Ch.306306. Experiment (3)

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The landscape of the slums is always gray.

Dark and dingy alleyways, vagrants, sewage, the musty smell flowing from every corner, and the gloomy atmosphere emanating from people who sell their futures to buy today.

Perhaps anyone with common sense wouldn’t even think of entering such a place, and even those with less common sense wouldn’t easily consider strolling through such areas.

In that regard.

“…Miss, I don’t think we’ll find the person you want in a place like this.”

The human hearing these words was clearly someone very difficult to encounter in such a place.

A sturdy-built man carefully advised the girl walking in front of him.

One would have to say she was visibly high-class.

The class difference was so obvious that most people living in this street would likely never encounter someone like her in their lifetime.

Such a person walking around here would be exposed to all kinds of threats, which is probably why he spoke up.

“Don’t say such boring things.”

The response came almost immediately.

As if it wasn’t even worth considering.

“Dad told me to choose someone I like myself. Isn’t that right?”

“Miss, suitable candidates for your ‘personal guard’ could be found anywhere other than—”

“A personal guard has to be with me 24 hours a day. What matters is that we get along well. I have no interest in those who are obviously just after my father’s money.”

“…”

It seems the slum dwellers would be the most desperate for such an opportunity. There doesn’t seem to be any reason to come to a place like this to find candidates.

Though he had such thoughts, the guard didn’t bother voicing them.

This young lady’s eccentric tastes were already widely known. There was little chance of changing her mind now.

Above all, wasn’t he himself among those who approached her for her parents’ money rather than for the girl herself?

She must be longing for human warmth. The man inwardly chuckled.

“Hey.”

Perhaps the reason he noticed someone speaking so late was because he was lost in such thoughts.

It was a boy wearing clothes that were practically rags, sitting against a wall.

“”

“…”

The man frowned deeply.

More than anything else, there was something disturbing about the sight.

‘…What unpleasant eyes.’

Empty eyes.

The kind you only see in those who live because they cannot die.

As the man frowned with unconscious displeasure, the boy opened his mouth again in a murky voice.

“Can I do that too?”

“What are you talking about?”

The girl expressionlessly asked in response to the boy’s words.

Both the boy who suddenly interrupted and spoke up, and the girl who casually answered him, were equally strange people.

While the man in charge of security was thinking this and frowning even more, the boy continued calmly.

“That personal guard thing for you.”

“…”

After a moment of silence, the girl smiled slightly and answered.

“Are you confident you can do it well?”

“Yeah.”

“How will you prove it?”

“Well, at least I think I can do better than the person next to you.”

“…What nonsense—”

Before the man could finish his sentence with a snort.

The next moment, the boy moved like lightning.

In an instant, the vagrant boy snatched the gun tucked at the man’s side and pointed it at his face.

“Bang.”

“…”

Though he didn’t actually shoot.

The man’s expression immediately froze. Just now, he had essentially died once.

“You should always stay alert. You get caught when you underestimate someone.”

He could have reacted if he wanted to. Although the boy’s movement was faster than expected, the man was a trained individual.

But because he had underestimated him.

Because he hadn’t even considered that such a boy could make such a move, this is what happened.

While the man stood stiffly, the boy calmly tucked the gun back into the man’s belt and said:

“I couldn’t do better because I’m hungry.”

His voice was thin, dull, cracked, and faint.

But the eyes of the boy who spoke those words were sparkling as if they contained flames.

“I could do much better normally.”

“…”

“So, what do you think? Worth a try?”

The girl silently looked down at the boy.

After a long silence, she scratched her cheek and spoke.

“Personal guard, huh. You don’t even know me, so why do you want to do it? What do you want?”

“Don’t let me starve. That’s enough.”

“…”

It’s an understandable motive.

At least it’s much more transparent than those humans who pretend to sweet-talk her but are actually after her money.

The girl smiled slightly and opened her mouth.

“You know what? Should we take this guy with us?”

“Miss…!”

“It’s interesting.”

To the man’s protest, the girl casually replied with another smile.

“Raising such a beast-like fellow, who knows what will come of it later.”

That was.

The first meeting between the boy and the girl.

Though a faded scene beyond dreams, for the boy, that memory was deeply engraved in his soul.

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[“Hey, hey!”]

At Calivan’s cry echoing through the Soul Linker, I barely manage to open my eyes.

“…What is it, so noisy.”

[Are you okay?]

Rarely, it’s pure concern without any sarcasm or laughter mixed in.

I was so surprised that I couldn’t immediately respond, just blinking my eyes.

“Why wouldn’t I be okay?”

[You were sweating profusely while sleeping, moaning, gasping for breath, almost like you were dying. What kind of nightmare did you have?]

“…”

The slums.

The girl. The man.

My first protection target.

“…It’s nothing.”

I get up grumpily.

It’s a dream I haven’t had since entering the game, and I don’t know why it’s resurfacing now.

Dreams containing memories of the past are always exhausting.

I press both temples firmly to wipe away the sleepiness that hasn’t yet faded, along with the damp emotions.

“What time is it?”

[Am I your butler? It’s 9 AM.]

Despite grumbling, he still tells me properly.

I get up from the bed with a slight smile. That’s not oversleeping.

“Nice weather.”

That guy Klein’s experiment is today.

‘…From what I’ve heard.’

A professor who specializes in brain science research.

I heard that in terms of research achievements, he’s not particularly outstanding among the Demonic Spire professors, but his cunning exceeds imagination.

But, well.

“…Shall we go?”

What can I do?

I’ve met much worse people many times before.

Let’s go.

To kill that bastard.

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“Did you take care of everything I asked?”

On the way to Professor Klein’s research building, I asked Alpha.

I’m talking about the favor I asked earlier. Setting the “stage” where I can kill Professor Klein.

“…Yes, I finished that a while ago.”

As I spoke, Alpha, who was moving toward the laboratory inside the research building, replied with a disgruntled expression.

Actually, since I didn’t ask for much, it probably wasn’t difficult.

First, confirming whether the “safety net” that was deployed last time was in place for experiments related to me conducted by Professor Mobius.

I’m referring to the device that ensures that person won’t die even if he suffers harm.

Second, confirming the list of all professors participating this time.

Finally, preparing this thing I’m holding in my hand now.

“What exactly are you planning to do with that one thing?”

As Alpha said this, his pointing finger indicated a box filled with randomly selected everyday items.

It’s really full of insignificant things. Cards, screwdrivers, drinking cups, ladles… things like that.

“Well, everything has its use, right?”

“…”

At my words, Alpha looked like he wanted to say something, but instead just sighed deeply.

It was clearly a sigh deeply rooted in the thought that I would handle everything properly.

“…It’s not that I don’t trust you, but it would be better if you don’t let your guard down too much.”

I just shrug in response to Alpha’s words.

Of course, he’s right.

You should always stay alert. You get caught when you underestimate someone.

In that regard.

[Ah, you’ve finally arrived.]

As soon as we arrived at the massive dome with a structure similar to what I’d seen before, such words flowed from the speaker located at the top.

[Get in position, test subject. This time, various additional means for control will be—]

“I won’t be using magic.”

[…]

The professor conducting the experiment, Klein, fell silent at my calm interruption before he could finish his sentence.

He clearly hadn’t expected me to say such a thing first.

But, well.

“Weren’t you planning to control that anyway?”

I heard initially that this experiment was being conducted to collect data related to magic, but it seems a bit ridiculous to now block even that just to mess with me.

Well, either way, it’s what I want too.

“I’ll follow your control measures anyway. Do as you please, whether you shut down my magic or not. However, please let me use this.”

Saying that, I shake the box once with a rattling sound.

Inside are only harmless odds and ends that anyone would see as non-threatening.

[…What are you trying to do now?]

“Really, just let me use this, that’s all.”

Saying that, I check for Professor Mobius who would be watching this scene from the control booth, and also look at Professor Klein who is blankly listening to my words.

And then.

I dump the contents of the box I’ve been carrying onto the floor.

Everyday items spill out everywhere, and I scan them all with calm eyes.

Hmm. What would be good?

‘Ah, yes.’

‘This’ would be good to ‘start’ with.

Thinking that, I pick up a drinking cup.

“First, I’ll start with this.”

Silence enveloped the entire area.

They seem to have no idea what I’m talking about.

After a long silence, Professor Klein opened his mouth with a dumbfounded voice.

[What?]

“Since this is a combat-type experiment, you must have prepared some kind of opponent, right? I’m saying I’ll kill it with this.”

[…With a cup?]

“Yes.”

[…]

“Whatever you’ve prepared, this should be enough.”

Silence again.

A little longer than before.

And then.

[…Interesting.]

I can see the veins popping up on Professor Klein’s forehead from here.

‘That’s right.’

The first setup to kill your opponent.

First, make them angry.

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