Hunter of Mysterious Creature-Chapter 669 - 184: The Deal

"So what exactly is your intention? Are you trying to blow up Tianfu City?" Sun Hang asked.

The blurred figure—or rather, Chimera 17—slowly shook its head: "No, they are irrelevant to me... I can destroy them, or I can spare them... I don't care about the lives or deaths of any human being."

"Is your goal to seek revenge against me?" Sun Hang couldn't help but furrow his brow.

If his self-sacrifice could save the entire Tianfu City or all of Shuzhou...

If it were Mr. Wang, Yang Qi, Zhong Ling, or others making this choice, they would probably sacrifice themselves without hesitation... Even if it were Shinkata Misaki, she would also choose to sacrifice—her willingness to participate in this action shows she's prepared for sacrifice, considering exchanging one life for so much, this deal is definitely worth it.

But alas... none of them have the qualification to make this deal.

The only one qualified is the "cowardly" Sun Hang.

Sun Hang hesitated.

He didn't want to be a hero, not at all.

It's not that he's particularly cowardly, it's just that he finds it not worthwhile.

He really likes this world, but only as long as he can experience it... If he himself doesn't exist, then how beautiful the rest of the world is, has nothing to do with him.

Sun Hang knew this thought would invite criticism from many, branding him selfish, but it's his genuine belief.

"Would you exchange a city for your one life?" Chimera 17 slowly spoke.

Sun Hang did not answer.

"You're hesitating." Chimera 17's tone was half-smiling, "See, you never regarded humans as your kin from the beginning, so you don't think it's worth sacrificing for them, isn't that right... just like humans themselves, they wouldn't rush into a burning forest to save a colony of ants about to be engulfed by wildfire."

"Your analogy is somewhat far-fetched." Sun Hang curled his lip, "Actually, if you ask this question to many people, many wouldn't agree to the exchange either."

Perhaps if it were the destruction of the entire world, more people might agree, but if it's merely Tianfu City... well, if Tianfu City were destroyed, people could just find another place to live... The remaining territory of the Xiazhou Federation is quite vast, with more prosperous cities there...

"You're right." Chimera 17 nodded, "So, back to the original question, will you exchange?"

"No exchange." Sun Hang decisively shook his head, "But I also won't let you destroy Tianfu City... As long as I kill you, all problems are resolved, aren't they?"

"As long as you kill me... If you can do it, I can promise not to destroy Tianfu City." Chimera 17 said.

"What nonsense is that? If I kill you, how would you still destroy Tianfu City?"

"If I wish, I can trigger the explosion of 'cocoon' at any time. Not just Tianfu City, but more than half of Shuzhou would be flattened." Chimera 17 calmly stated.

"Is that a threat?" Sun Hang stared at the blurred shadow and asked.

"No, it's merely a statement of fact." Chimera 17 said, "Before I completed my hatching, my sole desire was revenge against you, but now, I realize I was wrong."

"Wrong?"

"I can't kill you, and you can't kill me." Chimera 17 said.

"Why?"

"Guess who the disappearing shadow from earlier was?"

"It was..." Sun Hang's eyes widened slightly.

"Just keep the answer to yourself, don't say it out loud."

"Then what is the relationship between you and that shadow...?"

"There's a saying among humans, 'Take the essence and discard the dregs,' and I am precisely those separated... dregs."

"So... that shadow, is it the remaining 'essence'?" Sun Hang asked.

"No, the essence part was left at the Research Institute." Chimera 17 shook its head.

"...Anna?"

"Don't mention that name again." Chimera 17's tone carried a trace of resentment, "Since we appeared in this world, she and I have been opposing forces, like water and fire incompatible... If she stood before me, I'd lose that last hint of sanity."

Chimera 17 paused and continued: "Only here can I maintain sanity... Because here I am the newly separated me, not yet driven mad by endless pain and hatred. You can consider this place as my only... 'sanctuary'."

"Then since they separated the essence and dregs... what's left over?" Sun Hang cautiously asked.

He was extremely curious about the answer but feared the truth might catch the attention of the Three Monkeys, leading to the erasure of this conversation's memory.

The closer he got to the truth, the stronger the concern grew.

"What's left is 'human'." Chimera 17 replied.

"Human...?"

"Do you remember the most important research project of the Nameless Island Research Institute?"

"The original-level... human embryo." Sun Hang took a deep breath.

The human embryo.

Exclude the memetic fragments belonging to the anomaly... and what's left is an ordinary human after all.

Whether this human is truly ordinary... that's a different matter.

"So... you and Anna, were both separated from that 'human'?"

"Yes." Chimera 17 said, "Those lab-coated people extracted the most perfect memes from that embryo and implanted them into a clone body. As for the embryo, which was left with inferior memes, it was meant to be 'harmlessly disposed of'... but for some reason, it escaped and here, in this room, extracted those inferior memes from itself."