I Refused To Be Reincarnated

Chapter 166: The Third Trial: The Forgotten Laboratory

A flash of bestial shrewdness passed through its eyes as the human opened his mouth to answer. It swiftly interrupted him, unwilling to lose this golden opportunity.

"I can guide you through the floors. Trust me, this place is a maze." It said, its scary voice sounding disturbingly genuine. With the human wreaking havoc and its confidence in its speed, it was sure it could finally see the sunlight after dozens of years of rotting in this place. Moreover, it could use this opportunity to further its evolution.

As its words lingered in the air, Adam found a trace of logic in them but remained unconvinced.

"Even if it's a maze, I'll eventually find my way to your creator. I don't need you." He said, his eyes narrowing menacingly in a skilful mask of deception. He felt the creature was strangely eager to collaborate with him. Through his refusal, he intended to compel it to provide more information about the place, making it easier for him to gather crucial details effortlessly.

Noticing the human's hostility, it tried to persuade him again.

"You'll need a helper anyway, or are you confident enough to defeat fifty chimaeras stronger than me?" Hints of urging laced its voice as Adam's eyes lit up in understanding.

This creature was foolish enough to believe it was the strongest in the room and plotted to escape using him as a distraction. Stay connected with m|vl|e|mp|y|r

With an amused smile, he said, "Sure. You can tag along." He really wanted to see how its face would decompose after realising how inaccurate its strength assessment was. Moreover, he wouldn't complain about having a free guide to quicken his exploration.

'Want to use me? I'll use you first.' He thought, his smile turning into a disdainful smirk as the creature sneered in victory.

"We are on the fifth underground floor, where the weakest are stationed. The higher we climb, the stronger they become." It started before walking to the room's door and continuing. "Each floor has an evolved chimaera guarding their stairs and nine others stationed before the different labs."

"What tier did they reach?" He inquired seriously. They couldn't be above the third or, his earlier theories would prove entirely wrong, putting him in danger.

The creature gazed at him in confusion. "I don't know about tiers. Below the second floor, we are all in the hybrid ascension realm."

Following the revelation, Adam's brows furrowed pensively. Were there other power systems he wasn't aware of, or did the tower self-create this one for those creatures?

Not knowing the answer but understanding it was the equivalent of the second tier after fighting two abominations, he joined the creature and said, "Lead the way."

The rusted hinges of the door creaked open, revealing a winding corridor.

He followed the creature, their shadows dancing on the dimly lit walls before he asked, "What's your name?" It was tiring to call it creature or abomination.

"Chimaera forty height?" It answered, confused by the sudden question. It couldn't remember having another name as its memories started after awakening as an abomination.

"That won't do. It's even worse than creature." He answered, pondering before proudly saying, "What about Wolfeetahorkey?"

Upon hearing the stupid name, the abomination's veins bulged in annoyance. It didn't know why, but it felt insulted. "Keep your names for yourself. I don't need one," it snarled.

"It was a good name... Then, what about Octobris since we'll soon enter the tenth month?" He said, unwilling to give up as the creature gritted its teeth.

"I'm a female!" It revealed with a frown.

'Did you expect me to guess it?' With a wry smile, he said, "Octavia, then."

The creature fell in silence, pondering the name. It didn't sound too bad.

As they reached a door after taking a few turns and skipping many rooms, it said with a slight smile, "I'll use that name." Then, her face turned serious as she added, her voice filled with hate, "This lab was used to create human chimaeras, but after succeeding, the woman used as the base refused to feed herself and died."

He shivered upon hearing those words. This madman truly used everything in his experiments without any moral limitations. But his thoughts were cut short as Octavia opened the door, revealing two mangled monstrosities.

Like her, they had been tasked to guard the old lab, fighting each other for a chance to evolve, and, like her, they were unwilling to die.

As she gazed at them, emotions she had never felt bubbled in her mind as memories from a distant, forgotten past gradually unravelled in her beastly mind. Were they like her, too? Innocent animals captured and tortured on cold stone tables?

As she felt compassion for the wounded creatures, Adam summoned his Ethereal Radiance and swiftly executed them, causing her eyes to widen in anger.

"Why did you do that?! We could have taken them with us!" she roared, confusing him.

"Didn't I tell you I came to execute every single one of you?" he said with an innocent smile as he thought, 'Fourteen to go.'

Octavia lowered her head, gazing at her companion's carcasses in a mix of sadness and anger as more memories flashed through her eyes. Wasn't she accusing the wrong person? The real culprit was that hateful Ignatius.

She'll never forget his wicked smile as he modified her body piece by piece, then discarded her in this forgotten lab.

Deep sorrow veiled her eyes as she silently pledged, "I'll evolve until the limits and avenge you. I'm sorry, Misha. I wasn't fast enough."

Tears flowed down her cheeks as memories from her life before becoming this thing flooded her.

She had once been a horse... A simple horse, happy to carry her owner through this vast world's lands. Yet one day, as they ventured into this mountainous region on their way to the Ji?ngguó empire, everything changed.

Creatures ambushed and dragged them to this underground facility.

After a few years of failure, a sickening idea germinated in Ignatius' head. What if the transplantation success increased with creatures sharing deep emotional bonds?

Reaching that memory, a sad howl echoed in the room, scaring Adam with its suddenness.

Her newfound intelligence was both a benediction and a curse, forcing her to look at her traumatising past with human emotions.