## Chapter 157 – Distance (13)
“…It’s quiet, as expected.”
“You came here expecting it to be, right?”
In front of a large, silent building where no sign of life can be felt.
The exterior walls of the seemingly intact building are adorned with fading neon signs,
and the sunlight reflected on the glass walls creates a peaceful atmosphere.
However, even with the almost sacred sunlight before my eyes, I can’t bring myself to relax.
Just as I approached the research center’s checkpoint, thinking, ‘It’s more intact than I thought?’ an anomaly occurred.
A calm announcement, recognizing us, stated, ‘Please wait in place.’
Then, a pungent, rotten smell, mixed with a fishy odor, made me turn my head.
“…Doctor.”
At the end of my gaze, a man in a black suit was sitting in a chair, dead.
Chaewon, who followed behind, frowned at the decaying smell emanating from the corpse,
while I took out white gloves and a protective mask from my coat, covering my mouth and nose.
Then, putting on rubber gloves, I approached the man who was leaning against the chair, dead.
“There aren’t any particularly large external wounds, but there’s a deeply split wound on the back of his neck.
It’s not too big, but he was stabbed with a slightly small blade. Probably excessive bleeding.”
“…Please don’t go into such detail.”
“Why not? Chaewon, you should listen carefully too. If you ever have to go to a crime scene, you’ll most likely see something like this.”
“It doesn’t seem bad to learn about this, but… it’s still difficult for a newbie like me.
To be honest, I’m starting to see you in a new light, Doctor. You’re a man of action when you need to be.”
“Should I thank you for seeing me that way, even now?”
I sigh with a chuckle, seeing Chaewon grimacing and stepping back, unable to bear the rotten smell coming from the decaying man.
“Anyway, it’s become clear that something happened here.”
Straightening my knees, I stand up and take off the white gloves covering my hands.
Then, I throw the gloves into the trash can inside the small office,
look at Chaewon, leave the office, and take off the mask.
“If something happened, could it be that the test subjects escaped?”
“It’s possible to think that way, since an ordinary person couldn’t possibly kill a trained security guard.”
As Chaewon said, this man wasn’t killed by an ordinary human.
This man was stabbed in the back of the neck. Without even resistance, let alone noticing.
The inside of the office was stained with blood, but other than that, there were no signs of resistance.
The man died facing the only entrance that could be used to enter and exit the outside and this office.
That means this man was guarding the entrance to the research center until the moment he died…
Bypassing the security guard’s vigilance, who was focused on the entrance, and silently stabbing a vital point in one go.
Of course, it’s not impossible for a test subject with outstanding physical abilities, but something feels different.
Due to the parasite’s characteristic of following the host’s memories and tendencies, its combat ability should be at the level of an ordinary person.
The typical combat method of a common parasite is to overwhelm with overwhelming physical strength, which is different from humans.
The memory of the first successfully parasitized host would be the memory of an ordinary human steeped in peace,
and an ordinary human wouldn’t have knowledge of how to avoid people’s eyes or vital points of humans that would kill if stabbed.
But the traces left on this corpse are too professional. It knows how to effectively kill a human.
“Chaewon, it seems we’ve come to the right place after all.”
Leaving Chaewon behind and lightly jumping over the security facility blocking the way,
a small warning sound starts to ring from the building emitting red lights and the office inside.
The security facility seems to be working fine. This confirms that ‘it’ is inside.
“Wait a minute, Doctor. Are you sure it’s okay for just the two of us to go?
According to what you said, your colleague inside is a traitor to the research society.
No matter how close you are, we can’t rule out the possibility that he might attack you.”
“It’ll be alright, probably.”
“…I understand.”
Was my answer a little unsatisfactory? Chaewon lets out a short sigh of determination with a frown.
Then, following me, she carefully jumps over the security facility. A small siren rings briefly.
If the security facility is still working properly, then the guy inside must have noticed that someone came.
Jung Ah-un, you perverted bastard, what did you make this time?
Boldly moving my steps, I push the glass door and enter the research center.
The lobby, which doesn’t seem to have anything particularly strange, is brightly lit.
Ah, if I had to point out anything strange, it would be that there isn’t even a shadow of a person, just like we saw from the outside?
The employee who should be at the lobby counter is nowhere to be seen, and there are no security guards monitoring outsiders.
There’s just silence and the faint sound of machinery, nothing else.
“…He’s not coming.”
“Yes? Who?”
“My colleague. I thought he’d come out to greet me.”
Well, since the security system went off, he must know that someone has entered…
If he confirmed that it was me, I thought he would have come out to welcome me,
but unlike my expectations, there wasn’t even a hint of anyone in the lobby.
But the security facility wouldn’t be on in a facility where no one is present…
It’s certain that someone is here.
“…Shall we take a look around?”
“Wasn’t finding your colleague the priority?”
“It is, but I can’t find him if he doesn’t come out.
And I need to send a report to the higher-ups that I’ve arrived at the scene.
First, take three or four photos of the inside, then send ‘no abnormalities currently’ appropriately.”
“…Yes? Are you… saying that you’re going to make a false report to the research society?”
“Why? Can’t you do that?”
Chaewon keeps her mouth shut without answering my question.
Was it too much of an order for her, who was born and raised in the research society?
The research society that raised and taught her is like a parent, a home to her.
From the beginning, she must have questioned why I was suddenly going to find my colleague.
Going to meet a colleague who might be a traitor… what on earth am I thinking?
That small question must have eventually become distrust and pecked at me.
I understand her feelings. Blind faith in the research society, which is like a parent,
and now I’m betraying and ordering something that is like the essence of her life.
Of course, I don’t think she’ll listen to me at all.
“I know Chaewon doesn’t trust me, but I hope you’ll listen to me here.”
“…I’m sorry, but I can’t tolerate false reports.”
“No, that’s not what I mean. Shouldn’t we get out of here alive first?”
Chaewon flinches at my words, twitching her eyebrows.
“Chaewon, haven’t you considered that he’s listening to this conversation?”
“…What do you mean…”
“Hey! You perverted bastard! Are you here? Say something if you are!!”
Looking up at the wide and high ceiling of the lobby, my echoing voice reverberates.
And when the last echo almost faded away, a small mechanical sound rang from the ceiling.
A ‘chick-chick’ friction sound, the sound of clicking a microphone, followed by a man’s voice in a low-mid tone.
‘To be called a pervert by a colleague I’m meeting after a long time… I can’t say I feel good.’
“What else is eavesdropping on women’s conversations if not a pervert? Where did you sell your manners?”
I glare at Chaewon, whose face turns pale at the man’s voice.
Then, I continue the conversation with Jung Ah-un, who is hiding somewhere, watching us, and talking through the microphone.
“The one outside, and the people in this research center. You did all that, right?”
‘Of course. You wouldn’t believe me even if I said no, would you?’
“Of course not.”
The only thing that follows this conversation is a slightly labored, hoarse laugh.
The laughter gradually stops, and then I hear him taking a small breath.
‘Haa… How did you know about this place and come here? You’re still Hanbit.’
“Put aside the cheesy talk after a long time, do you know why I came here?”
‘Yes. The research society must have realized that something was wrong.
I thought they would intervene around this time.’
I like that the story is fast.
“Okay, as I said before, I have no intention of reporting you to the higher-ups.
She seems to think a little differently about that, but I’ll talk to her.
So, if you were planning to kill Chaewon now, would you stop?”
“…What?”
‘…Hahaha, have you ever seen me harm someone I haven’t even had a conversation with?’
Trying to pretend he’s not. He was probably planning to kill Chaewon no matter what.
Listening to his voice, he seems to be in poor condition.
If he’s not in perfect condition and the research society interferes, he must have judged that it would be dangerous.
If Chaewon ignored my words and tried to report the abnormality here to the research society, he would have killed her without hesitation.
I turn my head and make eye contact with Chaewon.
She still doesn’t understand what’s going on.
“…So, what did you make this time? And what did you do?”
‘Oh, are you perhaps interested? Hahaha… I never thought you’d finally show interest in me…’
“I am interested. How about we talk about the rest while looking at each other’s faces?”
I correct the conversation that is trying to deviate to a trivial and boring topic.
Once again, I hear a dry cough, and then he continues to speak.
‘…Alright. Then I’ll guide you to my lab, so please follow me as is.
And just in case, I hope you won’t have any foolish thoughts.’
Then the microphone sound cuts off abruptly.
The light in front of me becomes unusually strong and stretches out into the hallway inside.
Is he telling me to follow the light? He still has strange tastes…
“….”
Turning my head, I see Chaewon, who still can’t keep up with the situation, frozen.
I slowly approach her, put my hand on her shoulder, and pat her.
“…You owe me one?”
