New Eden: Live to Play, Play to Live

The testing this time was a tad slower, as most of the people doing the readings were constantly distracted by his glowing skin of two-meter-wide wings.

But just as Geminae had told him once, his body was not made for physical prowess. The results of anything physical were practically the same as with just his mana enhancement.

However, they differed in his body resistance and his regenerative capabilities.

It took the room's defence system firing at him just to inflict minor wounds. And they regenerated almost instantly.

Once he was done with Geminae's body, Alex signalled he wanted another test. This made the head scientist growl.

"This is the fourth physical test, Mr. Leduc. Haven't we gone over all your physical capabilities enough? What more is there to test?!" he screamed.

Alex stared at him, his eyes going ice cold.

"I'm not done, and I recall Mr. Boudreau saying you were to acquiesce to my demands on this. So how about you shut up and do that?"

The scientist threw his tablet at the bulletproof glass, shattering it, and started shouting.

"Fine! I'll administer this test myself. I hope you're ready!"

He punched in his credentials to open the testing chamber and stomped his way inside.

"You wanted to piss me off, then you've succeeded. Now I test you myself! Let's see how this newly enhanced body fares against awakened people!"

He activated a device on his wrist, which Alex had seen earlier but said nothing about.

And immediately, a change happened inside him.

The device functioned on a monster core, most likely one of the dire wolves they had slain a month ago, and infused his cells with it. His scrawny body suddenly developed muscle, and he grinned at Alex.

"How about now? Still want to be cocky?"

Alex looked at him deadpan and turned his head to the camera.

"Do you expect me to work with this trash? He gets annoyed at the stupidest of things. PhD? What good is that if you have the mental capacity of a slug?"

The scientist's eyes bulged as he dashed at Alexander.

He threw a punch, a sloppy one at that, a clear sign that he had never fought once in his life, and screamed in rage.

But a red hand halted his punch a meter away from Alex.

That was when the scientist realized he had fucked up.

"It seems Jack doesn't care what happens to you. I guess that means you, indeed, are going to be running these tests on me."

A loud snap echoed in the room as the scientist's fist was bent backward quickly and broken.

The man howled in pain as blood started dripping out of his exposed wrist.

"Oh, no. I didn't want to break it like this. Now, you'll bleed out. Here, let me fix that for you," Alex said, a savage grin on his lips.

Flames appeared over his other hand, and he used it to grab the stub under the scientist's wrist, cauterizing the open wound with black flames.

The man almost passed out from the pain, but a light slap to his cheek from Alexander kept him awake.

"No, no, no. We are not done."

At that moment, Jack's voice came over the speakers, and four turrets descended from the ceiling, locking onto Alex's demonized body.

"Enough, Mr. Leduc. He gets it. Let us continue with testing without further bloodshed. Let him go."

Alex turned his head to the camera that was trailing his every movement.

"How boring. He provoked me. Can't I get a little fun?"

The turrets started whirring up to life, warming up to fire.

"Is this what you became during your month in the woods, Alexander? A monster? Let him go."

Alex clicked his tongue before chucking the half-conscious scientist toward the door.

"He asked for it. And if you want to call me a monster, then so be it. But don't threaten me with a good time. Those cannons better be ready to shoot me if you want to threaten me with them."

Finishing his phrase, Alex blinked out of view, reappearing behind one turret as he slashed through it with his clawed hands.

The turret was torn to pieces instantly. And before the others could even trace him, he had already blown them up as well.

He looked back at the camera and spat.

"Can we get back to the tests now? I'm bored."

From his office, Jack was looking at his screen with sweat going down the side of his jaw.

'What has he become? Is it even safe to let him go? Can we even hold him back if he wants to leave?'

Many thoughts coursed through his mind until Alex's voice snapped him back to attention.

"Hello? Anybody home? I want to finish these tests. The sooner we are done, the sooner I can return home."

Jack didn't know how to respond, so he sent a message to the scientists to resume testing.

The head scientist was sent to the infirmary to receive treatment for his contorted wrist. For now, his employees would have to finish the tests alone.

But his mind stuck on whether he could let this thing out of here. It seemed like a bad idea.

The Alex he knew was nowhere to be seen at the moment.

Aside from looking like him, that demon was nothing like him.

Impatient, arrogant, and violent to an extreme degree. This was all he could see from it.

But as soon as Alex reverted to human form, he returned to normal.

'Which one is really him?' Jack wondered.

And he wasn't alone.

Mr. Gu had also been looking at the testing, wondering if he should call in reinforcements from his old order.

If this thing got out and went full demon, it would surely wipe out the city unless someone was there to stop it.

They were stuck in a dilemma that could affect millions of lives.

Jack turned to his assistant and broke the silence.

"Call them. It is better to have them close and not need them than to be responsible for genocide. I regret to say this, but I think our biggest threat may turn out to be Mr. Leduc, for now."

Mr. Gu gulped but did as told.

Things were looking bad.