"Could you take me to your village?" Adrian inquired.However, the scaled man shook his head. "No. The villagers will kill you. They despise outsiders.""But I'm from Aethersphere, just like you. Moreover, I hail from Exasword," Adrian insisted."Nobodies cares if you're from Exasword or Westania. The people of my village only trust their own. To them, anyone else is a threat," the scaled man replied.Adrian found this very peculiar. Seeing as they considered everyone else a threat, he sensed there was more to this village than met the eye.Nonetheless, this scaled man seemed relatively agreeable. Adrian glanced at him and proposed, "In that case, why not show me your village? I'd like to verify the situation for myself.""What? You still want to go even after what I said?" The scaled man appeared puzzled, evident that he couldn't fathom Adrian's persistence.Adrian remained resolute. "Yes, I still want to see your village."Observing Adrian's determination, the scaled man sigh
After a while, they finally arrived at a dilapidated village that appeared as though it could crumble at any moment. But despite its decrepit appearance, the village was inhabited. Adrian noted numerous people bustling about, attending to their daily tasks, much like any rural community. However, as he entered the village’s confines, he sensed wary gazes fixed upon him. The villagers appeared distrustful of him."Nilson, what is this? Didn't I instruct everyone to refrain from bringing outsiders here?"A voice suddenly pierced the air. It was a coarse male voice that demanded immediate attention, and it certainly caught Adrian’s.Glancing toward the source, Adrian spotted a burly man. This individual sported long, coarse fur on various parts of his body, akin to a black bear. It was clear that this person had undergone genetic modifications too."Mr. Griz, this man isn't malevolent. I sense he's capable of aiding us in resolving our predicament," defended the scaled man named Nilso
Adrian sprinted swiftly through the desert wilderness, disappearing without a trace before long. He had delved into the depths beneath the sand after pinpointing an anomaly he had detected. He sensed the presence of another space hidden deep within this dark underground corner, which was undiscovered by anyone until now.As he descended, Adrian discerned that it was an underground fortress. Though buried for decades and showing signs of decay, the fact that this place was concealed so deeply underground was peculiar. There should have been defensive measures surrounding the base, yet Adrian encountered no obstacles upon entry. This stirred up an unsettling feeling within him. Even for someone as formidable as him, he knew discerning the situation here would be challenging.Adrian pressed onward to explore this subterranean world. He was determined to uncover its mysteries. After about ten minutes, he reached the deepest part of the underground expanse. Before him lay an exceedingly n
At that moment, Adrian heard voices."Why did the leader assign us this task?""Yeah, we've been researching alchemy all this time but haven't had any substantial results. Those test subjects always run into various issues. What's the purpose of this?"As these people talked, they walked toward Adrian's location, unaware that someone lurked in the shadows, overhearing their conversation."Maybe the leader is worried, but that's not our concern. We just have to do our job.”"Yeah, you're right."As they conversed, they didn't realize someone sneaking up behind them and launching an attack. Caught off guard, they were struck, feeling intense pain before passing out. After an unknown period, they woke up in a dark place. The surroundings were dim, with only a man standing before them, glaring at them sharply. Even in the darkness obscuring the man's face, the weight of his sent shivers down their spines. Clearly, this was no ordinary individual.Feeling a coldness settle in their h
Observing their reaction, Adrian pressed, "What's the purpose of this lab? Tell me or I'll break your legs.""You dare?! Don’t you know who we are?!"The captives doubted Adrian would follow through with his words. They had powerful backers, and harming them would mean opposing that force.They stared at Adrian coldly. "We don't care who you are, but if you dare hurt us, you won’t get away with it."To Adrian’s surprise, these people retained their superior sense of self, even in this tense moment. He smirked. "Such loyalty, but unfortunately for you…” He kicked one of the captives in the thigh, eliciting from him a sharp scream.The other captive was stunned. Neither of them had anticipated such actions from Adrian. It was clear now that his words weren't empty threats."Why you… You…” The captives, clearly frightened, hesitated, unsure of what to say.Adrian's gaze remained cold. "What? Want me to continue?" He raised his foot.Shocked and pale with fear, the captives pleaded
According to the captives, they were merely low-level workers who knew only that alchemy research was being conducted but were unaware of the specifics. However, they were certain that their superiors were searching for something within certain individuals or seeking out a particular type of person."A particular type of person? But you’ve been experimenting on humans, and as a result, created some half-human half-beast monsters," Adrian said."Yes, but those individuals are considered failures. They are not the outcome our leader desires.”After a pause, one of the captives looked up, adding hastily, "These are the directives of our superiors, not our personal opinions. We ourselves hold deep regard for the people of Aethersphere."It sounded like he was pleading for mercy, but upon hearing this, Adrian simply glared at the captives, visibly furious. "You hold deep regard for the people of Aethersphere? You mean you regard them as test subjects.”Unexpectedly, Adrian abandoned an
Adrian silently accepted the provided data and quickly went through its contents: records of alchemy research intertwined with directives from Mark. Through the data, the collusion between Mark and Falconia’s inhabitants was substantiated. The detailed nature of the information stirred up a fit of anger within Adrian as if he were experiencing the events described."This is all we have. You'll find everything you need in it," the captives assured him earnestly.After perusing the document, Adrian closed them with a decisive nod. "Very well. With this evidence, I can hold Mark accountable."Despite his considerable power, Adrian understood the necessity of sufficient evidence for conviction. The provided documents offered a crucial piece of the puzzle, yet it was limited. To gather more evidence, he would need to investigate further.Addressing the captives, Adrian stated, "Your task is complete."They implored, "Will you spare us then? We’re just low-level workers, and we’ve coope
Adrian glanced around and quickly grasped the situation. "Those two had pretended to surrender and secretly informed their allies," he mused, his eyes flashing dangerously.A rustling sound then filled the air, and figures emerged. They encircled Adrian, forming an impenetrable barrier. The leader—a man sporting a head of white hair and bulging muscles, emanating a fierce presence with every move he made—sneered. "Didn't expect this, did you?"Adrian then figured out their ploy: they had baited him in with real information.Facing the leader, he asked calmly, "So you believe you have the upper hand?""Absolutely," the white-haired man replied with a cold smirk, gesturing to the people surrounding Adrian. "These are our cyborgs. Against them, you stand no chance of winning."Adrian erupted into laughter. "Hahaha! If you believe you're in control, then go ahead, test me.” A formidable aura erupted from him as he unleashed his power.“Enough talk!” Enraged by Adrian's defiance, the