Amon meets with Xlasstazh, an elder of the Hyanids, who reveals that his species may have originated from humans. Xlasstazh also claims to receive prophecies from a 'Creator,' one of which foretells Amon's arrival and the necessity of his aid for the Hyanids to reclaim their ancestral lands.
"The land of your ancestors?" Amon inquired.
Xlasstazh affirmed with a nod. "Well, if cooperation between us is to occur, I suppose learning about our history would not be detrimental." He beckoned Amon to follow. "Ublaith indicated your high standing amongst humans. If that is the case, you must surely be aware that we have historically taken humans during raids on their settlements. Have you ever pondered the reason for this practice?"
"Initially, I presumed you consumed humans as a delicacy. Observing the surroundings within this chamber, it appears this is not the case."
Much of the organic matter scattered about the room consisted of a mixture of human and Cryanid components.
"Indeed. Your initial assumption was incorrect, though I suspect your current hypothesis is accurate. Yes, we utilize those humans for our flesh-altering experiments."
"How did you acquire the skills for flesh alteration?" Amon questioned.
"Because we originated from one," Xlasstazh responded. He observed Amon's reaction and commented, "You do not seem surprised."
"I harbored a suspicion that you were the outcome of such a procedure. If that is true, then your kind represents a successful full-body alteration. Based on public knowledge, no full-body alteration has ever been achieved successfully."
"We stand as proof that it was, a very long time ago. The exact timeframe is uncertain. It was likely several millennia past. The first of our kind were not precisely enthusiastic about their existence to maintain meticulous records."
"So, the progenitor of your kind was the result of a successful full-body alteration. Following that, you reproduced naturally?"
"Yes. Nearly every Hyanid currently existing is a descendant of those fully altered humans."
"Nearly? Does this imply someone who is a fully altered human, from the era when Hyanid came into being, is still alive?"
Xlasstazh nodded. "This individual is the supreme leader of our brood. He has attained such an advanced age due to his cultivation. He is the final fully altered human-Cryanid hybrid. He himself retains only fragmented memories of that grim past. Over such vast durations, memories tend to fade. I cannot ascertain if this is a consequence of our half-Cryanid physiology."
Xlasstazh guided Amon into a secluded chamber situated behind the workshop. One wall was adorned with glass cylinders, each containing a yellow fluid. Suspended within this liquid was a mass of flesh. On closer examination, this flesh mass revealed itself to be a partially formed embryo. The embryo bore a resemblance to a human fetus, yet also exhibited characteristics akin to an insect.
Amon recalled Dao Su's narrative concerning a legendary flesh alterer, rumored to have accomplished a complete bodily alteration. He posed a question to Xlasstazh, "Concerning your ancestors, was their alteration achieved while they remained within the womb?"
"That is precisely correct," Xlasstazh confirmed.
"How can you be so certain of the method? Did you not mention that your ancestors' memories were unclear?"
"We did not depend on memory for the method. We possess the flesh alterer's research documents. They detail the process by which our ancestors were created."
"Indeed? Was the flesh alterer so benevolent as to share his documents with his experimental subjects?"
Xlasstazh emitted a chuckle in response to the remark. "He shared nothing. Our ancestors appropriated his research."
Perceiving Amon's look of inquiry, Xlasstazh elaborated further.
"Although the memories of our ancestors from that distant epoch were indistinct, the account of our genesis has been transmitted through the generations of my species. The narrative recounts that the flesh alterer who brought us into existence underestimated our progenitors. He reveled in the triumph of the initial full-body alteration and elected to raise my ancestors. He imparted the human language and even provided instruction in cultivation techniques.
"Concurrently, he persisted in conducting experiments to engineer additional subjects for full-body alteration. He attempted to replicate the same experiments by merging various spirit beasts with humans. For reasons unknown, success was only achieved when he utilized the Cryanids as the fusion component.
"Our kind matured to adulthood at a significantly accelerated rate compared to humans. The flesh alterer began incorporating our ancestors as assistants. He failed to recognize that our ancestors possessed superior intelligence than they presented. My ancestors continued their studies under his tutelage, feigning a deficiency in intellect. He mistakenly believed that because we are half-Cryanid, our cognitive capacity was similarly diminished. He perceived my ancestors as not fully comprehending the unfolding events, when in reality, they grasped the situation completely.
"They understood they were artificial creations, not products of nature. They recognized that the flesh alterer was exploiting them solely for his own benefit. He treated them as expendable commodities. My ancestors endured oppression, torture, and forced experimentation. Over numerous years, he succeeded in creating many of our kind through his experiments, but he also inflicted countless deaths upon my ancestors. He persisted in this endeavor in his pursuit of perfecting his methodology."
"When he ultimately acknowledged that his technique only functioned by utilizing Cryanids, he was on the verge of revealing his research to attain acclaim. Unfortunately for him, our ancestors took notice. They understood that if he proceeded, their prospects for survival would drastically diminish.
"Consequently, they resolved to act, even while they still had much to learn from their creator. They collaborated and caught the flesh manipulator off guard. He wasn't killed immediately; rather, he was incapacitated, all his documentation was seized, and they retreated into the wilderness.
"They compelled him to translate that documentation. As time passed, they realized the necessity of retreating even further. If humanity discovered them, they would undoubtedly be hunted and subjected to study."
"The most secure refuge would be beyond the misty border," Amon surmised.
"Not precisely the most secure, but that’s what our ancestors determined was optimal for our kind’s preservation," Xlasstazh stated. "The environment beyond the border was inhospitable, yet our ancestors achieved the impossible through sheer perseverance. They also possessed an innate capacity for subterranean living owing to their Cryanid lineage. Our numbers gradually increased through various methods."
"Various methods... Is that the reason you abducted humans?"
"Your comprehension is remarkably swift," Xlasstazh commented. "You see, despite being part-Cryanid, our rate of reproduction mirrored that of humans, considerably slower than true Cryanids. Fortunately, we had fully mastered the flesh-altering techniques developed by our creator. We captured female humans and utilized their wombs to expand our population."
"The abductions detailed in my faction’s reports indicate that you did not solely abduct female humans."
"That likely occurred after we achieved dominion over the Cryanids. Prior to that, we operated with patience and caution. We also conducted abductions infrequently and from diverse human communities to avoid attracting attention. I believe humans at that juncture perceived these abductions as mere isolated disappearances."
"The Cryanids were not always under your command?"
Xlasstazh gestured a negative. "Although we originated from them, we effectively became distinct species. In fact, we frequently engaged in conflicts with the Cryanids over territorial disputes."
"How did you manage to subjugate them?"
"That is a confidential matter I am not yet prepared to disclose to you."
"Understandable. Let us then revisit the prior subject. Why are you now abducting humans on a massive scale, disregarding their gender? This conflict you initiated against the Mercy Faction, I perceive it as being less about territorial conquest and more about large-scale human abduction."
"We are a people of great patience," Xlasstazh declared. Although his entomological visage betrayed no discernible emotion to Amon, Amon detected profound pride in his voice. "We do not undertake actions recklessly without a substantial probability of success. Even with the Cryanids under our control, we recognize that attempting to seize the land from humanity with our present strength would be suicidal. No, territorial expansion will constitute the subsequent phase of our strategy. Our current objective is the exponential growth of our progeny. You may not have realized, but we do not solely target humans during our raids on human settlements. We also procure valuable cultivation resources, primarily pills and ingredients."
"I comprehend... Your aim is to augment both the numbers and the overall cultivation prowess of the Hyanids."
"Precisely."
"This still fails to elucidate the reason for abducting male humans. Furthermore, you stated that your race is patient. What prompted your kind to intensify assaults on human settlements ten years ago? If your objective is population expansion, it would seem more prudent to continue operating covertly."
"Hm... The answer to your initial inquiry resides in the adjacent chamber."
At the termination of the area displaying glass cylinders stood a door. Xlasstazh grasped the doorknob, opened it, and motioned for Amon to proceed inside.
Before Amon entered, he heard guttural, non-human roars emanating from beyond the door. Stepping through, he observed an elongated chamber divided into three extensive sections. The central section resembled a lengthy corridor. The other two sections were partitioned from the central area by metallic trellises.
Behind these trellises resided innumerable mutated entities. They bore a resemblance to Hyanids but appeared more savage.
Upon perceiving Amon, they surged forward, striking the trellis. Some emitted clicking sounds, while others vocalized in a manner akin to human speech. None of the utterances were comprehensible.
"They are..."
"They are Hyanids, conceived not through natural procreation nor the womb-fusion process," Xlasstazh elucidated. "They were generated by completely transforming existing humans, integrating components from the Cryanids."
