[Wow... My body feels so much lighter now and my muscles are more taut.]
[I feel like I could even crush stones with my bare hands if I wanted to...]
Specimen 2946 mused, walking along a narrow passageway that was dimly lit by sapphire Mana crystals. He lead a neat column of nine other Homunculi.
On either side of him were two others who lead columns similar to his. Each column was made up of the ten Homunculi who survived the culling.
Leading all fifty of them was the bipedal cockroach with two large cockroaches crawling on either side of him.
[Ugh... Why is she sticking so close to me? She's literally breathing down my neck!]
Specimen 2946 looked over his shoulder and glanced at the girl with the crimson eyes and a chain wrapped around her being like some sort of ornament or jewelry.
[Apparently I'm the Captain of this decadon, and these other four leading the way are also Captains.]
He stole glances at them, and then turned his gaze forward as it seemed they were finally out of the passageway and at their destination.
[...]
His heart almost skipped a beat when he entered the familiar area, the Amphitheater, the iron scent of blood still thick in the air, and the rotten brain matter and bits of flesh kneaded into the sand, further enhancing the overall stench of the arena.
"Chiek..."
At the insectoid's command, the five decadons broke from their columns and formed five rows instead, each of them with a straight posture as though they'd experienced countless years of military training.
"Ah~ My beautiful children!"
Charymos slowly, yet elegantly approached them, his high heels stabbing against the blood-soaked soil of the arena, his tentacles intertwining with one another, reflecting an unknown emotion.
"Greetings! Lord Charymos!"
Thud...
The bipedal roach knelt down and offered his greeting, the Homunculi behind him followed suite and they too knelt before the Kraken Spawn.
"Hmmm~"
Charymos was pleased with seeing the Homonculi of his own creation, he grappled with an intense desire to snatch them away and present them to the ruler of the Tower.
[No~ not yet, I have to wait until they're ripe.]
The Kraken Spawn licked his lips and placed his hands on his waist and bent his posture like a model posing for a photograph.
"Lord Charymos, I present to you the finest specimens of the twentieth generation."
The bipedal roach stood to his feet and six Homunculi assumed positions in front of him at his order, including Specimen 2946.
Five of them were the leaders of the five decadons and the last was an exception, the crimson-eyed girl.
These six Homunculi all had one thing in common — They had all awakened to Mana during the culling process.
[My how unprecedented... To think so many of them would awaken Mana despite being born prematurely.]
Charymos thought to himself, and turned his sadistic gaze to Specimen 2946.
[This all happened after you awakened Mana first, it's as though your very existence caused the chain reaction for all the others to awaken.]
He smirked, but it soon faded as he turned his gaze to the 44 other Homunculi who were still bowing behind the roaches.
[...]
[They won't live for long at this rate... Their bodies are far too underdeveloped to live outside of the incubation pods.]
[It indeed is a miracle that they were able to survive this long, but they'll die without Mana sustaining them.]
[Should I just... Put them out of their misery and turn them into Orc feed?]
The sadistic smirk returned to Charymos's grey lips once again, and his eyes were illuminated by a glint of evil.
[No... I'll wait and see how they turn out.]
He abandoned those thoughts and opened his mouth to address the 44:
"My dear, oh so precious children, if you want to live then you should simply awaken Mana just like these six."
He said, with a cold and stern expression.
[With that being said, these six won't survive for long either with what feeble Mana they have in their bodies. Their Pools are too minuscule to sustain them for even a single year.]
Charymos stared down at the six, their bright eyes that looked up at him expectantly, glittering like an untouched box of polished jewelry.
"I am very pleased with all six of you."
"You have transcended all expectations and have shaken the Tower with your very existences! You all have potential to be the light of hope for our ruler."
"Therefore, I your father, saw it fit to reward you all~"
Charymos hugged his shoulders and slightly swayed, the tentacles on his chin dancing to the tune of his rhythm.
[The process of naming...]
As Charymos stepped closer to the six Homonculi, they all instinctively bowed their heads, as though subservience to this being was something ingrained into the very fibre of their being.
"Monsters," this is the term given to all creatures that are non-human, and it is not limited to those that crawl, slither or fly, but even demihumans, those who closely resemble Humans.
All Monsters originate from the Towers, they are an alien species to the world of Bloodbound Ascension.
However, during the course of time, due to their close resemblance to Humans, Demihumans, specifically the Lycanthrope species, have come to be accepted in Human society due to crossbreeding between the two.
Now, returning to the matter at hand, unlike Humans, Monsters are not given a name at birth as receiving a name is something of great significance to them.
Having a name in Monster society is a sign of great strength and importance, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that all named Monsters could be considered as royalty.
To clarify, the "names" that the Homunculi already posses, such as Specimen 2946, are not truly names, but rather, it is no different from a label placed on an inanimate object.
How do these Monsters recieve their names?
From a select few known as "Progeinators," those that were birthed by the Towers themselves already having names.
Charymos and the floor guardians are examples of this.
Through the naming process, they are able to start their own "Lineages" by naming others they deem worthy.
However...
[The naming process... Not all who are bestowed upon a name are worthy.]
Charymos glared down at the six creatures of his own creation and stroked his tentacles, his gaze reflecting deep thought.
[If your vessel is too weak, then you will die upon receiving a name.]
[And this is not a matter of level restriction either... There have been cases where even beings with levels on the upper 40's have died upon being named.]
[Now then...]
Charymos stretched out his webbed hand and touched the scalp of one of the six, his breathing steady and his tentacles still, as though frozen in place.
[Do forgive me, Specimen 2946. By right, you should have been the first to receive a name as you have outperformed your peers.]
[But, I can't risk losing you yet...]
[Therefore, I will use your siblings as guinea pigs...]
He turned his gaze from Specimen 2946 and returned it to the one in his grasp, one who had bright green eyes and a nasty scar from his frontal lobe to the corner of his left, upper lip.
"Look at me..."
Charymos demanded, and the green-eyed Specimen turned his soulless gaze to his creator, the Kraken Spawn.
[My~ How fearless and empty your gaze is.]
[Were you hardened by killing your siblings?]
[Ahhh~~ I know I shouldn't, but I want to break you!]
Charymos squeezed the Homunculus and wet his lips with his black tongue that was somewhat forked like that of a serpent.
"What shall I name you?"
He paused briefly and pondered, he wondered if he should name him based on his green eyes, or perhaps the serial number "2883" tattooed on his collarbone.
"Ah~ I just thought of the perfect name ~"
He finally came up with a name he thought was fitting for Specimen 2883.
He then squeezed his Mana Veins and poured a small portion of Mana into them, his grey hand glowing in a feint azure blue light.
[Not too much...]
The Kraken Spawn concentrated deeply, careful not to overload the Specimen with Mana.
"I, Charymos, Overseer of the Basement Floor of our ruler's tower, exercise my rights and beseech upon thee a name..."
"From hence forth... Thou shalt be known as..."
Uwong!
The light in his hand became more intense and radiate a heat of equal magnitude, causing Specimen 2883 to flinch.
"...Thyra."
UWOOONG!
A blinding light burst forth and a slight shockwave scattered dust throughout the arena, and as it settled, Charymos seemed to be extremely pleased and ordered Specimen 288 — Rather, Thyra, to stand.
"I have received the name you have given me, Sire."
Thyra spoke those words with the utmost gratitude, and his body seemed to exude a strength much greater than before, it was now without its fragility.
Charymos simply smirked and moved on to the next, but he looked to be slightly to disappointed, but he was happy nonetheless.
And as all this was happening...
[Damnit...]
Specimen 2946 was quivering and sweating as though he'd been repeatedly dunked into a body of water.
[... This... This isn't going to end well...]
He bit his lower lip until he drew blood, he was absolutely terrified, his mind racing like an athlete having snorted steroids.