30. House of horror’s

The rain rattled against the heavens, the resonance of the thunderstorms echoing through the ears of those fortunate enough to be alive to witness it.

The moon cast an eerie glow on the atmosphere, while lightning cast an ominous glimmer upon the desolate night.

In the middle of nowhere, St. Mary's Hospital stood as the sole medical facility for miles. Nestled on the outskirts of an old town, it served as the primary destination for residents seeking medical assistance.

Boasting competent doctors and ample space, the hospital became a beacon of hope for the town's inhabitants. However, veiled behind the sterile curtains of the operating rooms lurked a malevolent force far more sinister than Victor Frankenstein

Grant Queens, the sinister puppeteer, turned the hospital into his deluded playground. Though never definitively proven, rumors circulated that he deliberately terminated the lives of his patients, using their deaths as a pretext for harvesting body parts to fuel his twisted experiments.

Missing were ears, organs, eyes—parts absent from the deceased bodies. In the hospital standing in the middle of nowhere, questioning Grant about it posed a risk.

He was their finest doctor, and if found guilty, he would be compelled to leave or even face imprisonment. Such an outcome would spell the hospital's doom, affecting everyone involved.

However, years later, he was dismissed. Not for the theft of body parts, but due to his deteriorating mental state. Diagnosed with monomania and an antisocial personality disorder, he was deemed unfit to work in environments with large populations.

Despite being fired, he eventually found his way into VISIDIA, maintaining the same beliefs and mindset, now even more unsettling given the amount of resources at his fingertips. "You're like a toy maker," He remarked, observing IX at work.

Extracting a liver from a beast man and transplanting it into another, IX shifted his gaze to the left—there stood the leader of the faction. Swiftly ceasing his actions, he washed his hands in a sink before approaching. "A toymaker, huh," IX remarked, surveying his surroundings. "I suppose that's not an unfair comparison."

"Think of it as a compliment," He suggested as he walked around, inspecting the table holding the experimented-on specimen. "Is it complete?"

"Supposedly, however, he won't wake up." IX expressed his annoyance, moving toward his table and retrieving his knife. "It's like he's missing that one spark."

"Similar to Frankenstein's monster?"

"If only it were that simple." IX began tinkering, cutting through the patchwork stomach of the created monster, unveiling several hearts and organs. "He's perfect, the greatest blend of human and beast."

"So in theory, he's stronger than me?"

IX glanced at his boss, he was the only one among the remaining nine members of the Hunting Dogs for whom the boss removed his mask. Meeting the leader's chromatic gaze, IX gulped. "If he's as capable as I believe he could be... he can take down an Unknown alone. A feat only you have performed."

He chuckled while circling the table, careful not to step into the pool of blood on the ground. His gaze lingered on the beast. "Hmm," He mumbled.

"Is something wrong?" IX inquired.

"No, it's just that sometimes you geniuses are too smart for your own good." He strolled towards the door. "Remember, you're creating the perfect being. The perfect being represents unity."

"Uh-huh," IX pondered the leader's cryptic words.

"Until next time. I hope your work comes to life eventually." He exited, adding, "Perhaps after that, I'll kill it. To show you that, in reality, I am stronger."

IX observed as his leader left the operations room, closing the door behind him. With a sigh, he glanced at his creation and began suturing it back together. Although nothing appeared wrong, it failed to come to life. That indicated a crucial missing piece. A soul?

No.

He dismissed such notions and sat down, gripping his knife. Since entering this world, their biology had been altered, even though the concept of death still persisted.

He slit his hand and watched the wound heal, the injury closing as if it had never existed. Now, he cut off his left pinky. Watching it fall to the ground, adding to the already crimson-brushed floor.

His finger would not regrow unless aided by a healing spell, complete regeneration was an ability only Beast Men had. Which means there was a conflict of life within his experiment. Standing up, IX approached the table, putting his knife to its brain.

He incorporated a hybrid brain, with the left hemisphere being sourced from a human and the right from a beast-man. This design would grant it sharper reflexes and improved cognitive reasoning, while still keeping its minds separate, it would be the perfect intellectual being. However, could this be the source of the issue?

"The leader said something about Unity." IX put his hand to his chin, In thought.

He walked toward the beast, severing its skull and removing its brain. Intertwining them into one big group using mana and his surgical talents, he stitched up the brain once more before administering a lethal dose of electricity into it, jolting up the body.

Though his initial fantasy of the beast having two distinct brains had been thwarted, the current situation was remarkable in its own right. Now, the creature would be complete. However, this presented some minor existential concerns, but he believed these could be addressed through therapy.

However… Nothing.

His creation lay still, dormant.

What was missing?

IX turned, focusing on the remaining organs displayed on his table; perhaps he needed an entirely new set of monsters to extract from. The Azure would charge double, but every penny spent would be worth it.

Just as he was about to turn, he sensed the presence of a thousand beasts. Startled, he beheld his creation standing behind him, its patchwork face and body healing together, the stitches falling off.

"You're awake," IX said, observing his creation—a perfect blend of strength and intellect. With proper guidance, it could overpower a country single-handedly.

"What am I?" the beast uttered, its voice a blend of female, male, and child, its sentences jumbled.

"You're Arsene, my greatest creation, and I am your father. You can call me Doctor." The beast had already begun its existential crisis, hence why he gave it a name so quickly.

"I am Arsene," The creature spoke, its voice shifting from deep to high-pitched at the end.

"You understand that right?" IX extended his hand as he cautiously approached the beast. With the mind of a child and the instincts of a frightened dog, he aimed to inch toward it slowly, avoiding any potential fright.

"Doctor," The beast echoed, grabbing IX and hugging him.

With each passing second, it grew not physically but mentally, reaching adolescence by the minute mark. IX observed as his creation began to move, exploring his office and absorbing information.

Yet.

Something went wrong.

Once again.

Clutching its head, the beast stumbled backward, colliding with the entire office while murmuring incomprehensible words that IX couldn't discern. Before he could resort to using a poisoned knife to subdue it, the creature struck him, slamming him into a wall and rendering him unconscious.

As he slipped into unconsciousness, IX observed his creation breaking through the office walls. The last word it uttered before departing was: "Erra."