As Virno struggled to break free from the clutches of Novilunium, a similar tension gripped Cabdan's ostentatious mansion. Within the musky depths of the laboratory, Punjo inched ever closer to Dmitri, the man responsible for concocting Faya's poison.

Punjo: Cabdan poisoned someone in the slums a while back... A tiny cut was all it took for a young girl to be at death's door in just a few days' time. No known antidotes can cure her, and if nothing's dun' soon, she'll be gone fer good in less than a week, given the state she's in.

Responding to Punjo's menacing advance, Dmitri recoils in fear, his body visibly trembling.

Punjo: I know ya were behind the poison... That bein' said, this don't need ta be personal. I can imagine ye were just followin' orders, so just gimme the antidote and no harm will come to ya. Ye have my word.

The terrified man shakes his head in disbelief, his voice filled with despair.

Dmitri: Your word...? I don't even know your name! What good will the word of some burglar serve me?!

The man keeps retreating, mistrustful of Punjo's intentions.

Punjo: I'm afraid we dun' have the time ta become friends before your excellency decides to give me what I need... So, let's cut the crap -- ya don't have much of a choice 'ere, bud. You'll be handin' over that antidote, question is if ye'll do it before or after I knock yer teeth out.

Dmitri's desperate retreat comes to an abrupt halt as his back collides with an obstacle—the table adorned with a bloodied tarp. Unable to retreat any further, he stands frozen, his eyes wide with a mix of fear and resignation. But as his fingers touch the tainted fabric, a sudden transformation overtakes him, with his gaze seemingly to forgoing all emotion.

Dmitri: There are always more choices. Whenever you think otherwise, you're just missing the bigger picture...

His tone, too, had shifted -- in the blink of an eye, his once frightened voice now rang out with arrogance. A chilling confidence emanated from him like a dark aura.

Punjo: 'Ight. Beating it is, then-

In a swift motion, the man grabs the tarp behind him and pulls it away, throwing it towards Punjo and obscuring his vision. As he tries to rid himself of the large cloth, all Punjo hears is the sound of frantically pattering footsteps, promptly followed by the creak of an opening drawer. Though his eyes weren't covered for long, the alchemist had been faster than he could have anticipated -- by the time he laid eyes on him again, Dmitri had already made his way to the opposite end of the table.

Dmitri: You're not the only bloodthirsty brute around here...!

Dmitri retrieves a syringe from within the open table drawer beside him. In a desperate bid to intervene, Punjo lunges forward, but it's too late. With a decisive thrust, Dmitri plunges the needle into the creature's chest, injecting it with a strange, viscous black liquid.

Dmitri: I'm sorry you had to wake so soon, my dear... But it would seem we've run out of time!

The author's tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.

Punjo tackles Dmitri, pinning him against a nearby wall as the man laughs maniacally, a haunting contrast to the chaos unfolding next to them. Upon hearing the bone-chilling sound of flesh contorting and bones breaking, he briefly looks behind him to see a grotesque, contorting humanoid creature lying on the table, slowly awakening from its slumber and forcibly breaking several rusty iron shackles that kept it bound to the table. It seemed to be trying to become accustomed to the body it had been given.

Punjo: What the hell is that thing?!

Fury boiling within him, Punjo wrenches his gaze back to Dmitri, only to be met with a sight that sends a shiver down his spine—a wide, soulless grin etched across the man's face.

Dmitri: Cabdan's always been a fan of his arena fights... Though he could never find a fighter spectacular enough for his tastes. It is only natural, one cannot find that which has not yet been wrought into existence... Until now. Behold the next step in human evolution...!

With a fierce grit, Punjo wrenches Dmitri away from the wall, locking him in a chokehold as he pivots to face his creation. Rising from the table was a skinless four-armed humanoid entity, with exposed muscles and bones protruding from several parts of its body. Pus and rot seemed to mar its form in some areas, leaving a yellow-green stain on the table where it had been laying. It moved in a spasmodic manner, its movements erratic and disjointed, betraying a lack of control over its body.

Punjo: Knew I shoulda brought my damn mallet...!

As the creature stands, it lurches about the room in frantic frenzy, moving carelessly and haphazardaly, knocking over several bottles of chemicals and rolling around in the spilled liquids. It seemed hungry, in desperate need of some type of sustenance. Punjo stands very still near one of the corners, still locking Dmitri in his hold.

Dmitri: It hungers still. Poor thing... It needed more!

Fuelled by primal instinct, the monster's frustration boils over as it realizes that which it craves cannot be found within the confines of the laboratory. With a deafening roar of rage, it lashes out with ferocity, its four arms becoming weapons of destruction. Tables splinter and break under its onslaught, glass vials and bottles shattered into glittering shards as the creature rampages through the lab in a blind fit of fury.

Punjo: Dammit, it's only a matter o' time 'til that thing destroys the antidote...!

Dmitri laughs, devoid of remorse or humanity.

Dmitri: That's what you're worried about...? There is no world in which you face my creation and survive, let alone walk out of here with what you seek in tow!

Punjo sighs.

Punjo: Yer an idiot. Ya know that?

With a grunt of effort, Punjo releases his hold on Dmitri, swiftly spinning the man around to face him. In one fluid motion, he delivers a powerful punch straight to Dmitri's nose, the sickening crunch of breaking bone drowned out by the rush of blood that follows.

Punjo: Big and strong's only part of the equation.

Dmitri stumbles back and falls to the ground, dazed and disoriented, his once-arrogant demeanor shattered along with his nose.

Punjo: Ya ever tried breaking a thick, glass pane using sheer force alone...? You'd shatter every bone in your body trying to do it and fail.

Seizing the opportunity, Punjo brings his foot down on Dmitri's ankle with calculated precision, a loud crack echoing through the chamber as bone meets bone.

Punjo: Strike the edge, or a small crack in the surface, however... And it breaks apart completely.

As Punjo turns to face the hulking beast, he finds its gaze fixed upon them, drawn by the commotion resounding through the chamber. With its massive form looming ominously in the dim light, it begins lumbering toward them.

Punjo: It's all about the weak points... Yer a scientist, ain'tcha mister Dmitri? You should know this better than most!

He squares his shoulders and raises his fists, assuming a combat stance with the expertise of one who has faced danger countless times before.

Punjo: So while I've no idea what kinda freak show ya managed to put together 'ere, one thing's obvious enough ta me...

His eyes dart around his opponents body, trying to identify the spots that were most affected by decaying or putrid flesh.

Punjo: It's riddled with weak points.