The Crystal Skeleton; Reversal! Who Is There?

At this moment, inside Fang Xiaoxia's mind, countless sealed memories suddenly surged forth like floodgates bursting open. The silhouette wearing nothing but an apron, leaping down from the floor above. The feline shadow leaping onto the windowsill and jumping down into the grand, brilliant sunlight. The two gradually overlapped. The black cat's expressive, speaking eyes; the black cat lazily waving its paw with its back turned to the girl; the ribbon fluttering atop the black cat's head. The way the black cat dragged the video progress bar on the phone to freeze a frame. Fragments of memory came rushing in like a tide, finally freezing on that question asked by the anime character on screen: "Even if I go to hell, would you be willing to stay with me?" All of this, Fang Xiaoxia had forgotten. Yet right now, seeing the black cat, seeing Bai Zhou shed his human form before her eyes and transform into that elegant, mysterious black silhouette—she remembered. The cat she could never forget... Her cat! Fang Xiaoxia's eyes widened in an instant. Her fingers twitched instinctively, just like the countless times she had returned home from school and immediately scooped the black cat into her arms. Then she froze. The surge of impulse plummeted as swiftly as it had risen, as though a bucket of icy water had been dumped over her head. Because she suddenly remembered that day, when the black cat had pressed its little paw against the video, using the anime character's dialogue to raise its eyes and ask her: "...Do you mean that even if I go to hell, you're willing to stay with me?" At that moment, the cat's expression had been startlingly human. Without a doubt, that had never been the gaze of a cat. It was so lonely, tinged with sorrow, and carried an alienation that stood completely out of place with this world. It made one's heart clench instinctively, wanting nothing more than to answer immediately: *I'm here. I'm right beside you.* Yet she hadn't done that. How had she reacted back then? Overwhelmed with shock at how human the cat was—just like Lord Ye, who professed to love dragons only to be petrified when a mighty divine dragon descended from the heavens—Fang Xiaoxia, who had once fantasized about her cat turning into a prince, had frozen on the spot upon witnessing the human-like black cat. For ages, she hadn't been able to speak, dumbstruck and nearly scared out of her wits. And so, not a single word she should have spoken made it past her lips. In the end, every chance was missed. The black cat vanished before her eyes like a gust of wind, just like the countless missed opportunities that filled Fang Xiaoxia's life. Regardless of the reasons, in the cat's eyes—or rather, in Bai Zhou's eyes—hesitation was hesitation. How could a girl who hesitated still have the right to stand beside Bai Zhou? This was the cat, yes, but it was not *her* cat. He was Bai Zhou, the mysterious youth who could turn into a cat. He had asked her if she was willing to walk into hell with him, and he received no answer. Yet when this timid, ordinary girl plunged into a hopeless hell... It was this very youth who leaned down without hesitation, reached out, and pulled her up from the depths of hell. That rainy night's flight along the elevated highway was destined to become a memory the girl would never forget for the rest of her life. Thinking of this, Fang Xiaoxia suddenly lowered her head in burning embarrassment, wishing like an ostrich that she could curl herself up and squeeze into a crack in the ground. Guilt and shame threatened to drown her like a scalding tide. Why was he so good to someone as awful as her? She was nobody, and completely unworthy. The world of youth is always simple. How could a girl understand the labyrinthine intrigues of the mystical world? She only knew that Bai Zhou treated her well, so she ought to treat him well in return—yet she had nothing with which to repay him. She didn't know what Bai Zhou needed, nor what she could do. She possessed too little, things too trivial to matter. Clever as she was, she wouldn't flatter herself, and Bai Zhou had been honest with her: he saved her because he had something to gain. That was better. Fortunately, it was so. There was something special about her that even she didn't know, and this special trait was the reason everyone fought over her. Even though Fang Xiaoxia truly didn't know what she could do for Bai Zhou, she made up her mind, firm and unwavering. No matter what Bai Zhou needed, no matter what special trait lay hidden inside her, as long as Bai Zhou asked, she would hand it over without hesitation. As long as he wanted it, and as long as she had it. If she were given another chance to answer that question... She would answer without hesitation, never backing down! No matter how clumsy or pathetic she looked, even if... she had to use everything she had to prove it! Bai Zhou, of course, had no idea what chaotic nonsense was churning inside the girl's head. Even if he did, he would only flick her on the forehead and tell her not to overthink things. It was just a line he'd used to look cool. Who would actually expect an ordinary little girl to march into hell with him? Just messing with you. Even if you'd agreed on the spot, I still would have hypnotized you, sealed your memories, and leaped out the window on my own. He, Bai Zhou, was a proud wanted criminal, an aloof outsider, the noble heir of Troy—not some bleached-blonde punk on a loud scooter coaxing a girl from a good family to run away and elope. Back when Crow extended an invitation to him, Bai Zhou had only agreed reluctantly because he was backed into a corner, and his very first concern had been what benefits he could get out of it. If he'd had any other choice, Bai Zhou definitely would have been the first to politely decline Miss Crow's offer. *Swish, swish...* The black cat's silhouette flashed across the curtain of rain and vanished into the depths of the pitch-black night in the blink of an eye. A moment later, the black cat scurried back, shook itself violently from side to side, and splattered off the rainwater. Then, in the blink of an eye, Bai Zhou transformed back. "Little Charmander, I'm afraid I have some bad news for you." The youth reopened the umbrella, holding it over the girl in the white dress. On the other side, with a low hum, the invisible barrier the Gem Witch had erected around Fang Xiaoxia was withdrawn. "What?" Fang Xiaoxia looked at Bai Zhou with an innocent, bewildered gaze. Beneath the umbrella, Bai Zhou weighed his words and spoke slowly: "It's more or less confirmed now. In the buildings near your home, at least fifty households are problematic. And it's no small problem." "Right now, none of them are at home, and all of them left not long ago." Rain drummed fiercely against the umbrella. Bai Zhou glanced at the overcast sky outside, where violent gusts aggressively contested his grip on the black umbrella. "After all, in rain this heavy, normal people wouldn't be going out." Bai Zhou continued, "If I'm not mistaken, they should be the Observers... the operatives tasked with watching over you, the 'Caged Bird,' responsible for observing and guiding you in daily life." How many households? Fang Xiaoxia's eyes widened. The girl was familiar with the neighbors nearby. They would always greet each other when they met, and their interactions were always warm and pleasant—which was precisely what gave Fang Xiaoxia the confidence to go downstairs at night. The old man selling magazines at the newsstand would tell her to slow down and watch her step; the auntie at the stationery store would often call out, asking if she wanted a piping-hot roasted sausage fresh from the grill. The uncle upstairs always wore a kindly smile, and the neighbor next door loved asking about her daily life and cheering her up. And now? ...What did he mean by "observing"? What did he mean by "guiding"? "Not just your homeroom teacher, whom I mentioned before." "From the supermarket you frequent, to the lady collecting garbage, to the old man at the newsstand." Bai Zhou rattled off the identities of Fang Xiaoxia's neighbors, revealing the findings of his reconnaissance. "From upstairs to downstairs, to the neighbors across the hall..." "They're likely all Observers carrying out missions." Bai Zhou shook his head. "I deduce that some are newcomers, while others were substituted and disguised as the previous residents, ultimately closing the encirclement around you without you ever noticing." "Through casual conversations and offhand remarks you happened to overhear, they quietly exerted subliminal influence over you, weaving a cocoon that kept you suppressed." Bai Zhou's voice dropped lower. "That, too, is a form of guidance." What kind of person someone wants to become from childhood, and what kind of person they ultimately turn into, depends on their parents, but even more so on their growing environment. Even without speaking to Fang Xiaoxia directly, mere remarks overheard in passing can sometimes plant a degree of psychological suggestion. Silent and stealthy, moistening everything without a sound... this Major Luo truly spared no effort! "H-How is that possible?!" Fang Xiaoxia's pupils shrank and her eyes widened. Although she had pieced together some anomalies from Bai Zhou's scattered words during their escape, hearing the truth laid bare before her still left her unable to believe her ears. So those monsters hadn't been the start of it all—they were merely the horn sounding the final charge. In reality, countless people had been lurking around her all along? How much of her life was real? How much of who she was had been shaped into what others wanted her to become? The preferences, habits, and even subtle emotional ripples she had believed to be her own—how many of them were the calculated outcomes of an invisible hand orchestrating from behind the scenes? It sounded as eerie as sitting with a relative during New Year's, both playing on their phones, only for the relative to suddenly raise the screen and say, "Got a new phone, what should I do with the old one? Recycle it on Zhuanzhuan!" And all the while, that friend stared toward empty space, as if a camera and an audience were right there. Should she also row a small boat across a tempestuous ocean beneath thunder and lightning, and right before reaching the end of destiny, turn around and say, "Good morning, good afternoon, and good night"? Perhaps it was the piercing chill of the rainy night, but Fang Xiaoxia suddenly felt cold all over. Those people... what on earth did they want to take from someone as ordinary as can be? Why go to such lengths? "She..." On the other side, the Gem Witch hesitated, looking utterly shocked. In Tinghai, such a thing could actually happen? Was this still the Tinghai she knew? The Gem Witch knew Fang Xiaoxia was important, but she hadn't imagined she was *this* important... No wonder Bai Zhou was taking this so seriously. Just like Bai Zhou earlier, if Fang Xiaoxia hadn't been pulled forward by the soul-summoning chanting right before her eyes, the Gem Witch wouldn't have sensed the slightest anomaly from her either. Just a completely normal high school girl at the age where she should be grinding through practice exams. The Gem Witch tried imagining herself in those shoes and couldn't help shivering, pressing her lips together in a grim line. Raising her hand, the witch almost reached out to pull this fragile, seemingly shattering girl into an embrace. Yet seeing the girl grit her teeth and stubbornly hold on, the witch's hand froze, and her gaze drifted for some inexplicable reason. Noticing Little Charmander's dazed state, Bai Zhou shook his head. He completely understood what Fang Xiaoxia was feeling right now. After all, compared to Fang Xiaoxia, a caged bird raised in captivity, Bai Zhou—a test subject kept by a bunch of perverted, pyromaniacal lunatics—sounded even more pitiful. Humans were fragile creatures like that. The shattering of a worldview didn't require a gradual process; in a single instant, one's values and beliefs could crumble into a field of ruins. Yet growth occurred in that very same instant. Atop the messy ruins, a tender but tenacious sprout would break the soil once more. Human resilience lay in this as well. In this cycle between fragility and resilience, humans had climbed from monkeys to masters of the world. "A life designed in advance by others—it truly is a cruel truth." Bai Zhou looked at Fang Xiaoxia and said: "But look at it from another angle—why would they go to so much trouble?" "If a bird is destined to be ordinary and unremarkable, who would spend so much time and mobilize over fifty households to cast an inescapable dragnet, just to quietly raise and observe it, not even daring to let you notice?" Bai Zhou looked at Fang Xiaoxia, word by word: "Unless you are far, far from the ordinary person you think you are." "There must be some terrifying potential inside you that forces them to observe and guide you. Little Charmander, you are by no means ordinary." "Their desperate struggle to guide and mold you into this easily understood and controllable shape proves one thing... they fear you!" "It proves that your true life is something they cannot comprehend or define!" Bai Zhou's voice was not loud, but it cut clearly through the rushing rain into the girl's ears. The girl stood in a daze, silent. Chaotic thoughts swept like a hurricane across her collapsed, ruined worldview. Bai Zhou said, "You are special." He said, "Little Charmander, you are by no means ordinary." Just like the scenes she had dreamed of countless times when stuck in the lowest points of her life, no one had ever said such things to her. Even less had anyone possessed such absolute faith in her being special—not even herself. "And now, the cage has cracked, and those Observers have temporarily vacated the stage." Standing in the secluded corner, the three of them stood side by side, listening to the rushing rain. Bai Zhou's gaze swept over the dark, silent buildings in the distance, then settled back on Fang Xiaoxia's pale face. "This is a crisis, but it is also the very first time in your life that you truly have the power to choose." "Will you continue to play the caged bird they expect, the one you've long grown accustomed to being? Or will you..." No matter how hard the wind blew, the hand holding the umbrella remained rock-steady. "Open your eyes, see this absurd yet real world for what it is, and then, as yourself—" "As Fang Xiaoxia, run wild and free for once?" Fang Xiaoxia didn't answer right away, but her breathing grew ragged. Bai Zhou also felt this question required careful thought, so he added: "No rush to answer." "Before that... we have things to do." *Splash!* A foot stepped over a puddle, clear droplets splashing softly against black boots in the night. The hem of his trench coat fluttered, shaking off water droplets, as Bai Zhou closed the black umbrella. The three entered a pitch-black stairwell, moving silently through it. They didn't take the elevator, choosing to walk upstairs instead. After a while. Stopping before a door, Bai Zhou turned his head and looked at Fang Xiaoxia: "Let us see together..." "What they have hidden on you, and inside your home." *Click!* At Bai Zhou's nod, Fang Xiaoxia turned the key in her hand. Then came a *creak*. Carrying the hope of completing the notebook, the puzzle of why neither Fang Xiaoxia nor her home had revealed any anomalies earlier, and his habitual caution when probing secrets... Bai Zhou led Fang Xiaoxia across the threshold of that familiar yet foreign "home." *** Tonight's rain only fell heavier, showing no sign of stopping, drenching the entire city in a hazy blur. Neon lights scattered, streets flooded, and streetlamps resembled flickers of will-o'-the-wisp dotting the rainy night. At the same time, silent throngs cut through the curtain of rain. Vehicles rolled down the streets, shadows flitted through alley corners, and scarlet eyes slowly opened in unseen places. Whispers were drowned out by running water, footsteps masked by the wind. Yellowing leaves fluttered in the rain, hanging on the verge of falling. Undercurrents surged; the wind was about to rise. "Father." "Boss..." The two voices overlapped, echoing in an expanse of dead silence. This place looked like a quiet, dilapidated graveyard, yet also like an enormous underground cavern. It was a hidden realm unknown kilometers beneath the earth. A metal resembling black stone covered the ground and surrounding walls. The ceiling overhead rose so high it dissolved into darkness, while several wisps of blue flame flickered without wind, faintly illuminating the vicinity. Everywhere were complex symbols. From ceiling to walls to floor, wherever the naked eye could see was painted and filled with pigments mixed from mineral powder and dried blood. These intricate symbols defied human comprehension. Individual lines were chaotic beyond belief, but when combined and nested together, they formed a vast, elaborate ritual—as if an ancient, extraordinarily evil sacrifice was about to be held here. In the dim light, these twisted lines faintly pulsed with an ominous, dark-red shimmer, like living blood vessels clinging to the walls, floor, and ceiling, breathing steadily. An entire underground cavern, nearly a thousand square meters, looked like this in every corner. The breathing of these vessel-like lines made the whole space seem to pulse with them, like the stomach wall of a living creature, or perhaps the inside of a womb. Major Luo stood at the very center. He still wore his military-style uniform, hands clasped behind his back, his posture upright, composed, and domineering. Countless lines converged toward Major Luo's feet like fish leaping to pay homage at the Dragon Gate, grouping into concentric rings that vaguely resembled a complex altar. The man's expression was unnaturally calm. His eyes were fixed intently on the empty air before him, as if communicating silently with something, or waiting for a certain moment to arrive. The air here was bone-chillingly cold, permeated everywhere with a peculiar sweet, metallic stench mixed with the foul odors of rusted metal, old paper piles, rotting wood, and dust. No one knew where these smells originated. Two figures stood far off at the edge of this expanse, standing side by side in the shadows near a cavernous entrance. Among them, Big Mouth Luo Jiu carried himself with extreme deference, dutifully reporting toward the man's back from a distance, his voice thick with shame: "We... failed." "That Bai Zhou intercepted Fang Xiaoxia." The air was silent. The Major kept his hands clasped behind his back, offering them only a distant silhouette, devoid of reaction. Weighing his words, Luo Jiu continued with trepidation: "He first fled along the elevated highway in the modified Maserati left behind by Liu Zhen, then boarded a paper airplane flying at four hundred kilometers per hour to cross the sea, finally landing back inside Tinghai City." "I have already dispatched men to investigate. The moment we locate Bai Zhou and Fang Xiaoxia, we will strike again immediately." Luo Jiu's report was clear and orderly, omitting nothing. As he spoke, Luo Jiu gritted his teeth. "Please grant me another chance, Father. I plan to call upon my older brothers..." "Little Nine." A languid voice interrupted Luo Jiu. The man turned around. His face bore no expression, yet as his gaze fell upon them, the writhing of the countless lines in the cavern seemed to quicken. *Bzzzt!* An invisible yet tangible pressure crashed abruptly down upon Luo Jiu and Picasso. "The critical moment approaches. This place cannot do without you and your eight brothers." Major Luo shook his head, casually dismissing Luo Jiu's suggestion. His gentle gaze settled on Luo Jiu, looking at his youngest "son": "As long as you are unharmed, that is enough." "Father...!" Overwhelmed by this show of care, Luo Jiu's eyes turned red in an instant, deeply moved. "Leave the matter of Bai Zhou and Fang Xiaoxia to the Fine Arts Society..." Major Luo looked toward Picasso and asked softly, "Would that be acceptable?" It was strange. Picasso clearly knew that the Major Luo before him was merely a Rank 5 Extraordinary, yet he felt an inexplicable pressure. This veteran killer and Master Painter, who had terrified countless Extraordinaries, now found a light sheen of sweat breaking out on his forehead, like an instinctive reaction to being watched by an apex predator: "The entire assassination syndicate of the Fine Arts Society will mobilize tonight." "We will definitely find Bai Zhou's trail and bring Fang Xiaoxia back!" Saying this, Picasso removed the bowler hat from his head and bowed toward the Major from afar: "It was my failure to fulfill the commission this time." "However, Tinghai is not large, and the night is still long. The Fine Arts Society will show you the sincerity of our cooperation." At this moment, Picasso knew full well... Though the Major seemed remarkably calm right now, if the Fine Arts Society dropped the ball at such a pivotal juncture, once Major Luo's plan succeeded, the Fine Arts Society would be the first target purged. In the past, the Fine Arts Society had held the dominant position in their partnership. Recently, however, with the emergence of the Nine Dragons of the Luo Family and the surfacing of the final plan... The entire Fine Arts Society had been shocked by Major Luo's madness and ambition. Yet having boarded this pirate ship long ago, there was no breaking free. In that case, their only choice was to walk this dark path to the end. Official agencies, the Zijing Group... everyone had underestimated this man! Perhaps the opportunity for the Fine Arts Society to step openly into the sunlight and soar to new heights rested upon him. Provided, of course, as the Major put it, they could prove that their "value" still remained. Fang Xiaoxia's importance was no secret in this place, among the three of them. The Major was clearly displeased. "I will dispatch the Black Warriors to assist." Seemingly satisfied with Picasso's answer, Major Luo nodded gently. "If you require assistance anywhere, do not hesitate to ask." "Understood. You will soon receive good news from us." Picasso departed in haste, swiftly melting into the shadows outside the entrance and vanishing, as though eager to escape this bizarre place that exerted such deep subconscious oppression. Yet with his retreat, Tinghai was about to become lively. Because of this brief conversation, on what appeared to be an ordinary rainy night, one of Tinghai's most mysterious and brutal underground organizations— The Fine Arts Society—Sixteen Painters, Seven Great Painters, and Three Master Painters—would mobilize in full force from top to bottom, holding nothing back. Of course, it was likely Thirteen Painters now. "So, what you encountered was limited to that?" Major Luo looked back at Luo Jiu, who remained in place. "Did Fang Xiaoxia display anything abnormal?" "Nothing beyond that, and Fang Xiaoxia was entirely normal as well." "Only..." Luo Jiu hesitated. "Only what?" Luo Jiu lowered his head in shame. "Only that I was useless and allowed Bai Zhou to fly away right before my eyes." "It all happened too fast... That Bai Zhou is exceptionally skilled at running away, and he always defies expectations!" "No matter." Major Luo narrowed his eyes. "The gears of destiny have already begun to turn. Before the grand momentum, any mantis trying to stop a chariot will only be crushed alive." "Ascension to Sainthood draws near. No one can stop our ascent up the ladder." The man's voice was low, yet resonant with steady confidence: "Including those official agencies. Prepare for the worst." "—No one can!" "Ascension to Sainthood!" Luo Jiu lowered his head respectfully, his voice fervent and devout. "Father will surely succeed in ascending to sainthood!" "Right..." Major Luo seemed to remember something else. "Father?" "Where is that person?" the man asked. "Why hasn't He arrived yet?" "Him?" Luo Jiu blinked, then realized what Major Luo was asking. "Liu Zhen's new batch of Human Material has already been handed over to him. He said he would complete the inhabitation before you promptly at midnight." "Midnight...?" Major Luo's brow furrowed slightly, looking puzzled, yet also thoughtful. *** Around the same time. Disaster Response and Investigation Agency, Deep Research Institute. The walls and floor were lined with matte composite metal plates. In this pure white space, even footsteps echoed for a long time. Research equipment stood everywhere, and several researchers in hazmat suits bustled about. Even though the night was deep, the facility remained brightly lit. Dense arrays of symbols shimmered faintly across the floor, inscribed with molten mithril mixed with specialized materials. These patterns formed a mysterious domain that blanketed the entire space, suppressing the spirituality that permeated the air. The most mysterious function of this incredible domain was—Anti-Mysticism! Or rather, the suppression of mysticism. And the existence that warranted such massive mobilization to suppress was merely a dead object. In the center of this metal chamber, atop a rectangular metal altar, a withered skeleton was nailed to a cross of pure silver, like the legendary divine son Jesus crucified. The withered bones appeared to belong to a female corpse. The skeletal structure looked identical to that of a human, except every single bone exhibited a semi-transparent, crystalline color. Exquisite and magnificent, like a handicraft wrought by gods, it made it impossible for anyone who saw it to look away. A pair of pale gold eyes even rested within the crystal skull, clear and translucent like pale golden glass marbles. Anyone passing by dared not meet those eyes. Otherwise, they would inevitably feel... that this crystal skeleton was still alive, breathing right beside them. *Beep... beep... beep...* Various experimental instruments sounded softly. Many researchers clustered around the crystal skeleton, maintaining an impassable safety distance as they recorded data at all times. *Tap.* Two figures walked in from outside the room, yet no one inside looked up. This was the deepest part of the Disaster Response and Investigation Agency; its security could not merely be described as tight. Short of the entire agency blowing up, no unauthorized outsider could ever set foot here. Furthermore, people often came here recently to pay their respects to the remains. Big figures from major organizations came like pilgrims, then turned around to sign contracts and yield benefits to FZDC just to participate in researching these remains. "So this is the demon's corpse... Isn't it beautiful? Truly the most beautiful creation of the divine." "Or rather, this was a deity to begin with!" The speaker was an elderly man in a gray robe, the third-in-command of the Disaster Response and Investigation Agency. At this moment, he stared at the withered bones bound to the cross, his gaze still dripping with infatuation despite having seen it countless times. "To capture the corpse of a demon is an unimaginably rare feat for humanity. Even Tianjing was shaken, and I hear they are preparing an exchange delegation to come over." "Yes... truly unimaginable." Coughing twice, the gaunt man standing beside the gray-robed elder chimed in. This man's face was deathly pale, like a consumptive ghost, making one worry that a gust of wind might blow him over. "Of course, throughout this process, Deputy Director Liu's sacrifice and contributions are indelible." The gray-robed elder looked at the man beside him and couldn't help offering praise. "I thought you would come much earlier, perhaps before the demon's corpse was subjected to the Black Box execution, to see your trophy... As expected, were the injuries too severe?" The pale man nodded without speaking. "Rest assured, no one will overlook your meritorious service and sacrifice," the gray-robed elder continued. "Because of you, the Anomaly Investigation Bureau secured deep involvement in the research of the demon's corpse." "Once research findings are obtained, you will be the first to know." Deputy Director Liu smiled. Seeing Liu Jia's smile, the gray-robed elder nodded. "Actually, what is most commendable this time..." "Demons descending upon the mortal world cannot be truly killed, leaving endless trouble. Every time a demon is slain by humans at tragic cost, it reincarnates and returns years later." "Historically, that is the most troublesome problem demons pose to humanity." The gray-robed elder's low voice paused here. "Yet this time, the hastily descended demon was killed directly in its embryonic womb state, before it even had time to find a place to form a cocoon." "—What a stroke of fortune!" The gray-robed elder sighed with emotion. "We truly have that mysterious Extraordinary surnamed Zhou to thank." "Fortunately, the demon didn't have time to form a cocoon!" "Yes, fortunately it didn't form a cocoon." The smile on Deputy Director Liu's pale face deepened. *Tap...* Then, he slowly took a step forward. His stiff body moved awkwardly as he approached the withered bones atop the altar. Raising his head, Deputy Director Liu looked at the altar, silently staring with an emotionless expression into the pair of golden glass-marble eyes of the crystal skeleton. One high, one low; one living, one dead; they stared at each other. The next instant— *Gurgle, gurgle...* A bubbling, eerie sound echoed faintly throughout the entire laboratory.