"That's why everyone says the young Vampire offspring are so powerful. It had to be Miss Chloe; no one else could have succeeded."
The black-robed man's voice trembled with excitement, his gaze filled with endless adoration and infatuation.
However, Chloe, hearing these remarks, could only laugh.
She pressed the dagger in her hand a little lower, drawing another line of blood:
"You think your plan is great, don't you? According to you, this experiment has sacrificed at least hundreds of offspring, even from different races and families."
The black-robed man spread his hands: "You know, scientific experiments are cruel like that. How can there be success without sacrifice?"
"..."
"Is that your viewpoint?" Chloe looked down at the man beside her and sneered, "No wonder after all these years, the Viper Group is still just a third-rate organization that can't even catch the public's eye."
"Nobody on the continent likes you. Your evil deeds are known to all."
The black-robed man's fingers curled slightly, then he said: "Does that matter? The Viper Group has never sought legitimate scientific research. Our goal was very clear from the start – to make money."
"My dear lady, not everyone is like you, born into glory and wealth, without a care for food or clothing."
"Most members of the Viper Group are orphans. For a bite to eat, they'd bet their lives for you."
"People die for wealth, birds die for food. I don't see anything wrong with that."
With these words, Chloe knew there was nothing more to discuss with him.
She asked calmly, "What are the side effects of the drug?"
The black-robed man raised his eyebrows: "Haven't you experienced them firsthand? Drowsiness, irritability, easy fatigue..."
"Of course, these are just the lowest-grade symptoms. There's one thing your dear father and elders probably chose not to be honest with you about."
His tone was filled with schadenfreude: "You don't have much time left, Chloe."
"The average lifespan on the continent today is about a thousand years, even longer for the strong ones of each race. Theoretically, a pureblood Vampire like you should live even longer."
"But unfortunately, because of the drug, your lifespan is probably less than half of your father's."
"Let me think... about a hundred years or so?"
The black-robed man feigned a surprised expression: "That's truly sad!"
A hundred years.
Chloe's eyes flickered slightly.
This lifespan, compared to what she had once believed, did seem much shorter.
Seeing her lost in thought, the black-robed man pushed her hand forcefully, but it didn't budge.
Knowing she was a tough nut to crack, he gave up and continued to persuade her:
"It's upsetting, isn't it? But there's still a way~"
The black-robed man enthusiastically continued: "Although this drug has a low success rate, while developing these genetic modification drugs, we also created an antidote. It has some side effects, but it can easily let you live for about five hundred years."
"The prerequisite is that you work for us. How about it? Isn't that a good deal?"
The black-robed man tried to sway Chloe:
"You know, life is so short. A hundred years? Even the military service period is longer than a hundred years now."
"If you agree to work for us, we can of course provide the antidote to extend your lifespan."
The black-robed man thought he was offering a very tempting point:
"And no one will know about it. So, want to consider it?"
After he finished speaking, Chloe remained silent.
The black-robed man tapped his fingertips contentedly: "This is a sure-win deal, you should know that."
As he spoke, he slowly grasped the handle of the dagger and gently pulled it outward a bit.
This time, it indeed moved.
Although it didn't move much, for the black-robed man, this meant a small victory.
He asked cheerfully: "How's your consideration going, Miss Chloe?"
Looking at the black-robed man's barely concealed smug expression, Chloe felt a bit annoyed.
She withdrew the dagger and put it back at her waist, then said leisurely:
"You might not understand one thing. For me, a hundred years is a very normal and quite satisfactory lifespan."
As these words fell, the black-robed man's face changed.
"As for your other proposal," Chloe said nonchalantly, "the culture of your Viper Group is too disgusting. I'd be a fool to cooperate with you."
The black-robed man's face changed, and he immediately shouted without thinking:
"Capture her for me!"
Instantly, numerous guards rushed out.
Without a word, Chloe flipped onto Wang's back, who had been waiting there all along, and said lazily:
"Darling, charge out."
After such a long period of recuperation, Wang had regained his peak physical condition and spirit. With one leap, he scattered the rushing guards and broke through towards the outside.
Chloe touched her wrist, feeling a bit sorry for the terminal she had left behind, while drawing the dagger from her waist, ready to slash anyone who tried to rush up.
Seeing the person escape from right under his nose, the black-robed man was furious and shouted:
"Chase them! If you don't bring back the person and the tiger, none of you will have a good time!"
His voice was so loud that Chloe could hear it from afar. She turned around and threw the dagger in her hand with force.
Her aim was excellent, and the dagger landed squarely in the black-robed man's shoulder, embedding deeply.
Hearing the cry of pain from behind, Chloe's lips curled slightly upward as she urged Wang to gallop in one direction.
From a distance, Chloe saw Daniel and the others.
She waved in their direction, and Daniel saw her. He immediately shouted to those behind him:
"They're coming, they're coming! Release them all, quick!"
The keys stolen earlier from the beast tamer now came in handy.
All the iron cages in the shed were opened, and various fierce beasts poured out, their eyes red with rage as they charged towards the people from the Viper Group.
These beasts had all undergone genetic modification, each incredibly powerful. Combined with their hatred for the Viper Group, their charge was ferocious.
Wang, infected by the atmosphere, would have probably turned back to beat up those Viper Group lackeys if Chloe hadn't been on his back.
Chloe controlled it as they ran forward, then reached out to pull Daniel and the others onto the tiger's back. She turned her head and asked:
"Did you get it?"
Anderson handed a small ring to Chloe and distributed the others:
"We got them all."
"Well done."
This time, they had decided to split up on short notice, and it was thanks to that animal trainer who served as a distraction. Otherwise, they might not have been able to steal the keys while the whip was being cracked.
Chloe looked back at the Viper Group's camp, now in chaos amidst the stampede of beasts. Thinking about her own situation, she furrowed her brow slightly, but finally said calmly:
"Let's go. It'll probably take them a long time to deal with this unexpected turn of events. We should head back first."
