"Your Highness Lucifer!" Frank turned to Alaric, his eyes gleaming with excitement. "Lord Bethel tells me you plan to use Suah as a research subject. Is that true?"
"I do," Alaric confirmed with a nod, looking at Frank. "Bethel should've briefed you on Suah's nature. He's highly dangerous. While I'll impose strict limits, his mere presence could harm you. For now, I won't allow direct research on him... only samples for you to study."
Though he had faith in the Mushroom King, Frank wasn't even a demigod yet, so Alaric opted for caution.
Frank's face fell briefly with disappointment, but he nodded. "That makes sense. An angel is far too powerful for me. Even a bit of flesh would keep me busy for ages."
"I look forward to what you can uncover. If you advance far enough later, I might permit you to study him directly," Alaric said with a smile. "I'll be staying here to conduct my own research. If I deem it safe, you can observe."
His talk of studying Outer Deities wasn't just lip service... he fully intended to follow through.
Frank's excitement nearly overwhelmed him, his expression bordering on faint-worthy. As a pure researcher, Suah's research value was immense to him.
Alaric wasn't surprised. He then discussed Frank's recent work.
The biological lab focused on two goals: boosting food production and unraveling the mysteries of life itself, aiming to unlock genetic ascension.
Progress on the first was stalled due to limited materials, but Suah's arrival might change that.
The second… was harder to judge.
After touring Frank's recent results, Alaric fell silent.
Despite the lab's short existence, the abundance of monster materials in the Forsaken Land of the Gods had fueled Frank's wild ideas, resulting in a slew of bizarre creations.
Like a fish with dozens of wings sprouting from its body... a sight that could shatter one's sanity.
Or a rose with hundreds of eyes, a wailing infant-like cry, an eight-headed venomous snake, or a purple watermelon that chased people to bite their backsides.
"They're not exactly my creations. I just grafted traits from the monsters' innate properties," Frank explained, not boasting but brimming with enthusiasm. "Monsters have stronger vitality than typical creatures, making my experiments easier. I'm wondering if grafting different monsters together could fuse their abilities. In theory, it's possible, since monsters often have composite powers…"
"Very creative," Alaric said, at a loss for words beyond praise.
It was true... Frank's creations were bursting with imagination, exuding a Lovecraftian aesthetic.
Bethel, who'd also toured the oddities, looked like he wanted to speak but held back, his gaze on Frank conflicted.
He'd once found Alaric's attitude toward Frank puzzling. Now, he understood.
Frank was terrifying... not in strength, but in a different, unsettling way.
Buoyed by the praise, Frank eagerly shared more ideas. Beyond grafting, he had concepts that made even Alaric catch his breath.
"…I wanted to study wraiths and evil spirits. I'm curious how they persist without bodies. If we could crack that, could humans abandon flesh to live longer?" Frank said, offering a sheepish smile that made him seem almost rustic, despite the dirt on his clothes. "But I figured it's not worth it. The human body's a treasure. Ditching it just to extend life a bit feels like a bad trade. Better to explore combining humans with plants... some plants outlive humans by far."
"You're on the right track," Alaric said, nodding at the earnest, farmer-like Frank. "Focus on the human body for now. Souls can be studied later."
After a bit more talk, Alaric extracted a sample from Suah and let the eager Frank dive into research.
Once Frank left, Bethel watched his retreating figure, then turned to Alaric. "Are you sure entrusting humanity's future to him is wise?"
"I'm not sure, but this is a mad world, and it can handle a mad human," Alaric said with a smile. "Only such madness can carve a new path for humanity's future."
Bethel pursed his lips, not arguing, but sighed. "Maybe you're right."
"Of course, if one day the world faces a Mushroom Apocalypse…" Alaric continued dramatically, "turning into mushroom people might not be so bad."
Bethel pictured the lab's bizarre mushrooms, fell silent for three seconds, and said diplomatically, "I'd probably choose to die human."
"Didn't peg you for a purist," Alaric teased, then added abruptly, "But you're not human now, are you? Honestly, isn't a Worm of Star creepier than a mushroom person?"
Bethel choked, forced to admit that Worms of Star weren't exactly less bizarre than mushroom people.
Most mythical creatures in this world were pretty uncanny.
"Exactly! Weirdness is this world's core logic," Alaric said, spreading his hands. "So, no need to scoff at mushroom people. As long as consciousness persists, who cares?"
***
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