CHAPTER 126: SUBJECT #009

"Subject #009: survival confirmed. Magic compatibility—96%. Physical strain—high. Mental stability—pending. Preparing monster assimilation: Harpia Tyrantrix strain. Begin phase one."

At the far end of the lab, another containment unit unlocked with a series of heavy mechanical clicks. A creature was pulled forward—a giant Harpy, wings torn but still radiating primal power. Its body was half-decayed, but its eyes were still burning with fury, even in death. Feathers like razors, talons sharper than steel, and a core pulsing with elemental wind mana—the remains of a powerful A-class aerial predator.

"Begin integration," the lead scientist ordered coldly.

The transformation began.

Metal tubes punctured the base of the containment cylinder, extending like fangs. One of them jabbed into the Harpy’s remains, extracting glowing genetic material—blue and violet plasma that surged with magical energy. Another needle pierced the Mage’s abdomen, injecting the harvested essence directly into her bloodstream.

The reaction was instant.

Her back arched violently, eyes flying open—but no sound came from her mouth. Bubbles exploded inside the liquid as she thrashed, her arms jerking, veins bulging as if her blood was boiling. The Harpy’s essence tore through her cells like wildfire.

Feathers burst from her shoulder blades.

Her fingernails elongated into hooked talons.

Her spine cracked and realigned, and bones reshaped as her legs took on a more raptor-like structure. Her once human heartbeat became rapid, fluttering like wings in a storm.

Her scream—muffled behind the oxygen mask—resonated through the tank like a ghost’s wail.

Her left eye turned golden, the pupil slitted like a bird of prey. Her ears sharpened. Feathers began to grow across her arms in a symmetrical pattern, like a war-mark given by nature itself.

Still she did not die.

The scientists watched in clinical silence, taking notes.

"Assimilation rate stable... 72%... 84%... cardiac spike—injecting stabilizer."

A needle pierced the tube again, releasing a green chemical. Her thrashing slowed. Her body began to accept the foreign power.

Her prana signature surged.

A circular glyph appeared beneath the tank—unintentionally conjured from the overwhelming elemental resonance she now gave off. Wind danced wildly inside the lab, even sealed in fluid.

"Subject’s compatibility is—perfect," one muttered.

"She will be one of the prime subjects for the Second Phase," another added.

"She’s now part Harpy Tyrantrix... and still alive. This is evolution."

Then the final stage began.

Inside the tube, her body stopped convulsing. Her breathing steadied. She floated now, motionless, her long hair drifting behind her, entangled with glowing feathers. Her wounds were completely gone. In their place—rebirth.

Her arms—still humanoid—but beneath the skin, new muscles and nerves pulsed with predatory strength. Her shoulder blades bore the beginnings of retractable wings. Her senses—heightened. She could hear even the scientists’ breath beyond the glass now.

Her new heart beat twice as fast.

Her eyes—sharp, calculating, untamed.

Her core, once chaotic, now pulsed with wind mana so dense it shimmered in the air. The Law of Wind... reborn in her new form.

The lead scientist leaned in closer.

"Welcome to the next phase of existence... Subject #009."

And so, in the bowels of the hidden realm, another weapon was born to drove despair into the heart of the world.

A girl once human.

Now something else.

Something evolving.

Something that could fly... and tear the sky open, ushering forth destruction for the monster’s return to their rightful place before the transcendent beings return to the world.

•••

A few hours later, after she was further strengthened.

The heavy, metallic doors creaked open with a sinister groan, allowing only a sliver of cold blue light to pierce the shadows of the chamber beyond. From the ceiling, pipes jutted like mechanical roots, exhaling faint hisses of steam that wrapped the stone floor in curling mist. With a sharp hiss, the restraints on the demonized mage’s transport capsule released. The tube cracked open with a slow, pressurized release, unveiling the silhouette of a woman changed beyond recognition.

Her skin had turned a pale silver, shimmering like moonlit steel, and her arms were adorned with new, sleek black feathers — the signs of the harpy hybridization. Sharp, talon-like claws clicked as her fingers twitched, and from her shoulder blades extended powerful, half-formed wings covered in layered, obsidian feathers. Her eyes, once human, were now deep pools of midnight violet with slitted pupils, radiating primal hunger. The assimilation had succeeded.

Without pause, two ghostly scientists in Ourouboros robes noted data on glowing slates and spoke in hushed, cryptic tones.

"Send her in. If she survives the dungeon, we’ll proceed to the next phase."

Alarms blared softly. The floor beneath her shifted. Within seconds, she was dropped through a shifting mechanical tunnel that shot her down like a bullet into the depths of the organization’s testing grounds — the underground dungeon.

The drop ended in complete darkness. Then, the ground below her suddenly gave way to a stone floor — and she landed gracefully despite the fall, crouching low like a predatory bird. Before her, the dungeon extended endlessly, a nightmarish corridor of damp stone and arcane symbols glowing faintly across the walls. The air was thick with rot, and in the distance, guttural snarls echoed.

She didn’t flinch.

Roarrrr!

A massive roar came first.

Then the monsters emerged.

Two Chimeras lumbered out from the shadows, each an amalgamation of lion, serpent, and goat. Their eyes glowed red, dripping acidic saliva as they screeched and bounded toward her. The dungeon recognized her presence — this was no longer a human being; it was a predator among predators.

The demonized mage cracked her neck. Her wings spread wide with a harsh shriek, sending wind currents through the corridor. Then she moved —

Like a phantom.

Her body disappeared in a gust of black feathers. She reappeared behind the first Chimera, talons sinking deep into its neck. The creature shrieked in agony, but before it could retaliate, she twisted with inhuman force, ripping through its spine. Blood splattered the wall like a mural of carnage.

Swoosh!

The second Chimera lunged, its serpent tail extending like a spear. It pierced her side.

She gasped — pain flooded her nerves — but instead of retreating, she grabbed the serpent tail with one hand and yanked it forward. Her claws slashed with ruthless precision, gouging its eyes before stabbing directly into its brain.