MBTJ 08

Chapter 08

Suho’s gaze turned icy, as if asking whether that even counted as a question.

“Not a good day again, huh….”

Choi Manduk’s caterpillar-like eyebrows drooped. Suho cleanly ignored the pitiful sight and headed toward the penalty measuring device.

The researchers, who had been frozen for a moment, began moving again.

Inside the ability-control capsule, Suho’s arms and legs were secured with thick restraints. On his forearms, where he had rolled up his sleeves a couple of times, syringes made specifically for awakened individuals were inserted.

When preparations were complete, Shin Jiyul spoke.

“Any discomfort?”

“My arms and legs are tied up like a dog. How could I be comfortable?”

“…You seem to be in a bad mood.”

Suho, who suffered from severe insomnia, was particularly sharp in the mornings. Of course, it wasn’t as if he was gentle at other times.

Shin Jiyul examined Suho’s pale, bloodless face and then operated her tablet.

“We’ll conduct the test in two rounds. The first is with a C-rank tamer, the second with an A-rank tamer. The penalty value will be measured three times. Any questions?”

“Just do it. I’m starting to feel like flipping the place upside down.”

At Shin Jiyul’s signal, a researcher brought someone in from the waiting room. It was Han Juhwan, a C-rank tamer who looked rather naive.

The researchers, Shin Jiyul, and Choi Manduk moved to the observation room. Shortly after, Shin Jiyul’s voice flowed from the speakers and filled the training room.

— Begin.

Han Juhwan’s face turned deathly pale.

He had come excited at the thought of getting his rank reassessed for free, never imagining he would be taming Gyeon Suho.

He had never tamed a human before, but he was confident he could succeed. After all, he could tame up to B-rank creatures.

But wasn’t Gyeon Suho an even more dangerous human than a creature? What if he got bitten to pieces while trying to tame him? Why were they even doing this experiment in the first place?

With a confused expression, Han Juhwan asked,

“Um… am I really doing this?”

— Yes.

“G-Gyeon Suho Hunter won’t attack me… right?”

— As you can see, Hunter Gyeon Suho is restrained inside the ability-control capsule. He cannot escape under any circumstances, so rest assured.

It was obvious, but why did it still feel so unsettling? Han Juhwan increased the distance between himself and Suho just a bit more.

— Is taming possible from that distance?

“Ah, yes. As long as the target is within visual range, there’s no problem.”

— Understood.

Han Juhwan let out a long breath and focused on Gyeon Suho.

“……”

A long time passed, yet nothing happened. Only Han Juhwan’s back grew drenched with sweat.

Something was wrong. Just as a sinister premonition rose in everyone’s mind—

“Ghk!”

Han Juhwan vomited blood and collapsed.

— Hunter Han Juhwan!

Shin Jiyul shouted, but Han Juhwan didn’t move. Choi Manduk hurriedly gave an order.

“Team Leader Shin, secure Hunter Han Juhwan’s safety first.”

“Yes.”

After issuing commands to the researchers, Shin Jiyul quickly turned on the mic.

— Hunter Gyeon Suho, the test isn’t over yet. Remain where you are.

The researchers who left the observation room swarmed around Han Juhwan.

Despite the chaos beside him, Suho didn’t even blink. He showed neither concern nor anger—only a look of sheer boredom.

Watching Gyeon Suho through the bulletproof glass, Choi Manduk asked quietly,

“What on earth is the cause? Is it because of the rank difference?”

“An E-rank succeeded, so that’s unlikely.”

“If a C-rank failed at something an E-rank succeeded at, that means rank doesn’t matter.”

“It’s too early to draw conclusions, Director.”

“Hah… right. The test isn’t over yet.”

The A-rank tamer would be different, right?

Forcing down his ominous feeling, Choi Manduk turned his gaze back to the training room.

The researchers, having administered emergency treatment with recovery potions, were carrying Han Juhwan out.

Once the commotion subsided, A-rank tamer Kim Minseok entered the training room.

— Team Leader Kim, if you’re ready, please begin.

“Yes.”

Kim Minseok approached Suho. There was no sign of tension on his lightly wrinkled face, that of a man in his forties.

Like Han Juhwan, he didn’t know the reason behind taming Gyeon Suho, but perhaps due to his experience, he was clearly more composed.

“I will begin taming.”

Kim Minseok extended his hand. A shimmering haze spread through the air, and an invisible force shot toward Suho.

Suho, who had been looking down as if it were none of his business, slightly raised his gaze and stared at Kim Minseok.

At the same time, a tension that felt ready to explode filled the training room.

Would it work this time?

Just as everyone’s expectations peaked, Team Leader Kim Minseok dropped to one knee. Blackened, dead blood trickled from his open mouth.

“Kgh…!”

— Team Leader Kim!

His body, which had seemed frozen, slowly tilted before collapsing onto the training room floor with a thud.

Everyone in the observation room froze at the unexpected situation.

The test they had pinned their hopes on ended in a hollow failure.

It felt like realizing that the rope you had desperately grabbed at the edge of a cliff, just before falling, was already rotten.

Shin Jiyul whispered to the stunned Choi Manduk,

“Director, we’ll run the test again this afternoon.”

“It already failed. Do you think a second attempt will work?”

“It’s a test with many variables. If we change the conditions, the results could be very different.”

“If that’s what you think… then do it.”

Shin Jiyul and Choi Manduk headed down to the training room.

When Shin Jiyul released the restraints, Suho casually pulled out the syringes. Blood flowed down his long arms like creeping vines.

“Suho, you’re not supposed to pull them out like that. Hey, you idiot! You’re bleeding!”

Ignoring Choi Manduk’s fussing, Suho even threw off the penalty measuring device.

Shin Jiyul gently took hold of his wrist. They hadn’t gotten the result they wanted, but it was too early to be disappointed.

“Once Team Leader Kim regains consciousness, let’s try one more time this afternoon.”

“Again?”

“You can’t declare failure after just one attempt in any experiment.”

Suho smiled lazily, his eyes curved.

The power of the tamers who tried to force him into submission was nothing but unpleasant and pathetic.

Even so, he had endured it twice—because he wanted to feel again that sensation from the day he had been completely freed from pain.

But it wasn’t the same. It bore no resemblance at all to the power that had seeped into his body during Code Red. Their power couldn’t even penetrate his body.

Then why should I endure it at all?

“Fine.”

They had expected him to refuse outright. Shin Jiyul’s face brightened at his easy acceptance.

“Then what time should we do it? How about 2 p.m. after lunch?”

“But if it fails again, that Team Leader Kim or whatever dies by my hand. If you’re okay with that, then do it.”

“……”

Of course.

Shin Jiyul and Choi Manduk let out synchronized sighs.

“I know you’re disappointed, but awakened individuals often show fluctuations in ability depending on their condition. Let’s try a few more times.”

“Taming doesn’t work at all. You think repeating it will change anything?”

“At all? It didn’t work even a little?”

If the power didn’t work whatsoever, considering variables was nonsense. A crease formed between Shin Jiyul’s brows.

‘What’s the problem?’

The tamers had been unable to exert any influence on Gyeon Suho.

Rather, by forcibly attempting to tame him, their power backfired, leaving them with internal injuries.

“When you were found in Giheung, who were you with?”

“Huh?”

Shin Jiyul and Choi Manduk exchanged glances.

They had already agreed to protect Kang Morae from Suho.

At Choi Manduk’s silent look telling her to dodge the question, Shin Jiyul composed her expression.

“Don’t remember?”

Buttoning up the shirt he had left open for examination, Suho searched his memory.

When he had fallen into the Code Red state, his only thought had been to get as far away from the dungeon as possible.

What happened after that was hazy, like being wrapped in fog.

How he ended up in Giheung, whom he met, what he did there—every scene was erased as if painted over in black. But one thing was clear.

For the first time since his birth, he hadn’t been in pain.

There was no suffocating frustration like floundering in a swamp. The heavy weight that had clung to his limbs was gone.

The next thing he felt was exhilaration. He wondered if this was what it felt like to shed a rotting body and be reborn anew.

“Ah, thank goodness.”

Yes… he thought he had heard something like that.

As Suho replayed that voice filled with relief, he frowned. For some reason, his ear felt itchy.