Magic Suction

Dawei had never felt so powerless.

Trapped like a lab rat, strapped to a cold steel table, watching the deranged demigod scientist Zhugutra cackle and scrawl observations in a notebook—it wasn't gameplay anymore. It was survival.

"I'm just a f**ing specimen now..."*

The sterile hum of machines, the glassy clink of vials, the hiss of valves ejecting noxious steam—all merged into a low, oppressive pressure against Dawei's skull.

Zhugutra had no interest in pleasantries. He observed Dawei, muttered excitedly to himself, and—without warning—jabbed a long, needle-thin syringe into Dawei's arm.

System Prompt:The player has been injected with an unknown agent.

Dawei's thoughts raced. He was helpless, tied down, injected like livestock. He couldn't resist. Not at this level—not when a demigod was leaning over him like a child with a shiny new toy.

"This... is how I die?"

Zhugutra stepped away, satisfied, his attention shifting to his next concoction. Dawei's vision blurred. His character staggered under the effects of the sedative.

Screw it.He logged out.

A shower. A full reset. He made himself instant noodles, tidied his gaming desk, stared at the login screen for a while, then hit Enter.

When Dawei returned, he saw Zhugutra's back. The scientist was tinkering with a row of glass vials that bubbled ominously on the far side of the lab. Dawei's body, still bound to the table, twitched with involuntary spasms.

When Zhugutra turned back, his voice was razor-sharp:

"Inject the genetic accelerant. Let's test the compatibility of the werewolf virus in this one..."

Mechanical drones surrounded Dawei like a surgical team, clinking and hissing as they administered another set of injections.

Dawei gritted his teeth. Unlike Sage Dioser or Montico, he couldn't even attempt to manipulate this NPC's favorability. Zhugutra was pure hostility. Anger and enemy-status were the only relationship meters that existed.

But that didn't stop him from listening. Intently.

"There's always a tell," he thought. "Always a trigger or a clue hidden in NPC dialogue..."

Zhugutra grew more animated with each dose. The machines beeped, graphs scrolled, numbers spiked.

System Prompt:You have been injected with a genetic modifier. Strength has increased.

"Three times the dose!" Zhugutra barked, eyes gleaming. "Let's push it to the brink!"

Dawei nearly screamed in frustration.

"Is this an MMORPG or a medical horror film?!"

Then it happened.

A strange warmth spread through his arm. His vision shimmered. His left hand began to contort—fur sprouting, fingernails twisting into claws. His skin rippled with heat and pressure as his body began to change.

The werewolf virus had activated.

Zhugutra clapped his hands with manic delight.

"Yes! Yes! Better than Montico by a factor of three! You might just be the key... The key to eternal life!"

Dawei's heart was hammering—but this time, it wasn't fear.

"Montico escaped the castle every full moon... that means even Zhugutra can't control a fully transformed werewolf. This is it. This is the break condition!"

All this time, Montico had followed the same cycle: escape after full moon, get recaptured, tested again. Rinse, repeat. That wasn't a story flaw—that was the blueprint for success.

"So everything I did before... was actually correct?"

He laughed. Genuinely laughed. For the first time, he saw the plot for what it was—a cruel loop he now had the tools to break.

But the transformation stalled halfway. His body swelled. Muscles tore at restraints. The metal table groaned... and then nothing.

Zhugutra took notes in his leather-bound codex, calmly finishing the entry.

"We'll report progress to the Master," he said aloud, turning away. "The Count will be pleased."

Count Sindro... the true boss behind this arc.

Dawei lay still, processing. Not defeated—just waiting.

He could feel it now. The full moon would trigger the transformation. He had a week. One week to prepare. One week to find the edge.

"Just wait till I break these chains, old man. Then we'll see who's the specimen."

The next day, Zhugutra returned—and brought something new.

Not a needle. Not a vial.

Magic.

System Prompt:Zhugutra casts [Mana Siphon: Absorption Spectrum][Darkgold Tier Skill: Active Ability]

Dawei's eyes widened. This wasn't just another test.

"This is a divine skill... a god-tier spell..."

And then another notification hit:

System Prompt:You have been injected with "Blood of Darkness."You are now susceptible to direct manipulation from Count Sindro.

His stomach dropped. The Earl's influence—already lurking in his curse—had now become tethered directly to his bloodstream.

"So this is it, huh?"

Dawei exhaled slowly, watching his health pulse, his stats fluctuate, and his fate spiral deeper into darkness.

But there was no panic now. Just resolve.

"You injected me with power, old man... now I'm going to use it to kill you."