The human capital—Argenta.
Tall white towers. Magic airships in the sky. Soldiers in silver armor patrolling the streets.
To the people, it was a city of peace.
To Riku… it was enemy territory.
---
> [Disguise Protocol: Activated]
[Form Shift – Human Appearance Confirmed]
Riku's slime core glowed as he transformed into a young human man with black hair and sharp eyes. His aura was hidden.
Fio, Yuki, and Elinor joined him—each wearing enchanted cloaks.
"Don't use magic unless needed," Riku warned. "We're ghosts here."
---
They slipped into the city using fake IDs.
Inside, the streets buzzed with life—merchants, adventurers, nobles.
But under it all, Riku felt it.
A hidden pulse. A dark current.
The lab was here. Somewhere below.
---
At an old cathedral, Riku whispered, "This place smells of mana experiments."
Fio touched the stone wall.
"There's a passage underneath," she said.
Riku smiled. "Then we've found our way in."
---
> [Quest Start: Infiltrate the Secret Lab]
[Warning: High Security – No Escape if Detected]
Riku clenched his fist.
"Let's see what they're hiding."
Beneath the cathedral, a hidden door creaked open.
Riku led the way down a long, dark stairway.
The air grew colder.
Torches lit by magic flickered along the walls, revealing a vast underground lab.
---
Glass tubes filled with liquid lined the halls. Inside each one—monsters, cores, even hybrid creatures—twisted and motionless.
Elinor's voice trembled. "They've been… experimenting on living beings."
Fio growled. "This is sick."
Riku stepped forward, eyes locked on one particular tank.
Inside floated a core—barely alive, its crystal heart cracked.
> [Core ID: Zeta-015 – Status: Tortured]
[Power Extraction – 78% Complete]
---
Suddenly—alarms blared.
> [Security Breach Detected]
[Activating Defense Units]
Metal doors opened.
Dozens of artificial soldiers marched out—eyes glowing red, bodies reinforced with monster parts.
"They're using dungeon powers to make soldiers!" Yuki shouted.
Riku drew his sword.
"Then let's break their toys."
---
> [Skill: Shadow Blink – Activated]
[Skill: Fire Fang – Activated]
[Skill: Ice Spire – Activated]
In a blur of magic and steel, Riku's team attacked.
Sparks flew. Flames roared. Metal shattered.
Within minutes, the lab was in chaos.
---
But then—a deep voice echoed.
"You shouldn't be here."
A man stepped out in a black coat, his face hidden behind a mask.
"I am Director Kael. And you… are my next test subject."
Director Kael stepped forward.
Tall, broad-shouldered, and calm—like a man used to killing.
Behind him floated strange machines filled with core fragments.
"You're no ordinary core," Kael said to Riku. "You're… adaptive."
Riku narrowed his eyes.
"You torture, dissect, and consume your own creations. That ends now."
Kael smirked. "Then try to stop me."
---
> [Warning: Kael possesses Enhanced Core Abilities]
[Magic Suppression Field Activated]
The air thickened.
Yuki dropped to one knee. "I… can't use magic!"
Elinor's barrier flickered.
Kael raised his hand—magic gathered like a storm.
> [Skill: Arc Lightning – Activated]
A massive bolt shot toward Riku.
---
> [Skill: Shadow Blink – Activated]
Riku vanished—reappeared behind Kael—and slashed.
Sparks flew as Kael blocked with a steel arm.
"You're fast," Kael said. "But not faster than my science."
---
The fight exploded across the lab—walls shattered, tubes burst, water flooded the floor.
Riku used every trick: teleportation, fire, ice, shadow.
But Kael kept up.
"You're learning," Kael said. "Good. Now… evolve for me."
---
> [Kael injects Core Extract: Devourer Sample]
His body shifted—growing claws, glowing red eyes, and plated skin.
Riku stepped back.
"This guy… he's part Devourer now."
Kael roared as the Devourer sample overtook him.
His body bulged with muscle. Crimson veins lit up his skin.
"I am the future," he growled. "Man and monster… perfected."
Riku bled from his lip, but his gaze stayed sharp.
"You fused with something you don't understand."
---
> [Limit Protocol – Overclock Mode Activated]
[Warning: Core Stability 65%]
Riku's body glowed silver-blue.
His blade split into two. His eyes turned pure white.
"I'll show you what evolution really looks like."
---
Their clash shook the entire lab.
Ice met lightning. Shadow clashed with fire.
Glass shattered. Metal melted.
Fio, Yuki, and Elinor fought to protect the remaining core prisoners.
---
> [Core Link Detected – Devourer Sample Resonance]
[Hidden Memory Unlocked]
In the middle of battle, Riku's mind flashed.
He saw a lab. Scientists. A black sphere—his original form.
Then… voices:
> "Core Project R–001. Designed to evolve endlessly."
"If it awakens, the world will change."
Riku gasped.
"I wasn't born by accident. I was created… as a weapon."
---
Rage surged.
> [Skill Fusion – Unlocked: Starbreaker Slash]
Riku's final strike cut through Kael's armor, core, and heart in one blow.
Kael collapsed, fading with a twisted smile.
"You're… already becoming what we feared."
---
The lab burned behind them.
Riku turned to his team.
"Let's leave. But we're not done yet."
Elinor asked, "What now?"
Riku looked up at the sky through the cracked ceiling.
"We find the others. And we end Project Devourer for good."