THE HERO'S SON IS A MONSTER-Chapter 51: End of tests

As time passed, the child’s fragile balance slowly stabilized, like a stormy sea regaining its tranquility after a tempest.

His body, though unusual, seemed to adapt to its existence, while his mind remained in a perpetual struggle against the scattered fragments of memories within him.

A large part of his memory had been sealed, locked away in the terminal designed by Ariane to protect his nascent mind from complete chaos.

Yet, the debris that remained within him, though distorted, intertwined without logic, clashing like shards of glass in a mental storm.

This disharmony greatly affected his development, shaping his being in unpredictable ways.

His consciousness, nascent and fragile, was thus developing in absolute chaos.

Yet, over time, a true personality began to emerge from the depths of his being.

The child—or rather, the creature he was—showed signs of adaptation, like a plant growing through the cracks of an arid ground.

But with this evolution came a major problem.

The memories he carried were not merely the remnants of monsters or ancient entities. They also contained the experiences of human beings who had once walked this world, felt the warmth of the sun on their skin, known joy, fear, and despair.

These memories belonged to him, yet he could not fully access them, like distant echoes resonating in a dark room.

When his consciousness finally awakened, it was like a silent explosion.

Contradictory emotions overwhelmed him, violent waves that submerged him.

He had never had the opportunity to cry at birth, had never known the softness of a reassuring caress, and yet, in that instant, an indescribable sensation was born within him.

A deep, elusive feeling—a cold shiver creeping along his spine.

It was fear.

As a new creature, a hybrid being of another nature, he could not claim the same consideration as a human child. He saw, he heard, and his body evolved at a frightening speed.

His appearance was the reflection of this inexorable mutation, tangible proof that he was indeed different.

When a being is confronted with visceral fear, its reactions are instinctive.

Some flee, driven by an imperious survival instinct.

Others freeze, paralyzed by terror.

But most often, the mind withdraws into itself, seeking refuge in the only thing it knows: a fetal position, a remnant of a time when maternal warmth was a shield against the world.

That was what the child did. His limbs retracted, his body curled up as if he wanted to disappear into the illusory embrace of his own flesh.

This gesture, both so mundane and so poignant, unsettled Ariane.

She had expected something else. A more violent, more bestial reaction. But not this. Not this gesture imbued with humanity.

The monsters present, however, cared little for this moment of vulnerability. Hungry, they lunged at him with the ferocity of beings who had known nothing but rage and destruction.

The result was undeniable: a vision of horror, a macabre carnage. Their fury descended upon the child without mercy, his body torn apart, shredded beneath their ravenous claws and fangs.

Ariane watched the scene without flinching. A fleeting thought crossed her mind.

"I see. I sometimes forget that he is just a child."

She had let herself be deceived by the child’s gestures, placing in him excessive expectations. But he was still young, lost in a world he did not fully understand. She had to remember that.

A smirk appeared on her lips as she observed what came next.

"I think it would be wise to stop here. But still... this thing is truly phenomenal... it can even come back from that."

Ariane’s monsters were by no means ordinary creatures. Their savagery was boundless, their power unwavering. Yet, the child they had just torn apart was already regenerating, every shred of flesh reassembling itself as if the massacre had never occurred.

Ariane was in a good mood. This specimen promised to be fascinating.

Of course, she wanted to witness how he had survived until now, how he had become this being, and how he had relentlessly devoured the life energy of others. But it seemed she was forced to stop here.

She approached the child and lifted him.

"You did well!" she said.

"It hurts," the child replied to Ariane.

"Oh, my dear, I checked your body at birth—you are not physically capable of feeling pain," Ariane affirmed, looking into the child’s eyes.

"I’m hungry!"

Well, could someone with such regenerative abilities even experience hunger? Ariane wondered. In any case, she herself did not truly eat; it was not necessary for her body, nor did she feel the need.

"What to do?" she mused.

Eresheb had left on her mission. Even though Ariane did not particularly like her company, she acknowledged her usefulness.

"Ugh..."

The Ruler of Pandemonium would soon return. I suppose I should do what she asked of me.

Well, the child was also naked again. And like with Eresheb, she had to handle this alone this time. She thought for a moment. Creating clothes with magic was out of the question—they would simply vanish upon touching him.

One option remained: giving him the garments used for certain test subjects. And so she did.

She reached into a mist that appeared beside her and pulled out a sterile white robe. She dressed the child in it and then attempted to teleport away from this level, but the teleportation failed.

She looked at the child.

I almost forgot.

This little one would truly become a nuisance if this continued. Of course, she could force the spell, but she was too lazy to do so at the moment.

Teleportation was impossible because of the child. The only option left was to visit the floor guardian. She was also too lazy to use her privileges.

She began levitating, holding the child in her arms. They ascended, then suddenly accelerated, flying through the level in search of the floor guardian.

She was sure she was maintaining a tolerable speed for the child, even though she knew he could handle much more.

After finishing her little game, Ariane was walking through the vast floor of the moving castle, with the child by her side. The goal was simple: get out of this place. It had been a while since she had the opportunity to use such a fascinating means of transport. The atmosphere was almost unfamiliar to her, and upon reflection, she realized that she was rediscovering this part of the castle, a place she hadn’t explored in years.

She flew for a while, letting the light air carry her, feeling the cool wind brush against her skin, but soon, she decided to put her feet on the ground.

The view before her was breathtaking. The vast stretch of land in front of her seemed endless, a green plain that disappeared into the horizon, bathed in golden light. The silence was almost total, except for the gentle breeze. Nothing seemed to disturb the tranquility.

"Hmm, I suppose it was around here," she murmured quietly, as if the place itself was questioning her.

She stood up and scanned the horizon. At first glance, there was nothing unusual ahead, just this stretch of land, but in her mind, a strange sensation lingered. She was certain something was there, somewhere. And then, as if to confirm her intuition, she spoke:

"Come forth!" she asked in a calm but determined voice.

The ground, initially imperceptible, began to vibrate lightly beneath her feet. A deep rumble was heard, and suddenly, from the heart of the earth, a figure slowly emerged. It was a statue, gigantic, as if rising from the very bowels of the castle. The figure was far larger than Ariane, imposing and strange. The statue depicted a human figure, but with wings made of bones that extended majestically from each side of its head. Its eyes, sharp and piercing, seemed to gaze into the soul of anyone brave enough to look at it. The aura it emitted was both fascinating and terrifying, and yet, Ariane knew that this was exactly what she was searching for.

The statue, animated with a strange life, emitted a dull sound, then its lips moved. Its voice, far from the cold echo of steel one would expect from a stone being, spread through the air, soft yet resonating through every corner of the space. It was a tone that seemed to belong to another world, an ancient murmur that vibrated through the atmosphere:

"What is your request?"

Without hesitation, Ariane answered calmly but with a firmness that conveyed the importance of her demand:

"Open a door to the laboratory."

At these words, the statue’s eyes lit up with an intense, almost supernatural glow.

A beam of light shot from them, illuminating the plain with its rays. Suddenly, a door appeared in front of her, as if by magic.

It slowly opened, revealing the entrance to a long, dark corridor, the end of which seemed to vanish into a veil of darkness. It was the door to the laboratory, the very same laboratory Ariane had had in mind from the start. She didn’t need more. The statue had obeyed, and the path was now clear.

She looked at the child beside her, their eyes shining with excitement and curiosity. Adventure, once again, called to her. The laboratory was close, and the mystery it held was just waiting to be uncovered.

As she walked toward the door, Ariane thought to herself that even though the moving castle was a strange and complex place, it never failed to surprise those brave enough to challenge it. And now that she was taking the time to wander through it again, she remembered: each day, each new exploration brought its share of discoveries.