Apocalypse Villainess? Nah, I'm Nice

Chapter 347: Chapter 241: Laboratory

The iron door swung open, and the light suddenly flared.

Paige Summers was momentarily disoriented. As her eyes adjusted, she realized this place was a world apart from the tunnel they had just left.

She took a couple of steps forward, moving to Marcus Monroe’s side.

They passed through a short corridor and found themselves facing a room of roughly two hundred square meters.

A massive floor-to-ceiling glass window separated the corridor from the room, and through it, they could see everything inside.

Paige was stunned.

While the tunnel hadn’t been filthy, it was still full of dirt. But this place was paved with stone slabs fitted together so perfectly they were almost like marble, and everything was spotlessly clean.

It was also impeccably organized.

Rows of racks were filled with test tubes containing liquids of different colors. Long, wide lab benches held rows of equipment, and in front of nearly every station stood or sat a person in a white lab coat. They were either researching alone or discussing things in pairs, but not a single one looked toward the window. It was as if they hadn’t heard or seen a thing.

Next to the benches were several large instruments, currently idle. But the polished sheen of their control panels suggested they were also used frequently.

As Paige Summers’s eyes were carefully taking in every detail of the scene, she heard Nora Lowell’s proud voice. "What do you think? This is my laboratory!"

’Experimenting on what?’ Paige wondered.

After a moment of silence, Marcus Monroe asked the question out loud. "Experimenting on what?"

Nora Lowell let out a dry, rattling laugh. In that eerie tone of hers, she said, "Before, we researched how to turn ordinary people into Superpower Users. Now, they’re researching how to turn ordinary Zombies into Zombies with superpowers!"

She must have thought her turn of phrase was brilliant, because she immediately burst into loud, unrestrained laughter.

Yet even a sound that loud failed to draw the slightest reaction from the people inside.

Paige Summers understood at once.

This was no ordinary window. It had to be one-way glass, and it was most likely heavily soundproofed as well.

Nora Lowell finally stopped laughing, but the echoes of it still lingered in the air. Amid the reverberations, she declared, "Heroes are born from chaos! Marcus Monroe! If we work together, leading an army of Zombies that cannot age, die, or even be injured, we can conquer all of humanity and become the true kings of this nation!"

’If these experiments actually succeed... it’s not impossible.’ The thought flashed through Paige Summers’s mind, and she instinctively whipped her head around to look at Marcus Monroe.

A moment later, a chill shot through her, as if she had been plunged into an icy abyss.

On his face, illuminated by the ambient light, Paige caught the flicker of temptation. She saw it clear as day.

’He’s... actually... seriously considering it... He’s tempted...’

Paige Summers’s pupils constricted sharply.

For a split second, she had the overwhelming urge to turn around, grab him, and run from this horrifying place.

This place, so bright and clean on the surface, now felt like a swirling abyss of ambition, poised to drag the man beside her mercilessly into its depths.

Paige Summers shot out her hand and grabbed Marcus Monroe’s arm, gripping it with all her might.

She thought she even heard his bones creak under the pressure.

He looked at her.

’Am I imagining things?’

His gaze seemed to have grown distant and cold, and what little warmth remained in it wasn’t enough to chase away her chill.

"Ha!" Nora Lowell’s laugh rang out again, her words slithering like a venomous snake. "When you stand at the pinnacle of this nation, you will find you can look down on everyone! You can do whatever you want! Nothing and no one can stop you! You will be the god of this nation! No! Not just this nation! If you wish it, we can conquer any territory we desire!"

Marcus Monroe still didn’t answer.

He hadn’t agreed, but... he hadn’t refused, either.

He just stared silently into the lab, his face a faint reflection in the glass. His expression was calm once more.

Paige Summers loosened her grip. Her hand slid slowly from his arm until it hung limply at her side.

She pressed her lips together and turned back to look into the laboratory, but the image of his temptation replayed over and over in her mind. She couldn’t quite describe the feeling in her heart.

Just then, Marcus Monroe spoke. "This is just a pipe dream. It’s not a very sincere way to convince me to cooperate with you."

"It’s not a pipe dream. In fact, the experiment to turn ordinary people into Superpower Users was already a success. There was just one tiny little snag—all the test subjects self-destructed. Once we correct that mistake and make a few other adjustments, the real experiments can begin."