Published at 24th of April 2026 8:05 am

Chapter 25 - Camp III + Ares Artwork + Poll

This chapter is updated by JustRead.pl

If I were still able to get angry, I’d be furious. Kai’s recklessness and inability to take care of himself have jeopardized my plans. Maybe I should cut his other arm off? While I'm here, I guess I can take some time to explore my area in the SSB. I've never spent any time here before; either I'm working as Nobody, or I'm living life as Eryk. Following the hall toward my quarters, the question becomes what kind of furnishings would they think for me? I reach a locked door with a keypad attached. Kai said the code was 0000. Several beeps prelude a click as the door swings open. The room is…

So normal. Overhead recessed lights click on, lighting the room in a warm orange glow. There’s a large desk in the corner that’s straight out of a wholesale furniture catalog. It’s so banal and clearly mass-produced in a warehouse across the ocean. It has a small lamp on it, a notebook, and a tin can of pens. There’s a pull-out tray underneath the table that holds a basic laptop still inside the box. A queen bed with blue sheets and a single pillow, along with a bedside table, makes the room so cookie-cutter it looks like a set from a television show. The room is utterly lacking in any personality or human touch. Aubrey’s words from when she first saw my apartment echo in my head. It looks like nobody lives here.

This shows just how little my subordinates know about me. I don’t mind it, though. Nobody doesn’t need trinkets or personal effects. All Nobody requires are the essentials; frivolities have no place here. The base doesn’t need entertainment; all I need is somewhere to rest during downtime or if I cannot go home for some reason. The two other doors probably go to a walk-in closet and a bathroom, so this works as a backup home for me. Speaking of, Kai will be out for several hours, so I might as well join him in taking a break.

 

 

Kai still looks about the same as he did earlier. If I really squint and look him over, I think that there might be a little more energy in his expression. It’ll take time before he looks like a person, let alone the person he was before. It shouldn't be too difficult for him. It isn't like I gave him Froggy’s addictive personality. This is nothing but a crutch he's been using that he doesn't need. But either he listens to me and starts taking care of himself, or I kill him.

“How are you feeling?” I asked.

“Like I just lost seven hours worth of productivity,” he responded dryly. “But I ate and slept as you demanded. I'm intelligent enough not to call your bluff.”

“That's good to hear, Doctor. For what it's worth, I also would prefer to not sleep and lose eight hours a day. That is why these experiments are so important. If we are to evolve past homosapiens like you've said, then everything needs to be perfect. You won't be replacing my cells, changing my body's composition, or injecting nanomachines into me until it's an exact science,” I paused. “Now, tell me what progress you've made.”

As expected, his mood turns around at the mention of the Apotheosis Engine project. Any chance for him to brag and show off his knowledge and genius is too tempting to resist. He stands straighter, his lab coat’s tail trailing behind him as he quickly walks toward the Subject cells. What has he managed to accomplish that's got him so excited? I follow him over to the large monitor and computer area, and he jumps into the chair, spinning around before typing away furiously at the console.

“I know it took slaughtering nine of the Subjects, but I learned plenty from their necessary sacrifices. I've nailed down the process to completely reconstruct a limb or grow an organ. It's much faster now, and I plan to collect some DNA samples from everyone and grow some replacement organs from my stem cell supply that is tailor-made to each of our genetic signatures. That way, there is no risk of organ rejection. It would have saved me so much time repairing that hole that Glow Guardian shot through you,” Kai explained.

“Not to be rude, Doctor, but is that all? Because speeding up production is a welcome development, but not the kind that I was hoping you’d have.”

Kai stops typing, spinning around in his chair to give me a glare.

“I wasn’t finished. That was just the beginning of what I’ve accomplished,” he said snarkily. “I’ve worked and refined the distribution method that releases hemostatic agents, antimicrobial drugs, and a burst of stem cells to replace whatever has been lost. I sped up the differentiation process, but as it is right now, it is only designed to heal basic injuries. Anything worse than a broken bone, internal bleeding, or laceration will take more time. But it’ll give the person the time they need to get the necessary medical attention.”

It’s impressive how much he's been able to accomplish so far. It isn't that I'm disappointed; I can't be disappointed, but I have high expectations for Kai. He spoke to me about all these fantastical ideas he had for the Apotheosis Engine project, but we aren't quite there yet. He deserves praise and needs it after the verbal lashing that Vivienne and I gave him.

“I knew you wouldn’t let me down, Doctor. Great work. Is there anything else you wish to show me?” I asked.

“Yes,” Kai responded. “Your two special Subjects have proven incredibly adaptable, and their determination to survive is unmatched. I’ve been testing my more experimental and extreme ideas on them, and I’ve had them fight some of my drones. I have some footage I can show you of those, or we can go with a live test.”

“What kind of test were you thinking of?”

“Subject Two currently holds Punch’s kinetic projectile power and is highly aggressive. We could have him fight either Subject Ten or Thirteen. It would allow me to generate and record some valuable data about their capabilities against humanoid opponents. There are likely some problems with their upgrades that I haven’t had the chance to suss out,” Kai explained, the excitement clear in his voice.

“Have them battle, but don’t let any of them die,” I commanded.

“Got it. Wait till you see what they can do,” Kai said, his voice a whole octave higher.

The monitor switches to Subject Ten’s cell. Subject Ten looks similar to the last time I saw her, but she does have some noticeable changes to her appearance. Her black hair, which was a buzzcut when she first got here, has grown out a bit. The sleeves and pant legs of her uniform have been ripped off completely, showing off even more of her muscled frame. Her arms and legs are covered in freshly healed scars and cuts, almost like she’s been cutting herself. She didn’t strike me as the type who self-harms. The patchwork tattoos are all marred by the scarring, making the already amateur-looking artwork even messier. The tired, almost bored look on her face doesn’t belong on someone who was kidnapped weeks ago and held hostage while being experimented on. What is your story, Subject Ten?

“Good evening, Ten. It is time for your next test,” Kai said into a microphone on the table.

Ten’s expression changes instantly. She lifts her head up, looking into the camera that should be hidden from her sight. Did he do something to her eyes that lets her see electronics? Why on earth would he do that? Is he planning something? A better question is why he’s speaking to them; that wasn’t part of the plan. She rolls off her bed into a handstand and starts doing vertical pushups. Vivienne would really like this woman. After doing fifteen of them, she lowers herself to the ground and starts doing some stretches.

“I hope you got better robots; last time was too easy,” she said aloud.

They seem to already have a rapport. Is he trying to ingratiate the Subjects to him for a coup at some point? I look at the back of Kai’s head as he continues to type on the computer. Am I overreacting? Seeing connections that aren’t there and assuming disloyalty first? Kai doesn’t respond to her, but he pulls up a heatmap of her body and plenty of graphs and notes about her on the side of his screen. If I’m reading the data correctly, her body is full of nanomachines. It appears Kai has attached these dark masses to her spine and skull.

The video feed switches to Subject Two’s cell. An African-American man whose age I’m having trouble narrowing down. He’s pacing back and forth in his cell with his fists clenched. His natural hair is out, and where Ten is incredibly calm, Two is very much stressed. His hands glow yellow as he gathers kinetic energy in them. Kai presses the microphone button, and before he can even speak to Two, the man shouts in anger. I know Two; I understand what you’re going through.

“Subject Two, control yourself. Do not make me remind you what will happen should you do significant damage to your room again,” Kai warned.

“How are they going to fight? Do we have an arena I don’t know about?”

“No, but there are hidden pathways between all the cells, so all I have to do is open the doors until they can reach each other. The cells might only be ten by ten by ten, but that just makes for better close-quarters combat,” Kai answered.

This does not seem to be a well-thought-out test.

“Doesn’t that just put the odds even more in Two’s favor? Punch’s Caster ability will allow him to hit like a truck from across the room. No matter how good Ten is at fighting or how dangerous she looks, unpowered people aren’t a match for Neuvohumans,” I said, voicing my concerns.

Kai doesn’t respond except to grin at me. Then he presses two buttons on the microphone to talk to both combatants simultaneously.

“Subject Ten, Subject Two, in a moment, one of the walls in your cells will open. If you go through the opening, you’ll be able to meet one another. You will fight each other until one of you gives up or until knockout,” he announced.

“W-what? Fuck that, I’m not fighting a stranger for your entertainment, you sicko,” Subject Two shouted out.

“Understood. Am I to assume that means you don’t want the other guy killed?” Subject Ten asked.

“Correct,” Kai responded, but he only pressed on Ten’s button.

The walls open, and Two stays in his cell, arms crossed in protest. Ten does not share the man’s trepidation or reluctance, and she walks right out of the cell. The monitor switches to showing several angles inside the hallways that link all the rooms together. She moves carefully, keeping her back pressed against the wall as she navigates toward her opponent. Whatever her background is, she isn’t a normal civilian. She has training of some kind, maybe self-taught or previous law enforcement. It could be SWAT or the BNA, or maybe we picked up a murderer. She’s checking all angles every time she steps into one of the rooms, looking for traps or ambushes.

I’m impressed with her so far, but she’s not going to be able to do anything to Two. He’s bigger than her, powered, and he has the benefit of not having to watch his back. Two rooms left, and they’ll meet. Ten turns the last corner, which gives her a direct sight line to Two, who’s standing in the middle of his cell, still refusing to engage. She jumps back around the corner, inching closer while pressing her body against the wall. Only poking a part of her head out, she watches the man waiting to see if he noticed her at all. Once she confirms that he hasn’t seen her, she bolts down the hall at him. It’s narrow, maybe seven feet tall and only four feet wide, but she doesn’t seem afraid at all. Her footsteps echo out, and Two finally turns around to see the approaching woman.

“What are you doing? Stay back,” Subject Two said.

Ten doesn’t stop; she doesn’t even slow down. The moment her foot touches the last bit of the hall, she jumps at him. She gets a good amount of air, hurling herself toward the other Subject. He yells at her, and when he gets no response, his hands glow yellow before he punches the air with his right fist. A beam of pure kinetic energy erupts from his hand, striking the woman in her stomach and blasting her backward into the hallway. She crash-lands on her back, skipping like a stone on a pond’s surface. I knew it. Ten stands back up and dusts herself off, unperturbed by the result of the previous clash. Kai also doesn’t look like he’s surprised by this either. What else is up your sleeve?

She rushes back down the hall, keeping herself low to the ground. Two fires off another kinetic blast, and the woman makes no effort to dodge. Instead, she crouches down and jabs her left hand into the floor. Her hand not only doesn’t break, but it pierces into whatever material the ground is made of. The blast hits her directly in the face, and her head jerks back from the force. Her hand stays buried despite the impact, but the arm snaps, stuck in an off-angle. What the hell have you done, Kai? Blood drips from her nose, but stops after just a couple of drops. Subject Two is flabbergasted, and she takes advantage of his shock. Running at him with her broken arm, she jumps into the room, somersault landing into a sweeping kick. It misses as Subject Two is finally getting his back in the fight. Ten doesn’t stop her attack, kicking at his knee while she’s still low to the ground. Two screams as the kick connects, blood spurting out of his knee and soaking the pant leg. As Ten retracts her leg, I see that she’s also bleeding out of the bottom of her foot, from the metal spike protruding out of it. What the hell is that?

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