## Chapter 129 – Attraction (5)
“…You made all of this in just one night?”
“Yes, while searching through the files, I found the reason why this lab is so large. Thanks to the researchers here, my workload was reduced, so I could create it easily.”
“As expected, you’re amazing, finding even the research lab’s hidden spaces that we didn’t know about.”
Lise looked around the dark space with a curious expression. Even she, who had spent a considerable amount of time in this research institute, seemed to be seeing this place for the first time.
Of course, that was inevitable, as the lab was a place secretly guarded by the researchers of this branch. Yesterday, while reading the data left in the files, I found something strange. An incomprehensible arrangement of sentences and a considerable number of typos in the reports submitted to the higher-ups. And even numbers and English words subtly inserted between the reports.
I did think something was odd. It was supposed to be data reporting ‘achievements,’ but all that was written was ‘failure.’
I rearranged the strangely disordered sentences. After correcting all the typos, a system window appeared on the computer screen, asking for a ‘PASSWORD?’ Instantly, I recalled all the numbers and English words inserted in the middle of the reports. I entered them all into the system window in order, and an enormous roar erupted from this lab.
Startled by the loud noise, I rose from my chair and began to notice the changes in the lab. The lab started moving along with the floor. Beneath the floor was another layer of floor, and as it spread open to the left and right, a hidden door was finally revealed.
I approached and opened the door, and a staircase leading underground appeared on the floor. After descending the stairs for a while, what came into view was this lab. It was a lab where the Busan branch researchers had created devices and left records for the mass production of bio-weapons.
“…So, I combined the data remaining here with my knowledge to repair this lab. If you think about it, I was lucky. If I had to create it from scratch, it would have taken a long time. Thanks to the good things left behind by the Busan branch researchers, I was able to make it easily.”
“Great! Then everything is ready now?”
“Yes, if you’re curious, would you like to put a woman who will be the subject into that machine?”
“What happens when you put her in? I like hearing those explanations.”
“…You like hearing explanations? You’re quite peculiar. To explain it briefly, you put several flower petals into that large device in advance, and then you put a human woman in. Then, the flower petals will be forcibly inserted into the human’s brain inside that machine, and then the flower petals will immediately try to take over the human woman’s body. Unlike what I created, after waiting until the flower petals completely parasitize the woman, I will immediately neutralize the parasite with special sound waves. After that, the mechanization modification of the parasite that ate the human brain will begin…”
“So, I’ll get what I want?”
“Yes, that’s right. Unlike bio-weapons composed of 90% parasite and 10% computer, the bio-weapon created by this device is made by modifying the parasite into 100% computer. If you don’t give it commands, it won’t even be able to think for itself, let alone move.”
“Perfect!!”
Lise, who started jumping up and down after hearing my explanation, had the most excited expression I had seen since meeting her. She couldn’t take her eyes off the huge machine in this lab and kept uttering exclamations. What on earth was so exciting about it? Even the person who created it was just feeling proud.
“Then, how many people can you put into one of those machines?”
“Five people per device. For now, making one is all I can do with the remaining parts, so if you really want mass production, I’ll have to make about nine more…”
“No, this is enough for now. Good job, Mister!”
Behind her, who smiled brightly and expressed her gratitude, I saw something unsettling. Lise had been acting strangely excited since earlier, so I quietly asked.
“…It seems like there’s someone you want to put in here?”
Lise, who had been jumping around, stopped in her tracks. Then, she turned to me with a slightly surprised expression.
“…That’s right, there’s someone I want to put in here. Someone who ruined my life.”
Lise, still not erasing her artificial smile, gave a signal to NO. 1. NO. 1, who received the signal, bowed his head and began to climb the stairs.
“…May I ask who it is?”
Her expression, which always showed cheerfulness, was slightly distorted. Just thinking about the person she resented. If that’s the case, there’s a high probability that ‘that person’ knows Lise’s past.
If I could at least find out Lise’s real name from that person… I could obtain the past data of someone with similar powers to Chanwoo. Then I could compare it with Chanwoo’s data that I have, and if I could only find the commonalities between these people who are clearly different from ordinary parasites…
Suppressing my excitement as much as possible, I asked her about ‘that person.’ But what came back was one absurd question.
“…Are you interested in idols or anything like that?”
As time passed, NO. 1 appeared carrying a woman on his shoulder. A woman of her age with a beautiful and cute appearance, just like Lise.
“…Put her in there.”
“…Yes.”
NO. 1, listening to Lise’s command, pushed the woman he was carrying on his shoulder into the device. The device instantly and firmly restrained the woman’s hands, which were leaning against the device. NO. 1, confirming that she was completely restrained, nodded to Lise and left the scene. Only then could I see the woman’s appearance in detail. Her hair, dyed in a flamboyant color like Lise’s, and her perfectly maintained skin were shining brightly under the lab’s lighting. The woman was sleeping with a comfortable expression…
…Wait a minute, that woman is definitely…
Frowning at the woman’s face, which looked familiar, I leaned forward and stared at her intently, and Lise chuckled and laughed.
“You’ve seen her a lot, haven’t you? On TV, on the internet, in articles.”
“…I do have a memory of seeing her a lot.”
“That girl is an idol. You know, that famous group these days?”
“…I’m not interested in that kind of thing, sorry.”
“Hahaha, what’s there to be sorry about? It can happen. I don’t even know the group name.”
Lise continued to talk to me while keeping her eyes on the woman. Lise’s eyes looking at her seemed complicated. There was resentment, longing, and envy.
“…I want to wake her up soon, so we can talk a bit.”
“Ah, then you can press this.”
Before the explanation was even over, Lise pressed the button that my fingertip was pointing to. Then, a slight current began to flow through the woman’s body, which was restrained in the device.
“Kyaak?! What, what is this…!”
The woman, startled by the shock that instantly heated up her whole body, opened her eyes with a short scream. She opened her eyes and looked around, trembling.
“Are you awake?”
Lise drew the attention of the woman, who still couldn’t grasp the situation properly. She brought her mouth close to the microphone in front of her and called out to the woman. The woman turned to look at the owner of the voice coming through the speaker.
“…You’re… Yuri… Why are you…”
“Hello, it’s been almost four years, hasn’t it?”
The two started talking as if they recognized each other. Should I keep my mouth shut here and watch a little more…
The woman, after confirming the person in front of her, tried to get up. But as she checked her arms and legs, which were not moving as she wished and were restrained, her expression darkened rapidly. Lise… no, Yuri was humming softly, as if enjoying the woman’s reaction.
“…Did you do this?”
“Yeah.”
“…Please… Are you still doing this because of that incident? That’s all over…! You had a chance that day too, and everyone tried, and you said you didn’t like it yourself…!!”
“Shut up!!”
A tearing, painful sound echoed through the speaker via the microphone. Startled by the loud voice, I looked around and turned my eyes to Yuri. Her expression was not visible, hidden by her hair, which was hanging down. But her thin arms were trembling, clenching her fists tightly.
She was furious at the woman’s words.
“…Effort? Effort, you say? Everyone tried? Can you really say that with your own mouth? You guys spreading your legs for those guys, is that effort too? Is that an opportunity too?!”
“…Th, that’s…!”
“That word shouldn’t come out of your mouths… I’m the one who really tried… Why do you guys have to see the light, and why do I have to live like this?!”
The machines under her feet, who was screaming once again, were sparking and breaking. What is this…? The gradually torn pieces of steel were moving.
“…Yu, Yuri… Calm down for now… We can start over… Okay? We’re still young, and you’re great at your age… We can start over…”
“…No, I hate the stage that I can climb by doing that kind of thing. But if I don’t go on stage, no one will recognize my efforts…”
“…Yu, Yuri…?”
“I thought about it when I came here, ‘What if I create my own stage?’ How great would it be if I could go on stage and sing and dance on a stage I created myself… But what’s the point of enjoying it alone? There have to be spectators, and there have to be friends to go on stage with me.”
“…Huh?”
…Ah, I see. So that’s why she put that woman in the device…
The pieces of metal that were breaking around her returned to their original places. And Yuri, showing the smile she always showed me, said again.
“…You’re going to be the first one to go on that stage. Of course, there’s no right to refuse. It’s okay, you don’t have to think about anything, just sing and dance as I tell you.”
“What…? What does that mean… Yuri…!”
The woman, feeling something ominous, tried to scream as she pulled her body forward, but her voice was buried by the metal door of the device, which was closed thanks to Yuri, who had pressed the operation button.
“…Is she an old friend?”
“Yeah, we were idol trainees together since middle school. We were close friends, I trusted her… She betrayed me.”
…An idol trainee and an active idol… I don’t know what happened between the two, but thanks to that, I was able to find out Lise’s real name. ‘Yuri’… Was the name Lise also an alias?
“…!!♡ !!!♡♡”
[Flower petals insertion into the subject’s brain completed, parasitism progress 46%]
A faint scream of pleasure was heard from the device, cutting off the short conversation with Yuri. Yuri turned her body to the device that was making operating sounds with the cold mechanical voice announcing the progress of the treatment.
“…But it doesn’t matter anymore. Because you’re going to be on the stage I made now.”
[Parasitism progress 100%, parasitism completed. Starting mechanization of the parasite. 5 minutes until completion.]
“…I see, you must be very happy.”
“What? Where are you going, Mister?”
“I’m just going to get some coffee.”
As I avoided Yuri’s eyes and headed for the stairs, she turned to look at me. I made a suitable excuse that I was going to get coffee, and Yuri turned her head back, saying, ‘Uh-huh~’. Okay, then I’ll go back to the lab and search for the name ‘Yuri’…
“…Lise-nim, there’s a problem.”
“Why? What is it?”
NO. 1’s voice was heard from behind as I was slowly climbing the stairs.
“…Intruders have appeared in the ground lab. 1 man, 4 women. It seems to be the man you mentioned, ‘Im Chanwoo’.”
