Faust crouched beside the remains of the mutated rat, examining its exposed organs.
'Hmm?'
Faust narrowed his eyes.
He noticed an unusual movement beneath the surface of the intestines. Something was pushing against the inner walls, creating small bulges that moved from one section to another.
'What is that?'
The black fabric around his sleeve stirred.
A thin blade extended from his wrist, and with a simple thought, Faust guided it toward the creature's abdomen.
SWISH!
The blade cut through the intestines.
A thick, dark liquid spilled onto the floor, followed by something that immediately caught his attention.
A worm.
It was roughly the length of his forearm, with a thick, fleshy body covered in a transparent layer of slime. Its pale skin contracted repeatedly as it crawled out from the severed intestine.
Faust watched it carefully.
'Interesting...'
The creature had no visible eyes or limbs. Its body resembled an oversized parasite, although the way its flesh moved suggested a far more complicated structure.
It twisted several times, seemingly trying to understand its surroundings.
Then it stopped.
The front of its body slowly turned toward Faust.
'Can it sense me?'
He leaned forward slightly.
Without warning, the worm's head split open.
SPLIT!
Four sections of flesh peeled backward, revealing rows of tiny, needle-like teeth.
The entire opening resembled a mouth divided into four jaws.
Before Faust could examine it further, the creature suddenly sprang toward his face.
SWOOSH!
His hand moved.
He caught the worm in midair, closing his fingers around its slippery body.
The creature twisted violently, its four jaws snapping open and shut.
Faust brought it closer to his eyes.
"So you've mutated..."
The worm continued struggling.
He examined the shape of its body and the strange contractions moving beneath its skin.
'Could this thing be responsible for the rat's abnormal condition?'
It was possible.
The rat's organs had continued functioning even after its death, and this creature had been living inside its intestines.
However, he had no way of knowing whether the parasite had caused those changes or had simply mutated alongside its host.
Either possibility interested him.
"It seems the world has already begun to change, just as I planned."
Faust looked at the worm.
"Although I didn't expect something like you."
The creature suddenly twisted its body, trying to sink its teeth into his fingers.
Faust tightened his grip.
SQUELCH!
The worm let out a high-pitched screech.
Its body burst between his fingers, spraying a mixture of blood and pale fluid across his hand and sleeve.
Faust looked down at the remains.
"What a disgusting thing."
He shook his hand, trying to remove the slime.
Before he could do so, something strange happened.
The black fabric covering his body suddenly tightened.
Faust stopped.
'Hmm?'
He could feel something coming from the material.
It was difficult to describe.
There were no words or sounds, yet somehow, he understood what it wanted.
'Hungry?'
He glanced at his sleeve.
The fabric trembled slightly.
Faust raised an eyebrow.
'You want to eat this?'
Another faint movement passed through the material.
He looked at the dead worm, then at the rat's remains.
After a brief moment, his curiosity won.
"Go ahead."
The response was immediate.
Several black threads emerged from his jacket.
They twisted together, rapidly forming a large mouth lined with sharp teeth.
Faust stared.
"What the..."
The mouth opened wide.
CHOMP!
It clamped down on the crushed remains of the worm.
More threads extended from his sleeves, slithering across his fingers and palm.
They wrapped around the blood and slime covering his skin.
Faust felt a strange tingling sensation.
It reminded him of a dog licking his hand, except that hundreds of tiny movements were happening simultaneously.
The threads moved across his skin, gathering every trace of the worm's remains.
Within seconds, his hand was completely clean.
'It really is eating...'
The large mouth then moved toward the dead rat.
Several threads wrapped around the exposed organs, pulling them toward the opening.
Faust watched as the material consumed the flesh.
The organic matter disappeared into the black threads, leaving no visible trace behind.
It even cleaned the blood from the surrounding floor.
After finishing its meal, the mouth closed.
The threads withdrew, returning to the shape of his jacket.
Everything became still again.
Faust looked at his clothing.
'So you can consume organic matter too.'
He touched the sleeve.
The material responded with a faint ripple.
'And you can understand me.'
This discovery was even more interesting than its ability to form weapons.
The material could move independently, defend him without instructions, and apparently possessed some kind of appetite.
Now it had demonstrated that it could communicate its desires.
Faust considered the possibilities.
Was it an artificial organism?
A new species?
Or had the substance he created somehow developed a consciousness of its own?
He had no answer.
However, there was one thing he was becoming increasingly certain of.
'This thing is alive.'
Faust looked down at his jacket.
"Since you're alive, I suppose you should have a name."
The fabric moved slightly.
He thought for a moment.
Then a faint smile appeared on his face.
"Agony."
The fabric suddenly stiffened.
Faust noticed its reaction.
"Yes. I'll call you Agony."
His smile widened.
"Since you're the reason I'm still alive, despite everything I've done to die, I think the name suits you."
The jacket began rippling violently.
Its surface twisted and contracted as though protesting his decision.
Faust raised an eyebrow.
"Oh? You don't like it?"
The fabric continued moving.
He let out a short laugh.
"Too bad. I don't want to live, yet you insist on keeping me alive. Agony is a perfect name for you."
Another sensation entered his mind.
This time, it was stronger.
Faust frowned.
'Not your choice?'
He looked at his sleeve.
"Then whose choice was it?"
The material shifted.
An unfamiliar feeling passed through their connection.
Faust remained silent for several seconds, trying to understand it.
"My choice?"
The jacket trembled.
He frowned again.
"What do you mean, my choice?"
More impressions entered his mind.
They were vague, but Faust gradually understood what Agony was trying to tell him.
Its existence was somehow connected to his actions.
The experiments, the missile, and the destruction he had caused.
Faust stared at the fabric.
Then he suddenly laughed.
"Hahaha!"
He shook his head.
"Of course! It all comes back to me!"
His laughter grew louder.
"Hahaha! If murdering billions of people grants immortality, it's no wonder humanity keeps committing genocides!"
The black fabric twisted uneasily.
Faust looked down.
"What?"
The material continued moving.
"Oh, don't tell me you have a problem with that too?"
He shook his head.
"What's wrong, Agony? Can't speak?"
As soon as he finished speaking, his jacket began changing.
Several sections of black fabric gathered near his shoulder.
They twisted together, forming a strange, animal-like head with a wide mouth.
Rows of sharp teeth emerged along its jaws.
Faust stared at the new shape.
Before he could say anything, the mouth opened.
"FAUST!"
A deep growl echoed through the corridor.
"I REFUSE TO BE NAMED AGONY!"
Faust blinked.
For the first time since discovering the strange material, he was genuinely surprised.
'It can actually speak?'
He examined the mouth.
There were no visible vocal cords, yet the sound was clear.
The creature was somehow producing speech through its body.
Faust looked at it for a moment.
Then he smiled.
"Well, look at that. You can talk."
The mouth opened wider.
"CHANGE MY NAME!"
"Why?"
"BECAUSE I DON'T LIKE IT!"
Faust shrugged.
"That's unfortunate."
The creature growled.
Faust continued walking, ignoring its protest.
"Besides, you're living proof of my agony. I think it's appropriate."
"I AM NOT YOUR AGONY!"
"You're the one keeping me alive."
"I AM PROTECTING YOU!"
"Exactly. That's the problem."
Agony's mouth opened and closed several times.
For a moment, it seemed unable to decide what to say.
Faust looked at it.
Then another thought occurred to him.
"How about a deal?"
Agony stopped growling.
"What deal?"
Faust smiled faintly.
"End my agony, and I'll give you another name."
The creature remained silent.
"Hope," Faust continued. "How does that sound? Quite a nice name, isn't it?"
Agony stared at him with its tooth-filled mouth.
Then it answered.
"I cannot do that."
Faust's expression remained unchanged.
"Why not?"
"Because your agony comes from within you."
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Faust let out a dry laugh.
"Ha! Going philosophical now?"
He shook his head.
"You know exactly what I mean."
"I cannot grant your request."
"Of course you can't."
Faust looked down at his uninjured hands.
"Nothing ever goes the way I want."
Agony's mouth slowly closed.
The black head unraveled into threads before returning to his jacket.
Faust continued walking.
"Anyway, Agony, since you can speak, you might as well make yourself useful."
A muffled growl came from his shoulder.
"I told you to change that name."
"Then stop protecting me."
"I cannot!"
"Then Agony it is."
The fabric trembled in frustration.
Faust ignored it.