Reveal Your True Identity!
"Anyway, that's all I've pieced together so far."
I finished my explanation and took a sip of water to wet my throat. Everyone fell silent, lost in their own thoughts.
"Aigoo, I thought she was unusually shy for a kid, but that explains it."
Back when awakeners started popping up in droves and chaos reigned, crimes targeting them skyrocketed. Specifically, weaker ones got kidnapped for research on anomalies or used as guinea pigs in all sorts of vile experiments. There were plenty of other persecutions too, but that's not the point right now. What matters is that era of abductions and twisted studies.
"She was living around here, so it had to be one of the labs operating nearby—but not a single one got busted."
Of course, Seoul—where we are now—is a hotbed for every kind of crime. With the population density maxed out and awakener emergence shattering the public safety infrastructure, it was probably inevitable. Illegal research labs sprang up like weeds. Even now, in this stable era, countless awakeners are still cleaning up the remnants, but it's far from over.
"Of course, this is all just my speculation, so don't take it as gospel. It could be way off."
But it was just speculation. I knew that full well. I'd only dug as far as I could without overreaching, and if nothing turned up here, I'd have no choice but to ask Seol-i directly.
"I'll look into it on my end, but from what you're saying, it's just a strong possibility, right?"
"Yeah."
A kid that young manifesting telekinesis to lift chopsticks? Unheard of. She did it so fluidly, like it was second nature, which only deepened the mystery. That's what sparked my suspicion: maybe experiments on her mana affinity pushed it beyond human limits, into monster territory.
If not, great. But if it was true, who knew what side effects lurked?
"Well... yeah, it does sound off when you put it like that."
Mana overflowing in a non-awakener's body—like enough to fill a truck with no effect. An ocean of it, dormant in that tiny frame. The doctors called it a ticking bomb, ready to go off at any moment.
To reach that state? It'd take more than just pumping mana in forcibly— that's plain impossible by common sense.
"But that doesn't mean you're definitely right."
"..."
Fair point. I knew it. It was all guesswork, and since it was my guess, I couldn't shove it down their throats like fact. If it turned out wrong, I'd just look like a fool chasing shadows.
"True. That's why I'm just asking you to help look into it. And..."
I'll ask her myself. Not directly, just in case—but about her past, who she was with. Memory tampering? Possible, but that'd spiral into endless conspiracy territory. Better to ask straight-up.
"I'll talk to Seol-i separately in a bit."
I'd thought investigating first made sense, but confirming facts directly with her felt like priority one.
"You sure that's okay?"
My friend asked with a worried frown. Not aimed at me— at Seol-i's condition. That overflowing mana was the real issue.
"No idea."
It's not impossible to drain it, but it's permeated her whole body, fused into her. Pulling it out risks disaster. Doctors said better to monitor and keep her as happy as possible.
But was that fair to a little kid?
"Still, we've gotta try."
I couldn't just leave it like this. Now that we'd come this far, I wouldn't back down until Seol-i was cured. And if experiments really did this to her? I'd hunt those bastards down, wring every detail out of them, and make them pay.
"Jeez..."
Ring ring.
"Huh?"
What the— why's this guy suddenly calling me? Kang Ji-seok, of all people. I hadn't expected that. Sure, thanks to his daughter Suyeon, we were on decent terms beyond guild business—but that was with her, not him. And she'd been hospitalized from mana corruption lately, so he'd cut back on activities.
Out of the blue like this?
"Who's that?"
"Brain God."
They looked shocked for a second, then gestured for me to pick up.
If he was calling out of nowhere, it wasn't casual.
I swallowed hard and answered.
"Hello?"
"Long time no talk."
"What's up?"
We weren't close enough for chit-chat. Different guilds—hard to get personal. So, some business or favor.
I cut straight to it.
"Yeah... fair enough. We're not that close. I know, so I'll get to the point—hold on."
What could it be?
"Sis! Long time no see!"
"...?!"
Suyeon..?
"Hold on, is that you, Suyeon?"
Her bronchi and lungs were wrecked—she could barely speak. Mana corruption had her on life support, last I heard.
But now? Crystal clear.
"Yeah. Our Suyeon's finally all better."
"Whoa, that's amazing. Total miracle~"
Regardless of closeness, worth celebrating. I'd heard it was untreatable. How?
"Yeah... a real miracle. That's why I have a favor to ask."
"A favor?"
We'd teamed up on dungeons; I owed him. But miracle and favor—connected how?
"It wasn't doctors who fixed my girl. It was this girl wandering the park."
"A girl..?"
"Couldn't see her face— all covered up. But she handed me this potion-like thing, said it'd cure her if she drank it. And it did. Clean bill of health."
"W-wait. A potion?"
If true, it'd rock the medical world. Current tech can't reverse mana corruption, let alone regenerate lungs.
They'd tried analyzing it, but it was all gone.
"Why'd you give her the whole thing?! Feeding a random potion to a kid? Insane!"
Good outcome, sure—but side effects?
"So, my favor... Can you help me find that girl?"
"Find her? How? Face hidden..."
"Huh? I said she was hooded."
"When exactly? Quick!"
"Yesterday, around 10 a.m.?"
"10 a.m...."
When Seol-i vanished? No jumping to conclusions. She had nothing on her when we met—no potion carrier? And could she even make one?
"Hang on. Let's meet up and talk."
"What? Wait—"
Click.
"Haa."
Was it really Seol-i? Only one station nearby—hers. So she slipped out, gave him the potion for Suyeon?
"Then what is Seol-i...?"
Experimental batch? Give that to a test subject? She'd lived alone in the mountains...
I stared at my phone.
"Gotta go see Seol-i first..."
I clutched my messy hair and sighed.