Chapter 260: The Hidden Lab and the Grim Production Line

Twenty minutes later.

They passed through rows of industrial factories until they reached a highly concealed underground area.

Yenir stared expressionlessly at the soldiers lined up before suddenly halting them.

“Lord Yenir…”

“There’s really no need to inspect here.”

“I know you’re searching for something unusual, but this is definitely not it.”

He spoke with genuine sincerity.

The Squad Captain, stopping his men, discreetly signaled them, and the entire unit spread out like a human wall.

Truth be told, none of them knew how to handle the so-called crisis Yenir mentioned; they could only helplessly follow his lead.

Deep down, hardly anyone believed the apocalypse was real—it was just too absurd.

As for this production line, they really didn’t want Yenir to see it. After all, if word got out, it would tarnish the high-ups’ image.

Moreover, they hadn’t expected Yenir to actually find the hidden laboratory.

Clearly, they still couldn’t comprehend the Awakener’s methods.

“I assure you,” he began.

“This production line has been running for many years without a single incident.”

“Perhaps you could investigate from another angle.”

Anxiety gripped him.

Recalling orders from above, the Squad Captain reluctantly stepped in to block Yenir.

Although he knew deep down that his men were no match for him.

“Step aside.”

No more words were needed. With a swift gesture, Yenir sent the lined-up soldiers flying with his mental force.

Amid a chorus of crashes, the Squad Captain, slammed against the wall, cried out and spat blood as his face turned pale.

Damn it! Has he really resorted to force now!?

Remembering the high-ups’ orders, the Squad Captain struggled, clutching his chest, and tried to say something.

“This production line is perfectly fine!”

“We aren’t sacrificing our own—they’re barely human, just like the product!”

A trace of urgency laced his expression.

After the higher-ups learned that Yenir intended to search the production line, they urgently sent him over.

Although they believed nothing was wrong here, they instinctively didn’t want Yenir snooping around.

After all, Yenir claimed he was a traveler from another world, here to save humanity. Naturally, his actions could cast them in a bad light.

Who knows what these future beings—monstrous as they seemed—were thinking!?

Perhaps they had realized something.

Almost as soon as Yenir stepped inside, a projection materialized before him.

“Comrade Yenir, I know you’re searching for any suspicious signs,” it said.

“But I assure you, there’s truly nothing wrong here.”

“And please, don’t misunderstand us by thinking we’re harming our own.”

“Though our methods defy ethics, we had no other choice.”

“Think about it: countless officials who have made great contributions to the Federation—or those who have devoted their lives to its service—have died because their organs couldn’t be replaced. Isn’t that a tremendous loss? A loss for all humanity?”

He pleaded his case.

On screen, Bayen forced a wry smile and began to explain.

He was genuinely afraid that Yenir might be the type with extreme moral scruples—if he went on a rampage in the name of justice, deeming them inhuman, it would be disastrous.

Ignoring Bayen’s warnings, Yenir strode forward resolutely.

After passing through several massive metal doors, he entered a vast underground space.

Inside were thousands of human bodies, all immersed in a gigantic nutrient chamber.

Unlike what Yenir had seen in the laboratory, his eyes quickly spotted neatly segregated sections within the communal chamber.

“Mature specimens…”

“Semi-finished products…”

“Embryo zone…”

Within one demarcated area, Yenir’s gaze locked onto the far edge.

There, a multitude of embryonic infants, connected by simulated umbilical cords, were continuously ‘merging and mingling.’

Like a womb, these infants—eyes tightly shut—appeared to struggle for nutrients as their unformed limbs instinctively clawed at one another.

It was like watching a chaotic fetal movement.

As their soft bodies were torn apart, the automatic filtration units in each section silently removed the ‘remains’ only to cycle them back into the embryos via the umbilical cords.

Not a single part was wasted.

Staring at the bizarre scene, the squad members trailing behind him exchanged grim looks.

Even though they were used to horrific sights, witnessing an industrial production line using human subjects made everyone feel nauseous.

The scene was eerily reminiscent of an industrial chicken farm!

To avoid wasting resources, every failed chick was culled and ground with rice to be reprocessed as feed for the survivors.

“Have the people in this world lost their minds!?”

“Don’t they know what they’re doing!?”

Even if these human subjects weren’t as revolting as the experimental ones, the cold, mechanical production process was hard to stomach.

While the squad members were still in shock, a ghostly blue glimmer suddenly flashed in Yenir’s right eye.

After a moment, he took a deep breath, his eyes filled with disbelief and sudden clarity.

The additional system info from his Ghost Eye revealed that every embryo here was marked as suspected ‘infection.’

Under this industrial cycle, each embryo, seemingly mindless as decaying flesh, was caught in a relentless cycle of cannibalism.

In a sense, they were nothing short of another kind of zombie!

In an instant, Yenir looked up at the ceiling-mounted camera and demanded sharply:

“How many ‘materials’ have you produced using this method!?”

“How long has this been going on!?”

“And where else is this happening!?”

In response to Yenir’s outburst, the higher-ups on the other end of the camera fell silent.

They had overlooked this area and never expected Yenir to discover it before they could respond.

In truth, they were puzzled. If Yenir really was a traveler, wouldn’t he know that the Federation had always operated this way?

What is there to be angry about?

This production line had saved countless lives.

His questions went unanswered.

An official from the Health Department let out a nervous laugh, trying to suppress his doubts.

“Lord Yenir, although this may seem ethically questionable, if you calm down and think it through, it isn’t a big deal.”

“Do you know? Each unit produced by these matching processes can save four or five Federation citizens!”

“Many of our professors, technicians, and soldiers have been given a second chance at life through this technology!”

“Some…”

Before the official could further defend the Federation and explain how this technology benefited everyone, Yenir unleashed a surge of Spirit Energy. With his Elemental Blade suddenly engulfed in towering flames, he cleaved into the production line as if delivering an apocalyptic strike.

“Within three minutes! I want the list of everyone who has had their organs replaced!”

…

Five minutes later.

After quickly scanning the list that the Federation had grudgingly provided under pressure, Yenir slowly closed his eyes and let out a bitter laugh.

He realized his entire strategy was flawed.

This operation was simply impossible to complete!

Control the Federation and force all the high-ups to cooperate? Locate the origin of the apocalypse in time? Stop the disaster?

No.

It was all utterly meaningless now.

The so-called source of the apocalypse had become inextricably linked with the Federation…

Unless the entire civilization was destroyed, the apocalyptic disaster could never be halted…

The total number of people who had their organs replaced had long surpassed one million!

And each one of them was a carrier of the ‘Original Virus’!