Chapter 28: Look at the Answer First (2)
Whose experiment site was this?
Beyond curiosity, a thrill ran through his entire body.
The corners of his mouth lifted.
‘…Found it.’
In the company run by the villains, they hadn't permitted him to take any data related to test subjects, nor allowed entry to the experiment site.
Perhaps they worried he might change his mind, or maybe stab them in the back.
Even though they blocked him again and again, he used his strength to find out the location of the test subjects.
Each time, the results were never good.
All he encountered there were piles of corpses and cleaners sent to clear away the results of gruesome experiments.
He couldn't find any intact test subjects, nor the researchers who injected countless drugs into those subjects.
‘This time too… the results probably won’t be good.’
Hyeon-yul already had a gut feeling after countless experiences.
It was highly likely that the experiment site he was in, and only he himself, would have been unharmed.
‘Still, I can’t give up.’
He intended to hunt down anyone involved or participating in the experiments to the very end and surely bleed them dry.
He held onto the hope that the same researchers might have transferred elsewhere, so proof that his experiment was successful must remain somewhere.
However, Hyeon-yul once again faced surging disappointment.
‘…It’s under construction.’
Materials were laid out, indicating it wasn't a complete laboratory.
Meaning, the experiments hadn't started yet.
They had merely set up a plausible plan, and he discovered it before that plan could be realized.
That was all.
“……Ha.”
Hyeon-yul let out a deep sigh.
‘Feels like I saw the answer first.’
Unable to leave readily due to lingering hope, he walked on.
He stopped only when he faced a place where the wallpaper was gone, and even cement hadn't been applied.
Beyond that, there was just a space that had only taken shape.
No one existed there.
‘Let’s organize this.’
Hyeon-yul didn't get buried in the surging emotions and reality.
Instead, he looked only at the facts.
First, assume the owner of this place was Villain A.
This villain created this place to gather vast amounts of information for faction expansion.
—It’s, it’s like a monitoring hub for other factions!
If it was simply a place to monitor other villain factions, then the information about the Black Eagle collaborator found here was naturally obtained by stealing, snatching, or perhaps buying it from another faction.
‘If they were building this place to turn Black Eagles into test subjects, getting information related to the collaborator would have been the first step.’
Since buildings aren't constructed overnight, this led to the fact that they obtained the information much earlier.
Were they planning to blackmail the collaborator Black Eagle?
How could they proceed with such an idiotic plan to turn a Black Eagle into a test subject so nonchalantly?
‘How surprised must they have been when a Black Eagle showed up while the plan was gradually progressing?’
As planned, they retreated once for the Black Eagle, then tried to secretly smuggle out key information.
Until Na-yoon spotted the watcher.
It was clear they got caught while trying to confirm if the Black Eagle had retreated.
‘In the end, the core information Villain A was trying to retrieve was this experiment site, itself.’
Hyeon-yul clenched his fists tightly.
It was laughable that it was such a long-labored plan.
‘They prepared so much, and I ruined it.’
All that was left was to blackmail the collaborating Black Eagle, but he found out about the collaborator first.
‘They must have spent an enormous amount of money.’
Puhat.
Hyeon-yul let out a laugh.
How great would the loss be if this place was completely destroyed?
Whether villain or anyone else, who didn't care about money?
Watching one fall like this wasn't bad either.
‘In the end, Villain A didn't plant the collaborator.’
Assuming the one who planted the collaborator was Villain B, Villain A and Villain B were different.
‘Before I go, I should look for a mark.’
Just as Shin Dae-ho stamped wine glass-shaped crests everywhere to mark his territory, Villain A here might do the same.
Even if there wasn't one, it wouldn't be strange.
It could be a newly formed villain organization that hadn't created its own crest yet.
Hyeon-yul licked his lips briefly before heading up.
‘…Villain B is slightly concerning.’
By now, they would know that the Black Eagle had discovered the collaborator, but it was strange for it to end with them doing nothing.
‘If it were me, I would have at least planted a bomb in the Nest.’
Wouldn't they blow up the Black Eagle's Nest out of sheer frustration?
***
“…Find him.”
The red-haired woman sat on the sofa, legs crossed, glaring at someone.
“W-we’ll bring the Black Eagle information soon.”
The subordinate sweated profusely looking at her.
He wondered if she had ever been this sensitive.
Glancing down, he saw his colleague, crushed flat like paper and dead.
Just a minute ago, they had been standing side by side.
“Find the bastard who did this to me…!”
The Crimson Witch shouted, revealing her displeasure.
She had exposed her back.
‘He wasn’t missing a hand. He was hiding it.’
How on earth?
Humiliation washed over her.
“Just a moment, please wait just a moment.”
The subordinate pleaded.
The Crimson Witch’s eyes fixed on the subordinate’s.
Like a venomous spider.
“…Yes. You can find him, right?”
As the woman beckoned with her finger, the subordinate was pulled forward by an unknown force, grabbed by the scruff of his neck.
Forcibly brought close to the woman, the subordinate’s lower jaw began to tremble uncontrollably.
“You must find him. That power, it seems strange.”
It wasn’t magic.
Nor was it psychic power.
It was close to a power she had never seen before in her life.
Her eyes narrowed.
“…Yes, it was like a test subject.”
“……A, a test subject, you say?”
The subordinate wanted to say it was impossible but bit his tongue.
He had never heard of a successful test subject existing.
“You think it doesn’t make sense, right? I was thinking the same. But if you saw that power too, you’d think like me.”
A power non-existent in this world was precisely what they sought.
“Which madman created that bastard…!”
The Crimson Witch’s voice rose involuntarily.
Just imagining it was driving her crazy.
The Empire.
To bring down that hateful Empire, the Black Eagle had to be erased first.
Because those guys were the Empire’s sturdiest wall.
For that, to remove those renowned Eagles, power was needed.
Power that didn't exist in the world.
“…Ah, how did they make it? What drugs were injected? How did he endure the pain of everything melting inside, be it blood vessels or flesh? How many other test subjects died to create him? Hundreds? Thousands? Tens of thousands? Perhaps even more?”
The Crimson Witch questioned the subordinate, then laughed loudly to herself.
She raised the corners of her mouth as if she had discovered something very amusing.
“We must capture him alive. If we capture him, all secrets will be unveiled.”
Anyone who saw his power would think the same.
She had to catch him first before others did.
She was careless before, but not this time.
“Ah, what happened to the things left behind by the Poison King and that Shin Dae-ho guy? Are they being taken care of properly?”
Luckily, she was the first to hear the news about the Poison King.
By now, the Poison King’s subordinates must be in chaos.
If not now, when else could she easily devour them?
“…Of course. We are bringing them back with all our strength.”
“Really?”
Knock, knock.
Just then, a knock was heard.
“Ah, they must have arrived.”
The subordinate felt liberated by that small sound but suppressed his emotions and spoke.
Please, please.
He looked on with desperation.
At the Crimson Witch’s nod, he hurried over and opened the door.
The woman lowered her gaze while the subordinate came over.
‘Such confidence that he could kill me anytime.’
Thinking about it again, it was astonishing.
Since he fought the Poison King, poison wouldn’t work on him.
‘Drugs probably won’t work either. Subduing him in that state.’
What else wouldn't work?
‘No, what does he like?’
He was a Black Eagle, but it seemed like he was wearing ill-fitting clothes.
Why wouldn't there be actual Black Eagles who became villains?
She had some among her own subordinates.
‘Should I offer information about test subjects?’
The more she thought, the more she noticed her thoughts becoming docile.
A laugh escaped her involuntarily.
Being angry was one thing, something being valuable was another.
“……Boss.”
The woman lowered her gaze.
There was nothing in the approaching subordinate’s hands.
“Why the empty hands?”
“According to information just received… the Black Eagle raided the place where we were supposed to receive the information.”
Gulp.
The subordinate swallowed dryly several times while speaking.
“…Ha.”
A long breath escaped the Crimson Witch’s lips.
Beyond her face full of displeasure, the corners of her mouth lifted.
“Is there a guy wearing a helmet there too?”
“That… I don’t know.”
There definitely would be.
The Crimson Witch had a gut feeling.
‘My, you’re disgustingly fast.’
She didn’t know how he found out her transaction point, but his speed was no joke.
‘What are we supposed to do if he’s this strong and competent too?’
The woman looked at the subordinate right next to her.
Why did he suddenly look so foolish?
‘…Annoying.’
She wanted to kill them all, but held back.
Because the blood of the subordinate killed earlier had deeply soaked into the carpet, and a disgusting smell was starting to permeate the interior.
“Request it from somewhere else. If you come back empty-handed again, you die. Understand?”
“Understood! Thank you!”
The subordinate immediately knelt and bowed his head.
He couldn't be happier just for having escaped death.
The woman examined her long, jewel-encrusted nails, regardless of whether the subordinate left or not.
‘Come to think of it, Shin Dae-ho had a subordinate he bragged about, did he die?’
She didn’t know the name.
She had never even seen what he looked like.
It just came to mind because Shin Dae-ho praised him so much whenever she saw him occasionally.
‘The Poison King would know…….’
Shin Dae-ho was friendly with many villains, but he was closest to the Poison King among them.
Perhaps he was thinking of changing jobs right about now.
‘If I can bring him over, I should.’
Because he would surely be helpful in capturing that Black Eagle.
***
‘…Is there really something going on?’
Hae-ryeon stared intently at Hyeon-yul.
She didn’t know why villains were so attracted to him.
She didn't know which villain was involved this time, but how could a simple mission to retrieve documents change like this?
She knew about the secret base, but she hadn't received a report about an experiment site underneath.
Since they also caught the villain who was observing the secret base from afar, all that remained was interrogation.
“Collaborators…?”
Na-yoon looked back and forth between Hyeon-yul and Hae-ryeon with a shocked face.
Traitors.
It was a heart-wrenching word.
“You didn’t know?”
“How would I know……. No one told me.”
Na-yoon’s inner eyebrows shot upwards.
Unfairness and disappointment surged within her.
“That’s my fault. I was… preoccupied.”
Hae-ryeon immediately stood up and approached Na-yoon.
She wore a troubled expression.
“Shin-woo knows, right? Again, he’s the only one who knows, right?”
“A situation unfolded… where he had to know. Hyeon-yul just said it right there where Shin-woo was.”
“Did it need to be kept secret?”
Hyeon-yul tilted his head slightly.
He didn't recall being told it was a secret.
“What about Ji-hwan?”
Na-yoon finished speaking and pressed her lips firmly together.
“…Ah. I didn’t tell Mr. Ji-hwan either.”
As if remembering something, Hae-ryeon scratched her cheek.
“Then it’s fine.”
“Fine…? Really?”
“Team Leader. If you hide something from me that Shin-woo knows, I’ll be really upset. Please tell me instead, and hide it from Shin-woo.”
‘……Were you the one feeling upset?’
Hae-ryeon swallowed a laugh.
“I’ll do that.”
“You promised.”
“Okay.”
Hae-ryeon finally burst into laughter and patted Na-yoon’s shoulder.
No matter when she saw her, Na-yoon was truly cute.
“Then, the fact that Mr. Hyeon-yul only gave the documents to me, was that also because of the collaborators?”
“……?”
Hyeon-yul just widened his eyes at Na-yoon’s question.
He had simply given them because she was a team member.
“Fortunately, Team 6, who Na-yoon worked with today, weren't collaborators.”
“……Ha. That’s a real relief, isn't it?”
Na-yoon let out a sigh of relief.
Soon, her eyes widened.
‘What……. So he helped me with my request even knowing there were collaborators?’
Na-yoon was genuinely moved.
She thought he might dislike her, but it seemed that wasn't the case.
‘He might seem blunt on the outside, but perhaps he’s a warm person inside.’
Maybe Hyeon-yul was just a standard, by-the-book person.
As Na-yoon’s eyes sparkled brightly, having discovered something, Hyeon-yul felt burdened.
Na-yoon was indeed a difficult person.
“…Team Leader.”
“Hm?”
“The remaining one, is it the team leader?”
There was the list of Black Eagle collaborators held by the villain, which he had handed over to Hae-ryeon, and Hyeon-yul wanted to confirm this.
He couldn't tell just by the name.
“It’s the team leader. Team 5’s leader.”
He was also the team leader who had continuously opposed Hyeon-yul.
To think she only found out the reason now.
Hae-ryeon let out a long sigh.
Honestly, she hadn't expected the answer to come out before the investigation.
‘And Mr. Hyeon-yul found that out.’
Hae-ryeon looked at Hyeon-yul and smiled proudly.
To think he would dig up such important information.
“Mr. Hyeon-yul.”
“Yes.”
“The Poison King is scheduled to be transferred to the special criminal detention center soon. If there’s anything you want to discuss, it’s best to go now.”
At Hae-ryeon's words, Hyeon-yul sensed something.
A transfer.
It was perfect for doing something.
Villain B, who planted the collaborator, wouldn't miss this.
“When is that?”
“In 3 days.”
“Perhaps, the people on the expulsion list, when will they be expelled?”
“…Probably in 2 days? It’s nominal, but there’s consent to obtain. It won’t take long.”
“Thank you for letting me know.”
Hyeon-yul smiled lightly.
The Poison King’s transfer.
Since it wasn't just some lackey but the Poison King, it was perfect for drawing all sorts of attention.
‘Something will definitely happen.’
Hyeon-yul felt certain.
“Alright, you both worked hard. Now hurry up and head home.”
Hae-ryeon announced that the work was now completely finished.
“Team Leader.”
Na-yoon called Hae-ryeon urgently.
“Hm?”
“You’re going to meet the Team 5 leader right now, aren’t you?”
“That’s right. Got to wreck him.”
Hae-ryeon beamed.
She had told Do-jin to catch him before he ran away, doing whatever it took.
“If it’s not too much trouble, may I come along?”
Hyeon-yul raised his hand and asked.
He wanted to at least know what the Team 5 leader looked like.
“…You’re coming along without going home?”
“Yes. I’m curious what he looks like.”
Hyeon-yul smiled faintly.
“……You’re really going without heading home?”
“Yes. That’s right.”
Hae-ryeon couldn’t help but be astonished at Hyeon-yul’s words, heard yet again.
Wasn’t clocking out what Hyeon-yul always desperately wanted?
‘What is this…? What is happening?’
Hae-ryeon thought she might be dreaming.