Chapter 106
I stared at the vine plant with a look of slight bewilderment.
I couldn’t understand why it was suddenly acting like this.
Movements that seemed intended to stop me from hitting my own hand any further.
This had never happened even in the game.
When receiving the rookie guard quest, it was usually because the creatures’ suspicion levels were high.
I wondered if some kind of anomaly had occurred because the levels had been spiking erratically earlier.
I was curious about Creature No.1’s level.
However, checking the level was only possible through direct face-to-face contact; it couldn’t be done with just a part of the body.
Escaping the training center was the priority.
To continue the strikes, I gently pushed away the vine wrapped around my right hand with the baton.
But the vine clung to me stubbornly.
Text appeared on the monitor.
[Strike the creature model. (Current count: 6/10)]
If I didn’t fill the count quickly, it would be judged as a failure.
After hesitating, I swung the baton again.
I figured that if I hit it just once more, it would back off on its own.
Thwack.
A dull striking sound echoed.
The vine stiffened for a moment, then trembled violently.
I waited for the stem to release my right hand.
But for some reason, it wound itself around me even tighter.
It climbed all the way up to my wrist, forming a thick protector.
It wasn’t like it was asking to take the hits in installments; what on earth was this?
I couldn’t understand why it was insisting on being hit.
’I have a way to recover my body after this anyway.’
However, since I had no way to communicate my opinion, I had no choice but to fill the remaining count by hitting the vine plant.
As I delivered the final tenth strike, the sound of applause echoed from the screen.
Creature model striking completed.
Frowning slightly, I wiped my damp forehead with the back of my hand and sighed.
Along with the completion of the strikes, the value on the system window rose.
[Becoming a rookie guard.... 13%]
I put the baton back and examined the vine plant.
After the final strike, the vine plant lay limp.
I had tried to hit it just enough to trigger the strike judgment, but it must have still been painful.
I stroked the vine plant.
Then, the stem that had been lifeless until a moment ago began to wriggle and climbed up my forearm.
I held the vine plant in my arms.
It was a bit cumbersome, but it was manageable enough to hold with one arm.
I intended to return the vine plant to Creature No. 1.
Creature No. 1 was capable of both separating and reconnecting parts of its body.
If I brought it back, it would connect itself to the main body.
Fortunately, it wasn’t very heavy.
The vine plant seemed to like being in my arms, as it squirmed and adjusted itself into a comfortable position.
[Move to the next room and learn about Neo.]
The wall split open and a door opened.
Before moving, I stole a glance at Dominic. He had been far too quiet for a while, which felt unsettling.
’It’s about time he said something.’
I had been prepared to hear a remark from the moment I started striking my right hand with the baton.
I knew well that Dominic did not like this method.
I had even imagined his expected lines in my head.
"Are you injuring your hand over such a trivial creature? It is not easy to understand, Roasted Chestnut, and so on."
But strangely, Dominic said nothing.
It was a situation where he should have at least made a dissatisfied sound like:
"Hmm..."
I watched Dominic’s reaction.
Then, I realized something was slightly wrong.
Dominic was staring intently at the vine plant.
There was no squishing of his body, no flickering of his ears, and no sprinkling of glitter.
He was simply staring, frozen in place.
At that moment. I felt a sense of déjà vu.
The current Dominic felt similar to when Samra stopped pretending to be human.
Stripping away the thin wrapping he wore and revealing his essence..
Just as a faint chill ran down my spine and the realization became clear-
Squish. The slime’s body moved.
"Let us move to the next room. The door will close at this rate."
At Dominic’s calm voice, I quickly checked the door.
If one did not move within a certain amount of time after a movement order was given, it was judged as disobedience.
Since one would be locked in the room until their mind was sufficiently reconstructed.
I had to move without delay.
Even as I moved to the next room, I kept checking on Dominic.
I could feel the slime becoming squishy again, so it seemed fine for now, but...
Carrying that lingering unease, I entered the next room, and as expected, the monitor
descended with a ’zzzzzzzz’.
A glass vial containing a neon green liquid appeared on the screen.
This is the fuel that can be extracted from creatures.
[It is called Neo.]
The vial rotated slowly on the screen.
After rotating long enough for the neon green liquid inside to be clearly seen, text appeared.
[Neo is a resource with infinite possibilities and a stepping stone provided by God for a new era of humanity.]
Illustrations of what could be done with Neo appeared on the screen.
From curing diseases to physical enhancement, and even as fuel for spaceships.
It showed in detail how happy humanity had become thanks to this miracle-like magical substance.
A child who couldn’t use their legs standing up from a wheelchair to be embraced by their parents, and despairing scientists moving toward a new world using Neo, it was a sight that evoked a surge of emotion.
If I hadn’t known the true identity of Neo, I might have been moved as well.
[Currently, there is only one way to produce Neo.]
[That is to seek the cooperation of the creatures.]
[Humanity and creatures are building a good relationship under mutual cooperation.]
Illustrations of humans and creatures coexisting peacefully poured out and piled up in layers.
Then, they suddenly shattered.
[However, there is no need to treat even the most heinous criminals as persons.]
Now, the screen showed illustrations of creatures committing crimes.
A series of horrific scenes such as murder, arson, and looting followed.
In the illustrations, the creatures were drawn with grotesque appearances, while the cute looking humans were purely innocent victims.
[They must pay the price for their sins.]
[Extracting Neo from vicious creature criminals is like recycling waste.]
I briefly checked the vine plant in my arms.
I was glad that Prisoner No. 1 was a plant-type creature.
Since it could feel touch but had no sight, it didn’t have to see such bullshit.
[Neo is also an essential fuel for us guards.]
[To deal with vicious criminals, guards have come to possess advanced bodies.]
[Neo is required to maintain these enhanced bodies.]
This time, a pillar rose from the floor.
On top of the pillar sat the glass vial containing the Neo I had just seen on the screen.
[Neo for the rookie guard has been prepared.]
[Consume the Neo immediately.]
"Ugh...."
Knowing the method of Neo’s extraction, my repulsion was vivid.
But there was no way around this.
I just had to drink it.
I popped the aluminum cap of the vial.
Because my right hand was in poor condition, my grip slipped a bit, but I managed to open it.
After taking a deep breath, I poured the Neo into my mouth.
Gulp.
The sensation of the liquid sliding down my esophagus was vivid.
Possessing a slight viscosity, it didn’t go down smoothly but felt somewhat sticky.
I set down the empty vial.
I didn’t feel good...
I felt myself becoming somewhat calmer.
As if waiting for this moment, the loud sound of applause erupted from the screen again.
[Neo consumption completed.]
I checked the system window with only my eyes.
[Becoming a rookie guard... 53%]
Upon drinking the Neo, the progress jumped by 40% at once.
The hand that had been mangled by the baton was recovered in an instant.
I once again had a perfectly fine right hand.
[The first ’Basic Knowledge’ education has ended.]
[Move to the next room to begin the second education.]
As I prepared to step forward, I suddenly looked at the burden resting on one of my arms.
The weight being transmitted felt cumbersome and inconvenient.
A sudden surge of irritation rose, and I felt an impulse to throw the lump of baggage onto the floor.
This is why creatures are such a nuisance.
"... Ah."
I blinked rapidly.
I was inwardly horrified by the alien nature of the thought I had just had.
Now that the guard progress had passed 50%, my way of thinking had definitely become strange.
Even in the game, I thought the process of tuning into a guard was grotesque, but experiencing it in reality was even more unpleasant.
I didn’t like the sensation of something trying to change me.
I felt as if my head was heating up.
I felt I had to be careful not to be swept away by the guard’s mindset.
I would try to keep the progress as low as possible, but even so, by the time I finished the education process, the guard progress would likely reach 98%.
My goal was to meet Kwak Han-mook before it hit 100%.
I sent a message just before I was captured by the Security Chief.
Kwak Han-mook was probably on his way to find me by now.
Clutching the vine plant in one arm, I took a slow deep breath and moved to the next room.
The second education is ’Practical Training.’
Unlike the previous rooms, this one was quite large.
A massive monitor was attached to one wall, and in the center, an arena similar to those seen in fighting matches was installed.
The ring, surrounded by iron chains instead of ropes, felt desolate.
[In the first education, Trainee Lamb showed excellent results.]
[Now, we will learn in more detail how to reconstruct the minds of creatures.]
[Here, you will face all the creatures imprisoned in the prison as virtual holograms.]
[First, after facing each creature, you will learn their detailed weaknesses and suppression methods.]
[Trainee Lamb, please step up into the ring once preparations are complete.]
I set the vine plant down on the floor.
Separated from my embrace, the vine plant wriggled its stems unstably.
However, it was impossible to fight while hugging a plant.
"Wait."
I tossed out a word, knowing it couldn’t hear me, and briefly stretched to check my condition.
Neo not only recovers the body but also enhances it.
The reason guards could handle creatures was predominantly due to the influence of Neo.
I couldn’t yet exert as much power as the actual guards.
However, even this much was enough to handle hologram creatures without any trouble.
’It’s not like I’ll actually get hurt.’
Originally, rookie guards face hologram creatures without any information and learn frustration and anger toward them.
After being miserably defeated, they learn the suppression methods, and thanks to the negative emotions felt previously, they accept and perform cruel methods as a matter of course.
I already knew all the creature suppression methods.
There was no need to tediously extend the education time by facing them twice.
I intended to suppress all the creatures from the first attempt and finish the practical training in the shortest time possible.
However, I felt heat rushing to my head, making me slightly dizzy.
Was it because I drank the Neo?
A strange sense of unpleasantness continued to plague me. I wanted to finish the education as quickly as possible.
I stepped up into the ring.
Then, hologram creatures appeared one after another above the arena.
Along with a cheer, text appeared on the screen.
[Creatures Trainee Lamb will face:]
The screen paused for a moment before outputting more text.
[Introducing Creature Prisoners No. 1 through No. 13.]
I scanned the thirteen creatures with expressionless eyes.
My gaze stopped at the hologram of Creature Prisoner No. 13.
My lips, which had been pressed in a straight line, let out a hollow laugh.
"Ha..."
The unpleasantness that had been wriggling inside me since a while ago suddenly burst forth.
My eyes burned hot....
Who dares treat my subordinate like this?