Another week had passed, and the union, surprisingly, had yet to fall apart. Reports from Klion came steadily, yet Wolf's mind was elsewhere.
Today, the focus was sharper than ever—Leo. At long last, the boy had finished reading the research journal, and the culmination of that knowledge had triggered something Wolf had been anticipating.
"You got it?" Wolf asked, his voice calm, but the faint curve of his lips betrayed his interest.
"No… I didn't get any notification," Leo muttered, brows furrowed in confusion, glancing down at his status window.
Wolf's inner thoughts ran rapidly, analyzing every possibility.
Ah… surely that has to do with stats. Of course. His power isn't sufficient yet.
Good thing I decided to take him with me to the monster field and let him last-hit during our hunts. That way, we can hit the requirement cleanly.
He crouched slightly, gaze locked on Leo, mentally calculating.
The most obvious stat to inflate for a class requirement like this? Clearly it is power.
Nothing else would make more sense than it.
"Leo, put all your remaining points into Power," Wolf instructed, his tone neutral, authoritative, yet patient.
Leo hesitated only briefly, then nodded. "Okay."
A tense moment of silence hung between them. The faint creak of the structures, the occasional rustle of outside, and the distant low chatter of the mining team created an odd backdrop for this pivotal instant.
Then, bright realization flashed in Leo's eyes.
"Oh… oh, I see it now, Wolf!"
His voice carried the excitement of discovery, trembling slightly as if the entire world had shifted.
"Good. Accept it," Wolf said calmly, though inside, his mind surged with restrained excitement.
Finally… he has a class now.
Leo's voice dropped to a whisper, almost reverent. "I… I got a class now…"
"Show your status window to me," Wolf said, his eyes scanning the boy with quiet scrutiny.
Leo hesitated, a flicker of uncertainty crossing his face, but he already trusted Wolf. Slowly, he revealed the glowing interface:
Name: Leo Bell
Gender: Male
Race: Human
Age: 9
Height: 137 cm
Class: The Cryptic Experimenter
Title: The Life Architect
Lv. 7
Stats:
STR: 5 | SPD: 6 | AGI: 6 | STA: 3 | END: 1 | POW: 25(+8) | LUCK: 14
Mental Stats:
INT: 9(+6) | CHA: 3(+1) | FORTITUDE: 4(+5) | EVILNESS: 1
Alignment: Evil
Active Skills: The Start of Creations, Chimera Stitch, Control Matrix, Field Reclamation
Passive Skills: Simple Survival, Sun-Dialer, Flesh-Born Insight, Hand of the Creator, Imperfect Perfection
His thoughts ran like a torrent.
As expected of a unique class… a full skill set with insane stat benefits.
The synergy between power and mental capability alone is remarkable. This… this is far beyond what I imagined. The potential… enormous.
Wolf reached out and pointed at the class name, speaking deliberately:
Class: The Cryptic Experimenter (Unique Class)
Acquisition Requirement: Read all of Research Journal by Lysander Corvus, POW must be at least 25
Description:
To give life is to sin. To twist it is to blaspheme. And yet you stand at the edge of creation, whispering your designs into formless flesh. They will call you heretic, but your children will call you god.
Effect:
+7 POW
+5 INT
+5 Fortitude
+3 Evilness
You gain The Life Architect title
You gain "The Start of Creations" skill
You gain "Chimera Stitch" skill
You gain "Control Matrix" skill
You gain "Field Reclamation" skill
You gain "Flesh-Born Insight" skill
You gain "Hand of the Creator" skill
You gain "Imperfect Perfection" skill
You are more resistant to mental effects while in control of active creations.
You gain temporary power boosts when others lose mental stability around you.
You can mentally reshape your persona to adapt to situations with the risk of self-fragmentation over prolonged use.
Reshape persona… interesting… perhaps I can use this to my advantage.
Wolf's thoughts darted like a swarm of fireflies, already calculating possibilities for future.
Next, the
Title: The Life Architect
Acquisition Requirement: Must be The Cryptic Experimenter Class
You are the judge, creator, and conductor. The Homunculus you create act with purpose, as extensions of your thought.
Effect:
+1 POW
+1 CHA
+1 INT
Your creations are sturdier and more resilient from inception.
You can maintain one extra Homunculus than usual.
Homunculus under your command have a chance to ignore negative status effects and act independently by mimicking your strategic intent.
Homunculus follow your commands more accurately and quickly.
Wolf's chest tightened slightly.
This… is... Control, creation, improvisation… even mental resilience of creations.
Every homunculus he raise, every strategy he employ… all amplified by the title.
the battlefield advantage… endless potential.
He leaned back slightly, exhaling slowly, letting his gaze wander across Leo's small frame.
The boy's face was aglow with the soft shimmer of his status window, eyes wide, the corners of his mouth tugged up in a quiet but proud smile.
Yes… this is just the beginning.
He doesn't yet realize the weight and the responsibility, but he will. And when he does…I'll swallow you whole leo.
You'll be with me forever.
Wolf adjusted his posture, straightening his back as he closed his thoughts, feeling the familiar surge of control and anticipation.
The last glow of dusk filtering through the scattered objects, casting long shadows across the uneven ground. His eyes weren't on the horizon, though—they were fixed on Leo's status window, the soft pulse of its light mirrored in his own thoughtful gaze.
Active skills, Wolf muttered quietly, almost to himself.
His hands tapped rhythmically against the railing, fingers drumming as if each beat organized his thoughts.
If I'm going to use him effectively in the field, I need to know the full extent, the mechanics, the limitations… every nuance.
He ran through the skills in his mind, almost whispering each one aloud, testing them mentally:
The Start of Creations Lv.1
Description:
The beginning of your creations. One life, infinitely malleable—its loyalty, behavior, and form are guided only by your hands
Effect:
You can have 1 active homunculus . Their behavior can be enhanced, altered, or broken.
Only one active homunculus at a time… but the potential is massive.
Control over its instincts, behavior, and growth… I can shape the battlefield indirectly through him.
His gaze flicked to Leo, who was quietly observing him, unaware that he was being analyzed as much as the skills themselves.
Chimera Stitch Lv.1
Description:
With hands and will, you breathe borrowed traits into your creation. Power surges—but a storm of chaos may follow.
Effect:
Grafts harvested traits from fallen enemies or collected organs into your existing homunculus.
Up to 2 traits max
Traits can give passive buffs
Overuse may destabilize the creature, causing rebellion or meltdown.
Ah… now this is a bit dangerous, but valuable. Wolf's eyes narrowed.
Grafting traits from fallen enemies… two max traits at a time… buffs… but overuse could destabilize it. Rebellion, meltdown…
I needs to understand this limit. Precision, timing, restraint—key to avoid catastrophe.
He drew an invisible line in the air with his finger, tracing the boundary of risk.
The chaos can be an advantage, but only if I can predict it.
Control Matrix Lv.1
Description:
Your Homunculus is tethered to your will, responding perfectly to any tactical instruction you issue.
Effect:
Forces your homunculus to obey strict directives.
Briefly boosts its STR and SPD if forced into aggression mode.
Wolf tilted his head, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. A perfect obedience, tactical control.
This allows us to coordinate on a level beyond normal human comprehension.
He can dictate the homunculus's every movement, every strike…
even using it as a shield or decoy if needed.
His hands clenched briefly, testing the imagined strain of control.
Field Reclamation Lv. 1
Description:
What others discard becomes yours. Energy and material flow into your creation, rebuilding both form and function
Effect:
Absorb nearby biological or alchemical residue to heal or rebuild your homunculus.
You can also extract materials for future creations.
Oh? the ultimate utility. Recover, rebuild, absorb… anything discarded, anything left behind becomes fuel for him.
Wolf leaned forward, resting his elbows on the railing. The fading light caught the faint smudge of soot on his fingers from the monster field.
He can recycle biological material… alchemical residue… create or repair as we go. This gives him near-infinite adaptability if used smartly.
He let out a low hum, contemplative, almost appreciative.
Wolf paused, shaking his head slightly, pushing away the creeping excitement that threatened to make his heart race.
Alright… now the passive skills.
He leaned back and let the cool night air brush across his face, closing his eyes as he thought through each one.
Flesh-Born Insight.
Description:
By shaping life, you understand it. Every experiment enhances your knowledge and empowers future creations
Effect:
INT and POW permanently increase slightly for every active or previously created homunculus.
Knowledge from previous creations subtly improves new summons.
Every creation can improves his knowledge… every experiment can makes him sharper.
He tapped his temple gently with his index finger, eyes glinting with calculated anticipation.
Every failed experiment, every success… all feeding into his growth. That's indeed brilliant.
Hand of the Creator.
Description:
The efficiency of your work leaves more room for refinement. Your homunculus slowly adopt human-like instincts, learning from subtle cues.
Effect:
Creating homunculus consumes fewer resources.
Trait grafting has an increased success rate.
Over time, your creations become more human-like in behavior
Wolf's eyes softened, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips.
Efficiency… fewer resources required, higher success in grafting and over time, human-like behavior emerges naturally in his creations...
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.
This is a bit troublesome no? I'll be the judge of this evolution.
Imperfect Perfection.
Description:
Imperfections no longer doom your work. Failed attempts result in mutations that may enhance or alter abilities
Effect:
Failed trait grafting no longer destroys the entire creature. Instead, the homunculus mutates with unpredictable results but remains functional.
Reduces material waste significantly.
Wolf's hands clenched briefly, an almost imperceptible twitch in his jaw.
That is dangerous tho... with foresight… the advantage is enormous.
He exhaled slowly, letting the thought sink.
This is why I need to monitor him closely.
He paused, shaking his head slightly. Simple Survival and Sun-Dialer… yes, these are trivial.
One comes from enduring hunger or thirst, the other from accurately predicting time ten times.
They're passive… foundational, almost innate now. Useful, but… not the game-changers.
Wolf's eyes drifted back to Leo, who was quietly flipping through the journal again, now with a subtle curiosity tinged with awe. Reshape persona...
He clenched his fists lightly, a small grin forming as his mind raced through possibilities, strategies, and contingencies.
All under my control.
Wolf let out a long breath, shoulders relaxing slightly.
Okay… now… we'll need to start practicing, testing… careful experimentation.
Leo, my boy. you're going to learn fast. And I'll make sure every moment of it counts.
He shifted his weight, glancing at the darkened sky above, the first stars appearing faintly through the thinning clouds.
Wolf dismissed the status window with a simple flick of his fingers, the translucent display vanishing into the dim light of the iron door room.
"Alright," he said, voice low but firm, eyes sharp as they followed Leo's every twitch.
"Let's create your homunculus, then."
Leo froze mid-step, confusion written across his small features.
"Uh… what do you mean?"
His voice trembled slightly, betraying the mixture of curiosity and unease that was twisting in his stomach.
Wolf's gaze swept across the room, lingering briefly on the rows of glass tubes lining the walls, each holding a slumbering Experimenter.
"Can't you see?" he asked quietly, leaning against the edge of the table.
"This place… it's full of them. Just pick what you want, and I'll get them out of their tubes. Everything else is ready." His tone carried no room for argument, no hesitation, just certainty.
Leo swallowed hard, feeling the invisible weight of Wolf's command.
I… I can't go against him. I just… can't
He stepping forward, boots clicking faintly against the cold iron floor.
He wandered slowly among the tubes, eyes scanning the dormant figures.
Each one seemed alive even in stasis, an eerie blend of potential and latent power.
His small fingers brushed lightly over the cold glass, tracing outlines, almost reverently.
After a tense silence, Leo finally stopped.
"I… I'll take these three," he said softly. His voice barely above a whisper.
He gestured to the first—a human male, appearing to be in his late forties. The second, a smaller, weaker version of the H-A-966 boss Wolf had fought, labeled Experiment 1996.
The last, a human female in her late twenties.
His eyes flicked from one to the next, uncertain but resolute.
Wolf nodded subtly, noting each choice. Good… instincts are intact.
He moved forward and, with deliberate care, shattered the tubes, the glass tinkling softly as it broke. A faint mist of cold condensation escaped the vessels. Slowly, Wolf lowered the Experimenters onto the ground, his hands steady, precise, as if handling fragile crystal.
"Here. All set. They're yours."
Leo's eyes widened as he looked at the three figures now standing freely. His pulse quickened, the weight of responsibility pressing down on him.
Leo opened his mouth, but Wolf held up a hand.
"Wait," Wolf said, voice firm yet calm, "before you start… you need to reshape your persona first."
Leo blinked, confusion knitting his brow.
"Reshape… my persona? I… I don't know how…" His voice wavered.
Wolf's eyes sharpened, scanning him carefully, reading the subtle shifts in posture, the tension in his shoulders.
"Listen. You're going to need to do this more and more as we go. If you can't handle it, your mind will breaks…so you'll need to create another version of yourself to take over. Do you understand?"
Leo's mouth opened, then closed.
Another… him? The concept was alien, almost terrifying.
"Another… me?" His voice was small, hesitant, the words barely escaping.
Wolf stepped closer, voice dropping to a calm, measured tone, almost hypnotic.
"Yes. Just imagine another version of yourself. Focus only on that. Don't think about anything else. No questions, no doubts, not even in your mind. Understood?"
"Yes," Leo whispered, nodding. His small hands clenched lightly, the tension in his shoulders easing slightly as he focused.
"Good," Wolf said, voice steady.
"Now… give that version a name. And shape its personality—smart, calm, capable. Anything you think it needs to survive, to act with reason under pressure."
He let the silence stretch, letting Leo's mind wrestle with the foreign concept, watching every micro-expression—the tightening of his jaw, the subtle bite of his lip, the flicker of his eyes as he struggled to internalize the instruction.
Leo muttered softly, "It… it feels… weird… and... wrong" His hands hovered over the Experimenters, unsure, almost trembling.
Wolf's voice was unwavering, cutting through the doubt like a knife.
"Don't think about anything else. Follow my instructions. That's all you need to do right now."
Time stretched, silence punctuated only by Leo's shallow breaths and the faint hum of the iron door room.
Wolf's eyes never left him, analyzing the smallest twitches, the shifts in posture, the way his chest rose and fell.
Focus… patience… you'll get there.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Leo's voice emerged steady, controlled, yet carrying a resonance Wolf had never heard before.
"I… I'm ready now."
Wolf's eyes narrowed, a small approving smile tugging at his lips.
"I see. Good. And… what's your name?"
The voice that spoke was calm, precise, and utterly devoid of childhood inflection. Beneath the surface, the tone suggested a frighteningly clear purpose, a clinical detachment that was both authoritative and undeniably obedient.
It was as though every syllable had been measured and weighed, a statement delivered with the serene certainty of a doctor concluding an examination.
The boy finished his declaration.
"I am Lenmi."