# Chapter 119
After awakening from his long sleep, he had consciously tried not to think about Morpho. Back then, Iyeon was already overwhelmed just trying to accept his changed environment. He didn’t want to think about anything else.
During that time, he heard news that a terrain configuration function had been developed. His uncle had done it. The thought came to him instinctively. Later, when he actually saw the function, Iyeon was certain it was his ability. He wasn’t a fool—he couldn’t not know.
Ah, so this is how it was used.
What he felt then was a surprising sense of relief.
If he revealed now that it was an illegally extracted superpower, the terrain configuration function would disappear. That wasn’t what he wanted. The terrain configuration function was definitely helping people’s safety and development, and he didn’t particularly want to get rid of it.
Then fine. Let’s just bury it like this. Complacent thoughts filled his heart. He avoided the issue by saying it no longer had any connection to him.
What exactly had made him believe that Morpho wouldn’t have exploited someone else’s gi-ryeok all this time, rather than just Iyeon’s?
He hadn’t even tried to understand the clearly connected events, let alone read between the lines. The naive way of thinking made him feel like throwing up. As if to mock Iyeon’s now-pale face, Dr. Kim continued his story.
Morpho had also shown great interest in Dr. Kim’s new technology, and the two had formed a close cooperative relationship.
However, as Morpho began to act increasingly unilaterally, the relationship between the two started to deteriorate.
It began small. Minor issues like bringing outside items into the research facility without consultation, or arbitrarily replacing research materials with similar ones. It was annoying, but just irritating rather than serious.
Morpho increased the scale gradually, as if testing Dr. Kim’s limits. Subtle alterations to research processes or omissions in experiment reports became so common that they weren’t even worth mentioning anymore. He even brought in different variants from somewhere. Those variants disappeared from the research facility one day without a trace of where they’d gone.
The reason all of this was overlooked was simply because he was Morpho. The name didn’t lie. Dr. Kim felt this acutely as they worked together on the research.
But there was a line even for that.
One day, Dr. Kim discovered that Morpho had installed a portal in the research facility that he knew nothing about. He found out while chasing after Jaekyung, the researcher who had betrayed them!
Installing a portal required bringing in an outsider, specifically a teleporter. That’s why Dr. Kim had been extremely cautious when installing just one emergency portal. He had also spent an enormous amount on hush money.
But there was an unknown portal planted in an unexpected place.
There was only one person in the research facility who was both wealthy enough to afford a portal and just as willful.
Years of accumulated frustration combined with letting Jaekyung escape brought Dr. Kim’s anger to its peak. When he confronted Morpho, he casually responded by saying wasn’t it more convenient now with two portals for easier movement? Furious to the point of exploding, Dr. Kim laid down an ultimatum: if he continued to act this way, they could no longer work together.
Morpho responded like this:
‘Well, do as you please.’
Then he left the research facility. This happened just a few hours before Iyeon and Sano infiltrated it.
He didn’t even leave empty-handed. Morpho stole half of the gems stored in the club research facility and fled. Dr. Kim discovered this too late and gathered people to chase after Morpho, but returned without completing the pursuit when he received word of intruders in the facility.
So that’s why the research facility had been so quiet. Iyeon had thought it seemed unusually deserted for its size even during their search, but he hadn’t known about this backstory. It was eerily perfect timing, as if someone had placed them on a stage for amusement.
“That arrogant bastard must have known.”
Dr. Kim growled, grinding his teeth, but Iyeon couldn’t even spare the composure to give an appropriate response. His mind was racing to understand the situation.
Morpho had set the destination of the portal hidden in the club research facility to Iyeon’s neighborhood. That’s why the smoke fox had appeared at the department store near Iyeon’s neighborhood. The reason Jaekyung had collapsed in the park in Iyeon’s neighborhood after using the portal was the same.
It gave him chills. By then, Morpho had already come near Iyeon.
“So that means you have no connection with Morpho anymore, Kim Cheoljae-ssi.”
“I got back on my feet without that bastard. This factory is proof of that.”
After the club research facility was destroyed, Dr. Kim had nowhere to go and stayed in shabby inns. Then he met a factory official who, after seeing his technology, hired him.
However, getting a job was separate from his grudge against Morpho.
“You, how did you know about my research facility? Did Morpho sell the information?”
Dr. Kim scrutinized Iyeon. Strictly speaking, it was true that they had caught the club research facility based on information Morpho had leaked, but with Heesu involved, it was practically a coincidence.
But he had no intention of explaining that straightforwardly.
“Well…”
At this ambiguous answer, Dr. Kim’s face contorted. The man, who seemed to be jumping to the conclusion he wanted to believe, cried out emotionally:
“Just because he had one materialization ability!”
Before Iyeon could respond, Dr. Kim turned his back and muttered. It was as if he was talking to himself.
“Well, it’s fine. Now I too…”
His voice was too soft to hear clearly. What’s he saying? Iyeon frowned and moved closer, placing his hand on the iron bars.
Zap!
“Ah…”
A strong spark shot through the iron bars. Iyeon jerked his hand away in surprise. It seemed like electric current was flowing through all the bars making up the cage.
“What is this?”
Sensing Iyeon’s surprise, Dr. Kim turned his head again to look at him. His expression remained calm despite having imprisoned someone in an electrified cage.
“I need your cooperation, you see.”
Like a true former colleague, his thought process was identical.
Iyeon looked up. The prison that hung from the ceiling was still connected to it. The electricity was probably flowing from there too.
“Wear this.”
What Dr. Kim threw through the bars was a device that looked like a wristwatch. Iyeon didn’t even pick up the object that had fallen to the floor, just glared at him. There was no reason to touch something that looked so suspicious at a glance.
“It’s good that you’re thinking it over, but you’d better decide quickly.”
Creak. As soon as Dr. Kim finished speaking, a strange sound was heard. The sound, reminiscent of unfolding a creased water container or assembling furniture, spread continuously at intervals. What’s this noise? Iyeon looked around in confusion, then realized that the prison looked different from just a moment ago.
The iron bars were closing in.
The prison, which had been about the size of a small room, was gradually shrinking as the floor scraped along. It was very slow but unrelenting. It was only a matter of time before the electrified iron bars touched Iyeon’s body.
His neck was still numb from the electric shock earlier, and it was obvious that his whole body would ache if attacked by this. If Iyeon fainted from the shock, Dr. Kim would forcibly put the bracelet on him. Either way, the conclusion would be the same.
In that case, there was no time to hesitate. He needed to destroy the prison itself.
“If I cooperate, will I at least stay alive?”
Though invisible to the two men, white sand gathered above the ceiling, at the part where the chain joint was located. Iyeon threw out random words to distract Dr. Kim.
“Well, if you’re lucky.”
Dr. Kim answered halfheartedly. Thinking Iyeon was trying to maintain his pride, he didn’t forget to add a spiteful remark.
“Didn’t you hear from Young? I’m considered a competent researcher, so my evaluations are quite good.”
That’s hardly reassuring. Iyeon grumbled inwardly while gathering a bit more of his power.
Since his ability couldn’t directly destroy something, he needed to create something that could be used as a tool. Given that the prison was suspended from the ceiling, it likely had a high load limit, so the method of hanging something heavy and dropping it wouldn’t work.
Simply breaking the part where the chain was attached would be fastest. This would honestly… be too obvious, but it was much better than being captured. Iyeon sighed.
At the same time, a loud bang! echoed through the space. The entire warehouse vibrated with the impact.
“What, what’s going on?”
A startled Dr. Kim shouted, looking around. Iyeon used his ability again.
Bang! Bang! Crash!
It sounded as if something massive was striking the warehouse. With each collision, the chains rattled and shook. Iyeon looked up. The clearly dented ceiling was cracking, and the joint was hanging loose. Just a little more and it should work.
“What are you doing?!”
Dr. Kim seemed frightened by the unexpected situation. I don’t understand why someone who gets scared so easily threatens people’s lives. Iyeon didn’t stop using his ability. Bang! Another strong impact struck the warehouse’s outer wall. With a crackling sound, the joint fell. A few internal wires were cut, but the electrified bars had already stopped working.
“Now I have plenty of time.”
Dr. Kim seemed too flustered to properly respond to Iyeon’s mocking words.
“You, you… Did you trick me?”
“Trick you? I never said anything.”
What Iyeon created with those words was a large pair of pliers. Having just said something cool, he would have preferred to leave more elegantly, but unfortunately, this was all he could think of at the moment.
