Chapter 793: The Horrors of Nosferatu

A pair of enormous doors closed behind Nikolai, leaving him standing inside an unfamiliar corridor. Unlike the military installations outside, everything appeared strangely clean, with white lights illuminating the polished metal floors. Several thick pipes ran overhead, but even the air carried an unpleasant chemical scent.

’So this is their research facility...’

Nikolai slowly approached the nearest observation window, noticing several enormous containers beyond the reinforced glass.

Each contained a strange humanoid creature, suspended within a pale green liquid. Their bodies resembled humans, although various monstrous characteristics covered their flesh. Some possessed enormous claws, while others had additional limbs.

’What the fuck have they been doing?’

He stepped closer, examining the nearest specimen.

The creature possessed an ordinary human face, but its lower body resembled a monstrous spider. Several black veins spread across its abdomen, connecting the two different forms together and, what’s worse... Its chest continued moving beneath the liquid, suggesting the disgusting experiment remained alive.

Nikolai’s expression darkened as he continued walking.

The next room contained even stranger specimens.

Several enormous monsters hung within reinforced containers, their bodies partially covered in mechanical equipment.

Metal plates had replaced sections of flesh, while cables disappeared beneath their exposed muscles. One creature even possessed enormous mechanical arms, connected directly to its spine.

’These bastards are completely fucking insane.’

Nikolai approached another glass container, staring at the human suspended inside. The man’s entire lower body had disappeared, replaced by an enormous mechanical structure. Several artificial organs continued operating beneath his transparent chest, maintaining the body’s circulation through dozens of narrow tubes. Even his skull had been opened, revealing mechanical components surrounding the brain.

"What hell are you doing, Franz... What have you done?"

Despite his repulsion, Nikolai resisted destroying everything.

He couldn’t risk activating some unknown defence, especially when his companions were still fighting elsewhere. Instead, he examined the information displayed beside each container, hoping to understand the purpose behind these experiments.

Most records contained unfamiliar scientific terminology, although several descriptions were surprisingly straightforward. The first category involved combining humans with monsters, while the second focused on mechanical enhancements.

However, the third category caught his attention, particularly because the specimens appeared almost completely identical.

’Cloning?’

Several enormous glass tubes occupied the room. Inside them floated creatures resembling ancient vampires, although their bodies possessed additional monstrous characteristics. Some had blackened bones protruding through their skin, while others resembled corpses preserved through unnatural methods.

Nikolai recognised traces of necromantic energy surrounding the containers.

’Nosferatu necromancy mixed with monster experiments?’

He examined the records more carefully, noticing several references to bloodline preservation and artificial replication.

Unlike the previous specimens, these creatures appeared deliberately manufactured rather than assembled from existing bodies. Some containers even held identical specimens, each carrying the same identification number.

Nikolai slowly clenched his enormous fists, feeling anger spreading through his chest. He’d expected Franz to conduct disgusting experiments, but the scale of this facility exceeded his imagination.

’How many people did you sacrifice?’

Then several monitors suddenly activated overhead, displaying the facility’s internal surveillance feeds.

BEEP!

The sudden noise echoed throughout the abandoned laboratory, causing Nikolai to raise his head. Several screens flickered between damaged surveillance cameras, revealing empty corridors and abandoned operating rooms. In one recording, overturned medical trolleys lay beneath enormous bloodstains, while broken glass covered the floor.

’Where the fuck is everyone?’

He’d expected armed scientists, guards or researchers. Instead, the entire facility seemed deserted. Several abandoned coffee cups remained beside workstations, while unfinished documents lay scattered across the desks. One operating table still held surgical instruments, their surfaces stained with dried blood.

The strangest part was the silence.

Even the ventilation sounded unnaturally distant, occasionally interrupted by metallic knocking somewhere beneath the floor. Nikolai could hear liquid circulating through nearby pipes, accompanied by the irregular beeping of medical equipment.

’They didn’t abandon this place years ago...’

He approached an open laboratory door, noticing several bloody fingerprints around its electronic lock. Inside, a large observation window overlooked another chamber, where dozens of shattered containers stood beneath flickering lights.

Several enormous claw marks covered the walls. A broken restraint hung from the ceiling, its metal links twisted beyond recognition. Nikolai noticed something moving beneath an overturned operating table, causing him to stop immediately.

"...Hm?"

A severed mechanical hand continued twitching.

Its metallic fingers repeatedly opened and closed, scraping against the bloodstained floor. Several exposed wires sparked beneath its wrist, producing an unpleasant burning smell.

Nikolai stared at the disgusting object before stepping backwards.

’What a fucking nightmare.’

Though he’d faced countless horrors and monsters, seeing these creatures’ twisted shapes and being forced to endure such things still made him sick.

He couldn’t shake the disturbing thought that these machines were still operating, dissecting and torturing these specimens while still alive.

Yet nobody remained to supervise them.

’Did Franz evacuate everyone before we arrived?’

Nikolai slowly turned towards the illuminated monitors. One surveillance recording displayed an enormous laboratory deeper within the facility, where hundreds of identical glass containers stretched beyond the camera’s view.

Unlike the other rooms, this chamber remained brightly illuminated.

And at its centre stood an enormous operating platform.

Nikolai narrowed his eyes, noticing several dark shapes suspended above the platform.

’What the hell is that?’

Before he could examine them further, the recording suddenly disappeared.

BEEP!

[Surveillance Connection Terminated.]

The monitors turned black.

Nikolai remained motionless, listening to the faint humming of the abandoned laboratory.

Then, somewhere beyond the surrounding corridors, a heavy metallic door slowly opened.

KRRRRRR...

’Someone’s here.’

Nikolai narrowed his eyes towards the distant corridor, where the sound of heavy machinery continued echoing through the abandoned laboratory. Rather than waiting for another surprise, he decided to investigate the source himself. His black blood gradually covered both arms, forming a protective layer around his exposed skin.

’Enough of this fucking sightseeing.’

He stepped through the open doorway, following the faint mechanical sounds deeper into the facility. Several emergency lights flickered above him, revealing long corridors lined with enormous observation windows. Most of the laboratories were empty, although the unpleasant smell of chemicals and decaying flesh continued growing stronger.

Eventually, he reached another reinforced door.

Unlike the previous entrances, this one had already opened, revealing an enormous chamber beyond its thick metal frame. Nikolai cautiously stepped inside, noticing countless cables hanging from the ceiling and several enormous machines surrounding a central platform.

"...What the fuck?"

Something enormous rested upon the operating table.

At first, Nikolai thought it was another mutated werewolf. However, as he approached, the creature’s appearance gradually became more familiar. Its enormous body was covered in thick black fur, while several metallic components protruded from its shoulders and spine.

’No fucking way...’

Nikolai stopped several metres from the platform.

The creature possessed his facial structure, although its features were horribly distorted by monstrous growths. Several enormous claws extended from its fingers, while black veins spread beneath its exposed muscles. Worse, dozens of surgical scars covered the creature’s torso, suggesting its body had undergone repeated modifications.

’That bastard made a clone of me?!’

At first, it shattered Nikolai’s beliefs.

He thought it was impossible, as every other clone was someone different, and his black blood protected him.

"Forget it..."

Nikolai examined the surrounding machinery, noticing several tubes connected directly to the creature’s chest. Thick black blood circulated through them, occasionally releasing faint sparks of necromantic energy.

Human and monster characteristics had been combined. Mechanical components reinforced its already monstrous skeleton, while something resembling Nosferatu necromancy maintained the unnatural body.

All three experimental techniques.

And the result...

’This gross fucking thing.’

Nikolai’s expression darkened.

Although the creature resembled him, its enormous body remained completely motionless. There was no heartbeat, nor any sign of breathing beneath its massive chest.

’Is it dead?’

He slowly approached the operating platform, but the moment before he could touch the specimen... a loud click sounded from behind.

"Huh!?"

An enormous floodlight suddenly illuminated the chamber.

Nikolai immediately raised his head.

CLICK! CLICK! CLICK!

More lights activated across the ceiling, one after another, until the entire laboratory became illuminated beneath their harsh white glow. The sudden brightness revealed several additional operating tables, along with enormous containers filled with dark liquid.

Then a familiar voice echoed overhead.

"Magnificent, isn’t it?"

Nikolai froze.

’That fucking voice...’

He immediately turned towards the nearest monitor.

A familiar face appeared upon its screen, wearing an amused expression beneath a pair of thin spectacles.

"Doctor Franz..."

The scientist smiled.

"Welcome to my laboratory, Nikolai Volkov."

Nikolai’s black eyes narrowed.

"Where the fuck are you hiding?!"

Franz chuckled before adjusting his glasses.

"Why don’t you look above yourself?"

Nikolai immediately raised his head.

Beyond the enormous operating platform stood a reinforced glass observation booth, positioned high above the laboratory floor. Several monitors illuminated its interior, revealing the familiar figure of Doctor Franz standing beside an enormous control panel.

Nikolai barely noticed the equipment.

Because behind the scientist...

Several familiar women stood perfectly still.

"...What?"

His eyes widened.

Nikita.

Selene.

Kumiko.

Rika.

And several more women possessing the appearances of his wives.

Their bodies looked almost identical to the originals, although something about their expressions seemed terribly wrong. Their eyes remained fixed upon Nikolai, following his movements without the slightest change in expression.

’Those aren’t my wives... but they look so similar it’s uncanny...’

Nikolai clenched his fists so tight that blood leaked from his palms.

"FRANZ, YOU FUCKING BASTARD!"

The scientist merely smiled.

"Oh, please. There’s no reason to become upset."

He gestured towards the enormous creature.

"Your companions have already demonstrated the limitations of my earlier experiments. The mechanical models were rather disappointing, although the chimera specimens showed considerable promise."

Franz adjusted his spectacles.

"However, the cloning process remains my greatest achievement."

"You’d better fucking explain yourself!"

"Unfortunately, our conversation must end here."

Franz placed one finger against the control panel.

"After all, my masterpiece! Your own specimen is waiting."

CLICK!

A heavy mechanical sound echoed beneath Nikolai.

The enormous creature suddenly convulsed.

"...?!"

Its fingers twitched before several thick veins began pulsating across its chest. A deep, unnatural heartbeat echoed throughout the chamber as black blood rushed through the surrounding tubes.

THUMP! THUMP!

Nikolai immediately stepped backwards.

’You’ve got to be fucking kidding me!’

The creature’s enormous eyes slowly opened.

Pure black.

Exactly like his own transformed eyes.

Franz laughed from the observation booth.

"Enjoy meeting your superior replacement, Nikolai."

The scientist turned towards the exit.

Behind him, the women silently followed, although their strange eyes remained fixed upon Nikolai until the enormous doors finally closed.

"FRANZ!"

Nikolai’s furious roar echoed across the laboratory.

Yet before he could chase them, the enormous restraints surrounding the operating platform shattered. A monstrous black werewolf slowly rose from the table, its mechanical spine releasing several streams of white steam.

Its massive jaws dropped open before a distorted but familiar voice leaked.

"You.... are.... me?"

Nikolai faced the creature, his blood erupting from both forearms, forming solid blades as he gritted his teeth while staring at the monstrosity bearing his image.

’Franz.... you fucking bastard!’