AAGULT Ch 97

Chapter 97

[Warning. Unauthorized intruder detected. All personnel, please follow the designated evacuation procedures. Warning.]

Perhaps it was because they had already passed through the upper door, but the only door at the end of the broken corridor was not locked. When they opened it, the warning announcement from inside became audible.

“……”

Beyond the door stretched an all-white facility.

A strong scent reminiscent of bleach and chemicals typical of research laboratories wafted through the air. The lighting was rather bright, and since they had been surrounded by darkness until now, the sudden light was blinding for whoever had cautiously opened the door. Even though his eyes stung, Jaeha couldn’t afford to shut them, not when it was already clear that their illegal intrusion had been discovered. He squinted as best he could to scan his surroundings.

The area was quiet, consisting solely of pristine white corridors. There were no signs of life. Had the evacuation already been completed? No—if that were the case, some kind of barrier or blockade would’ve been activated to stop the intruders.

“…It’s possible they’ve already destroyed and removed the evidence.”

“Who knows how big this place is, but that’s not something that could be done in such a short time.”

“You called for backup, right?”

“Of course, I did. I sent the request as we were coming down.”

Even Aiden wouldn’t be reckless enough to charge into a facility like this alone with only Jaeha. This was, after all, an infiltration mission coordinated with the Association, and they had already arranged for Eunyul’s cooperation. That meant the support team should be locating them and making their way here now. Nodding at the thought, Jaeha moved ahead, placing himself in front of Aiden as if to shield him.

“Stick close behind me.”

“So reassuring.”

From behind came some excited murmurs about how cool and dependable he looked, but Jaeha chose to ignore them. There was no telling when or where an attack might come. He was standing in the middle of enemy territory, a place he’d never been before, with a man completely lacking in any sense of danger, and tasked with finding the site where the ability suppressants had been produced—or, at the very least, acquiring evidence of it. Taking a deep breath, Jaeha calmed his trembling nerves.

Where should I even start…? A faint sense of helplessness came over him.

This wasn’t exactly a quiet infiltration. It was closer to a full-blown break-in through the front gate, so they couldn’t afford to wait around for backup to arrive. There was no need to be reckless, but at the same time, there was plenty of reason to begin investigating cautiously.

The corridor, as vast as it was daunting, seemed to stretch on endlessly. Even though they were walking, it didn’t feel like they were getting anywhere.

The warning announcements had stopped not long after their entry, but their echoes still clung to his mind, lingering like a nervous afterimage.

Signs of hurried evacuation were evident in the space around them. A pair of medical gloves lay abandoned in the hallway ahead, and scratches occasionally marked the floor. It looked like someone had hastily dragged wheeled equipment through.

“There doesn’t seem to be anyone around… Should we check that room first?”

After confirming Aiden was still following behind, Jaeha pointed to a nearby door that was slightly ajar.

Unlike the others that were shut tight, this one hung loosely on its hinges and bore clear traces of human activity. Someone had definitely been working in there. Moreover, a digital terminal next to the entrance was still blinking, indicating it hadn’t been powered down. Aiden nodded.

Jaeha cautiously peeked inside first to check for any presence. Once he confirmed it was empty, the two of them stepped in slowly.

“……”

A foul smell hit them like a wave. Jaeha tried not to grimace but found it difficult. Along the wall were what appeared to be refrigerated units, connected in a long row. Some of the units had their lids open, and inside, shattered glass tubes lay in disarray. Was this evidence of an attempt to destroy incriminating materials?

There were also traces of a strangely reddish fluid seeping across the floor. It wasn’t a vivid red—it was darker, with a thick viscosity and a slightly shimmering, sticky appearance. The color and texture were enough to instinctively remind Jaeha of blood, and he recoiled in disgust. There was even a faint metallic stench in the air. Before he knew it, he had taken a step back.

“It looks like blood…”

“It probably is.”

Unlike Jaeha, who was scanning the surroundings cautiously, Aiden stepped forward without hesitation. The sharp crunch of shattered glass underfoot rang out clearly. Kneeling on one knee, he slowly dabbed his index finger into the pool of liquid.

“Is it… really blood?”

“Eridoke blood. I heard it was used as the base material.”

“Ah.”

He remembered hearing that during the briefing before they came. No one knew how they’d managed to extract a creature from within a gate, but that was secondary. What unsettled him more was the realization that he had been regularly ingesting something made from it. His stomach turned slightly.

“Then this room… might have been where they stored that blood?”

Instead of answering, Aiden used his gloved hand to push aside the scattered glass shards on the floor. He didn’t even seem worried about the fragments cutting through the gloves and slicing his skin—his movements were swift and practiced.

“Aiden, be careful…!”

Jaeha stood nearby, wringing his hands in worry, unable to stop him. Unbothered, Aiden continued sifting through the debris until he pulled out a file that had been buried beneath it. Though soaked in the liquid and difficult to decipher, some parts were still legible.

Record of Tertiary Cell Group Mutation Reactions / Eridoke Plasma Response Rate…

“They even went so far as to test cell reactions.”

“Which means…”

His thoughts tangled in his mind.

Aiden flipped through the sticky, saturated pages. They clung together with a gluey residue.

“Hmm, it’s too early to be certain, but the term ‘Tertiary Cell Group’ suggests there are probably classifications like Primary and Secondary Groups as well. It’s part of the internal taxonomy used in their research.”

“…So they were categorizing and experimenting on different types of espers’ genetic profiles?”

Instead of sighing, Jaeha bit the inside of his cheek anxiously. Espers were classified by type—mental, combat, and special categories. Each ability activated through a different biological mechanism. If they were intentionally experimenting by type, then this wasn’t just about suppressants—it was something far more calculated…

“If they were testing how Eridoke plasma reacts to each type, they were probably trying to find out whether they could selectively neutralize certain esper abilities.”

“Then…”

“They were clearly trying to remove abilities with surgical precision. Since activation mechanisms differ by type, they must’ve customized the drugs accordingly. The base was Eridoke’s plasma, of course.”

“To precisely remove only the ability”… The evidence suggested they had made every effort to eliminate esper powers without causing side effects. And in realizing what that meant, Jaeha felt a chill run down his spine.

“They’d have needed to test for side effects in the process, too.”

“……”

It was exactly what he had just been thinking, and Aiden had said it out loud as if reading his mind. The next moment, Aiden’s pupils shifted as he turned to look at Jaeha. His words, his gaze, pierced him like a blade.

Their eyes met. For someone delivering such a brutal truth, Aiden looked disturbingly calm. His eyes were quiet, still, and devoid of emotion. He had always been like that—dissecting others with indifference…

“……”

Jaeha shut his eyes in pain.

He understood what Aiden was trying to say.

He was saying—

‘Jaeha, you were the test subject.’

“……”

It wasn’t wrong. Under the label of “suppressants,” he had ingested ability inhibitors and endured severe side effects. He had been hospitalized—and if it weren’t for Aiden, he might’ve died…

What on earth was the President thinking?

To the President, was he nothing more or less than an experimental subject? No, that couldn’t be. The President… the President had said… What was it again? While choking him, he had said—

‘You were the one who said you didn’t want to be an esper.’

Subconsciously, Jaeha brushed his fingertips along the nape of his neck. He couldn’t make sense of it at all.

But the answer was already clear. Every experiment needed test subjects to evaluate efficacy and side effects. Could there also have been combat-type and special-type test subjects? A sudden memory resurfaced in his mind.

‘Currently, there are 13 espers and 5 guides affiliated with the Association. Including unaffiliated individuals, that’s 32 espers and 12 guides.’

They had all suffered severe aftereffects that either led to death or retirement, and in common, they had all lost their abilities. That much was certain. Among the victims, there had been several high-ranking A-grade espers and guides. But had there been any A-grade mental-type espers…?

No, there hadn’t. Maybe among the lower ranks, but none at the high level.

He was the test subject for the mental category.

But for what purpose? Why would anyone need to reduce side effects using him as a test subject? Which mental-type esper were they trying to eliminate? Jaeha’s mind raced.

‘Including yourself, there are only five B-grade or higher mental-type espers in Korea.’

‘Five…?’

‘Yes. One died, one retired, one became a villain, and the only one left is working with the Association.’

The mental-type esper the President wanted to eliminate… Who could it be? Did he hate them that much? The ones still alive were a nameless retired esper, Esper Jeong working for the Association, himself…

…And,

None other than the President himself.