On the western flank of Valeria City, far from the sunlit grandeur of the Dome and the booming iron echoes of the eastern barracks, lay the Empyrean Arcanum Wing the empire's supreme sanctuary for forbidden research and high-magic innovation.
It was not a mere collection of laboratories, but a vast subterranean labyrinth of floating obsidian platforms and towering spires wrapped in glowing glass conduits. Inside these massive tubes, liquid starlight and volatile elemental fluids circulated like the veins of a mechanical god. Here, the empire's greatest minds gathered to fracture the laws of causality, analyzing forbidden grimoires unearthed from ancient, forgotten temples and deciphering historical relics buried deep within abyssal ruins.
The air within the Arcanum felt otherworldly, heavy and shimmering with an iridescent purple mist born from atomized elixirs and the continuous, static hum of bleeding mana. It was a place where common sense went to die a chaotic hotbed for revolutionary and terrifying magical breakthroughs.
Ruling over this domain with absolute authority was Grand Archmage Asriel. He had secured his legendary standing within the empire through a horrific yet revolutionary discovery: the forbidden art of Bio-Crystalline Transmutation the ability to harvest the lifeforce of living beings and compress their flesh, blood, and soul into dense, high-grade mana stones.
Studying directly beneath this monster was Prince Zerc Mon Ta Val. Born with a fragile physique that denied him the path of a warrior, Zerc possessed a brilliant, mastermind intellect. He was a generational prodigy who grasped the complex, taboo algorithms of transmutation effortlessly, quickly becoming Asriel’s direct and most terrifying disciple.
To the outside world, the empire meticulously sanitized this nightmarish breakthrough. Propaganda broadcasted across the surface claimed that the magic only functioned on non-sentient, lesser creatures such as livestock and mindless monsters, safeguarding the peace of mind of the common citizens so they would not live in absolute terror. In truth, this was a macabre taboo fiercely guarded by only the royal family and the highest echelon of nobility. They knew the gruesome reality: the most potent, purest mana stones could only be forged from the agonizing compression of intelligent human souls.
Deep within the Arcanum's forbidden district stood the tall, heavily enchanted perimeter gates. Galahad, the elite officer dispatched by Princess Ingrid, arrived leading a miserable line of shackled slaves and death-row inmates. The towering gates hummed with ancient defensive spells as the armored gatekeeper stepped forward, his eyes narrowing coldly.
"State your business in the lower wings."
"I am Galahad, officer of the Eastern Garrison, sent by Princess Ingrid," Galahad replied, his voice firm and indifferent as he violently yanked the heavy iron chains. "I have a delivery of fresh resources."
The fate of the captives was undeniably cruel; the line was a tragic mix of young and old, their faces hollowed by despair.
The gatekeeper glanced at the insignia of the eastern district and nodded. "Very well. Hold position." Channeling his mana, the gatekeeper pressed his palm against the enchanted surface. The door resonated with a low hum before slowly grinding open, revealing a pitch-black, gleaming subterranean cavern. "From here on, they belong to the Arcanum."
Galahad tossed the master chain to the gatekeeper without a single shred of pity, turning back toward his barracks.
Looking into the ominous darkness of the facility, one of the death-row inmates panicked. Terrified of the unknown horror awaiting them, he began to violently struggle against his restraints, screaming for mercy.
Without a word, the gatekeeper snapped his fingers. A localized burst of concentrated, incinerating mana engulfed the rebellious inmate.
"HAAAAGH!!! AHHH!"
The agonizing screams echoed through the corridor as the man's flesh was instantly reduced to a black, crisp husk. The remaining captives froze, paralyzed by pure horror. Deep down, a sickening realization washed over them: there was no escape. Their only choice was to obey now, or die agonizingly on the spot.
"Quiet and obedient, or you all end up like him," the gatekeeper threatened coldly, before muttering under his breath, "Ugh, what a waste of potential mana... Well, at least we have plenty of backups."
The trembling captives were forced onto a massive, floating platform a lift operated by complex mana-mechanisms that plunged them deep into the subterranean research district. This was a classified zone where only Asriel, Zerc, high-ranking nobles, and trusted researchers were permitted.
When the lift finally reached the lowest level, the prisoners were met with a sight of true, unadulterated horror. Floating glass tubes lined the walls, containing grotesque chimeras and failed, taboo biological experiments twitching in green fluid. Seeing a half-human abomination staring back at her, one of the young slave girls began to vomit violently onto the floor.
The gatekeeper sighed in annoyance. "Hurry up, or you'll be the next asset stuffed into those tubes, understand?" He urged them forward, secretly thinking, I need to make sure these resources don't spoil before the transmutation, or the Grand Archmage will have my head.
At the end of the hall stood Archmage Asriel and Prince Zerc, positioned before a colossal cylindrical machine pulsing with unstable, violet bio-crystalline magic.
"Ah, excellent. The final components have arrived," Zerc noted, his eyes gleaming with unsettling enthusiasm as he noticed the approaching line.
Asriel turned to the gatekeeper, giving a skeletal nod. "Good. Have them step directly inside the bio-crystalline transmutation chamber."
Knowing resistance was entirely futile, the inmates and slaves hung their heads, walking toward the giant cylinder like cattle to a slaughterhouse.
"Wait, Teacher," Zerc suddenly interjected, holding up a pale hand as his gaze scanned the line. "I wish to select two specific slaves... they could prove highly useful for a personal experiment I am conducting."
Asriel glanced at him, entirely indifferent. "Hmm? Ah, for that project? Go ahead, my boy."
Zerc smiled, pointing his finger toward a frail, elderly man and the young slave girl who had vomited earlier. "These two will do perfectly. The rest are entirely yours, Teacher."
The remaining captives were shoved inside the giant cylinder. The heavy blast doors shut with a thunderous echo. Asriel pressed a sequence of arcane runes, activating the mechanism. Instantly, eerie, crackling bolts of violet lightning struck within the chamber. The facility shook as the muffled, agonizing shrieks of the slaves being compressed into inanimate stones filled the room.
Standing a few paces away, the young slave girl wept, trembling in absolute terror as she listened to the deaths of her companions.
Seeing her fear, Zerc approached her, carefully adopting a warm, comforting expression. Despite his fragile health, Zerc possessed an undeniably handsome face. Though he lacked the blinding, golden-boy charm of his brother Damien, he had a sharp, elegant handsomeness defined by his long, silky black hair and piercing purple eyes.
"Do not cry, little one," Zerc whispered gently, offering her a soothing smile. "You don't have to experience that horrible machine."
Feeling a sudden glimpse of hope in this den of monsters, the young girl looked up, her breathing slowing down as she clung to his gentle words. She genuinely believed she had been saved. She had no idea that the prince standing before her harbored a malice far more twisted than the machine itself.
An hour later, the transmutation process concluded. From the dispenser of the massive machine, several high-grade mana stones slid out. They were flawless, glowing with a deep, mesmerizing neon-blue light indicative of nearly 100% purity.
Asriel picked one up, admiring it like a piece of rare art. "Aaah... such a remarkable masterpiece. It truly is a shame we must burn these beautiful stones just to trigger the Hero summoning ritual. What a waste of pure souls."
Zerc chuckled smoothly. "Haha, well, the Heroes are necessary to deter the Demon King. Besides... those summoned outsiders serve another purpose for the throne, don't they?"
Asriel smiled back, his eyes twinkling with shared malice. "Ah, of course. A set of powerful, lifeless puppets. It is a pity you didn't manage to secure Kael when the previous bet concluded. If fortune had favored you, the Emperor would have bestowed that leash upon you instead of Damien."
Zerc shook his head dismissively, though his purple eyes flashed with temporary coldness. "A minor setback, Teacher. I do not dwell on the past. There will be plenty of opportunities to strip Damien of his toys in the future."
Asriel snapped his fingers in delight. "That is my beloved disciple never losing sight of the grand board!"
Smiling, Zerc bowed politely to his teacher and took his leave, gesturing for his personal servants to bring the two selected slaves along to his private laboratory.
Deep within the isolated walls of Zerc’s private workshop, he ordered a lavish, expensive feast to be served to the old man and the young girl. The food was heavily imbued with high-quality mana, making it taste like absolute heaven an experience they had never known in their impoverished lives. The two slaves devoured the meal aggressively, tears of joy streaming down their faces, fully believing they had found a benevolent master and escaped the jaws of death.
Zerc sat quietly in the shadows, sipping his tea, watching them with an eager, predatory patience.
As soon as they finished the last plate, the old man suddenly gasped, his fork slipping from his fingers. The young girl tried to stand, but her legs buckled beneath her. A wave of total numbness swept through their bodies, completely paralyzing every muscle. They couldn't even scream; they could only look at Zerc with eyes full of betrayal and renewed horror.
As Zerc shed his warm, gentle mask, his face turned entirely blank and emotionless. Raising his hand, he cast a precise [Telekinesis] spell, lifting their paralyzed bodies into the air. He carried them toward the back of the laboratory, where a colossal, enchanted iron cage was hidden beneath a heavy black shroud.
Inside that cage sat a living nightmare that defied the laws of nature. It was an abomination a massive, beast-like creature covered in absolute, light-absorbing black skin. Its shape was inexplicable, twisted, and shifting, and a dozen bulbous, unblinking crimson eyes stared out from its malformed head.
With a cold flick of his wrist, Zerc tossed the two paralyzed humans through the magical feeding bars.
In a split second, the abomination lunged forward, its jaw unhinging into a void of rows of razor-sharp teeth, gobbling them up alive in a single, sickening crunch.
Zerc approached the bars, reaching his pale hand through to lightly pet the oily, pitch-black hide of the monster. The creature let out a low, satisfied gurgle, nuzzling against his fingers.
"Good, good... grow stronger, my little dear," Zerc cooed affectionately.
He had personally unearthed the bizarre, high-mana egg containing this entity from an abyssal ruin a year ago. When it hatched, it was an entirely unknown anomaly it was not a dragon, a lizard, or any documented monster within the world's system. It was something else entirely. Zerc was heavily investing his resources into this eldritch abomination, fully intending for it to become his ultimate, hidden weapon to slaughter his siblings and take the world.
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