(Sudut pandang Arin)
Pintu kayu lapuk itu tertutup di belakang kami dengan suara panjang dan menyedihkan . Suara itu seolah memisahkan dunia luar yang dingin dari dunia di dalam sini yang... sakit jiwa.
Saat kakiku melangkah masuk ke laboratorium Ghislain Bassil, udara terasa sangat berbeda. Bukan hanya karena bau formalin yang menyengat atau aroma daging yang diawetkan, tetapi juga karena tekanan mana yang kacau di ruangan ini.
Rak-rak kayu yang bengkok dipenuhi dengan stoples kaca berisi organ-organ yang seharusnya tidak ada. Aku melihat bola mata mengedip genit kepada siapa pun yang lewat, jantung berdetak mengikuti irama disko tanpa tubuh, dan janin-janin monster mengambang dalam cairan hijau keruh sambil mengisap jempol mereka sendiri.
"Silakan duduk! Silakan duduk! Anggap saja seperti di rumah sendiri!" teriak Ghislain dengan nada riang yang sangat tidak sesuai dengan suasana. Dia menyambut kami seperti seorang kakek yang menyambut cucu-cucunya saat liburan.
Dia menyapu setumpuk kertas berdebu dan tulang paha milik entah siapa dari meja operasi yang berkarat hingga bersih.
"Silakan, Tuan Muda Arin," katanya sambil menepuk meja besi yang dingin. "Ini kursi tamu terbaik saya."
Aku menatap meja itu dengan skeptis, tetapi akhirnya duduk.
Sementara itu, Dokter Edna masih berdiri membeku di dekat pintu. Ia menutup hidungnya rapat-rapat dengan sapu tangan sutra. Wajahnya pucat pasi, matanya menatap sekeliling ruangan dengan tatapan ngeri.
"Tempat ini..." gumam Edna, suaranya teredam oleh kain. "Ini mimpi buruk sanitasi. Bagaimana mungkin melakukan operasi steril di sini? Bakteri di udara saja mungkin telah bermutasi menjadi monster kecil."
Ghislain tertawa mengejek sambil terpincang-pincang di sekitar kami.
"Steril? Huh! Kemandulan itu untuk orang lemah yang takut pada kehidupan mikroskopis!" ejeknya. "Kuman juga butuh teman, Dokter! Mereka adalah bagian dari ekosistem besar ini!"
Tentakel daging di punggungnya bergerak liar seperti ekor anjing yang melihat tulang. Mata besar di ujung tentakel itu berkedip, menatap Karim yang berdiri kaku dengan tangan di gagang pedangnya. Ksatria itu siap menebas jika tentakel itu mencoba "berkenalan" lebih jauh.
"Jauhkan benda itu dariku," geram Karim.
"Dia menyukaimu, Iron Muscle," Ghislain terkekeh.
Ghislain memutar tubuhnya menghadapku. Kedua matanya, yang ada di wajahnya dan yang ada di punggungnya, menatapku secara bersamaan dalam harmoni yang menyeramkan.
"Jadi, Tuan Arin," ia memulai dengan nada tertarik. "Anda mengatakan Anda berhasil menyerap Serum Grizzly? Tanpa sirkuit mana? Tanpa meledak menjadi kembang api daging?"
"Benar, Profesor," jawabku dengan tenang, meskipun bulu kudukku merinding karena ditatap seperti spesimen langka di menu makan malam. "Saya menggunakan metode difusi bertahap dan katalis dari lendir Slime untuk menekan reaksi penolakan imun."
"Lendir lendir?" Ghislain membelalakkan matanya, lalu tertawa melengking. "Hahaha! Jorok! Primitif! Tapi efektif! Kenapa aku tidak memikirkan hal sebodoh itu sebelumnya?"
Tiba-tiba wajahnya berubah serius dalam sekejap. Dia mendekatkan wajahnya ke wajahku; jarak antara kami hanya beberapa sentimeter. Aku bisa mencium bau bahan kimia yang menyengat dan kopi basi dari napasnya.
"Aku tidak butuh uangmu, Nak," bisiknya. "Emas tidak bisa mengajariku hal-hal baru. Bagiku, itu hanyalah sampah berkilauan."
"Lalu apa yang kau inginkan?" tanyaku langsung. "Aku butuh keahlianmu untuk memodifikasi tanaman. Tanpamu, proyek ini akan gagal sebelum dimulai."
Ghislain menyeringai, memperlihatkan giginya yang kuning dan jarang. Dia mengangkat jari telunjuknya yang tipis dan panjang, lalu menunjuk tepat ke tengah dadaku.
"Aku menginginkanmu."
Karim secara refleks melangkah maju, pedangnya setengah terhunus dengan bunyi "shing" . Naluri kesatrianya berteriak 'lindungi aset ini', atau mungkin dia hanya takut aku akan mati sebelum pembayarannya selesai.
"Jaga ucapanmu, Mage," ancam Karim. "Dia adalah murid di bawah perlindungan Keluarga Rhyms. Bukan mainanmu."
"Diam, Otot Besi!" bentak Ghislain tanpa menoleh. Tentakel di punggungnya mendesis marah ke arah Karim.
Tatapannya masih tertuju padaku, penuh hasrat dan obsesi.
"Maaf, aku tidak tertarik pada orang tua sepertimu," jawabku dengan jijik.
"Bukan tubuhmu secara seksual, bodoh! Aku juga tidak tertarik padamu!" teriak Ghislain dengan frustrasi. "Aku ingin tahu... apa yang terjadi di dalam pabrik dagingmu itu. Bagaimana sumsum tulangmu menghasilkan darah yang mampu menerima mana liar? Bagaimana serat ototmu bermutasi dan beregenerasi?"
Dia membuka laci mejanya yang berantakan, menggeledah isinya, lalu mengeluarkan bor tulang manual yang tampak sangat berkarat.
Cicit... cicit...
Bor itu berderit memilukan saat dia memutarnya.
"Harganya adalah tubuhmu, Arin," kata Ghislain sambil tersenyum lebar. "Aku akan membantumu membangun pertanian jamurmu yang konyol itu. Tapi sebagai gantinya..."
Ghislain memutar bor itu perlahan di depan wajahku, matanya berbinar-binar gila.
"Setiap minggu, saya menginginkan sampel. Bukan hanya darah. Saya menginginkan cairan sumsum tulang belakang. Saya menginginkan biopsi jaringan otot yang beregenerasi. Saya ingin mengamati Anda tidur untuk mengukur gelombang otak Anda. Saya ingin memetakan setiap inci anomali yang Anda sebut 'tubuh' ini."
"Gila!" teriak Edna, akhirnya meledak.
Dia melangkah maju, berdiri di antara saya dan Ghislain, sejenak melupakan rasa takutnya pada kuman.
"That is malpractice!" snapped Edna. "Taking spinal cord fluid in non-sterile conditions and without anesthesia? You could paralyze him permanently or even kill him! I will not allow my patient to be touched by a butcher like you!"
"Move, Hygienic Woman," hissed Ghislain, shoving Edna with his shoulder. "This is for science! He is the key to evolution! A human without mana who eats monsters... aren't you curious as a scientist?!"
"I am a doctor, not a madman!" retorted Edna fiercely. "A doctor's duty is to save lives, not experiment on humans!"
Their debate heated up. Shouts about medical ethics and scientific evolution answered each other. However, I remained silent. My eyes were fixed on the rusty drill in Ghislain's hand.
The risk was very high. One mistake during spinal cord fluid extraction could paralyze me for life. Infection in this place was a guarantee of death or mutation into a zombie.
But... time kept ticking. My promise to Elena. Karl Benzzi's threat. And most importantly, Money.
I did not have the luxury to choose a safe path.
"Enough," my voice cut through their shouting.
The room went silent instantly. I looked at Ghislain straight on.
"I agree."
"ARIN!" shrieked Edna, staring at me in disbelief as if I had just confessed a crush on Ghislain. "Have you lost your mind?! He is going to drill holes in your spine with a rusty drill! Do you want to die?!"
"As long as it is not lethal and does not interfere with my motor functions, take it. Consider it a science donation," I said coldly.
I rolled up my sleeves, showing my determination.
"But there is a condition," I continued firmly. "Sample extraction is done under Doctor Edna's supervision, using our sterile tools. And you... cannot kill me before this project is finished. If I die, no more samples. Understood?"
Ghislain fell silent for a moment, processing my condition. Then his wide grin bloomed again until it almost touched his ears.
"Deal! Ah... look at those eyes. The eyes of someone who does not care about pain for a goal. You truly are the perfect research material!"
He threw the rusty drill in a random direction.
CLANG!
The object landed on a pile of other surgical tools, nearly hitting Karim's foot who jumped in surprise.
"So!" Ghislain clapped his hands. "When do we start dissecting the forest? My hands are itching to tear something apart."
I sighed deeply, trying to suppress the nausea imagining a large syringe piercing my back later.
"Tonight. But before that, we need logistics."
I turned to Karim who had been watching silently with a sour face.
"Instructor Karim," I called.
"What?" he answered curtly. His bad feeling seemed to light up. "Do not tell me you want to order me to carry corpses."
"Exactly," I smiled thinly, a capitalist smile. "We need bait to distract the plant's natural guards, and we need initial nutrients for the mushrooms. The academy's organic waste disposal warehouse... there are piles of Goblin carcasses left over from yesterday's exam that haven't been burned."
Karim's face changed from sour to horror, then to green.
"You..." Karim pointed at my face with a trembling finger. "I am a former Royal Knight! I am the best graduate of the military academy! My sword has beheaded an Orc Warlord! I have dined with the King! And now... you order me to be a garbage man?!"
"You are the Head of Security and Logistics for this project, Instructor. That is a prestigious position," I cajoled innocently. "Besides, who else is strong enough to carry fifty-kilo sacks of rotting meat while running in the forest? Doctor Edna? She won't even touch a door handle here. Ghislain? He would eat the carcasses before arriving."
Edna nodded quickly, supporting my argument to avoid dirty work. "Correct, Karim. Your muscles are the only useful thing for this rough work. Think of this as weight training."
Karim growled long, a pathetic sound of defeat. His dignity collapsed instantly in the face of practical logic.
"Damn it. For the research journal... for promotion..." he muttered like a mental strengthening mantra to keep from going crazy. "Just watch out if my name is spelled wrong in the final report later. I will behead you all."
(Academy Northern Sector Forest - Midnight)
The journey from the suburban laboratory to the Academy Northern Sector Forest felt like moving between worlds. Or more accurately, moving from a mental hospital to a hell zoo.
We left the smell of chemicals and city dust, entering the embrace of cold and hostile nature. The night sky was covered by thick clouds, making the forest below pitch black, illuminated only by the glow of moss and wild mushrooms growing on giant tree trunks.
Our formation was strange, more like a deviant circus troupe than an elite research team.
In front, Karim walked with heavy steps stomping the earth. On his back, he carried two large burlap sacks containing wet Goblin carcasses dripping foul-smelling green fluid. His face was deeply scowling, his mouth constantly muttering curses.
"I stink..." muttered Karim tragically. "My armor... my grandfather's legacy... stained with goblin juice... how do I explain this to my ancestors?"
In the middle, I walked side-by-side with Ghislain. The old mage looked like a child entering a toy store. His eyes were wild, his head turning here and there, and the tentacle on his back wriggled in the air, sniffing wild mana like a broken radio antenna.
"Look at that!" exclaimed Ghislain suddenly, pointing to a purple thorny vine. "Viper Vine! Its poison can paralyze an elephant's nerves in three seconds! How beautiful!"
He almost touched it if I hadn't pulled his musty robe just in time.
"Do not touch, Professor. We need you alive to dissect plants later," I warned wearily. "Save your madness for later."
"Tch. You are boring, Arin. A little nerve paralysis is good for blood circulation," he grumbled, but obeyed and resumed walking.
And at the very back was Doctor Edna.
She was the definition of suffering. Edna wore a full protective suit, a thick mask, and high boots. She walked on tiptoes, trying as much as possible not to step in mud, while holding a perfume bottle which she occasionally sprayed into the air to chase away the stench from the sacks Karim carried.
Spritz. Spritz.
"This is crazy," complained Edna, her voice muffled by the mask. "Why did I agree to come to the field? I should be in a clean lab, drinking tea, and waiting for samples to arrive. Why do I have to enter this disease-filled swamp?"
"Because you are Quality Control, Doc," I replied without turning. "You have to ensure our raw materials are sterile from the source. We do not want our mushrooms contaminated by forest bacteria."
"Sterile what?! Look at this place! This is the definition of septic!" Edna kicked a leech crawling near her shoe. "KYAAA! LEECH! DO NOT STICK TO MY CLOTHES! GET AWAY!"
We continued walking through the increasingly dense undergrowth. The air grew more humid and heavy. The sound of night insects was loud, interspersed with distant roars of nocturnal monsters possibly looking for a midnight snack.
After an hour of walking, we arrived at the true border of the Northern Sector.
Here, trees grew larger and more crooked. Roots protruded from the ground like giant frozen snakes. Thin mist hung above the ground, motionless despite the wind.
Karim stopped, lowering the smelly sacks for a moment to catch his breath. Green fluid dripped from his shoulder.
"We arrived," said Karim, his hand holding his sword hilt, his eyes warily scanning the darkness. "This is the limit of routine patrol territory. Beyond this point... there is no guarantee of safety. This is wild habitat. And honestly, with our body odor right now, we are a walking buffet for monsters."
I stepped forward, standing beside Karim. The mana here felt different. Denser, wilder, and more aggressive. This was the perfect place for mutant mushroom growth.
Suddenly, Ghislain chuckled softly. A hehehe laugh that made my goosebumps rise.
He walked past us, approaching the dark forest boundary line. His eye tentacle extended forward like a periscope, its pupil shrinking in focus.
"Ah... baunya..." bisik Ghislain, hidung manusianya mengembang menikmati aroma hutan yang membusuk. "Apakah kau mencium baunya?"
"Bau bangkai goblin di punggungku?" balas Karim sinis.
"Tidak, Bodoh!" Ghislain berbalik, matanya bersinar liar dalam kegelapan. "Bau kehidupan yang menyimpang! Bau mutasi! Tumbuhan di depan... mereka tidak hanya tumbuh, tetapi juga berburu."
Ghislain menunjuk ke arah kabut. Di sana, bayangan tanaman besar terlihat bergerak perlahan, meskipun tidak ada angin. Suara gemerisik dedaunan terdengar seperti pisau yang diasah.
Kikis... Kikis...
"Sempurna," gumamku, merasakan adrenalin mulai membanjiri tubuhku. "Itu artinya kita berada di tempat yang tepat."
Aku menatap timku yang aneh. Seorang ksatria yang pemarah dan bau, seorang dokter yang jijik dan paranoid, dan seorang ilmuwan gila yang ingin menikahi tumbuhan.
"Siapkan senjata dan pikiran kalian," perintahku sambil menghunus pedang Adamantiumku. "Kita akan melakukan operasi lingkungan. Jangan biarkan siapa pun dimakan oleh tumbuhan sebelum kita memakannya."
Kami melangkah melewati batas aman, memasuki kegelapan yang menunggu dengan mulut terbuka lebar.