Chapter 18

While inside the prison, the sound of monster groans echoed one after another. Shout for help. Professor Tristan, who was young at the time, could not contain the fear he was experiencing. Until there was a man carried by the sorcerers. They carried him into a room. The iron bars sounded loud.

Footsteps of the shoes Professor Tristan wore when he was young. Walking while looking up at the roof of the sky which will soon be installed iron metal. According to him, the layer has three kinds of density levels. All the soldiers and mages had just done was build a foundation so that it wouldn't collapse easily. And form a fortress that is strong enough.

The younger version of Tristan was impressed by his magical and haunted feel. His magic energy was just full. The air spreads in all directions. So they can breathe properly.

"Tristan, why are you silent? Come here quickly!" one of the wizards shouted his name.

"A moment!" Tristan replied.

Long red robe. Cover the body and other limbs except the palms. He had worn black shoes and his hair was still short. Quick steps moved from Tristan's shoes. Her wand from the Clus tree. Bypassing the victims of experiments carried out by the Diligent Prince Waldwin. Tristan didn't want to believe the rumors circulating.

Tristan heard the singing voices of the priests, chanting a song of praise to God Ila the Creator. Her melodious voice is so clear. Until it enters the ear canal. Concentrate on the summons of one of the magicians.

From the looks of it, her face was deathly pale. Right near his eyelids. Has no hair and grips a long stick. His skin was wrinkled and his breathing was ragged. It was as if he had reached his limit. Tristan, who was young at the time, wanted to help him. However, he was rejected outright by his seniors.

"No need to worry about me! Now, you must come with me. Or you will suffer the consequences," muttered the bald wizard in a threatening tone.

There was no other choice for Tristan but to comply with his wishes. He is 24 years old. But his stature was already that of an old man in his fifties. When entering the room, there was Diligent Prince Waldwin who was torturing an animal similar to an olm. According to the story, Olm is also called human fish because of its human-like skin, cave salamander or white salamander. Unlike most amphibians, the olm is fully alive and has close proximity to the ocean or watery places. The creature only eats, sleeps, and breeds underwater. The number reaches hundreds of thousands of tails that are still breeding. This salamander can also adapt to life in the dark in its underground habitat. The olm's eyes are underdeveloped, making it blind, while its other senses, especially smell and hearing, are much more developed than other amphibians. It also has no pigmentation on its skin. It has three toes on its forelegs, but only two toes on its hind feet. It also exhibits neoteny, retaining larval characteristics such as external gills well into adulthood.

Olm 20-30 cm (8-12 in), with some specimens reaching up to 40 centimeters (16 in). Females grow larger than males, but otherwise the main external difference between the sexes is in the cloaca area (shape and size) during breeding. The stems are cylindrical, uniformly thick, and segmented with regularly spaced furrows at the myomeric boundaries. The tail is relatively short, flattened to the side, and is surrounded by thin fins. The legs are small and thin, with fewer digits than other amphibians: the forelegs have three digits instead of the normal four, and the back has two digits instead of five. Its body is covered by a thin layer of skin, which contains very little of the pigment riboflavin, giving it a yellowish white or pink color. The internal organs can be seen shining in the abdomen of the body.

The animal groaned as it asked Tristan for help. However, he himself was confused about the whipping of Diligent Prince Waldwin. Until olm's own body bleeds. Wenyld, the Matriach of Scales met Tristan who was standing stiffly. A pat from Wenyld, smiled faintly at him. Tristan opened his mouth automatically. A princess, who will later succeed to the throne with her husband Diligent Prince Waldwin, has the heart to be treated harshly.

"Bernard..."

"Tristan… you're late."

"I'm sorry I thought for a moment," Tristan said casually.

"No problem. The important thing is that you take them to the experiment room right now. We're already short of people," said the bald wizard named Bernard.

"That fast?"

His legs stopped moving. Glancing sharply at a room filled with experimental rooms. The sound of chains falling. Untie the knot slowly. Some of the butchers carried a large axe. Swing as hard as you can vertically. Beheads any animal it encounters. Shout after shout after another.

Meanwhile, the tortures of the butchers and master magicians continued. Tristan passed each time the room on the right. There is a path that connects the animal prison and the prison for prisoners or experiment room. Screams incessantly. Calling his family name because he was desperate. His lips didn't taste, didn't make a sound at all as he steeled his heart and hardened his face. He didn't want him to have the same fate as them. Tristan closed his eyes. Reluctant to look into every room that is deliberately opened. His saliva was swallowed by him.

Until they stopped in a room. Leaving only an iron fence and a minimalist room. Equipped with wooden chairs and a stone table. In addition, surgical instruments and magic books were placed in the left-hand corner. Let one patient experience the evolution of a cross between humans and animals. Apparently, the sorcerer put something in his mouth before changing patients. The magician's mouth is gagged, allowing the side effects to work their way through the patient. Both legs and arms tried to escape. He had convulsions with his pupils turning red. His canine teeth started to sharpen. Starting to appear accompanied by skin and hair loss. Growling like a wolf. Tristan looked away. Remove all contents from the stomach to the outside. The sound of squeezing was repeated.

"Bernard!"

"I know, I know! It's the first time he's been here. So-"

"You're free to defend him. Because after this, it's his turn to be used as experimental material. Butcher, catch that naive youth!"

"Wait!"

But it was too late. Tristan was immediately held captive by the butcher who appeared suddenly. The two of them ambushed Tristan without providing any direct resistance. The young man was scared. His hair shuddered in horror. Suddenly Bernard appeared. Drugged Tristan until he was unconscious. His eyes were forcibly closed. His breathing is slow and the muscles of the limbs relax. His body was laid on a stone table. Bernard threw the cloth in the trash. The sorceress snapped her fingers. Burning slowly the cloth containing the evidence. Can't wait to experiment with two humans at once.

~o0o~

His eyelids awoke. Looking up at illumination magic. Look to the right and left. There's no one there. Inhale quickly, pumped through diaphragmatic breathing. Expelled into the nostrils and mouth. Both of his eyes narrowed. Both his arms were cuffed as hard as he could. Trying to break free. The right arm is raised up. Moan with all your might.

"Where am I?" growled Tristan.

The young man glared sharply at a door. There was the wizard and guard expert he had just met, Bernard. However, his expression was downcast. Away from the face because it can not stand the torment later. The fists of both palms felt strong. Bernard's body was shaking.

"Bernard. Can you explain to me what happened? I hope this isn't your joke right? The one where you put a lizard inside my shirt every time I change clothes."

But there was no answer from Bernard. The sorceress didn't speak a word. Footsteps walk to the left. Picked up a book lying near the wall. Tristan looked around. The walls are very similar to the experiment room when I first conducted the experiment.

Tristan remembered the first time Diligent Prince Waldwin had demonstrated to master wizards and knights. It is seen that he ordered the servants to push the carriage. Bringing five animals with different types. There are frogs, butterflies, worms, and caterpillars. The last one is the olm salamander.

The right hand holds a sharp knife. While in his left hand he holds a magic wand. It was also limited for a while because the magic energy sucked up the stamina he had. Diligent Prince Waldwin raised the salamander olm carefully. His knife and wand were carefully raised. The magic book he studied was powerful. Charismatic as a leader and researcher radiates throughout his body. To the extent, he smiled at the creature he was dissecting.

The magic wand held in the palm of the left hand was swung slowly. The body of the olm salamander is dismembered and other important internal organs are removed.

Tristan was so fascinated by the abilities possessed by Diligent Prince Waldwin. Hopefully one day he will teach to be a researcher as well as learn things in the Unknown Origin Dungeon.

But that is just a false hope. Diligent Prince Waldwin didn't want him at all. Tristan struggled for help. Begging because he couldn't bear to see himself being tortured. Whip after whip one after another. Until the front is full of wounds from the whip. A scream escaped his throat. His eyes widened in shock as he screamed in pain.

"Please stop… I can't take it anymore…"

But there was no serious answer from him. His vision was getting blurry. Started calling for himself to be killed. One by one, the desired dreams began to crumble due to the greed of Diligent Prince Waldwin who wanted the Unknown Origin Dungeon without considering what other people said. Suddenly, one of the sorcerers recited a special spell that was unknown to him. A caterpillar crawled into Tristan's ear canal. Get into the eardrum and inject it. His teeth growled. His eyes bulged with annoyance and screams. A loud scream could be heard from within. Very loud and disturbing the people around him.

"Stop it!" Tristan shrieked in a choked voice from his throat.

The sense of sight begins to blur rapidly. Then it turned dark again and his palms went limp as he couldn't stand the pain. The sorcerers who were about to meet him, were frightened when they met other sorcerers. Researchers so far have not shown the bridge of his nose. Since then, Tristan swore to himself not to discuss the incident with anyone. Because, he used to almost become a monster called Astraldi.

~o0o~

"In other words, that Astraldi is—"

"An invisible being that started as an experiment by the magicians there. In addition, the Edgeville incident began because someone named Bernard launched a rebellion. And free me from that cursed place," interrupted Professor Tristan closing his eyes.

Principal Clay wouldn't ask again after that. Then, an article about Astraldi. The creature actually came from a caterpillar similar to spaghetti food, mutated into the human body. Resulting in more powerful and dangerous side effects. Principal Clay was still lucky to see Professor Tristan all right. However, deep down he was still thinking about being able to survive for so many years. Both eyes focused on Professor Tristan's limbs. No symptoms or side effects were mentioned. A slow breath from Headmaster Clay. Immediately take action in the form of a right hand calling one of the servants. The whisper in the servant's ear was low. The waiter turned around. Leave without saying a word.

On the other hand, Professor Tristan doesn't like the scheme that Headmaster Clay is thinking. He had a bad feeling about this. When he was about to leave, Kris said something. There was a student named Andrew who had been found by Tiecia. While telling him that, Principal Clay said, "Kris, evacuate the students. I'll go straight down there disguised as you!"

"Wouldn't it be more dangerous if you were alone?" asked Professor Abdul.

"Precisely because of that, I will disguise myself. There's no harm in knowing the real Astraldi," replied Principal Clay.

Professor Tristan wanted to refute. However, he had no choice but to let Principal Clay take action. They suddenly disbanded. Rushed to evacuate the students who couldn't fight. At the same time, install the strongest protection. Hoping for outside reinforcements to come. Meanwhile, Principal Clay downed a drink bottle filled with disguise. He swallowed it, changing his form into Kris. Get ready to meet Astradi as soon as possible.