In the corner of the room stood a towering glass capsule, its transparent walls enclosing a pool of vivid green liquid.
A network of cables snaked from the glass capsule, their intricate web connecting to various monitors and sensors.
Most notably, a cluster of cables was dedicated to monitoring heartbeat, each pulse meticulously recorded and analyzed.
Inside the capsule, obscured by the swirling liquid, lay the object of both Jonathan and Harvey's scrutiny—a mysterious creature
As the monitors hummed with activity, the creature remained suspended in a state of slumber. Its heartbeat was steady, but there was no sign of it waking up.
"What is this thing, Dr. Harvey, if you don't mind me asking?" Jonathan inquired while observing the creature.
As a scientist, he had a habit of being curious about things he did not understand.
Looking closely, it didn't seemed to be a corrupted; it looked more like a demon.
Its large head and small body gave it an unsettling, almost childlike appearance, with skin that looked surprisingly human-like.
If not for the disproportionately large head, it might have passed for a human.
Its facial features were delicate, suggesting a feminine aspect, but there were no private parts.
"This is one of the surviving projects we managed to salvage," Harvey explained, his tone serious as he gestured towards the glass capsule. "Unfortunately, we never found a way to awaken her."
Harvey then sighed, his shoulders sagging slightly before he continued. "We've tried countless methods, but nothing has worked so far. "
"What is this thing exactly?" Jonathan asked .
"This is humanity's first successful attempt to create a Meta-Human."
"Meta-Human?" Jonathan's brows furrowed in confusion as he refocused his attention to the creature, trying to grasp the significance of what Harvey was saying.
"Aren't we already capable of giving humans enhancements through drugs and transplants?" Jonathan asked, his skepticism evident in his tone.
Harvey paused, considering Jonathan's question.
Despite his generally mean personality, Harvey knew how to play the role of a good mentor when it suited his interests. Recognizing the potential benefits, he decided to be more patient with Jonathan's questions.
"It's because, even though it's alive, the Main HQ couldn't figure out how to wake it up. So, when I asked, they handed it over to me for study. And there are plenty of other successful Meta-Humans in the Main Base, in better shape. So, you could say this one's not top priority anymore."
"I see," Jonathan nodded in understanding. This thing was just the prototype model, so it was bound to be less powerful and less important despite being the foundation of future models.
The two doctors began talking again, fully unaware that right now someone other than themselves was listening .
'Interesting,' Reign chuckled to himself, his gaze focused on the Meta-Human in the capsule.
He was sure of it; the feeling of unease from before was coming from it. Something that could make him feel danger even though it was asleep was bound to be powerful.
'Not even that hypocrite Cult Leader made me feel this way,' Reign muttered to himself, his eyes fixed on the Meta-Human in the capsule.
'To think that humans had already gone this far, ' He added.
If Harvey's words were the truth and there were others like this one in better condition, then he could imagine how far humanity had already progressed in their research.
He wouldn't even be shocked if they succeeded in making a Meta-Human that could contend with a Demon God.
Humans always aim for the top, and he believed that given enough time, they could achieve the impossible.
However—
'Too bad you all have to die before you can enjoy those achievements,' Reign chuckled inwardly.
His power scaled with each consumption , so no matter how strong they made a Meta-Human, he would always be stronger because his potential was unlimited.
The only time he would stop growing was if he found himself with nothing to eat anymore.
Using his undead eye, he could also see that it was filled with vitality, so much so that it was almost liquid-like in perspective.
'I wonder what will happen if I eat this thing,' an idea crept into his mind.
It was asleep and vulnerable right now, practically begging to be devoured by him.
There are risks involved, but Harvey had admitted they never found a way to awaken it, suggesting it may never wake up or incapable of doing so.
And even if, by some stroke of bad luck, it did awaken, he had the element of surprise on his side. He could devour it before it even had a chance to process what was happening.
'What should I do?' he pondered .