Symbiotic Agent

While Gwen was lost in thought, Holm continued speaking: "I'm not sure about the exact scientific principles, but I trust what I see with my own eyes.

"My companions were attacked by lizardmen when they entered the underground space to encircle and suppress the enemy. If the missing lizardmen were just a small number, then how many could there truly be? Moreover, they were divided between two locations—the experimental base and the road—further reducing their numbers."

"From my experience, without a significant numerical advantage, my colleagues wouldn't have been forced to retreat given their strength and firepower."

"So, where did these lizardmen come from? At that time, they hadn't yet reached the surface, and ordinary citizens shouldn't have been converted yet."

"And have you noticed something unusual about the lizardmen we encountered along the way?"

"Some lizardmen were as savage as wild beasts, charging at us the moment they saw us. Their intelligence seemed alarmingly low."

"But there were others who remained calm, lurking in the dim shadows of the buildings and silently observing the violent lizards attack us."

"Then, there were lizardmen somewhere between the two extremes. These still had remnants of clothing on their bodies, suggesting they were ordinary citizens transformed before our arrival."

After listening to Holm's well-reasoned analysis, Gwen's thoughts started to crystallize.

Reflecting on the lizardmen they had encountered, she realized they could indeed be grouped into the three categories Holm had described.

The first type consisted of the violent lizardmen, seemingly transformed from lizards. Their intelligence was low, and they behaved more like beasts than humans.

The second type included the lizardmen who had been transformed long ago. These were calm, calculated, and remarkably intelligent, with strong physiques akin to the two Holm had killed.

Lastly, there were the ordinary citizens who had just been transformed. Falling between the other two categories, they had yet to fully reconcile their wild instincts with their human nature. Dull and unbalanced, they still wore tattered remnants of clothing.

"If that's the case, these serums might be even more effective than we thought," Gwen said, tightening the strap of her backpack.

"Whether or not Dr. Lizard himself can be purified, the newly transformed citizens and those changed earlier should be able to return to their human forms. Even the lizards may revert to their original state."

Holm nodded in agreement before adding, "That's why we need to act quickly. If we delay, the serum might not get a chance to work at all."

He continued, "When we were still down there, my partner mentioned that the government is likely planning to bomb the entire area to wipe out the lizardmen."

"Bomb the area with missiles?" Gwen exclaimed, horrified. "That's unthinkable! Many of the lizardmen were once ordinary people—they can still be saved!"

"Don't your colleagues and the government realize this? They just witnessed everything firsthand, so they should know better than anyone!"

Holm gave a helpless smile and shook his head. "If my partner knew, she would have warned me earlier. But she didn't say a word, which likely means she's unaware of the full situation. And it seems no one else has told that 'fool' either."

"Knowing her, her stance would align with yours—she wouldn't give up on saving this place so easily."

"She also has a strong background. If she were aware of the truth, implementing the missile strike plan would become much harder. That's probably why they kept her in the dark."

Holm sighed. "If things spiral out of control, I'll be left to clean up the mess. Just the thought of it makes my scalp tingle."

It wasn't hard for Holm to deduce why Daisy had been kept out of the loop.

Given her principles and values, learning that most of the lizardmen were once ordinary citizens would make her strongly oppose any large-scale extermination plan.

What's more, Holm had uncovered that Daisy's background was enigmatic and deeply rooted.

Grant Ward had once mentioned that Philin Coulson displayed an unusual level of deference when speaking with her—a demeanor he reserved for only a select few.

If true, this suggested that Daisy's connections were at least on par with, if not greater than, those of Philin Coulson.

As these thoughts raced through his mind, Holm gently patted Gwen on the shoulder. "To buy us more time, I shared my observations and theories with her just now. Hopefully, she can help delay the government's plans."

"Our mission now isn't just to stop Dr. Lizard from using his reagents on the instrument. We also need to swap out his reagents for our serum so that the antidote can be dispersed as widely as possible using the same device."

Gwen nodded solemnly. The revelation that citizens had been turned into lizardmen, combined with the government's plans for a missile strike, only heightened her resolve.

She felt an urgent need to stop Dr. Lizard at all costs.

Elsewhere, on the rooftop of a brightly lit building outside the encirclement, the atmosphere was tense.

A dozen technicians sat at their desks, eyes fixed on computer screens, compiling data and using satellites to track developments within the area.

After consolidating the latest updates, one man grabbed a folder and approached Philin Coulson, who stood by a French window.

"Sir, this is the most recent report. The lizardmen have been successfully contained within the encirclement. Our personnel and firepower are holding them back, preventing further spread."

Philin Coulson lowered the binoculars he had been using, took the folder, and began leafing through it.

After a brief review, he handed it back to the man and opened his mouth to speak—only to be interrupted by the sound of the door being kicked open.

Everyone turned in surprise to see Daisy standing in the doorway, her expression cold and resolute, a phone clutched in her hand.

Without hesitation, she strode into the room, her long legs closing the distance quickly.

"Continue monitoring," Coulson said calmly, gesturing to the man beside him.

The man tactfully picked up the folder and returned to his workstation without a word, resuming his tasks.

By now, Daisy had reached Coulson's side and extended the phone toward him, her gaze firm.

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