Ch.181Chapter 7. Crisis into Opportunity (5)

The meaning of an ability user losing their ability—what could it signify?

There was a story that sounded like an urban legend in America.

-The Bomb Man was no longer the Bomb Man.

When Wang Huan, a Chinese student at Sejong Academy and a “former” A-class ability user, heard about an explosion ability user losing his power and becoming an ordinary person, he treated it as a joke.

But after the appearance of Platinum Sun, and subsequently becoming a demon himself before losing his abilities…

He thought he could understand why the Bomb Man had reportedly attempted suicide.

He wanted to die.

With his overflowing power gone, he felt like dying.

Though his room was furnished like a luxurious single suite, everything in it seemed to torment and hurt him.

When he was an ability user, he felt no pain even when he stubbed his little toe on the edge of the bed.

He rarely felt hunger, and never felt bloated after eating.

He could even hit himself hard on the head with the plastic food tray after finishing his meal without feeling any pain.

Even greater pain didn’t hurt him then, but now pain overwhelmed him.

The very fact of being reduced to an ordinary human was frightening, distressing, and painful.

That’s why some others couldn’t endure this state and ended up restrained in psychiatric wards after self-harming.

The one fortunate thing was that Wang Huan had been an ability user under the Party’s protection.

Since his father was a high-ranking Party official, he would surely come to rescue him.

Others had said so.

Though he couldn’t meet them face-to-face, through the monitor panel that allowed communication with other Zenros members, he found hope in what others had said.

-The Party will come to rescue us.

Because once they entered Sejong Island, they would never be able to leave.

Having lived on Sejong Island themselves, they knew how prison-like it was, and from what they’d heard, they didn’t want to go back inside Sejong Island.

-Wang, I heard there’s a laboratory under Sejong Island where they experiment on ability users.

-That’s just a conspiracy theory. How could something like that actually exist?

-If that’s not the case, why would they try to take us to Sejong Island?

-Because Sejong Island is Korea’s most secure fortress.

-It would be quite a sight if human experiments were conducted under that fortress.

Anxiety swept over him at those words.

What would happen if he really got “cooked” on Sejong Island?

In old movies, they would dunk people’s heads underwater and force them into electric chairs to electrocute them.

If he actually experienced that, with his abilities it would have been just a breath-holding contest or an electric massage, but with his current body, it would be nothing but torture.

“Damn it…”

Wang Huan felt like he was going crazy.

He wished he could become a demon again to escape this place.

As a demon, he had possessed even more abundant power than as an ability user, and could accomplish anything he wanted.

Even when impulses arose, a human without abilities was too weak to do anything.

Especially in Wang Huan’s case, who was imprisoned for killing people.

Ding-dong.

A bell rang.

Soon after, with the sound of a cart being pulled from outside, a woman brought food on a plastic cart and placed it on the table.

“Meal time is one hour. If you don’t eat, it will be collected as is.”

“…Without chopsticks?”

“There’s a forkspoon.”

The woman, an association employee, calmly pointed to the pink plastic spoon next to the tray.

The round spoon had a blunt end that looked like it would only leave a pressed mark if you tried to stab something with it.

“Is all this really necessary…?”

“In other rooms, there have been cases of self-harm with the forkspoon. I hope that doesn’t happen here.”

“Hmph, why would I harm myself?”

Wang Huan looked down at the food placed on the table.

Most of the food was soft or tender, with nothing hard like shellfish.

“Is this chicken?”

“Boneless chicken.”

“……”

They had even made sure there were no bone fragments, which made him feel this was truly excessive.

“It’s not like I’m a prisoner.”

“……”

“What? Do I really look like a prisoner to you?”

Wang Huan poked the boneless chicken with his forkspoon.

“Do you look down on me because I’ve become nothing? Just a week ago, E-class agents like you…”

Click.

The agent took something out of her pocket.

It was a wireless earphone, and after putting it on, she just stood there silently.

“…Damn it.”

Wang Huan quietly chewed his chicken.

It was unpleasant, but he couldn’t throw a tantrum about it.

He was just a powerless person now, and that E-class agent could kill him with just one finger.

Crunch.

“……”

Juice burst in his mouth.

And he felt something that shouldn’t be there. Wang Huan quietly chewed the chicken while moving his tongue.

Chew, chew.

Wang Huan finished his meal, and the agent took the cart and left.

After the agent closed the door and left, Wang Huan pretended to sleep, covered himself with a blanket, and put his hand in his mouth.

Slip.

What came out of his mouth was a red piece of plastic.

And when he unfolded it, there were words written inside what looked like a long transparent tape.

“…I see.”

Haejerowol (海底捞月).

It was a Chinese idiom, but the meaning of those short words was clear.

“You must come. For me. Hehehe…”

If he waited.

They would surely come to rescue him.

Yes.

Like trying to scoop the moon from the sea, Korea’s attempt to detain Zenros members on Sejong Island would be futile.

Even if he had killed Koreans and caused damage.

He should be tried in his home country’s court, not Korea’s.

“…Hehe.”

When he returned to his home country, he would receive support from the Party.

And after research upon research, he would finally regain his abilities.

The question of “how” doesn’t apply.

He will definitely regain his abilities, and based on that power, he must taste that pleasure again.

“…Kuhehe.”

Wang Huan lightly gripped the pillow with his hand.

Right now, it was just holding cotton in his hand.

But later.

If he regained his abilities, or rather, if he regained the power he had as a demon.

“…I want to crush it.”

Once he had tasted it, he couldn’t resist.

* * *

While we were deciding on concepts in Ulleungdo.

“Yes, this is Do Ji-hwan.”

[Um, can we talk briefly… right now?]

Baek Seol-hee called me with a voice that seemed to be watching out for others.

“Yes, yes. That’s fine. What’s troubling you this time?”

[Ah, that’s a relief. I have something to consult about.]

“If it’s something I should know.”

[I don’t think it will be a big problem.]

Not a big one.

[You know how the Zenros members are going to Sejong Island? Will the Goblin appear?]

“The Goblin?”

[Yes. The Goblin. You know, the one who kills all villains.]

“Would he really get involved?”

Was that what she wanted to ask?

Whether the Goblin would intervene.

“I can’t say for certain what the Goblin is thinking, but if I were the Goblin.”

[…If you were the Goblin?]

“If Zenros members became ordinary people because of Platinum Sun, I don’t think there would be any need to dirty my hands by hunting them down and killing them.”

[Why?]

“Well, because it’s troublesome? Or maybe the Goblin has his own circumstances. Like being busy with patriotic activities with someone he likes.”

[Ah.]

Baek Seol-hee let out an exclamation as if she had realized something.

[If that’s the case….]

“Did that answer your question?”

[…Yes. But it’s a bit… you know. The Goblin is the type to show up and meddle in things.]

She’s asking.

While saying that, she’s actually asking if he’ll show up again.

“If he were to meddle, wouldn’t it be to stop those trying to gain malicious benefits from the Zenros members, rather than executing villains?”

[Malicious benefits?]

“I’ve heard rumors. What about the genes of someone who became a demon and returned to being human? If they can have children, would those children be human or demon?”

[…Such experiments would be unethical and inhumane.]

“Well, you see it in movies, don’t you? Diverting criminals for human experimentation. In history, they didn’t just use criminals but ordinary people too.”

[……]

A silence of agreement.

Since Baek Seol-hee and I had watched such movies together before, she didn’t deny my words.

“Ms. Seol-hee. For malice and desire, humans can become worse than demons. It’s not just those who become demons through abilities who are demons. Just.”

[Just?]

“The question of whether the Goblin will act as the Goblin. Hehehe.”

[…I think I understand.]

Baek Seol-hee answered with a somewhat relieved voice.

[One last question.]

“Yes. Ask away.”

[Are those defined as ‘villains’ by the state always the bad guys?]

“For that, I’ll answer like this.”

The answer to the question I had when I was classified as a villain.

“During the Japanese occupation, from Japan’s perspective, weren’t the independence activists no different from villains to them?”

[…That’s a somewhat complex issue.]

“Well, the Goblin might think that way.”

Thinking that he is not bad at all, and that those who define him as a villain are evil.

“But don’t forget. The Goblin is like the embodiment of hypocrisy. He says self-centered things when it’s convenient for him, and he’s a selfish piece of trash who judges everything by his own standards, not by the law.”

Whether society defines the Goblin as a villain or not, I know best that what I do constitutes villain behavior.

“But you know, sometimes there’s this thing. Even a villain, for the sake of justice or a greater cause, might not act as a villain at times. They might even boldly do what heroes cannot do.”

[Hmm… is that so?]

“Yes. Remember that movie we watched? Hero Tyranno and Mecha Tyranno.”

[Ah.]

The first movie Baek Seol-hee and I watched together in the theater.

“Even if heroes and villains fight each other, when an enemy appears from outer space, they fight together as Earthlings.”

Though I’m not from this Earth.

[Then not as the Goblin… but maybe wearing something like a bride mask?]

“Hehe, Ms. Seol-hee.”

I glanced at the concept that Ymir and Taowu were busily preparing, and while trying my best to hold back laughter, I answered her question.

“He might pop up in a form you couldn’t even imagine.”