Arcane Academy: The Divine Extraction Legacy Chapter 6 Laboratory

The moment the stranger vanished, Kyle realized with a jolt that he could no longer recall the man's appearance. His features, complexion, hair, and even the tone of his voice had become a blurry mess in his mind.

It felt as though the figure had been cloaked in shadows; the only clear memory remaining was that flash of a smile, revealing perfect white teeth just before he departed.

"What was that all about?" Kyle whispered. A storm of conflicting emotions surged within his chest.

He had even lost track of how he reached the interior of the factory, where he was met by a crowd of inquisitive laborers. It felt as if he were some exotic beast being displayed for a group of onlookers.

"Why does that guy look like he's still breathing?"

"Maybe he thought the cart was a carriage and decided to hitch a ride?"

"Haha... He's likely searching for a woman's body. Guess he's so desperate he'll settle for one that's already gone cold."

"Hmph! You're just describing yourself."

These were workers who seemed to be forging or melting steel beside massive furnaces, causing the ambient temperature to soar to stifling levels.

Only about fifty laborers remained on the floor, as others appeared to be on a scheduled break.

Kyle's bizarre arrival did not go unnoticed, and they immediately began mocking him, using his plight as a rare bit of amusement in their grim daily lives.

Snapping back to reality upon hearing their taunts, Kyle felt a desperate urge to leap from the moving cart and flee. He wasn't merely terrified; he was deeply humiliated.

However, an invisible, mysterious force seemed to compel him to remain in his place...

'What is this...'

It was yet another supernatural occurrence as he stayed on the cart until reaching his final stop. He was transported into the depths of the facility, passing through six heavy doors until the rhythmic clanging of hammers finally faded into silence.

The chamber—or perhaps laboratory—he entered was vast. Under the brilliant yellow glow of a hanging chandelier, he was able to survey his surroundings.

Rows upon rows of shelves were lined with glass jars, each containing some specimen preserved in either blue or red fluid. Toward the far right, shelves were crammed with books, while the left corner was obscured by several tall racks. In the center of the room stood several workbenches cluttered with complex devices he couldn't begin to identify.

Still, he spotted a few familiar tools and instruments typically utilized in scientific research.

Near the entrance sat a raised platform furnished with a sofa and a wooden table, evidently serving as a lounge area.

'A laboratory... Please don't tell me...' A terrifying realization of what might happen to him crossed Kyle's mind.

Thud!

The cart jerked to a halt. In that moment, Kyle sensed the invisible restraints holding him had vanished, granting him the freedom to move.

But noticing the 'zombie' beginning to stir again, he immediately froze. He had no idea how to interact with such a creature.

Bang!

Without warning, the cart was upended. Kyle had no time to brace himself as the seven bodies, himself included, were dumped unceremoniously onto the floor.

"Aackk..." The abrupt fall caught him off-guard, leaving him sprawled in a painful, awkward position.

The weight of the corpses landing on top of him only added to the agony.

Creak. Creak.

Ignoring Kyle entirely, the zombie resumed its task, pulling the empty cart out of the laboratory and leaving him behind in a state of shock.

"Urgh..."

Kyle shoved the heavy bodies aside and crawled out from the pile. Though the effort left him drenched in sweat, he finally had the chance to look at the man observing him with a curious gaze.

Pushing past the physical pain, he watched the stranger with extreme caution.

The man was elderly, possessing a deeply lined face and thinning white hair. Despite his age, he maintained a professional air, wearing a lab coat and goggles while clutching a quill. He sat behind a desk, having been previously hidden from Kyle's view by the 'zombie.'

"Hey... Were you part of the corpse shipment brought in by the Variant?"

The old man's voice carried a mix of shock and amusement. He had clearly been expecting a delivery of the dead, not a living person.

'He doesn't seem aggressive... I can handle this...'

Kyle fought to suppress his terror, anxiety, and dread. Drawing a deep breath to find his nerve, he answered, "Yes... there appears to have been a misunderstanding. Actually, someone else noticed it and mentioned that a Mr. Heinz would handle the situation. Is that you, Sir? My name is Kyle, Sir."

"Mhm... That is indeed my name. Do you have any memory of the person you encountered earlier?" Heinz inquired, setting down his quill and interlacing his fingers.

He seemed to find the conversation intriguing enough to halt his work entirely.

By now, Kyle had managed to stand up, though he remained close to the pile of bodies.

"I'm sorry. Once he vanished, his face slipped from my memory..." Kyle hesitated for a second before adding,

"Well, I do remember he had very perfect teeth."

The old man’s lip twitched as if he recognized the description, and he gave a knowing nod.

"So it was the vice headmaster. That explains it."

The room fell into a sudden, heavy silence. Kyle was unsure of how to respond. He didn't care about the vice headmaster; he only wanted to know his own fate.

After a moment of deliberation, Kyle asked tentatively, "Sir Heinz, what is going to happen to me? Are you planning to turn me into a zombie, like the creature that brought me here?"

Heinz arched an eyebrow at the question.

"Zombie? That wasn't a zombie. That is a living creature, not the undead... Zombies are the work of Necromancy. That was a Variant, a creation of Dark Alchemy... an entirely different field. Ah, why am I even explaining the details to you?" The old man shook his head before continuing.

"The vice headmaster likely intends for me to take you on as a student... I was once in your exact position. The Dark Possession took an unusually long time to manifest because of my unique physique. You are likely just like me..."

Heinz spoke the last part softly, his eyes lingering on Kyle as he drifted into memories of his own past.