# Chapter 125
“Director?”
A researcher looked at Raymon in shock, but he paid no attention. Raymon was simply watching Haylen’s expression intently.
“So, is this your way of telling me to back off?”
Haylen let out a scoff as if this was absurd. But Raymon immediately shook his head. He knew well that Haylen wasn’t someone who would back down if told to.
“No, rather, this is good. Dying ordinarily seems too plain.”
On the contrary, Raymon was pleased that he could experience a special death. Although it was infuriating enough to make him want to tear apart anyone who entered his territory without permission, aside from that, it was quite interesting.
“Why did you do this?”
Haylen asked as he glanced at the barrier that was gradually beginning to crack. He had a general sense of how to break it.
In truth, it was a barrier that could be easily broken if he didn’t control his superpower. If he used his ability indiscriminately, the building would collapse instantly under the gravity that would pour out like a flood. Rather, for this very reason, Haylen had to find and control just enough power to break only the barrier. For that, he needed to buy time.
At Haylen’s question, Raymon fell into contemplation for a moment. The reason was simple. He wanted to become a god whom no one could approach. But if he were to look for the fundamental reason…
“You must know it’s impossible to achieve, right?”
“That’s why it’s good.”
It was because it was unattainable. Raymon smiled with relief, as if he had found the answer.
“I wanted to feel the pleasure of achieving that unattainable goal.”
“Indeed… a reason befitting you.”
If others heard Raymon’s sincere words, they would simply regard him as insane. But Haylen, though reluctant to admit it, could understand his words.
He had been the same in the past. He was just living mechanically, feeling no interest in life. But because he had to live, he chose Alice as his reason to live.
Raymon had set a goal of exterminating all superpower users to live. The more impossible the goal, the more interest he would feel in life.
“You seem to have changed.”
He looked much more vibrant than before. Who would have thought his eyes, which had been as sunken as if he were dead, could change like this.
“I didn’t want to keep living like that.”
“I see…”
Raymon fell into thought for a moment as he looked at Haylen. When he first manifested as a superpower user in his youth, he thought he had become a god. But he was just one of many superpower users. He could never become a god.
Raymon started living ordinarily, giving up on becoming special. But the more ordinary his life became, the more his will to live disappeared, though he wasn’t sure what the problem was.
He couldn’t find meaning in living, and everything just seemed futile. But he didn’t want to die. There was no reason to die.
After much contemplation, Raymon finally decided to set a goal. A goal that would overturn this boring life, one that he could pursue forever.
So he decided to become a god. Although he had vaguely thought about it in his youth and eventually gave up, his belief that he could become a god by killing all superpower users except himself remained unchanged.
It was clearly an unattainable goal. But that was okay. As long as it could give his life interest.
No one would understand, but he was so empty at that time that he set such an irrational goal. He couldn’t shake the thought that life was tedious.
So he liked the impossible goal that could completely change his life. It would keep him from getting bored.
But even after that, when things were supposed to change, they remained the same.
He was clearly progressing correctly toward his goal. He had achieved many accomplishments to become a god. He conducted experiments on superpowers, killed superpower users who posed a threat, and became everyone’s hero.
But something was still missing. During that time, Raymon thought:
It must be because I haven’t become a god yet.
Raymon began to obsess like that. The moment when he would become a god and savor emotions he had never felt before.
But the boss of ‘Alice’ had changed without doing anything special like him. What on earth had changed him?
Raymon found the changed Haylen both fascinating and enviable. It was an emotion he himself hadn’t even recognized.
* * *
Kay, who had found a door inside the director’s office, spoke to Fenil.
“Fenil, I’m going in.”
—Please explain the situation once you’re inside.
“Understood.”
It was very dark, but it was getting brighter as he went further inside. Kay could see Boss standing still in there.
“Boss!”
He hurriedly approached Haylen. Upon seeing Kay, Haylen applied force to the work that was being completed.
“Kay…, just a moment.”
The barrier, which had begun to crack, finally shattered into pieces. Haylen’s eyes glowed red. He walked out leisurely and smiled at Raymon.
“It seems you’re not yet in your complete form.”
“As expected, it can’t withstand against you.”
It was an obvious provocation, but even Raymon had been anticipating this.
“But this will do.”
Raymon had been waiting. It wasn’t just Haylen who had been buying time. His gaze shifted toward Kay. Haylen, who turned his head following Raymon’s gaze, spoke hurriedly.
“Kay, get away immediately—”
An uncontrollable anxiety consumed him. He felt like he should send Kay away right now. But it was already too late.
Blood vessels bulged on Haylen’s neck as he checked Kay’s condition. His eyes, filled with killing intent, expressed his anger. Kay was just staring blankly with a lifeless expression.
“I thought it was strange, but to think you were alive.”
“……”
“Is he your weakness?”
It was a fact that a researcher who had checked outside during the commotion had informed him of. It was good that he had told them to memorize Kay’s face. Who would have thought he was still alive? He could also understand why the boss of ‘Alice’ hadn’t fallen into the trap. Because he knew Kay’s whereabouts from the beginning.
In the end, it seemed he was the only one who had been played. So this time, he decided to use Kay.
Raymon briefly ordered Kay, who had become a perfect puppet.
“Kill the boss of ‘Alice’.”
At his words, Kay, who had been standing blankly, adjusted his posture. His eyes glowed brightly. It was a clear indication of attack. Empty eyes with nothing dwelling in them stared at Haylen.
“How cowardly…”
Although he maintained a calm appearance, Haylen was also quite flustered. Even if Kay was being controlled, he couldn’t attack him.
But Kay was not an opponent to be taken lightly enough to respond casually. For now, Haylen decided to restrain Kay’s body with gravity.
Haylen generated gravity at the place where Kay stood. However, Kay easily escaped the gravity zone with the agile reflexes characteristic of a werewolf.
—Boss, can you hear me?
“Kay is being controlled.”
Haylen said as he avoided Kay’s attack.
—What?
“It seems Raymon’s ability is something like mind control.”
He had told Kay to avoid because he felt like Raymon was trying to use him, but to think he could actually control people. Despite Kay’s warning to be careful, he realized it too late.
Haylen quietly stared at Kay, who showed no signs of regaining consciousness. Gravity spread widely across the entire area. It was just enough to restrict the movement of the opponent without causing the building to collapse.
The researchers and Kay fell to the floor. But as long as Raymon didn’t release his superpower, Kay would continue to be in this state. Thinking he needed to return him to normal quickly, Haylen looked at Raymon.
“Ah…”
Despite his staggering body, Raymon was smiling at him. He had put another barrier around him.
As his superpower was trapped in the barrier, the gravity that had been spread across the floor was withdrawn. Haylen applied force to the barrier to escape.
Since he now knew how much force to apply, the barrier began to crack as if it would break at any moment. The barrier would collapse within seconds.
But at that moment, Kay rushed toward him. He thought attacks couldn’t be made from the outside, just like from the inside. However, judging from Kay’s current actions, that didn’t seem to be the case.
“Kuk…!”
He tried to avoid as much as possible, but it was difficult in the narrow space. Eventually, Kay’s claws cut across his waist. But that wasn’t enough, as Kay swung his arm to attack again.
Fortunately, Haylen, who had broken the barrier, caught his arm. But Kay easily shook off his hand.
“Kay.”
He carefully called Kay’s name. For a moment, Kay’s body flinched.
Ordinary brainwashing wouldn’t work on Kay. That meant there was a possibility he could break free even in the current situation. Haylen resolved to try, as Kay was clearly responding, even if just slightly.
“Wake up, Kay.”
Avoiding the claws aiming for his heart, Haylen continuously called out. Each time he called his name, Kay hesitated and paused.
Perhaps that’s why Haylen didn’t stop approaching Kay. Even though with his strength, which fell far short of a werewolf’s ability, close combat was a life-threatening act.
It would have been simple to use gravity, but if Kay interpreted that as an attack, everything would be in vain. He would try to attack him, and his consciousness would completely sink, eventually never waking up.
“Kay. Please, open your eyes.”
His face was scratched and his clothes were torn. His entire body was covered in wounds of various sizes. But Haylen didn’t lose his smile as he looked at Kay. Kay’s body, which had been staring at him with unfocused eyes, gradually slowed down.
“……”
His hand, which was about to swing as if trying to control his own body, stopped. Life began to fill his golden eyes. Kay, who had completely stopped his body, quietly stared at him before finally opening his mouth.
“Haylen…”
“Are you conscious now?”
Only then could Haylen give a relieved smile as Kay called his name.
