Chapter 193: True Agony

Cassian wore a loose, rich blue robe, the smooth, luxurious fabric draping effortlessly over his frame.

It was one of the extra outfits he had previously stored in his Vault, and after everything that had transpired inside the matrix pod facility, Cassian had decided he might as well dress comfortably.

?His golden-blond hair fell naturally around his brow, framing refined features and piercing blue eyes.

A faint, pleasant smile touched his lips, giving him an almost approachable demeanor.

?Standing faithfully at his side was Nyxara.

?The Undead Champion remained completely still, her scythe resting casually against her shoulder.

Her violet eyes were locked onto the prisoner, her posture projecting the lethal presence of a shadow guardian awaiting her Lord’s command.

?The researcher stared at the pair in utter disbelief.

?’A human?’

?How on earth had a human infiltrated their secret, underground base?

?More importantly, how had he managed to drag a researcher out of the facility without tripping a single security alarm?

?Its gaze lingered on the man’s face.

’?Wait... something about him...’

?It had seen that face somewhere before, recently, even, but the memory refused to surface through its panic.

?Meanwhile, Cassian observed the Arachnid with cool, mild interest.

’?This should prove useful.’

?Cassian’s smile widened slightly.

?"Relax. I only have a couple of quick questions for you."

?He leaned forward, resting his elbow casually on the shadowy armrest.

?"Naturally, I expect completely honest answers. I would hate for either of us to waste time with unnecessary... complications."

?His tone was polite, almost conversational.

?The researcher swallowed audibly, its mandibles trembling.

?It had no idea who this human was, but every primal survival instinct in its body screamed that it was standing in the presence of a predator.

"What are you doing here?"

?Cassian’s question was delivered in a calm, almost casual tone.

?The Arachnid researcher blinked. "Where—"

?SHING!

?Before it could finish speaking, a crescent of cerulean light flashed across the chamber.

?Its right arm separated from its body.

?The researcher opened its mandibles, attempting to release a shriek, but a dark violet shadow immediately wrapped around its mouth, smothering every sound into a stifled gurgle.

?Cassian remained seated, his expression completely unchanged.

?"Don’t make this difficult. This is supposed to be a simple conversation."

?The Arachnid glared at him, pure resentment filling its crimson eyes as it thrushed against the dark chains.

’?I haven’t even said anything yet!’

?It couldn’t comprehend why the human had suddenly maimed it. What had it done to warrant such immediate violence?

?Cassian observed its furious expression before offering a faint, cold smile.

?"You’re wondering why I cut off your arm, aren’t you?"

?He didn’t bother waiting for a response.

?"It’s because you were actively contemplating lying to me."

?The researcher’s eyes widened in sheer terror.

?Cassian leaned back against his shadowy throne. "When I ask a question, answer it honestly. Don’t waste time calculating what you should or shouldn’t reveal. Just give me the facts."

?The Arachnid stared at him in utter disbelief.

’?How could he possibly know what I was thinking?!’

’?This human wasn’t normal.’

?Not even remotely.

?"Now, let’s try that again."

?Cassian raised a hand, and the shadow restricting the Arachnid’s mouth loosened slightly.

?"What are you people doing here?"

?The researcher remained dead silent.

?Its mandibles stayed tightly locked as it glared at Cassian. Even though cold dread had begun gnawing at its mind, its pride refused to yield.

?Cassian watched the alien for several seconds.

?Then, he let out a quiet sigh.

?"This is what I hate the most." He shook his head slightly. "Weaklings without an ounce of power acting stubborn instead of understanding their place."

?He wasn’t being needlessly arrogant. He simply found it deeply frustrating when an opponent who was so thoroughly outmatched chose to make things unnecessarily tedious.

?There was zero benefit in posturing as a martyr when the gap in their standing was absolute.

?Cassian turned his head toward Nyxara. "Nyxara."

?The Undead Champion understood instantly.

?She gave a crisp nod, her scythe vanishing into the gloom as she stepped toward the bound Arachnid.

?The researcher finally realized what was about to happen.

?Its eyes bulged. "W-Wait! Wait, I can—"

?Nyxara didn’t bother listening.

?A dark violet shadow spread beneath the researcher’s feet, surging upward to envelop its remaining limbs.

?The chamber quickly filled with the Arachnid’s muffled, agonizing screams.

?Cassian calmly watched the execution of the interrogation from his position.

?He had offered the easy way out.

?If the researcher preferred a demonstration of real pain, he was more than happy to accommodate.

....

The Arachnid researcher lay sprawled across the floor, its chitinous body covered in dark, viscous blood.

Several of its limbs had been twisted into unnatural angles, and its breathing was ragged and shallow.

?Nyxara stepped back into the gloom, casually wiping the alien blood from her fingers with a silk cloth.

?Cassian observed the broken creature for a moment before offering a cold, pleasant smile.

?"Are you ready to cooperate now?"

?The Arachnid immediately snapped its head up, its mandibles trembling in terror. "Y-Yes! I’ll tell you everything! Anything!"

?"Good."

?Cassian crossed his legs, leaning back against his shadowy chair.

?"Now... let’s return to my very first question. What are you people doing here?"

?The researcher didn’t hesitate for a single second. "The reason we’re here is because of a top-secret directive given to us by our backers!"

?Cassian’s expression remained entirely deadpan. "And what exactly were you doing with those Lords suspended in the pods?"

?"To prevent our operations from being exposed!" The Arachnid blurted out the words in a frantic rush, terrified that even a microsecond’s pause would invite another round of agony from the Undead Champion.

?"The Lords who entered the Orion Rift were never actually allowed to explore the anomaly. The moment their spatial signals materialized, we hijacked the station’s transit frequency and diverted them directly into our facility. They were placed straight into stasis inside those pods!"

?Cassian’s eyes narrowed to sharp slits. "Why?"

?"To create perfect biological replicas!"

?The researcher paused to catch its breath before continuing, desperate to demonstrate its absolute utility.

?"The replicas are synthesized using the extracted soul profiles, memories, and physical data of the captured Lords. They possess their exact abilities, combat habits, and personality traits. As far as any external scan or intimacy test is concerned, they are completely indistinguishable from the originals."

?Cassian’s eyes widened slightly.

?"Although the replicas have limited operational lifespans, they are more than sufficient for our objectives," the Arachnid explained hurriedly. "We re-inject them back into the Astral Dominion’s transit network at scheduled intervals, making it appear as though the Lords successfully completed their rift expedition and returned home safely."

?It swallowed hard, its mandibles twitching.

?"This allows us to operate indefinitely without triggering suspicion. The Lord Association has zero reason to investigate the disappearance of its Lords because, according to their official registry logs, those individuals eventually return."

?Cassian remained completely silent.

....

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