Researching Abominations
Nathan listened carefully to the old woman's raspy voice as she explained the forbidden arts.
He frowned slightly, repeating the phrase under his breath: "Special secret technique… seal… steal the sky and change the sun…"
The words carried weight, like a curse wrapped in mystery.
Nathan's mind, however, was not satisfied with vague descriptions. He asked directly, his tone calm but edged with the seriousness of a man who had long surpassed ordinary hesitation:
"I have a problem. Even though I possess the power of demons, I cannot truly control it. At best, I restrain it, forcing it to strengthen my body. I don't command it—it feels more like I've stolen it than mastered it. Tell me, am I still capable of performing this secret technique?"
His words made the air go still.
The Hand elders exchanged uneasy glances. They had seen men use the demonic power gifted by their so-called gods, but Nathan was different. He had wrenched the power out of Hei Kong's body by force, leaving the source broken and himself infused with a volatile force that resisted control.
It was terrifying.
The old woman, usually sharp-tongued, faltered. She hesitated before finally speaking:
"That… is troublesome. This secret technique can only be executed by one who actively wields demonic energy. Without proper control, it cannot be released."
Nathan narrowed his eyes. "Then tell me—how do you release it?"
The old woman gave a small, reluctant nod.
"You also wield demonic power, don't you?" Nathan pressed.
"Yes," she admitted, bowing her head slightly. "We draw strength from Lord Cthulhu. Through his blessing, we can use and control this power."
Nathan's gaze sharpened. "Then you should be able to release this technique yourselves, shouldn't you?"
Her face went pale. The other elders shifted nervously.
After a long silence, the old woman finally spoke. "We… can indeed perform the ritual. But understand this—we cannot use it on the Lord Cthulhu himself. That would be sacrilege. If we dared attempt such a seal, he would sense it, and his vengeance would be eternal."
Nathan leaned closer, voice low but cutting like a blade: "You've already betrayed him. The moment you revealed his secrets to me, you signed your own death warrants. Whether or not you perform this ritual, he will hunt you. The only choice left to you is this—help me, or die here and now."
The words landed like hammer blows. The elders' expressions twisted into bitterness and despair.
They knew he was right.
But Nathan wasn't a fool. He didn't intend to rely solely on the Hand. Allowing them to cast the ritual was just a safeguard. What he truly needed was to learn how to control the demonic power himself. If he mastered it, then he could execute the sealing technique without fear of betrayal.
Nathan straightened. "Fine. Teach me the sealing method first."
The old woman reluctantly described the process in detail, each step more twisted than the last—incantations that drew power from corruption, sigils etched in blood, and a precise sequence that bent reality to cage monstrous entities.
When she finished, Nathan folded his arms. "Good. Now, what other secret techniques do you possess? Don't hold back."
The old woman hesitated again before offering an olive branch. "We keep a library of secret arts. Though small, it contains every ritual we've preserved. Would you like to see it?"
Her words were calculated. She didn't truly believe he could master them, but if he tried, it might curry favor. And if he succeeded—then she and the others would cling to him as their only salvation.
Nathan's eyes gleamed. "Show me."
She led him through twisting corridors into a narrow, dimly lit chamber. The shelves were sparse, lined with worn tomes and brittle scrolls. Dust coated the surfaces, proof that few had dared open them in centuries.
Nathan quickly skimmed through the texts. Though few in number, the contents were intriguing.
Techniques for tracking prey across great distances.
Arts of concealment, cloaking one's presence from hunters and gods alike.
Rituals of temporary empowerment—brief bursts of unnatural strength purchased at a cost.
The sealing technique, as she had mentioned earlier.
But there were notable absences.
The rumored "beam-stealing" technique wasn't here. That art could only be learned by absorbing the memory of a bound beast, not from ink and parchment.
The secret of life extension was missing as well. That one, too, belonged only to the beasts—knowledge they jealously guarded within their monstrous existence.
Nathan closed the final tome, thoughtful.
All these rituals required demonic power as fuel. And the more he understood, the clearer it became: complete mastery over such power came at a price.
The old woman explained grimly, "When one pushes too far, the corruption spreads. The wielder becomes less human, more demon. At a certain threshold, there is no turning back."
Nathan's brow furrowed. So the power that tempted him also sought to consume him. But he wasn't afraid—knowledge was the first step to control.
He looked directly at the Hand elders.
"From this moment, you continue to manage the Hand, but not for yourselves. You serve me. The day you chose betrayal, you severed ties with your so-called god. That leaves you with only one hope: that your master never rises again. From now on, the Hand belongs to me."
He let the words sink in before adding the final hook:
"And if you want to continue living—if you crave the secret of eternal life—then obey me. When I seal the beast and claim the method of longevity, you will share in it. Without me, you will wither and die."
The elders' faces contorted with desperation. Eternal life was their obsession. His promise—or rather, his threat—was enough.
They bowed their heads. "We will serve you."
Nathan nodded, satisfied, then fixed his gaze on the old woman. "You're coming with me. I need to study how you control your demonic power."
The elders stiffened in shock. Studying the power itself was unthinkable—it was corruption, not knowledge. But Nathan had already proven capable of the impossible.
The old woman trembled. Every instinct screamed at her to resist, but she dared not. Refusal meant death. "Very well," she whispered.
Thus began Nathan's experiments.
He dragged the old woman into a hidden laboratory, one filled with crude but effective instruments. For days, he tested the limits of demonic energy, probing its reactions, observing how it moved through veins, how it corrupted and strengthened in equal measure.
But that wasn't all. In parallel, Nathan constructed isolation rooms and protective gear, fortresses of metal and shielding designed to contain radiation and monstrous energy alike. He wasn't just studying the Hand's secrets—he was preparing for something far larger.
Days turned into weeks. Sweat and steel shaped his progress. Finally, the isolation chamber stood complete, reinforced with cutting-edge barriers. Nathan himself donned protective equipment, stepping into the chamber with the calm determination of a man about to face down a storm.
Before him, bound in chains of Vibranium, stood a hulking, snarling figure. The abomination strained against its restraints, monstrous muscles bulging, eyes burning with rage.
"LET ME OUT!" it roared. "You can't keep me here! I'll tear you apart!"
The chains rattled, but held firm. Vibranium did not yield.
Nathan regarded the creature without fear. His voice was steady, cold.
"You're not here to escape. You're here to teach me. Today, I begin my research into your gamma power."
The abomination howled in fury, but Nathan's expression didn't change. For him, this was not cruelty—it was necessity. Every monster, every abomination, every ancient beast was nothing more than another step toward power, control, and ultimately, survival.
--------------------
Visit our Patreon for more:
Get membership in patreon to read more chapters
Extra chapters available in patreon
patreon.com/Dragonscribe31
----------------------------------------------------- .