Black Badger

Chapter 32

The word "next" was already starting to make me uneasy.

However, the man paid no attention to my anxious expression. Once the blood draw was finished, he handed me some clothes to change into.

Mullen guided me, now dressed in something like lightweight workout gear, deeper inside.

I marveled at how vast the lab was when Mullen stopped at a certain spot.

There was no explanation, and we entered a separated space covered by a transparent glass wall. Inside the room was a massive device.

At first glance, it looked like some kind of circular amusement ride that spun around.

I was seated in the device's ominous chair, which even had seatbelts attached.

"What is this?"

No answer came.

The scientist personally fastened the seatbelt and then stuck patches with electrodes all over my body. "And what are these?"

Without giving me an answer, Mullen exited through the transparent enclosure.

The machine started without any prior warning.

"Arrrgh!"

That bastard put me in a centrifuge!

"Arrrgh! Wait, hold on!"

The lab scenery whipped by behind me. The speed, fast from the start, only increased. I lost my mind, inwardly spewing curses.

Was it so hard to give a single warning? Couldn't you at least warn me once...?

Mullen didn't let me down in time either.

As soon as I was released from the chair, I collapsed to the floor.

"I think... I'm gonna puke..."

[Oh dear! The restroom is at the far left end!]

Martin spun in circles above my head.

Stop spinning...

I crawled on all fours, almost, to the restroom Martin directed me to. Fortunately, the restroom was normal and clean. No one was there.

Urk.

After lightly vomiting to empty my stomach, I staggered back.

Mullen was staring at my test results with gleaming eyes.

"What the hell was that...?"

Mullen looked up as I stopped beside him.

Instead of answering, he handed me something like a motion-sensing game console.

"Go stand over there."

I was a fool for expecting a response.

At least this time I wouldn't be strapped down anywhere, so it should be fine. I followed his instructions in my disheveled state.

The lab was incredibly vast and bizarre. There was an area full of plants, and another section with countless games to play.

I went and stood in the game experience zone.

This seemed like it might actually be fun.

[Tempfit! Survival is self-service!]

A flashy subtitle flew in from the corner of the monitor. I gripped the controller-like game device and wrapped sensors around my thighs while attentively listening to the tutorial.

It was a horrific hybrid of a rhythm game and an action game.

The aftereffects of the centrifuge still lingered, but I approached the game with full sincerity. The story and structure were simple, but progressing required using my whole body.

What kind of half-baked game was this?

I twisted my body diligently to maintain the combo when suddenly a monster popped up, and I took my first hit.

"Argh!"

Electricity flowed into the struck area through the game device.

"What the—!"

"Incoming."

"Ack!"

No sooner had Mullen spoken than a stabbing pain shot through my thigh.

Looking at the screen, an enemy resembling a triceratops was goring my character.

I hurriedly kicked it away, but there was no time to relax. The enemies came pouring out in droves. Ridiculously numerous.

"Who designed this level!"

And who came up with the perverted idea of inflicting real pain?

Gritting my teeth, I flailed my limbs. It didn't require any advanced skills. One just swung one's arms, leaned back, or ducked at the right timing.

I wildly thrashed my arms and legs.

It hurt so damn much.

Still, I held out for a while. I endured four more raids. This crappy game had inconsistent raid levels. Cursing nonstop, I persevered until the boss appeared.

Then one hit from the boss knocked me out.

"Argh!"

Shock transmitted through both hands and thighs.

The pain was incomparable to before; I dropped the game device.

"What the hell is this!"

"Fascinating."

Instead of a proper response, the mad scientist just muttered that.

His blue eyes sparkled.

"Truly fascinating."

It was all my fault.

I should have taken the seniors' words at face value. I had overestimated myself.

Too late for regrets; the water was spilled. John Mullen, with his eager gaze scanning me, dragged me to yet another place.

What excuse could I use to escape?

It felt like being led to the slaughterhouse. My stomach churned, and my hands and thighs throbbed. My body felt as heavy as if I'd run laps around the gym dozens of times.

No good. Once today's experiments ended, I had to say I couldn't do this anymore. I was more exhausted than when I went out of the core.

With hollow eyes, I walked through the empty lab.

"What time is it...?"

[It's 10:30 a.m.!]

Martin replied energetically.

Despair hit me at the fact that it wasn't even 11 a.m. yet. And I resolved to run away no matter what by noon. Since I'd given my word, I figured I had to endure until lunch at least.

I was led to a transparent cube.

Inside the cube, sized just right for one adult man to sit, was a desk with a chair. Neatly placed on the desk were a pen and what looked like a test paper.

"Solve it within the time limit."

Mullen explained flatly.

But I no longer trusted him. Especially after he exited the cube and sealed it shut. If it was just solving problems, why lock me in a sealed space?

Only bad vibes, but I didn't resist anyway.

I had to see it through sincerely since I agreed.

The paper was a jumble of language, logic, common sense, and math problems. It seemed like an IQ test. I picked up the pen and worked through them one by one. With no indication of the exact time limit, I couldn't slack off.

I solved the problems in silence.

Until I realized the air was starting to feel off.

"...What?"

I looked up, noticing a strange smell in the sealed space.

"What is this smell?"

There was no response.

After a few minutes of denial, I snapped to reality. They were definitely pumping some weird gas into this space.

I could see John Mullen standing outside the cube, staring impassively at his pad. That lunatic.

I flung the pen away and jumped to my feet.

"Let me out!"

I pounded on the transparent glass wall.

"Let me out! You crazy bastard!"

Thud thud thud thud thud!

Crack! As I hammered the glass with all my might, a fissure appeared in the wall. Desperate not to inhale the suspicious gas, I smashed the glass wall.

Crash!

The glass shattered into pieces.

At the same time, my body pitched forward and collapsed. As soon as I gulped in a lungful of air, my legs gave out. No matter how hard I tried, I couldn't muster strength in my limbs.

What the hell did this mad scientist do...?

Even my vision blurred. I struggled to get up but ultimately failed. John Mullen didn't bother lifting my fallen form; he just observed my reaction with interest.

Screwed. That guy was just a total psycho.

I flailed on the glass shards and reached toward the ceiling-mounted AI.

"Help... save a person..."

[Oh!]

The round AI attached to the ceiling started spinning like a motor.

[I should save the person! But can Hildebert Talev be defined as human? Where can the justification for this experiment be found? Is it necessary to rescue Hildebert Talev? Isn't Hildebert Talev a risk factor? If he's human, should I rescue him? If he's not human, should I not rescue him? What is human? What distinguishes human from non-human?]

...Why was it suddenly like this?

I barely lifted my head and stared blankly at the rotating AI.

Smoke started rising from Martin, who spun faster and faster. I dumbly watched the AI accelerate like a jet propeller.

It was spinning so fast now it looked stationary. If not for the massive noise, I wouldn't have known it was moving...

Hiss...

With a huge plume of smoke, Martin shut down.

"...Crazy."

It was unbelievable.

I gawked at the powered-off AI.

If even you bailed on me, what was I supposed to do?

My vision grew even hazier. The dizziness intensified. Whatever. I lowered my raised chin and face-planted on the floor. Just pass out. When I woke up, it would all be over. He liked me this much; he wouldn't kill me.

I gave up completely and closed my eyes.

When I opened them, a syringe came into view.

"Ack!"

I reflexively yelled and sat up from the waist.

"What!"

"Medicine."

Was that what I asked?

Sensing a threat to my life sharpened my awareness instantly. I was still in the lab. Lying on something like an operating table inside. I couldn't believe it wasn't over yet.

Not even a day had passed. Not even evening. Noon sunlight warmly illuminated the vast space.

I needed to punch that guy's throat and run.

The moment I thought that, someone grabbed Mullen's hand holding the syringe.

"Stop."

Tears nearly welled up at the familiar low voice.

Yoon gripped John Mullen's arm with an incredulous expression. Mullen blinked slowly and turned his body toward Yoon, his mentor not releasing his arm.

The mentor's appearance in the empty lab felt like the second coming of the Messiah.

Yoon met John Mullen's blank stare and said,

"You'll break a person like that."

"I was gentle."

"A person... you'll break them like that."

Yoon explained patiently.

I looked up at my mentor with teary eyes. Yoon seemed normal. Beyond normal—like the savior of my life.

I was the idiot, respected senior. Not a single word of yours was wrong...

Mullen eyed Yoon with a hmm-like gaze before lowering his hand.

The scientist muttered in a low tone rivaling Yoon's.

"Then the rest next time."

"Next time?"

After all this crap, did you think there was a next time?

"This is supposed to be the last one, right?"

I emphasized.

Mullen's eyes widened. He was genuinely surprised.

The utter sincerity in his eyes—no trace of deceit—drove me even madder. That guy was really shocked by my response. He truly hadn't anticipated it.

The scientific star and once-in-a-generation madman looked down at me and murmured,

"There are still so many experiments I want to try together."

"Please spare me."

I pleaded desperately, tugging at my mentor's arm. Then I gazed up at the cold man looking down impassively.

Hugging one of my mentor's arms, I declared,

"From now on, I'll do really well. It's all my shortcomings. Please forgive your worthless disciple."

"Alright."

Yoon replied dryly.

"You've got the posture now."

Thanks to my mentor's grace, I escaped the lab.

*

Having escaped that nightmare of a lab, I naively believed it was all over.

I let my guard down for a week, blissfully rolling under Yoon. Even while rolling and getting smacked that week, I was glad my mentor was relatively normal.

Until John Mullen showed up at the dormitory old building the following Saturday.

I was gathered with Ami, Tom, and Hesi, playing games.

Ami spotted him first.

"Kyaaah!"

Clatter!

As Ami's character fell off a cliff, the joystick slipped from her hand to the floor. Her chair toppled backward.

Everyone froze.

All eyes fixed on one spot. A tall man stood motionless in the doorway.

Up close like this, he was quite handsome. Neat features, beautifully harmonized gray hair and blue eyes...

The stiffened Ami screamed again.

"Kyaaah! I see Mr. Mullen right in front of me! It's a ghost! A ghost! There's no way he'd come out of the science wing!"

Was I finally going to see a ghost too!

Ami's voice rang clearly through Room 304.