030 – Test
[Treatment process has been completely finished. Current physical condition: 100%. Infused with organic fluids for oxygen and nutrient supply. Coughing during the expulsion of organic fluids is a natural occurrence, so please don’t suppress it and cough naturally. After the process ends, any remaining organic fluids in the lungs will be absorbed by the lung membranes and naturally removed.]
Somewhere, the sound of draining water could be heard. Ho-Chang opened his eyes as he heard the voice of a woman accompanying the sound. He struggled to recall the memories after entering the capsule. However, having been in a deep sleep state throughout the treatment period since entering the capsule, Ho-Chang couldn’t remember anything that happened during the treatment process.
Instead, what came to his mind were memories from before he entered the capsule, not after.
‘Honestly, it’s praiseworthy. Perhaps your strength is on the level that can be called an Irregular compared to civilians. But you’ve had bad luck. It’s almost impossible for civilians to defeat Awakeners, that’s for sure.’
With stories that Ho-Chang couldn’t comprehend based on his common sense, he remembered the face of the assailant who had attacked him with supernatural speed, all while pondering within his mind, ‘Awakener’? Civilians? What kind of story is this? Why are those monsters chasing young men and women who should be enjoying their early twenties, attending university? What is this? Have I become an extra in a superhero story without realizing it?’
What he was most curious about was how he was still alive. Before coming here, he was in such a dire state that his body was barely holding on, like a lump of meat with just a breath left. There are limits to human recovery ability. Especially when, like him, one was so heavily damaged that the whole body was beaten up and the organs were ruptured, causing blood to flow from the mouth, there would inevitably be side effects on the body, no matter how good the treatment was. However, Ho-Chang didn’t feel any of these side effects in his entire body within the capsule. On the contrary, it felt even better than when he was in the best condition he remembered in his life.
[Treatment completion process has been finalized. If you need it, the outfit to change into is stored in the storage space on the left side of the Medical Pod. Congratulations on the full recovery of registered user Lee Ho-Chang.]
After the pleasant warm wind thoroughly dried his body, including the drying process, the system voice sent Ho-Chang a message indicating the completion of the treatment. Furthermore, it conveyed additional instructions, presumably from Myung-jun or Soo-jeong.
[There was a message from the Commander asking you to come to the test chamber after the treatment is completed. Once you’re dressed, please follow the instructions and proceed to the test chamber.]Almost reflexively, Ho-Chang was about to ask, “What about food?” But he stopped himself. Because he didn’t feel very hungry, as if nutrients had also been supplied inside the medical pod. Ho-Chang changed into the prepared outfit and moved towards the door. Luckily, the outfit provided was not a futuristic sci-fi movie-like suit, but rather a properly modern casual style outfit.
Wearing comfortable outfit, Ho-Chang stopped his steps in front of the door. Unlike his expectations of an automatic door, the metal door didn’t budge even though he approached it. Unable to even find a slot to put his fingers in to open it manually, Ho-Chang could only stand awkwardly in front of the door.
At that moment, a familiar voice echoed in Ho-Chang’s ear.
[Turn the dial on the left side of the entrance and align it with the location you want to move to.]
When Ho-Chang looked to the left, there was indeed a circular dial about the size of a fist. As he manipulated it, various texts were displayed on the small screen located above the dial.
‘Briefing Room, Science Facility… Prototype Laboratory. Personal Room – Lee Ho-Chang… Is this my personal room? Is it connected to the opposite room by turning the dial to align with the location?’
Although Ho-Chang didn’t know what kind of space he was in, he speculated that it was probably a facility with a scale beyond his imagination. Otherwise, there would be no need to prepare such a transportation device that reduces the distance to zero. Such expectations were confirmed when he aligned the dial with the text “Test Chamber” and instantly moved to the opposite space.
-Boooom!!!-
On the other side of the door was not a room, but an ‘open field’. In the midst of it, a vehicle with a familiar shape was roaring through the open field with a thunderous noise. Ho-Chang looked around with a bewildered expression, expecting to see the wall that should exist if there was a ‘door’ there, but instead, there was nothing but empty space.
‘There is nothing behind the door either!?’
As Ho-Chang was feeling like he was watching some kind of magic show, the longing voice of Byung-tae reached his ears.
-Ah! Hyung! Have you come?! Hahaha!-
As soon as Byung-tae’s words ended, Soo-jeong’s voice resonated in the air.
[Mr. Byung-tae, you’re overly excited.]
-Miss Soo-jeong will understand once you try riding this car as well. No sports car in the world can provide such an exhilarating riding experience as this!-
[The ongoing test isn’t about testing the driving or handling experience, but rather to see how naturally one can camouflage itself in a camouflaged state. Since Mr. Ho-Chang is also here, let’s hear his opinion.]
“My… my opinion?”
[Don’t be surprised, just try answering the question. How does the vehicle in front of you look and how is it driving?]
“Isn’t that a Sorento that we often see on the road? It just seems like it’s driving off-road normally?”
[Even after looking closely, does it still appear that way?]
At her words, which seemed to carry a deeper meaning, Ho-Chang focused his consciousness on the direction of the moving vehicle. Then, after staring for a while, he noticed something odd.
“I’m not sure, but the way the dirt is flying seems subtly awkward. It’s like suddenly a bit of dirt is being generated in the air?”
[Is it quite awkward?]
“No, you would have to watch a recording and examine it at a video analysis level just to barely recognize it. Even though I don’t know what you did, if I were to compare it, it’s like watching a movie that an expert created with CG. It’s an image that shows a subtle difference from actual driving, like a synthetic image with a distinct composite vibe.”
[Hmm, it seems like there’s a significant gap between the actual size and the image being presented, which is causing the issue.]
“What do you mean by ‘significant gap’?”
[You’ll understand it better if you see it for yourself. Activate the camouflage mode.]
As soon as Soo-jeong finished speaking, Ho-Chang could only gape. Just a moment ago, there was undoubtedly a Sorento driving there, but now, a massive armored vehicle with thick gloves covering its entire body was racing through the space.
“Is this also a supernatural ability?”
Startled, Ho-Chang asked, and Soo-jeong answered.
[It’s technically called visual data distortion. It’s a technology that tracks the positions of all gazes looking at a target and projects fake images. In simpler terms, it’s a bit like playing a video with a fake image in front of a surveillance camera.]
“What’s with that strange-looking vehicle?”
[It’s a dedicated AFV made for Mr. Byung-tae, who has become an official crew member. It’s currently undergoing fine-tuning to match Mr. Byung-tae’s combat and driving style. Mr. Byung-tae, if we increase the tire width here, it could potentially decrease the camouflage effect. How would you like to proceed?]
-Oh? Well… Miss, what are your thoughts?-
[Initially, the reason for increasing the tire size was to improve off-road driving capabilities, right? If that’s the case, it might be better to explore other ways of navigating rough terrain. You could make spikes protrude from the wheels, or use tires that expand only when necessary. If not that, you could even incorporate jumping abilities like the Batmobile or hovercraft-like movement where you slightly levitate in the air, depending on the situation.]
-Is such a thing possible?-
[The current weight is on the edge, so we’ll need to readjust the armor level, but it’s not impossible. We have several versions prepared, so why not test them and find the one that suits you best?]
-Well then, that sounds good. Since this vehicle gets better the more you ride it.-
[Alright, let’s proceed with that. Mr. Byung-tae’s driving test for today will be concluded with this. We also need to test Ho-Chang’s armored suit, after all.]
Then, Ho-Chang’s consciousness suddenly returned from what had felt like a tale from another world.
“Armored suit?”
[You heard it right before losing consciousness, didn’t you? By joining the crew, Mr. Byung-tae gained the ability to summon a dedicated AFV, and Mr. Ho-Chang gained the ability to summon an armored suit.]
“I was on the verge of death, so I wasn’t in my right mind, and I don’t even know what an armored suit is to begin with.”
At that moment, a massive AFV rushed towards Ho-Chang, showcasing a brilliant drift before coming to a halt. Then, the hatch of the massive armored vehicle opened, revealing a familiar face.
“What’s all this? It’s a splendid gift for Hyung.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
“Well, you’d better experience it for yourself. Miss, can you also provide the same thing for Hyung?”
[If it’s the same thing as before… Ah, you mean that? Sure, should I do it now?]
“Please do.”
As Byung-tae inclined his head 90 degrees toward the empty space, a sound like he was typing on a keyboard echoed.
[Initiate designated Battle Simulatior playback. Mode: Training.]
In an instant, the surroundings darkened, and the vast open field that was there just a moment ago transformed into a different space. It was a place Ho-Chang had visited only once before. However, it was a place he would never forget, a place that had pushed him to the brink of death.
“What… what is this?”
With a visibly tense expression, Ho-Chang clenched his fist, an understandable reaction in his situation. The location that Soo-jeong had moved him to at Byung-tae’s request was the very place where Ho-Chang had been pushed to the brink of death by the attackers.
In addition, there, the opponent he never wanted to encounter, the opponent who should have been ‘dead,’ was waiting for him.
“How…?”
The scars etched on his body had vanished without a trace, but the scars etched in his heart remained.
His memory of feeling utterly powerless in the face of overwhelming strength also remained. Looking at the approaching attacker with a tense expression, Ho-Chang heard Soo-jeong’s voice in his ear.
[Calm down, Mr. Ho-Chang. It’s just a simulation.]
“A simulation?”
[The opponent before you is a virtual enemy based on your scanned memories, Mr. Ho-Chang. It’s not really him.]
“So, you’re saying it’s fake? Can that bastard use the strange ability that he used back then?”
[Of course, we’ve replicated everything from abilities to physique, so he can use any strange techniques he used back then.]
“Then, if I fight against that fake monster, won’t I get injured?”
[No. Of course, the simulation will end before you’re seriously injured, but since the goal here is to recreate real combat situations, injuries can occur during training in this space.]
“So, are you telling me to fight a clone with the same abilities as that monster from back then?”
It wasn’t because he was afraid. He just didn’t want to experience that powerlessness from back then again. Ho-Chang believed that facing a foe who would toy with his ‘powerlessness,’ which he had honed throughout his life, was an experience he could do without in his lifetime.
And just as Ho-Chang’s gaze was tense, focused on the approaching attacker, Soo-jeong’s voice reached his ear, as if gently soothing him.
[Mr. Ho-Chang, please don’t make up your mind so quickly. I’m not asking you to fight against an ability user without any preparation. Rather, what Mr. Byung-tae wants from you… it’s a chance for you to achieve the revenge you couldn’t back then, right now.]
“Re…venge?”
[Yes, revenge.]
With a voice filled with the confidence of never yielding, Soo-jeong questioned Ho-Chang.
[Don’t you want revenge?]
In her words, there was a sense of anticipation for what was about to unfold, lingering heavily.
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