Beneath a vaulted dome of glass and steel, the laboratory gleamed with an ethereal brilliance. At the very heart of the chamber stood a towering cylindrical structure, its frame wrapped in a colossal double helix of metal. An unmistakable homage to the very blueprint of life. Within its transparent cage, rows upon rows of glowing test tubes pulsed with radiant liquid, each one a jewel-tone of neon blue, emerald green, violet, and crimson. Together, they shimmered like constellations bottled and stacked in perfect order, a silent monument to science and an unnerving ambition that seemed to reach for the heavens.

Lev stared, a current of profound curiosity coursing through his veins.

Around the base of the monument, robotic arms moved with cold, inhuman precision, adjusting instruments and feeding streams of data into holographic screens that shimmered in the air. Their lights flickered in rhythms that felt eerily like a heartbeat, a digital pulse in the silent chamber. From the elevated platforms encircling the structure, silent figures in lab coats watched in solemn reverence, their faces partially shadowed by the glow. Some scribbled notes on transparent slates, others merely observed, as though beholding a sacred rite.

This was no mere laboratory. It was a cathedral of science, a place where human hands sought to touch the edge of the divine, and where the fate of civilizations might be rewritten with a mere vial of glowing liquid.

“Welcome to my playground.” A voice, muffled yet brimming with pride, cut through the hum. A figure in a bright green bunny suit approached them.

Astrophel, a genius whose very life was a testament to his obsession with inventions for the betterment of the world, had dedicated his existence to creating world-class inventions that would prove Earth was not on its wits’ end. As the brain of the Hunter Association and a highly valued asset of the World Hunter Organization, his mind was a fortress of knowledge. He was also the husband of Professor Grish, a fact etched into his being as deeply as any formula. This formidable mind, whose memory never failed him, recognized the figure instantly, even in the comical suit.

“Uno! What a pleasant surprise. It has been far too long,” Astrophel said, his voice a torrent of intelligence and familiarity. He would have recognized this man if he were but a shadow, for Uno possessed a gravitas that transcended the physical.

And yet, the person beside him was a void in Astrophel’s perfect memory. His mind, a vast and unending scroll that chronicled every detail of the world, found no entry for this man. Astrophel, whose encyclopedic recall could summon the names of every licensed hunter from their family lineage to their favorite pets, from their most fleeting infatuations to their deepest feuds, found himself facing an absolute unknown. The man’s face, his very essence, was not in the archives of his mind. Even the tiniest particle he had once observed, the most insignificant lab mouse he had ever used. Each had a place in his mental palace, yet this person did not. This was an anomaly, a breach in the perfect order of his universe.

“My, my,” he murmured, stepping closer, as though his gaze could pierce suit and shield alike. “You brought company.”

This person was not a hunter. Astrophel was sure of it.

“He’s an examinee,” Uno remarked, as though the classification rendered the issue trivial.

Astrophel was beyond flabbergasted. In an instant, he seized Uno’s arm and pulled him aside, away from Lev’s hearing. “Have you lost your senses?! This facility, every square meter of it, is a highly classified, Level 1 property. Why, for the love of all that is logical, would you bring an examinee of all people to this place?!” his voice, usually a calm river of data, was a frantic whisper.

Uno had never brought an unauthorized person here, and he himself rarely set foot in this laboratory. Had the man gone mad?

“He’ll be a hunter soon, so it’s a non-issue. You’ll be seeing him often, so you might as well get familiar with him,” Uno reasoned, his tone as serious and unshakeable as a mountain.

“Hunter Association Property Security and Privacy Act, Articles 1 & 2,” Astrophel began, a manic precision in his voice as he rattled off the clauses like a panicked automaton. “All government-owned properties affiliated with the Hunter Association are designated as restricted zones. Entry is strictly limited to authorized personnel. Uno, this isn’t a suggestion. It is the fundamental law of our organization. You are in direct violation of state security!” Astrophel’s words were a desperate plea, a frantic attempt to reason with a man who seemed to have already departed the realm of reason.

“I am well aware of the regulations,” Uno stated. “Don’t lecture me on basic protocol. I know precisely what I’m doing, and I’ll take full responsibility for any and all consequences.”

Astrophel faltered, momentarily silenced.

On the other hand, Lev drifted through the chamber with a languid ease, eyes drinking in every detail as though he were strolling through an art gallery. His veins thrummed with exhilaration at the sight of the test tubes. Each vial glowing in its own strange hue, as if the colors themselves whispered of hierarchies, of classifications, of power neatly distilled.

How amusing.

Excitement coursed through his veins, a pulse quick and eager, though no one could see the way his lips curled into a sharp, menacing smile beneath the mask.

So this is what they bury in the marrow of their Association… The thought coiled around him, sweet as venom. The heart of their power, hidden in glass and steel. And yet Uno brings me here, like some honored guest? Has my company delighted him so much that he’d bare the pulse of their sanctum to me?

He nearly laughed aloud, but swallowed it back, savoring the irony like fine wine.

As the two argued like street vendors haggling over prices, Lev found himself captivated by the raw beauty of human madness. Were these radiant liquids, shimmering like constellations, truly meant to be a tool to bring about his demise? The mere thought sent a shiver of pure, unadulterated delight through him. How utterly… fascinating.

In the end, Uno and Astrophel returned, the silence between them carrying the faint aftertaste of dispute. Whatever had been said was set aside, at least for now.

They proceeded toward a modest break room hidden within the laboratory. Compared to the grandeur of the chamber outside, this place was plain, almost austere. The air inside was sharp with cold, the walls washed in sterile white. One by one, they removed their lab gear.

Astrophel turned to the counter and busied himself with the coffee pot. Steam rose in pale threads as he poured three cups, placing them neatly on the table, the bitter aroma spreading faintly through the chilled room.

“This is Astrophel,” Uno’s voice was steady, his tone carrying that natural weight of authority. “One of the minds behind the blueprints of hunter weaponry. What you saw earlier were his creations.”

Lev bowed his head, a faint, polite smile touching his lips. “My name is Lev.” His voice was gentle, the bow of his head neither humble nor arrogant, but just enough to leave a lasting impression.

Astrophel’s gaze fell upon the face revealed beneath the suit, and for a moment he faltered. The young man’s features were striking, carrying a beauty that could not be ignored. Yet beneath that veneer, there was something elusive, something that unsettled the mind.

Was it simply because this man was unauthorized to stand here? Or was it a deeper dissonance, one his reason could not grasp? Innocence lay upon the surface, but Astrophel knew better than to trust appearances. Beauty was the most dangerous mask of all.

For now, he pressed down the unease coiling within him, choosing to defer to Uno’s judgment.

Uno got straight to the point, sharing the surface details of Project 307, a project Astrophel was also a key part of. He gave no more than was necessary. All the while, Astrophel’s anxious glances would flick toward Lev. The examinee, in return, would simply smile, a picture of pure, guileless interest, appearing as nothing more than an oblivious youth.

In truth, Lev’s mind was already at work, each fragment of what he had seen etched into memory with precision. The glimmer of vials, the weight of words, the very heartbeat of this hidden laboratory. Nothing escaped him.

At last, the plan he and Arthur had sown stirred to life, stretching its shadow over the very heart of the Association. How fitting, that they themselves had opened the door and invited him in.

Uno later guided him through the laboratory, pointing toward the cylindrical structure. “These solutions are designed to awaken latent abilities. Once you become a hunter, you will be injected with one according to the evaluation results of your examination.”

Lev nodded his head in reply. His lips, however, merely twitched with the faintest hint of a smile as a cold amusement flickered in his eyes.