Seraza had never been one to shy away from torture. She was just baffled at the current situation.
"This is my life's work," Beatrix ignored her daughter's words and continued speaking. "It's what will make us reach the top."
Seraza silently absorbed her words.
"And what exactly is your life's work?" she asked, genuinely curious.
The fourth pulse waved over one of the doctors. An aged man with a calm aura approached.
With calm but piercing eyes, an unusually slender figure, and a scholarly aura, Seraza quickly identified him as an Obelisca.
"Lady Beatrix. Lady Seraza," the man bowed deeply.
"Ohmen here is the lead researcher of this center," Beatrix gestured toward Seraza. "Tell her about our operations here."
Ohmen was so shocked that he snapped his head toward the fourth pulse. He knew the significance of the operation occurring here, and he knew how important utmost secrecy was.
Seraza might be a vein, but she was still a child. But Beatrix's intense eyes told him she was serious.
He reluctantly nodded and turned toward Seraza. "Lady Seraza. I—" For a smoother reading experience, visit MV&LEMPYR.
"Just get to the point."
Ohmen cleared his throat. He'd just confirmed that they were very much related.
"What we're trying to achieve here is a way to transfer abilities from one to another."
Seraza's interest was piqued. "That's possible?" she asked.
"It shouldn't be, but we're trying to make it possible. We've had multiple successful cases already."
Seraza turned to her mother. "The others you sent with me?"
"Yes. Those were our… lesser successes," Ohmen added.
Seraza's eyes narrowed. "Even Konos?"
The man smiled lightly. "Yes, Lady Seraza."
Seraza glanced around once more. "And that's what you're doing to these people?"
Ohmen nodded. "Most of these… test subjects are Gor'Mekhai."
He instantly saw the confusion in Seraza's eyes. He glanced at Beatrix and got a go ahead from her.
"They're savages discovered living in the Murkroot Hollow. We initially thought them to be a new species of people. But after capturing and experimenting on them, we discovered they were actually humans, with a unique lineage that enables them to integrate with beast parts. Hybrids"
Seraza was many things, but smart wasn't one of them. "Can we just go to the part where this concerns the prisoner?"
"You're underestimating the significance of all this, Seraza!" Beatrix said harshly, glaring at her daughter.
"This is a chance for us to rise to the top. To reach heights never reached before. If we can achieve this, the clan wouldn't even be in our sights anymore."
"Oh yeah? And what's that goal?"
She received another glare for that tone, but Beatrix gestured for Ohmen to finish.
"Our goal is to combine multiple abilities into one being. We've had results, but they don't live long. A few months at most before their bodies collapse."
Seraza narrowed her eyes. "Doesn't sound like you've succeeded then."
"Our new trial will succeed," Ohmen said with confidence. "The main reason for the failure is the imbalance of the node qualities. Unfortunately, those savages have pure node quality from internal breeding. Any attempt to combine it with a Sanguine member with inferior node quality always ends up failing. But with someone from the direct line…"
"We were unable to acquire the ninth vein," Beatrix said, causing a frown to appear on Seraza's face.
"We got the next best thing. He's a grandson of one of the Scarlet Ten. You'll have to make it work," she said dismissively.
Ohmen sighed, but nodded. It wasn't like he had a choice.
What he meant about node quality was quite simple. There was a reason the direct descendants were in power in the Sanguine clan as well as other clans.
They were the most powerful people, with the purest bloodlines. In essence, their blood nodes were usually the most whole. This made their control over blood superior to others, their talent unmatched.
It was because of this that he needed a direct descendant, and Beatrix had promised him Malakai. A direct descendant with a whole node should be able to counter the effects of the Gor'Mekhai nodes.
Still, he had good hopes for a grandson of one of the Scarlet Ten.
Ohmen soon bowed and left the duo to their devices. Beatrix began leading Seraza to the exit, hammering on the importance of what she was doing.
Seraza caught bits of her words. Achieving this would allow her to create the perfect army, one that could easily overwhelm the other pulses. And once she took over the Sanguine clan, she would set her sights on the Dome.
Every word entered one ear and came out the other. Seraza was deep in her head. If she had to be honest, she didn't care in the slightest about everything she'd just found out.
There was only one thing on her mind. One goal.
Finding and fighting Malakai.
'I've formed all seven nodes.'
Malakai felt like he was dreaming. He'd only just formed his third node last night. To think he'd been able to form an extra four in less than a day…
'It was definitely during that time,' he realized. He had swallowed a grade three core and exploded in strength. The vita that coursed through his body at that moment had been incredibly insane.
Malakai believed he'd formed them subconsciously during the fight.
'They're still twice as powerful.' Each node still brought about twice as much vita to his reserve.
His limbs were currently brimming with power. It was strength he had to train and get used to before it could become useful.
'Now, my perception…' Malakai closed his eyes and activated his vita sense.
The area around him lit up like a canvas. It spread, ten, then twenty meters. When it reached Malakai's previous radius, twenty six, he expected it to stop.
It kept going until he could feel the vita fifty meters away from him, perfectly.
Malakai's eyes snapped open at that moment. That was almost twice the increase!