The two had initially expected to search the small town meticulously to pinpoint the other's location. However, they now both spotted lights within the city, indicating the presence of people. In Santa Maria, aside from Astra, it was highly unlikely anyone else would be there.
Upon seeing the peculiar light, Shen Feng and Xu Xing immediately headed in its direction.
Upon arrival, they discovered it was an office building. However, the building was now unrecognizable. What was once an office complex had been transformed into a laboratory-like facility, filled with various specimens.
Xu Xing drew her long saber and cleaved the iron chain on the main door, then kicked it open. The glass doors parted, and they stepped inside. The faint hum of a generator could still be heard within the building, and the smell of diesel permeated the night air, indicating that the power system relied on a diesel generator.
"There are so many specimens here. Could Astra be a scientist? Otherwise, why would he be interested in making specimens?" Xu Xing was momentarily stunned by the numerous animal specimens around them. There were specimens of crocodiles, tigers, and even lions.
Some specimens were displayed in glass display cases throughout the building. Pale lights shone down from the ceiling, casting an eerie atmosphere. The animal specimens were so lifelike that they appeared to be alive; someone unfamiliar might think they were facing a beastly assault.
"I heard before that Astra liked to capture people for research. I saw many animal skeletons on the streets, but no human skeletons. These people absolutely couldn't have continued living in the small town. I suspect they've all been murdered!" Shen Feng said gravely.
The two then proceeded towards the top of the building, intending to find Astra, as the lights suggested he might still be there.
Xu Xing took out her long saber, crafted from titanium alloy, which gleamed with a cold light under the illumination. A titanium alloy saber had numerous advantages, one of which was its sharpness. Many surgical scalpels were made of titanium alloy, making it very convenient to use and resistant to rust.
Shen Feng carried no weapons himself, but he didn't need any. He himself was the strongest weapon. In the past, Shen Feng needed weapons to enhance his lethality, as he possessed no skills beyond his speed advantage. But now, the flowing air around him could transform into deadly wind blades at any moment, rendering weapons unnecessary.
As they ascended the building, the two grew increasingly astonished. They began to see human specimens, grotesquely deformed, no longer possessing the standard two arms and two legs. They were in various bizarre poses; some had three arms, others had two heads. They had all become specimens, their faces still contorted in expressions of terror.
"This Astra is truly despicable. He turned everyone he captured into specimens. I've never seen such a terrifying individual!" Xu Xing was enraged upon witnessing this scene. Everyone had their dignity, yet these people, captured and brought to this city, had become experimental material. Even in death, they were made into specimens, their dignity utterly trampled.
"Compared to the fate of these people, I'm more concerned about what happened to them. Why did they become so strange? Look, some people here have grown a third eye, completely mutated!" Shen Feng's focus was not on how these people died, but rather on understanding why they had transformed into such forms.
Normally, people have two arms, two legs, two eyes, and one mouth. However, these individuals seemed to have undergone simultaneous mutations, each becoming bizarrely deformed.
"Do I need to say it? These people were definitely captured and subjected to human experimentation. They died and couldn't even rest in peace, only to be made into specimens. This is what that perverted scientist uses to show off!" Xu Xing concluded directly.
As the two were engaged in a heated discussion, a voice suddenly echoed from the rooftop: "Esteemed lady, while you appear quite beautiful, your mouth is indeed too vicious. For I am not a perverted scientist. Although I am indeed a scientist, I am not a pervert!"
Upon hearing the voice, Shen Feng immediately became alert and looked upwards. At the end of a staircase, a man in a white lab coat appeared.
The man had golden hair, wore a white lab coat stained with blood, and held a scalpel in one hand.
"You still claim you're not a pervert. If you're not a pervert, why are you holding a scalpel and covered in blood?" Xu Xing retorted.
"Because I am engaged in scientific research. Having some blood on my hands is quite normal, isn't it? I don't understand why you're so surprised," the man asked.
Shen Feng impatiently inquired, "Are you Astra? Did you take the alien data? If so, hand it over quickly. I need it! I'm not sure if you've heard of me, but I'm telling you now, I wish I could kill you!"
To their surprise, the man nodded and said, "I speak eight languages. Wherever I go, I can communicate effectively with the locals. After all, eight languages cover most regions of the Earth. And naturally, I have heard of your reputation. You are Shen Feng, revered as the God of Wind in China, though your earliest title was 'Grass in the Wind'! You guessed correctly, I am Astra."
"Hand over the alien data immediately. I need it!" Shen Feng said unceremoniously.
Astra, having noticed the gas masks worn by the two, guessed that they were aware of his abilities. He replied, "If you want the alien data, I can certainly give it to you. I don't need it anymore anyway. However, I don't wish for you to disturb my ongoing scientific research!"
"Your so-called scientific research sounds good, but in reality, it's capturing people from all over and experimenting on them. You're a complete madman. I must eliminate this menace today!" Xu Xing exclaimed emotionally.
"Lady, you are too agitated. I cannot communicate effectively with you, so I'll be direct. My scientific research may seem crazy to ordinary people, but I believe that once my research results are published, the whole world will hail me as a god! Remember, there is a saying in the East that describes me: 'Those who know my heart understand my worries; those who don't understand my heart wonder what I seek.'" Astra spoke calmly.
"You're simply glib-tongued. Your words cannot conceal your cruelty. In fact, you have taken too many lives!" Xu Xing said angrily, but she was still maintaining her composure.
"Let's both calm down. I will now lead you to find the alien data. Follow me upstairs. I can host you for dinner tonight, but please, stop the strong winds. They are disturbing my experiments!" Astra turned and headed upstairs.
Shen Feng said calmly, "To ensure our safety, I will not stop the strong winds now."
The fierce winds could blow away bacteria and viruses in the air. Only by doing so could Shen Feng ensure air circulation, preventing viruses from approaching him. This was a measure he took to guarantee his safety.
Xu Xing looked at the figure ahead and said to Shen Feng, "This guy doesn't seem to have much combat power. If he can't use viral attacks, his strength is inferior to that of an ordinary person. How about I go up and stab him to death?"
"Don't act yet. Let's follow and see. After all, we haven't obtained the data yet!" Shen Feng stopped Xu Xing's impulsive action.
The two then followed Astra towards the rooftop. Generally, many research institutes were built underground. In fact, during the apocalypse, to ensure the safety of research institutes, many laboratories were required to be constructed underground. This way, both defense and secrecy were addressed. However, in the Amazon region, the place was very remote and prone to heavy rainfall. Building a laboratory underground would clearly be difficult and unsuitable, as it would easily lead to flooding. Ultimately, Astra chose to conduct his experiments in an office building.
As they proceeded, the two observed their surroundings. As they passed by a floor, Shen Feng and Xu Xing could still see many indigenous people confined in cages, their eyes flickering with fear, clearly worried about their impending fate.
Upon seeing this, Xu Xing understood why the indigenous people had attacked them. It turned out that many of their family members had been captured and brought here.
When the indigenous people of the rainforest discovered that their families had been taken, they naturally harbored intense hatred towards outsiders. Consequently, upon encountering outsiders, they immediately retaliated fiercely. Food, in this case, was no longer important.
"I feel like I did the wrong thing before. It would have been better if I hadn't killed those indigenous people, because they were also seeking revenge for their families!" Xu Xing murmured.
Shen Feng comforted her, "We didn't know the fate of those indigenous people at the time, and we were acting in self-defense. You don't need to blame yourself. At worst, you can release these captured people later!"
Xu Xing looked at the various tragic scenes within the office building, feeling immense sorrow. She wondered how many people had been captured and brought here for experimentation, treating humans as mere experimental subjects. Such behavior was simply inhumane. Furthermore, many people hadn't even undergone experimentation yet; they were kept in cages with plates of food placed before them, like livestock being raised.