After five years of waiting and trying, his beloved Emily was finally pregnant. When Zach learned the news from an obstetrician, he could hardly wait for the baby boy to born, much like when he was about to unwrap his birthday presents as a kid. He immediately named the baby "Felix," which meant both "happiness" and "fortunate."

Several months later, though, Emily's blood pressure rose dramatically; later on, she even complained about severe stomachache and blurred vision. Zach knew he would soon have to sacrifice Felix to save Emily, yet he decided to consult an obstetrician because he hoped to be proven wrong. Unfortunately, the obstetrician also suggested terminating the pregnancy.

Like the birthday child he used to be, Zach refused to give up the present. Luckily, Emily also wanted to keep the baby.

He regretted his decision. Seizures soon claimed Emily's life, forcing the doctors to take little Felix out of her before he died as well. Being just about six months old, the baby had to stay at the neonatal ICU due to underdeveloped lungs.

Then Zach wondered if he should've sacrificed Felix. That thought always brought tears into his eyes; Felix was a gift he'd been waiting for years, so why should he give him up? However, whenever he tried to convince himself that he had made the right choice, his mind's eye would see a convulsing Emily at the ER.

He found himself trapped in that vicious loop of thoughts until he found this weird friend.

"Use your knowledge in necrolyzation," his invisible friend spoke in the voice of his beloved Emily.

Zach wasn't supposed to have such a friend; if his colleagues ever found out about this, they'd suggest that he went to a psychiatrist. However, why would he try to kill the one who had pulled him out of his misery? If he did more research on necrolyzation, he could surely bring Emily back as a human and save his dying Felix!

With his mysterious friend as his guide, he made his to-do list. First, he needed to get some serum - either the standard, refined, or expired one - for himself.

===

Smuggling serum out of Millennion research facility was easier than he had thought. Of course, it was easy because money talked to the workers there; Zach knew it because he, too, didn't earn much despite being a senior researcher there. That damned Biscoe. The mob boss should've chosen him as Brandon's caretaker instead of William; Zach had worked on Necrolyzation Project for a long time and needed money more than William did.

His shady business didn't come without a price. He soon had to choose between bribing those lab people for serum or pay Felix's medical fee. Whichever he chose, he would eventually fail in his mission.

His invisible friend then told him, "Get rid of William."

William was close to the boss and Brandon, so Zach believed he'd better approach him with caution. Perhaps he should murder somebody in William's family. He'd send a necrolyze being to do the job, so when Millennion decided to investigate the case, his underling would take the heat.

===

Zach did it. Bernard died in a car accident caused by his hellhound, and he now worked as William's substitute while the doctor took his bereavement leave. However, something began haunting Zach. Millennion would soon investigate the case, learn the truth behind Bernard's death and kill him. If Zach died, he could never restore Emily and save Felix.

But worst of all, he was actually messing around with someone close to Brandon; when the day of execution came, he would surely face that necrolyzer. Nobody - not even necrolyzers - had lived to tell the tale of Brandon's wrath, as said by most Millennion people.

Moments passed with him staying at home most of the time, conducting experiments and creating more necrolyzed beings to protect him. He also had stolen an anti-necrolyze rifle for himself, so that he could eliminate his undead underlings whenever they behaved oddly.

But could he last forever this way?

"Inject some serum into yourself," his invisible friend suggested.

For the first time in his life, his friend betrayed him. Hurling a chair at the wall, he screamed, "Are you asking me to necrolyze myself? Are you trying to kill me?"

"Just do it, coward."

"Shut up!" Zach snatched the bottles and the syringes from his worktable and threw them away. Shattered glass and fluid of various colors lay everywhere on the floor. "I won't die! Not until I restore my dear Emily and Felix!"

His outburst drew his hellhounds' attention. Whether they meant malice or not, Zach rushed to his drawer and grabbed his anti-necrolyze rifle. "Trying to kill me? Think again!"

His barrage of bullets reduced the incoming hellhounds into immobile hunks of black fur.

"Coward."

"Shut up!" Zach slammed the humongous rifle onto the open drawer and knocked the fiberglass container off its hinge.

"Be a superior, or die as a pathetic human."

Zach remembered that product of Necrolyzation Project. Unlike necrolyzers, superiors came from living things and their bodies could generate weapons. Bob, one of Harry's elite bodyguards, could make grenades out of his fat tissues once he became a superior. It also didn't cost much to sustain this species, as it could produce blood cells by itself and eat.

Though he did remember superiors' unreasonable thirst for blood and violence; in fights, they would spend their precious time taunting and torturing their foes just to arouse the brain's pleasure center. When pit against a calculating and experienced fighter like Brandon, their bad habit would trouble them more often than not.

"Right. These necrolyzed beings won't pose a threat if I'm a superior, but I just have to be careful." Zach walked towards his fiberglass bookshelf. Picking up a small notebook from it, he said, "Thank you, my friend."

Using the formula from his senior Dr. Laguna Glock, Zach injected ten vials of refined serum into his body and his hands. He then watched the wonder that unfolded: his knuckles enlarged before lengthening into three bloody blades of bone that tore through his skin. It didn't hurt. At all.

He looked at the lone wooden chair beside him. Then he swung his claws swiftly. Gusts of slicing wind reduced the furniture into a pile of chopped wood.

"This is good enough," he muttered. The blades retracted into his flesh, leaving gaping wounds that quickly shut themselves.

===

A tiny dose of standard serum here, a bigger dose of refined serum there. Countless sickly animals had received his concoction, but none of them came back right. Instead, they grew into monstrosities like a sabertooth cat, a two-tailed giant rat, an acid-spitting dog, and more.

Luckily, Zach had gained so much power that he could easily shred his failed creations. He spared the acid-spitting dog, though, since this beast knew to behave well unlike the rest of his guinea pigs.

"You aren't just a perfect guard dog, Sulphur." Zach patted the dog's head. "Your behavior tells me that I can soon find the right concoction if I stick with the formula that creates you." When the beast nodded, Zach added, "You're also pretty smart for a dog."

===

A day passed without success, and Zach's supplies were running out. Since Sulphur came from a living thing like a superior, it had to eat. The lab workers, too, now demanded more after learning about his position as William's substitute. His claws could make them obedient, but what if they decided to tell Biscoe?

"Attack Brandon," his invisible friend told him.

"What the hell?" he raised his voice. "He's my source of money!"

"Hurt him."

So, that was what his friend meant. An injured Brandon would need a medical procedure, which would give him more money. Now, he just needed someone to wound that necrolyzer.

According to his buddies at the hospital, there was a rumor about William giving an ICU nurse some vials of green liquid - likely the expired serum, since the lab had little use for it and William was too kind to steal something precious. If Zach could time it right, he could turn the necrolyzed Bernard into his ally.

===

Zach met Bernard at the outskirt of Billion, a haven for hobos. As expected, Bernard came back as a disfigured creature: a green-skinned giant with a dent on the right side of his head and a bulge on his stomach. He also sported a pair of pointed ears and a set of jagged teeth, which reminded Zach of the orcs he saw on movies.

"What an easy prey," his invisible friend said.

Zach approached Bernard, who stood amid battered corpses.

"I know you," Bernard growled, his fists clenched. "Hope you aren't like these humans, Dr. Zach."

"What happened?"

"These bastards." Bernard seized a corpse by its head. "I tried to be nice to them, but they only attacked me." He paused briefly before suddenly screaming, "Because I'm a monster in their eyes, no matter how kind I am!" He tightened his grip on the skull until it exploded into a mess of blood, brain matter, and bone fragments. "My wife... My kids... They no longer see me as their family just because I look like a monster!"

"Don't worry. I'm not like them. Now, what are you planning to do?"

Bernard slammed his fist onto his palm. "I want to get a revenge on my creator. I'll probably teach my wife and kids a lesson as well."

"We'll make a great team."

Bernard stomped towards Zach, scowling. "What are you talking about?"

"I know who created you. I also have a problem with him."

The anger and suspicion on Bernard's face faded into a broad smile. "Really? Tell me!"

===

Thanks to Bernard, Zach could earn more money by treating all the lacerations on Brandon's body. However, he disliked how Bernard insisted on punishing Nancy. His kid now lived with Brandon and Mika, and if he wished to kidnap her, he'd have to get past Brandon - or even Mika - first. Truth be told, Zach hated Mika and Brandon because they always reminded him of the life he should've had with Felix; if he could kill the little brat, he would gladly do it. But Brandon... Nobody had lived to tell the tale of his wrath.

When Zach heard that Bernard's necrolyzer had hit Mika in the head, he decided to visit Bernard's mountain villa, his HQ.

"You know who Mika is?" Zach asked. "She's Brandon's beloved child. The little girl who kept him tame." He crossed his arms over his chest. "You're doomed."

"What do you mean, 'you?'" Bernard pointed at Zach. "You're also involved!"

"I'm out, Bernard."

"Oh, no, you can't!" Bernard jumped at Zach, who shoved him back down with a palm to his face. Sitting on the floor, he shouted, "Guys! Get him!"

Zach didn't even smile. Nor did he scream at the incoming hail of anti-necrolyze bullets. The projectiles drilled into his body before popping back out. He glared at the assailants, who still pointed their rifles at him despite quivering like a sick human.

Crack!

Something struck- no, tapped Zach's in the back and drew his attention. Bernard stood before him, his whip slipping out of his shaky hands.

"I believe a feather tickles more than that," Zach mocked.

Bernard crept back, trembling. "N-no. What are you?"

"I'm superior to humans and necrolyzers." Zach walked towards the retreating Bernard. "Yes." As Bernard turned to run, he seized him by the back of his jacket. "I am a superior."

"Let me go!"

"You haven't accomplished your goal, have you? Let's make a deal."

Bernard nodded frantically. "Yes, at least let me live long enough to punish William!"

"Sure. I'll leave peacefully, but on one term. You and your men go injure Brandon like what you used to do, but never kill him. If you forget," he warned, unsheathing his claws to let a threatening 'schlikt' echo across the room, "my claws will go wild."

"Deal!"

Zach released Bernard. "Thank you."

On the next day, news of Bernard and his minions falling victim to Brandon's rage spread across Millennion like wildfire.

===

Recently, Zach's fear grew. Although Biscoe had given him a lot of resources so that he wouldn't injure Brandon further, he had a feeling that the mob boss would send his men to retrieve everything instead of giving him more. It would've been better if he still had Bernard as his first-line defense.

No, he could never trust anybody in this world. Not even his necrolyzers, whom he later slaughtered to prevent potential rebellion. His plentiful resources would attract thieves, while his superior power and knowledge would draw killers into his hideout. Meanwhile, those people - or things - could be anywhere.

Even the idea of artificially brainwashing those necrolyzers wouldn't convince him. Who knew the device would fail and cause a mess, just like the lab incident fourteen years ago?

He also wouldn't join the tournament hosted by Gatou Gang, even if the prize money would come in handy. Considering the relationship between the Chinese gang and Millennion, he believed it was just an ambush set by Biscoe.

If the match is to be held about a week later, he thought, it's definitely a trap. Wounds left by anti-necrolyze bullets usually take that long to heal, meaning that I'll face an angry, healthy Brandon. He's still a beast despite all the handicaps.

"Coward," his invisible friend grumbled.

"I am being careful," Zach muttered.

"Coward."

"Better safe than sorry."

"Coward."

Zach decided to ignore his unseen friend, a way to shoo it away when it got annoying.

So he looked at Sulphur, who sat up to greet him. Behind the dog was a pack of black hounds with spikes protruding from the backs like sawteeth. Zach had spared them from the slaughter, simply because they were animals and could never be more intelligent than he was. Moreover, he could win most animals' hearts by giving them good food such as the shredded remains of his necrolyzers.

I believe I need more of them to weaken Brandon. Turning around, he wagged a finger. "Let's go hunting, Sulphur."

Sulphur yipped while wagging its tail.

"Tell the rest of the pack to guard the cabin."

The dog barked in agreement.

As Zach headed to the exit door, he stopped by a shelf and picked up three vials of serum from one of the test tube racks. One of them - his newest concoction - was yellow in color, almost similar to the refined serum. Since he created it by perfecting the formula that created Sulphur and his pack, Zach believed this would produce something magnificent.

With the vials inside his oversized coat pockets and Sulphur behind him, Zach left the cabin.

The faint howl of a wolf echoed across the forest. The surrounding trees sifted the rays of moonlight from above. Zach had lived in this wooden shack since he began his mission of finding the right concoction for his family. Located within the dense forest at the mountainous region of Billion, it might even trouble the greatest tracker in the town.

However, Zach could feel that somebody was watching over him. Perhaps Biscoe had sent his men here. Or maybe Brandon had come to make him pay. Or maybe someone else who wanted to steal his resources and murder him was hiding somewhere nearby.

Leaves rustled in the night breeze as Zach and Sulphur walked past the palisades of trees. The howl of a wolf grew louder and clearer as he went deeper into the woods.

Suddenly, Zach heard distancing footsteps and swishing twigs. When he turned around, he saw a fleeing Sulphur.

"Sulphur?"

A few seconds later, his pet dog returned with a languid rabbit in his jaws. Trails of melting flesh marred its body as beads of blood and Sulphur's saliva streamed down the carcass.

"Just eat it if you want."

Sulphur ran past Zach.

"What an attitude." Zach whirled and summoned his claws. However, he quickly retracted the blades when he saw Sulphur approaching a lonely gray wolf at a clearing. The almost toothless beast limped towards his pet dog, who immediately put the rabbit down.

"I think I know what you're planning." Zach fished the vial of his newest concoction and approached the wolf, who was sniffing at the rabbit. He uncapped the container and poured the yellow liquid on the beast's food. "Try this. It'll make you young and strong again."

After taking a few bites, the wolf pulled back and stood still. Then it unleashed a deafening howl as it slowly rose to two feet and grew taller and bigger. New jagged teeth replaced its old dull ones and sparkled under the moonlight. Broad, long claws, which could level the whole forest in a swipe, ripped out of its hands and feet. Its fur, which used to be sparse and gray, became dense and shiny black.

With its tail wriggling rapidly, Sulphur circled the transforming wolf and let out a few welcoming barks.

The wolf stopped growing after standing a few feet taller than the biggest tree in the woods. Now a muscular, bipedal beast, it spread its arms and howled.

Even if it can't defeat Brandon, it can at least weaken him. He looked at his pet dog. "Sulphur, tell our new friend that it owns this forest. It can eat anything it finds."

Sulphur barked at the colossal werewolf, who then looked down at him, nodded, and picked up the half-eaten rabbit. After tossing it into its mouth, it looked around for a new prey.

For once in a lifetime after the mishap that afflicted his family, Zach finally laughed aloud and joyfully. "Just send your agents over here, Biscoe! My beasts will love such a big feast! And as for you, Brandon, your puny axe and peashooters can't save you from us!"

Harsh creaks resounded as the werewolf's hands rummaged through the cluster of trees. A few seconds later, the beast picked up a familiar figure. Although the man's blonde hair had turned gray and his left arm had gone, Zach recognized him as Dr. William.

"You just enjoy spying on me, don't you?" Zach yelled. "Don't worry. You won't have the chance to report anything to Millennion, let alone kill me."

"Zach! What have you just created?" William asked, now drenched on the saliva that dripped off the werewolf's long, large tongue.

"A countermeasure against spies and assassins." He paused. "Such as you, Millennion people, and especially Brandon."

"Why should I spy on you? I'm just trying to get a good rest after all the mess with Bernard!" William cried out as the werewolf flung him into his gaping maw. "No!"

"Spies and assassins never speak the truth." Zach turned around with a satisfied smile. "Farewell, William. May you rest in peace in a pool of gastric juice."