Growth [Pt 1]

The process was painful.

All that Des had become at this very point was due to a painstaking process that he would never have expected when he agreed to participate in Eve's experiment. 

Back then, he was desperate. 

He would have done everything he could to get back on his feet and ensure his survival. However, if he had known just how terrifying and excruciating the years would be… perhaps he would not have agreed to it. 

"The first thing we need to do is to fix your body. Your arm, leg, ear, and eye—ah, let's not forget your genitals. Those are the important parts of yours that need to be fixed." That was what Eve said when they were to begin the procedure.

After saying these things, she brought a pile of strange-looking equipment and began to set them up before his very eyes—all within that dark and damp room.

"As an Architect, my expertise is mostly Mechanical, and not Biological. But… I will try my best here. We learn every day!"

It wasn't until the start of the procedure that Eve gave the disclaimer.

"This is going to be painful, and there's a possibility you might die. I would have given you the treated toxins of those worms, but it will mess with the grafting process by introducing the gene of another Horror… and that will have consequences that I can't predict."

In essence, Des had to take on the pain without any aid to keep him conscious and awake.

Even with that news, he had another concern.

"W-what do you mean… another Horror?" The question sprang out of his mouth as his mind drowned in worry concerning what her choice of words meant.

He was correct to be afraid.

"I'm going to draft the body parts of horrors into you. In small doses, of course, and by feeding them sufficient protein, and cultivating them in a controlled setting, they should be able to replace your lost limbs."

Eve had planned to introduce the genetic material of Horrors into his body without even informing him. 

"Where did you think those limbs were going to come from? Do I resemble a Mage to you? Even Mages can't simply restore lost limbs." Eve gave her excuse, almost as if she was justified in her rationale.

… As if she was not insane.

Des could not fight or escape his binds, and he could not go back on his earlier commitment. 

He could do nothing but accept her treatment.

"Let's start with your leg. Once treatment for that is done, we'll move to the other parts…"

"ARRRRGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"

The procedure was beyond painful—it was phenomenal agony.

It felt like someone was searing hot iron deep into his bone marrow, roasting his flesh and ripping apart his muscles. 

The pain extended to his crotch, and then his stomach, and then spread through every facet of his body. 

"IT HURTS! IT BURNS! STOP! PLEASE STOP IT!"

His pleas fell on deaf ears, and Eve merely stared at him with cruel eyes, completely unfazed by the pain he was going through as he lay chained on her experimentation table.

"Make sure you don't fall unconscious. You might die." 

Those were her only words of comfort.

The excruciating pain lasted for about an hour—the same length of time that it took for the body part of the Horror to fully be grafted into Des' leg.

But, this was only the beginning.

"As you can see, even though the nerves have been connected to the rest of your body, and you can probably feel some sensation on it, the leg is far from being complete or optimal." Eve told him in observation, and he could see it for himself.

His new leg appeared monstrous and incredibly thin—even thinner than him. He felt a dull sensation from it… almost as if the limp was not completely his.

The worst part, though, was the lingering pain.

It kept pulsating from the attached leg, draining his strength and causing him to constantly go weak. Eve explained this to be the leg's integration process, and how he needed to eat a lot more in order to ensure his entire strength wasn't sapped out.

This was also why she didn't introduce all the limbs at the same time. If she had done that, his body would be milked dry of all its nutrients and he would die.

To make sure his leg grew healthy and stable, Eve would constantly inject fluid into it, which she said was rich in protein. This reduced the stress placed on the rest of his body, since less nutrients would be needed from him.

In the end, it took him six months for the entire process to be complete.

After that, the leg resembled his human leg, and it appeared completely normal.

For the first time in months, Des found himself being able to walk normally. There was no pain, no clumsiness, and no numbness to his legs.

The two worked perfectly well!

"Looks like the grafting was successful. Now… we move on to your arm." Eve had to ruin his moment of happiness by returning him to the same pain he had long forgotten.

—The burning, overwhelming pain.

His arm was grafted, and it went through the same process as his leg. This time, rather than six months, it only took three months to fully be integrated.

"Looks like your body has adapted to the introduction of Horror parts. Your gene has grown to accept it, so it shouldn't be very difficult to graft new parts…"

Des wondered if this meant he was now part Horror.

Was he losing his humanity?

'I don't feel any different. I still have my memories and thoughts intact. I think… I think I'm fine!'

After fully gaining his hand, he was more than fine.

He could finally walk and move with a perfect sense of balance from his complete limbs. However, once again, his celebration was cut short by Eve's next procedure.

—His ear and eye.

These were done together, and despite her words on his body being readily accepting of Horror components, the pain was just as intense.

No… the pain was worse.

It felt like his skull was melting, and his brain kept pounding without end.

Constant veins appeared on his head, and he could feel the squirming feelings of nerves dancing inside his head. It was both disgusting and horrifying.

Des had never felt any kind of agony like it, and he hoped he would never have to.

The full integration process also took three months—well, two and a half, but still…

"The eyes and ears are very nerve sensitive. I also couldn't directly introduce protein to them, so they took longer to fully develop. Still, it looks like this is another success!"

In the end, after a full year, he was able to get the limbs that he wanted back.

Well, almost all of them.

"I couldn't find any genitals among the Horrors, and I have none in my stockpile. It looks like… you won't be able to reproduce or have intercourse for the rest of your life."

Somehow, Des didn't feel particularly bad about it.

Women had never been a priority in his life, and at the current moment, survival was the most pertinent issue to him.

He even felt a little relieved that he wouldn't have to go through the agonizing process of grafting again—especially when it came to the most sensitive area for a man.

"It's a shame, though…" Eve's passing statement made Des nearly shiver, especially since she eyed his crotch ever so fondly.

Fortunately, she never elaborated on her statement, and it soon became forgotten.

And so, after a year of constant pain and hardship, Des regained all his capabilities—at least, almost all of them—and he was finally ready for the next step.

But first…

"There are a few things you need to know about your body, Des."

… He had to fully understand how his new anatomy worked, and fully grasp the true rewards for his suffering.

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[A/N]

Thanks for reading!

Our boy really had to go through a lot, didn't he? Nothing worthwhile comes easy.