I Fed The Affectionate And Paranoid God - Chapter 29
The monster, this strange creature, couldn’t be understood through common sense.
What surprised Xia Chenxi the most was that even after the monster’s arm was cut off, it still exhibited abnormal reactions.
Coincidentally, the time of the abnormal phenomenon that Professor Tian had just mentioned matched exactly with the time Xia Chenxi and the fourth-floor residents were pulled into the dream.
What supported Xia Chenxi’s speculation was the sentence Professor Tian mentioned — that at 8:30 this morning, black mist appeared on the monster’s severed arm.
At the same time, the survivors on the fourth floor of Fengnian Community also fell into a coma at exactly 8:30.
The string of coincidences made Xia Chenxi reasonably suspect that the monster might very well possess the active ability to pull people into dreams.
This point was crucial.
Xia Chenxi felt an even stronger sense of impending danger. He stood up and proactively walked over to the doctor, asking, “Doctor, have the test results for the previous patients come out yet?”
The doctor paused his work, showed Xia Chenxi the reports, and explained, “These are the test results for the first three patients that just came in. They show that their bodies are extremely weak.”
“The most important thing is that their brains are in a highly abnormal state of excitement. I still stand by my previous opinion: it’s very likely that they fell into a coma due to some kind of trauma-triggered mechanism, similar to how the brain enters a protective state and causes unconsciousness when a person is frightened.”
Xia Chenxi thanked the doctor. Knowing that this matter might require Professor Tian’s help, he sat down and took out his phone to contact the professor, informing him of the situation.
Professor Tian quickly replied.
[I just learned about this myself. I believe their comas are definitely not a coincidence. The timing of their unconsciousness matches exactly with the moment that severed arm started exhibiting abnormalities.]
Professor Tian keenly sensed the connection in all this, which gave Xia Chenxi some hope that he could discuss possible solutions with him.
But before Xia Chenxi could figure out how to reply to Professor Tian,
a new message came through from the other.
[I think your current situation is very dangerous. The next person it targets might be you. I have already arranged for the other patients to be transferred here for a more detailed examination. I hope you can come over as well.]
Professor Tian had the backing of official organizations, and Xia Chenxi knew that all these actions must have been approved by the authorities.
Therefore, Xia Chenxi agreed to Professor Tian’s proposal, as he had great trust in the authorities.
Moreover, he now had a reason he had to go.
Soon, a vehicle was dispatched from the laboratory, transporting all the patients, along with Xia Chenxi, to a highly secure and confidential research facility.
As for the guards responsible for protecting Xia Chenxi and the other patients, they also followed along. They were aware of the incidents involving the monster killings and had received authorization from higher authorities to go to the laboratory.
Although it was called a laboratory, it actually covered a vast area. Three towering buildings rose from the ground, reflecting dazzling rays of light under the sun.
It looked exceptionally grand.
The laboratory base was equipped with several layers of security checkpoints, and only after thorough inspections were they allowed to enter.
Professor Tian’s research department was in Building One.
When Xia Chenxi and the others were led into the first floor, several lab technicians in white coats who were clearly waiting for them approached and said to Xia Chenxi and the others, “Welcome to Experimental Base One. We are from Professor Tian’s department. Follow me.”
The guards each pushed the hospital beds they were responsible for and followed these technicians up to the third floor.
No one said a word.
Xia Chenxi looked around curiously.
This was his first time entering this kind of legendary experimental base, and it was a new department established after the Black Fog invasion. There was an inexplicable feeling of mystery and prestige, although the Black Fog had already disappeared.
However, after the meeting with Professor Tian, especially after learning about the severed half arm found in the dismemberment case on the fourth floor of Fengnian Community in City B, the top officials realized that the mysteriously appearing Black Fog wasn’t simple.
Therefore, orders were quickly issued from above for Professor Tian to continue his research, and funds were even allocated for purchasing research equipment.
Third floor.
Professor Tian frowned as he reviewed the detailed test results sent from the hospital.
The reason these residents were unconscious was absolutely unrelated to illness or trauma-induced stress.
Professor Tian had originally planned to keep these six patients in the hospital for recovery and treatment because some of their injuries were quite severe, and staying in the hospital would provide the best care.
But he never expected such a major change to happen in just a few days.
He never expected that the abnormalities in that severed arm would actually be connected to monsters trapping people in their dreams.
This kind of scenario, something that almost only appeared in movies and novels, was actually happening in reality.
Professor Tian sighed inwardly— their understanding of the monsters and the Black Fog was still far too limited.
At that moment, his assistant knocked and came in, reminding him, “Professor, Mr. Xia and the others have arrived.”
Professor Tian immediately put down what he was holding and headed to the testing room to meet Xia Chenxi and the others.
At this moment,
all six residents who were unconscious had already been taken into the restricted experimental equipment room for preliminary examinations.
Xia Chenxi sat on a stool, waiting for Professor Tian to arrive.
The other guards also remained silent, patiently awaiting the results.
At this point, even if they didn’t believe it, they had no choice but to admit:
— Monsters might really exist.
About three minutes later, Professor Tian hurried over, greeted Xia Chenxi and the others, then walked into the experimental equipment room and asked the researcher, “How is it? Are the results out?”
The researcher nodded and showed Professor Tian the various data on the computer screen.
Professor Tian quickly glanced over it, his expression filled with shock and bewilderment.
Xia Chenxi immediately stood up and asked, “Professor Tian, what are the results?”
Professor Tian quickly came out, his tone excited as he said to Xia Chenxi, “These people’s brainwaves are completely synchronized, which is quite unbelievable.”
Xia Chenxi showed no surprise, as if he had already suspected this and just needed confirmation. He asked, “Do you mean to say they are all inside the same dream?”
That was the only explanation.
That was the only way to explain why their brainwaves were so perfectly synchronized.
Professor Tian nodded, not surprised that Xia Chenxi had figured it out, and patiently explained, “Exactly. The good news is that their consciousness is still alive. But no one knows what will happen next—it’s full of uncertainty.”
Xia Chenxi nodded thoughtfully.
The police listened to the conversation between Xia Chenxi and Professor Tian, completely stunned.
At this moment, all the researchers in the lab gathered around the computer, repeatedly double-checking the data. Each of them wore expressions of disbelief and quietly discussed what it all meant.
Besides wanting to confirm whether these people were still alive, Xia Chenxi had another purpose for coming here.
After much thought, he said to Professor Tian, “Professor Tian, I want to take a look at that severed monster arm, and the chain.”
Professor Tian agreed without hesitation and personally led Xia Chenxi to a deeper part of the laboratory.
The guards responsible for protecting Xia Chenxi stayed behind and didn’t follow.
Because what came next was beyond their clearance level.
But Xia Chenxi was different.
As the only survivor who had inflicted damage on the monster, he could provide valuable suggestions and hypotheses for the experiments.
When they arrived at their destination,
Xia Chenxi saw the severed arm and the chain, securely enclosed behind glass.
Even after several days,
the arm still looked exactly as it did when it was cut off, showing no signs of decay.
Xia Chenxi suppressed his surprise and asked Professor Tian, “Was this severed arm specially preserved?”
Professor Tian smiled, a strange excitement flickering in his eyes. “No, we didn’t do any kind of preservation treatment. Even the human blood under its fingernails has remained in a perfectly fresh state. Look— isn’t it unbelievable?”
It was practically the greatest paradox to modern scientific understanding.
But at the same time, it only deepened Professor Tian’s intense curiosity and interest in researching the Black Fog and the monsters.
Xia Chenxi’s expression turned to one of shock. “Human blood?”
Professor Tian said: “Yes, we found a little blood on it, which matches the DNA of several victims in the dismemberment case on the fourth floor of Fengnian Community.”
Human blood itself couldn’t remain in the freshest state for a long time when exposed to the air, especially those dead victims, who were ordinary people.
Xia Chenxi became more and more curious about what this weird thing was. Why did this half arm have the ability to keep human blood fresh?
Xia Chenxi suddenly remembered something and asked Professor Tian: “By the way, what about the blood on the chain?”
The monster had used that chain to kill more than once, and it was stained with plenty of human blood.
Professor Tian shook his head. “We tested the blood on the chain as well and found matching DNA, but that blood has already dried up—it’s lost all biological activity.”
Xia Chenxi frowned slightly, clearly struggling to understand.
Seeing this, Professor Tian offered his own interpretation: “It might be that the monster itself possesses some kind of inherent ability to preserve biological matter, but the chain is different. I couldn’t find anything unique about it.”
It was as if—it really was just an ordinary chain, merely used by the monster as a weapon. The chain itself didn’t possess any special properties.
Because the truly strange and terrifying thing… was the monster itself.
Xia Chenxi didn’t say anything, but he knew better than anyone just how dangerous that seemingly ordinary dismemberment chain actually was
Especially since, after the monster lost the chain, its strength had clearly decreased significantly.
At that thought, Xia Chenxi’s heart skipped a beat—he suddenly realized something, a chilling realization dawning on him a moment too late.
Back then, when he had taken the chain from the monster, why had it shown such a look of resentment and hatred?
Wait.
He had overlooked an even more crucial detail.
Xia Chenxi quickly began to recall everything that had happened in the dream.
Every detail. Every moment. Every nuance.
If the monster truly had the ability to pull people into dreams, then the first time Xia Chenxi was dragged into that dream, he should have faced a life-threatening chase from the monster.
But what was strange was—he hadn’t run for long before being suddenly enveloped by a white light.
The next moment, he woke up from the dream—completely unharmed.
Then came the second time.
Though during that encounter he had the [Unlimited Strength] title, which boosted his combat ability…
But if he thought about it carefully, every time he had almost truly died at the monster’s hands, somehow, each time, he managed to cleverly escape from the brink of death.
Later, when he tried to attack the monster with a chair, the monster’s eyes showed a look of resentment and blatant malice.
It just didn’t make sense.
Keep in mind—the creature shouldn’t be able to get hurt; it had no reason to kick him out of the dream.
Even the six residents lying unconscious now, who had clearly been pulled into the dream, didn’t seem to have the same ability to resist as Xia Chenxi did—yet none of them had come to harm so far. Their brainwaves were even in a very active state.
This seemed to further confirm Xia Chenxi’s suspicion.
That was— even within the dream, the monster couldn’t kill anyone without the chain.
Seeing Xia Chenxi frozen and motionless, Professor Tian called out, “Mr. Xia? Mr. Xia?!”
Xia Chenxi snapped back to reality, looking at Professor Tian with a confused and puzzled expression. “What’s wrong?”
Professor Tian asked curiously, “Nothing, I just saw you zoning out and wondered if you’d thought of some clue.”
Xia Chenxi nodded and shared all his recent hypotheses and guesses with Professor Tian.
As the person who first suspected something was wrong with the Black Fog and took action to establish the research project, Professor Tian paid close attention to every piece of information Xia Chenxi provided.
After listening carefully, he thought for a moment and said, “I believe your guess is about ninety percent accurate.”
Encouraged by this, Xia Chenxi grew bolder and continued, “I suspect the monster’s goal in targeting us who escaped is to kill us all, but perhaps it can’t kill us in reality—only by pulling us into the dream.”
“Second, it might have other purposes as well.”
Professor Tian said, “You’re right. So the next step is that we must figure out the monster’s true objective.”
But Xia Chenxi wasn’t so optimistic.
Because he was currently at a complete disadvantage. Even though he knew the monster couldn’t kill people inside the dream, that was only a hypothesis—not something he could be absolutely sure of.
He had to come up with a way to protect himself, so he could enter the dream and search for the fragments safely.
Suddenly,
Xia Chenxi’s gaze fell on the nearby “dismemberment chain,” and his eyes lit up with a thoughtful expression.