Ed slowly drifted off to sleep, exhausted from the effects of the purple smoke. The smoke even seemed to invade his dreams, causing his face to contort from discomfort.

...

A small 7-colored crocodile rested near the bank of a blue river. The crocodile was missing its right arm and had a burn-scar over its eye. It peacefully enjoyed the warmth carried by the glorious rays of the shining sun.

Suddenly, the crocodile stood up, its eyes turning red. It was hungry. So very hungry. Its eyes turned sharp as it spotted its prey. A pack of gazelles was nearby, completely oblivious to the threat lurking just a dozen or so meters away. The gazelles were much larger than the tiny croc, but it did not seem phased by the challenge. Instead, it grew even more excited to go for the kill.

The croc scurried across the land, staying well hidden within the grass as it went. It quickly closed the gap and jumped from beneath the shadow of a large gazelle. Its fangs sunk deep into the gazelle's neck. The croc growled in ecstasy as the blood slid down its throat, quenching its ever-growing hunger. The croc grew just slightly bigger. The burn-scar over its eye quickly healed. Even its missing limb recovered by a small amount.

...

"Ugh!" Ed groaned as he rubbed the back of his throbbing head. It felt like he had just been whacked by a baseball bat. He grew dizzy as his eyes opened. "The hell?" He muttered under his breath. In front of him was a crowd of espers, pure terror quivering within their eyes.

"Wha- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU?!" A trembling man screamed.

"Hmm?" Ed looked around his surroundings. He was in the heart of the settlement, nowhere near his little shack he had adopted. Men of all races encircled him, pointing their weapons at him as they trembled.

'Why are my feet wet?' He wondered as he looked down. His eyes widened in shock. A dead man laid at his feet, blood forming a pool that soaked his shoes. A chunk of flesh was missing from the man's neck. It was only then that Ed realized his arms were covered in crocodile scales and dyed red with blood. He felt a strange taste in his mouth, and his stomach felt full, as if he had just eaten a hearty meal.

"KILL THE MONSTER!!!" A tall black man charged forth with his spear. There was no hesitation as the other espers followed through with their own attacks.

"Shit!" Ed kicked against the ground, doing a backflip through the air as he twisted his body. He landed and stumbled a few steps backwards. Then he turned around and took off, refusing to even glance back at the horde of the 20 or so espers chasing behind him.

'The fuck's going on?!' He wondered as he darted and weaved between the numerous shacks. It was much harder losing someone in the settlement than in a city.

Suddenly, a spear shot out towards Ed. He barely managed to stop in time, tilting his head back as he did so. The spear was less than a centimeter away from piercing through his head. Cold sweat dripped down his back as he hurriedly switched directions, putting as much distance between himself and the spear wielder as possible. "That guy was definitely on par with me in physical strength!" He muttered in disbelief.

The attacks kept coming, much to Ed's indignation. He attacked some of the weaker espers, putting them out of commission from the chase. However, things were only growing worse. Espers that saw their friends or comrades participating joined the hunt. The net of espers was quickly enclosing around him. His breathing grew haggard, and he often faced two or three espers at a time.

'Damn, damn, damn!' He shouted in his head as he looked for a solution. He ran faster and faster, eyeing all the nearby espers as he went. Suddenly, he slammed his heels into the ground and rapidly spun around. He had spotted his potential solution. He charged through a crowd of five espers that had been right on his tail, forcefully pushing through them as several minor cuts landed on his chest. "Mr. Long!" He yelled while waving. "I could use a bit of a favor over here!"

Mr. Long was the leader of the Fire Dragon Clan. He glanced over at Ed and his eyes widened in surprise. "What's this all about?" He questioned, a spark of interest gleaming in his eye.

"I wish I knew." Ed sighed as he finally got close to Mr. Long and stopped running. The five chasing espers stopped as well. Even more were on their way, bolstering their numbers further.

"Hmm?" Mr. Long examined Ed closely while scratching his forehead with his index finger. "I never did catch your name before, but didn't you originally have a scar over your eye?"

"Huh?" He replied while tilting his head. "My name's Ed and I still have a scar over my eye." He reached up to rub the skin near his left eye. Unexpectedly, it felt smooth and soft. His hand trembled, and his eyes widened in shock. A flash of insight came as he connected the dead body and healed scar with the dream he had just had. 'I ate human flesh?!' A queasy feeling took over as vomit rushed up his throat. 'I can't afford to show weakness in front of all these espers!' He quickly placed his hand over his mouth and forcefully swallowed the vomit back down, making his stomach twist in disgust.

"Mr. Long, sir." One of the black espers stood forward. "You have to help us slay this vile man!" He shouted while pointing at Ed. "He's a cannibal! We watched with our own eyes as he killed a man and swallowed the flesh of his neck. Look at those scales covering him. He's obviously some kind of mutant freak!"

"Oh?" Mr. Long nodded. "I've heard of espers transforming into mutants from losing control of their powers before, but I've never actually seen it firsthand." The corner of his mouth arched up in a smug smile as he glanced at Ed. "You want me to help you? I suppose it's not impossible... but I would need you to swear your loyalty to the Fire Dragon Clan."

"I'd rather get castrated." Ed joked as he cautiously eyed his surroundings. By now, there were nearly forty espers surrounding them. However, they dared not make a move without the approval of Mr. Long. Clearly the bosses of the race gangs had incredible strength for the espers to remain so docile in front of them.

"Well, I certainly won't help you for free." Mr. Long turned around, preparing to leave. "You best lay all your cards on the table, else you'll be dead before you know it." He pulled out a fan from his pocket and flung it open, waving it against his face as he leisurely awaited an offer.

Ed ground his teeth in frustration as he glared at the surrounding espers. Mr. Long had clearly been interested in forming a friendship or partnership previously, but now he was taking complete advantage of the situation. Ed frowned as he made his decision. "An alliance. You'll help me get a purple mana-core to meet my quota this month, and you'll provide protection for me. In exchange, I'll give you chimera powers if we ever manage to escape this hellhole."

"Chimera powers?" Mr. Long turned around and rose a questioning eyebrow while hiding his grinning face behind his fan.

"The scales!" Ed replied.

"What makes you think I still want them?" He scoffed. "Clearly they have some... unusual side effects."

"I don't know the cause of that." Ed admittedly nodded. "However, I'm guessing it's related to the purple smoke. I've had complete control over these powers for a long time now. Besides, do you really want to turn down the offer? Increased strength, healing capabilities, and more come with becoming a chimera. It's not limited to scales either. I can use any mutant we get our hands on to transform you, contingent on us being somewhere I can actually use my mana."

"I'll admit you've piqued my interest." Mr. Long smiled while lowering the fan. "But what makes you think we'll ever escape so that I can even benefit from the transaction? I've really got nothing to gain here."

"You're lying!" Ed's eyes turned red from anger. "You were immediately interested in acquiring the scales when we first met. I don't know what cards you've got up your sleeve, but clearly you think you're capable of escaping. Otherwise, why would we even bother having this conversation?"

"Heh." Mr. Long placed a hand to his mouth to try stifling his laughter, but it instead only grew louder. "HAHAHA! Right. I was only having a bit of fun with you." He glanced at the surrounding espers. "Scram! I've got a business deal to make."

"But Mr. Long!" One man stepped forward to protest. He didn't even have time to take a 2nd step before a sharp fan penetrated his skull. The dead man's body stiffly fell to the ground.

"Don't make me repeat myself!" He glared at the remaining men. They had no hesitation as they immediately left, going about their own business as if they had never seen anything.

Ed's eyes widened in shock. 'The esper that almost killed me with a spear earlier died that easily?!'

"Now then." Mr. Long smiled. "The deal still isn't good enough. You'll turn all the Fire Dragon Clan espers that escape with us into chimeras too. Deal?"

"Fine." Ed agreed. "But in exchange, you'll keep helping me acquire purple mana-cores for the monthly quotas as long as we're here. Also, you'll be responsible for sourcing the mutant flesh used to create the chimeras."

"Deal!" Mr. Long held out his hand and shook Ed's hand, joy radiating from his body over getting what he wanted. "I'll put out a notice that you're under our protection. No one will dare to mess with you." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a purple mana-core. "This'll be the first payment. I'll also arrange for you to work with our elite hunter squads to earn extra cores if you want. Trust me, you'll want to take as many with you as you can get when we escape."

Ed received the mana-core and examined it closely. It seemed rather ordinary except for the intense burning sensation it passed into his hand. He quickly pocketed it, partly to stop the burning and partly to stop others from seeing it within his possession. "So, what's the escape plan?" He questioned.

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that." Mr. Long sighed. "It's quite confidential as I'm sure you can imagine." He walked towards the nearby dead body and retrieved his fan, flicking the blood off of it as he did so. "Just wait patiently. I'll naturally inform you when the time comes."

Ed frowned. "You should let me in on the plan. These sorts of things are my strong suit. I doubt you could come up with something as good as me."

"Well, aren't you confident." He chuckled as he once again unfolded his fan and began waving it. "However, I'm afraid I'll have to refuse. I can't afford the risk of exposure. The Fire Dragon Sect spent a lot of money sending me over here. I need to make sure my Fire Dragon Clan returns to the sect with a good haul."

"The Fire Dragon Sect..." Ed repeated as his eyes widened in realization. "Wait, are you a cultivator from China?!"

"Oh?" Mr. Long's eyes narrowed as he studied Ed. Slowly, his eyes widened in surprise as well. "Though it's hard to tell with the manullium interference, you're a cultivator as well. Which sect do you belong to?"

"I'm not really sure." Ed frowned. "I'm allied with a Chinese sect that gave me a technique called the Mortal Dragon Technique. I plan on heading there after escaping."

"The Mortal Dragon Technique?!" He replied in shock. "I see." He nodded while scratching his forehead. "To think you'd be allied with them of all people."

"Is something wrong?" Ed questioned as he clenched his fist, preparing to fight if the need arose.

"Ah, no, no, no." He shook his head. "And please call me Tai. It isn't proper for you to refer to me as Mr. Long. Not proper at all!"

"Eh?" Ed stared stupidly at the sudden change in attitude.

Mr. Long walked forward and placed both hands on Ed's shoulders, his eyes sparkling with excitement. "You must call me Tai! I absolutely insist! Or you can even call me brother Tai!"

"Brother Tai..." Ed repeated in a low voice.

"Haha! Good! Good! Good!" He happily patted Ed on the back. "It's always joyful to meet a fellow brother so far from home. Unfortunately, I have matters to attend to, and I still can't risk telling you my plans, but we absolutely must throw a celebration later. I insist!" He began walking away, refusing to give Ed a chance to turn down the offer.

"Ah, wait!" Ed called. "Just under 7 months. If we don't escape by that time, then I'll have no choice but to break out on my own! Otherwise, I'll die at my trial!"

"Eh? 7 Months?!" Tai stopped in his tracks as he scratched his forehead. "I'll have to revise my plans." He muttered under his breath as he started walking again. "Don't worry!" He waved. "I'll take care of it!"

'What a day.' Ed sighed as he looked down. It was only now that he noticed his missing arm had grown slightly longer, seemingly in the process of healing. 'This shouldn't be happening. The manullium in the atmosphere is restricting my mana. Is that somehow allowing the crocodile flesh to expand and take over my ordinary flesh? Or maybe the bone marrow is producing too much mutant blood?' He frowned as he thought about the current circumstances. 'What a double-edged sword. If I hadn't become a chimera, then I could hardly survive here. But now it's screwing me over anyways...'

'Oh well.' He shook his head, choosing not to dwell on the thoughts. He rubbed the purple mana-core in his pocket. 'I'll turn this in for my quota and come up with countermeasures for my sleep snacking.' His hand trembled as he felt a certain itch in his fingers. 'Then I'll go mana-core hunting. I need to know how these mana-cores work!' His eyes glowed with excitement. He could hardly wait to start his new round of experiments.