The group returned to the surface as the lab collapsed behind them.
No one cheered.
No one smiled.
The silence was heavy—like the weight of truth pressing down on their backs.
Riku walked ahead, his human form flickering for a moment. His thoughts were distant.
> "I was made… not born."
"I was someone's experiment."
---
They stopped at an abandoned outpost deep in the forest.
Yuki lit a fire.
Elinor patched wounds.
Fio sat beside Riku.
"You okay?" she asked.
Riku didn't answer right away.
"Kael said something," he muttered. "That I'm only the beginning. There's more… like me."
---
Fio's eyes sharpened.
"Then we find them. Before they become monsters too."
Riku nodded slowly.
"But we'll need answers. Real ones."
---
> [New Quest Unlocked: Search for the Origin Facility]
[Location Hint: The Forbidden North – Where the first core awakened]
---
Just then, the wind shifted.
Magic trembled. The trees rustled unnaturally.
Riku stood up fast.
"Something's coming."
From the shadows stepped a man with silver hair and violet eyes—elegant and calm.
He bowed slightly.
"My name is Lucien. I knew your creator."
Lucien stood tall, his cloak fluttering in the wind.
The others remained tense.
Fio held her blade. Elinor readied a barrier. Yuki aimed a bolt of lightning.
But Riku raised his hand.
"Wait. He knows something."
Lucien smiled.
"Smart. Just like your creator hoped."
---
The group sat around the fire as Lucien explained.
"Your body… your power… they came from the Origin Facility. A lab that tried to create the perfect adaptive lifeform. You were their greatest success, Riku."
Riku's voice was low.
"Why me?"
"You weren't meant to survive," Lucien said. "You were supposed to evolve… and then be harvested."
---
Elinor shivered.
"So they were going to kill him after using him?"
Lucien nodded.
"They called you 'Project Restart.' A being who could absorb, adapt, and overwrite nature's limits."
Yuki's hands curled into fists.
"That's messed up."
---
Riku asked, "What do you want from me?"
Lucien leaned in.
"There are others like you. Not all were stable. Some became monsters. Others… became kings."
"I can lead you to the Origin Facility. But you'll need power. More than you've ever used."
---
> [Side Quest: Lucien's Deal – Assist Lucien to uncover Origin secrets]
[Reward: Access to Evolution Chamber – Human Form Upgrade Possible]
Riku stared into the flames.
"…Fine. Take us there."
Lucien smiled faintly.
"Then your journey north begins. But beware—the Origin Facility is guarded by her."
Riku frowned.
"Her?"
Lucien's eyes darkened.
"The First Core. The Mother of Evolution."
Snow fell as the group crossed into the northern tundra.
The land was silent. No birds. No beasts. Only the howl of wind.
Lucien led the way.
"The Origin Facility lies beyond that ridge. But something… unnatural is guarding the path."
Riku scanned the area.
> [Beast Sense – Activated]
[Alert: Unknown lifeform nearby – High mutation detected]
---
They moved carefully until the snow cracked beneath them.
From below, a massive figure burst out.
A bear—twice the size of a wagon.
But its body was half-flesh, half-metal.
Its eyes glowed crimson. Its breath reeked of burning magic.
Fio gasped.
"That's not natural…"
Lucien's voice was grim.
"It's a failed core. One of the early experiments."
---
> [Boss Battle: Hybrid Core Beast – Begin]
Riku dashed in first, blades glowing.
The beast roared and slammed a metallic paw down.
> [Teleport – Activated]
He vanished and reappeared above, slashing down—but sparks flew off the metal hide.
Fio and Yuki attacked from the sides.
Elinor formed a barrier to block its breath attack.
> [Barrier Integrity: 68%]
---
Riku narrowed his eyes.
"Time to end this."
> [Skill Fusion: Frost Fang + Shadow Blink]
[New Skill Created: Phantom Ice Slash]
He blinked through the creature—ice blades cutting deep into its core.
The beast howled… then collapsed.
> [Victory: Core Stabilized]
[Absorbed Trait: Adaptive Armor – Defense increases when under attack]
---
Lucien stepped forward and placed a hand on the beast's head.
"I remember this one. It used to be gentle."
Riku said nothing.
They moved on, the facility now just over the icy ridge.
The frozen ridge cracked under their boots as the group reached the summit.
Below them…
A metal fortress buried in ice and snow.
Towers pierced the clouds. Walls shimmered with magic seals.
Frozen bodies of monsters and failed experiments surrounded the structure—silent guardians of the past.
Lucien whispered, "Welcome to the Origin Facility."
---
They descended slowly.
A massive door stood at the entrance, marked with glowing runes.
> [Core Signature Detected – Access Granted]
[Welcome, Riku.]
The doors creaked open.
Inside was darkness.
And… silence.
---
As they entered, lights blinked on one by one.
Rows of capsules lined the halls.
Most were cracked. Some still held frozen shapes—slimes, humans, beasts… or things in between.
Riku stopped at a wall covered in ancient writing.
> "To the one who survives…
You are my final hope.
My child. My mistake."
---
Suddenly, alarms blared.
> [Intruder Detected – Defense Protocol Online]
Turrets unfolded from the ceiling. Mechs emerged from sealed chambers.
Lucien shouted, "They activated the guardian system!"
Riku stepped forward.
"Let them come."
> [Overclock Mode – Engaged]
[Teleport – Active]
[Skill Fusion Ready]
---
The final battle of the chapter began.
Ice clashed with fire. Blades spun through the air.
Riku moved like a storm—blinking, striking, vanishing.
He wasn't just surviving.
He was remembering who he was meant to become.
---
As the last turret fell, the room went silent again.
In the center… a glowing chamber opened.
Inside it…
Was a perfect clone of Riku.
Sleeping.
Waiting.