PTGWD Chapter 20: Delicacies

“The ‘little jellyfish’ is very intelligent,” the researcher continued eagerly. “We used many different wavelengths but couldn’t capture its form. Finally, because you changed your posture, it followed your movement, allowing us to successfully capture the footage.”

“It clearly already has perceptive abilities and a certain level of intelligence. We believe that the embryo is just one form, not a limitation. It can leave the mother’s body at any time and use more efficient methods—like attracting and devouring venomous snakes—to gain energy and accelerate its growth. However, leaving the mother’s body prematurely increases the risk of it losing control. To ensure it receives better education, we recommend waiting until it has a certain understanding of the world before it breaks the shell.”

At this point, the researcher looked at Lu Jianchuan with bright eyes and asked, “Mr. Jellyfish, what do you think?”

Lu Jianchuan said, “You mean prenatal education is important?”

“Exactly!” The researcher agreed. “You used the perfect term. In human society, educating the next generation is a big deal. Since the little jellyfish can already perceive this world, we believe you can guide it to become a good citizen.”

Lu Jianchuan sighed. “I’ll try my best,” he said without much confidence, “Maybe Zhou Zhou would be better at it.”

The researcher said, “We will quickly come up with a plan to make it easy for Dr. Fang to accept this good news.”

Lu Jianchuan looked back at the eerie shadow on the screen, resisting the urge to sigh again.

…From a human male’s perspective, it would be hard to accept such detection footage no matter the approach.

Raising an egg was much more troublesome than he had imagined.

Lu Jianchuan felt somewhat melancholic as he cooperated with the institute for further examinations until noon. The researchers enthusiastically invited him to stay for lunch.

Lu Jianchuan originally had no interest in the institute’s food, but Li Xuan told him, “Today’s meal will definitely be delicious. The institute has prepared a feast to thank you for your contributions to the Pine Project, and it’s a delicacy only available here.”

Lu Jianchuan was half skeptical.

Li Xuan and Yan Xin led him, not towards the cafeteria, but deeper into the seabed.

The further they went, the more surveillance there was, and the quieter it got. This was the most confidential area of the institute, where items with a management level of A or above were kept. The long corridor was lined with closed doors, each with a different code representing the identity of the special item inside.

As soon as Lu Jianchuan stepped into this area, the atmosphere subtly changed.

The silent control zone gradually produced extremely faint rustling sounds… coming from behind each door.

Fear, excitement, greed, rage, hunger, malice…

Countless pairs of eyes turned towards Lu Jianchuan, and even the bulletproof doors couldn’t stop their unbearable agitation.

Lu Jianchuan also smelled many familiar and unfamiliar scents, stirring his monster instincts. But his diet had long shifted towards humans, allowing him to easily control his devouring urges and avoid turning the institute into an all-you-can-eat buffet.

However, the thing in his belly had yet to learn restraint.

Even though it was just a cluster of cells without differentiated limbs, it started writhing in his abdomen as soon as it smelled the scent of monsters, seemingly eager to break out and fiercely fight the special items before devouring them.

Lu Jianchuan clicked his tongue.

He easily suppressed the suicidal embryo and looked at Li Xuan and Yan Xin, saying, “You brought me here to test the security system’s reliability?”

Yan Xin appeared equally nervous, wiping his sweat and quickening his pace. “No, no, that’s not what we meant… we’re almost there. Please wait a moment, Mr. Jellyfish.”

Lu Jianchuan’s abdomen began to ache, and the embryo’s influence quickly accumulated his irritability.

Fortunately, they soon stopped in front of the innermost door. Yan Xin pulled out a key, fumbling a bit due to his sweaty hands before finally opening the door.

He didn’t dare look inside, putting on special glasses and excitedly turning to Lu Jianchuan, saying, “We’re here. Please… enjoy your lunch.”

Lu Jianchuan glanced inside the room.

As the door opened, a nauseatingly strong smell of blood hit his nose. The room was filled with a writhing mass of flesh, about two people tall, like some skinless non-human creature, constantly oozing blood.

“It” was still alive, despite lacking facial features and limbs, and rhythmically contracting with a breathing-like sound, exuding intense malice, terrifying enough to drive any ordinary person who witnessed it insane.

Lu Jianchuan recognized it at a glance.

This was the stomach of the ancient fallen god, codenamed “Gluttony” by the institute.

A monster with an insatiable appetite, it grew in the sea and could endlessly devour from birth until maturity, capable of emptying a small sea area. When marine life couldn’t satisfy its hunger, it crawled ashore, invading human society and causing bloody massacres.

Due to its low intelligence and slow movements, it was easily captured by the institute five years ago and had been kept at the seabed ever since. Lu Jianchuan had only seen news about it and thought it had long become an experiment or starved to death there.

After all, humans shouldn’t have the budget to feed a bottomless pit.

So, seeing this living (but clearly emaciated) “Gluttony” surprised Lu Jianchuan.

The thing in his belly also sharply smelled the scent, instantly going crazy with hunger, converting the nutrient solution into digestive juice and even trying to “corrode” Lu Jianchuan’s internal organs for a snack. Lu Jianchuan frowned, hesitating between satisfying and disciplining it. Finally, he turned and politely asked, “Can I eat it?”

“Of course!” Yan Xin said. “It’s prepared for you and the little jellyfish.”

Li Xuan smiled. “Take your time eating, we won’t disturb you.”

The two thoughtfully left the room, closing the door behind them.

Soon, only Lu Jianchuan and the starving Gluttony remained.

Lu Jianchuan took a deep breath, inhaling the nauseating bloody smell.

His abdomen felt hot, and his internal organs began to ache. His human flesh had been corroded to the brink of death several times, only to be forcibly repaired by Lu Jianchuan.

This was undoubtedly the work of a certain embryo.

“Don’t make a fuss.” His limbs transformed into tentacles while maintaining a human form, and he spoke somewhat irritably.

The thing in his belly continued to churn. It could sharply perceive its mother’s true emotions, knowing that Lu Jianchuan wasn’t truly angry yet, at least not as angry as when he found venomous snakes at home.

Therefore, it rampaged recklessly, completely ignoring its mother, akin to throwing a tantrum.

Lu Jianchuan’s anger began to rise uncontrollably.

Generally, he was a very patient monster, rarely getting angry, and anything that angered him was already in his belly.

He hadn’t felt this mixture of anger and helplessness in a long, long time.

Suppressing the anger bubbling inside, Lu Jianchuan said coldly, “If you keep this up, I’ll let Xingzhou turn you into a specimen!”

“…”

This threat was unexpectedly effective.

The commotion in his belly gradually subsided, the thing grudgingly quieting down, only daring to influence his hunger to gain sympathy for a quick meal.

Lu Jianchuan shook his head, tired of educating an unformed cluster of cells. Four tentacles swiftly shot out, tightly wrapping around the massive flesh.

The suckers on the tentacles opened, spinning rapidly, shredding Gluttony’s flesh like a meat grinder.

“Gluttony” let out a muffled cry, unable to struggle. It had no strength after starving for so long, lying limp as Lu Jianchuan butchered it.

Four tentacles weren’t enough; more tentacles joined in, wrapping the soft flesh and efficiently chewing and swallowing it. Within five minutes, the two-person-tall Gluttony was completely devoured, leaving only a pool of viscous blood.

Lu Jianchuan had just eaten the ant queen recently and now consumed Gluttony. His rarely used stomach felt bloated and uncomfortable. Moreover… Gluttony tasted awful, like a pile of millennia-old rotten meat.

Retracting his tentacles, Lu Jianchuan ate with a grimace, suppressing the nausea in his stomach, urgently wanting a bath.

Meanwhile, the thing in his belly was feasting happily. Lacking independent digestion, it eagerly awaited Lu Jianchuan’s initial digestion of the meat before absorbing the energy.

His abdomen grew hotter. Gluttony had consumed many things in its life and, unlike the ant queen, was highly nutritious, making it an ideal prenatal supplement.

For the first time since its creation, the embryo experienced the feeling of fullness. As it absorbed nutrients, it quickly developed from an invisible cluster of cells into a small, faintly discernible lump of flesh.

It happily stretched its “body” in the warm egg liquid, swimming around like a tadpole.

Lu Jianchuan stood in the room for a long time, waiting until it was completely full before reaching to open the door.

Li Xuan and Yan Xin were waiting outside. Seeing him come out, they curiously peeked inside.

The room was empty, not even a trace of blood left, as if something had licked it clean inch by inch.

Li Xuan smiled. “It seems you enjoyed the meal.”

Lu Jianchuan, still flooded with nausea, pressed his throat and said, “It’s hard to eat, but this one seems satisfied.”

He pointed to his stomach.

Strong compassion surfaced in Yan Xin’s eyes, staring at Lu Jianchuan’s stomach, and said in a strange tone, “The little jellyfish must be starving, how can it maintain its growth by eating these things from humans on a regular basis? Mr. Lu, you are welcome to come back to the Institute for meals, we have prepared a complete recipe for him, and we will surely be able to feed him white and fat.”

Lu Jianchuan: “…… Thank you.”

The staff of the Institute seemed to be much more paternalistic than he was ……

After a pleasant lunch, Li Xuan sent Lu Jianchuan out of the Institute, through the layers of inspection back to the ground, when he arrived at home, it was almost dark, and it was very close to Fang Xingzhou’s closing time.

As the contents of his stomach rarely subsided, Lu Jianchuan carefully took an hour-long shower, sprayed perfume on and off his body to make sure there was no residual smell of blood on his body, and then opened the refrigerator with a humming tune in preparation for making a romantic dinner for his lover, who was about to get off work.

Just as he took out the steak, his cell phone dinged and he received a document from Li Xuan.

He held the knife in his left hand and the meat in his right, leaving a tentacle free to tap on the contents of the document.

— “[Controlled] Male Pregnancy Research Program Phase 004 Progress Report” “Surgical Risk Notification” “[Controlled] Volunteer Confidentiality Agreement and Confirmation of Safety Matters” “DNA Test Report” “Ultrasound Images of Pregnancy Sacs” ……

Lu Jianchuan: ?

Between his eyes, two new messages popped up in Li Xuan’s chat box:

“We are a professional team when it comes to the scientificization of anomalies :)”

“I guess you can plan how to tell Dr. Fang the good news.”