Morbid’s Labyrinth

Ron sensed no mana emanating from the man and seized the opportunity to strike. Without hesitation, he charged forward, his sword glinting under the dim light of the lab. But as he closed in, the man's voice sliced through the tension. "Don't kill me," he warned, a sly grin creeping across his face. "If you do, all the monsters here will go berserk and attack."

Ron halted abruptly, retreating a few steps as uncertainty clouded his judgment. The group exchanged wary glances. Could he be telling the truth? After all, the grotesque bird-like monster had emerged from his direction, yet the man himself showed no signs of harm on him and had no mana to protect himself which conclude he can command monsters. It was perplexing, but his warning carried weight.

Aqua's black eyes narrowed as he studied the man's face, his tone calm but grim. "He doesn't seem to have any intention of letting us leave here alive."

The man stepped forward, his figure emerging from the shadows cast by the flickering lamps lining the lab walls. His face became visible—sharp features etched with malice. Casial squinted, tilting his head in recognition. "You're that viscount… What's your name again?" he asked, his voice tinged with curiosity and disbelief.

"It's Viscount Morbid," Claire replied, her tone clipped as she took a defensive stance.

Tension thickened as the group heightened their alertness, eyes locked on the man who stood before them. Aqua, meanwhile, remained deep in thought, his mind racing through every conceivable escape route—but none seemed feasible.

Ron broke the silence, his voice cutting through the oppressive atmosphere. "Are you behind the missing people?"

Morbid smirked, his expression dripping with arrogance. "Yes," he replied with pride, as though his heinous actions were a badge of honor.

Claire's voice rang out, sharp and accusatory. "Did you use them for these experiments?"

Morbid nodded slowly, his smile twisting into something dark and unsettling.

"How disgusting!" Aqua exclaimed, his usual composure cracking with fury.

"You might think so, but this—this is the culmination of my life's work," Morbid retorted, his tone brimming with self-satisfaction.

Claire's gaze sharpened as she pressed further. "There's no way you did this alone. Someone must be backing you. Someone of your rank couldn't have taken people out of the capital without alerting the guards or imperial knights."

Morbid chuckled lowly. "Quite perceptive," he remarked, his smile widening. "You're quite smart for your age—unlike your foolish brother, princess."

Claire's jaw tightened, her voice cutting through his mockery. "He may be a fool, but he's not disgusting like you."

Morbid erupted in laughter, the sound echoing in the chilling expanse of the lab. "Now that you've seen all of this," he sneered, "I can't let you leave here."

The group tensed, every muscle in their bodies primed for action. A glass container positioned behind Aqua emitted a foreboding aura, its overwhelming pressure almost suffocating. Aqua's instincts flared, and in a split-second decision, he teleported Claire and Ron to safety, positioning them away from the incoming threat.

From the container emerged a grotesque monstrosity. Its form expanded as it adjusted to the space, towering over three meters with sinewy limbs and an aura of malice. The creature's misshapen frame seemed to warp the air around it, its feral growl reverberating through the room. Aqua stood his ground, eyes locked on the beast, his grip tightening on Darkness as adrenaline surged through him.

Before the monster could strike, Claire teleported Aqua away from its immediate vicinity, her magic a lifeline amid the chaos. The group regrouped, their hearts pounding as the dire situation escalated around them.