Starting to Gain Experience from Push-Ups Chapter 1191 - 578: Hound

Two heavily armed special forces operators sat, staring at each other. The younger one on the left gripped his firearm tightly, palm glistening with sweat as he shifted restlessly in his seat. Opposite him, in the right chair, sat a grizzled, bearded man in middle age, eyes half-lidded as he chewed gum with the unbothered air of a hardened veteran.

Bound securely by chains of tempered steel, a humanoid specimen hunkered on the floor between them. It crawled on all fours, its spine warped into an unnatural arch, skin a sickly pale gray mapped with pulsating dark blue veins. A metallic muzzle confined its maw, forcing low, guttural snarls to vibrate through its throat while thick saliva dripped onto the deck.

"Old Xie, this thing hasn't stopped whining. Does its reaction imply the 'White Owl' is near?" The young soldier finally surrendered to the mounting silence, his voice laced with anxiety.

Old Xie, the older operator, cracked one eye open to glare at the creature before offering a dry scoff: "Xiao Wu, keep yourself steady. This beast loses its mind at the mere whiff of anything unusual."

"Our current mission is like casting a wide net; we might haul up minnows or crabs, but whether we snare the legendary White Owl is entirely up to fate."

"But... does this truly work?" Xiao Wu kept his gaze locked on the terrifying monster, his expression a mix of revulsion and dread. "Using one beast to hunt another—it feels inherently wrong."

"You lack perspective because you're a rookie. In the underground mutant world, this thing is officially dubbed a 'Search Hound.'" Old Xie tossed his gum aside and began to lecture the boy with weary patience. "Strategic analysts concluded that everything the White Owl showcased at the Silver Wing Building—its power, agility, and that distinct masquerade—matched the profiles of the 'Blood Clan.'"

"As luck would have it, we have several Blood Clan captives locked away in West Mountain Prison. We’ve trained them as trackers and deployed them to scouting teams to simplify the process of isolating our targets." Pausing, he caught the dazed look on his comrade's face and let out a soft chuckle. "And a 'hound' isn't some canine creature; it’s an asset cultivated by our own ranks, bred for its acute reaction to the scents exuded by its own kin."

"Take our team’s specimen—a low-level Blood Clan thrall captured two summers ago. Since its mind shattered and biology fundamentally mutated, it retains only the primal urge to hunt, kill, and track its own species. Provided a Blood Clan or high-order mutant exists within a hundred-meter radius, its nose—which is hundreds of times more sensitive than any mammal's—will pick up the trace."

Xiao Wu nodded, a realization dawning on him. "I see. Is that why the guys outside are using those laser pointers to scan everyone's eyes for hidden mutants?"

"Precisely. That’s the pupil test," Old Xie replied. "Mutants often mask themselves as normal citizens, but their primal nature is hard-coded into their DNA. When hit by that specialized spectrum, an average person might just find it annoying, but a mutant cannot mask the reaction—their pupils will instantly shift in color or shape, leaving them exposed."

Just as they were speaking, the restrained "hound" began to thrash with violent energy. CLANG—CLANG—CLANG—the heavy links strained, emitting a bone-jarring metallic screech. The creature jerked its head up, eyes wild and furious, fixating on the rear door of the containment vehicle. Suddenly, an earth-shaking howl escaped its throat before it started slamming its skull against the metal floor in a frantic display of aggression.

"Damnation!" Color drained from Old Xie’s face as he seized his assault rifle. "The way it’s reacting... could the big fish actually be here?"

"Is it true? Has the White Owl appeared? What should we do—we're in the middle of a high-traffic zone!" Xiao Wu’s face went white with panic as he fumbled to disengage his weapon’s safety switch. The reassuring weight of the steel barrel provided his only anchor, knowing his magazine was loaded with mercury-based rounds designed to tear through mutant physiology.

"Stay cold, stay calm!" Old Xie commanded before keying his earpiece, his report sharp and urgent. "Attention all units: the hound’s reaction is off the charts, I repeat, dangerously intense! The target is likely within this current inspection lane. ETA on air support? Damn it, tell those pilots to burn rubber—I need ground support on-site in five minutes or we’re all dead!"

........................

Outside the containment vehicle, Fang Cheng opened his eyes. The subtle golden luminescence within his pupils slowly receded. So, that’s how they hunt. First, utilize their hound to track the aura, then verify the identity using a chemical test on the pupils—a clever trap for any average mutant hiding in the crowd.

He recalled the intel Cheng Jiashu had once shared about official screening protocols. He just hadn't expected to trigger this blockade so soon. Traffic was moving at a grueling crawl; he was now only two cars away from the checkpoint. Looking through his windshield, he watched a female officer wield a silver light-pen to check a truck driver's eyes.

Fang Cheng studied the process intently. An ordinary person’s pupils exhibited a standard physiological contraction under light, regardless of intensity. However, an Awakened mutant’s internal energy currents were always reflected in the eyes. That special light-spectrum was a simple reagent to force that reveal. For any regular mutant, this checkpoint was practically a death sentence.

But for Fang Cheng, it was a trivial hurdle. He reached into the glovebox and pulled out a sleek, elegant glasses case. Sliding a pair of non-prescription gold-rimmed glasses onto his nose, his entire demeanor seemed to shift at once. The razor-sharp edge buried deep in his soul was instantly veiled, replaced by the soft, scholarly air of a refined academic or a corporate executive.

He looked harmless and sophisticated. When it was finally his turn, Fang Cheng rolled down his window and peered out politely. Before the agent could issue a command, he offered a sheepish grin. "Apologies, Officer, is something going on ahead? I’m in a slight rush to make dinner at my grandfather’s—the old man has been calling me all afternoon."

The officer was a young woman, likely fresh from logistics, her face showing a touch of naive reserve. Seeing his handsome facade and practiced, gentle smile, her tense posture eased, and a faint blush colored her cheeks. "Hello, sir. Just a routine check. Engine off, please, and kindly present your identification." Her tone had become markedly warmer.

Fang Cheng nodded, gracefully retrieving his ID and license with both hands. "What’s the hold-up? Move it along!" a soldier with a rifle barked from behind, his gaze sour and suspicious. He clearly disliked the look of this man in a luxury ride.

The female officer shot her colleague a look of irritation before turning back to Fang Cheng with an apologetic expression as she held up the silver device. "Sir, please take off your glasses. We need to check your pupils—it might be a bit blinding, so bear with it for a second."

"Not a problem. Compliance is my duty," Fang Cheng replied, folding the frames and tucking them into his collar. He leveled his steady, obsidian-dark gaze at the officer. The blue-violet beam hit his retinas with searing intensity, designed to trigger the beastly instincts of any monster. If he had been a typical mutant, his eyes would have warped in seconds.

But Fang Cheng merely squinted lightly, his mind standing like a tranquil void. No matter how the light probed, his black pupils remained perfectly natural, showing zero traces of mutation. The officer visibly exhaled, killing the beam. "Check clear. Thanks for your patience. You may—"

"ROAR!"

A feral, primal shriek ripped through the metal walls of the containment truck, echoing across the entire checkpoint. The raw longing and madness in that screech sent a chill down everyone's spine. "All units on alert! Code one, the Search Hound is uncontrollable! Target confirmed within the current queue—lock down the entire intersection immediately!"

The urgency in the broadcast brought a sudden, palpable terror to the faces of the soldiers.