Chapter 51: Special Criminal Containment Facility (2)
Hae-ryeon tilted her head as if asking, if there was a problem, what exactly was it.
First off, the fact that poison was leaking was strange.
Just how poorly managed was this place?
Or was it a situation where management was impossible?
Either way, both were simply problems.
A very big problem.
“…Ah. Help us. Are you saying you’re pushing this onto us just because we came here since you didn’t want to do it? Trying to pin it on us?”
Hae-ryeon herself was dumbfounded even as she spoke.
Seeing the current state of affairs, there was no certainty they wouldn't do just that.
“Fine. If you don’t want to answer, don’t.”
A direct call was always faster for anything.
Hae-ryeon took out her cell phone.
As soon as they saw it, the prison guards freaked out.
Hae-ryeon wore a cold expression as she observed their completely changed gazes.
She was convinced some sort of incident had occurred inside.
Having seen this mess, how could she just let it be?
“Yes, Commissioner. It’s me. Oh Hae-ryeon.”
Hae-ryeon deliberately mentioned the ‘Commissioner’.
It was the highest rank among correctional officials.
As soon as those words came out, the prison guards froze, their faces turning deathly pale.
“I came to see the Poison King, but things are different from what was promised, so I contacted you.”
There was something they had overlooked.
The fact that she was a Black Eagle.
And the fact that she was Oh Hae-ryeon.
“Not only is poison leaking profusely from where the Poison King is, but they also blocked the use of abilities and just handed me a single card. What do you think?”
<…Are they crazy! I’ll contact them right away!>
“Yes. Please do. Then.”
Hae-ryeon hung up and looked at Hyeon-yul.
“Sorry, but before the Prison Warden comes running, could you check why the poison is leaking?”
“Yes. I’ll check and be right back.”
“Look from afar. Don’t get close to him. If he calls you, just give him the middle finger.”
“Understood.”
Hyeon-yul took the card from Hae-ryeon and went inside.
The prison guards looked flustered, but under Hae-ryeon’s gaze, they had no choice but to keep their mouths shut as if they had been that way from the start.
Hyeon-yul walked step by step and faced the Poison King.
What was different from last time was the absence of a mask.
The still-melted face was quite striking.
“Hello.”
As the calm voice flowed out, the Poison King looked coldly at Hyeon-yul.
“……Did you come to kill me?”
The face had changed, but it was indeed that experiment subject.
“I’d like to. The CCTVs here are useless, after all.”
Hyeon-yul pointed at the CCTV.
The only thing intact here was that round, tank-like place where the Poison King was imprisoned.
The machines that must have been there, whatever wasn't simple glass, all sorts of medicines, even the magic—everything had melted away due to the dense poison.
‘They tried to hide this.’
Even the magic formula surrounding the tank was melting, so even if not today, Hyeon-yul estimated the Poison King could escape within a week.
Thus, it was natural that the Poison King wouldn't welcome him.
“I just came to warn you.”
“Warn me…?”
“Yes. You know that no matter how great you are, you’re useless against me.”
At those words, the corners of the Poison King’s mouth trembled.
Poison didn't work on him.
Such a human didn't exist in the world.
He, who had been in an absolute position, had fallen like this because of that mere existence.
But the Poison King soon calmed down.
Who was this opponent?
Not an ordinary person.
He was the most perfect human, created as a result of experiments.
“Right. You could do it. You, of all people.”
The Poison King’s gaze towards Hyeon-yul resembled the Crimson Witch’s.
It was full of greed.
“If you get out of here, I will kill you. I’ll come visit whenever I’m bored, so rot here forever.”
“I won’t say anything, wouldn’t killing me be faster?”
“That would be faster. But wouldn’t it be okay to have at least one mark of defeat?”
Hyeon-yul smiled.
The sight of the Poison King, whom everyone trembled before, being stuck here painted quite a decent picture.
“Are you still a Black Eagle?”
“I don’t know why you’re asking that when you people haven’t done anything for me.”
“That’s why I’m kindly warning you. To get out quickly. The deeper you get involved, the deeper the regret will become.”
“Do you covet me too?”
“I do covet you. And I feel sorry for you at the same time. That’s why I keep telling you the reality, don’t I?”
The Poison King laughed.
It was as if he knew everything, looking down from the top.
What information did he possess?
To what extent, what did he know?
“If I ask, will you answer?”
“Well. If you want an answer, wouldn't you need something equivalent in return?”
“Does that bastard you worship know me too?”
At the question Hyeon-yul threw, the Poison King approached the edge of the tank and swung his hand.
But his hand didn’t reach the edge of the tank.
It was caught and stopped by the drug.
“Why, are you agitated?”
When Hyeon-yul smiled, the Poison King burst into laughter along with him.
“……Interesting. Truly interesting.”
“I don’t find it very interesting. It’s just, very boring.”
If you took away the name Poison King, he was just a common, everyday villain that I had seen countless times.
What if I just cut off that neck?
He had contemplated it dozens of times.
“You must be wondering by now. Whether the Empire truly accepted you.”
“Yes. I wondered.”
Hyeon-yul didn't bother hiding it.
Knowing he was an experiment subject, such words could naturally come up.
“They had no choice but to accept you. You are the one and only successful product, after all. You know you have considerable value, don’t you?”
“I was curious about that. What exactly do they see in me to blabber about hope or successful product?”
The Crimson Witch had said that too.
That he was a successful product.
He felt like laughing.
How could a body that would collapse without the medicine Jeong-min provided be a successful product?
“Why are you acting like this when you know too? You saw everything.”
“I haven’t seen all the experiment sites.”
“Right. Snoop around as you wish. Stir things up as much as you feel like. I’ll wait.”
“What are you waiting for?”
“You.”
The Poison King raised the corners of his mouth.
A strong conviction was visible.
But Hyeon-yul still felt no interest.
“Do as you please. Since you’ll live longer than me anyway, try enduring with some pathetic hope.”
Being swayed around was detestable now.
Because he himself was the fool who only realized the essence after being deceived time and time again.
“Shin Dae-ho must have always called you to meetings where he met other guys. He probably gave you tasks to ensure you wouldn't kill ordinary people. Aren't you curious why he did that?”
“Whatever you say, Shin Dae-ho is someone I had to kill, and someone I did kill. Do you want to sway me that badly?”
Hyeon-yul chuckled.
No matter how much he tried to hide his anxiety and impatience, it was all just showing.
“You should have done better when you made the offer back then. I don’t know what’s so great about you to be flapping your mouth when you can’t even handle the basics.”
Shin Dae-ho didn’t abide by the employment contract, and the Poison King didn’t even consider simple things like whether someone was off work or had free time.
“I’m the one asking. You just need to answer.”
Hyeon-yul’s hand melted, and he grabbed the Poison King’s neck.
Squeeze.
“Do you understand?”
It was true that he could kill him anytime.
Wherever he was, whatever place he was in, regardless, only he could cut off the Poison King’s head.
“……Fine. I’ll play along too.”
At the words the Poison King stammered out, Hyeon-yul released his hand.
“Ah, that land you were rooted in, may I take it?”
“……What?”
“I want to reduce the numbers a bit by making them self-destruct against each other. I’ll take it even if you refuse.”
Hearing that various factions were flocking to the place the Poison King had disappeared from, Hyeon-yul kept thinking.
How could he reduce their numbers?
The Poison King was captured.
The remaining forces of the Poison King could either resist or surrender.
Since they would be used by someone anyway, couldn't he use them himself?
As soon as that thought occurred, he wanted to see the Poison King.
“Sign here.”
Hyeon-yul brazenly presented a paper outright.
It stated that everything was being transferred to him.
“…Ha.”
The Poison King let out a hollow laugh.
What kind of absurdity was this?
“I don’t think you need time to consider. An organization that lost its leader will collapse anyway, and I can take advantage of the gap to seize everything.”
In the world of villains, power was everything.
He didn't know how many guys claimed to be the Poison King's successors, but he knew that if he kept killing them, they would eventually bow their heads at his feet.
“Are you afraid this might not have legal effect? Anyway, the money, assets, etc., that you possess. Isn't it all owned by the Empire?”
For villains, whatever it was, legal protection didn't exist.
Why was he hesitating?
“Isn’t that a dangerous thought?”
“Are you talking about swallowing up the faction?”
“Yes. My faction is large, won’t your stomach burst?”
“Well. I’ve had my stomach burst many times, so you don’t need to worry.”
At that subtly provoking tone, the Poison King furrowed his brow.
Swallowing a faction was a different story.
How could he utter such words unless he was insane?
How he had built it up.
How he had claimed that position.
He was trying to take everything, ignoring all that effort.
“Right now, do I look sane to you?”
Hyeon-yul read the Poison King’s expression and gaze as he answered.
“If I did, that’s regrettable.”
Black smoke fluttered around Hyeon-yul’s body and entered the tank.
“If you don’t like signing, then there’s no choice.”
A dagger was held in Hyeon-yul’s grasp.
“……!”
The Poison King reacted as if terrified.
This liquid had drained his power countless times.
But it had no effect whatsoever on that experiment subject.
Why.
How.
Numerous questions swirled in his mind.
“They experimented on me with various things. They must have been curious about many things. How far do you think the experiments on me went?”
Hyeon-yul answered kindly and grabbed the Poison King’s hand.
“…What are you trying to do?”
“Since you dislike signing, I plan to take at least a finger. After cutting it off, if I show them one proof shot, won’t they crawl on their own?”
“Are you crazy…?”
The Poison King’s voice rose.
He really intended to cut it.
“Yes.”
Hyeon-yul answered simply.
Why did he only realize that now?
“I asked nicely, but didn’t you refuse? The first thing I learned as a villain is something you also know.”
The dagger moved.
Following the smooth movement, something fell from the Poison King.
“Take what you want. Kill what annoys you.”
At Hyeon-yul’s words, which seemed like whispers in his ear, the Poison King turned his head.
Purple-tinged blood trickled down.
Soon, pain flooded in.
It was an intense sensation felt after far too long, and the Poison King’s eyes became fiercely bloodshot.
“This, you people taught me this.”
Hyeon-yul smiled, waving the Poison King’s finger.
“……You bastarddd!”
This crossed the line.
It had gone way too far.
The Poison King reached out both hands towards Hyeon-yul’s neck.
But Hyeon-yul wasn't there.
He was standing outside the tank, as if showing off.
“Why are you angry?”
Hyeon-yul reacted as if he didn’t understand.
“Took, took my finger? How dare you! How dare, you?”
“It’s truly strange, since you all were the ones who taught me all this. Why didn’t you teach me the proper things then?”
One shouldn't kill people carelessly.
One shouldn't just take things because one wants them.
Those were things Jeong-min had taught him.
What he learned as an experiment subject, what he learned from villains, what Jeong-min taught him.
Those things swirled endlessly in his head.
How to judge, how to act, he had to repeat it over and over, again and again, just to live like an ordinary person.
“No. You should be delighted.”
Hyeon-yul took out his cell phone from the shadow.
Click.
Seeing the photo turned out well, Hyeon-yul smirked.
“Aren’t I the successful experiment subject you desired so much?”
Hyeon-yul turned the cell phone around to show the picture.
It was a magnificent photo, filled with anger and bewilderment.
“Continue praising me.”
Hyeon-yul was amused.