Edoran's fingers tightened around the collar instinctively. He hated how it seemed to crawl into his thoughts, pushing him to conform, to obey.
"Move forward," the voice instructed, and Edoran's body obeyed. He didn't want to, but the collar tightened, sending a sharp pain up his neck. He took a step forward, his resolve growing as he did. 'This isn't freedom', he thought bitterly. 'Not by a long shot.'
He reached the pathway's end, where the door to a large meeting room swung open. Inside, voices mingled, creating an air of anticipation. Edoran stepped inside, and the moment his foot crossed the threshold, all eyes turned to him. He froze.
"Ah, yes, this is the homunculus I mentioned," Harold Faulkner said with a grin, his voice filled with pride. "His potential is on par with the Warmonger."
Edoran's heart sank. His shoulders stiffened under the weight of every pair of eyes on him. He was no longer a person in their eyes. He was a thing—an object to be displayed.
The crowd started clapping, their faces filled with eager curiosity, admiration, and some hints of fear. Edoran forced a smile, trying to mask his discomfort.
'They're treating me like I'm a celebrity', he thought, his mind turning inward. 'But I'm no one's idol. Not here. Not now.'
Aria clapped her hands sharply, pulling everyone's attention back.
"Now, let's move on to the main event!"
Harold cleared his throat with importance.
"Ahem. I, Harold Faulkner, am proud to announce the launch of Star Wraith Industries—
a company built to manage savages more effectively than ever before!"
"Our parent company, Nova Star Industries, remains the nation's leader in savage hunting.
Together, we'll push humanity's limits and build a better world."
Thunderous applause followed as Harold ceremoniously cut a cake shaped like a gleaming laboratory.
Music flooded the hall, and soon, everyone was either dancing or devouring food.
He tried to retreat into the corner of the room, but the stares followed him, cold and calculating.
Aria, ever poised, walked over to him. "Harold is a good boy," she said in a soft tone, but there was an unmistakable edge in her words. "I trust you'll keep him safe. If you hurt him in any way, I'll make sure you regret it."
Edoran instinctively took a step back. Her smile didn't reach her eyes. He glanced over to Harold, who was dancing with a young woman on the far side of the room.
The music played, the people mingled, and the room slowly filled with warmth, but Edoran remained distant, watching with a feeling of dread gnawing at him.
He helped himself to some cake and juice, trying to shake off the uneasy feeling that had settled in his chest. His body had already fully recovered from the fight. The core had done its work, repairing and enhancing his strength.
But there was something more. He couldn't ignore the feeling that something was off like he was being pushed towards an unseen cliff.
When the party wound down, Harold instructed a maid to arrange a room for Edoran to sleep in. "We'll be heading for the capital tomorrow. The company headquarters is located there," Harold had said, his voice full of enthusiasm.
That night, Edoran fell into a dreamless sleep. It was peaceful, almost unnaturally so, as though the collar had quieted his mind, allowing him to rest. When he awoke the next morning, they were already en route to Verdantia, the capital of Greenglow.
The city was a contrast to the green, almost idyllic surroundings of their last stop. Verdantia was a blend of nature and technology. Towering skyscrapers and sleek, modern buildings stood side by side with sprawling parks and greenery.
As they drove through the heart of the city, Edoran felt like a small speck in a vast, ever-moving world.
They passed a towering green structure emblazoned with the words Nova Star Industries—a building that looked as though it could reach the heavens. But they didn't stop there.
Harold guided the vehicle toward a smaller, more unassuming building, its dull grey walls almost blending with the sky.
"It's not much to look at but trust me, it's a very efficient place," Jake remarked, flashing a grin.
They entered the building, which seemed to be empty except for a few maintenance staff moving about. It was clean, but there was a starkness to it that made Edoran uncomfortable. He followed Harold into an elevator, and soon they were descending to the basement.
The underground level was cold and clinical. The walls were lined with high-tech equipment, and monitors flashing with various data. A few cages sat in the corner of the room, and Edoran could hear strange noises coming from within.
"Both of you are too weak to fight savages right now," Harold said, his voice laced with urgency. "But your cores need to be activated. Otherwise, they'll remain unstable, and you'll be a liability."
He motioned toward the cages. Inside, savage creatures paced, their unnatural forms shifting and growling.
"I brought in some fresh ones, courtesy of Nova Star," Harold continued. "Jake, you go first. Show Edoran what to do."
Jake took a deep breath, stepping toward one of the cages. He pulled out a saber, its blade glowing with an eerie light. Harold opened the cage, and a creature—the Chimeraborn, a hybrid of several animals—crawled out with a low hiss.
It looked like a twisted version of a dog, its face a grotesque mixture of flesh and sinew, and its arms ending in jagged claws.
Jake gripped his saber tightly. The moment the creature lunged, it yelped and fell back due to a shock collar on its neck.
Jake slashed out, the blade cutting through its flesh with ease. The creature howled in pain as it fell. Jake stood over it, his core glowing as the savage's energy flooded into him.
It was Edoran's turn now. He stepped forward, not the slightest bit intimidated by the sight of the creature's corpse. He looked at the other savages in their cages, sizing them up. The collar pulsed again, but this time, he ignored it.
The lights flickered suddenly, and the room was plunged into darkness. A low rumble reverberated through the floor, followed by a screech that set his nerves on edge. The emergency lights snapped on, casting eerie shadows on the walls.
Harold cursed under his breath, his eyes darting around the room. His flashlight flickered to the cages. One of them was cut clean through. A hole had appeared in the bars, and the creature inside was missing.
"Something's wrong," Harold muttered. He turned to Jake. "Stay alert."
Before they could react, a high-pitched screech echoed from behind them. They spun around, only to find a small, pink bunny sitting innocently on the floor. Its eyes, glowing a deep red, fixed on Edoran with an unsettling intensity.
"Don't move," Harold hissed. "That's a Tier-2 savage. It's a Gorehop. It's deadly, and if it touches you, you're done."
The creature started crawling toward Edoran, its movements quick and erratic. He felt his heart hammer in his chest. The collar pulsed again, this time more violently as if warning him.
But then, just as suddenly, the building shook. The walls trembled, and a loud crash echoed from above. The alarms blared through the city.
"ATTENTION! ATTENTION! BLAZING WHALE, A TIER-3 SAVAGE, IS ATTACKING VERDANTIA."
"ALL CITIZENS MUST REMAIN INDOORS. DO NOT LOOK INTO ITS EYES."
Harold's face turned ashen.
"Impossible... A Tier-3 wasn't detected before? How—?!"
A soft, chilling screech echoed from behind them.
All three turned.
A small pink bunny sat in the middle of the room.
Its crimson eyes gleamed like pools of blood.
"Don't move," Harold whispered.
"That's a Gorehop—a Tier-2 savage. It'll slice you to ribbons if you twitch."
The Gorehop hopped casually toward Edoran.
His heartbeat thundered in his ears.
'Why me?'
The building shook again, tilting violently.
One of the cages toppled, crashing between Edoran and the Gorehop.
The rabbit's mouth snapped open wider than physically possible.
Four tendrils laced with metallic dagger-teeth shot out, ripping the fallen cage—and the savage inside—to shreds.
It devoured the corpse with grotesque joy.
"Jake!" Harold barked.
"Use your Carnal Flux! Get us out of here!"
Jake hesitated.
'I don't have enough core output to save both of them... and stop that thing...'
He clenched his fists and activated his ability.
Dog Wraith flesh sprouted over his body, and he grew to over seven feet tall.
Six massive arms burst from his sides.
The Gorehop finished eating, blood dripping from its mouth, and advanced on Edoran again.
(Protect yourself. Strike first. Kill.)
The collar on Edoran's neck tingled—like a whisper crawling into his mind.
Jake charged forward, punching the Gorehop across the room.
"Go! Move!" Harold shouted.
Jake grabbed Harold under one arm and lifted Edoran with another, leaping toward the basement exit.
The rabbit screeched and pounced.
Jake caught its tendrils mid-air, but deep cuts started appearing all over his flesh.
Harold seized a cannon by the door and fired.
The Gorehop twisted its body unnaturally, narrowly avoiding the blast.
Jake strained, muscles bulging, and yanked—ripping one tendril clean off.
The Gorehop shrieked, blood spraying everywhere.
Harold aimed again—but another tendril lashed out, swatting the cannon aside.
The heavy weapon skidded across the floor... straight toward Edoran.
(Use it. Obliterate the enemy. You must.)
Edoran felt his body move before his mind decided.
He seized the cannon, propped it up on his shoulder, and fired straight into the Gorehop's snarling face.
The rabbit's head vaporized in a burst of crimson mist.
Jake laughed weakly—and then collapsed from blood loss.
Harold rushed over, slinging Jake's heavy body over his shoulder.
Edoran stood frozen, staring at the blood-soaked room.
"I'll go get help!" Edoran shouted over the chaos.
"No! It's too dangerous!" Harold growled.
"Stay here! Tend to Jake!"
"What?! You want him to bleed to death?!" Edoran snapped.
Harold opened his mouth to retort—but stopped.
He sighed.
"Fine. Be careful. Don't look the Blazing Whale in the eyes.
Run to the nearest med bay."
(Go. Save. Fulfill your role.)
The collar pulsed warmly.