Chapter 4 - Ch 4 : The Extraction Panel

Extraction complete.Gained:[Wind Affinity] x 1[Gale Wolf Bloodline] (Common) x 1[Broken Memories] x 1"Do you want to merge?""Wind affinity, Gale Wolf Bloodline... does this mean I can extract talent, bloodline, and even memories from these beasts?" Yohan pondered."And if I merge with them, do I gain their power?""No, let's not merge with them yet. Who knows what will happen," Yohan thought, cautious."But the memories... maybe I can gain something from them.""Merge memories."Suddenly, everything went blank, and broken images began to appear before me.I saw ruins of buildings, wolves fighting with some large dog-like creatures, and many other scenes."What is that?" Yohan wondered, as one screen caught his eye.I focused on the scene. A human stood beside a big silver wolf, which was standing on top of another dead wolf. The dead wolf looked like the Gale wolves but larger." Was it the pack leader? And is that silver wolf a contract beast of this man?"Then, he saw the man speaking to the silver wolf, which turned its head towards the other wolves and let out a huge howl."Awooooo!"Yohan could feel the fear the wolf felt in the memory.Then the screen changed to the scene of the wolves attacking them.As he snapped out of the trance, Yohan looked around. Everything seemed normal; nobody had noticed anything."If I understand correctly, the attack wasn't natural but intentional," Yohan thought."But why? If it was a rescue attempt, why didn't the man attack the convoy himself with the wolves?""He could have easily saved the one he wanted to save," Yohan pondered."What was his purpose for making the wolves attack the convoy? Are the guards stronger than they are showing, and that's why he's just observing for now? Or am I missing something else?" Yohan thought, trying to piece together the puzzle."If he couldn't rescue the one he wanted, he will try again for sure. Maybe this is my chance to get out of here. I just have to figure out who is the target of the rescue," Yohan pondered.As he contemplated who the target could be, he noticed the bodies of the dead guards wrapped in sheets."Yes, if I could extract memories from the bodies of the wolves, maybe I can do the same with the bodies of the guards. Maybe I can gain something from it."Yohan cautiously rose to his feet, ensuring he moved unnoticed towards the fallen bodies. With a quick glance around to confirm no one was watching, I reached out to touch one of the lifeless forms.Ding![Extract memories][Extract genes][Extract core][Storage]"Yes, it's working," Yohan whispered to himself, relieved to find even the 'extract core' option available this time."Extract," he commanded.Ding!"Extraction successful."Gained:[Earth affinity] x 1[human bloodline] (common) x1[Complete Memory] x 1[Hand to Hand combat] x 1[Marksmanship] x 1[Swordsmanship] x 1[Earth energy pack](bronze) x 1Yohan marveled at the array of acquired abilities."That's a lot," he thought, eyeing the results."Let's absorb the memory first, then we can examine the rest."Merge.Darkness enveloped him once more, but this time, a lot more screens appeared before him than the previous time. Yohan started sifting through the memories, searching for any clues that may explain their purpose.He saw many scenes like his childhood and military service.Maybe because the memory is complete this time I am getting so much info.While searching he stumbled upon a pivotal moment: a gathering of guards discussing plans for a transfer."This is the transfer list for the goods this time," an unknown man informed the leader, handing over a document.The leader scrutinized the list, his expression betraying skepticism."This??," the leader gave a look to the man."Yes, I understand your concerns, but the experiment is in a critical stage. We need more powerful specimens," the man insisted, cautioning the leader."That is why be extra careful this time we can't get any thing wrong at this stage, the man warned the leader.""Yes sir," the leader replied.Yohan snapped back to reality, trying to make sense of the revelations."So, we're the 'goods' they're transporting," he realized with a sinking feeling."Did i get some unluck debuf or something when I transmigrated why am i so unlucky, "Yohan thought.I escaped from one experiment only to be captured for another."No i have to get away from them before they reach the base because there is no chance of running away from there."Determined to break free before they reached their destination, Yohan mulled over his predicament."I can't run with this collar on," he acknowledged, eyeing the ominous black band around his neck.As Yohan scrambled to devise an escape plan, the soldiers began rounding up the prisoners, herding them towards the waiting bus."Move it! Get on the bus, now!" a soldier barked.Yohan cursed under his breath, realizing he had no choice but to board the bus alongside the others.Hurriedly, he reached out to the other bodies, extracting their abilities one by one."Hey kid, do you want us to carry you or something?" another soldier called out, a hint of mockery in his tone.Reluctantly, Yohan climbed aboard, settling near the door and doing his best to avoid the gazes of his fellow prisoners.As the bus filled up, Yohan couldn't shake the feeling of someone's eyes boring into his back. He knew without looking that it was Brian."You don't have to be so standoffish, kid. I only kill the ones who deserve it," Brian's voice drifted from behind him.Ignoring the comment, Yohan kept his gaze fixed forward, refusing to engage."Alright, your call," Brian chuckled."But if you run into trouble, don't expect me to help you out.""I would rather go to the guards than go to you," Yohan thought."I should focus on what I can do for now," Yohan thought about the things he gained from the extractions."Storage," he mentally commanded.A new screen appeared, displaying the various abilities and items he had acquired but not yet merged[Wind affinity] x 1[Earth affinity] x 3[Fire affinity] x 1[Human bloodline] (common) x 4[Gale wolf bloodline] (common) x 1[Hand to Hand combat] x 4[Marksmanship] x 4[Swordsmanship] x 4[Earth energy pack] (bronze) x 3[Fire energy pack] (bronze) x 1"So, I've gained two more Earth affinities, one Fire affinity, and some additional skills," Yohan observed."Maybe I should attempt to merge some of these skills. Who knows, they might prove useful.""Merge Hand to Hand combat, Marksmanship and Swordsmanship."Memories of practicing hand-to-hand combat, marksmanship, and swordsmanship merged with my mind, flooding me with knowledge of using these weapons."Wow, it feels like I've become a master in fighting," he marveled.However, as I glanced at my body, a sobering thought crossed my mind."If I tried to use guns with this body, the gun would injure me first before my opponent.""So fighting my way out is definitely not an option," Yohan pondered, his mind racing as he considered alternatives.As the convoy lurched into motion, Yohan's mind raced with thoughts of escape, knowing he had to act fast before it was too late.