Ch.92Hypnos 2

Lab Room 1.

I stare intently at the crystal man sleeping peacefully.

In my hand is a Black Russian potion.

It’s a top-tier grade, much more enhanced than the first one I ever made.

<Black Russian Potion>

Grade: ★★★★☆ (Elixir)

Effect: Doubles strength for 30 minutes. Reduces composure by 5.

Information: A high-grade Black Russian potion made by Siho. The strength increase varies tremendously depending on who consumes it.

Although my own strength is quite negligible, so doubling it still has clear limitations.

But the greatest feature of this potion is that you barely get drunk when you drink it.

Because I’ve reduced the alcohol content to the extreme.

Maybe it’s equivalent to about one shot of soju.

I receive the potion reverently, like a general drinking before a great battle.

Then I stare fixedly at the crystal man.

While sipping the potion, I feel a piercing gaze and turn my head.

It’s the Eel Boy.

He usually lives like a shut-in, but today he seems unusually interested in me.

The boy stares at me with serious eyes, as if he’s figured out my plan.

I slowly approach Eel Boy.

His palm sticks firmly to the glass window.

“Do you have something you want to say?”

I feel sorry seeing him rotting away inside this cold glass wall.

Knowing the truth about Rankers, the confined boy looks more like a prisoner than someone being protected.

He could be used as experimental material at any moment.

Like a fish in an aquarium at a seafood restaurant.

I press my face close to the glass wall.

Then I open my mouth toward Eel Boy’s face.

“—.”

I blow hot breath onto the glass wall.

Then I write four characters with my finger where the breath has fogged the glass.

Eel Boy’s eyes flicker subtly as he reads the characters.

I wonder if he understood what I meant.

I look at my phone.

It’s been 10 minutes since the Rankers drank the Hypnos.

The drug should have taken effect by now.

I take a deep breath inwardly.

Then, with my eyes wide open, I fling open the door to Lab Room 2.

The previously noisy corridor of Lab Room 2 is now very quiet.

Still, I should properly check their condition just to be sure.

Room number 09.

When I open the door, her phone lies coldly on the floor.

09 is sleeping quietly, just like the murdered hunter shown on the broadcast.

I approach the bed and wave my hand over her face.

But the Ranker doesn’t show any reaction.

Only then could I finally breathe a sigh of relief.

I immediately leave that unpleasant room and head to 08’s room.

As expected.

08 is asleep like a corpse with his head slumped on the desk.

His glasses are grotesquely twisted, probably from the impact of his head hitting the desk.

I hope he goes blind too.

With that thought, I hurry to room number 6.

The sound of a treadmill running echoes loudly.

The bald man fell asleep while running and was thrown off the rail.

He lies collapsed on the gym floor, sleeping peacefully.

Finally, 04.

When I arrived at the girl’s room, I flinched for a moment.

Unlike the other quiet rooms, loud gaming sounds were still echoing from her room.

I swallowed hard and carefully opened the door.

“04…?”

I muttered with a trembling voice.

But there’s no response from the gaming console.

I slowly approached her.

Then I clutched my chest and exhaled deeply.

The source of the sound was 04’s keyboard as she slept.

Her head had collapsed onto the keyboard, pressing multiple keys simultaneously.

Because of this, her game character was running madly toward a wall.

Soon the character was attacked by a nearby monster and eventually died.

Only then did 04’s room also become quiet.

Thank goodness.

Actually, 04 was the most important one here.

Among the Rankers, she’s the lightest, making her the only one I can drag out.

I put my hands under her armpits and dragged her out of the machine.

With my strength enhanced by the Black Russian, I drag her to the entrance of Lab Room 3.

Then I lift her arm and press it against the fingerprint scanner.

When her thumb touches it, a clear sound effect is heard from the entrance of Lab Room 3.

Finally, the laboratory I’ve been longing for reveals itself.

I carelessly drop 04’s arm.

Despite being dragged quite a distance, she shows no sign of waking up.

That’s how precise my cocktail is.

Before entering the lab, I briefly looked back at the girl.

In truth, she isn’t the main culprit who killed me and my comrades.

But she also defended this unethical facility, making her an accomplice.

I won’t be swayed by any misplaced attachment formed through gaming.

I just ran straight ahead.

Toward my sister.

I pass by numerous glass tubes.

It feels like all the people inside the glass tubes are staring at me.

Suppressing the fear that creeps over me, I arrive in front of a red glass tube.

I see a woman floating in the liquid, wearing a lab coat.

She hasn’t aged or been damaged at all, remaining in perfect condition.

She’s in a deep sleep with her eyes closed.

“Just wait a little longer…”

I finally tore my eyes away from the glass tube.

Breathing heavily, I headed to the central control room.

As I entered, a ‘password’ prompt embedded in the center of the computer greeted me.

I need to solve this.

Although I only heard it once, I clearly remember.

The conversation between the drunk doctor and Misha at the lounge bar.

“Deputy Director, I told you not to write the password on sticky notes.”

“Sorry, Doctor-. But busy people like me forget often, so it’s convenient to write it down.”

“What if someone hacks the computer?”

“Come on- who would come all the way down to the 10th basement floor to crack the computer?”

“Besides, storing passwords ‘analogically’ is much safer from hacking.”

“Post-it!”

I hurriedly looked around the massive monitors searching for a Post-it note.

But no matter how much I looked, I couldn’t find any yellow sticky note.

“Damn it… where did you stick it!”

Did the doctor remove it already?

If so, where could it be…

My desperate eyes suddenly turn toward the trash can.

Realizing something, I immediately turned the trash can upside down.

Crumpled papers inside spill out.

I frantically searched through them.

And finally…

I discover a crumpled yellow sticky note.

There are pen marks scribbled by someone.

“pswd: misha8282”

What a careless password.

Typical of Misha, I suppose.

I hurriedly placed my hands on the spacious keyboard.

Then I entered the number written on the note.

Finally…

The computer screen turns on and various programs appear.

I’m breathless at the sight of screens I’ve never seen before.

But I managed to find the release system among the English programs.

And finally, I face a red button labeled “isolation” and a green button labeled “release.”

My hand holding the mouse trembles extremely.

I clicked the green ‘release’ button.

Then a woman’s voice begins to be heard from the speakers hanging in Lab Room 3.

“Release.”

“Release.”

Fortunately, it was a system voice.

Through the glass of the control room, I stare at the red glass tube where my sister is.

It’s true…

The liquid is gradually draining out!

Knowing the button works, I looked back at the computer screen.

The release button can also be set with a reservation time.

When the Rankers wake up, they’ll surely track us down.

To prevent that, I’ll turn this place into chaos.

I click the button for Lab Room 1.

And set the release time to exactly 20 minutes later.

Done.

I threw the mouse violently.

Then I got up so roughly that the chair spun and ran to the glass tube.

The liquid was half drained.

Eventually, my sister’s skin, which had been red, begins to regain vitality.

The liquid drained down to her calves.

Unable to wait any longer, I forcibly opened the glass tube.

Thanks to the potion, my strength had increased.

As I roughly opened the glass tube, red liquid poured out, soaking my shoes.

Ignoring that, I forcibly removed the hoses connected to my sister’s body.

Finally, after removing the oxygen respirator, her smooth lips regain their color.

“Sis…”

I grabbed her face.

And whispered while gently pressing.

“Wake up… it’s me…”

I slowly sat her unconscious form on my knee.

And carefully embraced her.

“It’s Dohyun…”

My lengthened hair falls onto my sister’s face.

Tears gradually flowed down my cheeks.

Those tears fell along my hair and wet her face.

A faint white radiance swirls in the droplets.

I reached out to wipe away those tears.

Then, from my fingertips, the radiance of Angelic Hand emanated.

Stronger than ever before.

Lab Room 3 was dark and gloomy.

But soon the thick darkness begins to flee because of my light.

That intense light envelops my sister’s body.

And gradually it was absorbed into her body.

Eventually, the lab became dark again.

Her tightly closed eyelids begin to twitch.

It was just a fleeting moment.

“Sis!”

At my raised voice, Jisoo’s eyes begin to open.

Finally, her amber eyes that I missed so much awakened.

“…”

I missed them so much.

These golden eyes.

She makes a languid expression as if she’s had a deep sleep.

And soon she looked up at the woman looking down at her.

“Who are you…?”

I couldn’t answer that question.

I certainly had the name Dohyun.

But why?

Those two syllables got stuck in my throat and wouldn’t come out of my mouth.

I just shook my head.

Hot tears fall with each shake of my head.

“That’s not important.”

My sister’s gaze toward me wasn’t warm like before.

It’s cold, like looking at a complete stranger.

But I didn’t care about such a gaze.

“Let’s get out of here first.”

First, we need to escape from this hellish place.

I urged her as she woke up.

And headed to the emergency elevator hidden in the control room.

“Where is this place…?”

My sister’s golden eyes look around the laboratory.

As if searching for someone.

“Excuse me…”

Jisoo looked at me with sorrowful eyes.

She asks me with trembling lips.

“Was there anyone else where I collapsed?”

“Someone… else?”

My tear ducts quiver.

I blankly repeated my sister’s words.

“Yes… a man slightly taller than me, thin, who uses healing skills.”

“Why are you looking for that person?”

“…”

The corners of Jisoo’s eyes trembled poignantly.

Tears well up in her golden eyes, shimmering.

“I said something to that child… something I shouldn’t have…”

We were in front of the emergency escape elevator.

I stood there, looking at her pitifully.

“Your life is at stake and you’re worried about that?”

“Yes… it’s very important to me. Is he alive?”

“…”

“Why can’t you answer? Tell me quickly!”

Dark circles had formed under my eyes.

My lips had turned purple from all the hardship.

I turned my head as if ignoring her words.

And calmly pressed the call button.

“This is the den of the people who killed you.”

The elevator arrived.

The only escape route from this place finally opened.

“Let’s save your life first.”

I bowed my head deeply to prevent myself from sobbing.

Perhaps due to the lump in my throat, I just mumbled in a small voice.

“Then I’ll explain everything to you.”