“This much should do it.”

I put away my tools and inspected the prosthetics again, finding no faulty parts in them.

“These little folks are a pain to deal with, but credit due where it is due, their craftsmanship is quite amazing. I could even dream up such detailed work, much less make it. I am quite jealous.”

I stared at the piece of machinery for a while, then I put them back.

“I still have time. I will install them later, for now, I need to deal with the royals.”

I sat back in my chair and went deeper into my research facility.

At its core, was a round white room with three metal tables waiting for me.

On them were the royals, their limbs ligated with enhanced chains.

On the other ones, where my medical equipment was waiting for me.

Once near them, I slowly stood up from my chair and started to vomit out my black smoke.

Soon from it, a back armor appeared but only its legs.

As I was stepping onto it, it opened up, allowing me to put it on.

“Ugh, I hate this. I am lucky that I will soon be rid of it.”

I examined my tools carefully, making sure that they were serialized.

“Not perfect but it will do. Assistant!”

The door from which I came from opened up again, and a black knight walked in.

“You called me…boss?”

“We will put it to test the calligraphic skills you were boosting about. Grab the book on the table and note down everything I am saying.”

“Alright.”

The knight did as I said and waited for me to speak.

“Before we commence, can you remind me what today's date is?”

“Ehhh, I believe that it’s the Sixth of April. 349.”

“Thank you. May write what I am saying.”

I cleaned my throat and started to speak in a clear voice.

“Today, on the sixth of April, 349, I will dissect two unique creatures, both originating from the same biological father, but their birth mother was different. One of them is a hybrid of a mail hommos sapient and Canis Lupus. By visual observation, I can tell that the body's musculature is far more developed than that of a normal human. Pigmentation of the skin seems gray, similar to the fur mostly covering the head, chest, back, arms, and legs. The creator is digital grade and walks on the balls of its feet. Nails look thicker than normal, but it may be caused by lifestyle, rather than genetics. The most deformed part of the body is the head, entirely belonging to the wolf; no cognitive functions seem to be lost due to cranial or cerebral structure, but the subject's intelligence is incredibly low. What surprised me was that the subject possessed a tail around 30 cm long. I named this one Canis One, C1 for short, but this is only a temporary name and will sully change it. “

I looked at the insect girl.

“ As for the second subject, its physical description is entirely different. The subject is female and entirely insectoid, yet it shows feminine features, slim waists, breasts, facial features, and an entire reproductive system, probably making it possible for it to have intercourse with other members of its species. The entire body is covered with a black chitin-like substance. The limbs are too thin to support movement and yet they are fully functional. The mouth is divided into several parts, complete with mandibles and the second set of teeth. Surprisingly the eyes are mammalian, maybe because of their father's genetics. This subject’s name is I1, Insectoid One, again the name is temporary.”

I took a few steps back and pointed at the two bodies.

“In this vivisection, I hope to find the differences and commonalities these creatures have. If I am lucky, I may find the organ which is necessary for the circulation of mana and study it closer. During the procedure, they will be heavily sedated and continuously injected with slow-acting healing potions to hopefully negate any negative side effects this will result in. Plus, with the potions, the slave seal will not interfere with my work.”

I took out a golden coin from my pocket.

“Now I will flip a coin. Heads for the wolf, tails for the girl.”

I flipped the coin and grabbed it in midair.

“Who’s first?”

*****

“He is doing something!”

“He’s…cutting them?”

“What? Too gory!”

“I want to see. Been a while since I saw a good bloody scene!”

“Wait… Nergal?! The fuck are you doing here?!”

“My champion is going to dissect royalty and you want me to sleep through it? No way in hell!”

“He is not your champion.”

“Oh, good Airhead is here.”

“It's Airmed and please be polite.”

“Kiss my ass!”

“Sigh, this is going to be annoying.”

*****

King POV:

“Where are they?”

As I was looking through the reports of today’s events, one of my wives came to me.

“Abigale. What do you want?”

Abigale, the mother of Margaret, kneeled before me.

Her beautiful body was hidden by the sky-blue robe she usually wore, but I could still see her charming face. Her insectoid eyes gleamed blue under her hood, as her mandible cutely clicked as she spoke, while her antennas made those adorable dents around her head.

“I came here to ask for permission to use the crystal ball to see the future.”

“…You know that you don’t need my permission for that. You can use all of-“

“I need the special one.”

Knowing well what she meant, I put down the fill and stared into her eyes.

“That ball is only used in emergencies. Why do you want to even touch the cursed thing?”

“… It's our daughter, Margaret. I think she is in danger.”

“What?!”

Personally, training that girl, I couldn’t imagine anyone who could harm her.

“Can you be more specific? What sort of trouble are they in?”

“I don’t know. I can’t see it clearly. I can only tell that if we don’t hurry, something horrible will happen to her.”

“…Damn it. Alright here.”

Using one of my numerous skills, I summoned the crystal ball in front of her.

This one was a special one, made by a passing by an alchemist who used the cores of several different monsters for it.

The whole thing was the size and weight of a melon, with shining particles floating in its sky-blue interior.

My wife lifted the crystal ball over her head and started to chant in an ancient language that lost meaning a long time ago.

In normal circumstances I wouldn’t allow anyone to use this item but, in her hands, the pioneer of divination, I had no doubts that the spell would work perfectly.

As she spoke, the crystal ball started to shine in bright light, and we found ourselves in a different location.

It was entirely white, with no end to it with disembodied voices whispering in foreign languages.

Already witnessing a similar scene each time, she used the time I wasn’t surprised just waiting for the result.

Slowly, the voices started to change, they now started to sing a strange song.

“

Even a well-lit place, can hide salvation

A map to a one-man maze that never sees the sun

Where the lost are the heroes

And the thieves are left to drown

But everyone knows by now

Fairy tales are not found

They're written in the walls

“

From the white void, something finally showed up before us.

It was confusing to look at, my mind could only put the pieces slowly together.

First Before the figure was a metal table on which a body was covered with a white sheet.

The table turned, so the body’s leg faced us, then it rippled becoming two separate tables with a body on each.

“

As we walk in a straight line

Down in the dirt with a landslide approaching

But nothing could ever stop us

From stealing our own place in the sun

We will face the odds against us

And run into the fear we run from

It has begun

“

Between the two tables, several floating balls appeared, some shining white and warm, while others were dark and cold.

“

Into the dark below

Evading shadows

Blind in a rabbit's hole

We fall beneath the earth

And watch the shell come unraveled

As the seed begins to rise

Embracing its starlit fate as we wait in the night

It's written in the walls

“

Amongst the spheres, two humanoid figures showed up.

Once was a woman entirely dressed in green attire with her red hair decorated with different flowers. In her right hand, she held a basket, filled with different plants, which hid her eyes from us.

On her right, a swarm of insects taking the form of a man was standing still, holding an evil-looking mace to his chest.

“What is happening?”

I have never seen something like this happen before, usually, it only shows the direct scene of the target.

“I-I don’t know! I cannot stop!”

“

As we walk in a straight line

Down in the dirt with a landslide approaching

But nothing could ever stop us

From stealing our own place in the sun

We will face the odds against us

And run into the fear we run from

“

More and more of the spheres started to converge between the two of them and from it, a new figure appeared.

Dressed in entirely white attire, its head was nothing more than a skull, scourged black by the rainbow-colored flames burning it.

As it opened its mouth, the sheets on the tables became red, and blood started to flow under them, dirtying even the floor.

As the skeleton stepped into the red poodle, it turned entirely black and from it greenish skeleton hands appeared, grasping in the air as if they were trying to catch something.

“Abigale! Stop this at once!”

“I am trying! Something don’t let me-AAAAAAAAA!”

While tinkering with the crystal ball, the nearest hands grabbed her and pulled her in.

She screamed and fought, more and more hands grabbed her and pulled her into the black liquid, completely disappearing before my eyes.

“Abigale!”

I wanted to jump after her, but the burning skeleton appeared right in front of me.

For the first time in so long, I felt genuine fear.

The skeleton leaned towards me, placing its lipless to my ear.

“It has begun.”

As it leaned back, the other things said the same thing, while the green arms grabbed me and pulled me down.

“It has begun.”

“It has begun.”

“It has begun.”

“It has begun.”

(Author note: Song It has begun by Starset)

I fell into the darkness, falling deeper and deeper, till under me something appeared.

It was a green heart, burning in rainbow-colored flames.

“No, no, no, no!”

Before the flames could touch me, I reappeared in my throne room, shaking like a leaf.

“Uggh!”

Falling to her knees, Angela threw up, dropping the precious item on the floor.

“It's not real. It's not real. It's not real. It's not real.”

“Calm down. It's over.”

I went over and embraced her.

“The-The hands… They to-tore me apart, I felt myself being eaten. The pain!”

“Sssssshhhhh! I am here. I will stay until you need.”

I hugged her tightly to my chest, trying to comfort her, even though I was also a little bit shaken, still hearing the words of the skeleton and the sound of the beating heart.

It has begun. What has begun?

*****

“Hey, you two! Was that a good idea? Those poor things look so terrified!”

“Shut up. You are just jealous that we were faster than you and blessed him.”

“Calm down Nergal. To answer, we decided it was better to hide his identity for a while. At least till he survives this trial.”

“Trial my ass! My champion will crush those puny insects!”

“Airmed, please calm that guy down. Why is he even awake? He’s been out for centuries!”

“Don’t ask me. I have no idea.”

“Still… if I were him, I would be pissed if you showed them his ‘secret weapon’.

“Those idiots won’t understand it!

*****

Under the castle, under the tunnels of the kayeri, in a hidden area was a huge hole

Several times, deformed monsters crawled to the edge of the hole, and threw screaming monsters into it.

The screams could be heard for a while, before completely disappearing.

While one of the smallest one of the monsters tried to throw a screaming goblin, it lost its balance and fell with the creature.

After a five-minute-long fall, it landed on the moldy ground, breaking bones, but still alive.

As it tried to put itself, a green tentacle grabbed it and the dead goblin and dragged it to something, slowly absorbing it.

Sitting on a circle of green tentacles, was a heart.

It was upside down, huge, green, and beating.

The thing was alive.

And growing.

*

*

*

[

Name: Phil Smith 'Plague Father'

Race: [Molded High Elf] Lv: 22/100 (52/100)

Main Class: [Life Father]

Sub Class: [Rouge]

HP(Health Points): 284/284

SP(Stamina Points): 70

MP(Magic Points): 204/204

TMN (Tamed Monster Numbers): [0]

Blessings: [Blessing of Nergal] [Blessing of Airmed]

Active Skills: [Basic Steady Hand] [[Hive control] [Hive Absorption] [Hive Repulsion] [Mold Field] [Basic Spirit Voice] [Aether Vision] [Steam Engineering] [Dagger Arts][Presence Concealment] [Lock Picking]

Passive Skills: [Body Knowledge] [ Plant Knowledge] [Medicine Knowledge] [Stamina Enhancement] [ Movement Enhancement] [ Reflex Enhancement.] [Basic Sponge Mind] [Perfect Stomach] [Hive Mind] [Music Instrument Knowledge[Healing Hands][Medical Senses] [Medical Mind] [Surgical Precision]

Affinities: [Basic Farming Affinity] [Basic War Affinity] [Basic Pestilence Affinity][ Basic Fire Affinity.] [Basic Life Affinity] [Basic Death Affinity]

Titles: [The One Who Saw a Thousand Worlds] [Knowledge Driven] [Chosen by Flies] [Medicine Pioneer] [Hive Master] [Giver of Life]

]