137
Ch.137 Romanian’s Test Subject
“A fan?”
I tilted my head back slightly, tasting the unpleasant, sticky heat of emotion radiating from Ui.
“I’ve heard about you long before I became a monster.”
Then, as if reciting lines from a play, Ui began regurgitating the researchers’ memories verbatim. Like ink spreading through water, the blooming colors of memory radiated from Ui, each hue and droplet reflecting the researchers’ recollections.
“The target I was meant to pursue—Romania’s Miracle—was an experimental subject born after countless miracles.”
In the early days of the monster era, within fortress cities still taking shape, forced awakening experiments spread in secret. Since children, easy to handle, were being taken from multiple cities to the labs, obtaining test subjects wasn’t difficult. Among them was one particularly quiet child. Too quiet.
“Even after the first synthesis, you showed no reaction at all.”
Children who failed to merge with monster cores became complete monsters and were discarded. Those who succeeded were given time to recover before the second synthesis. While all the other children panicked at the scales, wings, and new flesh sprouting from their bodies, one remained silent in the corner—still entirely human in appearance.
Then, during the second synthesis, the experimental subjects began dying in droves. Yet that one subject survived again. For the first time, it wasn’t a single synthesis but a multiple one.
Seeing the potential, the researchers continued the experiments, using the surviving subject as a reference. In the next generation, four out of the new subjects succeeded in multiple synthesis. The original subject absorbed three more monsters. And even after the sixth generation, when the body reached its limit and was sent to recovery with attached codes. Even after the tenth generation, when all subsequent subjects were gone.
The one with a tattered core still maintained a human form. Tests showed its regenerative abilities far surpassed humans, but its mind remained that of a child. It wasn’t a monster.
“No matter how many syntheses were performed, it stayed silent, keeping its human form. The researchers gradually forgot their original goal and became obsessed with a single curiosity.”
Just how many could it take?
Driven by pure scientific curiosity, they sought to test the limits of the human species. The synthesis surgeries continued until the thirtieth attempt.
“That’s when the first miracle happened to Unus.”
The surgeries didn’t stop because the subject could no longer accept monsters. Among the countless merged monsters, an unknown entity mutated.
Existence Evolution.
Within the core, amidst the jumbled consciousnesses of countless monsters, the strongest one devoured all the others. At that moment, the subject, having shed its human form, was given the monster designation code CXI.
CXI became a grotesque creature, its form constantly shifting as if multiple monsters were overlapping. The researchers assumed CXI had been completely consumed by the monsters—a failed experiment.
The lab didn’t waste resources. Failed experiments were either fed to other subjects or sent to fortress cities for data extraction. CXI, however, had absorbed too many monsters to be discarded so easily.
“Then came the second miracle.”
Drugged into deep sleep and thrown into other subjects’ cages as food, CXI didn’t sustain any real injuries from their attacks. Even after regaining consciousness, it never retaliated. It just stood there, ignoring them.
Intrigued, the researchers ran thorough examinations. Psychic evaluations confirmed CXI had indeed become a monster—yet it was still closer to human.
“Then the third, the fourth… Honestly, you caused so many anomalies it became tiresome.”
A mutation during Existence Evolution.
CXI manifested abilities never synthesized before—traits never before observed. An ability to consume other abilities, and a trait allowing it to transform into the bodies of the monsters it devoured to properly utilize their powers.
While other monsters grew stronger or gained new ability seeds by eating humans, CXI not only grew stronger but also took the fully bloomed abilities of the monsters it consumed. If a monster gained 200 from eating a human and 20 from eating another monster, CXI seemed to gain 100 from a monster.
CXI no longer needed synthesis surgeries. Just feeding it extracted cores allowed it to digest abilities like memories. Eventually, it stopped eating even those, surviving only on nutrient paste from tubes.
Even when starved and pitted against weakened subjects, it refused to attack. It ignored researchers, no matter what orders they gave.
“Unus, if you had just obeyed a little, you would’ve been deemed a success.”
The subject closest to success refused to move despite the goal being right in front of it. No bait, weapon, or drug worked. Romania tried everything to steer CXI in their desired direction, while other labs pursued CXI as their target.
They studied it, replicated its cells, chased after it. Yet, as time passed, other labs improved their own subjects while Romania remained stuck. Desperate, they resolved to make CXI move—no matter what.
“In the end, the researchers succeeded.”
They investigated CXI’s parents, created lifelike human dolls resembling them, and threatened to kill them. When that didn’t work, they slaughtered them right in front of CXI.
CXI stood up.
Learning of the subjects’ pact—their hatred for the adult researchers and their vow never to harm children like themselves—the researchers brutally killed a child in front of CXI.
CXI used its abilities on them.
Romania split in two over its violent reaction. Some saw only loss in provoking the failed monster, while others saw potential in its responsiveness.
One faction sought to create a new CXI, the other to control the original.
“With mental control via ego collapse already succeeding in Alphabet and Numbers, the researchers planned to break your mind for easier control.”
After forcing CXI to watch a family slaughtered one by one, it began obeying some commands. Sit, raise a hand, bark.
Then, on the day they celebrated their progress, CXI—pretending to be asleep—smashed through the door and killed every researcher.
“Isn’t it incredible?!”
“What is?”
“Even after ten years, you retained your humanity! That’s why they couldn’t control you!”
I frowned at the unwanted memories, but Ui, ignoring my discomfort, was ecstatic.
“At first, I didn’t understand what was so special. But now I do! A monster core embedded in a human body, occupying the most critical point—how could you endure for so long against creatures even S-ranks can’t withstand?! How could a mere human last this long against the countless monsters raging inside you?!”
Shivering, Ui’s euphoria spilled like condensation on glass. Its unchildlike gaze locked onto me.
“You never wavered—not to drugs, not to temptation, not to pain. You showed them, over and over, a human mind triumphing over a monster’s instincts! That even as something beyond human, an unbreakable humanity exists! Ahh…!”
That look was worse than Gu Seo-ryong’s. Clicking my tongue, I took a step back.
“You… Are disgusting.”
“Ahaha! Unus called me disgusting! I’m so happy!”
Intense emotions—reverence, admiration, delight, joy—poured relentlessly from Ui.
This thing was strange and repulsive, but its feelings toward me were genuine. Sensing that, I relaxed my guard slightly, even as my disgust remained.
“I knew you had some fascination with me. You came to W-City for me, didn’t you?”
“Correct.”
Clapping like a praised child, Ui answered with pure sincerity. It had destroyed the lab in B-City and came to W-City just to meet me.
But I couldn’t trust it.
Logically, I understood. Yet, the instinctive unease wouldn’t fade.
“Sorry, but I don’t like you.”
“Hmm? Why not?”
“Do I need to explain?”
“Not really. I think I know. It’s the dissonance you feel from me, right? Ah, I’m not reading your mind—I just know a lot about you.”
I glared, irritated at the mind-reading implication. Ui only amplified my discomfort.
“I carry the memories of Romania, the ones who made you, and Alphabet. I know what that unchanging face of yours is expressing right now.”
“Then you know how much I hate this.”
“Of course. I also know why you’re so wary of me despite this childlike form.”
“Are you even a child?”
“How unfair. I killed the researchers who tormented you, yet you dislike me because I’ve absorbed too many of their memories to seem like a child.”
Sniffling in fake tears, Ui sighed dramatically after checking my reaction.
“It hurts a little, being hated so much. But I understand. You want me gone from W-City, right?”
“Yes.”
“I’m glad you don’t want me dead. But I can’t have Unus hating me, so once I achieve my goal, I’ll leave W-City willingly.”
Goal?
As I stared silently, Ui raised a single finger and slowly pointed to its forehead.
Tap. Tap.
The precise gesture indicated the exact spot inside my own head.
“That thing—you don’t know what it is, do you?”
The something that appeared in my head when I became an Annihilation-class.
Ui knew what it was.
“You know?”
“Yes. I’ve consumed the researchers’ memories.”
The researchers knew about an Annihilation-class’s body?
How?
As I puzzled over it, Ui coaxed,
“I’ll teach you. What it is, how to use it. Unus, I’ll help you become a true Annihilation-class—no, a Demon.”
“Demon?”
Pupils dilated, brimming with excitement, Ui reached out to me.
Its gesture was almost worshipful.
Not an Annihilation-class—a Demon.
Curious yet wary, I slowly extended my hand—
“Ghk—Keh…!”
—And seized Ui’s slender throat instead.
Lifting it like a slab of meat, I aimed my claws at its head.
“U-Unus… I only… Wanted to… Help…!”
I exhaled sharply, then plunged my hand into Ui’s skull and crushed it.
An Annihilation-class wouldn’t die so easily. But this would disrupt its ability usage briefly.
Next, I drove my hand into its chest, gripping its still-beating heart.
Squelch.
The sound of tearing muscle. The pulse in my hand slowed.
Destroying this core would kill it.
Its head rapidly regenerated, eyes wide with panic—yet the core remained still.
Did it intend to die like this?
“Fine.”
Feeling the frantic heartbeat in my palm, I slowly withdrew my hand just before death.
“Hah… Hah… Hahaha!”
Regenerating swiftly, Ui knelt and looked up at me.
“That was quite the test, Unus!”
Playing along with exaggerated cheer, it sprang up and followed me.
I didn’t stop it, though my scowl remained.
I’d let it stay in W-City—for now.
Until my curiosity was satisfied.