Chapter 16
Chapter 16
There Are No Sane People in the Research Team
The sparring result was completely one-sided.
“Hmph. What is this? You’re losing to me even without using aura?”
“……”
Aren couldn’t accept the outcome.
They had clearly fought barehanded without using aura.
Given the difference in physical strength, he should have been able to resist easily.
That would have been normal.
Grip.
Ran pressed down Aren’s limbs and grinned right in front of his face.
The reason for his defeat was simple.
“We’ve known each other for how long? You can’t fight that predictably.”
Knowing each other too well was the problem.
His weaknesses were mercilessly exploited to the point that even natural physical differences couldn’t make up for it.
Of course, it wasn’t like Aren didn’t know Ran’s weaknesses either.
But the difference in dynamic vision between a C-rank and an E-rank decided the outcome.
“…I lost. Let me go.”
In the end, he admitted it.
He had already been pinned under Ran for over ten minutes.
He only endured because he didn’t want to accept it.
The match had long been completely decided.
“Nope. Pay the price of defeat. Take this.”
“Ugh… where are you touching?”
Ran didn’t let him go.
With a mischievous smile, she mercilessly tickled him.
“Waaah…”
Watching from the side, Rua let out a sound of admiration.
She was so exhausted from physical training that she couldn’t even move a finger.
But she still forced herself to watch the two rolling around on the ring.
Ran’s playful teasing only stopped when—
Thud.
Eric, who had been training alone, collapsed from exhaustion.
“Oh! Are you okay?”
Startled, Ran immediately let go of Aren and rushed over to check on Eric.
Lying flat on his back, Eric answered,
“…I’m fine.”
“You don’t look fine at all.”
His eyes were slowly closing, sweat poured from his entire body, and his breathing was ragged.
In what world did that count as fine?
“We should take him to the infirmary.”
It was only natural to end up like this after exhausting all one’s mana.
Stretching his joints, Aren got up and approached Eric.
“Lean on me.”
“Yeah, just lean comfortably.”
Together with Ran, they supported Eric and carried him to the infirmary.
“…What is this now.”
Three visits to the infirmary in two days.
It was only natural for the medical staff member’s expression to sour.
“I haven’t heard anything about an emergency situation.”
“He ended up like this during training.”
“…Not torture?”
Using up all your mana doesn’t kill you.
Instead, it brings headaches, fever, chills—pain that makes you feel like you might die.
Training by exhausting your mana to the limit meant willingly enduring that pain every day.
“Wouldn’t a mana supplement injection fix it?”
“…Wow. Seriously.”
Aren hadn’t pushed Eric recklessly without a plan.
If you used up all your mana?
You just refill it.
Either way, Eric would be able to return to work normally the next day.
So Aren chose to ignore the suffering Eric would go through in the meantime.
It seemed Eric himself was prepared for that much if it meant getting stronger.
The medical staff member prepared an IV drip, still casting suspicious glances.
“This was agreed upon, right? You didn’t force him?”
“How would I force a senior agent?”
“…Hmm.”
Only then did the medic remember that Aren was just a regular agent.
“Agent Aren.”
“Yes.”
“You’ll be coming here often from now on, won’t you?”
“Yes.”
“….”
The immediate answer made him press his forehead.
“If we’re going to see each other often, we might as well introduce ourselves.”
The medic bowed slightly.
His neatly shaved round buzz cut stood out.
“I’m Leon, a general staff member of the medical team.”
“I’m Aren, a general agent of Gate Management Team 3.”
After exchanging greetings, Leon made a complicated expression.
“My team leader took the others on a business trip, so I’m the only one left here.”
“I see.”
“And you’re saying you’ll keep coming like this every day?”
“Yes.”
Again, an instant reply.
Leon let out a deep sigh at the sudden addition of regular work.
“…Then could you at least bring me coffee?”
“I already did.”
As if he had been waiting, Aren handed him a canned coffee.
Leon looked even more dumbfounded.
He had assumed Aren lacked awareness after seeing his mental stat ruined.
But to think he had prepared in advance.
“…Thank you. You don’t have any discomfort, right?”
“I’m fine. Please take good care of Agent Eric.”
“…Alright.”
Leaving Leon sipping coffee behind, Aren exited the infirmary.
“I thought you’d just drop him off and come out. Why did it take so long?”
Ran waved from the hallway as she approached.
“He said we’d be seeing each other often, so we exchanged names.”
“Haha, well, three visits in two days is a lot.”
Letting out an awkward laugh, Ran poked Aren’s cheek.
“But why are you speaking formally? It’s just the two of us.”
“We’re on the way to the chairman’s office.”
“You can switch back after we go in.”
Why was she so fixated on informal speech?
As Aren made a puzzled expression, Ran narrowed her eyes.
It practically said, you promised.
“…Fine, alright.”
“Hehe, that’s better.”
As soon as he gave in, Ran smiled like a child.
“After we’re done, want to get tteokbokki? We talked about it earlier.”
“Let’s see if we even make it out first.”
“Come on, it’s not like my dad’s going to eat you. If he uses his ability again, I’ll handle it.”
“How?”
“I’ll just say I won’t talk to him anymore.”
“….”
“Why are you looking at me like that?”
“I’m impressed.”
Her mental age was over thirty, yet that was her grand strategy.
Aren genuinely admired the unexpected approach.
Ran had no intention of actually cutting ties with her father.
“So you’re saying GT-257 should be raised to D-rank.”
“That’s correct.”
The tense atmosphere from before had vanished.
Only the chairman remained, calmly listening to the report.
In truth, it was an absurd situation.
A mere agent reporting directly to the chairman.
Even the secretaries were flustered, but Taechun and Aren remained composed.
“The first research team member who was affected had turned into a statue. The suspicious painting seems to be the core of the gate.”
“……”
Taechun silently reviewed the research team’s report.
It differed from Aren’s judgment.
Which made him ask more specifically.
“The research team believes E-rank is appropriate. They say it’s safe as long as you don’t touch the painting.”
If the research team had reported that, the matter should have been settled.
They were far more reliable than a gate management agent.
Then why call Aren here?
“There would be no reason to summon me unless they wanted proof.”
Perhaps this was a test.
To see whether he was worthy of standing beside Ran.
“Not touching the artwork is indeed safe. And it’s true there are no mana stones.”
Up to that point, it matched an E-rank gate.
“However, the painting itself is an exceptional threat.”
“You doubt the research team?”
To be honest, yes.
Humans were too ignorant to fully understand gates.
But there was no need to openly criticize the company.
“I trust my experience more. My mental stat is 54, but when I touched the painting, I felt something watching me.”
He recalled the moment.
“A faceless entity tried to turn me into part of the museum. It felt like I had to stay still… like I had to become one of its exhibits.”
“…What?”
Ran, who had been quietly listening, was shocked.
“You never told me that.”
“You didn’t ask.”
“That’s not the point….”
Her eyes sharpened.
If even Aren, who could stroll through mental-type gates, felt something—that was dangerous.
“What is the condition of the affected researcher?”
“He is recovering.”
“We need his testimony, but there’s definitely a hidden risk we haven’t discovered yet.”
Aren submitted the records from their earlier investigation.
“There was no mental attack today. I believe the hallucinations came solely from the painting—the core of the gate.”
He wanted to minimize risk as much as possible.
If a humanoid gate were to free this one next?
There was no guarantee it would remain safe this time.
“I understand your point. The risks outweigh the benefits.”
“Yes. It’s clearly different from gates like ‘Aquarium’ or ‘Zoo.’”
Turning F-rank gates into attractions was necessary.
Instead of farming large amounts of mana stones, companies now focused on steady management.
Tourism filled the financial gap.
“I’ll discuss it with the research team again.”
With that, Taechun stood up.
It was both a dismissal and a sign the decision was not final.
“Then—”
“Have you made progress with your ability?”
Just as Aren bowed, Taechun asked without turning around.
“Not yet.”
Naturally.
It had only been a day.
“I told you to request support if needed.”
“I will, but I still can’t grasp it.”
“You can’t grasp it?”
Taechun frowned slightly.
Once awakened, abilities should feel natural.
Yet Aren felt nothing.
“I understand. Figure it out quickly.”
That was the end.
Aren bowed and left.
“Whew…”
A deep breath escaped him.
Facing an S-rank hunter was never comfortable.
“See? I told you it’d be fine.”
Ran followed, relieved.
She looked even more tense than Aren had been.
“Now that that’s done, let’s finally go get tteokbokki—”
Ding.
A message arrived on Aren’s device.
“…What now?”
“It’s the research team.”
Ran’s expression hardened.
“Why are they calling you all of a sudden?”
“They want to discuss the seed from GT-078 and the hold on GT-257’s rank.”
“…Seriously?”
She was speechless.
They were calling a regular agent directly?
She almost wanted to grab the device and reply herself.
“Calm down. We need to give them the seed information anyway.”
“…I know, but…”
She understood.
But still—
“Why is my friend so competent that everyone keeps taking him away?”
Her lips pouted.
She couldn’t help feeling like Aren was being taken from her again and again.