The Mad Doctor's Sanctuary
After parting ways with Aila, Kang Hyuk immediately called Gwang-ui. He needed to arrange a time and place to deliver Dual Machine Gun's corpse.
"You may come straight to my laboratory. Right now."
"...Pardon?"
Contrary to Kang Hyuk's expectations, Gwang-ui readily invited him to his personal sanctuary. As mentioned before, villains rarely trusted one another, let alone allowed others close. How could they, when betrayal was as common as breathing in their world?
Yet Gwang-ui didn't seem to care about such trivialities. Whether it was out of sheer confidence or a genuine liking for Kang Hyuk was unclear, but Kang Hyuk saw no reason to complain. Truth be told, he had been harboring a quiet curiosity to see the Mad Doctor's laboratory anyway.
"...Uh, Elder?"
Roughly two hours later, Kang Hyuk arrived at the address Gwang-ui had provided and knocked on a heavy iron gate. Situated right on the border of Seoul and Gyeonggi Province, the area was surrounded by endless fields and paddies, with the earthy, rustic scent of manure wafting through the air. To think the infamous Mad Doctor's laboratory was hidden in a countryside village like this! For some reason, Kang Hyuk felt the location was absolutely perfect.
Clack!
"Ah, it's been a while, Elder. The location of your lab is truly—"
As the iron gate swung open, Kang Hyuk began to offer his greetings.
"...Hm?"
But the moment he saw who had opened the door, his eyes widened. Standing before him was not Gwang-ui, but a stunning, incredibly voluptuous woman.
"A-Are you perhaps the Elder's daughter?"
"No."
"His wife, then?"
"Hehehe!"
The beauty burst into a bright, melodic laugh. As she did, a cat tail slipped out from behind her hips, swaying playfully.
Ah... She must be one of the chimeras that old man created.
Only then did Kang Hyuk realize her true nature. Although this modern world was filled with magic and supernatural abilities, non-human races did not officially exist. In other words, this beast-kin before him had to be a chimera of Gwang-ui's creation. After all, Gwang-ui was the only scientist in Korea capable of engineering such sub-human species.
"It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Laura, the Doctor's assistant."
"I'm Kang Hyuk."
"I've heard so much about you. Please, follow me."
Laura gave him a bright smile and turned to lead the way. As her generous hips swayed right in front of his eyes, Kang Hyuk found his mouth growing strangely dry.
Gulp...
"This way."
"Hmm...? Downstairs?"
"Yes. The Doctor's laboratory is underground. The building above is just a decoy."
Laura began to descend the stairs. Contrary to his expectations, no unpleasant odors wafted up from the depths. He had anticipated the metallic stench of blood or the rot of death, but instead, a crisp, refreshing breeze brushed past him.
"You find it surprising, don't you?"
"A bit."
"Hehe, it's fine. Guests who visit us always have the exact same reaction."
"Do you get guests often?"
"Not really. Only a few of the Doctor's acquaintances drop by from time to time."
Acquaintances, huh...
Kang Hyuk lightly touched the magic ring on his ring finger. Could Gwang-ui and I be considered acquaintances now? Since I've successfully completed his request, perhaps...!
"...We're here."
Lost in thought, he hadn't realized they had already reached their destination. A massive steel door blocked their path. A control panel mounted on the left wall indicated that entry required a passcode.
"...Hmm. Since it's a four-digit passcode, I take it it's your birthday, Elder?"
Kang Hyuk tossed out a casual joke.
"H-How did you know?"
But Laura looked genuinely flabbergasted. She spun around to stare at him in sheer shock. Kang Hyuk could only offer an awkward chuckle and shrug his shoulders.
"...Ah, you've arrived."
Stepping inside, Gwang-ui welcomed him. The interior of the laboratory was incredibly spacious and spotlessly clean. Filled with complex, high-tech machinery, it was clear that an astronomical amount of wealth had been poured into this state-of-the-art facility.
"It's been a while, Elder."
"I must admit, I was quite surprised when you called. To think you've already retrieved the corpse... I expected it to take much longer."
"It was just a simple retrieval. Nothing to write home about."
Kang Hyuk wasn't merely being humble. In truth, retrieving Dual Machine Gun's body hadn't posed any real danger. While he had run into the Black Dragon Society and Aila on the train, those encounters had nothing to do with the corpse itself. The same went for dealing with Networker; that was entirely separate from his retrieval mission.
"Still, it was the corpse of a D-class Hero. Surely you must have felt some semblance of pressure?"
"Pressure? Why would I?"
"?"
"...?"
The two men stared at each other, tilting their heads in unison. Kang Hyuk genuinely couldn't comprehend why he was supposed to feel pressured, while Gwang-ui was baffled by how casually Kang Hyuk dismissed something most would find deeply unsettling.
My, my... It seems my eye for people hasn't dulled. He is certainly no ordinary man.
Gwang-ui looked at Kang Hyuk with newfound appreciation. In truth, whether one was a hero or a villain, dealing with corpses almost always evoked a sense of revulsion and psychological burden. It was simply human nature. Yet the man standing before him seemed entirely devoid of such squeamishness. Was it an unyielding strength of will, or was his very humanity fundamentally different from the rest? Whatever the case, Gwang-ui found himself liking Kang Hyuk more and more. He felt incredibly fortunate to have initiated this partnership. The longer he maintained a connection with this young man, the greater the benefits would be. Talents like Kang Hyuk were exceedingly rare.
"Haha, well, if it didn't bother you, then all the better. Tell me, would you be willing to assist me with a few more favors in the future?"
"Of course. You pay exceptionally well, Elder. And in advance, no less. I have absolutely no reason to refuse."
"Excellent! Splendid!"
As Gwang-ui beamed with satisfaction, Kang Hyuk's mood lifted as well. He, too, saw immense value in tightening their bond. Clients as generous as Gwang-ui were hard to come by.
"In any case, let's get the delivery sorted first."
"Indeed. Laura!"
"Yes, Doctor?"
"Inspect the specimen, categorize it by quality, and store it in the appropriate containment unit."
"Understood!"
Laura took the duffel bag from Kang Hyuk. He made a move to follow her, but stopped when Gwang-ui gestured for him to wait. It seemed the old man had something better to show him.
"You, follow me. Since you've come all this way, allow me to give you a proper tour of my laboratory."
"Oh? That sounds intriguing."
"Hmm? Are you interested in chimeras as well?"
"Of course. Honestly, how could I not be? Chimera research is essentially the creation of entirely new life..."
At Kang Hyuk's nonchalant reply, Gwang-ui stared at him with that same look of wonder once more. Most people viewed chimeras as abominations, not with the genuine curiosity Kang Hyuk displayed.
...What a fascinating fellow.
Without realizing it, Gwang-ui had begun to think of Kang Hyuk as a "friend." From his perspective, it was impossible not to like the young man. Having someone show genuine interest in the research he had dedicated his entire life to was incredibly gratifying—especially when that very research was universally condemned by the rest of the world.
"By the way, Elder. Laura is indeed a chimera, correct?"
"She is. Why? Do you fancy her?"
"No, it's not like that..."
"If you are interested, I can lend you a room so you two can couple. I engineered her with fully functional reproductive organs just in case, so you won't run into any issues during intercourse."
"..."
Kang Hyuk let out a dry, hollow laugh. The old man didn't sound like he was joking in the slightest.
"Isn't... isn't Laura basically like a daughter to you?"
"A daughter? Nonsense. I don't waste affection on mere test subjects. If she ever outlives her usefulness, I am fully prepared to dispose of her at a moment's notice."
Gwang-ui's words were chillingly cold. Yet Kang Hyuk didn't bother to argue. The treatment of chimeras was none of his business. He could only silently hope that Laura would survive for as long as possible...!
"This is where I store eyes. I have over thirteen thousand different specimens preserved here."
"Oh..."
Starting with the eye storage room, Kang Hyuk thoroughly enjoyed his tour of Gwang-ui's laboratory. By the time his stomach began to rumble, they parted ways with promises of future business. As he left, Kang Hyuk felt that he had grown remarkably close to the eccentric Mad Doctor.