Chapter 57: The Revelation of MIMR
—Northern District, Velhart Town—
The wind was crisp as it brushed against the three figures standing before the open gate. Behind them, the red-and-gold stood still in the sunlight, encircled by armored knights standing in perfect formation. Ahead rose the main building—tall, wide, and hewn from stone—but it wasn't its size that commanded attention. It was the emblem etched high above the arch:
MIMR
Mortalis Integration & Monster Research Institute
The place radiated a heavy stillness—quiet, cold, and touched by something that felt almost unnatural. The magical energy in the air was different here, carrying a strange, unnerving stillness. On either side of the main hall stood smaller wings—perhaps old study halls, or chambers where strange things had long been sealed away. Yet it was the central building that drew all focus.
They had remained silent until now—but then—
"Captain Seraphina," Eldarion said softly breaking the silence, his voice smooth as tempered steel, "have you ever truly wondered why this facility was created in the first place?"
He wasn't looking at her—not yet. His gaze lingered on the pale, sterile walls ahead of them, as if reading something written in the silence. Only after a moment did he turn. His eyes met hers with calm certainty—unshaken, quietly commanding.
"It was never just meant for conducting autopsies for the Knight Orders," he continued. "Not for studying human anatomy either. They also conduct research on the monster. But the question isn't just what they studied. It's why."
Seraphina said nothing for a moment. The echo of her boots struck the stone floor with the rhythm of precision. She walked ahead without pause, spine straight, each step the same as the last—measured, unwavering.
Eldarion's footsteps came next—steady, but carrying a kind of gravity. As if even the air gave him space. The area was empty, with a large statue standing alone in the center of the stone ground.
Behind them, Sebastian followed in silence—a shadow in motion. He didn't speak. He never did. He only spoke when absolutely necessary, and even then, rarely. Most of the time, if someone asked him a question, silence was the only answer they got.
"...No, sir," Seraphina replied at last. Her voice was cool, almost analytical, as if she were speaking not to him, but to the facts unfolding before her. "We were aware this facility operated under the Academy's alchemy division—its function sanctioned to assist the Knight Orders with dead body research. A place for those inclined to study monsters... or dissect the truth behind their existence. That was the extent of it. If there was more, it was neither disclosed nor within the scope of our mandate."
A beat passed. Then another.
"But now..." she continued, her tone shifting slightly—calculating. "After what you've told us... I see it differently. This place was never meant to end with studying monsters or humans. That was just the foundation. The beginning."
She stopped, her blue eyes narrowing, as if the truth were taking shape right before her. "It was built to evolve. To prepare for something greater… or something far worse. This was always meant to become a demon research facility, wasn't it?"
Eldarion nodded, slow and measured. "Exactly. I knew you'd find out easily." His voice was almost gentle—but there was a sharpness beneath it. A blade behind silk.
"But there's still a single question remains, sir? Why both monsters and humans at the same Institute?" she asked, her voice low now, but not hesitant. Her gaze locked forward, cold and seeking.
He didn't answer right away. The silence between them stretched, but never turned awkward. It was a silence of thought—of strategy. As they all walked forward.
"Because demons aren't creatures to be taken lightly," he said at last. "Their minds, their intent, their very essence—are eerily similar to ours, yet fundamentally opposed. But their forms… they resemble monsters. And beneath those monstrous exteriors, echoes of humanity still remain."
He paused briefly. "To truly understand a demon's body—its structure, its nature—they had to study both monsters and humans. By combining the anatomical structures of both, it became easier to decode the anatomy of demons."
He folded his arms behind his back, eyes steady as they met hers. "But now, at last, the facility can serve its true purpose. They've finally acquired a demon's body—the true specimen they need to begin their study. We may have to wait for the full report… but I have high hopes for what they'll uncover."
A silence passed between them. The corridor ahead darkened slightly, the air growing heavier as the sun sank toward the horizon.
Seraphina stood still, lost in thought for a few moments. What she had heard in the audience chamber about demons and the Hero's history—it all felt like a fairy tale brought to life. And now, to learn that the facility she had been using for autopsy examinations was actually built for research on demons—it felt entirely foreign, as if the ground beneath her had shifted. For a few seconds, she couldn't quite believe it.
"I see," Seraphina said at last. Her tone didn't change, but there was something sharper in it now. "But why are you telling me something so secret?"
"It's because you're the Captain of the Knight Orders in the Velhart sector," he said without hesitation, his voice steady and deliberate. Yet beneath that calm, there was a hollowness—his words carried neither warmth nor conviction. "You deserve to know the truth. Besides, I have no intention of relocating the demon. Every city with a MIMR facility is home to exceptionally gifted researchers or students—Velhart is no exception."
He paused for a moment, then added with a calm, steady gaze. "Remember this, Captain: even if the rest of the world remains in the dark for years to come… we've been preparing. From the very beginning. This war—it's coming. Sooner than most are willing to admit. Five years, perhaps less."
He looked ahead again. "And when it does, we can't afford to lose time. Not even the time we think we still have."
Seraphina gave a slight nod. Her jaw was tense, her mind clearly working. "Understood, Sir."
They stepped past the threshold. The air changed immediately. A bitter scent met them—thick with magic, stale from silence. It clung to the walls like a memory, a quiet warning of what had been studied here... and what still might remain.
"Still smells like a corpse house," Seraphina murmured coldly, eyes scanning the green-glowing corridors.
"It is a corpse house. I take it you don't come here often?" he asked.
"No, sir. I've rarely had a reason to."
They walked through two long hallways, lit only by pale magical lamps suspended overhead, their light barely cutting through the heavy air. Finally, they reached it—the Central Research Chamber.
Green light bathed the space in a sickly hue. Along the walls stood glass tanks—thick, reinforced—filled with swirling green and blue liquids, crafted from magic stones. These fluids were used to slow the decay of bodies, to keep flesh from dissolving. Inside the tanks, indistinct shapes floated: monsters caught mid-dissection, twisted limbs. Some tanks hissed. Some dripped.
In the center of the room stood several tables, each cluttered with an assortment of objects: magical orbs, glinting knives, and other strange implements whose purposes were best left unknown.
Eldarion's gaze was calm, unreadable as he stepped in. "Is the staff always this absent?"
Sebastian stood behind him with a crisp posture, hands folded behind his back.
Seraphina moved forward slightly, her silver pauldrons gleaming faintly. "No, sir. Protocol forbids leaving this facility unsecured. Someone should be here."
She raised her voice, sharp and commanding. "This is Seraphina Valthrone, Captain of the Knight Orders. Present yourselves."
No answer. Only the faint hum of the magical lights. Her brows narrowed.
"If this is a joke," she continued, cold and deliberate, "I will make sure it ends in demotion. If anyone is here... speak now. Otherwise, the entire research staff will be held accountable for leaving the facility unattended."
Still, nothing.
"Is it possible they've already gone home? It is past duty hours," Eldarion said, his voice calm and measured.
Seraphina took a moment to glance around, then replied coolly, "No, sir. Even if they had, someone should still be here. I'll search a bit more — and if not, they'll face the consequences."
She advanced slowly through the room, glancing at the glistening skin-cutter instruments laid out on metal trays—moon-blades, bone-splitters. Everything was meticulously placed… yet somehow wrong. A tray slightly askew. A vial knocked over. A chair half-turned.
"Is anyone present?" Her voice turned sharp. "I will not ask again. Respond immediately."
Her boots clicked softly against the floor, each step echoing in the stillness as she moved toward the table. She paused briefly, her eyes sweeping the room once more, wary and alert. Then, with measured steps, she approached the corner of the table, about to round it—that's when it happened. A subtle resistance beneath her step. Not the familiar hardness of cold stone… something else. Something softer. It made her stop in her tracks.
Her breath caught. She froze mid-step. Slowly, cautiously, she tilted her gaze downward.
There, just at the edge of the table's shadow, barely discernible in the dim, greenish light… something lay sprawled across the floor. A young woman.
Seraphina's gaze narrowed on the girl lying before her. Medium-length soft blue hair fanned out like a halo across the floor, veiling the girl's forehead and catching the faint light as if touched by the moon. One hand rested loosely on her chest, the other lay flopped to the side, fingers curled. Her legs were slightly splayed, her shoes knocked off. A dark, dried stain marred the shoulder of her pale coat.
For a moment, Seraphina froze. Not in fear. In calculation.
"Is something amiss, young lady?" Sebastian inquired, his voice calm, yet edged with readiness. Without hesitation, his gloved hand rested lightly on the hilt of his sword.
"There's no need, Sebastian." Seraphina replied, her tone cool and measured. "I'll take a look myself."
Then she slowly knelt beside the girl. Her glove brushed under the girl's nose, holding her breath—checking her breathing. At first, the girl's breath wasn't coming at all. Then suddenly, she felt her gloved fingers warm as the girl inhaled.
"…She's breathing," she muttered.
Sebastian stepped closer, carefully. Eldarion didn't move—but his presence weighed heavier than either of them. He remained behind them, still as marble—tall.
Seraphina straightened with a sharp inhale. "Unconscious," she stated. "But not injured. The way she's lying—it's too... poised. Legs askew, one arm over her chest, the other flat against the ground. The positioning looks almost staged."
Her cold gaze swept across the room, taking in the dark glass tanks and the silent tools on the tables. She rose with measured precision."No signs of struggle. No blood. But the atmosphere reeks of negligence."
She walked toward a metal table. Instruments were scattered across it—slender probes, mana-thread needles, and a half-full vial marked with a swirling sigil labeled Neurest-7. She took the water bottle resting beside it and stepped back to the girl.
With a deliberate hand, Seraphina poured a thin stream across the girl's face.
No response.
She emptied the rest in a slow arc. This time, the girl's face twitched. Her brow furrowed, lips parting as a soft, disoriented groan escaped.
Then, with a gasp, she sat upright, clutching her head. Her medium-length hair fell gracefully from her forehead, soft wisps parting slightly at the center to sweep just above her eyes. A few delicate strands curled fully around her chin, framing her heart-shaped face and softening the narrow point of her jaw. The rest of her layered hair flowed outward in feathery waves, with some strands cascading from behind and curving forward to rest gently on her shoulders. Her eyes blinked rapidly—large and soft, aglow with a gentle azure sheen in the light. That wasn't the most beautiful thing about her. What truly stood out were her ears.
At first, they seemed like part of her hair, blending seamlessly into the strands around her head. But then, they twitched—rising from the sides of her upper forehead in a graceful rhythm. Large and feline in shape, they were a soft shade of blue, with delicate curves that gave them an almost ethereal elegance.
They marked her as a beastkin. Even among beastkin, there were many types, and she belonged to the catkin. Beastkin typically bore certain animal traits—ears, tails, eyes—fragments of their lineage that set them apart from humans.
Her white uniform had slipped low, one shoulder completely bare, revealing the bright ivory of her skin and the gentle arc of her collarbone. The fabric clung to her curves, accentuating the full rise of her chest—round and generous beneath the damp cloth. Droplets of water slid down her neck, making it shimmer softly. She barely seemed to notice.
"Who—what are you doing?" she grumbled, rubbing at her face. "Splashing water on people like that—didn't your parents teach you any manners?"
Seraphina's response was immediate and ice-cold. "Manners?" Her voice cut like a blade. "Is it good manners to leave a high-security facility's front gate wide open and collapse in your own lab like a corpse left to rot in a coffin?"
The girl blinked rapidly, still dazed.
"You're lucky I didn't assume you were already dead," Seraphina continued. "Or worse—infected."
Finally, the girl's vision cleared enough to focus. Her gaze landed on Seraphina. Her eyes widened as recognition dawned.
"Silver hair that shimmered like moonlight… eyes as blue and sharp as blades…" she whispered. "Could it be—you're Captain Seraphina? The knight captain everyone's been talking about?"
"I am," Seraphina replied coolly. "Now pull your uniform up. You look like a barmaid who drank herself unconscious."
The girl flushed crimson and quickly yanked her sleeve back onto her shoulder. "Y-Yes, ma'am. I'm terribly sorry. I wasn't expecting anyone today. My name is Linaria Veltrane—I joined the Institute three weeks ago. Apprentice Alchemist, third tier. I was… I was testing a compound."
Seraphina narrowed her eyes. "Testing?"
Linaria pointed weakly toward the table. "A stabilizer formula. Not a sleep drug—not exactly. It's called Somneurin. It's meant to suppress dream states and reduce neural strain for patients with recurring trauma. I took a sip... just to observe the side effects first-hand. It… worked too well."
"You drugged yourself. In a restricted zone. Alone. With the front gate unlocked." Seraphina's voice grew sharper. "Tell me, Miss Veltrane—do they not teach risk management at this Institute?"
"I—no, I mean, yes, they do, I just—" Linaria fumbled. "I'm really sorry. I didn't expect it to knock me out cold."
A silence hung in the air. Seraphina stared for a moment longer before sighing. "Fine. You're fortunate it was me who found you, and not someone else. But if you experiment on yourself again without sealing the premises, I'll see to it personally."
Linaria paled. "Understood, Captain. It won't happen again."
She stood up quickly, brushing off her uniform and checking for any dust. Once she straightened herself, she cast a glance toward Seraphina. "Are you here for the corpse analysis report? On the cadaver you sent yesterday? I'm afraid the team hasn't finished compiling the report. The body analysis proved more… complex than expected."
Seraphina stepped aside, her voice dropping an octave, sharp with meaning. "No. We are here for something else."
Lunaria blinked, "We?"
Seraphina gestured behind Linaria with a slight tilt of her chin. "Look behind you."
Linaria turned—and froze. Her breath caught. The figure in the back, distant yet impossibly present—the tall, silver-haired man whose eyes looked like cold stars in winter night—stood silently, arms behind his back.
"The Warden General…" she whispered. "I-I didn't realize…" She bowed so fast it almost looked like she'd fall over. "My sincerest apologies for my unprofessional behavior, my lord. Please forgive me."
"There is nothing to forgive," Eldarion replied quietly. His voice was deep and calm—like flowing ice over stone. "Only, be more mindful next time. And I'm here to witness the creature myself."
Linaria straightened nervously and smoothed her dress again. "If… If you're here to see the subject—the creature—then… please, follow me. I'll take you there right away."
She turned, quickly adjusting her badge and slipping on a pair of gloves, her earlier grogginess vanishing behind a mask of urgency. Then she led them into another chamber. It wasn't large, but its reinforced door matched the security level of the previous room. The air felt denser here, the lighting dim.
Inside stood a containment pod—no, two. Each one filled with thick, greenish fluid, like suspended gel. One held the upper torso of the monster. The other, its lower half.
Sebastian stiffened beside Seraphina, but Eldarion stepped forward, eyes narrowing.
He stood before the creature he had only ever read about in the tome. The descriptions had never been enough—he couldn't truly imagine them. But now, seeing one of them with his own eyes, something shifted. His gaze widened—whether in fear or something deeper, even he couldn't tell. Then, quietly, the words slipped from his mouth.
"This is worse than I envisioned… The way you described it—it didn't prepare me for this." His gaze swept over the distorted remains. "The sheer size. And the form... it's grotesque."
"Yes, my lord," Linaria replied quietly, bowing her head slightly. She turned, almost sheepishly, brushing a strand of hair behind her ear. "I—I apologize. We couldn't fit the full body into one pod. The chamber's ceiling clearance was too low, and we didn't want to compromise preservation by folding the limbs or compressing the body."
Eldarion glanced at her. "Preservation takes priority. You made the right call."
Linaria blinked, surprised. "Thank you, sir."
He gave a single nod. "Now, tell me—what have you learned from your research so far?"
Linaria straightened and moved beside the nearest pod, gesturing with precision. "We've made some early observations. This creature's anatomy is… nothing like a human's. In fact, it's almost opposite. The organ placement, the musculature—it's as if the body evolved under completely foreign biological laws. It took two hours just to cut through the outer hide."
"I see," Eldarion said, eyes scanning the monster's black, ridged skin. "What about the mana core? The energy structure?"
Seraphina stepped closer, her tone cold and direct. "You mentioned a difference."
"Yes, ma'am." Linaria hesitated, then explained. "We tried analyzing the core's energy with mana-absorption orbs. At first, nothing happened. The orb didn't react. Then it fluctuated—briefly—and shattered. We thought it was a faulty orb. But we tested several more. Each time… the same."
Eldarion's brows lowered slightly, analytical. "How many orbs were used?"
"Four, sir."
"And all shattered?"
"Yes."
Seraphina's voice sharpened, a blade behind velvet. "Then you're saying the mana could not be absorbed? Or that the core resisted?"
"We're still uncertain," Linaria admitted. "But… we estimated the mana density is comparable to high-tier apex-class monsters. At minimum, an S-Rank. Possibly higher, though that's speculative."
Seraphina crossed her arms. "If the orb cannot read the core, that implies more than just power. It implies interference. A rejection. Perhaps the mana core channels mana through a different type of flowline than ours. A resonance entirely incompatible with standard measurements."
"An unusual theory," Eldarion murmured, "but not unfounded. Did you sense something unusual in his power, Captain?"
"Upon reconsideration, I did detect something... off about his magic. Still, you claimed their strength exceeds our comprehension—logically, their mana reserves must be just as immense. That anomaly was likely a result of that excess," Seraphina replied, her voice calm and calculated.
"That may be true," Eldarion said with a slow, thoughtful nod, his gaze lingering on the demon ahead.
A long silence settled between them—tense, yet contemplative. Linaria stood still, her eyes quietly scanning every inch of the monster's form. Then, finally, she spoke.
"Well, my lord…" she began softly, fingers coming to rest lightly beneath her chin, "There's a possibility the Captain's theory is correct—about it operating along different flowlines. It's not conclusive yet, but... there's something unusual here."
She tilted her head, squinting slightly at the creature. "Captain, in your report... you mentioned it used fire-based magic, correct?"
Seraphina gave a single, elegant nod. "Yes. It did. Why?"
Linaria hesitated. "I can't say for certain. It's just... I feel like I'm overlooking something." She exhaled, almost in frustration, then offered a faint, apologetic smile. "I'll need more time. But if I can pinpoint what it is... I'll report immediately."
Seraphina's expression remained unreadable, her voice cool. "Very well."
Eldarion stepped forward and slowly turned to face Linaria. His voice was calm, deliberate. "Continue your work—and proceed with care. Try to measure its mana with greater precision. Use higher-grade orbs, or retrieve the specialized one from the Adventurers Guild in the Capital. We need to understand their true capabilities… and how their mana aligns—or diverges—from our own. Only then can we prepare for what's coming."
Linaria nodded, her throat tightening as she swallowed. "As you command, my lord. We'll follow through at once and report the moment we discover anything new."
Seraphina gave a single, curt nod. "See that you do. This is no ordinary specimen. And remember—your findings may well save countless lives in the future. Treat your work accordingly."
Linaria gave a small, sincere smile. "Understood, ma'am."
Seraphina's eyes, however, didn't soften. "And Linaria…"
"Yes?"
"If I catch you again passed out in your own lab with the doors unsecured, I won't be forgiving you next time."
Linaria paled slightly. "Y-Yes, ma'am. It won't happen again. I'm truly sorry."
Then they left the room, leaving Linaria behind. She didn't follow. Instead, she stood still, eyes fixed on the unfamiliar creature. A frown creased her brow as she shook her head a few times.
"What was that? There was something off about it… but what?" She groaned softly, her ears twitching atop her head as she wondered.
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(Chapter Ended)