I told you to plant peas, and you summon Mordekaiser?

District Three.

A paradise for all kinds of scientific fanatics, known to the world as the research zone.

An underground laboratory.

Okun Mondlair floated in the boundless darkness, his consciousness adrift, as if nailed to the void by an invisible force.

He tried hard to open his eyes, but he couldn't shake off that sticky feeling of drowsiness.

A muffled sound came from my ear, as if it were coming from a very far distance, or as if it were whispering in my ear.

"This is the first time the Great Feather Sunflower has fused. How did it go?"

"Well, it's a semi-finished product, the fusion rate is less than 50%, but it's usable enough."

"The team leader said that if it gets out of control, it has to be disposed of."

"Let's observe for a while longer."

The sounds came from near and far.

Oken tried to shout, but couldn't utter a single syllable.

His consciousness seemed to be swept away by an endless stream of water, sinking downwards.

He felt himself fall asleep again.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but when he woke up again, he saw a pale green light before his eyes.

He blinked, and his blurry vision gradually cleared.

He found himself submerged in a huge, transparent culture chamber, with liquid completely covering his body.

The liquid was icy cold, yet it also had a strangely soothing effect.

He couldn't breathe, but strangely, he didn't need to breathe.

The tactile sensation in his limbs became exceptionally clear. He tried to move his hands, but found that his movements were unusually slow, as if he were bound by some invisible force.

Oken looked down at his body, which belonged to him, yet was not entirely his.

His skin had a faint reddish sheen, as if it were covered by countless tiny blood vessels, radiating a dim light.

He reached out and touched his shoulder, and immediately felt an unfamiliar sensation coming from his back.

There seemed to be something extra on his back.

He tried to twist his body to see the changes behind him clearly, but found that he had lost most of his strength and could not even do the simple action of turning his head.

Through the reflective glass of the incubation chamber, he could vaguely see a pair of enormous crimson wings.

I feel like a big bat... he thought, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity he had never experienced before.

He could clearly perceive that these wings were part of his body, perfectly connected to his spine, nerves, and even every muscle.

These wings signify that he is no longer the person he once was.

He stared intently at the blurry figure outside the incubation chamber, a chilling thought rising in his mind.

“What have I become?”

......

......

I woke up again.

He found himself sleeping for longer and longer periods of time.

Oken strained to move his gaze and looked around through the translucent glass of the culture chamber.

Countless culture chambers were neatly arranged around, each emitting a faint green glow.

This light was soft, yet it acted like an invisible shackle, firmly imprisoning the life within each cabin.

He looked to his right, his gaze drawn to a culture chamber.

There seemed to be a young girl there.

She floated quietly in the liquid, her figure slender and lonely.

The girl's face was magnified by the liquid, her features exquisite, yet exuding a cold and empty beauty that did not belong to humankind.

Her body has fused with some kind of plant.

The pink roots of the plants extended from her neck, arms, and back, like an eerie cloak covering her upper body.

Her eyes were closed, and her expression was as calm as still water.

Oken couldn't help but glance at it a few more times, his feelings a mix of emotions.

Sigh, what a wonderful girl, she's become a test subject for these weirdos.

He didn't know whether he should feel pity for these mergers, after all, he himself was now a monster.

During his conscious moments, the idleness began to torment his spirit.

Countless thoughts flooded his mind.

I don't know how they announced my death. Was I assassinated? Did I die a heroic death on the battlefield? Or did I choke to death on cold water while eating?

Soren is no good. I don't know what the higher-ups were thinking, making him the commander-in-chief of the Southern Military District...

He recalled the familiar faces in his family, and the looks they gave him each time, filled with satisfaction or expectation.

I wonder how the family is doing now...

The person in power must be Militch; she's the most ruthless, and she'd probably be the happiest if I died...

That's fine, though. She's a capable person, and the Mondlair family needs a wise leader...

Sigh... I wonder how little Zi is doing... I'm not a good father...

I'm leaving. No one to play chess with anymore. That old guy Yeri must be incredibly bored...

...I feel most sorry for Natasha... She was a good wife, but I wasn't a good husband...

I wonder how they are doing now.

If I can protect them even at the cost of my own life, then so be it...

Loneliness and confusion washed over him like a tide; his fingers trembled slightly in the liquid, yet he could not break free from this confinement.

He stared at his reflection floating in the liquid, feeling increasingly bored and lonely.

......

Oken's sense of time gradually became blurred.

He could only vaguely feel his body becoming lighter and lighter, as if something was about to completely take over his will.

Perhaps the fusion will be complete when I lose my own consciousness...

Occasionally, Oken could see some guys in white coats pacing back and forth outside the incubation chamber.

But they won't say anything to Ouken.

Oken's days passed in deathly silence.

The silence was broken by the sound of footsteps.

The lights outside the culture chamber gradually brightened, revealing a figure.

He wore a well-tailored military uniform, the insignia on his shoulder straps gleaming, exuding an aura of authority that made people afraid to look him in the eye.

The man approached the Oken's incubation chamber, stopped, and looked up at the monster inside.

Oken's gaze met that face.

That was Rios Trauss—the supreme commander of all human armies and the one who directly controlled the fate of the Southern Military District.

Rios stood there, his gaze fixed on the Oken inside the cabin with a complex expression.

He didn't speak, but silently looked at him for a long time.

A moment later, his deep voice slowly rang out.

“Ouken Mondlair, I’m sorry.”

"Rios' tone was rather flat," he said. "Your family has been wiped out."

“I spoke highly of your family to the Yuan people.”

Rios shook his head slightly: "But they cannot forgive you for losing the Southern Military District."

His tone was flat, as if he were stating something that had nothing to do with him.

“So now,” Rios’s gaze swept coldly over the Oken in the incubation chamber, then he changed the subject, “you are probably the only one left in your family.”

Oken's breath caught in his throat for a moment, and a buzzing sound filled his ears.