Chapter 145: Entering HRI

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HRI—Huo was certain he had never heard of this dissatisfaction before, but he did have a vague impression of that futuristic corridor. Huo’s dark compatibility and progenitor stem cells had undergone specialized testing. At the time, he was blindfolded and, accompanied by Eddie, was led by several men in black suits and sunglasses to a place that felt distinctly futuristic.

He was still a child then. Looking back now, perhaps it was because he was young and there was concern he might inadvertently leak information, so they concealed the truth from him. After all, if there really were anti-colony forces or infiltrating parasites, there were many ways to extract information from a child.

Today, Eddie brought him to HRI. In some sense, this meant the colony still trusted him, at least to some degree. Yet if he didn’t manage to kill a Twelfth Calamity within a year, the depth of the colony’s exploration might come to a halt right there.

As the two entered the mountain, the door slowly closed behind them. Surely, the outer gate had now been sealed seamlessly with the mountain’s natural rock. Huo was certain that an institution called the Human Mutation Research Institute, a name that sounded grand and imposing, must have an unimaginably vast interior. He wouldn’t be surprised if they had hollowed out the entire mountain to build their base.

Within the mere seconds they traveled down the corridor, a string of mechanical, system-recognized voices sounded:

“Identity verified: Eddie Holes, permanent clearance.”

“Identity verified: Huo Ye, temporary clearance, ID AC19422015.”

Huo chuckled bitterly. “Temporary clearance? Does that mean after this visit, I won’t have clearance anymore?”

Eddie shook his head. “It’s valid for one year. You can come anytime within the year. Whether it becomes permanent clearance depends on you.”

Huo understood immediately. “Got it.”

So long as he could kill a Twelfth Calamity within a year, huh? It seemed he had yet another pressing reason to eliminate Hill quickly.

Once both their identities were confirmed, a section of the wall on one side of the mountain rose like a gate, revealing another passage. The mechanical voice spoke again, “Please proceed to the garage.”

They drove into the garage, where a meticulously dressed man awaited them—a middle-aged man with a receding hairline that completely ruined his aura.

Huo followed Eddie to the man. Eddie introduced, “Lucas, Director of HRI.” Brief and straightforward, without a hint of politeness—this was Eddie’s demeanor when handling serious matters.

Huo quickly stepped forward and shook Lucas’s hand with both of his own. “Director Lucas, pleased to meet you. I’m Huo Ye. I appreciate your assistance today.”

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Huo still didn’t know exactly why they had come to HRI, but since he was invited openly and officially, it had to be related to him. Moreover, he could guess what the Human Mutation Research Institute was most closely associated with: the unique ability to consume calamities! There was nothing else like it in the world.

Not only that, progenitor stem cells and dark compatibility were also one-of-a-kind.

Lucas smiled and extended his other hand to shake Huo’s. Though Huo considered himself a junior, Lucas treated him as an equal. Huo understood that, at least in HRI’s eyes, he was someone worthy of respect. That was a good sign.

“Ha, please follow me, both of you,” Lucas said, turning to lead the way.

As they walked, Eddie asked, “How long will it take, roughly?”

Lucas replied, “Not long. By evening, it should be done. We need to reassess all of Mr. Huo’s abilities. In fact, Captain Holes, from HRI’s perspective, Mr. Huo is far superior to you, genetically speaking. If we can unlock the secrets hidden within Mr. Huo’s genes, perhaps more humans could acquire attribute compatibility, or even the ability to consume calamities. I believe this would be a blessing for all humanity.”

Just as expected—Huo wasn’t mistaken—it was research they wanted to conduct on him! For a moment, he felt fortunate to be part of the Holes family; otherwise, he might have been strapped to an experimental table without ceremony.

Unexpectedly, Lucas noticed a frown on Huo’s face and seemed to read his thoughts immediately. He quickly explained, “Please don’t worry, Mr. Huo. HRI has its limits. Every legitimate citizen of the colony will not be subjected to inhumane treatment unless they cause serious harm to society. Although many of our research subjects come here involuntarily.”

Lucas’ words were honest. They were a research institution, but also had to consider the colony’s safety. This approach was quite reasonable.

One more thing: Lucas consistently addressed Huo as “Mr. Huo”—a form of address Huo had never heard before. From past experience, those who knew him as the young master of the Holes family called him “Young Master Huo,” while those who did not simply called him “Brother Huo.” At the slum school in the underground city, he went by Zhou Xu, respectfully referred to as “Master Xu,” a title reserved for the young and dignified.

Now, being called “Mr. Huo” made him feel an instant maturity—though fleeting.

Huo asked, “Director Lucas, what does today’s research involve?”

Lucas thought for a moment, then said, “A specialized researcher is responsible for the specifics. He will explain everything to Mr. Huo when the time comes.” Lucas stopped in front of a large door, pointing at it. “Ah, we’ve arrived. Please enter, Mr. Huo. Our researcher will join you shortly. Captain Holes and I will observe from elsewhere.”

Huo nodded and pushed the door open.

Once inside, he instinctively closed his eyes—it was a bit dazzling.

The interior was vast. Huo estimated it was as tall as three stories, covering roughly one hectare. His curiosity deepened: how exactly was HRI designed to build such a headquarters inside a mountain?

The space was empty, with walls coated in an unknown material. Huo tapped it with his hand—it seemed sturdy.

Then he threw a heavy punch—one powerful enough to cause internal bleeding to an elephant—against the wall. The impact produced a loud bang but left no cracks.

“Mr. Huo, I advise you to stop such futile efforts. Now, please assist me in testing your physical attributes. I believe saving time will benefit us both.”

Huo, still observing the wall’s resilience, turned to look as a man in his twenties entered.

The man wore a standard white lab coat. Though his eyes were not visible, he squinted as if myopic and straining to see clearly. Despite his youth, there were faint wrinkles at his eyes, loose bags beneath them, and heavy dark circles.

In an instant, Huo pictured a brilliant young scientist devoted to research, working tirelessly.

The man caught Huo’s gaze and quickly greeted, “Hello, Mr. Huo. I’m Oliver Lucas, the researcher responsible for studying your abilities today.”

Huo stepped forward and shook his hand. “Alright, I suppose a self-introduction from me would be redundant. So, Mr. Lucas…”

“Please just call me Oliver, thank you. My father is that pitiful middle-aged man you just met, weighed down by a midlife crisis. But I don’t want people to think I got into HRI because of him. Whether colleagues or friends, everyone calls me Oliver.”

Huo immediately admired the young researcher a little and nodded. “Glad to meet you, Oliver. Can you tell me what today’s work will involve?”

Oliver said, “There are many fascinating aspects about you, Mr. Huo, but it boils down to three abilities. From least to most important: progenitor stem cells, dark compatibility, and… oh, please allow me to call your ability to consume calamities ‘Divine Devour,’ using the character for ‘devour’—the variant form of ‘eat’ with the food radical. That is how HRI records this ability.”

Huo raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He simply felt that “Divine Devour” sounded a bit pretentious. Could these researchers be harboring their own flair for the dramatic?

The character ‘devour’ is an ancient variant for ‘to eat.’

Divine Devour—like a god having dinner? Huo couldn’t help but feel a little embarrassed.