh or the eighth one?"
After a long silence in the room, a voice finally broke the stillness.
"It's the eighth one. I told you, this damned 'Symbiosis Project' was never going to work!"
After saying this, the speaker stood up and angrily stormed out of the room.