CHAPTER 7

When I was really little—

I remember the first time I went down a slide.

That dizzying rush of speed and gravity I'd never felt before.

As I slid down the dark tunnel, old memories like that floated through my mind.

Thud, thump.

Of course, there were some key differences.

This slide didn't end in a soft, sandy playground.

Nope. I landed on cold, hard concrete.

Even with my body reinforced by Black Aether, I couldn't overcome the inertia. I crashed onto the floor like a rag doll.

"Ah… damn."

If I were still in my pre-Awakening frail state, I might've died on the spot.

Groaning, I forced myself up and looked around.

A pitch-black square room, not a single light in sight.

Across from the slide I'd come down, a large iron door loomed.

Guess that's the way in.

I approached the door and grabbed the round handle, which looked like a steering wheel.

Grnnk.

I gave it a decent twist, but it wouldn't budge.

It seemed like the kind of door that had to be opened from the outside.

"Hm…?"

Though it looked smooth at first glance, the handle was covered in tiny, irregular bumps.

It wasn't the texture itself—it felt like something had dried and crusted over the surface.

Didn't take me long to realize what it was.

"Blood…!!"

The handle was coated in a dark, rusty red—blood, like the screams of the dead clinging to it.

I knew this place wasn't going to be a warm welcome, but imagining someone gripping that handle with blood-drenched hands… it sent a chill down my spine.

Hey, Kiril.

What the hell were you thinking, sending me here?

Whirr—

Almost like an answer to my thoughts, a mechanical sound buzzed above my head.

I looked up. A small nozzle was pointed directly at me.

A second later, black gas started spewing out.

Pshhhhh—

Judging by the color and the stench, definitely toxic.

"Oh, for f***'s sake."

First the floor drops out from under me.

Now they're gassing me?

I know I wasn't invited or anything, but this kind of greeting? Absolute overkill.

On reflex, I lifted my sleeve to cover my nose—but quickly realized I didn't need to.

I'd survived the poison of a Poison Monster without breaking a sweat.

If this gas could harm me, I would've died ten times over by now.

"..."

As expected, nothing strange happened to my body.

In fact, it kind of felt… nostalgic.

Hmm…

At first, I'd wanted to stand there proudly, showing how unbothered I was—but then I changed my mind.

"Urgh…!!"

Clutching my chest, I dropped to my knees.

Then, shaking violently, I buried my face into the floor.

I didn't need to fake an expression.

Just remembering the pain from before my Awakening was enough to naturally twist my face in agony.

Time passed.

Hissssss…

The air cleared. Then—clack—a sound came from the iron door.

At the same time, the lights switched on.

Bingo.

Gotcha.

Creeeak—

I squinted as a figure walked into the room.

A stocky man, wearing a gas mask—probably because of the lingering fumes.

An old flannel shirt clung to his thick frame, and his curly, unkempt hair made him look more like a wild animal than a scientist.

This is the "doctor" who lives alone?

Definitely not the kind of doctor you picture.

Tap, tap.

Cautious, huh?

He nudged me with his foot to check if I was dead.

"Dead?"

Only after a good while did he finally remove his gas mask.

A middle-aged face, probably in his 50s.

His chubby cheeks mirrored the rest of his bulky figure.

So this is the real Doctor Jin.

He crouched down and examined me closely.

That was my cue.

Uninvited or not, who sprays poison gas like that?

I suddenly sprang up and let out a roar in his face.

"RAWRRR!!!"

"EEK!!"

Surprise!

A bit mild for someone who just inhaled toxic gas, but considering his age, I figured I'd tone it down.

"U-urrrghhh!!"

"Uh-oh."

Problem is… his reaction was way more intense than I expected.

Dr. Jin had fallen over, thrashing on the floor like a man possessed.

His eyes rolled back white, froth bubbling at the corners of his mouth.

Sure, it was surprising—but this? This was overkill.

I sensed things were going south fast, so I rushed toward him.

"Mister! It was a joke! Just a joke!"

"AAARGH!! SAVE ME!! KIRIL!! HELP ME!!"

His crazed eyes didn't look at me—they looked past me. Behind me.

And that's when I realized—

I wasn't the source of his fear.

Something else was.

What the hell did Kiril do to this guy in the past?

First things first—I had to calm him down.

"Hey! Snap out of it! Kiril told me to come here—that's the only reason I'm even in this place!"

"Hiiiek!! STAY AWAY!! PLEASE!!"

In a full-blown panic, Dr. Jin flailed his arms wildly.

One of them brushed past me—not touching skin, but it caught my hood and yanked it back.

And that's when he saw.

"…Ah?!"

Dr. Jin's flailing and screaming suddenly came to a stop.

I wasn't sure what kind of miracle had just happened, but thank god.

Any more of that and my surprise might've actually sent someone to the afterlife.

"Kiril…!! It's really you, Kiril!!"

…What the hell?

I was about to ask what he meant, but Dr. Jin wrapped his arms around me and broke down sobbing before I could get a word in.

"Waaahhh!! I missed you so much, Kiril!!!"

It wasn't just that he was mentally unstable.

It seemed like he saw something in my face and truly believed I was Kiril.

Dr. Jin, weeping like a child despite his age.

His shoulders, once large and heavy, suddenly felt so small and fragile.

"…I'm sorry, sir."

I just gently patted his shoulders in silence for a while.

"…So that's what happened to Kiril…"

Once he stopped crying, Dr. Jin came to his senses, and I explained everything that had happened.

When I finished, he told me something unexpected.

"You said your name was Haeseon, right? You really resemble how Kiril was as a child."

"Huh?"

"Kiril looked just like you right after his Awakening. Covered head to toe in red blotches."

"…!!"

I'd heard a lot of stories from Kiril, but nothing like that.

"It must've been hard, living like that. You've been through a lot."

Back to his calm self, Dr. Jin now treated me like a kind neighborhood uncle.

Which only made me feel worse about what I'd done earlier.

"It wasn't just the blotches. My health was unstable, so I couldn't even go to school."

"I figured as much. A normal person would've died long before Awakening. But you're fine now, aren't you? Just like Kiril, those blotches will fade away soon."

He patted my shoulder and nodded toward the door.

"Come on. That's where I live."

When we passed through the iron door, the scenery changed completely.

"Whoa…"

I couldn't hold back my awe.

Reinforced alloy gauntlets that looked indestructible.

All kinds of chilling weaponry and mysterious electronic devices.

Gadgets lined the walls, and the huge table was stacked with cutting-edge gear.

It was better than most guild research labs I'd seen on YouTube.

"Rather than a home, it's more like a collection of all my weird hobbies," Dr. Jin said, leading me toward the sofa with a wry smile.

"You're the first visitor I've had in five years. Occasionally I'd get some uninvited guests who tried to target me—but they all died in that room. Oh, and don't worry—civilians can't trigger the floor trap. The mechanism only activates for Awakened people. Wouldn't want to kill the wrong person."

So that blood on the control handle… must've belonged to one of those "uninvited guests."

"There are really people trying to come after you, Dr. Jin?"

"Yeah. I used the Black Aether Kiril left behind to develop that toxic gas. Nothing more effective for dealing with threats like that."

Ah…

That explains why the gas felt oddly familiar.

And why Kiril didn't bother warning me.

Because there was no chance I'd be harmed by it in the first place.

"Who exactly is trying to go after you, though?"

"…To answer that, we'd have to go back a long time. But for now…"

A twitch ran across Dr. Jin's cheek.

Just bringing it up seemed to stir up his trauma.

"You don't have to tell me if it's painful. Maybe another time, when you're ready."

"…Thanks, kid."

Of course, I was curious.

What happened between Kiril and Dr. Jin—who saved my life?

And what even are the 'Poisners'?

But right now, something else took priority.

"My sister's been poisoned by a Poison Monster. Kiril said you might be able to make an antidote."

"Really?"

Dr. Jin gave a goofy grin.

But there was something odd in his smile.

"…You can't make it?"

"Oh, I absolutely can. I'm the one who invented the MMPT test, after all."

"Wait—seriously?!"

"Yup. Making an antidote is no big deal. But…"

Maybe he was thinking of Kiril again.

Dr. Jin gave a mischievous little smile.

"I have a feeling your sister's already been cured."

"…Huh??"

What the hell does that mean?

If she's cured, then why did Kiril tell me to come get an antidote…?

Wait.

Could it be…?

"You mean… Kiril just wanted me to come here and meet you?"

"Seems like it. Curing the poison has nothing to do with the condition of the person. I'm guessing when she was healed physically, the poison was cleansed along with it."

"That damn liar, again..."

"Haha! It's been a while since I've seen his face, but Kiril hasn't changed one bit."

Dr. Jin clapped his hands and let out a hearty laugh.

This must be what his true personality is like.

"But… why would he do that? I don't understand why Kiril would lie just to send me here."

"My guess is—Kiril wanted you to meet me as soon as possible."

"Huh? Why?"

Instead of answering, Dr. Jin threw out an unexpected question.

"You haven't taken the Hunter test yet, have you?"

"Uh… no. I only Awakened a few days ago."

"Exactly."

"What?"

"From the moment Kiril became an Awakened until now—I was the one who helped him develop his abilities."

Oh?

Now that caught my attention.

And Dr. Jin wasn't finished yet.

"Kiril and I clicked from way back. That guy probably has a good idea of how I live and what I've been up to."

"You mean your lifestyle…?"

"Yeah. I've been preparing devices specifically suited for him—just in case we ever met again."

Devices made for Kiril.

In other words, devices suited for a 'Poisner.'

"Ah… then that means…"

"It would've been better if he came here with you, but… I think the reason he sent you alone was probably because of these."

Dr. Jin jerked his thumb toward the wall behind him.

Lining it were dozens of high-tech devices.

If I understood him correctly, he was planning to hand those over to me.

"The poisoning might be healed, but your sister's probably worried sick—so I won't keep you long. Just stay here for two days."

"...If it's confirmed that she's recovered, then okay. I'll stay."

"In the meantime, I plan to give you two things."

"Two?"

"Yeah. First, I'll get you set up with a device that suits you perfectly. And second…"

Dr. Jin looked at me with a spark in his eyes, almost like he'd gotten younger.

"I'll teach you the same training regimen I used for Kiril."