Mana Mutation Menace (Journey to Chaos Book 3) Read Online Free Page A

That’s stupid. Rot needs to cycle and they can do
that by becoming food for something stronger.”
    Guards, already surrounding the pair with weapons ready,
prepared to strike. Kallen started fidgeting.
    “Think of it this way! Are you a monster or a mercenary?”
    “Mercenary definitely because I’m human and not a grendel.”
    “Then they could become a client or the subject of
a client’s mission.”
    “Ohhhh! That makes a lot more sense.”
    He grabbed a vat of mustard and slurped it like a beverage.
    Kallen looked uneasily over her shoulder. “Progress is
progress.”
    Eric slammed the vat on the table. “Speaking of progress,
how much do I have to make before I can leave?”
    “Um...” Kallen looked to Talbot, who shook his head. “Uhh...”
    “Setting goals and achieving them is a sapient mindset,
isn’t it?” Eric asked. “What do I have to do to prove that I am not a threat to
the general public?”
    “You see, Eric, there are public concerns due to mana-born
demons because of past events...and so there’s a...um…”
    “The Butchin Tragedy will make releasing you difficult,” Talbot
said.
    "Butchin Tragedy...Harry Butchin... Nulso. Threat ."
     Kallen reached across the table and squeezed his hand.
Peace and contentment mitigated his aggression. He took a deep breath and
continued speaking.
     "I remember Annala telling me about the Butchin
Tragedy. Amputees, terminal illness sufferers, and body artists received
components of monsters in surgery. Over a span of time, they all went insane;
no different from monsters. You think I'll relapse. Maybe not today or next
week, but it will happen eventually."
     "I think it is possible,” Talbot said. “You will
stay here until I am proven wrong."
     "What if Her Incandescent Majesty said
otherwise?"
     "I would ignore her. This facility is under the
aegis of the Global Avatar and Mortal Alliance of which Queen Kasile is merely
one member. She herself has no authority here."
     Eric's eyes narrowed.
     "Do you consider me a threat?" Talbot asked.
     "No," Eric said. "I consider you an
asshole."
     "Surely we can arrange for a conditional release,"
Kallen said reasonably. "After all, you let me go where I want whenever I
want. Have I ever killed and eaten anyone in monsanity?"
     Talbot considered this. Eric imagined him retrieving the
records in his brain like a computer and reading over them.
    "I will work with Percy and the board of directors to
arrange something. Mr. Watley, you can consider me an asshole if you wish, but
I am simply trying to keep people safe. Surely you cannot blame me for erring
on the side of caution."
     "I understand and, in return, I hope that you
understand that I want to leave as soon as possible. BACON!”
    Talbot raised an eyebrow. Then he coughed and said, “Yes,
it is good bacon.” He turned on his heel and left the cafeteria.
    Eric slumped back into his seat. Kallen stroked his hand
with her thumb, which eased some of the disappointment. The smile she flashed
him helped too. He sat back up and finished eating. By then, another guard
approached and said Eric’s new quarters were ready for him.
    It was designed to be a transitional area for patients
once they regained their sapience. Since Eric was the first one to do so, he
was the first one to use it. On one hand, it was built for a sapient: a bed,
desk, drawers for clothes, a Crystal Vision set, and computer, etc. On the
other hand, it was built for a monster: the door could be locked from both
sides, shackles in the center were bolted to the floor, and there was a camera
watching the entire area. Eric snarled at the latter, but Kallen pushed him to
the former. She started up a video of the Dragon’s Lair.
    “I bet you’ve never seen your guild like this before.”
    When Eric joined the Dragon’s Lair, it was peacetime. His
first mission was gathering bird poop for an apothecary. This video showed him
how his guild operated during wartime.
    Specifically, it was