Hero? More like a villain-Chapter 53 - 50: Starting the experiment

"You may leave now," a cold voice commanded.

"Yes, sir!" the three guards responded before exiting, their footsteps fading down the corridor until silence swallowed the room.

Behind the glass, Dr. Shawart crossed his arms, his expression twisted in frustration as he stared at Iris, who was now struggling against the restraints.

"Has the President given us permission to proceed?" Shawart asked sharply, his gaze shifting to the Commander standing beside him. "I don’t want her dying like the others."

The commander clenched his jaw, his dark brown eyes narrowing. "I don’t know," he admitted, his tone clipped.

Dr. Shawart exhaled sharply, annoyance flashing across his face. "Doesn’t matter. We proceed anyway," came another voice from the corner of the room.

Both men turned to see Dr. Yong Feng stepping into the room. He was a tall man, with fair skin and dull green eyes that seemed to be always tired. His expression was unreadable, calm in a way that was almost unsettling.

"You’re here, Yong Feng?" Shawart chuckled darkly. "I thought you weren’t interested in my experiments."

"I’m not," Yong Feng replied flatly, his gaze never leaving Iris. "But ’she’s’ different. I have a feeling she might succeed in what you’ve been hoping for."

Shawart’s lips curled into a thin, amused smile. "Oh really? Then I’ll need to see this for myself." His laughter echoed off the cold walls as he turned back to the observation window.

Mu Tong stared intently at Dr. Shawart, her expression unreadable as thoughts churned in her mind.

’Dr. Shawart...’ she mused silently. ’A man both brilliant and ruthless. He’s the kind of scientist who’d dissect his own shadow if it meant pushing the boundaries of his research.’ His reputation was notorious within the Facility—’the’ leading mind behind their biological experiments.

’He specializes in implanting monster cells into children,’ Mu Tong thought calmly. ’The goal? To create more Ability Users by harnessing the raw power of Rift creatures. But the process... it’s brutal.’ Her gaze shifted to the observation window, where Iris lay strapped to the experimental chair, her small body trembling as the chemicals were being pumped into her.

’Most of these tests fail,’ Mu Tong continued, her eyes narrowing. ’And even when they succeed, the subjects are subjected to further torturous experiments. The worst part? Children survive longer than adults. Adults die instantly, their bodies unable to withstand the monstrous mutations. But kids... kids will struggle in agony.’

Despite the grim reality, Mu Tong couldn’t suppress the flicker of excitement in her chest. "Well, anything for the success of science!" she blurted out, her voice too loud in the tense room. Her enthusiasm drew sharp glances from the other scientists, but she barely noticed. "If we succeed, more people in the world will have abilities. We could create a world of perfect equality!" Her eyes gleamed with fervor.

______

Iris woke with a jolt, her mind a haze of pain and confusion. The world around her was a blur, shapes and colors smearing together as her vision struggled to focus. The first thing she noticed was the sharp sting in her arms—dozens of syringes jabbed into her skin, pumping some vile green liquid into her veins. The substance burned like fire, spreading through her body like liquid poison.

Every time a new dose was injected, Iris screamed, the sound raw and ragged. She tried to move, to escape, but her body wouldn’t obey. Thick cuffs held her wrists and ankles in place, binding her to the cold, metallic table.

From the observation room, Dr. Shawart watched her with mild disinterest, as if she were nothing more than a broken toy. "Alright, let’s get this over with," he sighed, his tone bored and detached. He turned to Yong Feng, who stood silently beside him, his gaze locked on Iris with an unreadable expression.

"Sir Yong Feng," Shawart began, adjusting his glasses, "do you think the Chromatauds particles will work on her?"

Yong Feng’s eyes flickered slightly at the mention of the Chromatauds particles. ’Cells harvested from dead Rift monsters,’ he thought. ’A volatile genetic mutation capable of creating Ability Users... but with a success rate of only five percent.’ He didn’t answer immediately, his gaze shifting back to Iris, who was convulsing weakly against the restraints.

"These things come from the very monsters that destroyed cities and countries. Most of the children we experimented on either turned into monsters themselves or died," Mikey commented casually, licking her lollipop. Her blank expression remained unchanged as she stared at the child before her, a puzzled look flickering across her face.

’She looks familiar...’ The thought drifted through her mind, but she dismissed it just as quickly. It wasn’t important.

"So there’s only a four percent chance she’ll survive the experiment," Mikey added with an indifferent shrug, though something about Iris’s eyes unsettled her. The girl thrashed violently, restrained by thick metal cuffs, her voice hoarse from crying out.

"I heard she has supernatural abilities—like those damn heroes, right?" Dr. Shawart mused, his voice tinged with excitement. The thought of a child with awakened powers being in their hands was rare. Usually, the Hero’s Organization snatched up the best ones before they could even get close. But in the slums? No one cared what happened to them.

"Do you think my teacher is a liar?" Mu Tong interjected, her frown deepening.

Dr. Shawart glanced at her but didn’t bother responding. Instead, he waved a hand dismissively. "Whatever. The experiment starts now."

"Daniel, bring the Chromataud cells." 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Sir, we haven’t gotten permission yet—!" Daniel hesitated, shifting uneasily.

Dr. Shawart’s gaze darkened, his voice turning into a low snarl. "If you don’t want a bullet in your skull, you’ll shut up and get to work."

A tense silence filled the room.

"Yes, sir," Daniel muttered, reluctantly stepping toward a large, reinforced fridge. His fingers trembled slightly as he keyed in the access code. The lock released with a faint hiss, and he pulled the door open, revealing rows of vials containing a strange green-and-purple substance. The liquid inside pulsed, almost like a living heart.

There were fifty scientists in total, each one shifting uneasily, their eyes flickering between the child and the experiment preparations.