While the rhythmic thud of sparring echoed through the mansion's lower levels, James sat in the silence of his private study. The room was a stark contrast to the high-tech training hall below; it smelled of old leather, expensive bourbon, and the faint, ozone-like scent of a high-end air filtration system.
On his desk, three translucent holographic screens flickered, displaying a cascade of red and green spreadsheets. The cost of the training facility—the weapons, the AR systems, the "donations" required to expedite the visas for the foreign masters—was astronomical
Even for a man of his means, the past week had been a financial blur. It wasn't just the facility; the real drain on his resources was the main project involving the Reenboog Forest.
But it couldn't be helped. He knew that every single dollar spent now would be returned tenfold if his and his son's plans went as expected.
James leaned back, his eyes fixed on a live feed from the training room. On the screen, Roy was facing Leopold, the European archer. The boy looked exhausted, his movements slightly jagged from fatigue, yet his eyes... his eyes still burned with that stubborn fire he himself had.
"Body Cultivation, Second Stage" James murmured to the empty room, a smile touching his lips.
A soft chime interrupted his thoughts. His augmented glasses projected a priority alert: INCOMING ENCRYPTED CALL.
James straightened his silk tie and cleared his throat. The "eccentric man" the masters talked about downstairs disappeared, replaced by the cold, formidable billionaire.
*******
A day later;
It didn't take long before the world's focus shifted toward the African Continent. The land had become the main protagonist of the global stage. Presidents, massive corporations, and secretive organizations were all watching. However, some acted faster than others.
Near the Reenboog Forest, behind the stationed army forces, a massive complex of buildings was rising. Even though less than three weeks had passed since construction began, several imposing structures were already complete.
Thousands of men worked 24/7 to finish the complex. Whoever was behind it wanted it done yesterday. From afar, the scale was staggering: spanning hundreds of square kilometers, it was larger than some cities, with buildings ranging from skyscrapers to immense training halls. The soldiers looked on with curiosity; few knew the true purpose of the construction.
Was it a resort? From a distance, one could see the shape of a luxury hotel and a massive swimming pool. Or was it military? Some soldiers caught glimpses of advanced technological equipment being moved inside.
Regardless, the investment was astronomical, sparking endless rumors among the troops. It was, at the very least, a welcome distraction from their boring patrol duty.
Inside one of the finished structures, scientists in white lab coats hurried through the halls. Long, clean corridors intertwined, leading to high-tech laboratories.
In one such corridor, three men walked side by side, led by a scientist holding a clipboard.
"...and now that the labs are almost done, we can investigate this matter further," the scientist explained, their footsteps echoing.
""I hope it's worth it. This entire structure has already cost billions!" said one of the men. He had short brown hair and a strong jaw. He was approaching forty, and his black suit couldn't hide his well-defined physique.
"Fret not, James!" added the man to his left. He was Japanese, with a smaller frame, black hair, and glasses. "Me and our friend here from Diamond Pharma Labs chose the best scientists we had!"
The man he referred to had dark brown eyes, a sharp nose, and a thick brown beard. This was the core group: James, Ethan, and Sakuma Kisho, the leader of the Robotics Alliance.
"Indeed, I dare to say they are the best in the world," Ethan added with an arrogant smile. It wasn't just ego—owning the world's largest industries allowed them to buy the finest minds on the market.
"I'll trust you on this..." James nodded. He had no choice. He didn't fully understand the science, but he knew this was an opportunity he couldn't waste. "So, what was so urgent that you made us rush over?"
"We are getting ready to test the flower acquired from the forest," the scientist explained, his voice full of enthusiasm. "And we wanted you to see it firsthand."
"Another thing that cost over a million dollars..." James muttered under his breath.
"Good. Have you discovered anything?" Ethan asked, ignoring James's complaints.
"Well, the energy levels within the flower are astronomical—unlike anything we've ever seen. We can't identify the energy type, but every time we try to extract it, it simply vanishes," the scientist explained, scratching his head. The puzzle was driving his team crazy.
"And the frog?" Sakuma asked.
"Another million dollars..." James complained softly.
"Similar results. The energy runs deep within the animal's meat and bones; we can't isolate it. We're investigating the genetics and found some anomalies, but nothing extraordinary yet."
Ethan waved his hand, signaling him to continue.
"We managed to harvest some scales and are testing their resistance. We're also checking the meat for toxins..."
"You didn't try to eat it, did you?!" Sakuma exclaimed, shocked.
"No, not yet..." the scientist admitted, looking as if he had actually considered it. "Oh, we've arrived!"
They stopped before a large double door. Security was tight; the metal entrance required a code and a digital scan. Once inside, the trio analyzed their investment like eagles watching their prey.
Inside, they saw a large room where dozens of scientists were researching or investigating whatever was on their tables. The team assembled by Sakuma and Ethan consisted not only of biologists, but a multitude of professionals: engineers of varied areas, physicians, pharmaceuticals and others.
Many electronic devices and lab stuff filled the room, which James knew nothing about. However, what caught the group's attention was directly in the opposite side of the room.
Behind a wall of reinforced glass sat a beautiful white flower with blue-shaded petals. Next to it was a caged white rabbit.
Normally, rabbits were calm creatures. But this one was furiously slamming its head against the bars, desperate to reach the flower. A trickle of blood ran down its forehead.
The group was stunned by that sight: the rabbit was going crazy!
"What the hell is happening?!" Sakuma adjusted his glasses.
"As strange as it seems, this is common. Every animal we place near the flower behaves this way. We wanted you here for the first actual test," the scientist said.
"That flower is overflowing with Qi!" James remarked. As the only person there at the First Stage of Body Tempering, he was the only one who truly understood the rabbit's desperation.
Since none of the group was adept at cultivation, they didn't say anything. Realizing they were completely ignoring him, James fell silent.
The lead scientist turned to his computer. "Test subject number one. Project: A Rabbit and a Flower. Initiating protocol now."
He pressed a button, and the cage clicked open.
Wasting no time, the rabbit quickly jumped towards the flower.
The group held their breaths as the rabbits chomped down the flower. With two big bites, it completely swallowed the white flower.
Seconds passed. Then minutes. The rabbit just sat there, staring at them.
"That's it?" a scientist whispered after five minutes.
Just as he said that, James noticed something.
"No! Look! The Qi around the rabbit is swirling like crazy! It's absorbing it!"
Unfortunately for James, none of those present really knew what Qi was and they could only look at him waiting for an explanation. But before he could explain, James became even more flabbergasted.
"Holy shit! It is breaking through!" Even though he wasn't very experienced in cultivation, he was able to feel the difference in strength based on his son's development. "First Stage... Second Stage... it's not stopping! It just hit the Third Stage!"
Before they could think that James was going crazy, something even a blind man could see happened: The rabbit mutated!
The rabbit squealed in pain as its body warped. In mere seconds, the small creature swelled until it was 1.5 meters tall. A sharp, black horn erupted from its forehead.
The rabbit stood up, its red eyes locking onto the humans behind the glass. The air in the room grew heavy with its newfound aggression.
The rabbit looked around, its imposing single horn drew a small line at the opposite wall. It was sharp. For some reason, they could feel the anger in its small eyes.
BANG!
The mutated rabbit lunged, slamming its horn into the glass. The wall trembled, but nothing major happened.
As if waking up from sleep, all the scientists exclaimed and began to talk animatedly.
"Incredible!"
"I can't believe it!"
"Marvelous! Imagine the potential we have with this discovery!"
*BANG!* The rabbit jumped once again but nothing happened to the reinforced glass wall.
As the group chatted excitedly with their new discovery, James eyed the rabbit warily. Bit by bit, he noticed that every time it hit the wall the blow became stronger and stronger.
[It's learning how to use its new body] he realized.
"Shit! That thing is going to break free! We need to leave, now!" James shouted.
The scientists looked at him like he was losing his mind. "This glass is bulletproof, sir. Unless that rabbit hits harder than a magnum, we're perfectly safe." the lead scientist said, some of his colleagues stifling laughs.
Fortunately or not, James paid no heed to them because at that moment, the bunny took a few steps back. James noticed with horror a huge amount of Qi whirling near its gray horn!
James didn't care. He saw the Qi swirling around the rabbit's horn before the animal gave one last jump.
*BANG!*
*CRASH!*
The reinforced glass shattered into a thousand shards. Silence fell over the room as the excitement turned into pure, cold terror.
As the group looked at the rabbits' red eyes, they felt a shiver run down their spine. No one ever thought that a bunny could look so terrifying.
"RUN!" no one knew who said it, but everyone obeyed.
Unfortunately for them, it was too late.
It was too late.
The rabbit blurred. It slammed into the nearest man, its horn skewering his stomach. Blood stained its white fur a deep, visceral red.
Panic erupted. These were men of science, not soldiers. The rabbit showed no mercy, killing three more in the blink of an eye.
James, who was the first to notice the threat, grabbed Ethan and Sakuma by the collar and ran as fast as he could. Fortunately for the trio, they were not near the rabbit when it broke free
Moments later, they were huddled in a secure room, listening to the chaos outside. Alarms blared, followed by the frantic sound of gunfire.
"Damn it, James!" Ethan hissed, his voice trembling. "Why didn't you fight it? Aren't you a First Stage whatever?"
"That thing is way stronger than me! It should be around the Third Stage of Body Tempering , be glad I got you out of there!" James murmured, feeling wronged. At first they thought that he was crazy, but now they were complaining that he was weak!
"That's good enough, but we'll have to reinforce the security here…" Added Samuka in a somber tone. As if to confirm him, more screams echoed in the corridor outside.
They waited thirty minutes until the screams stopped. When they finally stepped out, the corridor looked like a scene from a horror movie. Blood was splattered across the white walls, and bodies lay mangled on the floor.
Security footage later showed the "rabbit" had fought its way out of the complex and disappeared into the Reenboog Forest, leaving a trail of dead soldiers in its wake.
Albeit unknown to them, a new threat had been born.