# Chapter 33
All the superpowered individuals who became experimental subjects were Mugunghwa Tier 1. The weakest among the superpowered individuals that were all over Chohosi, the largest proportion, perhaps those closest to ordinary people.
Even so, it was an excessive number.
“This many?”
No matter how weak, a superpowered person was still superpowered. With an operation this large, the possibility of an organized power being involved couldn’t be ruled out. Iyeon’s expression turned serious.
The report continued with details about how energy was forcibly extracted every few days. Iyeon flipped to the very back of the report. Research status. Progress. Researcher’s opinion.
Flip. For a while, only the sound of turning pages continued. The busy moving eyes suddenly stopped.
“When injected into mutants, superpowers cause intense pain and temporarily make them docile.”
…Injection? What are they injecting?
Only then did Iyeon understand the nature of this experiment. Why they extracted energy from superpowered individuals, what they matched with the mutants. His wavering gaze continued reading the paper.
“During the subsequent process of converting the superpower into a form usable by mutants and making them adapt, some mutants show increased aggression. This is a kind of recoil against the forced injection of superpowers, and the targets of this aggression are…”
“Superpowered individuals…”
He quickly scanned the print on the document without blinking. Mutants capable of using superpowers develop hatred toward the superpowered individuals who shared their torturous powers with them, and indiscriminately attack opponents with superpowers in their bodies.
Now it made sense. The smoke fox that didn’t harm the department store employees but attacked Iyeon as soon as it saw him.
Forced extraction and injection of superpowers.
Such experiments are obviously illegal among illegals. He had heard that the Superpower Management Office had conducted a major crackdown before, but why again…
“Iyeon-ssi, what’s wrong?”
“Oh, it’s…”
When he showed him the documents, Jaekyung, who was carefully examining the papers, glanced at Mungchi following at Iyeon’s feet, seeming to think for a moment.
“It says they became hostile to superpowered individuals due to superpower injection…”
Maybe because he was a researcher, Jaekyung quickly grasped the core of the problem.
“Then couldn’t we just force the mutant to use up all the injected energy by making it use the superpower? No, if energy can be injected, it means it can also be extracted. Then…”
While Jaekyung was muttering and deeply thinking about something, Iyeon turned away so as not to disturb him. Approaching the computer, Iyeon picked up the goggles.
“Is it far?”
– It’s taking some time.
The answer was half-hearted, suggesting he was having quite a struggle. Seems like everyone’s in concentration mode. Just as Iyeon was about to put down the goggles to find other information, it happened.
Boom.
A massive impact sound came from where Sano was.
“What’s going on? Are you okay?”
Sano, who had been standing in front of the wall, turned his head toward Iyeon and Mungchi as they rushed over. No, the place where Sano was standing wasn’t a wall but a small door. …No, no, was that originally a wall? Wasn’t there a drawer there?
“This must be it.”
Sano, who muttered indifferently, approached the door. With a click sound, the doorknob turned. The door wasn’t even locked.
Unlike the expectation that it would be dark, the inside was dimly lit. It was just enough light to barely secure visibility, but sufficient to confirm the scene inside.
Very small beds and toilet bowls, the only furniture in spaces about one and a half pyeong in size, were lined up like prison cells.
It wasn’t a place that treated humans like humans. Iyeon’s brow naturally furrowed at witnessing the horrific environment. He could bet his office nameplate that the person Jaekyung had seen was also confined here.
There were no empty rooms in this abusive space. One, two, three… Counting the rooms lined up along the long corridor, Iyeon exhaled in relief. The number matched the list in the report. Fortunately, they were all alive.
“How long do you think it will take to get everyone out?”
“Who knows.”
Sano, who answered indifferently, took out his phone. Soon the call connected.
“Clear out that place. Yeah. More than ten people. Handle that yourself. Don’t bother me.”
…It seemed he was requesting help. As Iyeon glumly watched Sano, who was talking more like he was picking a fight than asking for help, he perked up his ears at a groan coming from inside the prison. He had thought they were all unconscious since they were slumped down, but it seemed someone hadn’t lost consciousness.
“Are you okay?”
When he put his face close to the prison and asked, a dry voice faintly whispered from the corner of the bed. Looking closer in the dim light, it was someone from the report. A face, much more gaunt than in the photo due to being used for forced experiments, was looking at Iyeon.
“Who, please, save, me…”
“I’ll get you out. Please wait a bit.”
At the same time, the bed sank into the floor. Iyeon spoke kindly toward the figure that flinched, perhaps startled.
“It’s okay. You’re safe.”
By the time Jaekyung followed them in, one bed had completely disappeared into the ground.
“So they were all here, gasp.”
Jaekyung also widened his eyes, seemingly shocked by the horrific environment. Even for a mutant otaku, he had basic human dec—
“When did that light come on?”
What he pointed at was a small lamp next to the door. I think it’s been like that from the beginning. When Iyeon answered like that, looking at the red light, Jaekyung’s face turned pale.
“This is an intruder alarm! When this turns on, they’re supposed to start destroying research data!”
Seeing how quickly he knew, it seemed to be a basic workplace rule. Iyeon looked around at the rooms where many people still remained.
“By destroying research data, you mean?”
With Sano here, people wouldn’t get hurt. Then what remained was.
“That includes the mutants too.”
Jaekyung’s face became anxious. Iyeon sighed and turned his body.
“I’ll take Mungchi and go with Jaekyung-ssi to save the mutants.”
“Why there.”
Sano, despite clearly hearing the whole conversation, oddly sharpened his tone. Someone who normally wouldn’t care where anyone went… Even as Iyeon tilted his head in confusion, he answered diligently.
“I know why the mutants were so hostile. It would be dangerous for Jaekyung-ssi to go alone.”
Sano looked Iyeon over with disapproving eyes. Even as he did so, the beds continued to be safely transported without pause.
“Something feels off.”
“What? You need to move the people, so go ahead and finish.”
It would take quite some time to move this many people. Sano still didn’t look pleased and didn’t answer, but he didn’t seem to have any intention of stopping Iyeon. Iyeon reached for Sano’s face.
The long white fingers brushed against the soft ear area. Before Sano’s brow could furrow, Iyeon withdrew his hand and playfully winked.
“I’ll borrow this for a bit.”
The slender fingers held the communicator.
Iyeon, Jaekyung, and Mungchi left the laboratory and headed toward the mutant storage room. At Jaekyung’s urging that there was no time, they ended up running and arrived quickly.
“Hyegang, secure that laboratory door for me.”
– Okay.
Of course, Je Sano wouldn’t fail to do what he was doing just because about fifteen people were coming. This was isolation from a human protection perspective.
Entering the storage room also received help from Hyegang. Having capable employees makes life easier. Iyeon entered the interior with light steps.
The inside of the storage room was also quite spacious. It seemed about five times larger than the laboratory where Jaekyung had worked. A researcher who had been guarding the storage room was docilely captured in Iyeon’s cage.
“Where are the mutants?”
“Uh, about that…”
Jaekyung, who had been busily moving around even until Iyeon entered and captured the researcher, muttered uncertainly.
“This is definitely the storage room. I’ve seen mutants go in here… Where are they hidden?”
Iyeon looked around again. It was an ordinary space, if ordinary, and he couldn’t tell where the hidden areas might be. It seems to have a secret mechanism like the superpowered individuals’ holding room.
We don’t have time to search one by one like before. Just as Iyeon was scratching his cheek in perplexity.
Grrr.
From far away came the sound of Mungchi growling lowly. Turning around, he saw Mungchi lowering its body, making a stern face, and raising its fur, all while facing what seemed like nothing.
“Why is it doing that?”
The moment he muttered that, Mungchi scratched the floor with its front paws. With a screech sound, a light bulb went on in Iyeon’s head. He quickly turned his head to look at Jaekyung.
“The floor!”
