Chapter 7 : Hidden Experiments

In an underground tunnel, a man walks through a long hallway. He has an average build and is 5.7 ft tall. His face is pale with sunken cheeks, and he is wearing a black bodysuit. At the end of the tunnel, another man stands, patiently waiting for the first man to approach. He wears a red robe and his face is covered with a red Oni-like mask.

As the man in black approaches, the masked man swiftly strikes with a knife, chopping off his left hand. Unfazed, the man in black catches his hand and reattaches it with his regeneration ability.

"I have a message from him. Here is the letter," says the masked man, using a hidden switch to enter a concealed passageway. As he proceeds, he removes his mask, revealing a face that bears an uncanny resemblance to the man in black. He then affixes a badge labeled A-1 to his chest.

Black smoke starts to rise from the ground. Using the same knife, he cuts off his left hand again and reattaches it with regeneration. Suddenly, a massive snake appears, barely fitting inside the tunnel, and swallows him whole. Everything turns black.

When he opens his eyes, he finds himself in an underground lab facility of sorts. The lab is filled with glass cylinders containing various specimens:

1. A giant humanoid creature with eagle-like wings, standing at least 20 ft tall. Two more giants are present, one with bat-like wings and the other with wings similar to an angel's.

2. Next in line is a giant engulfed in fire. Behind him are three more giants, one with an earth element and another with lightning element covering their bodies. The last one does not seem to possess any elemental traits.

3. Following them is a creature with a bull-like head, four hands, and a body resembling that of a chimpanzee. Behind him are an ogre and another giant.

4. An elf torso is attached to a spider. Behind them are a centaur and a centipede with an elf attached in its mouth.

In a separate room with transparent walls, a lion-headed being with a human body, muscular and standing 8 ft tall, clearly visible. Two men similar to A-1 stand near him, also dressed in black bodysuits.

A-1 enters a room filled with containers containing disfigured masses and black jelly. Around ten people, similar to A-1, are tending to these masses, each wearing a different badge number.

There he meets the only man in a white bodysuit, who looks similar to them but older. The man takes the letter and hands it to A-49. After a while, A-49 returns with the letter.

"A month has already passed. We need quick results. Deadline: 4 weeks," states the man in the white bodysuit.

"Well, the time has come," says Zero, entering a room with the highest level of security in the facility. Approximately 50 men in red bodysuits stand by, awaiting his command. Zero orders them to double-check everything before drawing a rune on a glass panel to initiate the project.

In the center of the room, surrounded by various equipment, there is a spherical container filled with black, slime-like liquid. Numerous pipes connect to it, and various runes glow across its surface. Zero carefully takes out a white orb and two vials filled with black and golden liquid. Placing them in a container, he seals it. Wearing gloves attached inside the container, he opens the vials and cracks the orb. After discarding the waste, he pours the contents into the black mass. Then he draws some runes on the glass.

It has been two months since the incident.

 They probably killed him. He is my brother. Despite not having seen him for five years, I still love him. That day, Vin wasn't the only one who lost his parents. I also lost my mother.

"I understand, sir. But we can't directly oppose Jackob," says one of the individuals present.

"Spread rumors, launch a social campaign, and tip off some influencers. Be careful to cover our tracks," replies the man in charge.