In an underground laboratory belonging to the subset of Evilus, a lone figure walked down a long hallway. Each of the magic stone lamps emitted an eerie light that cast ominous shadows across the sterile white surfaces. At the end of the corridor lies a heavily reinforced door, its metal panels gleaming in the dim lighting. The man approaches it with purpose, his footsteps echoing sharply against the floor.

  Despite the hushed silence of the lab, there is a sense of foreboding hanging in the air, as if some unspeakable experiments are being conducted behind closed doors. But for this man, it is just another day at work in the lab. As the man approached the door he thoughts began to wander.

  "I have to do this."

  "I have seen what the mortal realm is up against."

  "I cannot allow IT to roam free."

  "IT must be killed no matter what."

  "I will sacrifice these few for the greater good."

  "it is what must be done. No matter the personal sins I must commit, I will rid the world of the threat of monsters."

  "I remember everything like it was yesterday.

  the roar,

  the screams,

  the stench of blood and gore.

  Watching my familia and friends being killed,

  Toyed with,

  and

  finally

  devoured by the beast.

  I will never forget that day.

  The day when the greatest might Genkai could assembled was reduced to naught but ash in the wind

  I will not all that abomination to hold dominion over Genkai any longer.

  I will do whatever must be done.

  The door creaked open, revealing a dimly lit room. A small window cast a thin sliver of light across the stone floor. Chains hung from the walls, their metal links clinking softly in the stale air. The stench of rot and decay assaulted his senses, causing him to wrinkle his nose in disgust.

  In the far corner, a young elf girl with blonde hair and blue eyes huddled, her body shaking with fear. Her sobs, echoed off the walls, filling the room with a sense of hopelessness. The girl's tearful eyes met his, searching for any sign of mercy.

  "Why am I here? Please let me go..." Her voice trembled, each word a plea for freedom.

  The man sighed, his voice carrying a heavy weight. "I am sorry, child," he said, his tone devoid of warmth. "But what is about to happen is necessary for the future of Genkai."

  With a firm grip, he seized the chains attached to her wrists. The girl struggled, her feeble attempts at resistance only tightening his hold. He pulled her forward, the chains rattling as they moved.

  "No, no, no!" Her screams echoed down the dim corridor. "Mama! Papa! Anyone!" Her cries were swallowed by the oppressive silence of the abandoned halls, her voice growing hoarse as she fought against her captor.

  The man's grip was ironclad, his determination unwavering as he pulled her through the darkness. The hallway seemed to stretch endlessly, every step taking them closer to the foreboding destination. The girl's struggles grew weaker, her energy sapped by fear and exhaustion.

  The creaking of rusted hinges announced their arrival at the laboratory. The room was dimly lit, shadows clinging to the walls. In the center, a third man was arranging instruments on a table equipped with bindings and manacles. The pungent smell of old blood and ammonia hung heavy in the air, making the girl's stomach churn.

  As the man scanned the room, he noted the mirrors positioned to observe the table from every angle. The girl's wide, pleading eyes darted around, searching for an escape that did not exist.

  "Doctor Atticus, it's good to see you again," the man said, his voice steady as they entered.

  "Muller, yes. This is our next subject," Atticus replied, continuing to drag the girl forward.

  Her body trembled with fear, her breaths coming in ragged gasps. The table loomed ahead, a symbol of her impending fate. The two men exchanged looks of grim understanding. In this place, empathy had no place; only the cold, hard pursuit of their goals mattered.

  "Yes, she possesses a significant amount of magical potential," Doctor Atticus stated calmly. His voice betrayed no emotion about what was to happen. "I've perfected the process enough that it should not kill her right away. We shall observe the aftermath and proceed accordingly."

  Amidst the doctor's calculated words, the girl's voice could still be heard, a faint, pitiful plea for mercy. Her cries echoed off the cold stone walls, but they fell on deaf ears. Arcturus continued to drag her towards the table, his grip unyielding.

  "Please…" Her voice was weak, barely more than a whisper.

  "Your sacrifice is necessary for the future of Genkai," the doctor responded, his tone devoid of sympathy. He pulled her to the table and began strapping the manacles onto her limbs. She tried to resist, but despite her best efforts, she was held in place, bound to the table.

  Her heart pounded with fear and desperation as she struggled against her restraints. "Please let me go," she pleaded, her voice trembling with terror.

  But the doctor and Muller paid no attention to her cries. Their focus was solely on the preparations for the experiment. The room was filled with the sounds of metal clinking and soft murmurs of instruction, a stark contrast to the girl's frantic sobs.

  "Bring the vials over here. We will begin now," Doctor Atticus ordered, his voice calm and methodical.

  Muller moved with practiced efficiency, retrieving the vials from a nearby shelf and handing them to the doctor.

  The girl's eyes widened with horror as she saw the ominous substance and realized what was about to happen to her.

  "No! I don't want this!" she screamed, struggling against her restraints, her heart racing with fear at the sight of the vials.

  "Don't bother," Doctor Atticus stated, not looking up as he arranged the vials in a specific order. "Those manacles are made of adamantite from the Deep Floors. I recovered it myself. You won't be breaking out of them."

  Desperation clawed at her as she continued to fight against the restraints, but the manacles held firm. Her breath came in quick, panicked gasps. She felt trapped, powerless against the impending horror.

  "Now, Muller, hold down one of her arms and turn it so there is a vein towards me. I need to make sure I get it into one of the main veins for quick distribution. If we miss a major vein, the subject dies," the doctor instructed.

  Muller eagerly complied, firmly holding down the girl's arm while she struggled against him. The girl's strength was no match for Muller's grip. She felt a cold sweat break out on her forehead, her mind racing with a thousand thoughts, each more terrifying than the last.

  The doctor uncapped the needle and inserted it into the vial, extracting the liquid before carefully inserting the sharp tip into the girl's vein. She flinched in pain, her body jerking instinctively away from the needle, but Muller's hold kept her in place.

  "Please...stop...this..." she cried out weakly, her voice reduced to a whisper, barely audible over the sound of her own rapid breathing.

  But her pleas went unanswered. Atticus's focus was entirely on the task at hand. The liquid began to flow into her vein, its icy burn spreading through her arm. The room seemed to close in on her, the faces of her captors blurring as tears filled her eyes. The girl's vision swam, her senses overwhelmed by fear and the cold touch of the liquid invading her body. She felt herself slipping, her consciousness fading in and out.

  Then it hit her like a tidal wave - an intense burning pain that seemed to consume every inch of her being. She screamed in agony as the liquid continued to flow through her veins, causing them to turn black.

  "AGHHHAHAHAHAHA" The girl's screams fill the room as the liquid began to course through her veins, spreading throughout her body.

  The pain continues to course through the girl's body as the Doctor Atticus injected her with more vials of the purplish-black liquid. She can feel her muscles contracting and spasming, her vision blurring and her mind going hazy.

  "Stop... please..." she begged weakly, her voice barely audible over the sound of Muller's grunts as he held her down.

  "It will all be over soon," the doctor reassured in a robotic tone, his eyes focused on his work. He moved on to the next vial, injecting it into another vein on the girl's arm.

  With each injection, the pain intensified and spread throughout her entire body. She couldn't even scream anymore, her voice hoarse from all the struggling and vomiting. Her mind was consumed with pain, her body convulsing uncontrollably. Every second felt like an eternity. She felt like she was being consumed from within, as though her very soul was being devoured. The doctor continued to inject her with more vials, each one bringing greater agony than the last.

  "Please... stop... I don't want to hurt anymore," she pleaded weakly, her voice shaking.

  The doctor paused for a moment, his hands trembling slightly. He looked at the girl with a mix of guilt and regret in his eyes.

  "I am sorry, but I have to do this. Just know that your sacrifice will be worth it in the end," he said firmly before continuing with his work.

  Muller handed him another vial, its contents a dark purplish-black. The doctor injected it into the same spot, and she screamed in agony. Her veins burned like fire, and she thrashed against her restraints, but they held firm.

  A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

  This brutal cycle repeated nine more times, each injection plunging her deeper into torment. By the twelfth, she was barely conscious, her eyes unfocused and blurred. Her body felt ablaze from within, each breath a struggle against the pain. The torture seemed never-ending as tears streamed down her face as she begged for mercy and prayed for someone - anyone - to save her from this nightmare. But alas a hero doesn't always appear when needed.

  "Please… make it stop…" she moaned through clenched teeth.

  "I am sorry. This is all for a greater cause," the doctor responded.

  "Muller, hold her down. We need to ensure it reaches her marrow without displacement," the doctor instructed, preparing the injection with a harvester needle.

  Muller gripped the girl's tightly, trying to keep her still as she attempted to thrash about. The doctor positioned the needle carefully, ensuring that it is placed above the densest part of the girl's pelvic bone. As the doctor pushed down, the girl's body tensed and her screams intensified as the needle penetrated the bone with a sickening crunch injecting the final vial of purplish-black liquid into the girl's marrow. After what felt like an eternity, the girl's body went limp, slumping against the cold stone table. Doctor Arcturus carefully withdrew the needle from her thigh, ensuring every drop of the purplish-black liquid had been administered.

  "There, all done," Atticus said with a hint of relief in his voice. Muller released his grip on the girl and stepped back.

  "Is it truly over, Doctor?" Muller asked, his voice tinged with anxiety.

  "Yes... it's done," Atticus replied wearily, leaning against a nearby table for support.

  "What now?" Muller pressed.

  "Now, we wait. She should begin to show signs of transformation soon. Let's tidy up and sterilize everything while we watch over her," Atticus sighed, his gaze fixed on the girl's trembling form.

  "Yes, Doctor," Muller acknowledged

  The room fell silent except for the occasional groan or whimper from the girl as she struggled to endure the pain. Hours pass by and the girl's body continues to convulse and twitch sporadically. The girl's body suddenly convulsed violently as she heaved up a thick, dark liquid - a mixture of blood and bile. She had already emptied her stomach of any remaining contents. Her insides burned with agony, each retch feeling like knives being twisted in her gut.

  Time dragged on for what feels like an eternity as she lies there, helpless and weak, until her body finally gives in to exhaustion. Her chest rises and falls less and less frequently, until it no longer moves at all. The doctor, with a grave expression on his face, makes his way over to the table where she lays motionless

  His trained eye quickly noticed the blackish veins running along her hands and feet, a promising sign of for the experiment. As he continued his inspection, he discovered that the dark veins extended into the upper parts of her limbs, bringing a smile to his face. "Excellent sign," he murmured to himself, taking note of the black veins continued under the patient's shirt.

  "Now for the main issues has always been the torso and the experiments has failed to take." The doctor says as he ponders past experiments. The doctor carefully cut the girl's shirt off with the scissors, revealing her torso. He inspects her chest and abdomen, looking for any signs of change or success in the experiment. What he sees brings a smile to his face.

  "Completely black and purple veins covering the girl's torso tracing their ways to… a magic stone at the center of her chest." The doctor says in amazement as he thinks; "finally everything I have had to do has become worth it. With this we will finally be able to kill the beast. I will finally avenge my brothers who died all those years ago. My life has not been wasted."

  Muller looks over his shoulder to see the stone. "Truly wonderful. This is a great leap forward," he mutters under his breath and thinks: "fascinating. I didn't think he would actually pull it off. I see I was right to study under him. This will certainly help with my own interests. Thank you for being useful to me, doctor."

  The doctor's gloved hands traced the stone's smooth surface, marveling at its pulsating energy.

  "This is it, Muller. After all these years, we've found it," he declared triumphantly.

  A sharp, high-pitched scream echoed through the chamber as the girl suddenly awoke. Her body convulsed with agonizing pain, thrashing against the metal manacles binding her. Black veins now snaked across her skin, pulsing with a dark energy that seemed to writhe beneath the surface. Her eyes widened in terror as she saw the magical stone embedded in her chest.

  "What have you done to me?!" she screamed through gritted teeth, her voice filled with desperation and fear.

  "Muller! The collar!" the doctor's urgent command, prompting Muller to spring into action.

  Muller hurried to the nearby table, seizing the collar with trembling hands before rushing back to the main table. There, the girl fought against both the doctor and the creaking metal manacles. Tension thickened the air as Muller approached, urgency in every hurried step, his breath ragged as he struggled against time and destiny to save her from an uncertain fate.

  "Now, collar her while I keep her down," the doctor commanded, his grip firm on the girl's shoulders.

  Muller nodded, his fingers grappling with the unfamiliar device. He felt the girl's struggling beneath his touch as he secured the collar around her neck.

  "Stay still," the doctor ordered as the collar clicked around her neck.

  Her body stiffened, muscles locking in place, stripped of their autonomy. Fear and confusion surged through her as she realized she was no longer in control of her own

  As the girl ceased struggling against her restraints, the doctor spoke. "Good. The experiment was successful," he stated, his words sending a chill down her spine. The collar around her neck hummed faintly with power, a silent reminder of her newfound obedience.

  "Why? What have you done to me?" she asked, her voice trembling as tears streaked down her face. She glimpsed her altered reflection in a nearby mirror, the changes unsettling and unfamiliar.

  "It was necessary for the future of Genkai," the doctor replied calmly. "You will play a crucial role in its salvation. Return to your room and await further instructions. I will join you shortly."

  Reluctantly, she felt herself compelled by an unseen force, obeying his command as she walked back to her quarters. Meanwhile, the two men remained in the hallway, engaged in a quiet and intense discussion.

  "She was the first successful experiment of the series," Muller stated confidently.

  "Yes, it's remarkable that it was our shadow series that yielded the most progress," the doctor mused, his voice tinged with awe.

  "Perhaps we should give her a name to mark this accomplishment. Using her original name might help anchor her identity," Muller suggested, his tone cold and clinical. "To fully harness her abilities, we must extinguish any hope of her returning to her former life."

  "True we have no choice but to make it so," the doctor replied, already lost in thought.

  As the men concluded their discussion on the next steps for their subject, piercing wails erupted from a nearby room down the hall. The sounds reverberated off the sterile walls, sending shivers down their spines and filling them with both anticipation and apprehension.

  Doctor's Journal Entry

  Year 8, Day 125

  Personal Notes:

  After countless attempts, the experiment has finally yielded results. We have achieved our ultimate goal: creating a monster-human hybrid. It was an obscene idea born from desperation to defeat the dreaded one-eyed black dragon. But in pursuing this creation, I have committed a grave sin against nature. The result will likely be an abomination beyond comprehension.

  Witnessing the immense power of the King of Monsters filled me with despair. Even the strongest families in Genkai were no match for its might. It swept through us like we were nothing, crushing our pride and shattering our abilities. I could only watch helplessly as my comrades fell one by one. That day, I learned firsthand just how terrifying the creatures of the Dungeon truly are. No previous encounter could have prepared me for this beast which was the apocalypse incarnate.

  As I gazed upon it from a close distance, I couldn't help but fear for the future of our realm. The members of my family that remained at our estate were all weak and incapable of providing any support in this battle.

  Hearing what had happened to them filled me with an intense rage that nearing consumed me completely. If given the chance, I would have sought revenge against those responsible in a brutal and bloody manner. But I know that giving in to these impulses would be a betrayal of my fellow warriors who fought the beast.

  Most of the other families are wastrels, their deities seeking only entertainment and pleasure for their own enjoyment. They are unconcerned with anything else but their own hedonistic desires. The two that gained power after my family's downfall are barely even worth mentioning.

  Loki, a treacherous and wicked goddess with an unhealthy fixation on young girls and gaining personal glory. She is followed by an artificial hero who will stop at nothing to bring fame to himself. On the other hand, Freya is another self-absorbed goddess who acts on her whims without considering others, supported by a group of fanatics who exist solely to please her. It is truly lamentable that the fate of Genkai rests in their hands.

  One day, the beast will break free and attempt to unseal the Dungeon, returning the mortal realm to Ancient Times. Unfortunately, neither Loki nor Freya are capable of handling such a task. If the Last Great Quest is left to them, then the mortal realm will surely perish. I refuse to allow the sacrifices of my brothers to be in vain. I will use every tool at my disposal to prevent such a catastrophic outcome.

  Using my expertise in studying monsters, I have turned my attention towards finding a solution. My entire life has been dedicated to understanding their physiology and weaknesses, in order to aid my fellow adventurers in defeating them and making it home safely. With my deity's approval, I have published dozens of guides for others to use. Theses guides formed the basis of modern adventurer knowledge's of monsters.

  Whether they have been effective remains debatable, but thanks to that previous research my latest experiment has finally yielded promising results. The following notes detail the immediate observations of the subject after successful injections were administered.

  Test Subject: 1001

  Injections: 12 sequential injections into the veins at 15-minute intervals. Followed by a final injection into the right ilium region of the pelvic girdle. Previous subjects had injections to different regions and the injections failed. We have eliminated all possible alternative through systemic experimentation.

  Monster Components Selected: Black Ooze's Body Fluids and Ground War Shadows Magic Stones

  (Author's note: I created the black ooze since there are other colors I figured a black one was possible.)

  Results:

  1. The subject writhed in agony, their body convulsing as they attempted to expel the foreign substance. Vomit and blood spilled onto the floor, evidence of the body's desperate attempt to rid itself of the unknown contagion.

  2. As the magic stone formed within the subject, their heart beat erratically before temporarily stopping altogether. After a brief pause, it started up again with a steady rhythm. It seems the magic stone now functions as their heart would, but further investigation is needed to understand its full impact.

  3. In the days since awakening, the subject's mental state has deteriorated rapidly. It's clear that the use of magic collars will be necessary for future experiments, to prevent the subjects from causing harm to themselves. Additional collars must be requested from Barca. Meaning compensation will need to be prepared to fund the construction of Knossos.

  4. The subject's appetite has shifted drastically; they no longer require regular food for sustenance. Instead, their cravings are focused solely on magic stones. While they can still consume regular food, it appears to provide no nutritional benefit. The subject can still derive pleasure from the consumption of food.

  5. It remains uncertain whether the subject will be able to gain excelia through traditional means or if consuming magic stones is necessary for them to grow stronger. This requires further study and analysis, but initial observations suggest that magic stones may indeed be essential for the subject's strength.

  6. The subject refuses to eat regular food or magic stones most likely this an attempt at self-starvation, as a last resort, I have been forced to utilize a slave collar to compel them to eat and survive.

  7. This concerning behavior may not be limited to just this subject; future subjects will also likely exhibit similar tendencies towards self-harm and resistance to feeding. This could significantly delay or halt mass production if not properly addressed and managed.

  Final conclusions:

  Considering the success of this groundbreaking experiment, it is vital that the results be meticulously compared to previous attempts in order to identify any discrepancies. Due to this meticulous process, it will take some time before a decision can be made on the selection of the next subject for experimentation.

  Once the results have been thoroughly analyzed and compared, a new batch of subjects must be chosen. It would be prudent to select an additional six subjects for the experiment.

  Based on current observations, it appears that elves would make the most suitable candidates, demi-humans, followed by humans. So far neither Prums or dwarves have taken at all to the process. The reason for this is unknown. Further research is necessary to refine our selection process.

  If we are to mass-produce these results, significant refinement of both the process and selection criteria will be required to minimize any unnecessary sacrifices.

  Furthermore, to sever the subject's ties to their past life, they will be given a new name from this point forward. This one shall now be known as...

  .

  Alpha

  .

  PS. Haaa, I truly am a wretched man.

  .

  Forcing these innocents to participate in this fight and robbing them of their future.

  .

  Even if all I do is for the future of Genkai.

  .

  May the gods of Tenkai punish me for my sins.