‘He must be watching by now.’

I eyed the hidden magical device lodged in the crevice, the transparent glint of its lens catching my gaze. I gave it a slight smile, hoping it would make him feel at least a twinge of discomfort.

“Heh.”

I chuckled softly. He probably thought he was in control of everything down here in the basement, but the moment I set foot in this place, the game was as good as over.

He’ll regret this. If he had stayed in hiding, living as if he were dead, he’d never have to see me again. I may have let him slip away back then due to my inexperience, but—

‘Now that you’ve shown up again, there’s no chance I’ll let you go.’

I walked forward, calm and steady. Only the endless hallway lay before me, with torches casting faint light into the shadows. The ceiling stretched so high above, it was barely visible.

Expansion magic was likely used here, too. He’s always been good at squeezing maximum use out of limited space, probably because he’s constantly on the run.

After some time, the hallway ended with a large door in front of us.

“Excuse me for a moment.”

Placing my hand on the door, I let mana flow into it, the girls stopping behind me. The heavy metal creaked open.

I gave them a small smile. “Shall we?”

“Ah… yes, of course, my lord!”

“…How do you even know how to do that?”

“Heh.”

Emilia eyed me with doubt, but I couldn’t exactly tell her I had learned this trick from a game, so I just shrugged it off.

“It’s a secret.”

“…”

Her suspicion seemed only to grow, but I didn’t have the luxury to explain. The main part of the episode was about to begin.

Step by step, our quiet footsteps echoed through the corridor until we reached the end. There, we found rusted iron bars lined up in rows. It looked just like the underground prison where I had once rescued Irene.

Though it was smaller in scale, it was still large enough to hold at least thirty people. We scanned the area slowly.

“To think there’s such a large space even at the end of the hall… this place only gets more ominous.”

“What… what could this place have been used for?”

“Yes, indeed.”

The scene before us went beyond mere iron bars. Next to the gloomy cells was an unfamiliar bed. Its sheets were stained with brown splotches, and chains, likely meant for restraint, lay scattered on the floor alongside various tools.

For anyone who knew what this was, the sight was disturbingly obvious.

*‘The abandoned laboratory.’*

This place was used as a lab long ago by a ruthless cult that conducted experiments on all manner of creatures, seeking to create chimeras. Ultimately, they succeeded in creating something far beyond comprehension.

---

**[EP5. Midterm Exam]**  
- *The Abandoned Laboratory, The Monster That Cannot Laugh*

[*They dared to trespass into the realm of gods.*  
   *They mocked the stars by forging life and praised their twisted deity by drenching themselves in blood.*  
   *The cultists sang with one voice:*  
   *“All things for the Source of All, our Master…”*]

---

That’s all the game had revealed. The lab was eventually closed down, with only minimal staff left behind.

Whatever happened here… a bit of imagination is all it takes to guess.

And so, the scene before us was a wrecked, desolate place.

“…What on earth is this?”

“…”

“I did tell you, didn’t I? Not to be too shocked by what you see.”

Dust covered the long-abandoned room, but it hadn’t fully concealed the horrors that took place here.

The girls fell silent.

Dried bloodstains were pressed into the floor, bones piled in corners, and surgical remnants scattered about. The sharp scent of decayed flesh lingered in the air.

“…”

They stood there, frozen.

It wasn’t anger, fear, or sorrow that froze them. It was the sheer shock, striking hard like a blow to the back of their heads.

For those who had yet to come of age, this was a particularly gruesome scene.

‘I expected this reaction…’

Their green and blue eyes filled with horror.  
   Fortunately, there weren’t any human remains. If there had been, one of them would likely have fainted on the spot.

A brief sigh escaped me.

‘Even if it’s for Rezia’s growth… is this the right way?’

Maybe it would have been better if I had entered the lab alone from the start. That thought passed briefly, but I quickly dismissed it.

‘…It’s a necessary process.’

Rezia’s growth was crucial.

In the story, she eventually obtained a certain item that she needed to master. To use it perfectly, she had to undergo a complete awakening. She couldn’t afford to remain as fragile as she was now.

Since this item was the key to the ending, the outcome would depend on how well Rezia wielded it.

In a way, the fate of the world rested on her development.

“What… happened here…?”

Her growth was essential.  
   To lead this world to a happy ending, she needed a story of resilience in the face of pain—one that could reach “it.”

Growth always involved pain. I had shielded her from Emilia’s bullying before, but in the long run, I had to let her face certain challenges on her own. She needed to learn to endure.

“Ugh…”

Rezia stumbled back, struggling to keep from retching.

Watching her struggle tugged at my heart. I reflected inwardly, feeling the pang of sympathy.

My dear protagonist.

In the original story, you had met a tragic end. This time, I wanted to keep you from suffering, but fate seemed determined for you to grow up.

“Rezia.”

“…My lord.”

I lightly patted her head. Her warmth seeped into my palm, an oddly tender sensation.

As I was soothing Rezia, Emilia suddenly muttered, her voice slightly grave.

“I had a bad feeling from the beginning… this basement definitely doesn’t seem like a normal facility.”

“I agree.”

“We should stop going forward.”

“My Lady.”

“We should go back the way we came and return to where we were first teleported.”

“My Lady…”

“I’m not giving in this time! Are you really suggesting we keep searching this dreadful place?!”

“That’s not what I mean. I was only saying…”

Emilia’s frustration flared, and I shook my head, slowly pointing back toward the lab door we had entered through.

There—

“I’m only saying it’s a bit too late to go back now.”

Something was blocking our way.

The girls turned to look in the direction I’d indicated, momentarily forgetting the conversation.

Grooowl—

A deep, guttural sound echoed.  
   It was a beast’s growl, yet distorted as if several vocal cords had been spliced together.

Blue teeth gleamed as the creature glared at us,  
   torn cheeks exposing its jaws as dirty saliva dripped down. Where its eyes should have been, tentacles writhed.

Its upper body was shaped like a wolf, while some of its lower half was twisted into spider-like limbs.

A nightmarish sight.

“W-What is that…?!”

“Where did these horrible creatures even come from?!”

These were minor monsters inhabiting the abandoned lab—low-level chimeras, “Failed Wolf Mutants.”

The creatures watched us with eerie cries, ready to pounce at any moment, the tentacles at their eyes twisting grotesquely.

Even in the game, they had an unsettling design, but seeing them in person… they were even more horrific.

That such creatures could be produced under the guise of “experiments”… Vaob cultists truly were mad.

And now it looked like I’d have to clean up after them.

“Prepare yourselves. They don’t seem inclined to let us leave.”

I gave my orders calmly.

Concealing my power at my fingertips, I noticed Emilia standing beside me with an ice spear, while Rezia chanted a spell from behind.

“I told you we shouldn’t have left our original spot!”

“If we hadn’t, we’d have encountered them sooner.”

“I don’t care!”

“Don’t worry. They’re easier to handle than they look.”

“But they’re the scariest things I’ve ever seen!”

Emilia bristled, her entire body enveloped in mana.

Perhaps the imminent danger had made her forget about our deal.

I smirked.

“Let’s focus on what’s in front of us first.”

Grooowl, screeeech—!

The mutants lurked, waiting for the right moment to strike.  
   Then, baring their teeth, they all leapt forward.

“Well then.”

I stepped forward, holding shadow-forged swords in each hand.

“Let’s make it out alive, shall we?”

Thunk!

A black blade sank into the forehead of the nearest mutant.

As I pulled the blade out, two more wolf creatures sprang from either side.

Shriek!

I spun, carving through the air with graceful slashes.

The clean arcs of my swords cut through like strokes of ink.

And then—

Slice!

The wolves’ upper bodies fell to the ground, severed cleanly. Rotten blood splattered around us.

In an instant, three mutants lay in pieces.

I stopped, exuding a faint killing intent.

“Heh.”

It was a message.

One intended for the person watching all of this.

“Just wait.”

When I’m done with this mess, I’ll come straight for your neck.

With that silent promise, I smiled, a hint of menace playing on my lips.