Chapter 14
Assessment
I spent the night practicing with my finger, directing the worms to twitch and dance to my will.
By morning, I could make them ripple across my knuckles in a small wave.
Not exactly world-shattering power, but it was something.
The suppression collar was a constant reminder of my new status. Sacred. Prisoner. Monster.
The cell door opened. Hazel stood there with two guards in full tactical gear. Their helmets hid their faces.
"Time for your assessment, the committee needs to determine your... placement."
"You mean which hellhole to throw me into…"
"Essentially." No pretense. No sugar-coating. I almost appreciated that about her.
She had me stand, then cuffed my hands behind my back. The guards positioned themselves on either side of me.
I got the message and started walking.
We walked through the prison hallway until we reached an elevator. The other prisoners watched through small windows as we passed. Some looked human. Others... less so.
"Where exactly are we?"
They didn’t respond.
The elevator dropped, taking my stomach with it.
"Impressive that something this size can stay hidden."
"Who said it's hidden? Citizens know it exists. They just don't care. Sacred criminals are worse than regular criminals in the eyes of the public."
"This way," Hazel said as the elevator stopped.
We stopped at a massive door that swung open silently despite its apparent weight. Inside was a circular room about thirty meters around. The walls rose to a domed ceiling with observation windows. People moved behind the glass, watching as I entered.
In the center of the room stood a metal post with restraints.
"Secure him," Hazel ordered the guards.
They marched me to the post and locked my cuffs to it, facing me towards a large metal gate. Hazel went to the control panel near the wall.
"Fischer, you are being assessed for placement in one of our Infinite Reaches facilities. This test will determine whether you're suited for the Shattered Front or the Grinding Flats."
"We're going to reduce your suppression collar to thirty percent. This will allow limited access to your Origin abilities while maintaining proper safety protocols."
I felt the collar's pressure ease immediately.
The worms beneath my skin surged, suddenly more active, more aware. I could feel them throughout my body now, millions of them.
"This isn't an opportunity to escape. The observation deck is filled with Sacred who will kill you if necessary."
A loud buzzer sounded. The metal gate in the wall began to rise.
"Your first assessment will measure your combat skill against Grade 5 monsters… survive for five minutes."
She left through the door. And I heard her voice over the speakers: "Beginning in three... two... one..."
From the darkness beyond the gate, I heard scratching. Then growling.
The first creature to emerge was oddly similar to the beasts I'd fought in my trial. Its skin hung in gray folds. Its mouth stretched wide, filled with razor teeth. It sniffed the air, then fixed its eyes on me.
Two more. Then another three… Six in total.
The lead Ghoul charged. The others followed, spreading out to surround me. The worms were eager, responding to my spike of adrenaline.
What had I learned in the Trial? I could form weapons, shape the worms into tools. I focused on my right arm, willing the worms to emerge, to take shape.
Nothing happened.
The lead Ghoul leaped, claws extended toward my face. I ducked, the restraints giving me just enough slack to avoid the swipe. Its claws scraped against the metal post, sending sparks flying into the air.
"Thirty percent suppression is still suppression," Hazel's voice came over the speakers. "You need to push harder. Your life depends on it."
The Ghouls circled, more cautious now but still advancing.
One darted in from my left, slashing at my side. I couldn't dodge this one completely. Its claws raked across my ribs, tearing through my prison jumpsuit and into my soft flesh.
Sharp pain lanced through me. But something else happened too. The worms moved to the wound and reacted, hardening my skin just after impact, limiting the damage.
I focused again, this time on the pain, using it as a focal point. I visualized the worms extending from my arms, forming blades.
My skin split along my forearms as white, writhing masses pushed through. They solidified into crude blades that extended about eight inches from each wrist. These weren't the elegant weapons I had crafted during the trial, but they were functional.
The Ghouls hesitated, sensing the change. I took advantage of their pause, swinging my arms wide to force them back.
They regrouped and attacked as one, coming from multiple angles. I slashed at the nearest one, my blade cutting through its shoulder.
The Ghoul shrieked and retreated, its arm hanging useless.
Two more jumped at me simultaneously. I caught one with my blade, but the other slammed into my chest, knocking me back against the post. Its face was inches from mine, jaws snapping
I slammed my head into its face; I could feel my forehead split on impact. But as blood ran down my face, worms emerged from the wound, swarming over the Ghoul's face. It screeched and clawed at itself, trying to remove them as they burrowed into its eye sockets.
The remaining Ghouls backed away, suddenly afraid.
I took advantage of the respite to concentrate on my restraints. Could the worms help me there? I directed them toward my cuffed wrists, feeling them squeeze between metal and skin, probing for weakness.
"Don't," Hazel's voice warned. "That's an immediate fail."
I redirected the worms. No point giving them an excuse to kill me before I had a chance to escape properly.
The Ghoul pack was down to four now. One disabled, one writhing on the ground as my worms consumed its brain.
"Increase the difficulty," someone said over the speakers.
A smaller gate opened. And what looked like a giant fucking rooster from hell—feathered body, reptilian tail, and eyes that glowed with fiery red light. Strutted forward, head bobbing. The Ghouls gave it space.
I kept my eyes on its chest, avoiding direct eye contact. The worm-blades on my arms extended further, responding to my heightened stress.
The Rooster charged suddenly, wings flapping. It opened its beak, and I could see a greenish mist gathering. I held my breath and ducked as it sprayed a cone of putrid breath where my head had been.
The mist hit the metal post instead, which immediately developed a stone-like crust. I slashed at the Rooster's legs as it passed, catching one with my blade. The worms spread from the cut, burrowing under the beast's feathers.
The creature squawked in pain and tried to take flight, but its injured leg wouldn't support it properly. It tumbled, crashing into one of the circling Ghouls.
I pushed as far as my restraints allowed, driving both worm-blades into the tangled creatures. The worms surged forward, spreading through both bodies simultaneously.
The Rooster thrashed on the ground as worms consumed it from within, its petrifying breath discharging randomly. One of the Ghouls was caught in it, freezing mid-step.
"That's enough… Terminating test phase one." Hazel announced.
Gas hissed from vents in the floor.
The remaining Ghouls collapsed almost immediately. The worms consuming the fallen creatures retreated back to me, slithering up my legs and burrowing into my skin.
The sensation was disturbing; it was like having a thousand tiny mouths licking my flesh, each bringing back impressions of what they'd consumed. I could taste the Ghouls' rot and the strange, fishy flavor of the demonic rooster.
"Starting phase two, stress response and defensive capabilities."
What followed was two hours of increasingly sadistic tests. They released creatures specifically chosen to test different aspects of my abilities. With each encounter, I learned more about what I could do.
By the end, I was covered in wounds that were already half-healed, my prison jumpsuit in tatters, and my body trembling from exhaustion. But I was alive.
"Final Phase."
They didn't bother with creatures for this.
Instead, they simply activated the restraint post itself, which turned out to be designed specifically for torture. Electric currents, controlled burns, even mechanical spikes that drove into my body in bursts.
I screamed until my voice gave out.
Through the haze of pain, I heard discussions about my impressive resilience and adaptive defense mechanisms.
When it finally ended, I hung limp in the restraints, barely conscious. The worms had retreated deep into my body, exhausted or hiding from further torment.
Hazel approached, tablet in hand.
"Assessment complete; the committee has reviewed your performance."
She turned the tablet to face me.
Origin classification: Vermis Incarnate.
Combat capability: Above average for fresh emergence.
Tactical awareness: High.
Recommended placement: Shattered Front.
"You'll be processed for transfer immediately…"
The guards released me from the post. I collapsed to the floor, muscles spasming from the aftereffects of the torture. They had to drag me out.
Processing was a blur. Medical examinations. They injected a kill switch into the base of my skull to replace the collar. Issued me minimal equipment, clothes designed to withstand dimensional travel.
Throughout it all, I drifted in and out of consciousness. The worms were still there, but subdued, recovering like I was.