NOVEL WEB Chapter 21: Chapter 21: Choice
[ No. It is not possible to save him. Not with our current capabilities. ]
"Huh? Then are you saying I should just let him die?" Yuki echoed, a trace of indignation in his voice.
[ That is the reality, Host. However, I do have a suggestion for you. ]
"Speak."
[ Host can fuse with his body to acquire a human form. Given your current state, such a step is not only useful, it is necessary. ]
A cold silence fell over Yuki as he narrowed his eyes.
"So, what you're truly suggesting... is that I kill him?" he asked, voice low, edged with anger.
[ It is merely a suggestion, Host. The decision lies with you. But be aware, he will die either way. ]
Yuki clenched his fists. The air felt heavier around him. He had never imagined he would face such a cruel dilemma.
To take a dying life for his own gain, or walk away and lose the chance forever.
He fell into silence, torn between reason and conscience.
___
Time passed slowly, and outside, Chester's body began to deform. His limbs twisted at unnatural angles, his flesh darkening and swelling with an eerie pulsation. It would not be long now. He was on the verge of transforming into something unrecognizable, something monstrous.
Fate seemed to take pleasure in mocking him. Just when a flicker of hope had been granted, everything began to unravel once more. His humanity was slipping through his fingers, replaced by an uncontrollable madness.
He was berserk, consumed by chaos, no longer recognizable as the man he once was.
Suddenly, with a faint plop, a small figure appeared just a few feet in front of him.
It was Yuki.
"Grrrr.. "
Chester snarled like a wild beast and lunged at him the very next instant. There was no hesitation, no thought, no trace of recognition. Only raw, primal instinct.
His speed was terrifying. Far beyond that of any mindless zombie. He moved like a predator, swift and unrelenting, with claws extended to tear the baby dragon apart.
But Yuki's body reacted.
In one fluid movement, he leapt upward, his small frame twisting mid-air. Chester's claws slashed through empty air, missing by inches.
As Yuki reached the peak of his jump, he activated the skill he had been preparing.
[ WindLeap Dash ]
His figure became a blur, and with explosive force, he shot downward from mid-air like a spear.
"Bang!"
A loud impact followed as Yuki's attack struck the back of Chester's neck. The force drove Chester face-first into the ground, the sound of bones cracking echoing through the ruined chamber.
Dust and fragments of stone scattered. Chester lay motionless for a moment, the berserk energy around him flickering violently.
Yuki took advantage of his weakness. Yuki did not hesitate.
Seeing Chester stunned from the impact, he dashed forward and pressed a paw gently against Chester's bloodstained chest.
Instantly, a faint shimmer of blue light flickered beneath his palm.
In the next instant, space folded.
A pulse of energy rippled through the ground, and both Yuki and Chester vanished from the battlefield, swallowed by the Fusion Lab's dimensional gate.
The next moment, silence returned to the outside world.
Inside the isolated dimension of the Fusion Lab, the atmosphere was different. Bright. Cold. Mechanical. Endless black walls lined with floating runes and ancient inscriptions hovered around them like frozen constellations.
And there, in the center, stood Chester.
His body twitched unnaturally, hunched forward with clawed hands dragging behind him. His hair was wild, his face pale and stretched with veins glowing faint purple.
He blinked.
There was no no prey.
Until his eyes fell upon the small, silver-scaled dragon at the far end of the lab.
Upon seeing him, a spark of madness ignited in Chester's eyes. His mouth curled into a twisted grin as he staggered forward, breathing heavily.
"I want it," he rasped, voice cracked and broken. "I want it. I want your powers. Your fate. Give it to me..."
His gait was crooked, yet desperate. Madness danced in his irises, and his soul radiated a darkness unnatural for any mortal.
Yuki watched him carefully.
There was no mistaking it. The Hollow's corruption had rooted deeply. Chester's desire was no longer just ambition. It had become obsession.
Yuki narrowed his eyes. "So that's what the Hollows do… They dig into the depths of desire. They turn dreams into poison and taint the soul."
Chester's hands twitched as he crept closer, drool running down his chin.
"I will consume you, little beast. And then I'll be special. I'll be chosen. Not you. Me."
Yuki's silver eyes shimmered as Chester approached, each footstep a declaration of madness.
"Very well…" Yuki whispered.
"If I cannot save you, then I will become the vessel of your will. Let your madness be refined. Let your rage be tamed. From this ruin, I will create a new self."
The runes floating in the air responded to his intent. The entire lab rumbled faintly, and at the center of the floor, a glowing circle formed. The circle was intricate, ancient, and alive with power.
[ Initiating Self Fusion... ]
Whoosh..
Chester lunged just as the circle activated.
Their bodies clashed, but instead of a violent impact, Chester's form was pulled into the light. Tendrils of luminous blue energy wrapped around him, restraining him as if fate itself demanded obedience.
"NO! I will not be chained!" he roared, but his voice echoed like broken glass. "I am the chosen one! Not you!"
Yuki floated at the center of the formation.
His body was dissolving. After all, this time it was a fusion of bodies.
"I am sorry, Chester. You were lost. But I will carry your wish, your goal. Let your power become part of me. Let your despair become purpose."
The circle exploded with light.
Chester's body dissolved. Not into dust, but into pure essence. The purple madness, the raw hunger, the corrupted ambition—all streamed into Yuki's melted form.
[ Fusion Initiated ]
[ Estimated Time: 300 Seconds ]
Their essence spiralled, chaotically, then it was balanced by a gentle energy.
The true Fusion had begun.