The journey to Prosperity City was brief. A quick visit home, a few words with his father about the liquor business, and little else. He had returned for one reason only.
At dawn the next day, deep within the hidden laboratory by the underground river, five men lay chained to metal structures. Their breaths were tense, some faces marked by fear and resignation.
Ethan flipped through a document. He skimmed over the first names without paying them any attention. They didn't matter. None intrigued him. Until he reached the last file.
"Gao Renli. Former Commander of a thousand in the Imperial Army. Arrested without resistance on the outskirts of Huayin Fortress, after failing his critical mission and causing the loss of his unit. Sentenced to death for treason and disobedience of orders."
That was all. No detail about what happened. No official testimony.
Ethan frowned. Reports from the Imperial Army should be meticulous, especially when it came to detained commanders. But here... empty. As if someone had carefully tried to erase what truly occurred.
He looked up.
Gao Renli remained chained at the back, more upright than the others. His wrists were sore from the pressure of the iron, but he didn't utter a sound. He didn't try to hide his gaze. He observed everything. Ethan, the room, the instruments. With a calmness that bordered on unnatural.
"We'll know soon enough."
Ethan slowly closed the file. For now, he would proceed with the experiment.
Ethan turned toward the steel table. On it rested five syringes, filled with a dense, amber liquid that shimmered under the light of the oil lamps. The D-Serum.
"Bring in the first one," Ethan ordered, his voice neutral as he adjusted his glasses.
Two Vespers moved forward slowly. One of them shoved the first prisoner toward a steel chair, while the other secured the chains.
The subject tried to resist, struggling with the little strength he had left, but his resistance was futile against the relentless pressure of the Vespers. In silence, the guards immobilized him.
"Stay alert. You're authorized to shoot if anything goes wrong," Ethan instructed without taking his eyes off the scene, as he positioned himself in front of the prisoners.
In the room were not only Shen Bao and the Hu brothers, but also a group of ten Vespers, their cold, fixed gazes watching everything. The tension was palpable, as if every movement in the room was a fraction of a second away from a potential threat.
The other prisoners in the room observed everything, some swallowing nervously and others whispering. But everything stopped when they felt the cold stare of the Vespers.
Only Gao Renli remained impassive, his gaze fixed on the scene with intrigue.
Ethan positioned himself in the center of the room, the steel syringe in hand. In his vision, the graphics began to instantly project, overlapping the image of the prisoner. The AION system was activated, scanning every detail of the subject's body.
"AION, perform a full scan of the prisoner," Ethan ordered, his eyes focused on the data flowing in front of him. The graphics showed the subject's physical conditions: heart rate, body temperature, oxygen levels, and a series of other key variables.
In his vision, a blue glow began to emanate from the prisoner's figure. AION spoke in his mind.
[Full scan complete. Muscle strength within normal parameters. No significant physiological alterations detected.]
"Do constant monitoring. If you detect any anomalies, log them."
With one last glance at the floating graphics, Ethan drove the syringe into the prisoner's arm.
In less than a blink, the data began to move faster, and the subject's physical modifications started to reflect in AION's graphics.
The subject barely had time to breathe before the D-Serum began coursing through his veins. His whole body convulsed as if connected directly to an industrial battery. The initial spasms soon calmed down. His breathing became erratic, halting, and then sped up to sound like an animal trapped in a corner.
The muscles began to expand under his skin with a dull crack, as if flesh and tendons were forcibly rearranging. His skin tightened to the point of showing veins marked like wires. His eyes turned blood-red. The prisoner, previously weak from exhaustion, began moving brutally, trying to free himself.
The restraint chair let out a dry squeal as the subject arched his back. The chains began to squeal with a sharp metallic sound. They were at their limit.
The Vespers, standing in a semicircle around the subject, did not move an inch. All with Mauser bolt-action rifles aimed at the center of the prisoner's chest.
AION's graphics were rapidly moving across Ethan's vision. The data flowed like a stream.
The prisoner's heart rate shot up, and his body temperature increased. The muscles that had expanded showed a brutal increase in strength, far beyond what an average human could achieve. Lung capacity was also rising rapidly, and the lines of the graphs blinked in a symphony of numbers.
"AION, what are the current limits of this subject?" Ethan murmured, watching the graphics.
[Physical parameter modification detected. Parameters increased by 300%.]
Ethan kept his eyes on the graphics as the prisoner, with bloodshot eyes, struggled to control his own body. The tension in the air was palpable, but despite the growing
Ethan did not take his eyes off the graphics as the prisoner, his eyes bloodshot, struggled to control his own body. The tension in the air was palpable, but despite the growing strength of the prisoner, the chains continued to resist, barely holding under the pressure of his increased power.
Everyone in the room held their breath, unable to look away. The prisoner, after days of confinement, was in a state of weakness. But as soon as the serum coursed through his system, his body seemed to rise from the dead. In a matter of seconds, his muscles tensed with inhuman strength, and his breathing became deep, animalistic.
He no longer looked like a man but like an ancient beast. Every movement exuded brutality, and his gaze... his gaze froze the blood of those present. It was like staring into the eyes of an ancient creature, a predator. Fear set in, and no one could avoid it.
Even Ethan was surprised. Those eyes... seemed to hold something else. A strange, primal power, as if something beyond the serum had awakened deep within the prisoner. An ancient terror, freezing the blood without the need for words.
"AION, what's happening?" Ethan murmured, his tone tense.
The response didn't come immediately. AION seemed to take longer than usual.
[Analysis in progress... vital parameters within threshold. However, erratic brain activity detected. Compound D might be interacting with still unidentified components of the nervous system.]
[Warning: An anomalous increase in the ambient density detected. High concentrations of unidentified particles present in the air. They match previous records associated with what this world calls 'spiritual energy.' Density exceeds average registered levels.]
Ethan frowned. That wasn't the answer he had expected. But what he feared most was happening.
In this world full of laws alien to science, where Qi and cultivation replaced classical physiological models, the variables were unpredictable. The rules could bend. Reality could transform.
As he continued observing, he heard a low growl.
Eclipse. The wolf was at the back of the room, in an alert stance. His fur had bristled, and his eyes were fixed on the prisoner. He growled with his teeth bared, as if perceiving something that the others couldn't.
"Eclipse, calm down," ordered Ethan. But the animal didn't respond to his voice. It wasn't simple aggression... it was fear.
[New anomaly detected] AION continued with a firmer tone. [Eclipse's heart rate is partially syncing with the subject's. Readings suggest a resonance phenomenon. Preliminary hypothesis: Compound D might be exerting suppression—spiritual or genetic interference between species. More data required to validate correlation.]
Ethan stood still.
Then it happened. The subject seemed to reach a critical point, and a deep howl erupted from his throat, harsh and profound, unmistakable... it was not human. The howl was like that of a wolf, filled with fury, instinct, and primal power.
The sound shook the room. Several present trembled in their knees, some prisoners fell to the ground, pale, unable to understand what had hit them. It wasn't just the volume... it was what it conveyed.
Ethan felt his body freeze. Not by choice.
[Anomaly detected.]
[User's brain activity: sudden alteration in the parietal and limbic lobes. A response associated with induced fear registered. Possible momentary paralysis from an unknown external stimulus.]
It was as if the roar carried an order, a mental imprint impossible to block.
But in Eclipse, the effect was devastating.
The wolf collapsed onto its paws, trembling, eyes wide open. A soft whine escaped its throat as it curled against the floor, panting. It seemed to recognize something in that sound... something that dominated it.
And then, without warning, everything stopped.
The atmosphere, which had been so dense it was hard to breathe, began to lighten. The readings on AION's interface dropped sharply.
[Anomalous concentration decreasing. Environment returning to normal levels. External variables stabilized.]
But the subject did not stop.
He continued showing signs of amplified strength: extreme muscle tension, powerful breathing, hyperactive motor responses.
He was once again adjusting to the theoretical parameters of the D-Serum: strength, speed, and endurance tripled. Everything... as it should be.
AION showed the countdown: four minutes of estimated effect remaining.
Ethan said nothing. He remained still, his jaw clenched, trying to understand what the hell he had just witnessed.