CHAPTER 15: FEAR OF THE UNKNOWN

Breaking the silence was Viktor's Somber voice that had a hint of confusion, and puzzlement, but also awe.

"No, I was the one that instructed you and the rest to use all their strength. You cannot be held responsible for your superior's actions."

Looking at the tablet in his hand, Viktor spoke up once more:

"Hermes, Score 254, pass."

"This score however is not completely accurate since the machine broke down before the entire score was completely calculated."

He soon picked up his left wrist which had a bracelet around it. Immediately, he tapped the bracelet and spoke:

"Big Sis Angelica, an injury has occurred in section 2B. Also, call for Commander Arthur, there was an incident that I need to report to him."

Her beautifully crisp and soothing voice echoed out of the communication device and onto the hall:

["Roger that little Viktor~"]

Staring at his bloody and mangled fist in shock, Hermes couldn't help but try and rethink where his new strength could have originated from.

'Could it be that I was always this powerful since I awakened from the tomb? Or is it something I only acquired after crossing the cosmos? Sigh, I don't know anymore... Ever since my awakening, nothing seems to make sense. The astrophysics I was so proud to research has crumbled, magic exists in this world, and even aliens. Let alone time travel, undead creatures, and now superhumans. What else could exist that might surprise me?'

During Hermes' period of contemplation, Kevin stepped out of the line to check on the new friend he had just made. With a hint of worry and confusion, he spoke somberly:

"Hermes, how did you do that just now? Are you alright?"

Charles continued to stare at Hermes without saying a thing. Fear could be seen in his eyes. Since young, he was always called a prodigy, a genius. Showered with praise and affection, his mind warped into excessive ego and arrogance.

He began thinking that he was the best in the world. No one was better than him, he was destined to become a powerful Celestial that everyone in Sanctuary City would look up to.

But those feelings have entirely shattered. What replaced them was dread. He continued to think, if he was in the place of that machine, could he have stopped that punch? Would he be able to withstand it? Every time he pictured the scenario, all he saw was his mangled corpse with a large hole in his abdomen; it was as if he had been hit directly by a cannon shell.

The punching machine that had just been destroyed was one that he was familiar with; his family owned a couple of them. According to his father, only someone with a similar dimensionality to Commander Arthur would be able to destroy it in a similar manner to Hermes' punch. Standing there with a blank look on his face, sweat began to accumulate on his back as it dripped through the slits of his magnificent armor. For the first time, he had found someone who was so extremely ridiculous that even he refused to see him as a rival.

His thoughts of trying to humiliate Hermes or win against him were completely delusional. Standing there with a look of dread as his skin turned pale, he murmured in a soft voice:

"Monster..."

There was no other way to describe Hermes for him. The looks of the other participants also reflected this. Before, they had suspicions about Hermes' character. They had known that there had been cases in the past of Mutants being disguised as humans infiltrating the city. Now, they couldn't help but view this experience as evidence or fuel for those dark thoughts clouding their minds.

Turning to look into Kevin's eyes, Hermes saw it all. Even Kevin was somewhat afraid of him. He slowly turned left and right to look at the other participants who had twisted faces; as if witnessing a calamity in the process of ensuing in front of them.

Feelings of sadness and anguish engulfed him. He himself couldn't deny that their gazes had merit to it. What if he was truly a monster in human skin? If he wasn't able to control himself and hurt a friend or loved one accidentally, he would drown in guilt. The fear of the unknown resounded in all of their hearts, including his.

Gritting his teeth, he plastered a fake smile at Kevin and replied:

"Don't worry, I'm fine. I don't know where this strength came from either. Let's wait for Commander Arthur to investigate."

Nodding his head, he frowned as he slowly turned around and found his place back in the line.

-Crank!

The door creaked open, revealing a figure cloaked in a sleek black windbreaker, a formidable sword strapped to his back. Each measured stride he took sent waves of reverence and wonder rippling through the onlookers. His countenance, marked by unyielding resolve, commanded the attention of all in the room.

To his right was a beautiful lady shorter than him wearing black trousers and a long white lab coat. Her silky-smooth black hair cascaded behind her shoulders as her lustrous brown eyes peered at everyone present in the room. Immediately, she found the source of Viktor's 'incident' as her rosy red lips with a mole next to them curled into a smile; curiosity filled her lustrous eyes.

Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.

On the other hand, Arthur's stern face became the opposite of Angelica's. His eyes twitched as the wrinkles on his face deepened. Even the scar on his left eye became more narrow.

As they got closer to the scene, Arthur's eyes shifted towards the broken machine. All of the examinees didn't dare to lift their heads. The person in front of them is the commander of the entire Guardian Regiment Corps, the strongest Celestial in Sanctuary City.

With a single command, he can order all the troops present in the City. Even the 10 Elder Counsel didn't dare to mess with him too much.

After contemplating for a bit, his eyes shifted back to Hermes who was holding his disfigured bloody arm.

"Angelica, treat his arm using the nano-biotic machine and then bring him to my office. His examination will fall under me."

Murmurs and whispers resounded across the hall as all the potential cadets grew more and more envious of Hermes' treatment. After all, the nano-biotic machine was a highly expensive device that could reverse most injuries in a matter of hours!

Only those of Vice-Captain or above as well as the highly injured Cadets are ever given the privilege of using it.

Although a commercial version of the machine exists in the hospital that most citizens visit, its price is only able to attract the super wealthy merchants or noble houses. Most citizens can't even afford to buy medicine here so their reactions were obviously reasonable.

"SILENCE!"

Viktor's bear-like voice resounded across the hall and shut everyone up. Seeing everyone return to being quiet, he continued:

"The exams will continue without Hermes as the Commander has ordered. I will be taking you all to the next area."

Angelica smiled playfully as she walked towards Hermes' direction.

"It's not even been 4 hours since I left you and you're already in trouble... Perhaps you like the attention?"

A long sigh came out of his mouth as he looked in her direction:

"I wasn't even expecting to pass this portion of the test..."

She nodded her head and glanced at his injury. Her teasing smile was replaced with a frown. This was a self-inflicted injury due to loss of control, something that usually doesn't happen unless someone displays strength above what they are used to.

She looked up at him and told him to follow her to the clinic. Heeding her words, Hermes obediently stepped in the direction she was heading. Arthur with his grey hair and trimmed beard stared at the pair's backs as they walked through the exit.

He slowly turned around and made his way back to his office. Seeing this, Viktor shook his head and sighed.

"My expectations were not low, but he still found a way to decimate them..."

...

In the large clinic, Hermes found himself surrounded by walls of white and the smell of alcohol. The disinfectant smell permeated the air as it made its way through his nostrils. This was a smell he was used to.

Along the way, Angelica wrapped his arm in cloth to prevent excessive bleeding as they slowly made their way toward the room that housed the nano-biotic machine. Opening the door, a floor riddled with cables as they snaked across the shiny white marble tiles was reflected in Hermes' eyes.

Moving his gaze upward, he found the source of the spiderweb of cables which all protruded out from the same place. At the center of the room, large cylindrical pods lay horizontally on the floor as they were made from a bluish-black metal that reflected the fluorescent light radiating from the ceiling. Its top was made of glass, unlike the rest of its body.

Angelica turned her head to the side and glanced at Hermes who was busy analyzing the room he had just entered. A radiant but sinister smile showed on her beautiful face as she spoke soothingly:

"Alright, take off your clothes."

Turning red, Hermes gave her a face of puzzlement and shock as he stared directly at her without knowing what to say. She giggled at his expression.

"You don't need to be shy, I have already seen every nook and cranny of your body when Little Leo brought you to me...", her gaze shifted up and down his body like a snake eyeing a predator.

After a moment of staring at each other in silence, Hermes surrendered to his fate. His arm had begun to sting more and more as his eagerness to heal himself increased. He slowly pulled up on his daraas robe to take it off.

Her smile widened as she continued to giggle in a sinister fashion.

"Hm? Red underwear? I don't remember you wearing that one previously... Did you visit the market during those few days by yourself?" With fake tears in her eyes, she pointed her fist in his direction and gave a thumbs-up. "I didn't think you would have it in you to try and talk to the locals... I'm so proud of you right now!"

'Fuck... I want to smack her right now...'

She ignored his obvious glares as she began readying the machine for operational condition.

After finishing his exhibitionist show, Hermes slowly walked towards the large machine with his boxers on as he stared at the cylindrical tube in front of him. As Angelica pressed something using the tablet in her hands, a sliding sound was heard.

Szzzzzzz...

Suddenly, the glass lid that was on the pod's surface slid upwards, revealing the hollow surface inside. Angelica glanced at him and said soothingly:

"Alright, go inside and close your eyes. After I close the lid, stay where you are and don't move. Liquid will start to fill the chamber but do not panic, just continue breathing like normal."

He nodded at her; a satisfied smile appeared on her face. Hermes then followed her instructions and slept inside the pod. Glancing upwards to where Angelica was standing, he could see her looking down at the tablet in her hands as she started the machine up.

Suddenly, large amounts of cold liquid started pouring into the chamber he was sleeping in. Following her instructions, he closed his eyes and didn't panic. The substance rose up as it covered Hermes' entire body.

Suddenly, his brain began fighting against its desire to escape the drowning sensation. He wanted to desperately leave the chamber, but knowing that Angelica meant no harm to him, he tried to suppress those feelings as he continued to lay inside the liquid.

A minute later, he began to run out of air as the substance rushed down his nostrils. Instead of drowning, he for some reason was able to breathe the liquid in and out as if it were normal air. It was a weird sensation, half his brain was panicking with the sensation of drowning while the other was relaxing due to how fresh the 'air' he breathed in felt.

Suddenly, he became nauseous as his mind began to blur, making him fall closer and closer into deep sleep. Before his mind completely lost consciousness, his thoughts pondered back to that punch he did. With the remaining willpower that was fighting against his inevitable slumber, words of somber emerged outward:

"... What have I become?..."

END OF CHAPTER