There was no strength in Pelerian's muttering voice.
We'd returned to the entrance of the circular corridor.
In the first tank was a mass of flesh with an unbearable appearance.
Random arm and leg-like things protruded from the round mass of meat.
'This is a chimera too?'
"Yes, it's a chimera."
'It's terrible compared to the chimeras you made before.'
Chimera Fafnir.
The first of Pelerian's chimeras that I fought and defeated.
No, it seemed terrifyingly strong at the time, but thinking about it now, it was weak.Still, at least it had a proper appearance.
By proper, I don't mean good-looking, but that its body functioned properly.
In contrast, the chimeras here didn't have normal appearances.
'I guess you didn't have the technique yet back then?'
"What nonsense..."
Pelerian gave an unexpected answer.
"The chimera creation technique would have been far more advanced when this dungeon was made."
'...Then why?'
"Let's look at the next one."
We went to the next tank.
The metal plate there read:
[Test Flesh, No.02]: One Leg
The second chimera, nicknamed One Leg.
It has one leg, so One Leg, right?
For reference, the first chimera's nickname was Meat Lump.
It was clear that Pelerian's naming sense wasn't that good either.
But why "Test Flesh"?
"Next."
I went to the next one.
[Test Flesh, No.03]: Three Eyes
A creature with three legs and three eyes embedded.
[Test Flesh, No.04]: Blood Scales
A creepy chimera with scales sprouting here and there on its skin.
The statement that chimera production technique was more advanced than Fafnir's time.
I seemed to understand what that meant.
The chimeras here were developing by converging certain characteristics as experiments progressed.
Even I, an outsider, could tell.
First was 'smooth skin.'
The chimeras' skin, which had been furry and bumpy, became increasingly smooth as the numbers went up.
Second was 'proper limbs.'
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Limbs refer to pairs of arms and legs.
In other words, evolving to have both arms and legs.
This must have been quite difficult. There were chimeras with three or four legs, or tentacle-like things instead of arms.
A chimera that appeared to have proper limbs didn't appear until number eight.
[Test Flesh, No.08]: Dancer
I could immediately understand what that nickname meant.
Its legs were beautifully and smoothly extended.
Though white like a plaster statue, its legs and arms seemed aesthetically flawless.
Real dancers' toes would be more rough and grounded in reality.
Would it be too harsh to say this naming seems fitting for Pelerian, who probably only researched in his room?
The smoothly extended arms were also elegantly draped like a ballerina's.
However, I quickly noticed its unnaturalness.
'The hands...'
The arms seemed a bit long, and where hands should have been were feet instead.
In other words, it had four legs jutting from its body, but no arms whatsoever.
Not only that, but the face was just as bizarre, with features that seemed fundamentally wrong.
It had no eyes or nose, only a mouth.
"Next."
Pelerian said in a tired voice.
Tank number 9.
What was inside looked similar to a person.
'This is...'
Yes.
More precisely, it resembled a fairy.
Long, slender limbs.
Above all, long ears.
The last remaining tank contained a chimera with fairy characteristics.
[Test Flesh, No.09]: Undecided
A chimera without a given name.
The reason for not naming it 'Fairy' or 'Elf' was clear.
"How hideous."
Just because it has limbs.
Just because it has long ears, does that make it a fairy?
Of course not.
Even without looking closely, there was no way to mistake that chimera for a fairy.
Its skin was damp and pale like a frog that only grows in caves, and its murky eyes protruded sideways like a fish's.
A chimera imitating a fairy.
What was the purpose of creating this?
The purpose could be guessed from the scribbles next to the plate.
It read:
「Too ugly and inadequate to transfer into.」
Pelerian trembled.
His main body.
The Mage of Heaven Defiance had planned to transfer to another body before dying.
Even making chimeras resembling fairies himself.
"This, this can't be... possible."
Pelerian spoke like a wounded animal whimpering.
What hollow shell would remain if you stripped away his pride and dignity, leaving only the raw essence beneath?
He would have desperately clung to the belief that although only a withered, shabby body remained - worn and frail as autumn leaves - at least his own spirit still burned noble and bright within.
I felt guilty, sick with shame, like I had stolen into someone's room at midnight and read their most private diary by candlelight, eyes devouring secrets never meant for me.
Or as if I had pressed my ear against the confessional's wooden wall, overhearing whispered sins and regrets that should have dissolved into sacred silence.
Afraid of death's cold embrace yet unable to fade peacefully as a fairy should, caught between two worlds but belonging to neither.
The once-mighty Mage of Heaven Defiance, who in his desperation tried to escape mortality by transferring his essence into the hideous porcelain doll he had crafted with trembling hands - his final masterpiece and prison.
"..."
I was witnessing the moment Pelerian's dignity crumbled.
What broke that terrible silence was an alarm.
Beeeep-
A siren sound like some DEFCON had been activated.
Red lights also flashed everywhere.
And then, the voice of the magic spirit I had heard in Pelerian's previous dungeon rang out.
"As defense level 4 has not been cleared, entering incineration and demolition procedures."
"Incineration procedure will begin in 30 seconds."
'What!'
30 seconds?
Even though I have high heat resistance, would I be fine if incineration starts?
No, probably not.
Uh, uhh...
In 30 seconds I can't escape, and there's nowhere to hide either.
"G-good!"
But Pelerian suddenly shouted that.
I listened hoping he had some solution.
"Let's all burn to death together! Perfect!"
'N-no way!'
"Burn everything cleanly!"
I don't want to die yet.
"25."
But it seems the countdown has already started.
"24, 23, 22..."
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