Chapter 18: Distorted Evolution [Skull Ghoul Ape]

Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio  Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio

[Monster Name]: Red River Ape (Negative Pathological Changes)

[Monster Level]: Level 10

[Monster Grade]: Normal

[Monster Attribute]: Earth

[Monster Condition]: Diseased (Depraved)

[Monster Weakness]: Yin

[Requirements for Promotion to Excellent Grade]: 1. Normal evolution: Getting rid of its Yin impurities, then evolve to Excellent Red River Ape. 2. Distorted evolution with pathological changes: Absorbing Yin power and completely eliminate Yin weakness. Highly possible to become a brand new species, monster grade above Excellent (Including Excellent).

What?

This was the first time Gao Peng saw two options for grade promotion. It used to be only one way.

Why is that? Gao Peng began to consider.

He suddenly recalled what the examiner said previously. “…The reason it holds on until now is because of its extraordinary willpower.”

“Extraordinary willpower.” Gao Peng murmured, looking carefully at the Red River Ape through the cage for the first time.

Lying in the cage, the Red River Ape weakly raised its head, its black eyes looking at Gao Peng.

Deep in its gaze, eagerness and prayer were hiding. Its glowing eyes were filled with strong emotions.

“What are you… insisting on?” Gao Peng talked to the Red River Ape, then he laughed at himself. “How can it understand me, it’s just a normal monster.”

Suddenly the Red River Ape used all its strength to get up, placing its head to the edge of the cage, its black eyes focusing on Gao Peng with eagerness. Its hands clenched the fences tight, and with all the power it had left, it crazily roared. “Oooh!”

“Oooh!”

“Oooh!”

…

The room was sealed off. The Red River Ape’s roars kept resounding in the room, and gradually the sound faded out.

These roars seemed to suck the ape dry. It ran out of energy and dropped to the floor, but its eyes still looked at Gao Peng with strong emotion.

Seeing that Gao Peng didn’t respond, the passion in its eyes gradually burnt out, then eclipsed…

“OK, I will help you evolve; I promise,” Gao Peng said, making the vow. He didn’t know why he acted bewitched. Perhaps he never saw a pair of eyes with such strong feelings, or perhaps he was ambitious. Maybe… maybe he just didn’t want to let these eyes down.

Without checking whether the Red River Ape understood him or not, Gao Peng tiredly closed his eyes.

After all, to get the Monster Breeder Certificate, he needed to promote this Red River Ape’s grade. There was no conflict between the two things.

After checking the two evolution options again, finally Gao Peng decided to use the latter method.

Words faded like the moon in the mirror, and a line of new words came out.

[Distorted Evolution with pathological changes]: Take 250g Black Candle Grass with meal, three times daily for three days. Then take one Elite Ghoul Monster Core Crystal for the Red River Ape, and steep the ape in sulphuric acid solution. Sulphuric acid solution needs to be specially made according to a certain proportion of concentrated sulfuric acid and water, while adding 150g Luminous Powder, 50g Skull Mushroom, 15g Withering Grass…

What would this Red River Ape evolve to? Gao Peng had a bad premonition.

These materials don’t sound good. Plus, that Ghoul Monster Core Crystal; that’s not a snack. Even if a healthy monster accidentally the Ghoul Monster Core Crystal, it would feel terribly sick, or worse.

Gao Peng didn’t mean to chose the latter one, but he lacked funding.

Materials for the first method were too expensive, and he had already exceeded the assessment expense limit.

Which would be easier; to continue painting on an ink-stained canvas, or to remove stains before painting on the canvas? Relatively speaking, the first one was easier.

Comparatively, although the second evaluation method still needed expensive materials, the total cost could be controlled within the association’s free fund limit.

It better work; if I fail, that’s going to be a large debt.

After hearing Gao Peng’s material requirement, the material distributor stared at Gao Peng with a strange look. Is this boy going to kill the Red River Ape…?

Gao Peng ignored the other’s curiosity. After gathering all the things he needed, he went back and locked the Red River Ape as well as himself in the room.

In the next few days, Gao Peng didn’t go out. The room had a bathroom, and meals were delivered through a small window. It was unnecessary to go out.

In the blink of an eye, three days had passed. After taking Black Candle Grass continuously for three days, the Red River Ape became energetic. Its eyes brightened, its fur took on a sheen, and swelling was reduced.

Black Candle Grass acted as a stimulant, so after taking uppers for three days, the Red River Ape’s physical and mental conditions probably reached the top, temporarily.

After taking a deep breath, Gao Peng opened the cage. To be honest, this behavior was quite dangerous. Although the ape was gentle and tamed, it was not guaranteed that it could remain obedient without character distortion, since it had been tortured by so many unsuccessful experiments. If anything bad happened, in this closed room, Gao Peng would have nowhere to escape.

The Red River Ape looked at the open cage with blank eyes, then looked outside. Finally, it cautiously stretched its right leg out of the cage and tap-touched the floor, in order to sound out Gao Peng’s intention. Seeing that Gao Peng was not angry, but encouraging it to come out, the ape smiled, excited. It crawled away from the cage cheerfully, and gathered Gao Peng in its arms with a strong embrace.

Its big hand patted on Gao Peng’s back; then the Red River Ape loosened its arms and sat in front of Gao Peng obediently.

Gao Peng pointed at the bath beside them, which was filled with transparent deep blue liquid. “Go lie down there.”

Red River Ape resourcefully plucked some hair, then hip-swiveled to the bath, and threw the hair into the liquid.

Dark red hair floated into the liquid, twisting, shrinking. At last, it vanished.

The Red River Ape was astonished, with its mouth wide-open, just like a human.

It looked at the liquid, then turned to Gao Peng.

Then it crawled to Gao Peng and sat down, staring at Gao Peng innocently…

Gao Peng wasn’t sure he should cry or laugh.

Perhaps yesterday when he was blending the liquid, his method of testing Sulfuric acid corrosiveness was observed by this ape.

Who said these monsters were stupid.

Gao Peng was speechless. But to continue his experiment, he had to trick this Red River Ape into the bath.

“Young boy,” Gao Peng said, and put his hand on the ape’s forehead.

“Ho, ho.” The Red River Ape curiously stared at the hand on its forehead cockeyed.

“I can give you power, but you only need to offer your courage,” Gao Peng said bizarrely.

Since there was no one else in the room, he was a little bit adolescent-delusive…

Alas, can an ape understand these big words?

Gao Peng wasn’t sure whether it got the idea or not. The Red River Ape hesitated for a while, then gently moved Gao Peng’s hand away. It stood up and headed for the bath.

The Red River Ape turned around to give Gao Peng a glance with a smile, then flung itself forward into the water with a great splash.

This bath was specially made: two meters high, three meters long and two meters wide.

Gao Peng immediately moved forward. The bath was see-through, and everything was clear and easy to observe.

The Red River Ape sank itself completely under water, as it was such an experienced monster.

As a test subject, it has plenty of experience and jump into the liquid voluntarily; this is sad but hilarious.

Gao Peng wanted to laugh, but he couldn’t. There was a leaden weight in his heart.

He tried to turn around but failed. His legs somehow were petrified and couldn’t move even one step backward.

He stood there, and watched unfeelingly.

The Red River Ape’s fur began to shrink inward like a fluffy ball.

Next, a large amount of black liquid went spewing out through its hair, rising to the surface. It then transformed into a thick haze of acrid smoke which hung in the air.

The fire alarm suddenly rang ear-piercingly, and red light was flickering in the room.

Ten seconds later, the door was suddenly pulled open. A group of people gathered outside, with two firemen holding extinguishers standing in the front.

They goggled at the bath continuously spewing dark smoke in the air, as well as the black twisting thing in the liquid.

Where was the fire!

“Uh… sorry to disturb you.”

“Ha-ha, there might be something wrong with the fire alarm,” Another staff joked.

At this moment, the Monster Breeder Association’s top manager came. Seeing the crowd outside the room as well as the billowing smoke, he frowned and asked, “What’s going on here?”

Someone explained the situation. After hearing the whole story, the manager’s face was filled with surprise. “You mean, this was caused by someone fostering a monster?”

The crowd cleared a path for the manager. The man walked closer. Finally he saw what happened in the room.

There was a bath in the center of the room, which was filled with dark blue liquid. A vague twisting figure could be seen indistinctly in the middle of the liquid. That thing was now lying still.

Dark smoke was billowing from the bath.

Then less smoke came out. The dark blue liquid in the bath gradually turned into pure black. The bath calmed down, and it seemed that it was all over.

“Has the experiment failed?” Some other candidates were startled. They stood outside the door, joking at Gao Peng.

“Oh my, this young boy is really good at making trouble!” A fat man who sat beside Gao Peng sighed subconsciously. The boy was definitely not a common person, for normal people rarely made such a big mess.

Suddenly, great waves emerged at the surface of the liquid. Water splashed from the bath. It looked as if a terrifying giant monster was hiding below the dark water.

After a great splash, through the black liquid waves, a part of a black, hideous bone rose above the water.

“What- what is that!” Someone screamed, stepping backward.

The others were not as panicked as him, but they all goggled at this scene.

The black skull came out first, with blue, ghostly fire flaming in the middle of its sunken eye sockets. Fiendish fangs bared outward; no doubt it had horrible biting force.

The monster put its hands on the edge of the bath, pulling itself out of the liquid.

Bang!

It fell heavily to the ground. The room was shaking.

People finally saw the whole monster.

It was two and a half meters tall, with a big black lustrous skeleton. Its fur, flesh and guts were corroded clean; there were only bones left. Dense, sticky red strings connected its joints together, just like steel wires pulling on a motor shaft.

In its empty eye sockets, only dark blue fires flickered. The “eyes” looked cold with desperation.

The other candidates were stunned. What is this? Are we in the same test?

Data flashed in front of Gao Peng: Evolution completed– Distorted Evolution: [Skull Ghoul Ape]!