The Author's POV

Pain.

An immeasurable amount of pain engulfed my entire being.

Slipping in and out of my consciousness I felt my whole body burn. Every part of my body was engulfed by flames.

At some point, I had lost track of time. Perhaps only minutes and seconds had passed, but for me, who was being burnt alive, such moments felt like an eternity.

Before long, my body hit something hard and cold. But, being in the state I was in, my mind wasn't able to process what was happening around me.

Instinctively, I just rolled around, trying to get rid of the flames engulfing me.

"Ah...ah..."

Whilst slipping in and out of my consciousness, mustering every bit of my last strength, I swallowed something that I had put inside of my mouth beforehand.

After that, despite all of my struggles to remain conscious, the world turned dark.

***

"Have you got anything?"

"No, his facial features are too deformed. We can't get a proper read on his identity."

'What's going on? Who's talking?'

Awakening my somber mind was the sound of two people conversing. Though I tried to focus my mind on what they were saying, my mind was too muddleheaded to be able to comprehend anything. In fact, I found it hard to even think properly at the moment as everything felt dull and slow.

"Hmmm, what about after we heal him?"

"That's possible, but it may take a couple of months for him to fully heal from these injuries. Almost half of his body is burnt. Perhaps if we use a high-grade potion, but..."

"No, we definitely can't do that. It'll be a waste of money. We can just wait a couple of months. Anything else?"

"For now no. All we know is that he suddenly appeared in the hall with third-degree burns all over his body. I'm more surprised by the fact that he's still alive."

"Were there any items on him?"

"No. Given the state he was in, there's a high chance that all the items he had got destroyed. From the looks of things, he must've survived some sort of explosion. He had no clothes on him when he appeared, and even the ring he had on him was badly damaged."

"...I see, alright, you may leave."

"Understood, call me if you need anything, professor."

Minutes after the conversation ended, slowly opening my eyes, I was met with an unfamiliar white ceiling. A bright white light entered my vision constricting my pupils slightly.

Turning my head slightly, I found myself laying atop a cold metal table with wires attached all over my body. My body was numb.

"Oh, you've regained consciousness?"

A voice suddenly called out for me.

Turning my head towards where the voice came from, an old man with a white lab coat appeared in front of me. With an amused smile, he studied me from top to bottom.

"How peculiar..."

He muttered.

Under his observant eyes, I felt like a lab mouse. Insignificant.

'Who are you? Where am I?'

"Ghaaa..fhhiuuu"

The words that I wanted to speak did not come out. Instead, a zombie-like sound escaped from my lips.

"Ah, I wouldn't recommend you to speak right now."

The old man said whilst a chuckle escaped from his lips.

'Where am I?'

"Huaagh..."

Unable to comprehend what he was saying, I once again spoke. The same zombie-like sound escaped from my lips.

"Tsk. What is it with you patients? Whenever I say something, you end up doing the exact opposite of what I tell you to do"

The old man grumbled.

bring me a

old man yelled at one of the people in the room. Lifting my head slightly, I spotted

"...yes!"

he was being, he was most likely his assistant. The assistant

back with a mirror. Taking the

can't understand what I'm saying, I'll just show you the

mirror around,

can't be...is that

"huagh...guhhhg..."

burn marks all over my face. The clear white skin that I used to have was no longer there as my face

I looked horrendous.

again blank. I had many questions that I wanted to ask, but as if something was stuck in my throat, only hoarse sounds

"hgugha...haefa"

I slowly

happened, taking out the Monolith ring that I had taken from professor Thibaut a

goal was to teleport me

was the only way I could survive. Unfortunately, even though I successfully managed to

to understand what had happened. Having teleported directly in their headquarters, they must've directly taken me

unfortunately for you, the higher-ups aren't willing to fork out the money needed to heal you quickly, so it might

my reaction, the old man

real quick" Lowering his head slightly, the old man introduced himself. "Nice to meet you, my

"!"

name, my mind instantly cleared up. Cold sweat trickled down my

I'm going to check out my other subjects, I'll be seeing you in a bit. By then,

Joseph Sharp.

that worked in the Monolith. He along, with a couple of

Monolith super

were soldiers that

from now and were responsible for many tragedies. They

"You."

thoughts, Joseph called out to the same assistant

"Yes!"

a small

"...how much?"

his state, I guess 2mg would

"Understood."

assistant leave, Joseph smiled. My eyes soon interlocked

I'll see you

whistled his way

me out of

"ghuuuaa!!!"

was almost instinctive. Even though I survived, I was now in

It was a liquid that eroded someone's mind,

"ghuu!!"

of strength that I had in my body, I tried to get out of the binds that were locking me, but it

Regardless of how much I struggled, the

I was truly powerless.

my mouth as the air was knocked out of me. Though I felt no pain, it didn't take me long to realize that someone had punched

"Shut up."

glared

I'm doing my

out a long syringe that had a long needle at the top, the assistant put a strange blue liquid inside of it. Squeezing the bottom of the syringe,

"Perfect."

assistant turned his attention back to me. Opening my eyes wide, I struggled

'No! Anything but that!'

"Ughhh! guauhhhah!"

down, it's not going

my suffering, the assistant slowly moved the syringe in

"hmmm...hmmm!"

now, be a good boy

knew that the assistant

—Squeeq!

all of the liquid inside of my body, my mind

'No...help.'

"ghh..."

***

—Fffwhheeu! —Fffwhheeu!

whistling, Joseph's

"Hmm, another failure."

patient from a large glass window, Joseph took out a notepad and crossed off a

be too much for a single dose," Joseph muttered, scratching the

Yet another failure.