โUnderstood.โ
The assistant bowed and left the Research Directorโs office.
He had never expected any condolences for the hero who had died in the accident.
But this was too much. Not only did they not care about the deceased hero, they were worried that the other participants might leave negative reviews on the Hero App.
When would this laboratoryโor rather, the Psychopath Research Directorโbe gone for good?
He moved wearily toward the Clinical Laboratory, dreaming of an uncertain future.
โWhy are my ears so itchy?โ
Abellus frowned as he scratched his ear while sitting on the Rotating Chair, legs stretched out on the desk.
He put his feet down and hummed a tune.
He had no particular sadistic desire to create corpses, but โaccidentallyโ acquiring one was a valuable research resource.
And a heroโs corpse at thatโ how could it not be delightful?
โI never ordered a kill. I only told them to lure the target into the restricted area. This is just an accident, nothing more.โ
He took a deep drag from his e-cigarette and exhaled slowly, continuing to hum as he logged onto the Portal Site.
Though he had obtained research material today, his thirst remained unquenched.
The White-Clad Heroโthe one he obsessed over most recentlyโhadnโt shown up.
He carefully scanned the news, hoping to see any articles about her.
His purple eyes narrowed as he scrolled, tracing a line.
Hero who defeated the Hopi-Clad Villain causing chaos in Rugang Park. Another appearance by the White-Clad Hero? The angelโs arrival!
โOh, thisโฆ somehow looks like her.โ
Abellus read the article thoroughly.
Unfortunately, there was neither video nor photoโonly a brief testimony from the mother of the rescued baby.
No details about the skills used, but somehow Abellus was sure this was the White-Clad Hero he had been pursuing.
Just a feeling.
He adjusted his glasses and licked his upper lip.
โWhen will I get to see her? I donโt intend to kill her. I just want to cherish her. Alive, in many ways, cherish herโฆโ
Though he planned to post recruitment notices for clinical trials several more times on the Hero App, he doubted this method would work.
She didnโt fall for such straightforward trapsโa perfect fit for Kyodam City, where suspicion and longevity went hand in hand.
Lost in thought, Abellus rose and opened the door to the Research Directorโs office.
He was heading to the Chimera Storage Room.
โIโll need to stir up incidents more aggressively. Which chimera would be best?โ
At that moment, his pocket vibrated.
He checked his phone to see a message from a J Group official:
ใOn X month X day, the stolen potions will be stored in the laboratoryโs warehouse. Please confirm.ใ
A crease formed between Abellusโs brows as he read the message.
The Potion Factory wasnโt far from the laboratory.
J Group regularly ordered their villains to steal potions and hide them in Abellusโs lab.
If they were a large corporation, they should be doing something more respectableโhe was annoyed to have to assist with such petty thievery.
But since he relied on their support, he couldnโt show any displeasure.
For now, he was simply a researcher backed by a major corporation.
Irritated, he sent back a curt confirmation before fiddling with the security key to the Chimera Storage Room with a grim expression.
An irresistible urge to cause an accident surged within him.
Perhaps killing the villain who delivered the potionsโฆ
โIf the chimera escapes, what choice do I have? Iโll first see who the potion thief is, then decide whether to release the chimera.โ
He wished Laika would come.
Kaisarโs son. He had everythingโand now, with the power of the Relic, had awakened additional skills.
A detestable brat.
He had persistently urged Laika to join Project X, expecting him to die like the other participants.
But damn it, the brat had obtained the Relicโs power.
Not only that, but the Ring caused a rejection reaction, so no one but Laika could touch it.
โDamn it. He should have died already. Heaven is so heartless.โ
Laika had never done anything to earn Abellusโs hatredโhe simply found him irritating.
And Abellus was exactly the kind of person who could kill someone just for being an annoyance.
โThereโs no way Laikaโs coming.โ
Unfortunately, Kaisar wouldnโt assign such trivial matters to his son.
Abellus knew several villains affiliated with J Group besides Laika.
If one of the annoying ones showed up, he would release the chimera; if it was a minor one, heโd hold back.
Arriving at the Chimera Storage Room, he used the security key to open the door.
Ecstasy spread across his face.
One of lifeโs greatest pleasures was to see the chimeras he had meticulously cared for.
The best among them was one he had never revealed to the world.
He had to open a secret door within the storage room to reach its spaceโa small, dark cell the size of a single room.
Inside, a crouching creatureโs eyes gleamed dangerously as it saw Abellus.
โGrrrโฆโ
โAs expected, youโre my finest masterpiece. But itโs a shame. No matter how many times I reassemble youโฆ canโt you speak anymore?โ
โKraah!โ
The creature showed a savage temperament, understanding Abellusโs words.
Its fingers gripping the iron bars were human.
This was Kaisarโs secret masterpieceโunknown to anyone elseโand it still hadnโt recognized its owner.
It would need further taming.
After some more modifications, Abellus planned to unleash it on the world.
His lips curled into a dangerous smile as he looked forward to that day.
***
โMaster, may I come in?โ
โUghโฆโ
That sounded like permission to enter, right?
James, the driver, shivered at the gloomy aura clearly emanating from beyond the door.
It was like the voice of an incurable patient on long-term life support.
Carefully opening the door, he saw a mountain of blankets with only black hair peeking out.
A week ago, when he had come to see Iris unannounced, the Masterโs face had blossomed like a flower.
But now, it was ashen.
And he had remained secluded inside his room for a whole week without stepping outside.
โCould he be sick or something? Hoo, finally, that day has come. I can understand Miss Irisโs feelings well. The Master is handsome, but heโsโฆ well, quite the surprising person in many ways.โ
James shook his head as he tidied the messy room.
Johannes was a rare handsome man, but his personality was so discouraging and self-deprecating that his looks were useless.
No matter how much James encouraged him, Johannes couldnโt even make the minimal effort of contacting Iris, the woman he was interested in.
When James tried to help, Johannes would have a fit like a seizure, leaving no options.
They didnโt see each other daily as in school, so no progress was possible without contact.
Even if they met, could Iris handle Johannesโs unusual personality?
James couldnโt even handle it himself.
Seeing him so depressed, James suspected Johannes had made a fatal slip in front of Iris or maybe confessed suddenly and got rejected.
โGeez, getting hurt on all sides. My lifeโs a mess.โ
Johannesโs father, Reyners, had scolded James for his sonโs reclusion.
He wanted James to somehow get him out.
Reyners was no superhuman; usually, he manipulated Johannes by wielding his paternal authority, but when his son was in a bad mood, he was helpless.
When Johannes was a child, he was easy to control, but as an adult, if he rebelled, Reyners had no confidence in restraining him.
Though Johannes wasnโt an ordinary human but an ability userโalbeit a rather strange oneโReyners both mocked and feared him.
A controllable beingโbut one who might reveal his true self somedayโhe had to be firmly tamed.
Their relationship was far from a typical father-son one.
Johannes had been thrust into the family at age seven as a scandalous illegitimate child, the result of Reynersโs reckless actions.
His birth mother had threatened to expose the scandal to the media if he wasnโt accepted.
As a local influential figure concerned about reputation, Reyners treated him as a son in public but ignored him at home.
This explained why Johannes, despite his good looks and affluent upbringing, was so melancholic.
โPoor Masterโฆโ
However, the situation changed after Johannes awakened his abilities in adolescence.
Strangely, shortly after his awakening, Reynersโs two legitimate sons from his wife both died in unfortunate accidents.
And after the funerals, on Johannesโs birthday, James was preparing a quiet party with some staff, expecting Reyners wouldnโt celebrate his sonโs birthday as usual.
But unexpectedly, Reyners showed up at the small party.