Hyena often had dreams . This time he was in a dark forest, surrounded by fog and ruined buildings coated in damp moss . The trees were twisted and ferocious, like terrifying demons that groped at him from the darkness . The sky was vast and felt heavy as an iron curtain, settled over the stretching nightmarish landscape .

He was lost .

The darkness was stirring, and an unsettling rustle came from the trees . Something was coming .

Hyena was wracked by an unexplainable fear that made him s.h.i.+ver, like he knew something terrifying was about to happen . Just as he was preparing to flee the mists parted, and an ethereal grey figure crept into view . It was a wolf .

This was no ordinary creature of the forest . Its shoulders were wider than its hips and the muscles of its upper body were vastly stronger than its lower half . He could tell the beast could both walk on all fours and also upright like a man . As he looked the wolf fixed him with glowing green eyes that were replete with some dark magic . They were calling him closer .

“Have you already forgotten who you are?”

As the creature spoke in human words Hyena’s hair stood on end . His panic was interspersed with an inexplicable wrath and with a roar he flung himself at the beast, ready to tear it apart with his bare hands . Only, when he reached the wolf it vanished .

A lake of limpid water appeared next, without any ripple or wave, clear as a mirror . Slowly he approached the sh.o.r.e, and when he saw his reflection in the waters his pupils shrunk to black dots . A green eyed wolf was staring back at him .

“No!”

Hyena snapped out of the nightmare with half his body drenched in sweat . Dark hairs had begun to slither from his pores, but vanished once he was awake . With heart pounding he pushed himself out of bed and approached a mirror . When his familiar ugly face greeted him his ragged breathing slowly calmed .

Bang!

Hyena put his fist through the mirror, sending blood-smeared gla.s.s scattering every which way . Each one reflected a part of his twisted features . With pained expression he dropped to the ground with his head in his hands, pressing in on his scalp with all his might . A b.e.s.t.i.a.l growl issued from his throat .

It was breakfast time .

Hyena sat in a rather luxurious dining room . He was the greatest warrior the Seekers had, so he was treated with amenities a normal wastelander couldn’t imagine even in their wildest dreams . There was bread, milk, fruit – things a typical person wouldn’t dare imagine .

Several attractive servants addressed him respectfully . “Please help yourself sir . ”

With a scowl on his twisted face Hyena sniffed the air . He plucked up a piece of bread, took a small bite, then quickly spat it back out . Enraged he flipped the table over, sending the delectable meal rolling across the floor . “This bulls.h.i.+t is fit for people to eat?!”

Rivulets of fresh goat’s milk were marking atrial along the ground . This treasured luxury of the wasteland was cast away like garbage and the stink of raw meat hung in the air . Several of the maids hurried to clean up the mess . They were at a loss, over the last half year their master’s temperament had become more and more strange .

Before he had been vigorous and lively . Every night he would take three women to bed . Now, though, he barely touched any of them . Where before he could eat as much as four or five men, now he barely picked at anything they brought him .

The problem wasn’t with his appet.i.te . When he stared at them now there was a hunger in his eyes, but not a hunger for pleasure . It was a hunger for their fles.h.!.+

Hyena stomped from his residence and, s.n.a.t.c.hing up two large chunks of raw meat, made his way toward the Academician’s sample collection room . There were many subjects gathered for Roste’s experiments, from giant rats to lizards and even wolves .

His intention was to do what he always did in the past and feed the beasts to keep them strong . Instead, he found himself in front of the wolf’s cage staring at the mutated creatures .

The wolves kept here were the offspring of experiment subjects . Their original stock were normal wasteland wolves, but the Academician’s medicines had increased their mutation rate . Each evolution was faster and more dramatic than the last . Now they were stronger, smarter, and more cunning .

Every one of them had undergone incredible strengthening . Even the weakest of them would be a wolf pack alpha if released back into the world . A handful of them were even displaying signs of higher intelligence .

Academician Roste was a genius – but he was also a madman .

The wolves had gathered round, jostling for position to grab the fresh meat . The largest one, by contrast, was seated calmly nearby . Her fur was a silvery white, majestic and awe-inspiring . Without any anger or feral madness she calmly watched the man standing outside of the cage . She and Hyena stared at each other for a long time . It a sent a s.h.i.+ver up Hyena’s spine .

They called this mother wolf Subject Zero . She was their most successful trial yet, coming from a strong and stable pedigree . As such Roste didn’t experiment on her and instead used her for breeding . Her offspring had the same doughty breeding, thus giving the Academician no shortage of good experimental material .

The truth was that Hyena wasn’t entirely human . The strongest of this majestic creature’s offspring, their blood and essence flowed through his veins .

The old matriarch caught his familiar scent . Her sharp, calm eyes settled on him . A steady gaze that filled him with dread .

He felt like he was losing his sense of ident.i.ty .

Hyena had lost all interest in women, the same with breads and fruit and alcohol . He felt more of a kins.h.i.+p with these beasts now, like a connection that grew out of his very bones .

He dropped his head and stared at the b.l.o.o.d.y slabs of meat in his hands . The stench of it filled his nose and made his mouth water . He fought the desire to lick it, to just taste the fresh blood and uncooked meat .  

He gulped down a mouthful of spit .

In the end his human will won over and he managed to fight down the call of the beast within .  

Moments later a researcher stepped into the room . “Hyena, sir . The Academician has called for you . ”

Hyena cast a final look toward the mother wolf, then threw the meat into the wolf cage .

When he arrived at the laboratory there were three people already waiting . One was the shapely and attractive h.e.l.lflower . Another was the una.s.suming, balding old Academician who feebly held himself up with a walking staff .  

The final person was a lascivious man, thin as a rail . At a glance one could tell he was a vulgar man, he couldn’t keep his eyes off the swell of h.e.l.lflower’s chest and the curve of her backside . He was director of the laboratory, both a Seeker and a scientist . Although he certainly had a name taken from the older days, most of the Seekers preferred to call him by his nickname; Chimp .

At one time Hyena had drooled over h.e.l.lflower himself . He had to fight the urge to tear his pants off and mount her like a beast, ravaging that peach-shaped tail for his pleasure . Now, though, his tastes had changed . It didn’t matter how attractive a woman was, he was no longer excited by the view . To him they might as well be beautiful monkeys . He simply wasn’t interested .

Academician Roste coughed feebly before peeling open his dim eyes and fixing them on Hyena . “You seem a little off today . What’s the matter?”

“Thank you for your concern, Academician . ” His feelings toward the old scholar were complicated . On the one hand he’d brought Hyena back from the brink of death, yet on the other his current troubles were a result of the Academician’s work . Whatever the case he held the man in highest esteem, he barely dared to look him in the eye . Hyena addressed the old scientist with the utmost respect . “I’m fine . ”

Academician Roste stared at Hyena for a moment, his turbid eyes seemingly able to pierce all the world’s obfuscations . He spoke again through a series of coughs . “You are my greatest work, and the only one whose memory I did not erase with pharmaceuticals . If there are any problems we can solve them together . I am your creator, but more than that I am like your father . ”

“Hyena, I really do envy you!” The expression on Director Chimp’s face matched his words . “You were a first-cla.s.s soldier once, and thanks to the Academician’s efforts you have been turned into one of the greatest warriors of the wastelands . Even Greenland Outpost’s leader, Hydra, has nothing on you . If only I had the kind of power you possess . ”

h.e.l.lflower answered with a pretty laugh . “At best, the process only offers a fifty percent chance of success . Without the appropriate willpower or const.i.tution, do you think you’d survive?”

Her biting words angered Chimp, and though it was just banter he couldn’t endure her disdain . His response was deliberately ambiguous and thick with contempt . “My const.i.tution? Find us a bed and you can see for yourself, you’ll learn what a real man is!”

“Stop wasting time . ” Roste’s words quavered soft as gossamer . He really did seem like he would keel over at any moment . “Bring the young man in . We must begin the examination . ”

The young man entered shortly after, clad in his cloak and his features hidden behind a white mask .

Cloudhawk wasn’t entirely sure what situation he found himself in . He looked around at his surroundings in confusion, while his right hand never left that shaft of his exorcist staff . He let off the air of one who was on edge, vigilant for any danger . When he saw the Academician, h.e.l.lflower and the others he approached without hesitation . “Why did you call me here?”

“Don’t be nervous, my young friend . ” The Academician greeted him with an amicable smile . “We’ve asked you here because we’re interested in testing your unique abilities . Please relax, you’re in no danger . ”

Cloudhawk glanced at h.e.l.lflower, then walked into the test chamber .

Several Seekers got the tests underway .

The first in the series of examinations was designed to a.n.a.lyze his skills as a demonhunter . By asking him to awaken his relics they tested his abilities and used the data to extrapolate his strength . They determined that his psychic energies surpa.s.sed those of typical novice, yet was still slightly inferior to a full-fledged demonhunter .

Weaker than they expected!

Even master demonhunters were of little concern for the Caliph of the Sands . By comparison Cloudhawk was hardly worthy as cannon fodder before the demon . However, his skills as a demonhunter were worth noting . Anyway where else were they going to find a proper demonhunter out here?

Next they tested his physical abilities .

Wastelanders didn’t possess the holy inheritance of the G.o.ds, nor the elysians’ methods of cultivation . Typical denizens of the wastes were forced to awaken their potential through hards.h.i.+ps, facing death in order to make themselves stronger . There were gene activating medicines but they were few and far between out here . Mutagens also varied by affect depending on the individual, and like panacea they drew on the latent potential of the subject to overdraft what their bodies were capable of . Using them to improve one’s physical characteristics wasn’t always a wise decision .

No such substances were detected during Cloudhawk’s physical test .

Everyone’s const.i.tution was difference, and as such so was their developmental process . Some people were strong enough to easily lift a thousand pounds; some were so agile they had supernatural reaction times and movement speed; still others could recover from injuries faster than normal; some were abnormally intelligent . No two persons were alike .

However Cloudhawk was especially unique . They discovered that his mutations were not particularly rapid, but they were systemic . He was stronger, faster, and smarter than any normal person, in addition to increased regenerative capabilities . Whether it was his muscle or neural connections, he was better than average across the board!

Unbelievable! It was hard to accept! It was only more astonis.h.i.+ng after he answered a series of questions about his personal history .

His increased capabilities had only manifested in the last three months . At this rate of speed his improvement would be spectacular in a decade or two!

Academician Roste was so excited his veiny hands were clenched into fists . This boy wasn’t strong now, but his potential was incredible!

The elderly scientist spoke softly with Chimp . “Go make the preparations . Use Subject Zero . ”

Chimp’s expression betrayed his surprise . Subject Zero? Hyena reacted as well, the knuckles of his scarred hands whitening as he curled them into fists .

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