Wendel Cornus was a genome scholar in an organization.
Because of his jealousy of his colleague, he stole the mysterious shard that supposed to be that colleague's research subject.
After stealing the shard and escaping wonderfully, Wendel hid far away in a grade 1 city to study the shard. Lacking information about its effect after a thorough study, he initiated an experiment.
Wendel kidnapped a boy who was walking in an alley. As he was a level 3 stage 2 Alterer, capturing an ordinary human was easy for him. He dissected that boy's chest to transplant the shard in his heart.
The shard could not be turned into a genome potion whatever he did, so Wendel did it in a crude way. It was something a person with a sound mind would not do because it would definitely lead to someone turning into a Feral.
But Wendel did not care about the boy. He only wanted to see what would happen if it was inserted inside a human body. Maybe he should first try it to a savage beast, right? But going to the wilderness would take longer and just grabbing someone would be easy. Why the trouble?
…
The transformation that happened to the boy excited Wendel. Seeing the body turned into some kind of a hybrid beast form, he thought that the mysterious shard contained the secret of this unique path.
With eyes full of madness and savageness, the beast within Wendel was getting out of control.
The abomination in front of Wendel was thrashing wildly. It was even destroying the bed where it was laying and the gene tools shackling it. It was growing stronger and was producing different kinds of abilities without a pattern.
Using gene tools to form a barrier around it and to mask the sound it produced, Wendel kept a distance while thinking what to do next because he already knew that this guinea pig would not be able to survive.
Waiting for the monster to stop moving, Wendel suddenly felt a change.
The natural laws' descent that would always happen during an evolution gradually weakened. While it was weakening, the monster in front of him also stopped transforming. The boy was turning back into his human form until he completely turned into a human. The natural laws' descent was already gone by this time.
After witnessing the boy came back to his human form, Wendel was shocked at first but became very excited by the result. He could not help but exclaim.
"This is miraculous!"
Wendel, in all his long years of study as a genome scholar, could not fathom what really happened. This mystery made his body shudder with newfound excitement.
Suppressing his excitement, Wendel observed the boy first. He saw that the boy was weak and not moving. His eyes were also unfocused and without life. After observing some more, he excitedly walked towards the body. He planned to thoroughly research the body using all means.
…
When he heard another voice, Joshua's heart could not help but skip a beat.
(Who is the owner of that voice this time? Why do these voices like to suddenly appear?)
Feeling his body without energy, Joshua could only try to discern who the owner of the voice was. Trying to see with his blurred vision due to exhaustion, he found out that it was a man around his late thirties with black eyes and black hair with some streaks of white. Then, suddenly memories about this man appeared in his mind.
It was the lunatic man who put that shard to this body!
And the man was looking at Joshua with eyes full of madness like a wild beast ready to eat him!
(Come on! I thought I'm already done playing hard to get with death but what is this?! Aren't you persistent, Death? Stop pursuing me! I already told you I don't like you! Stop looking at me with those loving eyes, please!)
Joshua still lampooned even though he was not in a good situation. After experiencing a lot, he could only muddle himself with his jokes to ease his situation. Maybe, it was also his instinct trying to protect his mind from breaking down.
Joshua was really exhausted and just wanted to rest but fate really wanted to test his will to live. He could not think of what he could do in his state, so he could only turn to the AI.
- AI. If you have some ideas, now is the right time to bring out the big guns!
[User Joshua's command is unspecific. Please assign a task for the AI to execute.]
With determination in his voice, Joshua ordered!
- I want you to use all your magic to blast that guy right now!
[Task received. Analyzing…]
With high expectations, Joshua waited for the result.
[Analysis completed.]
[Impossible to execute. The AI does not have magic.]
Joshua felt like coughing blood!
- Are you making fun of me?! And what's with that speed of analyzing?! You're not like that earlier! You're making fun of me, right?!
While Joshua was bickering with the AI, Wendel was done observing Joshua. He was removing the barrier and soon would move towards him. Joshua tried to think even though his mind was turning hazy and asked the AI.
- AI. What can you do for me right now?
[Based on the available data, the AI can analyze the state of your body and your soul. The AI can also exercise some control of the unidentified shard but it is not advised for User Joshua to use it. The unidentified shard is deemed dangerous by the AI and needs further analysis. User Joshua is advised to gather data to facilitate a thorough analysis of the shard.]
[Reminder: There is some remnant energy detected in your soul but it is gradually dissipating. The AI does not have corresponding data about this kind of remnant energy. The AI deemed the remnant energy harmless and inferred that it is related to your soul transferring to this body. The AI used this energy to take control of the unidentified shard and reversed your transformation.]
(Of course, my soul was transferred to this body. In fact, I transmigrated! With all of this happening, thinking I'm still in my original world would be a pipe dream…)
Though Joshua experienced a mysterious phenomenon like transmigration, he did not have the time to mull over it with all the things he was suffering.
Joshua had a passing thought after hearing the reminder of the AI. If this remnant energy was the reason for his transmigration, then would it also help him go back to his original world?
Though he wanted to ask the AI to analyze it, Joshua could only stop himself after considering his situation. He should first think about how he was going to solve his current predicament.
- AI. You said you can control the shard, right? Can you analyze if it's possible to use it right now to defeat this man? Right now, the shard is my only hope. I know it's dangerous but I don't have a choice.
Stating his concern, Joshua gave the AI a task.
[Task received. Analyzing…]
[Using all the available information on the database…]
[Formulating solutions…]
Series of messages with a mechanical sounding tone filled Joshua's mind. The process was taking long. Joshua could already see that Wendel was slowly getting near to his body.
Joshua was nervous. He had the feeling that this was his only chance and missing this would make his life worse than being dead in the hands of the man.
9 meters…
8 meters…
7… 6… 5…
Wendel was now near that Joshua could feel his maddening aura. Wendel's eyes were looking at him like he was meat on the chopping block.
4 meters…
3…
At this distance, Joshua felt fortunate that he was too exhausted to move, or he would be trembling because of the sheer fear brought by Wendel.
At this time, the AI reported its final analysis.
[Analysis completed.]
[The AI can use the remnant energy in User Joshua's soul to temporarily transform a portion of your body for a short duration. The AI will lose control of the shard by doing more than this. In that case, without the remnant energy, the AI will not be able to reverse the transformation and User Joshua will surely die or turn into a monster. Choosing the perfect chance to execute an attack should be considered.]
Joshua felt hope after hearing this! He then instructed the AI.
- AI. Activate the transformation on my signal! We have to finish him in one shot!
After giving other instructions, Joshua prepared himself.
2 meters… 1 meter…
When Wendel reached the body, he already let down his guard. He was being overconfident. For him, what could a half-dead boy do to him, a level 3 Alterer?
Seeing Wendel reached his right hand to grab his left shoulder, Joshua shouted in his mind!
- Now!
With his command, the AI controlled the mysterious shard in his heart.
With a blast of sound, Joshua's left arm facing Wendel turned into tens of tentacles with sharp claws and hard scales. They elongated instantly that they looked like geysers bursting from the earth!
The tentacles pierced the thighs, stomach, chest, shoulders, neck, and face of Wendel in a heartbeat without giving him a chance to react. It was a perfect ambush!
Wendel was not even able to transform before he was killed. His left eye that was not pierced by the tentacles was looking at Joshua with full of disbelief that he died just like that!
Wendel could not accept it until the last of his breath that he died with his left eye wide open.
The power of an Alterer in human form and in their Alter form was different. But even for level 1 Alterers, even if they were in their human form, it would not be easy to kill them. It was even right to say that it would be impossible to be killed by a weak ordinary human.
However, Joshua was not an ordinary human anymore. The scaled sharp tentacles that his left arm transformed into were comparable to the full attack of a level 2 Alter Beast.
Taking that attack with just his human body without being prepared, even if he was a level 3 Alterer, Wendel was obviously sure to die!
His over-excitement together with his streak of lunacy muddled the reason of Wendel. His confidence that he thought everything was under his control and the unexpected strength showed by Joshua pushed Wendel Cornus to his demise!