Chapter 106. 157
As Charles watched the green-hued creature scurry away, a faint smile appeared on his visage. It appeared that these living relics harbored a deeper hatred toward the Meeh'eks as compared to himself.
"Onward, quick!" Under Charles' command, explosives were systematically affixed to the door frames.
As each door was blown apart, various monsters were let out of their cells. Some of them were so grotesque and bizarre that Charles struggled to find descriptions for their appearances.
He wasn't particularly interested in finding out what these creatures were or the special abilities they possessed. As long as they spelled trouble for the Meeh'eks, they would be allies for the time being.
Of course, not every living relic was as amiable as the green monster. A few immediately pounced on Charles and his party upon their release.
Fortunately, Charles and his group were a formidable force. Faced with two hundred fully armed humans, any monster with a semblance of intelligence would swiftly try to avoid a clash.
When Charles realized that the Meeh'eks that should have arrived by now had yet to arrive, he knew that his plan was working. Chaos had surely erupted elsewhere.
Approaching the third last door, Charles was about to affix explosives when, much to his surprise, the door swung open from within.
It was a human, a stark naked little boy. Contrary to Charles, the shade of his skin was far from ghostly pale.
"Who are you?" Charles questioned as caution painted his face.
In response, the child collapsed and started screaming frantically.
As the boy let out chilling cries of pain, his body started to swiftly mutate. His skin began to invert as his flesh withered away. His pale lips rapidly elongated like a bird's beak. In a matter of seconds, the boy was gone, and in his place, a new Meeh'ek climbed onto its feet.
It parted its elongated beak and uttered a series of sounds. It then lifted his right leg with six toes and headed for the exit.
"This is how the Meeh'eks are created?" Charles mused to himself as he stared at the metal door before him. After a brief moment of hesitation, he carefully pushed the open door wider with his Dark Blade.
A massive, ash-gray, slimy blob appeared before his eyes. The matter pulsated at odd intervals, and its shape bore a vague resemblance to an amorphous toad.
Plop!
The mass before Charles spat out a naked woman from within it. She calmly rose to her feet as she stripped off the residual slime on her body.
With a sorrowful expression, she looked at Charles and spoke words he could understand, "157, stop begging me. I'd love to help you, but your matters fall under the jurisdiction of Dr. Pede. I have no say."
I can understand her? Charles thought as his eyes widened in shock.
Before Charles could reply, the woman underwent the same mutation as the boy. She let out a gut-wrenching cry as her body morphed rapidly. Soon, a new Meeh'ek came to life right in front of Charles.
When the Meeh'ek parted its lips, the once gentle female voice had turned into a series of incomprehensible static sounds.
"It looks like the Meeh'eks were really once humans. What happened to them, though?" Richard was curious.
Swiftly finishing off the incessantly chattering Meeh'ek before him with a single slash, Charles extended his hand and felt around the wall on the left. Soon, he found the experimental log.
Project ID: 157
Project Name: Yesterday's Theatre
Description: 157 appears as a miniature drama stage, scaled down by five times. On August 14, 1875, due to an accidental death caused by 157-1, 157 caught the attention of the Foundation member ▇▇▇▇. Eventually, 157 was found in the attic of ▇▇▇▇ at Edinburgh.
Tests revealed that whenever 157 is moved, it will replicate all information about its surroundings in a fixed time frame. If a change happens in its environment that is inconsistent with its information, 157 will produce 157-1 from behind its crimson curtain.
157-1 resembles humans found within the replication zone. 157-1 possesses human intelligence but shows cognitive anomalies. 157-1 will spontaneously use all available materials to restore the environment to match the information held by 157.
If hindered or attacked, 157-1 will turn hostile. 157-1 retains all abilities of the copied individual, including but not limited to weapon handling, combat techniques, and relic project operations.
If the surroundings have been fully restored, 157-1 will periodically repeat the actions of the copied individual within the environment. Tests discover the cycle to be 6 days.
If a being possessing intelligence enters the controlled radius of 157, 157-1 will assimilate them to be a member of the environment and assign it a role.
If the being resists, it will be captured by 157-1 and be forced to play the role. Excessive resistance results in escalating punishments, potentially leading to death. Upon the being's death, 157-1 will harvest their remains to be used as material as part of the environment.
Containment Measures: 157 must be contained in a 4m x 4m Grade H chamber. Due to the nature of 157-1, a special task force has to be on standby 24-7. Once 157-1 makes its appearance, the special task force is to terminate it immediately.
Appendix A: The proposal to use 157-1 as food for other projects has been submitted by Dr. Pede and attained the Foundation's approval.
Reading the contents of the experimental log hung on the wall, realization finally dawned on him. It finally all made sense—the completely mock city outside and the Meeh'eks' behaviors of reenacting what happened in the past.
These Meeh'eks were one of the relics being held captive by the Foundation.
"Doesn't seem right, though. It's stated here that 157 is a drama stage. Does that look like a stage to you?" Richard asked as he pointed at the grotesque blob before them.
"Remember how we could only understand the Meeh'ek when we were suffering from auditory hallucinations?" Charles asked as he recalled their past experience.
"You mean..." Richard's words were interrupted as 157 spat out another human. Within a couple of moments, a new Meeh'ek was born.
"It seems like the voices from the sea not only affect humans. Even living relics are influenced," Charles remarked with his brows pressed together.
This would then be able to explain the current appearance of 157 and its actions of producing humanoid creatures rather than humans.
"Hah, if 157 could talk, it'd be complaining. It's already weird enough, but to think it would encounter something that surpasses it here."
"Captain, are you alright?" Dipp poked in through the door frame, his face tinged with concern.
Charles cast a wary glance at the writhing 157 before he left the room and closed the door behind him.
Unfolding the island's secret didn't help his circumstances. He had to escape from this nightmarish place as soon as possible.
"How many doors are left?" Charles turned to Dipp and asked.
"Two more, but the final door looks different from all the other doors," Dipp answered.
Very soon, Charles arrived before a blood-red metal door. Layer upon layer of shimmering chains inscribed with arcane glyphs sealed the door.
"Quickly, set the explosives. Once we release this one, we leave immediately."
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