Ren Yi was currently very glad that he was in his true form rather than his human form.
If he had a face right now, the look of bewilderment on it would probably fill the entire containment pod.
The moment Evans' desperate words left his mouth, Ren Yi fell into deep self-doubt.
"What kind of nonsense is he talking?"
"I've been in this world for less than an hour. The total time I've spent exposed before his eyes hasn't even been as long as it takes to smoke a cigarette..."
"Where could he have seen me?"
As a rational candidate who had received a high-level education from the Alliance, Ren Yi quickly switched into logic-analysis mode.
There were only two possible truths:
First, this kid was a natural-born actor with psychological resilience far beyond his years. In order to save his life and achieve his goals in the face of this powerful organization, he had improvised a script as wild as "I've seen an alien Anomaly before."
Second, Evans truly had seen something similar in appearance to Ren Yi that he couldn't understand—most likely another Anomaly.
Therefore, he had made a misjudgment.
However, this second hypothesis made Ren Yi even more uneasy.
First of all, no other Anomalies were supposed to exist in this world. Even if they did, it was impossible for them to be "similar in appearance" to him.
One had to realize that his species was a rare one among Anomalies.
So, was he currently taking the fall for some other Anomaly?
"This script is getting weirder and weirder," Ren Yi muttered to himself.
The air in the infirmary seemed to freeze into ice instantly.
B406's blue mechanical prosthetic eye spun rapidly in its socket. After a moment, he let out a cold laugh.
The sound was like sand rubbing against an iron plate, carrying a sense of disdain and indifference toward Evans' struggle.
"Seen it?" B406's tone was contemptuous, even carrying a hint of pity for the other party.
"Regrettably, that is impossible. The thing you saw today has never left containment."
Ren Yi understood that what he actually meant was that B-013-A had only just appeared.
Therefore, it had never left containment, and naturally, it couldn't have met this kid.
Perhaps because there were too many people present, he used a relatively vague phrasing.
"I've seen plenty of wilderness rats like you."
"To live even five more minutes, you'd even be willing to claim you're the egg of some monster."
"Who do you think you're fooling with such a clumsy lie? Do you think just by saying you've seen that Anomaly, we'll treat you like a king?"
B406's words grew more intense, his tone filled with mockery and disdain.
However, Ren Yi could sense a hint of deliberate intent within that tone.
"It's not a lie!" Evans retorted quickly.
The scalpel in his hand trembled slightly, the tip carving a thin white mark on his skin.
"I can only tell you that it's related to the 'Stomach of Glat'!"
The moment the term "Stomach of Glat" jumped out of Evans' mouth, Ren Yi was momentarily stunned.
It was an extremely strange transliterated term, possessing a dry and slimy phonetic feel unique to certain cultures.
Dr. Lin had once mentioned that the languages of different worlds were influenced by certain rules, leading to overlaps or similarities in most world languages.
So, Ren Yi could roughly understand the meaning of this term.
It was an adjective representing gluttony, hunger, and endless absorption.
Although Ren Yi didn't know exactly what that thing looked like, he sensed a pure, unadulterated... hunger from the name.
In this context, it likely referred to some kind of calamity that could suck away all surrounding nutrients, multiplying frantically and uncontrollably.
Upon hearing this name, a crack finally appeared on B406's eternally stoic face.
His brow furrowed, and a look of deep wariness appeared in his eyes, along with a trace of indignation at being offended.
"...Stomach of Glat?"
He repeated the name in a low voice, then quickly resumed his mocking expression.
"Oh, I know that name. Giving things you don't understand special names—poor Tide-Follower."
"If you want to say this white Anomaly is the so-called avatar of disaster, I suggest you save it."
"The outward appearance might be slightly similar, but its vitals and energy feedback are completely wrong."
The mockery in B406's tone intensified.
That being said, Ren Yi's perception caught a very subtle movement.
B406's knuckles turned slightly white from the force of gripping the Withered Claw suitcase.
It seemed his heart was not as calm as his words suggested.
This delivery boy, who was usually cold enough to be a robot, was clearly experiencing a storm in his heart right now.
His toes turned slightly, and his body's center of gravity shifted forward—a standard posture for snatching something.
For B406, if Evans truly knew the secret regarding the "Stomach of Glat," the kid's value would instantly increase hundreds of times over. He absolutely could not let the boy just stab himself to death.
Ren Yi almost wanted to light a candle for the Withered Claw inside that suitcase.
A dignified B-rank Anomaly's recent duties had all been about "preventing people from committing suicide."
However, Evans was like a startled rabbit, possessing an extraordinary intuition for such dangerous auras.
"Don't move!"
Evans suddenly exerted force, and the blade of the scalpel cut through his skin.
Beads of bright red blood slid down his pale neck, disappearing into his collar.
"If you make any move, I'll kill myself immediately."
"Don't doubt a Tide-Follower's resolve. Dying by the blade is cleaner than dying on your experimental tables!"
"I know what you want. If I die, that secret will rot with my corpse!"
B406 froze in his tracks.
His blue eye stared fixedly at the bloodstain. After a long while, he squeezed a sentence out from between his teeth.
"You don't actually think your life is precious, do you?"
"Here, human life is priced by the gram. An unnamed Consumable like you doesn't even make it onto the price list."
Looking at the intimidated B406, a cunning curve actually hooked at the corner of Evans' mouth.
"You've given yourself away, sir."
The youth laughed, breathing shallowly, but his expression gradually became serene.
"If you truly felt my life was worthless, I would be a dead man by now."
"The fact that you're still talking to me means you're... hesitating. You're afraid of losing information regarding that name, aren't you?"
"After all, who could refuse the secret of the 'Stomach'?"
The room fell into a deathly silence.
B406 stood in place, expressionless.
As a senior staff member of the base, he realized he had indeed misspoke.
This feeling of being led by the nose by a "Consumable" made him extremely annoyed, but the weight behind those five words did not allow him to act on impulse.
He remained silent for a long time, then suddenly waved his hand, signaling the surrounding medical staff to leave.
The medical staff looked at each other.
But under the long-standing pressure of B406's authority, they could only submissively exit the room, dragging away their colleague who lay on the floor, life or death unknown.
With a "click," the door was locked tight.
Only Evans and B406 remained in the infirmary.
Rate on N.U.
