Kalisten had to relax the power in his body deliberately. In the meantime, the researcher brought another syringe.

“Give it to me.”

“Here, Deputy Director.”

Then, the deputy warden inserted the syringe into Kalisten’s wrist. The needle dug into the flesh with a ‘pak’ sound, and could not go inside anymore after it went down a certain level.

“I told you to relax, you didn’t.”

Kalisten sighed and loosened his body more. Then, the needle was stuck in very deeply. She started to inject him with the drug.

“What’s this?”

“Do you want to know what it is?”

“Yes.”

Roughly, Kalisten knew all about the drugs they used on subjects because a researcher used to list all the narcotics to scare him. But they could have changed his medication.

“I’ll tell you since you’ve been compliant.”

The deputy warden ran her hand over the blood flowing down Kalisten’s cheek and playfully applied it to her lips.

“What entered you is a drug that induces awakening. With a bit of truth telling serum in it.”

“Anything else?”

“Hallucinogens and stimulants.”

“Why?”

The deputy warden liked his ferocious glare. On the one hand she resented his rebelliousness, but on the other hand, she liked his spirit and found it entertaining.

“Because in order to awaken, you must be defenseless.”

“… .”

“Body and mind.”

After she explained, she turned away and gave an order to a researcher:

“Share the screen.”

“Yes, Deputy Director.”

Eventually, the opaque window behind the deputy director lit up with a ‘beep’ sound.

“What is this!”

The screen illuminated the large room and showed a view of a room containing Class XX. Kalisten’s room was smaller than the one in front of him. But that was because he was rebellious, and it was customary to be larger than the room in front.

“It was A-702 who saved your life in that ice tank last time.”

“Wasn’t that a dream?”

“Did you hope it was a dream?”

Kalisten thought it was a dream that Aselia saved him and shivered from the cold. It was after taking medicine, so he couldn’t tell what was fake or real.

“No. XX-321 killed the researcher and was imprisoned there.”

“… .”

“Aren’t you curious what he did to him before killing him?”

From her words, Kalisten understood what XX-321 had done.

“A-702 is a man. How could a man… .”

“The researcher who died is also a man. He had a very miserable death. With all his clothes off.”

The researcher head of the Z Wing was watching her deputy director and thought she was very meticulous. She was killing two birds with one stone in this scheme. The director didn’t like XX-321, but he still had one more warning due to procedure, even though he raped and murdered a researcher. So in the name of research, she was using Z-999, which would probably burn him to death and have him die in the most painful way.

“If you don’t rescue him, that child will die very horribly over there.”

“Why are you doing this!”

Kalisten jumped up and grabbed the deputy director by the collar.

“Ugh… !”

He shuddered at the painful flow of stimulants and other deranged drugs that ran through his body momentarily.

“This wall can only be broken with mana.”

“Crazy X.”

“Break it down with magic and go out and save your friend,”

ordered the deputy warden, looking at Kalisten with contempt. Then Kalisten let go of the deputy warden and slammed the wall behind her.

– Ka-boom! Slam! Boom-Boom! Bang! Punch!

He punched the wall relentlessly, but the walls were still intact, with only scratches.

At that moment—

With a loud tearing noise, XX-321 tore open Aselia’s clothes; while observing their body, he cruelly laughed.

‘Should I tell you why I got XX rank?’

‘Ha— don’t…’

—Thump 

Kalisten’s heart sank when he looked at Aselia’s terrified face.

‘If you behave well, I will spare you. Let’s have fun for the next two weeks, hmm?’

When XX-321 bit Aselia’s neck, Kalisten was not fully conscious.

What he remembers is,

-Bang! Boom Boom Boom Boom! Bang! Bang!

His body erupted with rage and mana.

“Aaaagh!”

XX-321’s screams ripped at the eardrums.

The only one that caught fire was XX-321. Nevertheless, the surroundings were filled with black smoke.

Aselia was relieved to find Kalisten’s red eyes.

“Kal.”

“Aselia, come here.”

Although he reached out and offered his hand, Aselia couldn’t take it from terror-induced exhaustion. Her relief at seeing him brought her to tears; her legs were weak and wobbly. It was so comforting to see Kalisten.

“Huh!”

Seeing Aselia collapse and cry, Kalisten tried to approach without realizing it.

“Aselia.”

“Ugh— Kal— ugh hu…” [sfx: crying]

-Shoot it!

At that moment, researchers opened the door and sprayed XX-321 and Kalisten with fire extinguishers.

“Aselia!”

Choking from the fire extinguisher, Aselia looked at Kalisten as he rushed to her.