Ch.180Episode 36. New Year (2)

“Do I have to see a villain from the second day of the new year?”

“Would you prefer to postpone it?”

“No. Let’s do it today. It’s something we need to do anyway.”

Villain Prison Visiting Room.

When Bin Yun-i requested Parris’s advice, I immediately contacted the Association President. And we were able to promptly arrange a meeting with Parris.

“…Did you see the sunrise?”

I asked, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere on our way to the visiting room.

“With age, I’ve lost interest in such things. And I have no one to watch it with.”

“…If you had called, we could have gone with the Special Class students.”

“It might be nice to have the noise, but it wouldn’t mean much. My goal isn’t to live well, but to root out Akcheon. When it’s all over… I’m thinking of retiring.”

“I see.”

I couldn’t bring myself to tell him it wasn’t possible. The pain of losing family must be beyond what I could imagine.

It would be better for him to rest once Akcheon is caught, but I wondered if someone who achieved their life’s goal could find new purpose.

“…Have you found out anything more about Forest?”

“Other than taking clean responsibility for the issues related to Anrak Church, he’s been quiet. I’m not sure what he’s doing or where.”

“Is there any possibility he’s connected to the villains?”

“I’m confident there isn’t.”

Can he really be so certain?

I need to meet with Forest separately to talk. I needed to know what he was thinking. If he was somehow involved with Akcheon, I’d definitely have to beat him up.

When we arrived at the visiting room, the prison warden greeted us.

“Everything is prepared, Mr. Association President.”

“Thank you for your hard work.”

“Not at all. The guards have been positioned, so please radio immediately if any problems arise.”

“We will.”

“Very well.”

The warden bowed his head and left to attend to his duties. Only the Association President, myself, and the guard watching the door remained outside the visiting room.

“They say we can go in right away. Let’s go.”

“Let’s do that.”

“But… is it really okay to let her speak?”

When the Association President had interrogated Parris about the eX potion, he had used written communication. It was a precaution against being manipulated by her will if they allowed her to speak.

“It’s fine.”

Her ability doesn’t work on me.

“Even if the Association President falls under Parris’s speech-action inconsistency ability, I can remove it, so don’t worry.”

“Alright. I’ll trust you and proceed.”

The Association President pulled open the heavy iron door. In the center of the visiting room, a blue-haired girl with glasses sat restrained at the table.

“Nice to—”

Clank!

As soon as we entered, Parris jumped up from her seat in terror. Her chair fell backward and hit the cement floor.

“Mmph! Mmmmph!”

Parris looked at me and made violent noises. However, the mask covering her mouth blocked her voice.

“Calm down. I’m not here to hurt you.”

Even I couldn’t escape punishment if I killed a villain already in prison. It wouldn’t count as self-defense to kill a criminal who wasn’t resisting.

“I just came to ask a few questions, so why don’t you sit down quietly?”

I set the chair upright that Parris had knocked over. She had been staring at where I was standing moments ago, then suddenly turned her head at the sound of the chair. She couldn’t keep up with my movements.

“Sit.”

I tapped the chair I had set up.

She seemed terrified of me, her pupils trembling violently, and though her body was shaking, she obediently sat down.

“She seems ready.”

“…Indeed.”

After I nodded, the Association President went behind Parris. He immediately unlocked the restraint and removed her mask.

I could see that the inside of the mask was not only wet but her saliva was stretching out in long strands. Tsk. Disgusting.

“Hah! I, I, I really don’t know anything.”

“How do you know what I’m going to ask?”

“…W-what are you going to ask?”

The Association President seemed shocked by Parris’s frightened appearance and was blankly watching our conversation.

I placed my hand on Parris’s shoulder and lowered my voice.

“Don’t worry. If you answer nicely, I won’t hurt you. But if you try to use your ability or tell lies, I’ll smash those fingers of yours again.”

“Ugh…!”

Despite being an executive, she was still just a nineteen-year-old kid. No, she was twenty now.

Either way, she was too young to have experienced much hardship. If it had been someone else, they might not have broken even under torture.

“Tell me about the method to counter the side effects of the eX potion.”

“I-I already told that old man everything.”

“Old man…? I haven’t even reached my sixtieth birthday yet. Watch your mouth.”

The Association President narrowed his brow and glared at Parris. Parris wasn’t intimidated by his killing intent. It seemed I was the only one she feared.

“That’s not enough.”

“I don’t know any more methods to counter the side effects. How could I research while I’m captured like this? I originally didn’t know much either, which is why I tried to kidnap Bin Yun-i…”

I know that Bin Yun-i can solve that problem.

The issue was that even in the novel, the author had omitted the method to counter the eX potion’s side effects.

Because of that, I couldn’t get detailed information about countering the side effects. If the novel had provided more details, I wouldn’t have needed to come see Parris like this.

Moreover, the plot had changed significantly, and with limited time to respond to the eX potion, I had no choice but to press for answers.

“Then how were you so sure Bin Yun-i could counter those side effects?”

“I-I wasn’t certain she could counter everything. I judged based on her track record so far.”

“Track record?”

“That girl… her determination is no joke. A few years ago, she not only immediately improved what was then considered the best potion to create a higher quality one, but she even made a potion that perfectly neutralized my poison.”

Ah, is she talking about the status ailment recovery potion?

“I thought someone like her could perfect the eX potion too.”

So that means we have no choice but to wait until Bin Yun-i finds the answer.

When we don’t even know when they might attack. Are we supposed to just sit around twiddling our thumbs?

If Starlight were to put the eX potion in something like an apartment water tank and spread it widely, we’d be helpless. There would certainly be mass casualties.

“Tsk. You’re not being helpful.”

“I-I don’t think it’s normal for a hero to ask a villain for help either.”

“Want me to break another finger?”

“…”

Her shoulders trembled slightly at my threat. She just can’t help having the last word.

“…The eX potion alters the genetic structure itself. Once the genetic system is modified, it becomes extremely complex and almost impossible to revert. To put it simply, it’s like bending a steel bar—easy to bend but difficult to restore to its original shape.”

“Why develop something that puts people in such a difficult position?”

“I just wanted to give you heroes a taste of your own medicine. For those rotten bastards who mercilessly killed our parents.”

“If you wanted revenge, you should have become a hero, not a villain.”

“…Maybe you’re right.”

Anyway, it seemed I couldn’t get any advice from Parris. I made this difficult trip for nothing.

“Let’s go. This conversation was pointless.”

“Yes.”

As the Association President was about to put the mask back on her, Parris said to me:

“…If I can give you one piece of advice, there’s no solution after genetic modification occurs, so it’s best to prevent it beforehand.”

Who doesn’t know that…

I could have said myself that there’s no solution after genetic modification, so prevention is key.

But such advice wasn’t helpful in a situation where we didn’t even know when Starlight would make their move.

“Right. I’ll keep that in mind.”

With those final words, I turned away. The Association President put the mask back on her and followed me. We informed the guard that the visit was over, and he entered the visiting room.

“Will this help us formulate a response to the eX potion?”

“Probably not.”

“Then what do you plan to do?”

“I’ll have to figure something out. Otherwise, civilians will die needlessly.”

It suddenly occurred to me that if I had accepted Wolgwang’s scout offer and joined Akcheon, I might not be struggling like this.

It would be easier to destroy them from the inside, after all.

But that’s a meaningless thought now.

* * *

“Preventing genetic modification before it happens…”

When I relayed Parris’s advice to Bin Yun-i, she paced around the lab, muttering.

“We might be able to do something like a vaccination… but that wouldn’t save everyone one hundred percent. And making such a drug is problematic in itself.”

“I suppose so.”

“It might be faster to just observe how the villains are moving.”

“The Association is already tracking them continuously.”

I heard that Soleta’s arm was found in a warehouse in Hongseong. I’m not sure if there was a fight among the executives or if heroes captured her.

“In that case—”

“I think I might be able to help with that.”

I turned around at the sudden unfamiliar male voice.

“…Forest?”

There stood Forest with his brown hair swept up, smiling meaningfully.