ENHANCEMENTS
Ivan laid the stone on his desk as he observed it while cupping his chin with his left hand, supporting the weight of the floating arm with his right hand. Standing in a daze while looking at the brilliance of its pale blue light. It had been a day since Felis' discovery of the stone and at this time she had already gone for work. Ari and Tio were operating the shop as usual while Yue lounged about in the living room, leaving Claire to stand beside him and assist him with whatever he needed.
On his way to drop off Felis, he had conducted some tests on a monster in the gorge, draining it of its stamina before giving it a drop of the Ambrosia. No noticeable changes were detected besides it regaining its vigor. Then again this test was a little improper considering even if its mana pool did increase it wouldn't be able to use it as the anti-magic properties of the gorge would forbid it. He decided to conduct the test again when he picked up Felis, this time on a monster within the dungeon.
But right now he needed to decide what he'd do from here. Ivan couldn't think of any other way than the process he mentioned. Even the tiniest bit of monster meat was lethal to the human body, taking it in small doses wouldn't work all too well. So that got him thinking about a way to constantly feed him the magical liquid, opting to use a normal IV bag just full of Ambrosia. It was a simple method that would assure he wouldn't fail to have the liquid enter his body and commence the healing process.
He had some well-stored monster meat in his storage that'd be good for testing, initially put there to concoct some fatal poison that he was confident would succeed in its job. Ivan wasn't aware of how the strength or biology of the creatures affected the potency of the toxins their meat was made of so he decided to make a safe bet and use the monster meat of some weak beast he found on the 101st floor while clearing it with Claire and Felis.
Ivan's 'Treasure Trove' flashed a bright green as a wolf-like carcass appeared on the other table beside him. The beast was covered in a white coat of fur with the exception of its black in fur legs. Red veins coursed through its outer body that trailed into the white long pair of tails that hung from its backside. This was the Twin-tailed Wolf, foes whose special magic was to enwrap itself in electricity and shoot it towards enemies should it wish.
For a second Ivan contemplated that testing the process on himself first might be a bit of a leap. There was always the option of running over to Ur or Fuhren and taking a criminal or two that no one would care about, forcing them to digest the monster meat then Ambrosia. There was only so far a researcher could go without human testing…
He wiped away that thought from his head before chopping off a chunk of the beast's belly, storing the rest of it back into his storage. Ivan preferred not to be seen as some lunatic monster by his family so locking up some poor guy and force-feeding him poisonous meat probably wouldn't look good on his image.
If this was the risk a researcher had to take then so be it, it was one he had already decided upon. Ivan neatly lined up a stack of healing potions on a nearby desk, if the Ambrosia failed then these potions would most definitely be ineffective as well. But in the off chance that they did alleviate even some of the damage, he'd call it a success.
These movements were odd to Claire who hadn't even heard his plans yet. Any inquiries she made were shot down by dismissiveness or nonchalant acts. To her this only aroused more suspicion, whatever it was that he was hiding, Ivan seemed intent on waiting until everyone was gathered before explaining. A desire she respected as she stopped any further questions.
Ivan sighed loudly looking at all the pieces to his puzzle sitting on display. He had the monster meat, the Ambrosia, the emergency potions, all he needed to do now was tell the others of his plan and hope the matter wouldn't get further exacerbated. There was a slight lump in his throat but he called for Claire to make sure that everyone was in the dining room for dinner while he went and picked up Felis.
A request she bowed to as she left the atelier.
It wasn't that Ivan feared death, hell he went through event after event anticipating it with every corner he turned. But it would be a lie if he said he didn't feel any trepidation at getting obliterated down to the cellular level. To die of a miscalculation would just be an embarrassing feat that he'd rather not enter the pool of reincarnation out of shame.
He stored the chunk of meat back into his storage ring before making his way to the elevator, pressing on the garage button. The large ceiling doors opened again as an airship materialized out of thin air. A spectacle sure to attract the stares of people no matter the world.
Ivan climbed into the airship before tethering himself to the control panel, allowing it to take as much mana as it needed to complete the trip. The machine started levitating as the controls became accessible to him. Without a moment of hesitation, he pulled up on the control stick before heading his way to the gorge. Traveling at a moderate pace as the option to just pull a drive-by on a nearby town and steal an inmate kept entering his mind.
However, those concerns were laid to rest as Ivan landed right before where the transportation circle was located. Entering the large tunnel before getting wrapped by a bright light. And like always Felis stood at the other side awaiting his return, only this time a frown adorned her face.
"Hmph, you're later than usual! Were you and Yue-sensei spendin' time together again? Mouuuu~ Just because I ain't home don't mean I don't exist~ Hm? What's with that look on your face, are you feeling unwell, Father?"
Felis' playful act turned to concern as she noticed a distinct lack of color in her Father's face. She rested her palm on his forehead against his constant insistence that he was in perfect condition.
'Which means it's a psychological issue huh…' She came up to her own conclusion as a pensive look showed on her face. It was this look that brightened up Ivan's mood a bit, though there was a part of him that felt guilty over making her concerned for his well-being…
"I'm fine I'm fine, I just got a little bit lost in my research and ended up skipping out on dinner and lunch! Hahaha, ugh. Claire was quite upset that her fresh meals had been left on my desks to spoil. I just need some energy, yup, that's all I need…"
Not a single word erased the emotion on her face, a factor that made Ivan lose the vigor in his voice. It wasn't that he was exactly lying to her anyways, as he had said he did indeed miss out on lunch and dinner because he was mulling over the benefits and detriments of using a human test subject other than him.
"Hey, Felis… You know your father loves all of you like family… Right?"
His voice somehow had caused her eyes to tear up, somehow she had a foreboding sense that something bad was about to happen.
"... Yes, I know Father cherishes us with everything he's got!" Her words were emotional as she put on a prideful face, ignoring the tears pooling in her eyes as she looked resolutely at him.
"Whether it be the Kingdom, the Empire, the Demons, the Holy Church, or even the gods above, I want to be able to protect you all from their potential dangers… Hell, we're already foes with over half of those forces. Which is why I must take risks to protect you all, as I know the moment something goes wrong I would have regretted not acting sooner."
"...."
"So as to not potentially go down with those regrets even in the face of our enemies, I'm going to do what I can to assure your protection… For that reason, I will be conducting an experiment that contradicts the teachings we gave you…"
Ivan gave her a rundown of his plans. From the mind enhancements to the multiple thought processes, his use of the Ambrosia combined with monster meat, and finally the application and potential dangers the trials had.
The moment he finished his words Felis felt the impulse to take on the task herself, pushing down those words as she already knew what her Father's answer would be to her request. As inhuman as her existence was, her Father always subjected her to the same treatment he did the other girls, albeit with a little bit of pampering. If the roles were reversed she was sure he would stop her from going through with such a dangerous experiment, and yet right now she couldn't bear rejecting him.
Whether it be his intentions, his motives, or the excited glint for knowledge in his eyes, she didn't have the heart to turn down his earnest desire. A feat she was sure would immediately compel him to stop his acts, and all she needed to say was 'no.'
"..."
On one side she wanted to drop kick him for his brashness, another side wanted to smother him with love for the kindness he's shown to them. In the end, she released a loud sigh before holding her head in her left palm.
"..... Alright, you can do it… But I want to be there when it happens…"
Though she doubted she'd be able to help in any way at all if things went wrong, she still insisted on being at the scene. Perhaps her unique constitution would be of some use to him, or at least that's what she thought.
"...Umu, I'll make sure of it…" Ivan nodded with a smile on his face, accepting Felis' extended hand as the two walked over to the transportation circle. All that was left was to convince the others, and with Felis' help, he was sure it wouldn't be too much of a delicate process.
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The girls surrounded Ivan as he sat in the steel armchair naked. All with concerned looks in their eyes as they made sure for what seemed like the 20th time that the IV bag full of Ambrosia was properly connected to him. As for why he was naked, he had Claire on the side with a notebook in hand, ready to document the changes to his physical body on the outside. It'd be a bit difficult to do that if his body was covered with clothes.
Yue stood on the side with Healing potions uncorked and ready to be inserted into his mouth. Tio stood vigilant as she was there to make sure that regardless of whether the situation was a success or failure that some kind of frenzy takes hold of his body. How she was going to deal with the situation was to beat him according to the behavior he showed.
Ari and Felis stood on either side of the steel armchair ready to hold him back should he break out of the cuffs that held down his feet and hands. Each person held a key to each of the cuffs other than Claire, whose sole duty was to take notes.
Ivan eyed the slab of meat sitting on the table, staring intently at the Divinity stone next to it hovering over a collector for the Ambrosia. With everything ready and set to go all that was left was for Tio to pick up the peat and feed it to him. From there it was up to him to restrain himself under the destruction it would cause.
His status plate and storage ring sat next to the Divinity Stone, prepared to immediately check and note down the results. Ivan's eyes glazed over as he smiled brightly to the five that showed concerned expressions, choosing not to leave behind any 'final words' as he felt that would just scare them into regretting their decision.
"... Alright, let's get this show on the road~ We still have dinner after this so we can't afford to wait around all day! Oh yeah, and sorry Claire if I'm not able to finish the meal, the monster meat is probably going to fill me up. Hahaha~!"
It was a bravado that succeeded in alleviating the mood a little bit, the rest smiling along as Tio carried the monster meat in her hands. Ivan stared into the camera-like device that sat on a nearby table.
"Test One: The Twin-tailed Wolf. Hmm, I can't help thinking of something cute whenever I say its name aloud. Abilities: Special magic that allows the user to generate electricity around its body and fire it at its enemies. In my opinion the weakest monster on the 101st floor, however, it does make up for that weakness with numbers. As it is unlikely to find one not accompanied by a pack of its members. Now commencing the test, previous stats are marked in the journal."
With formalities finished Ivan sent a nod towards Tio, who with shaky but confident hands inserted the meat into his mouth. He chewed on it for a bit before swallowing it whole.
"...."
For a second nothing happened, everyone in the room looked at each other before confirming that what he ingested was indeed the meat of a monster. That's when a change finally started to take place—
"GAHHHHHH!!!"
Ivan's back arched forward with a violent speed, his head creaking upwards as he let out a blood-curdling scream. Even his toes curled up in pain as he gripped the armrests to the point of contorting the metal.
Having been snapped out of her daze, Yue quickly turned the dial at the bottom of the IV stand, nodding as the translucent liquid flowed through the tubes and into Ivan's veins. Claire quickly inscribed the contortions of his body, making note of the bulging veins and slight change in the pigment of his hair.
Ari and Felis held him down with all of their strength as it felt as though he was about to rip the chair out of the ground. And they weren't quite certain, but they were sure his body grew several times bulkier… even down there.
Sweat dripped down Ivan's body as he let out labored breaths, his vision blurry as the pain he felt slightly subsided, at least that was until it attacked again—
"AAGGHHRR!!!"
That process repeated over and over, his bones becoming stronger with each step of destruction and creation. For what had felt like three hours of constant pain had been fifteen minutes. But in that time his hair went from blonde to platinum blonde. His azure blue eyes changed into a deep red that matched Yue's. The body he was accustomed to grew several times larger, bulging muscles forming that would've threatened to rip apart his old clothes if he had not gone to go through with this naked.
The room turned silent as the others observed his changes with interest, even down there. As far as Ivan was concerned, being alive right now was enough to call the experiment a success. He thanked everyone for their hard work before receiving the status plate Claire had given him.
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Ivan Korei Age: 18
Male Level: 50
Job: Alchemist
Strength: 1,800
Vitality: 2,000
Defense: 2,000
Agility: 1,800
Magic: 3,000
Magic Defense: 1,800
Skills: Language Comprehension - Mixing - Plant Appraisal - Transmutation - Increased Mixing Speed - Increased Transmutation Speed - Forager - Cat's Eye - Encyclopedia - Auto Harvesting - Fast Learner - Fast Reader - Herbalist - Wakeful - Increased Mana Recovery - Mana Manipulation - Iron Stomach - Lightning Field
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'Three new skills had popped up huh… And it would seem my stats increased by quite a bit. Hmph, with this I can get to the vitality I need in a short amount of time!' Ivan jumped out of the chair after being uncuffed.
Adorning the mantle that barely fit over him to cover his privates while he tested activating the 'Lightning Field' stepping away from the others before he accidentally shocked them or something.
Red electricity coursed around his body, different from the electricity produced by his transmutation Ivan could feel a strong heat coming off. He lifted his hand and aimed at a steel wall built for testing attacks, mustering up the electricity to shoot from his palm.
However that resulted in failure, likely he had to familiarize himself with the ability before he could use it on the level the Twin-tailed Wolves could do such as being able to toss the electricity as a projectile. For now, it was just entertaining enough to shoot lighting out of his fingers, even with their short-range, into the air while shouting something about unlimited power like a certain emperor.
Mana manipulation was about what he already guessed, considering Yue had the same skill. It was a bit useless to him who relied on his transmutation circles to do all the work but a good skill to have nonetheless. It would certainly catch his foes off guard.
The rest of the group smiled wryly seeing him run around while electricity wrapped his body, the bright red veins coursing on his skin as each time he cast the ability they glowed brightly. And just like they had guessed, he immediately came back to them with a multitude of other monster meats.
"C'mon you guys! The day is still young~ We have many more tests to conduct, I think I could get to ten thousand so long as we keep the monster meat coming~!"
His eagerness rubbed off on the rest of them that had forgotten it was about time for dinner. The night was a little more peaceful after the first tests, as thanks to the 'Iron Stomach' skill Ivan didn't have the urge to scream. Only shaking when he tasted the meat of a strong monster.
Each monster he consumed was documented and recorded using the camera-like device, as it would seem ingesting the same monster more than once only brought minimal effects.
The group went deep into the night, not caring about anything else as they stuffed Ivan with monster meat. His joyous laughter resounded as he activated each new skill he got.
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The true moment a lot have you been waiting for. With this the plot can move forward. Honestly, I'm a bit excited that we're reaching the end, not saying that I didn't enjoy writing this. So don't you go putting words in my mouth! I've just learned a lot while writing that I wish to apply immediately in a new work.
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