IH Ch 40

Chapter 40

“But it seems you’re quite uncomfortable showing your face.”

Dohwa gave a small “Yes” in response while watching Mason walking ahead of him.

“From what I saw, there didn’t seem to be any scars on your face… Wasn’t that iron mask heavy?”

“…….”

“It looked like Guildmaster Hwang Jae-i was the one who took it off for you. I’d like to take that iron mask and examine it, but I doubt he’d allow it. Guildmaster Hwang Jae-i is truly a difficult man. No matter how politely you ask for cooperation, he never listens. If something seems even slightly troublesome, he cuts it off completely.”

Mason glanced back at Dohwa.

“You must’ve had a rough few days.”

“…….”

As Dohwa, who had been staring at Mason, lowered his head, a soft, deflated laugh sounded from above. After that, Mason walked Dohwa to their destination without saying much else.

This examination room was different from the last one. In the roughly five-pyeong space, a diagnostic machine sat in the center, and Dohwa took a seat there to wait. The ceiling was high, and when he looked up, he could see long windows at a second-story height. Seeing people moving inside suggested that an office space was directly attached.

The researchers, who had previously been moving without much interest, suddenly became restless. Seeing them rise one by one and hastily gather in one spot, Dohwa narrowed his eyes. At that moment, a buzzing sound came as the examination room door opened.

Two researchers entered. They roughly explained the procedure: once he lay on the examination table, various attachments would be placed on his arms and legs. Then a detailed examination would take place over the next several tens of minutes. Suddenly, the researcher in front jabbed Dohwa’s thigh with the corner of a chart he was holding.

It wasn’t a light touch—the metallic edge dug in deep enough to hurt. Dohwa didn’t react with surprise or confusion but simply lifted his gaze to look at the person. The young researcher twisted his face into an openly hostile expression.

“Take off the glasses and mask. What are you doing? Didn’t you get instructions before entering to remove everything you were wearing?”

“…….”

Even though he had come with Mason, he hadn’t heard anything like that. The researchers he passed when coming in hadn’t provided any separate instructions either.

“What are you doing? I told you to take them off.”

As the jabbing at his thigh continued, Dohwa slightly pulled his leg back. The other researcher who had entered with him tried to dissuade his colleague.

“Come on. Let’s not get involved and just do our job and leave.”

“I am doing my job. But look at how this thing came in.”

He then pressed the chart directly into Dohwa’s body as if stabbing it. As Dohwa’s body trembled slightly under the emotional pressure behind the gesture, the other researcher again tried to stop him. But the researcher standing in front of Dohwa blatantly displayed his hostility.

“What did I even do? Honestly, if it were up to me, I’d throw this bastard into prison, not examine him. You’re from that cult, aren’t you? People keep saying those who were in that place are victims or whatever, but I don’t buy it. Anyone involved in that place is just another one of that bastard Lee Myunghwan’s sympathizers.”

“…….”

“Fuck, when I think about how my parents got swindled by those bastards and how I ended up homeless as a student…”

The researcher’s eyes gleamed as if Dohwa had been the one who committed the fraud.

“Hey, take off those glasses.”

Dohwa looked up at the chart still poking at him.

He seemed to be looking at the researcher, but his gaze lifted a bit higher. Above the researcher’s head, on the second-floor window, stood a large shadow. The reason the researchers had suddenly stirred earlier must have been because someone who couldn’t be greeted while remaining seated had appeared. Just from the silhouette, Dohwa had a good guess who it was, and he lowered his gaze. Then he looked at the researcher, whose face was now even more rigid with fear.

As he blinked slowly, a dull thud followed as his head was turned and his glasses flew off.

“Ah! What are you doing?!”

A startled voice mixed with an agitated one rang out.

“Seriously, that bastard’s pretending not to hear me! Hey! You think I don’t know you’re glaring at me just because you’ve got glasses on!? You arrogant little shit! If this were the field, scum like you would be executed on the spot! Anyone connected to Lee Myunghwan should be wiped out!”

“Hey, hey, I told you to stop. This won’t do. Just go wait outside…!”

As the argument continued, Dohwa raised his hand and touched his face. Feeling the heat in his cheek, he looked down and saw the broken glasses lying on the floor. Staring at them blankly, Dohwa hooked a finger into the mask and pulled it down, then turned his gaze to the researcher being dragged out. The researcher, resisting his colleague and shouting to be let go, locked eyes with Dohwa.

“…….”

With no glasses and the mask lowered, Dohwa stared calmly at the researcher. As he blinked, the strength in the researcher’s shoulders drained, and he slumped.

The colleague who had been holding him seemed relieved and quickly said,

“Yeah. Let’s just get out like this—”

Before he could finish, he was thrown aside forcefully. He practically flew into the wall and collapsed to the floor in a daze. Then he watched in shock as the colleague he had been restraining rushed toward Dohwa.

“Hey, hey…!”

Dohwa stared at the researcher who had suddenly come right up to his face. The researcher, staring at him like he was possessed, began breathing heavily. Then, grasping Dohwa’s shoulders, he pushed him down onto the examination bed. Amid the cries of another researcher yelling, “What are you doing?!” in horror, Dohwa simply continued staring at him. As the researcher’s face flushed and his breathing became labored, he muttered,

“……Beautiful.”

‘My beautiful masterpiece.’

At the voice ringing in his ears, a thin crease formed between Dohwa’s brows. Though he had maintained a composed exterior all along, it was now impossible. As he reached out to push the man off him, his wrist was immediately seized and pinned to the bed. The researcher restraining Dohwa quickly climbed onto the bed. As he tried to lower his face toward Dohwa’s, a loud crashing noise erupted from above.

The lights flickered, and a violent sound rang out. Dohwa looked past the researcher on top of him—and saw a face glaring down with a terrifying scowl.

It was none other than Hwang Jae-i.

Just as Dohwa parted his lips, foul breath brushed near them. Grimacing, he squeezed his eyes shut, and with a dull thud, the weight on top of him was suddenly removed.

“……!”

Opening his eyes in shock, he saw Hwang Jae-i again.

The alarm continued blaring within the room, mixed with someone’s groans. Through the shattered second-story glass, the Association President stood with arms crossed. Mason was standing next to him as well.

They both looked as if they were unsure of what to do, but Mason was the first to act. Lightly descending to the lower level, he sighed as he looked at the researcher who had been sent flying into the wall by a single blow from Hwang Jae-i. Considering that someone working here must have been a valuable human resource, it seemed like he’d now need several years focused on rehabilitation.

When Mason raised his hand, the blaring alarm ceased, and the entrance door opened as armed guards entered. They hesitated when they saw Hwang Jae-i. Unsure of how to proceed, they looked lost. Mason opened his mouth to speak.

“Guildmaster Hwang Jae-i…”

His intent was to remove the most dangerous individual from the scene first. But the moment he began to speak, a sharp gaze shot toward him. Hwang Jae-i asked in a low, cold voice,

“Weren’t we only supposed to conduct an examination here? Or what—have Awakener tests at the Association always included sexual assault?”

“…….”

“You lunatics. You don’t even run the tests properly, just running around with your dicks out…!”

As if he couldn’t stand to say another word, Hwang Jae-i gritted his teeth with a deadly glare. Mason, glancing down at the sprawled researcher—and more specifically, his crotch—furrowed his brows. His expression hardened as though he had seen something revolting, and he shook his head.

“That’s not the case. This incident was entirely the result of that individual’s personal misconduct…”

“That’s not my problem. The fact is, that bastard is employed by the Association. Which means the Association is responsible for this.”

That had been his plan from the start. He just needed to clarify the cause before following through. Since Mason hadn’t yet fully assessed the situation, he tried to correct Hwang Jae-i’s assumption about the assault.

“Guildmaster, could we talk after clearly understanding the sequence of events? I wasn’t able to witness everything from the start…”

“I saw it. That bastard tried to assault this kid…!”

Before he could finish, Dohwa suddenly stood and burrowed into Jae-i’s arms. Looking down at the small head pressed against his chest, Hwang Jae-i shut his mouth.

What was this kid doing? As he tried to peel the clinging body away, he realized how violently Dohwa was trembling. He took off his outer coat and wrapped it around Dohwa, then held him close with one arm and turned his fierce gaze on Mason.

“Assess the situation immediately and punish that bastard.”

He demanded.