Epilogue:

The Persian Desert - Year Unknown

Somewhere along the mighty Silk Road lay the crumbling ruins of an old temple. Picked clean centuries ago by looters, the ruins themselves were unremarkable, but the secret they masked was most certainly not; deep beneath them lay a colossal structure hollowed out into the earth. Statues of a certain snake deity lined the massive chamber while men in black robes went about their routines. Pools of a toxic, gaseous substance found throughout the structure emitted a bright, green glow.

A young priest, barely sixteen years of age, suddenly came running into the base. He bolted past several cultists who paid him little attention as they continued their business. The boy continued running before stopping in the centre of a large chamber where several cultists knelt in prayer in front of a shrine.

"Grand Priest," said the boy, "I...Oh, forgive me. I did not realize..."

The man leading the prayer stood up and turned to face the boy. He pulled down his hood, exposing the face of Kunpaetku, albeit slightly aged since the near destruction of his cult at Lemnos years ago.

"Giuseppe," he said, "It's quite alright. We were just about done here."

Kunpaetku turned to the other cultists.

"May we please have a moment?" he asked them.

The cultists nodded and scattered about.

"Tell me, Giuseppe," began the Grand Priest, "What news from Cyprus?"

"Our members there have begun to mobilize," replied Giuseppe, "They were last reported setting sail for Lebanon. So far, your unification has been nothing but a success."

"Indeed," said Kunpaetku, "You see, under Valnykuluk, the Fygul Cestemus was scattered and divided. That is the case no longer. Under me, we will achieve strength through unity. Nothing will ever stand in our way again."

"I look forward to seeing the results, sir."

"Come, Giuseppe. Follow me."

Kunpaetku led the young priest out of the room towards a large elevator at the far end of the hall. After stepping onto the platform, two cultists standing on either end turned a crank, causing the elevator to descend slowly to the lowest level of the base, which housed a laboratory. Numerous glass pods lined the room and tables containing chemical phials occupied the center. The cultists operating in the lab stopped momentarily to bow at Kunpaetku as he passed them by.

"Am I..." began Giuseppe, "Are you sure I can be here?"

"My dear boy," Kunpaetku laughed, "There is no longer a need for secrets. With Valnykuluk gone, now is the time to increase our transparency, more than ever."

"Is this where they created...'It'?"

"You mean the golem? Why, yes. In fact, we have plans to build an even better model. The prototype was far too...'Cumbersome'. We are looking into more supernatural power sources. Though, that is not out top priority at this time."

"Oh?"

"No, this is..."

Kunpaetku led Giuseppe to a giant pod containing an unseen specimen. Giuseppe stared in shock at what lay before him.

"Y-You did it?" he asked, "You found our specimen?"

"It was not easy," explained Kunpaetku, "Most perished when the forge collapsed. However, this one is healthy and strong. By studying its blood, we hope to clone its cells and merge them with those of a human. In time, the army I always dreamed of creating will finally come into fruition!"

Giuseppe moved in for a closer look, revealing that the specimen inside the pod to be a dormant Lizardman. The creature was tied down and had numerous tubes inserted into its skin.

"Remarkable!" exclaimed Giuseppe, "Who will you test the formula on first? Once it is completed, I mean."

"Any healthy human being will make a satisfactory test subject," began Kunpaetku, "But for best results, I want our prototype to be a warrior; someone strong."

"Where do you plan on finding one?"

"Patience, my dear Giuseppe. So long as Soul Edge is out there, the mighty Hephaestus will once again be summoning warriors to destroy it. And when he does, we will have...Our subject."

The Grand Priest chuckled to himself while Giuseppe continued to admire the specimen.

"Soon," he continued, "The hour of the Fygul Cestemus is at hand..."