Holy Idol [EN]: Chapter 346

346. You Will Be Punished by God

Seeing the blatant surprise on his face, Rembrary asked directly. The head researcher then wiped the expression off his face, smiled, and lied.

“It’s nothing.”

It was definitely something. If it was nothing, why would sleepiness suddenly wash over him?

Rembrary clicked his tongue inwardly. They definitely put something in the food. Probably some kind of sleeping pill.

Regardless, he continued to eat. Now that things had turned out this way, it felt like a loss if he didn’t eat.

Besides, he had also learned one definite fact.

‘Inviting someone and then trying to put them to sleep right away. Someone like that will use any means necessary to get what they want.’

If he had the kind of character to drug someone he just invited, he wouldn’t hesitate to confine human-shaped ‘monsters’ in his lab and use them for his research.

‘I should search this place as thoroughly as possible before I leave.’

Even while eating dessert after the meal, Rembrary remained vigilant.

However, it seemed the sleeping pills were only in the warm dishes served while touring the building, as he didn’t suddenly feel sleepy when eating the snacks.

After eating about half of the food, Rembrary was sure there was no longer anything wrong with it, and he asked a question.

“What is the reason you invited me? I’d like to hear it now.”

“It’s nothing much. You’re such a famous person, I just wanted to see your face once…”

‘Wanted to?’

“And since my research field is awakeners [individuals with supernatural abilities], I had many things I was curious about…”

“What are you curious about?”

“Other awakeners have one type of ability. Depending on the application, it may seem like various talents, but basically, without exception, it’s one type. Except for one person. Rembrary. What’s the reason for that?”

“That’s a long question for something that’s ‘nothing much’.”

“The fact that you’re the only healer also piques my curiosity.”

“You’re only asking questions that are difficult for me to answer.”

“Difficult questions?”

“Are you an awakener?”

The head researcher only smiled without saying yes, but Rembrary interpreted that smile as ‘yes’.

“You’re an awakener. Then you should know. It’s difficult to explain theoretically why you were born with a certain ability.”

“Of course, I didn’t expect you to explain your condition directly.”

“Then?”

“Lend me your body. I’ll find the answer. How about that?”

“…”

“It’s okay. It’s not painful or anything. It’s simple.”

The head researcher smiled again in a friendly manner, but that smile was like a water snake hiding several mice in its throat, the bulging shapes of the mice clearly visible.

“How do you know if it hurts or not?”

“Because I tried it on my own body first.”

“What were your research results?”

“Unfortunately, I’m just an ordinary awakener with nothing special, so I didn’t get any useful results.”

The head researcher looked genuinely disappointed as he said that, but Rembrary didn’t let his guard down.

If it was something that could be researched so simply, he would have asked for a favor first, not tried to put him to sleep right away.

‘Or is it?’

Well, on the other hand, it could be a study that could be finished while he was briefly asleep, so that’s why…

“Then let’s do this. I’ll show you how the research is conducted first. You can decide after that. How about it?”

Rembrary hesitated before nodding. It wasn’t because his doubts about the head researcher had been resolved. Rembrary still thought the director was a difficult person to trust.

However, Rembrary had to find the otherworld residents who might be trapped in the lab. He had to seize any opportunity to roam around inside this building.

“That’s great.”

The head researcher looked down at the few pieces of bread rolling around on the dessert plate and smiled brightly.

“Let’s go as soon as you finish eating. I’m looking forward to it.”

* * *

As Rembrary left the room after the meal, the head researcher said, “This way,” and pointed towards the elevator with his arm.

While waiting for the elevator after pressing the button, the head researcher was silent for a moment.

On the other hand, this time Rembrary stared intently at the head researcher’s profile. The head researcher smiled, his eyes fixed on the elevator number display.

“If you have any questions, ask them. Just as my curiosity is important, so is the curiosity of others.”

“My question isn’t a big deal.”

“I’ll answer even unimportant but important questions. There must be something in return.”

“Which bakery did you buy that cake from?”

The head researcher opened his mouth slightly, then closed it, biting his lip tightly.

“It wasn’t a concept.”

“Concept?”

“The image of liking to eat. I thought it was for the broadcast. Because you’re a great person. I thought you were trying to appeal to people in a friendly way.”

“Why? It could still be a concept.”

“If you’re trying so hard to maintain the concept even in this situation, I have to consider it genuine.”

As the elevator doors opened with a ding, the head researcher turned to look at Rembrary and smiled.

“But I won’t tell you the name of the bakery. That way, you’ll come back to eat it again. Let’s go.”

Inside the elevator, Rembrary unconsciously watched the head researcher press the buttons and noticed something strange.

There were only three buttons inside the elevator. And even those three didn’t have floor numbers written on them. Clearly, the first elevator he took here had all the floor numbers properly displayed.

‘Is this elevator installed for a special purpose?’

In the meantime, the elevator continued to descend. For quite a long time.

When it felt like it had been descending for too long, Rembrary prepared to use God’s Might [his divine power] at any moment and stared intently at the elevator doors.

After what felt like a very long time, the elevator doors opened with a ding.

‘What floor is this?’ Rembrary thought as he stepped out, his eyes widening at the drastically different scenery from the upper floors.

This place had walls, floors, and even pillars all in pure white, and the white parts were all smooth and glossy, made of some unknown material.

Moreover, there were many people wearing gowns similar to the head researcher’s, busily moving around, most of them carrying chart-like things under their arms. There were also as many huge machines as there were researchers, the names of which Rembrary couldn’t even guess.

“I wondered where all the people were; they were all here.”

“They mainly work here.”

It was then. Among the white gowns busily moving around, a woman in a black uniform turned to look at them and began to approach quickly.

Judging by her attire, she wasn’t a researcher, so Rembrary looked back and forth between the head researcher and the woman. The head researcher reached out his hand as if to introduce the woman.

“Ah, that person is…”

However, the woman extended her hand towards Rembrary first and greeted him quickly.

“Ham Cho-seon. Awakener-only prison. Warden.”

At the choppy words, Rembrary looked at the head researcher again, who smiled contentedly and added.

“Our Warden Ham never says unnecessary words. She’s very efficient.”

A prison? A warden? Why is a prison warden here? Rembrary tilted his head, and the head researcher opened his mouth to add more.

“And our Warden Ham…”

But this time, Ham Cho-seon cut off the head researcher again and urged them.

“Busy. This way. Quickly.”

She had been cut off twice. Were they on bad terms? Rembrary glanced at the head researcher. But the head researcher was smiling again.

“She’s very cool.”

Judging by his attitude of not being upset at all, they seemed to be close despite appearances. In the meantime, Ham Cho-seon turned around and walked away busily on her own.

She really seemed busy, so Rembrary followed her almost unconsciously.

Then, Rembrary belatedly asked as he passed by a place where about six researchers were gathered around a white plaster statue, writing something on paper.

“Where are we going?”

As soon as he asked, Ham Cho-seon slipped into a room first, so Rembrary followed her almost unconsciously again, becoming even more bewildered.

“This is…?”

In the center of the room was a bed that looked like it was for hospital use, and a person wearing an oxygen mask was lying on it. There was an IV drip on the right side and an unknown machine on the left side, but that wasn’t why Rembrary was bewildered.

It was because of the strange energy and sound felt throughout the room. The room’s lighting was also reddish, and here, a thumping sound like a heartbeat could be felt, which couldn’t be heard outside the room. It was as if he had entered someone’s lungs rather than a room.

“The atmosphere here is a bit strange.”

Rembrary frowned and muttered. He had no idea what kind of ‘simple experiment’ they wanted to do in a place like this.

However, as if her purpose was to guide him here, Ham Cho-seon, who had walked ahead busily, said, “My work done. Going. Bye,” gave a short greeting, and left without explanation.

‘Why did she come?’ Rembrary was puzzled, but as if accompanying him here was really Ham Cho-seon’s role, the head researcher asked without showing any signs of embarrassment.

“Rembrary, do you know what Warden Ham’s ability is?”

As he spoke, the head researcher lifted the white cloth covering the person wearing the oxygen mask a little higher.

“I don’t.”

Rembrary answered, reflexively looking at the hand.

“It weakens awakening abilities.”

“Weakens abilities? There’s such an ability?”

“It’s the core of the awakener-only prison. Without Warden Ham, the awakener-only prison itself couldn’t exist. It’s the ability I’m interested in next after you.”

“Is that so?”

‘But why would he bother saying that?’

The head researcher, who had given a sudden explanation, suddenly uncovered the breathing apparatus of the person lying down, causing Rembrary to frown and ask.

“Is it okay to take that off?”

The head researcher answered nonchalantly.

“Yes. It’s not put on to supply oxygen.”

“Then?”

At that moment. The person lying down slowly raised his body. Then, he took off the eye patch covering his face with his own hand… and surprisingly, the revealed eyes were three in total.

‘Is he not human?’ As Rembrary looked at him, the head researcher asked again.

“Do you know what my ability is?”

As Rembrary looked at him, the head researcher stepped back and muttered.

“It paralyzes awakening abilities.”

“!”

“If Warden Ham and I join forces, we can seal almost all awakeners’ abilities.”

The head researcher gave a cunning smile and pointed at the monster as if offering Rembrary delicious food.

“Both my and Warden Ham’s abilities are applied in this room. So, Rembrary…”

Before he could finish speaking, the monster, as if just realizing what state he had been in, jumped up and threw away the IV stand next to him.

The IV stand crashed against the wall right above Rembrary’s head with a bang and shattered. The pack containing the liquid fell on Rembrary’s head.

As Rembrary, his hair completely soaked, wiped his eyes with his sleeve and looked at the head researcher, the head researcher smiled and suggested without any sign of apology.

“Try rampaging once. Let’s see how many abilities are sealed.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the monster this time lifted the bed in one hand as if it were a light dumbbell and swung it at Rembrary without warning.

And the head researcher took out his cell phone and began filming the scene. With a smile full of curiosity on his face.

It was a precarious moment. However, just before the monster rushed at Rembrary. An anomaly occurred.

The monster dropped the bed he had been swinging around like a light dumbbell and collapsed.

Not only that. The monster even curled up and trembled, and later, he crawled to the corner on his knees and hugged his body.

The head researcher looked at Rembrary in embarrassment.

“What is this…?”

Rembrary was looking at the head researcher while taking off one of his shoes with one hand.

“Why the shoes…?”