"Damn this world, its morality, rules, and laws! I adhered to all of them, and what did they give me in return?!"
An angry voice echoed through a dimly lit office.
A lone man wearing a dirty white lab coat sat behind an old wooden desk. His hair was a mess, his face was pale, and dark circles surrounded his bloodshot eyes.
The room around him was in terrible condition. Cracks covered the walls, papers were scattered across the floor, and most of the furniture looked as though it had not been maintained for years.
Yet the man paid no attention to his surroundings.
His eyes were fixed on an old photograph in his trembling hand. Its edges had softened and worn away from being handled countless times.
In the photograph, a younger version of himself stood beside a beautiful woman with long black hair and green eyes.
The woman was smiling happily as she held a baby boy in her arms. Standing in front of them was a little girl with a ponytail, grinning at the camera.
Looking at their smiling faces, the man's angry expression slowly disappeared.
Drip!
A teardrop fell onto the photograph.
He quickly wiped it away with his thumb, careful not to damage the already worn surface.
"Eila, Anna, Jack..."
His voice trembled as he gently touched each of their faces.
"Just a little more. I will see you all soon."
The man closed his weary eyes, and memories of the past began to surface.
His name was Faust McHollen.
Once upon a time, that name had been known throughout the world.
Faust was a genius whose intellect and achievements far surpassed those of his peers. From a young age, he had demonstrated extraordinary talent in scientific research and innovation.
By the time he reached adulthood, he had already made discoveries that other scientists could only dream of.
Wealth, fame, influence, and recognition.
He had obtained everything that countless people spent their entire lives pursuing.
However, the greatest happiness in Faust's life came when he was twenty-five.
That was the year he met Eila.
She was a beautiful and kindhearted woman with long black hair and green eyes. Her cheerful personality and warm smile gradually captured his heart.
They began dating, and before long, the two fell deeply in love.
Eventually, they married.
Their happiness only grew when Eila gave birth to their first child, a daughter named Anna. A few years later, their son, Jack, joined the family.
For Faust, those were the happiest years of his life.
No matter how busy he became with his research, he always looked forward to returning home.
He could still remember Anna running toward him whenever he opened the front door, shouting excitedly for her father.
He remembered Eila standing nearby with little Jack in her arms, smiling as she watched their daughter drag him into the living room.
Back then, he genuinely believed his happiness would last forever.
Unfortunately, his success had attracted more than admiration.
There were countless people who envied his wealth and achievements. Some viewed him as an obstacle, while others desired the inventions and technologies that had made him successful.
Among them was someone Faust considered a close friend.
Having known the man for years, Faust never imagined that someone he trusted would betray him.
That trust eventually became his downfall.
Through an elaborate scheme, his so-called friend manipulated him into a situation where his invention patents were forcefully seized.
Before Faust could understand what had happened, he had already lost control of the company he had spent years building.
The betrayal nearly destroyed him.
He wanted revenge. He wanted to expose everyone involved and make them answer for what they had done.
However, Eila stopped him.
"Faust, please. Think about Anna and Jack."
He could still remember the expression on her face when she said those words.
"We can start again somewhere else. You're still you, and I know you can do it."
At that time, Faust had been unwilling to accept defeat.
How could he simply walk away after everything they had stolen from him?
But whenever he looked at his wife and children, his anger gradually faded.
What was the point of recovering his wealth if doing so placed his family in danger?
After struggling with the decision, he finally agreed.
Faust abandoned his plans for revenge. He decided to move to another country with his family, where they could begin a new life away from his former associates.
With his knowledge and abilities, earning money again would never be a problem.
As long as Eila and the children were safe, he could accept losing everything else.
Unfortunately, his enemies had no intention of letting him leave.
His former friend had already joined forces with one of Faust's competitors.
They feared that a genius like Faust would eventually rebuild his company and threaten everything they had stolen.
His patents, his company, and his fortune were already theirs.
Yet they still wanted him gone.
Driven by greed, jealousy, and fear, they arranged a final scheme to eliminate Faust and his entire family.
By the time Faust realized what was happening, it was already too late.
Eila was dead.
Anna was dead.
Even little Jack, who had barely begun his life, was gone.
And Faust, who should have died alongside them, somehow survived.
The people responsible believed their plan had succeeded.
With Faust presumed dead, they began dividing his remaining wealth and assets. The same people who had worked together to destroy him soon turned against one another, fighting over who deserved the largest share.
To them, Faust McHollen was already a man of the past.
None of them knew that he was still alive.
And none of them understood what they had created through their actions.
The man who had once devoted his intellect to advancing human civilization now had only one purpose left.
Revenge.
Beep! Beep! Beep!
A sharp alarm suddenly interrupted Faust's memories.
His eyes snapped open.
For several seconds, he remained seated, staring at the photograph in his hand.
Then, slowly, he placed it on his desk.
"Finally."
His hoarse voice sounded strangely calm.
"It's finished."
Faust pushed himself up from his chair and left the office.
His footsteps echoed through the empty hallway as he walked deeper into the underground facility.
After passing through several doors, he entered a large laboratory filled with advanced scientific equipment.
Machines lined the walls, their displays showing streams of data. Shelves held hundreds of glass containers, each containing liquids of different colors.
In the center of the laboratory stood several sealed experimental chambers.
One of them was blinking green.
Faust approached the machine and examined the data displayed on its screen.
Every indicator showed that the experiment had succeeded.
For a moment, he could only stare.
Then a grin slowly spread across his face.
"Hahaha!"
His laughter grew louder.
"Hahahaha! I've done it! I'VE FINALLY DONE IT!"
Faust pressed a button on the control panel.
Hiss!
The chamber released a burst of compressed air before its transparent cover slowly opened.
Inside sat a small glass vial.
Faust carefully picked it up and raised it before his eyes.
A strange worm was moving inside.
The creature was small enough to fit within the vial, but its appearance was horrifying. Its body twisted and coiled continuously, while a disproportionately large jaw occupied the front of its head.
As Faust brought the vial closer, the worm turned toward him.
Snap! Snap!
Its jaws opened and closed repeatedly, striking against the glass as though it wanted to tear him apart.
Instead of showing fear, Faust laughed again.
"Beautiful! Absolutely beautiful!"
His hands trembled with excitement.
After years of research, countless failures, and sleepless nights, he had finally achieved what he had been working toward.
He had succeeded.
Faust slowly returned the vial to its holder.
As his excitement began to settle, he looked at his reflection in the glass chamber.
His face was thin, his hair had turned gray in several places, and his eyes had lost their former brightness.
For a moment, he could hardly recognize himself.
"Eila..."
He lowered his head.
"I listened to you back then."
His hands slowly clenched into fists.
"I gave up on revenge. I was willing to abandon everything and start over in another country, just like you wanted."
His voice grew louder.
"But those bastards wouldn't even allow us that much!"
BANG!
Faust slammed his fist against the machine.
"Was taking my company not enough?! Was stealing everything I worked for not enough?!"
His breathing grew heavy.
"With your pathetic, feeble minds, you actually dared to lay your hands on my family!"
He gritted his teeth as the memories of their deaths returned.
He had already surrendered everything.
His company, his patents, his wealth, and his reputation.
All he wanted was to live peacefully with his wife and children.
Yet those people had still decided to destroy his family.
"Fine."
Faust suddenly stopped shouting.
He stared at the worm inside the vial, and a twisted smile appeared on his face.
"If that's how you want to play..."
He reached toward another section of the laboratory and retrieved a second vial.
Unlike the first, this one contained a deep purple liquid.
"Then don't blame me for what happens next."
Faust raised the vial and examined the substance inside.
"With this and the worms, you'll all pay."
He could still remember the faces of those responsible.
Some had been his colleagues. Others had been business partners, politicians, and wealthy figures who had benefited from his downfall.
There were even people who had publicly condemned him while secretly working with his enemies.
All of them had played their part.
And all of them had continued living comfortably afterward.
"You hide behind your status and wealth."
Faust's voice was filled with disgust.
"You use morality, rules, and laws whenever they benefit you. And when those things get in your way, you simply change them or find someone willing to ignore them."
He laughed bitterly.
"Then you manipulate public opinion, paint yourselves as the victims, and make everyone believe you're the good guys."
His fingers tightened around the vial.
"And the most disgusting part?"
He looked toward the ceiling.
"People actually believe you."
For years, Faust had watched those responsible for his family's deaths continue to enjoy their lives.
They appeared on television, attended charity events, and received praise for their supposed contributions to society.
Some had even become more influential than before.
Meanwhile, the truth remained buried.
Faust shook his head and began laughing.
"Hahaha! What a wonderful world!"
His laughter gradually turned cold.
"Since you love this civilization so much, then I'll destroy it along with you."
He imagined the expressions on their faces when everything they had built began to collapse.
Their money would become worthless.
Their positions would no longer protect them.
Even the people who once bowed before them would eventually abandon them.
"Hahahaha!"
Faust laughed until tears gathered in his eyes.
"I can't wait to see your despair!"
He placed the two vials inside a portable container and secured them before leaving the experimental area.
His destination was another section of the underground facility.
Beyond a reinforced metal door stood a massive launch bay.
And in the middle of it was a missile.
Faust approached the enormous weapon, his footsteps echoing across the metal floor.
For years, he had secretly worked on this project while the world believed he was dead.
Every remaining resource, every contact, and every piece of knowledge he possessed had been directed toward completing it.
And now, everything was finally ready.
He stopped beside the missile and opened a specially designed compartment within its payload section.
"The virus within this parasite should be enough."
Faust looked at the container in his hands.
He had spent years studying the strange organism and the virus carried within it.
The results had surpassed even his original expectations.
"Those who survive this will never be able to build the same civilization again."
His eyes narrowed.
"When that time comes, the world will focus on personal strength. The powerful will no longer be able to rely solely on their wealth and status to protect themselves."
A faint smile appeared on his face.
"Let's see how long your precious rules and laws survive."
Faust removed the worm's vial from the container.
After opening its cap, he tilted it above the missile's payload chamber.
The worm fell inside.
The moment its body touched the cold metal, it began twisting violently.
Hiss!
The creature opened its large jaws and released an unpleasant sound.
Faust paid it no attention.
He picked up the second vial and removed its cap.
The deep purple liquid slowly poured over the worm.
Immediately, the creature began convulsing.
SCREECH!
Its body twisted and swelled as the liquid spread across its surface.
The worm struggled desperately, but its flesh soon began breaking apart.
Within moments, its entire body had dissolved into a thick, gooey substance.
However, instead of remaining still, the strange mass began pulsating.
Small bubbles appeared across its surface, and the substance gradually multiplied.
Faust watched the process with satisfaction.
"This will do."
He sealed the payload chamber and activated its containment system.
After confirming that everything was functioning properly, he walked toward the launch control panel.
His fingers moved across the controls, entering the final commands.
One by one, the indicators on the screen turned green.
Then a large countdown appeared.
[05:00:00]
Faust stared at the display.
Five hours.
That was how much time remained before the missile launched.
"This should be enough."
He took one last look at the weapon before turning around.
His work was finished.
There was nothing left for him to do.