Chapter 116: Deeper Into The Underground
Marie squeezed it softly, warmth and understanding in the simple gesture. Without words, she took over the report and continued reading aloud.
"The Mekhko researchers questioned which Beast Spirit to summon. After consideration, they decided on the Beast Spirit that the People of Salem had been sacrificing female Beast Masters to."
Marie’s eyes went wide as she stared at the name. "Fenrir, the Dimension Devourer. It was the Beast Spirit that the People of Salem hoped would take them away to a world of paradise and safety once it descended."
She quickly picked up another report, her hands moving urgently. "The requirement to make Fenrir descend in its glory was 100,000 souls that needed to be sacrificed. Then Fenrir could come down."
Roana’s brows furrowed. "But what made them believe Fenrir would help them or listen to them?"
Scáth spoke softly after sighing. "It’s because it had been granting the wishes of the Salem Town people. Even if it wouldn’t help them afterward, I’m guessing Mekhko would be happy enough as long as Fenrir helped them traverse other dimensions."
Marie’s frown deepened as she slightly trembled. "It isn’t just that... They don’t care what Fenrir does here. Not if it destroys cities and towns or creates terrible conflict..."
Reinhard spoke up. "As long as they can accomplish their goal, who cares about the consequences and how it affects others?"
Silence fell over the room.
Each of them absorbed what they’d learned, the implications spreading like poison through their thoughts.
Roana sighed heavily. "Let’s keep looking around."
Everyone nodded, grateful for something to do besides think.
They continued searching through files and documents. Reinhard moved mechanically, his hands sorting papers while his mind remained partially trapped in memories of Klein’s suffering and thoughts of his salvation.
But it wasn’t as bad after Marie helped, as he could focus more on searching.
Then he paused as his fingers caught on a particular file which was thinner than the others, and marked with a different coding system.
Reinhard pulled it free and began reading.
The dream and goal described were amazing, revolutionary, and world-changing. But as Reinhard saw their experiments and tests, he realized just how bloody the road was.
His blue eyes widened in slight surprise as he read about recruiting children and testing whether they could force an early connection with Beast Spirits from the Throne of Myth.
This was that extremely rare phenomenon Phineas had talked about in Mensis Town. The Blessed or Cursed Ones, children forming soul bonds years before age eighteen.
Mekhko wished to find a way to force it.
Reinhard’s expression darkened progressively as he read the reports. The insane things the children had to endure, the crazy experiments the researchers put them through. Physical trials meant to condition them, and psychological manipulation that kept them together.
And if that wasn’t enough. The researchers would trick the children into thinking that what they were doing was full of love, that it was what was normally supposed to happen.
That suffering was necessary, that pain meant progress, and that their grunts were proof of success.
Reinhard paused as his eyes narrowed on a report about a little girl they considered their golden child. She’d not only formed an early connection with her Beast Spirit, but she’d gained two skills instead of the normal one.
The child excelled at everything the research put her through.
The only flaw in her was that she had to cope with the pressure of the trials and her past.
Reinhard gritted his teeth while he muttered inwardly that some people didn’t deserve to be parents. He wondered why they even created children if they were going to be so cruel to them.
He sighed and continued reading.
The little girl had created an imaginary friend in her mind, and one whom she referred to as her sister. The little girl believed her sister was real, and so the entire research group played along because the imaginary friend helped her excel.
The little girl always asked her imaginary friend for advice before making decisions.
But as the trials continued, the little girl showed increasing signs of insanity and delusions to the point where not much data could be gathered from her anymore.
And so, they let her go on a mission into a Monster Zone.
Reinhard blinked before his brows furrowed.
He quickly tried to look for more information on what happened on the mission, whether she survived, and any follow-up documentation.
But there was nothing, no more information on the little girl.
No, this is better. Reinhard thought, forcing the file closed. I don’t have time to think about this insane Research Center’s experiments or their crappy acts. Damn it.
He pushed away those thoughts with effort, setting the file aside and continuing his search through the room.
But the words lingered, the image of a child creating an imaginary sister to survive things no one should experience.
He focused harder on the task at hand, looking for information about Phineas’s plans, about the coming performance, about anything that could help them stop what was coming.
After a while, they couldn’t find anything else.
The documents they’d discovered painted a horrifying picture, but provided no specific timeline, no concrete evidence of Phineas immediate plans.
Roana straightened from where she’d been searching through a filing cabinet. "Let’s leave here and continue searching through the place. We haven’t fully explored the northern part yet." She gestured to the documents scattered across the desk. "Grab any important documents and store them away. We can use them as evidence later. Even if they notice there gone, it doesn’t matter as these documents are good enough to push for investigation on Mehko Researchers."
Everyone nodded, moving with practiced efficiency. Marie gathered papers on the dimensional research, folding them carefully before tucking them inside her bag.
Scáth took files documenting the Salem Town journals and their theories about Fenrir. Roana collected the recruitment records showing how they’d targeted vulnerable populations.
Reinhard’s hand hesitated over the file about the golden child with an imaginary sister. Something about it felt wrong to leave behind, even though reading it had made his stomach turn.
He folded it and stored it away with the others.
Once everyone had secured their documents, they moved to the door. Reinhard pressed his ear against it, listening for movement outside. He heard footsteps passing of guards with their conversation muffled but rhythm suggesting routine.
They waited until the footsteps faded completely, then Reinhard activated Grand Scan. The pulse revealed no one in the immediate corridor.
Reinhard opened the door slowly, and they slipped out. He then used Shadow Striker to manipulate the lock from inside, ensuring it looked undisturbed.