Chapter 68
Chapter 68
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 68
Chapter Title: 25. Happy Happy Gym (3)
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Whether by coincidence or fate, BM immediately recognized the group affiliated with the International Superhuman Alliance.
"Well... damn."
He clicked his tongue.
Yoo Ji-tae lined up the thirty airborne special forces members against the wall of the inner chamber. They'd thrashed wildly the whole way there, forcing the 'hands' to gag them. But now, the atmosphere had calmed.
Thirty people. An enormous number.
Yet the cylindrical 'inner chamber' was as vast as a sports field. Housing them posed no issue at all.
"Where... exactly is this place...?"
The leader of the airborne special forces unit.
Her name was Bell Varian. World ranking 171st.
A woman of Filipino Mestizo descent, with a height and build around 2.2 meters.
Bell was half out of it.
"You with us?"
"Ah... yeah..."
At Yoo Ji-tae's words, her dazed gaze focused.
"Where... is this...?"
How to explain it?
A space to isolate and accommodate those whose minds were broken, helping them regain stability.
A similar term came to mind.
"Mental hospital."
"From now on, you'll have to stay here. Roughly three months to a year."
Yoo Ji-tae addressed the airborne special forces members.
"You mean quarantine?"
"Exactly. You've probably felt your thoughts and emotions spiraling out of control. Unnecessary contact with objects or beings triggered it."
"Ah."
They widened their eyes, as if realization dawned.
That could wait.
"If you go out, someone will get hurt or die because of you. Could even be your family. So just do as you're told."
"And who are you?"
"Think of me as a doctor."
None of them were in their right minds.
"I see," "A doctor, huh..." They nodded sincerely.
Their state was like dumping ice into boiling water. It would eventually mix into lukewarm stability, but for now, the two clashed.
Thus, their thinking wasn't clear.
"This guy's the nurse."
He pointed to BM.
"Hah. Never thought the great 'BM' would moonlight as a nurse..."
Definitely not in their right minds.
BM let out an incredulous chuckle, then downed a gulp of vodka.
"We'll improve things step by step as symptoms ease. For now, rest up as much as you want."
"...Hold on."
Bell raised her hand.
"Speak."
"We're... soldiers."
"So?"
"We can't afford to lose combat readiness. I get we have to stay, but is there a place for training?"
The 6th cycle Yoo Ji-tae would have slapped her. Barking about not knowing their place.
That was best. No hassle for him. They'd stay quiet.
"...I'll prepare something."
Hearing those words from his own mouth, Yoo Ji-tae felt he'd taken a step closer to 'normalcy' over something so trivial.
Perhaps a habit ingrained from acting as guardian to the kids.
He'd have given it without question if they'd asked.
"That's the explanation. Now, show me what you found in the underground facility."
At Yoo Ji-tae's words, Bell carefully pulled something from her pocket.
A black ziplock bag.
A cigarette butt.
It was like the 'Guardian's Sword.'
Probably smoked by Wei Lian.
'Evil' must have surged while he puffed.
"I'll hold onto this."
Next, BM stepped forward.
He explained the inner chamber rules to the thirty. While Morning Star stayed here, he'd mimicked day and night. TV, newspapers, books—all provided.
Once hands-on, systems became necessary. The unit members nodded at BM's words.
"Hmm..."
BM scanned them.
Something felt off.
The airborne special forces were notoriously tough.
Many were ex-convicts. The Alliance created the unit to reform criminal supers.
In this era, how many clean supers wielded power anyway?
These guys—breaking swords to punch, fists to bite monsters—now knelt like obedient kids. Bizarre, yet amusing.
BM downed vodka.
Thus, 31 people and one suit of armor sprawled on the sauna-like inner chamber floor.
BM urgently called Yoo Ji-tae.
"You got time?"
"What."
He relayed what he'd seen and heard.
The armor voiced longing.
Morning Star joked about her own death.
Common thread: 'dissatisfaction.'
Unacceptable for those bathed in 'Paradise Fragment' light.
"Even with corrupted minds, this is dangerous. If Paradise's light fades, emotions will plummet."
Yoo Ji-tae agreed. BM was right.
He continued indifferently, as if about others.
"Dunno the reason. Healthy body, breathing—should feel satisfied."
The aged chimera engineer's view.
The regressor shook his head.
Is mere breathing life?
Contentment in idleness—is that living?
Then.
"Don't come near me! I'll kill you!"
A bellow echoed through the chamber.
Morning Star shrieked in seizure.
She glared venomously at a female special forces member.
...Time for a talk.
The small adjoining room off the inner chamber.
Yoo Ji-tae summoned Morning Star there.
Her softly curved eyes wandered hazily, then fixed on him.
"Hi."
"Yeah. Hi."
Morning Star giggled... hi...
"Didn't peg you for a doctor."
She'd eavesdropped. Yoo Ji-tae nodded vaguely.
"Oh, uh... that was a mistake earlier. Yelling at them."
"Yeah. I know."
"You do?"
"Of course. It's fine."
Morning Star chuckled happily.
"...And, sorry about before."
"For what."
"At home, I just... went wild..."
Morning Star mimed swinging something.
Recalling her rampage with glass shards.
"Wasn't in my right mind. I hate sharp things normally..."
"It's fine."
"Really?"
Morning Star giggled again, ehehe.
"Why'd you call me? Rounds?"
"Just to chat."
"About what?"
"Life."
"Mm... nothing much. Here. Just lounging. Reading magazines. Oh! They're super fun."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. Kept rereading the same one. This."
Morning Star waved a tattered magazine.
"Like 50 times. Know it so well—every page, text, photos. Wanna quiz me?"
Yoo Ji-tae took the magazine.
Fitness workout mag.
...And Morning Star hated exercise.
"Page 35. First line."
"Got it. Proper squat posture. Below: Chinese male model pic. Topless, huge nipples."
"Right."
"See? Another?"
"Page 55 photo."
"Know it. Couple yoga. Guy in purple tights, lying, woman on his soles."
"Right."
Morning Star beamed proudly.
He quizzed more; she nailed them all.
Mid-exchange, she leaned on the desk. Spoke slowly.
"Looking at this, I know I'd suck at working out."
"Why."
"What if I get hurt."
"Treat it."
"Can't heal memories."
Morning Star murmured, eyes glazed.
"Hurt shoulder on pull-ups? Scared every time after."
"Maybe."
"Slip off cliff, grab ledge? Disaster... gotta pull up, but can't."
"..."
"Doctors probably force through."
"Probably."
"Jealous. But for me..."
Morning Star twirled her hair.
Silence.
Glazed expression, she murmured on.
"We had tons of kids at home. Kang-jun, Hee-jun, Tae-jun—the 'Three Juns.' Bora, Hee-su, Hyun-ji... sweet girls. Oh, not home—orphanage. I was caregiver."
She tilted her head.
"Big rift opened. Missed escape. Kids inside. Lucky? Monsters passed. Hid them in master bedroom, blankets over. Checked living room alone—monster direction."
7th cycle change.
"Director fled first. Just me and kids. Bait if needed. Youngest three—cried over paper cuts. Then Alliance mistake. Friendly fire. Shell from behind. Thunder in bedroom—ran...
"Only I survived."
She smiled... hi...
"No, I killed them all."
Then giggled hi hi.
"Asked Alliance later. Why ignore evacuation? My fault."
Thus, hating supers, she contracted abyss entity. This 7th cycle.
"After... memory black. Something... like I became something."
"..."
"Yeah... trying to remember, only orphanage."
"..."
"Those big guys/gals... badges are Alliance symbols. Freaked me. My bad yelling. No connection otherwise. Hi... gotta apologize later."
"So. Tough?"
"No? Should be..."
Morning Star twirled hair, smiling.
"Happy."
"..."
"Weird, right? Since here, always happy. Shouldn't be for me..."
"..."
"Happy lounging. Cleaning. Boring mags—hilarious. Wrong."
"..."
Glazed Morning Star giggled softly.
"You got bad memories too?"
Yoo Ji-tae nodded slowly.
"Don't fade easy."
"Yeah."
Bad memories linger in mind's corner.
Unerasable. Trigger, they resurface.
—I'm... cold...
Over a century, still.
Especially for kind souls like her—grief lasts. Blame others, self too.
"Tae-juna. Stay put right here."
Then.
Eyes unfocused. Murmuring.
"Hee-juna. Hold Tae-jun's hand."
"Kang-juna. Listen to teacher today."
"Boraya. Hee-suya. No crying. Safe here. Teacher's here."
"It's okay. Okay. Soldier uncles coming. Saw on TV. They'll come here too. Loud crying? Last saved."
"Teacher not scared at all."
"Yeah. Teacher fine. Soldiers helping. No need fear."
"Good—well done. Blankets tight. Feet in. Ears covered—loud."
"Okay. Teacher checking living room. Everyone stay put."
"How long? Mm... count to 10,000 together?"
"We count to 10,000 then out..."
Snap. Words cut.
Morning Star giggled long.
Quietly, she spoke.
"Doctor... hurt shoulder? Scared on pull-ups, right."
"Yeah."
"Living scares me too much. Mind broken, probably."
Tender smile, she asked.
"...Should someone like me keep living?"