RVHF chapter 5

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The place where Beom Sinje was taken was an organization-operated research lab.

It was to directly confirm whether he had awakened as an Esper, which had been shrouded in uncertainty.

“Zero. Please check this out.”

Doyoung, who had been watching the test room with his arms crossed, turned his gaze at the voice calling him.

A subordinate, who had been reporting on Beom Sinje’s every move, stood holding a tablet.

“What is it?”

“It’s regarding the new drug. The Phase 3 clinical results have come out.”

“Oh….”

At the welcome news, Doyoung swiftly took the tablet.

His eyes were serious as they scanned the dense report.

“Good. Proceed to the next phase immediately.”

A smile formed on his lips as he finished reading the report.

It was at that moment.

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

An ear-splitting alarm rang out.

Doyoung’s expression hardened in an instant as his eyes locked onto the test room.

Inside, Beom Sinje was undergoing the examination in a virtual space.

“What’s going on?”

Beom Sinje stood still with his arms hanging at his sides.

His eyes were tightly shut, and his chest rose and fell deeply, over and over.

Doyoung grabbed the phone attached to the control panel and demanded nervously.

• Ah, that’s…—

Bang!

Just as a voice came through the receiver, a deafening explosion erupted.

“Gasp.”

The subordinate standing next to him gaped. Even Doyoung’s eyes widened noticeably.

“No, how did he even get that far and do that… like that…?”

The subordinate shook his head in disbelief.

Just as he said, Beom Sinje stood in front of the wall in the middle of the testing room.

A cloud of dust swirled around him.

“Holy—! Is he insane? Punching a wall with his bare fist?”

The researcher’s unfiltered shout came through the receiver.

It wasn’t just a mere punch; the wall where his fist struck was cracked and deeply dented, as if a meteor had crashed into it.

“Report the results.”

He felt certain without hearing it.

Sure enough, a few minutes later, the researcher nervously gulped and reported the findings.

“It’s an S-rank. Strength type. But the power is extraordinary. We’ll need to run further tests, but there’s likely no one with this level of ability in the country.”

As expected, his guess was right. A satisfied smile spread across his lips.

“Now he’s ready to face me.”

◇◆◇◆◇

“An academy for hunters?”

“Yes. Once you awaken as an Esper, regardless of age, you must complete three years of mandatory training.”

Graduating from the academy meant automatic deployment to a state institution in a regional area.

Although similar to the military, there was a difference: it paid like a civil service job, and after five years, it allowed for a normal work schedule.

Of course, there was no need to explain all that right now.

Beom Sinje stared intently at Doyoung, as if deep in thought.

He understood why the hesitation, but why that look?

‘Is he trying to bore a hole through my face?’

Wondering if he had something on him, Doyoung rubbed his cheek with the back of his hand when Beom Sinje spoke again.

“Do I really have to?”

“Why? Don’t like it?”

“I need to make money. I can’t waste time going to school. I don’t even have the money for it.”

“Ha…”

Right, money was important to his favorite character.

Still, hearing the protagonist talk about giving up his future because of money was disheartening.

“Don’t worry. The school’s tuition-free.”

It made sense; it was natural to be anxious about the future.

But now that he had awakened as an Esper, going to the academy was mandatory.

“Besides, once you graduate, you’ll be automatically employed by a state institution. Your mother would be pleased.”

Doyoung added words that would catch Beom Sinje’s interest.

Sure enough, the mention of his mother changed his demeanor.

“Alright, I’ll go.”

Hearing the affirmative response made Doyoung’s face light up.

“But why are you being so nice to me?”

When Beom Sinje followed up with another question, Doyoung maintained a serious expression as he answered.

“Don’t give me some weird excuse about being a distant cousin’s uncle’s son.”

But Beom Sinje cut in first. Doyoung, who hesitated for a moment, then laughed.

“I wasn’t going to say that.”

Actually, he had been. But he decided to drop it.

“Why? Because I’m your sponsor.”

Dark, deep eyes watched him quietly.

That was all it took for tension to rise within him, and Doyoung reinforced the smile on his lips.

The staring contest lasted so long that his face started to twitch.

“Alright. I understand.”

Finally, an answer came.

◇◆◇◆◇

Doyoung’s eyes sharpened as he reviewed a document, resting his chin on his hand.

“An illegal fighting ring?”

“Yes, sir. It’s said to have appeared in Omyeong County a few months ago.”

The subordinate, flustered by the abrupt change of topic, responded quickly.

“Omyeong County, huh? That’s not far.”

“Are you going to check it out yourself?”

“Yes. I have a feeling there’s something worthwhile there.”

‘And maybe a little farming on the side,’ he thought, rising from his seat.

As he stepped into the elevator, a subordinate tried to join him.

“What’s this about?”

“I’ll accompany you.”

Seeing the loyal expression made Doyoung chuckle.

There were subordinates like that who wanted to protect him.

It was probably because he rarely used his abilities and never disclosed his rank, combined with his relatively lean build and youthful appearance.

“Get back to your own duties.”

That was their concern, not his.

He rejected it flatly, and the door conveniently closed just in time.

Then it opened again.

“What’s going on?”

At his sharp tone, the subordinate hastily produced something from his jacket and handed over a polycarbonate case.

“It’s an invitation. If that doesn’t work, just offer cash.”

When Doyoung raised an eyebrow in silent question, the subordinate explained.

‘If you had this, why didn’t you hand it over earlier?’

He accepted it and pressed the button again.

The elevator descended rapidly, stopping at the first floor, where the doors opened.

He looked out and paused. Standing outside was Beom Sinje.

“Where are you going?”

“And you? Why are you here?”

“I heard you were here.”

He was about to ask ‘Who told you?’ but noticed someone standing behind Beom Sinje.

The person nodded a greeting when their eyes met—one of the staff assigned to help Beom Sinje prepare for the academy.

“Did you tell him?”

“I asked.”

Beom Sinje had no idea what Doyoung or his subordinates did.

To an outsider, this appeared to be a regular pharmaceutical company.

In reality, it was the lab of ‘Antithesis,’ an organization gaining infamy beyond Korea and worldwide.

But Doyoung had no intention of sharing that with Beom Sinje.

With a frown, he noticed the awkward atmosphere, so Beom Sinje changed the subject quickly.

“So, where are you going? Can I come?”

For some reason, those dark eyes seemed to sparkle.

Initially, his build and serious face had made him seem mature.

‘Still a kid, after all.’

He was only twenty-one.

In the novel, Na Doyoung was four years older.

In real life, their age gap was over ten years.

Doyoung, thinking he was endearing, shook his head.

“No.”

It was one thing to find him cute, but what he was about to do was not something Beom Sinje could see.

He was going to scout new talent.

Beom Sinje’s once bright eyes dimmed again.

For some reason, it made Doyoung feel guilty.

His expression was like that of a Siberian Husky looking betrayed after having its food taken away.

His fingers twitched as if to reach out and pat him, but he firmly pressed the close button.

“I’ll see you at dinner.”

He spoke brusquely.

Even though he felt the gaze following him as the doors shut, he ignored it.

Soon, he was alone in the elevator.

He arrived at the parking lot and got into his car.

After driving for two hours on the highway, he turned off into the outskirts.

The place Doyoung arrived at was an abandoned ranch marked with a sign that read ‘Ansimmok Ranch.’

Beyond the shabby fence stood men with rough appearances.

One of them, who was guarding the entrance, tapped on his driver-side window.

“Are you here alone?”

Doyoung nodded once.

When he showed the invitation, the guard inspected it and stepped aside.

“Head to the right.”

Following the directions, he soon saw a row of parked cars, all with their license plates covered with thick cloths.

He parked in an empty spot and got out.

The invitation was checked once more at the entrance.

Then a man in a gray work uniform led him inside.

The cabin wasn’t large, but it was just a cover for the underground space.

As he descended the brightly lit staircase, an expected scene unfolded before him.

“Wooooah!”

A crowd, possibly numbering in the hundreds, filled the space.

In the center was a stage enclosed by iron bars, where two people fought as if trying to kill each other.

They were called the ‘fighters,’ the stars of the arena.

Most were criminals expelled from institutions.

Some were awakened individuals who had shunned proper training and ended up at the bottom.

Others had simply grown tired of dungeons and sought out fighting pits of their own volition.

“More! More!”

“Kill him!”

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Translator: This novel will be updated regularly if there is interest from readers.

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