Chapter 177: Chapter 175: The Execution Experiment of the Immortal Lizard, Anomalous Mechanical Life
Standing in the corridor of the heavy containment level, Haruto gazed at the creature inside the containment chamber, the Immortal Lizard (SCP-682).
This terrifyingly adaptive reptilian entity had undergone numerous execution experiments since its containment.
The first attempt involved The Sculpture, Peanut (SCP-173).
Both entities were placed in the same containment chamber while the Foundation withdrew to observe.
The Immortal Lizard let out several deafening screams before quickly pressing itself against the wall farthest from Peanut, never taking its eyes off it. Oddly enough, the destructive capability of Peanut should not have been enough to instill such fear in the Immortal Lizard.
For the next six hours, SCP-682 continued staring at SCP-173 without blinking.
It was theorized that this process would continue indefinitely, so the Foundation decided to intervene.
A Foundation agent equipped with a high-caliber sniper rifle was dispatched to shoot out SCP-682's eyes.
At the same time, the Foundation ceased all visual observation of the test site.
Inside, horrific screams and the sound of bones being shattered echoed through the chamber.
However, the noises soon ceased, and everything fell silent.
Observation was resumed.
The Foundation found SCP-682 lying on the floor, its head, neck, and legs bearing multiple injuries.
Meanwhile, Peanut's "hands" were covered in pieces of SCP-682's flesh.
At that moment, SCP-682, still lying on the floor, regenerated its eyes and resumed staring at Peanut. Over the next few hours, SCP-682 rapidly recovered from its injuries and moved to another wall.
Moreover, SCP-682 began growing additional eyes on various parts of its body, over 30 in total, some of which were covered by thick, transparent shells.
Regular firearms could not penetrate this armor, and the proposal to use high-risk weapons was rejected by O5- (DATA EXPUNGED).
SCP-682 continued staring at SCP-173 for another 12 hours.
The execution experiment was deemed a failure.
Following this, the Foundation supplemented its understanding of SCP-173 and upgraded its containment protocols.
Another execution attempt was made using the Shy Guy (SCP-096).
Both entities were placed in the same space, and the Foundation forced the Shy Guy's hands away from its face, exposing it to SCP-682.
As a result, due to SCP-096's anomalous properties, the Foundation ceased all visual observation.
Inside the chamber, both entities let out horrific screams, seemingly equally terrified of each other.
The screaming continued for 27 hours before it suddenly stopped.
To avoid looking at SCP-096's face, the Foundation used sonar imaging devices for observation.
The sonar images revealed that SCP-096 was in a severely 'damaged' state, curled up in the southwest corner of the room, appearing distressed. SCP-682, meanwhile, had lost approximately 85% of its physical mass and was also in a severely 'damaged' state.
A Mobile Task Force—Black Sphere, was dispatched to easily recover both anomalies.
However, after this experiment, SCP-096 refused to look at SCP-682.
Whenever exposed to SCP-682's gaze, it would immediately turn away, jump to a corner, and scream while clawing at its own face.
The execution attempt failed.
Inside the site, an agent proposed an experiment: pasting a picture of SCP-096's face onto SCP-173's face and conducting another execution test.
This proposal was immediately rejected by O5-1, and the agent had one month's salary deducted.
There were numerous other execution experiments, but they wouldn't all be listed here.
The bottom line was: all the experiments proved that SCP-682 was almost impossible to kill.
At this moment, Haruto stared at SCP-682 inside the containment chamber, his irises gradually shifting into a rainbow-like glow.
Sensing something, SCP-682, which had been quietly lying against the west wall, suddenly began moving.
It retreated to the farthest corner of the room, then used its limbs like Spider-Man to cling to the upper part of the wall.
This action seemed to be solely for distancing itself from Haruto.
In Haruto's vision, the death lines of all things around him began to manifest, along with twisted death points.
Even the walls of the heavy containment layer appeared fragile and breakable to his eyes.
However, SCP-682 itself had no death lines or death points.
After staring at it for a long time, Haruto finally saw a single death line appear on SCP-682.
But this was strange.
Typically, the death lines of an object or living being should run along its weakest point. Even in cases of conceptual death lines, they should not extend too far beyond the physical body.
Yet SCP-682's death line extended vertically upwards, far beyond its physical form.
It stretched infinitely into the sky, piercing through the site and continuing upwards, as if connecting to something above.
Additionally, as Haruto attempted to touch this death line, several other hidden death lines faintly appeared.
"Space… dimensions… something along those lines…"
Haruto analyzed these death lines and formed a rough hypothesis.
The Foundation had long speculated about SCP-682's origins and true nature. The most widely accepted theory suggested that SCP-682 was not a being from this dimension.
Instead, it was a higher-dimensional lifeform projecting itself into this dimension.
This would explain why SCP-682's physical form could never be fully destroyed—
Because a higher-dimensional projection cannot be killed unless its true body is destroyed.
And what Haruto saw now seemed to confirm this theory.
As the vibrant colors in his irises faded, Haruto abandoned the idea of executing SCP-682.
It was too risky.
Trying to forcibly sever that death line might affect the death lines of dimensions, space, time, and countless other concepts.
It could cause irreversible, catastrophic consequences.
For the sake of killing SCP-682, the Foundation was not willing to pay such a heavy price. However, the execution experiments would continue in the future.
Not to kill SCP-682, but to test the properties of new anomalies.
Since SCP-682 was merely a higher-dimensional projection and couldn't die, it was the perfect punching bag for experimentation.
As Haruto prepared to leave the heavy containment level to check on other ongoing experiments,
A notification panel from the Multiversal Chat Group suddenly appeared.
Haruto was stunned for a moment.
The chat group's panel popping up on its own meant that someone had @ him.
However, Haruto had always been a lurker in the group, silently observing without making his presence known most of the time.
Why would he suddenly be called out?
Looking at the messages, Haruto understood.
Oh, a mass ping.
Blonde Defeated Dog: @Everyone, help, help, help!
Spoilers Are Fun: Huh? What happened?!
Pain Magnet: Why is Eriri so panicked?
Big Sister is Supreme: Making a fuss over nothing, just a blonde loser.
Portal Daddy: Miss Shinobu, don't say that. The group should be about mutual support and harmony.
Blonde Defeated Dog: Doctor, have you finished saving the world?
Blonde Defeated Dog: Wait, no, this is serious! I'm in big trouble!
Blonde Defeated Dog: [Strange character image.jpg]
Pain Magnet: What is this? A classmate of yours, Eriri? Wait! This—!
Spoilers Are Fun: Looks like an anomaly.
Big Sister is Supreme: Let me call in the troops, the Foundation is on the way.
Haruto clicked on the image Eriri had sent.
The picture showed a classroom scene and a female classmate sitting next to Eriri.
With just a glance, Haruto recognized it as Eriri's high school classroom.
Although he and Eriri attended different high schools, he had been to hers before, having been asked by Mrs. Sawamura to deliver lunch to Eriri.
(Yes, Mrs. Sawamura's attempts at matchmaking. Unfortunately, they were useless against the supreme loser divinity.)
(T/N: Bruh😂)
However, the classroom environment wasn't the focus of the image, the real focus was Eriri's seatmate.
Haruto quickly noticed something was off.
The female classmate had a small scrape on her finger, but instead of blood, a metallic sheen was visible beneath the wound.
Haruto zoomed in on the image and noticed something beneath the injury… gears?
A mechanical humanoid?
The thought popped into Haruto's mind.
Meanwhile, the group chat was filled with speculation.
Spoilers Are Fun: Is this a mechanical humanoid? I just checked the Foundation's records, there's nothing similar.
Spoilers Are Fun: Other than the Foundation, are there any organizations in the world with the technology to create androids?
Blonde Defeated Dog: I think the situation is more complicated than that. At the start of the semester, during the sports festival, she fell and got hurt.
Blonde Defeated Dog: Back then, her knee was scraped badly, there was blood everywhere, and I even helped her back to the classroom.
Blonde Defeated Dog: Even now, you can still see some scars on her knee. It doesn't look like she was replaced in between.
Blonde Defeated Dog: About a month ago, she started complaining about feeling more tired and sluggish, but I didn't think much of it at the time.
Blonde Defeated Dog: Looking back now, ever since she mentioned that, I started hearing faint metallic clicking sounds when she moved.
Hall Master of Wangsheng: !!!
Pain Magnet: I just got chills! Help!
Spoilers Are Fun: Eriri, are you saying that she's gradually turning into… Oh god!
Big Sister is Supreme: The Foundation has deployed. Agents and armed units will prioritize evacuating civilians. MTF squads are on standby.
Big Sister is Supreme: @Blonde Defeated Dog, do NOT draw her attention. If she's an anomaly, any sudden movement could trigger an outbreak. Stay calm.
Blonde Defeated Dog: I think… it's too late. She noticed I was looking at her!
Blonde Defeated Dog: [Strange character image.JPG]
This time, the image showed the female classmate turning her head, looking directly in Eriri's direction.
Now, her abnormal traits were even clearer.
Her eyes also had a faint metallic sheen.
They didn't look like human eyes at all, they looked more like cameras. Just looking at this image was enough to invoke an overwhelming sense of dread.
The Uncanny Valley Effect hit at full force.
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T/N:
Another week again boiss and gals, perfect days to start throwing your valuables again. I really don't want to update just one's a day HuHuHuHuHu
(That was crocodile cry btw.)
Chapter gonna be delayed till afternoon, I'm just saying.
Have a good day!
And also, never take things for granted iykwim....