Chapter Index

    Chapter 53 : Secret (2)

    I skimmed through the reports, which were filled with records of truly inhumane experiments.

    The first thing that stood out was a list titled Successful/Failed Interspecies Copulation Cases.

    The experiments recorded in this report were primarily conducted using “Alraune’s Nectar,” which induced extreme arousal in most

    mammals.

    Unlike “Alraune’s Venom,” which was simply an effective paralytic poison, “Alraune’s Nectar” was known for its aphrodisiac properties to

    such an extent that it was rumored to make even a saintess spread her legs instantly.

    It was also touted as a miracle tonic that could make even a man over a hundred years old stand tall again, and it was traded in-game at

    extremely high prices.

    The game somewhat reflected reality, as elderly nobles—those whose heads were full of white hair and whose parts could barely function—

    would pay handsomely for it.

    So much so that, in the community, there was a widespread rumor that nobles would pay any price for Alraune’s Nectar.

    Naturally, despite those high prices, the supply was too low to meet the demand, and unless you were one of the rare users who chose

    Alraune as their race, it was treated as a precious luxury item…

    But even that treasured nectar had to bow its head before modern science.

    They had kidnapped a handful of Alraune users, enlarged the single flower growing from their heads through genetic modification, and then

    dramatically increased the nectar output by injecting them with a bit of hormone.

    They had succeeded in mass-producing a miraculous aphrodisiac said to make eunuchs rise and saintesses open their legs.

    Once all the pieces were in place, the researchers began running various experiments using it.

    The aforementioned interspecies copulation was just one of those experiments.

    I read through the first page of documents I picked up.

    <Surprisingly, the likelihood of interspecies pregnancy was quite high. Although the test subjects looked nothing like humans—so different

    that calling them the same species was laughable—they were, shockingly, quite capable of conceiving or being impregnated by ordinary

    human sperm or eggs… However, most of the second-generation offspring were either miscarried or died during birth. Next, in artificial

    womb trials…>

    <In an experiment involving the offspring of two rare resources, an ogre and an elf, the ogre misjudged its strength and crushed the elf. The

    elf is now brain-dead. Dissection has been ordered for organ transplants into ordinary humans…>

    <Alraunes, surprisingly, were the only advanced mammals with plant cells—chloroplasts—allowing them to survive on sunlight and water

    alone. If a human-Alraune hybrid could survive, the once-distant dream of a ‘new humanity’ might finally come true…>

    “F*cking monsters.”

    The idea of human rights had been tossed aside like trash.

    There were dozens of other records scattered around the lab, describing how they bred people like livestock and used the process as material

    for research and video recordings.

    Some of those videos had even been uploaded to illegal video-sharing sites, and the number of grotesque examples continued to pile up.

    Besides interspecies experiments, there were also grotesque procedures like testing each race’s physical and psychological abilities, live organ

    dissection, observing reactions to toxic gases, and brain mapping.

    “…A list of test subjects?”

    As I scanned the documents, wondering if there was any useful information or any mention of those behind this madness, I came across a

    thick ledger wrapped around one bundle.

    Its title: List of Test Subjects.

    Just as the name implied, it listed the victims of these horrific experiments, sorted and organized in chart format.

    Thankfully, most of the victims had some personal data recorded—addresses, family ties, and so on.

    As I flipped through the list of hundreds, I spotted a familiar number.

    “…Number 167… Rose. Age 16. Race: Human…”

    Number 167. That was the number on the tag worn by the starving girl I had just rescued.

    Sixteen.

    At that age, she should’ve been playing outside with her friends and going to school.

    The fact that someone her age had suffered through this made me furious.

    I’d killed before, but these researchers were on a whole other level of evil.

    “…If a mere sixteen-year-old civilian managed to survive, then maybe stronger civilians or users are still alive too.”

    The more witnesses there are to expose this facility to the public, the better.

    And as someone who’d also suffered as a user for the past year, I wanted to liberate as many people from this hellish lab as quickly as

    possible.

    I cast <Flight> and rose into the air again, casting a simple barrier over the room where the documents were stored.

    Even if the lab caught fire or collapsed, this room—and the documents inside—would remain intact.

    ‘I can’t just leave the evidence needed to bring down the ones behind all this lying around in the open.’

    Ever since I awakened my status window and realized that the noble blood of dragons flowed through my veins, my emotional swings had

    steadily dulled.

    But the fact that I still felt genuine anger when witnessing inhumane experimentation reassured me in a twisted way.

    Maybe this burning rage was proof that I was still somewhat human.

    As I said earlier, the inside of the lab was massive.

    But it was even more expansive than I initially thought.

    If I’d tried to do everything myself—gathering intel, scouting, cleaning up mobs—it would’ve taken hours.

    My class wasn’t a summoner, but once you pass level 100, you can afford to spend some points on quality-of-life skills.

    I mentally applauded my past self for investing in <Summon Ice Spirit> back in my gaming days.

    With those summoned spirits leading the charge, I managed to complete recon, collect intel, and locate survivors in under thirty minutes.

    But just as I thought everything was done, I found another staircase.

    This underground lab wasn’t just one floor.

    <Take the survivors and the gathered information and get out.>

    With a mana-infused command, the ice spirits vanished from sight.

    At level 40, they were more than capable of mowing down the zombies here, who barely reached level 20.

    But still… I felt uneasy.

    Something terrible and grotesque was emanating from below.

    It reminded me of the mana from the necromancer that Yejin had torn apart not long ago.

    But this was on a completely different level—its quantity and quality far surpassed anything I’d ever encountered.

    There was one more thing.

    This overwhelming source of mana had been completely hidden, even from my detection skills—despite me being ranked third overall.

    ‘Someone’s placed a barrier.

    And not just any barrier… someone way more skilled than me or Siyun… No, even more than Shia.’

    Among top-ranking players, there was a well-known urban legend.

    They said there were masters in hiding who didn’t care about ranks.

    And if those hidden masters ever stepped forward, they could shake the entire structure of the rankings.

    Of course, most dismissed it as fantasy—after all, who doesn’t crave attention and recognition?

    But right now, I was starting to believe that legend might be real.

    This barrier work was leagues beyond what Shia—the fourth-ranked rogue—or I could manage.

    Given that the second and first-ranked players had classes unrelated to barriers, the person behind this had to be someone with specialized

    skills that even surpassed most top players.

    There was one person better than me or Shia in barrier magic, but he was currently busy in Europe.

    There was no way he’d be involved in some hidden situation here in Korea.

    Which meant… I had no more suspects.

    Either one of those legendary hidden masters was down here, or something—or someone—even more unimaginable was waiting for me.

    “A mysterious hidden master? An unknown entity? Aliens? …Now that’s something I can’t ignore.”

    <Synchronization rate has increased.>

    There’s an old saying that’s well-known across the continent of Pangaea, the setting of ‘Fantasia.’

    <Curiosity kills the dragon.>

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