"Now then… let's begin."
The five were bound tightly by a glowing web of energy, Rey's spell holding them in place as they squirmed and struggled.
They glared at him with a mixture of fury and fear, but none dared to speak. Rey stood before them, his sword resting lightly in his hand, his eyes cold and unrelenting.
"Let's make this simple," Rey began, his tone sharp and cutting. "Who are you, and what's the purpose of this operation?"
At first, they said nothing, but a faint shimmer of the binding spell sent jolts of pain through their bodies, making one of them cry out.
"Alright! Alright, we'll talk!"
The leader of the group, a man with stone-gray eyes and a trembling voice, spoke up. "We... we belong to the Cult of the Dragon Emperor. This base... it's part of his plan. Please, don't kill us!"
Rey's expression darkened, but he motioned for the man to continue. "And this research? What's it for?"
The man hesitated, glancing nervously at his comrades. Rey's sword flashed in the dim light, the tip grazing the man's neck.
"Don't make me ask twice."
"It's to strengthen monsters," the man blurted out, sweat dripping down his face. "We've been infusing them with the Emperor's essence, trying to make them more powerful. The Emperor believes this is the key to his victory—an unstoppable army of enhanced beasts under his control!"
Rey's stomach churned at the words.
"And what's in it for you?"
"E-excuse me?" The five looked a little confused as they heard the question.
"What is in it for you if you fulfil your Emperor's wish? You don't strike me as overly selfless."
"We—well… we were promised… a part of his new empire." One of them mumbled.
"Yeah… we will get our own territories and get to rise above everyone who used to look down on us in the new world."
"I just want to survive… honestly."
"We will get more power if we do this… and power is all that matters right now… no, even before the Dragon Emperor came. His presence only made us see the truth that we were blind to all this time."
"The Dragon Emperor is unstoppable anyway." The last one said. "If you can't beat em… join em!"
Hearing all their words caused Rey's brow to furrow in rage and disgust.
His grip on his sword tightened as his anger flared. "You've betrayed humanity for power? For dominion? You're no better than the monsters you're creating."
Before the cultists could respond, a deep, resonant voice echoed through the cavern, freezing everyone in place.
"You're correct, young man," the voice said, dripping with condescension. "They are traitors, and traitors deserve punishment."
The five cultists' faces contorted in sheer terror as they began to scream, begging for mercy.
Rey watched as their faces turned death pale in an instant.
Whatever had just sounded… it was a subject of immense horror to them.
"No! Please! Don't do this!"
"Please spare us… spare me!"
"We had no choice! We had to—"
But it was too late.
Their bodies convulsed violently as the same dark energy they had used to manipulate monsters surged through them.
Their forms twisted grotesquely, bones cracking and skin splitting as they transformed into monstrous versions of themselves, each one reflecting their elemental abilities.
The leader's body hardened into metal, his limbs bulging grotesquely as sharp spikes jutted from his back. The water manipulator turned into a serpentine creature with flowing, liquid-like skin. The fire user became a blazing, hulking beast with molten veins, and the wind manipulator's body stretched unnaturally, his limbs thinning into razor-sharp gusts. The support specialist morphed into an ethereal, ghostly figure surrounded by an impenetrable aura.
"Attack him," the voice commanded, its tone cold and unwavering.
The monsters lunged at Rey, their newfound power radiating with menace.
But Rey was already prepared.
~WUUUM!~
He activated a barrier spell, a dome of shimmering energy enveloping him just as the first attack struck. The stone beast's massive fists crashed against the barrier, sending ripples across its surface but leaving Rey unharmed.
"You were humans once," Rey said, his voice laced with both disgust and pity. "Now you're just mindless pawns."
With a flick of his hand, Rey channeled a devastating spell.
His magic surged through the air, gathering into a dense sphere above him.
"This ends now."
The sphere erupted into a storm of energy, cascading toward the five monsters.
~BOOOOOOOOOOOOMMMM!!!~
The blast consumed them entirely, their monstrous forms disintegrating into ash. When the dust settled, nothing remained but silence and the faint smell of ozone.
Rey lowered his hand, his expression hard.
"What a waste."
From the shadows, slow, deliberate clapping echoed through the cave. Rey turned to see a figure stepping forward, a man with a calm demeanor and sharp, calculating eyes. He wore a pristine white lab coat, stark against the dark surroundings.
"Impressive," the man said, his voice smooth and unhurried. "You're far more capable than I expected. Allow me to introduce myself—Dr. Shwartz."
Rey's eyes narrowed. "The scientist."
"Indeed," Dr. Shwartz replied, a faint smile playing on his lips. "And you must be the intruder who's been causing such a ruckus. I must admit, you've proven to be quite the distraction."
Rey leveled his sword at the man. "What's your goal here?"
Dr. Shwartz spread his arms, as if presenting himself. "Evolution, my dear boy. The world as it stands is stagnant, weak. The Dragon Emperor has shown us the way forward—a path to true strength, to perfection. These experiments are merely the first step."
"Perfection?" Rey scoffed. "You're turning people into monsters. That's not perfection—that's madness."
Dr. Shwartz's smile widened, his eyes gleaming with a twisted fervor. "Madness is merely a matter of perspective. In time, you'll see the beauty in what we're creating. But for now..."
He gestured toward the shadows, and a rumbling sound filled the cave. Rey instinctively shifted into a defensive stance, his grip tightening on his sword as something massive began to emerge from the depths.
"I'll leave you with a little demonstration of my work," Dr. Shwartz said, stepping back into the darkness.
"Consider it... a glimpse of what's to come."