Biocores: The Legendary Weapon Designer-Chapter 73: Knowledge Hall

Nioh moved like a shadow through the winding pathways of Citadel, his cloak wrapped tightly around his frail form. Concealing one’s identity wasn’t unusual in this city; whether to protect oneself or conduct illicit dealings, anonymity was a common currency. He blended into the crowd effortlessly, his presence nothing more than another passing figure lost in the sea of masked intentions.

The Knowledge Hall loomed ahead, its grand bronze and gold archway standing in stark contrast to the more utilitarian buildings surrounding it. Among the many halls of Citadel, this was the least frequented by new Seeds. The cost of information was too steep, and most preferred to spend their early days scouring the Cradle Zones for Biocores rather than squandering their wealth on knowledge.

Yet knowledge was precisely what Nioh needed.

He stepped through the towering arch, entering a world that felt utterly removed from the chaos outside. The hall was vast—almost impossibly so—its ceiling stretching high above like the heavens themselves. Golden light bathed the interior, exuding a warmth that contrasted sharply with the freezing void gnawing at his insides. The walls were lined with endless shelves, books stacked so high they seemed to vanish into infinity, their ancient spines whispering secrets of forgotten eras.

For a brief moment, Nioh stood in silent awe.

Then a violent shudder wracked his body, and the moment was lost. Not here. He clenched his teeth, forcing himself toward the reception desk before another wave of cold robbed him of control.

The clerk, a petite girl with massive glasses nearly swallowing her face, peered up at him as he approached. Despite her fragile frame, her gaze was sharp—too sharp. Nioh instinctively lowered his head.

"Hello, how can I help you?" she asked, her voice polite but disinterested.

"I need information about the Nine Punishment Nails. Ancient techniques, things of the sort." He kept his voice steady, even as his breath trembled against his ribs.

The girl adjusted her glasses, her fingers flicking across a floating interface. "Would you like the Bronze, Silver, or Gold package?"

Nioh exhaled slowly. "I assume the Gold package is the most in-depth."

She nodded. "The Gold package contains restricted knowledge, accessible only within this hall. It costs one million Conqueror Points."

There goes all my wealth... But hesitation was a luxury he couldn’t afford. Without another word, he extended his wrist, allowing the transaction to drain what little fortune he had left.

A soft chime confirmed the payment.

"Take the stairs," she instructed, pointing toward a spiraling path of polished stone. "First room on the right. Your information will be waiting for you."

Nioh offered a curt nod before making his way up. Every step felt heavier than the last. His left arm, wrapped beneath the thick layers of his cloak, seemed to pulse with a phantom weight. He moved carefully, ensuring nothing brushed against the crystalline limb, dreading what would happen if its power flared uncontrollably.

The door to the assigned room slid shut the moment he entered, locking automatically behind him.

Then the screens appeared.

Hundreds of holographic panels flickered to life in rapid succession, their glow illuminating the dim chamber in eerie blues and greens. Words, diagrams, and ancient glyphs scrolled across them in mesmerizing patterns. Nioh’s mind jolted into high gear, devouring every line of information at a frantic pace.

Then his breath caught.

"Grimmes didn’t lie."

The Nine Punishment Nails weren’t just a torture technique. The ancient council had designed them for something far worse.

"They were meant to turn people into zombies."

The hell energy originated from a unique Cradle Zone known as the Hellscape—a desolate, frozen wasteland where this rampant, insidious force thrived. Unlike ordinary energy fields, Hellscape’s energy didn’t simply strengthen those who dared to endure it—it consumed them. Exposure for prolonged periods eroded a Corebinder’s vitality, their bodies hardening into grotesque husks of inhuman muscle and unbreakable bone. What they gained in monstrous strength, they lost in sanity. Eventually, they became nothing more than hollow, vitality-obsessed creatures, driven by an insatiable hunger.

Faced with the brutal reality of war, the Ancient Council had devised a chilling solution.

The Nine Punishment Nails weren’t merely a tool of torment—they were a blueprint for an undead army. An army stripped of emotion, immune to pain, and bound to absolute obedience. The Council sought to unleash these unfeeling monsters against the most densely populated Cradle Zones, crushing resistance beneath an unstoppable tide of walking corpses.

The mastermind behind these experiments? Luthor Grimmes. A brilliant but deranged scientist who, centuries ago, pioneered the original trials. His work was later resurrected and compiled under a classified project known as "Cosmic Suppressing Physique."

Nioh’s pulse quickened as he scrolled through the grim records.

According to Grimmes’ findings, hell energy—what he also termed cosmic energy—wasn’t just a force. It was a virus-type Biocore. A parasitic entity that invaded the host, draining their vitality while reconstructing them into the perfect predator. The ultimate soldier.

The experiment’s methodology was as ruthless as its purpose. Nine precise injections of cosmic energy were administered over time, each nail driving the subject closer to full adaptation. The final step required the Corebinder to fuse with the virus-type Biocore, forging an unparalleled physique that transcended mortal limits.

But reality had been far less forgiving.

A thousand test subjects. A thousand failures. No one had made it past the sixth nail. They all died from mental erosion.

The experiment was ultimately deemed too unstable, too horrifying to continue. The project was abandoned. What remained of the Nine Punishment Nails was repurposed into a torture method, its origins erased from public knowledge.

Nioh let out a slow, measured breath. His hands clenched into fists.

Grimmes was playing with his life.

If he wanted to survive, he needed two things—an unshakable mind and a constant supply of vitality.

The reports indicated that meditation and martial arts training had helped past subjects stave off insanity for longer periods. But even so, the recordings... They were nightmarish. Grainy footage of men and women screaming, their bodies twitching violently as their flesh blackened, their eyes hollowing into empty voids. If he wasn’t careful, he would become one of them.

Nioh exhaled, steadying himself. He had no choice but to gamble everything on himself.

His Intent was tied to pride, and if there was one thing pride refused to do, it was break. That gave him a small edge against the mental erosion. But it wasn’t enough. He needed to strengthen his Intent further—to refine it into something unshakable.

And then, he needed to secure a steady stream of vitality before his own was consumed.

His thoughts raced as he absorbed the knowledge flooding the holo-screens. The military martial arts he had relied on so far were crude, efficient solely designed for fighting mindless creatures. But against humans and scientific aberrations? Easily countered. He needed something deeper. Something designed for control, harmony, and purpose.

Ancient martial arts.

His brain activity surged beyond natural limits as he devoured every scrap of information on palm techniques, fist strikes, leg forms—every principle forged by the ancients in their pursuit of balance between body and mind. His neurons burned with intensity, the sheer influx of knowledge pushing his mental capacity three hundred percent beyond its normal rate.

Then, suddenly—

A single drop of blood fell from his nose.

Nioh wiped it away "This is my limit" he mentionned with a smirkIf Grimmes had backed him into a dead end, then he would carve his own way forward.