S-Class Hunter Heals with Monsters - Chapter 118



Only Noblemtl

Episode 118: The reason my ears itch

The time when Cheon Do-woon enjoyed coffee time with the Coconut family.

Outside the gate, Kim Cheol-soo was sitting on a thorn cushion with his teacher.

I noticed that Cheon Do-un was leaving and the teacher was only sighing.

‘I haven’t changed my opinion that Master was wrong. but… .’

Still, he is someone who served as a teacher for 7 years.

Feeling as if he had betrayed him, Kim Cheol-soo could not say anything.

In heavy silence, the old man opened his mouth.

“I see you need to correct something. As you may already know, TDA was not a good research institute. “I’m sorry for tricking you.”

Kim Cheol-soo nodded. He sat down on the sofa across from him and waited for his teacher to speak.

“I did research on Mandragora there. Looking at it more broadly, I did research on plant monsters. I also ran into that guy Cheon Do-un while researching Mandragora… .”

The first time I saw him was when Cheon Do-un was about 13 years old.

When I thought about that time, my blood pressure naturally rose.

The old man opened his mouth, recalling the past.

* * *

While working at TDA Research Institute, the old man used the pseudonym ‘Joseph’.

It was to make it impossible for people to know their origins.

Working under the pseudonym Joseph, he heard a rumor that caused an uproar at the institute.

[Did you hear? Number 17 did it again.]

[know. Instructor’s eye with a spoon… Ugh, that idiot.]

[But I heard that the instructor shot first for an unusual reason.]

[What do you know? Whatever the reason, eating people’s eyes out isn’t normal. Let’s not get as close to number 17 as possible.]

Joseph heard his fellow researchers whispering.

Until then, I had no interest in Cheon Do-un.

Since he lives alone in his personal laboratory, he will never encounter number 17.

That’s what I thought, but life doesn’t always go as planned.

[Who touched my fish tank!]

While he was eating, the glass case with the mandragora on it fell to the floor and broke.

The assistant was standing in front of him with a pale face.

[Sorry! Because I fell… !]

[What about the grass inside? Where is Mandragora?]

[I went out earlier when the lab door opened.]

The assistant pointed out the door. Joseph got angry at that calm appearance.

[Then you should have caught it! What were you just staring at!]

[Ha, but it’s a monster. Mandragora is a monster about which not much has been revealed yet… If you catch it with your bare hands and it becomes poisonous later… .]

[Hey… ! Who appointed this guy as my assistant!]

Joseph hurried out of the lab.

‘are you okay. Mandragora has no motor nerves. ‘I wouldn’t have gone far!’

Even if I ran with all my might, I wouldn’t have been able to get out of this hallway.

Moreover, it is not a natural product, but a cultivated Mandragora.

Since he was so skinny and stumbling around, I thought I would find him soon.

‘there is!’

I saw dry roots jumping in the middle of the hallway.

I fall while walking. I get up, run around, and fall again.

-after… Huh… !

Nevertheless, Joseph paused as it happened again.

Something was strange. Mandragora was originally a monster with little activity.

Even if you put it on a table for research, the monster just walks around a bit and then sits down.

That’s because it’s artificially grown and lacks strength, or it’s because it doesn’t like to move by nature.

It was the first time Joseph had seen a Mandragora running so desperately.

‘Where are we going?’

He followed at a reasonable distance.

Soon, a young boy walked out from the corner of the hallway.

-Huh… !

When he saw the boy named Mandrago, he got even more excited and started running.

[What is this? There’s a bunch of grass running around.]

The boy, Cheon Do-un, looked at the roots with a puzzled look. He seemed very anxious as he was staggering around.

-Hu, huu… !

As expected, Cheon Do-un bowed down to catch the fall.

What is this? It’s so thin it looks like a dried bellflower.

Cheon Doun turned the Mandragora around. Joseph, who saw it from afar, widened his eyes in surprise.

‘Why are those foul-tempered grassroots so calm?’

He is a man who lashes out at himself even when he meets him every day.

Such a Mandragora was gentle to Cheon Doun’s touch.

-Huh… Huh… .

Ah, this is the smell of home. It’s faint, but it feels that way. Mandragora noticed the energy of the World Tree flowing through Cheondoun.

As I was born and raised outside the gate, I was more sensitive to recognizing it than a natural mandragora.

world tree. their mother body. Even without such knowledge, he instinctively recognized Cheondoun as a safe haven.

Joseph looked at the boy in response to Mandragora’s reaction.

He’s about thirteen. The number on my chest is 17.

‘It’s the rumored idiot… !’

He imagined the image of someone drooling because he was a crazy person.

Contrary to my expectations, I was surprised at how neat it looked.

‘No matter what she looks like, she’s a girl with a bad reputation. It’s better not to get too close, but… .’

When I saw the calm Mandragora, my curiosity arose.

‘okay. No matter if he’s a thief or something, he’s ultimately a test subject here. It’s not like I’m going to hit anything. ‘As long as it’s just a blood draw, it’s okay to come in contact.’

Joseph walked to Cheon Do-un with confident steps.

[Hey, number 17. Follow me to my lab.]

[why?]

[Why? What would a researcher have to see from a test subject? I’ll draw some blood, so follow me.]

I planned to speak confidently. However, contrary to what I expected, my voice trembled slightly.

‘why… ‘Why are you staring at me like that?’

There was something scary about looking only at my left eye.

Suddenly, a rumor crossed my mind that the instructor’s eyes had been eaten like pudding.

Joseph unconsciously covered his eyes with his hands.

[Keu, keuhm… !]

I got embarrassed and pretended to rub my eyes.

[Joe, that’s because I have something to do a little research on. I’ll just do a blood test and send you back.]

[With bare mouth?]

[uh… ?]

[They said they were going to draw blood. This is my first time seeing your face. Where is the jurisdiction?]

Cheon Do-un looked at the ID card Joseph was wearing around his neck.

I tilted my head when I saw the department name written there.

[It’s not the department in charge of me. Who draws blood at will?]

Joseph was perplexed. No matter if he’s a rogue or something, he’s ultimately the test subject here. Moreover, he is a child.

When the researcher said he would draw blood, I thought I would be scared and comply.

He rolled his eyes at the different flow from what he expected.

[that… Then what do you want me to do for you so that you can draw blood?]

This isn’t it. That’s what I thought, but her mouth moved on its own.

There was also the option of using his authority to forcibly draw blood, but he was unwilling to do so.

I felt like if I did something like that, my left eye wouldn’t be safe tonight.

Joseph knew that he had a good sense of humor, so he wanted to go as smoothly as possible.

Cheon Do-un thought for a moment and then said.

[One month’s worth of food stamps.]

[what… ?]

[Give me one month’s worth of food stamps for the researcher. Then, I’ll let you draw blood once.]

[Poetry, one month’s food stamps… .]

In the old days when food was scarce, one month’s worth of food stamps was too much.

Among the people brought to the research institute, there were some who said that it was better to stay here because it was difficult to get food outside.

[If you give me a whole month’s worth, what am I supposed to eat to live on?]

[You can’t ask me that. There will be money to be made while doing research here. That solves it.]

It was a time when food was more precious than money.

Although he was very worried, Joseph nodded.

You can investigate why Mandragora follows people.

In that case, it was a cheap meal worth a month’s worth of food stamps.

[good. Then, a month’s worth of food… .]

[Three months worth.]

[What, what? Why is it suddenly increasing?]

[Looking at the man’s expression, I think he sang it too cheaply. Give me three meals a day for three months.]

Joseph’s shoulders trembled. How can there be such a sharp robber?

[If you don’t like it, don’t. I don’t mind if I don’t.]

Joseph was impatient as he turned around as if he had no regrets.

[Nose, call… !]

Three months worth of food stamps and one blood draw.

I feel like I’m losing money, but is it because of my mood?

‘Yeah, I guess it’s just my mood.’

It will happen. The thought of starving for three months brought tears to my eyes, but I guess it was just my mood.

I decided to think so.

* * *

Joseph’s mouth opened as he examined Cheon Doun’s blood.

‘Strange. Looking at the records, number 17 has never received a plant cell transplant yet… .’

Why does a blood test show a reaction from a plant-based monster?

‘Other researchers won’t know. It would be difficult to notice if the number was this low.’

These were things Joseph could know because he had devoted his entire life to this field.

‘If you look at the records before the experiment, it is true that he is a human. So did this happen after being transplanted with monster cells?’

The chimera experiment awakened something dormant within No. 17’s body.

It was a situation that had no choice but to see it that way.

‘more… ‘I want to investigate further!’

Joseph was filled with eagerness. The problem was that the price that had to be paid increased each time blood was drawn.

[Put another one on your meal ticket. I heard the mattress in the research lab is that good? The bed in my room is a bit hard.]

[It’s winter soon. Do you have a down blanket?]

[The carpet looked good. Is it fluffy?]

[Did you buy a watch?]

Hey, you bastard. Joseph secretly covered his watch with his sleeve.

Joseph’s eyes moistened. His personal laboratory became more bleak day by day.

On the other hand, Cheon Do-un’s room gradually became filled with soft and warm things.

[Did you buy a heater?]

In winter, the heater went to Cheon Do-un’s room.

[The room there had air conditioning, so it was cool.]

In the summer, the air conditioner moved out.

The other researchers clicked their tongues when they saw Joseph being swayed by Cheon Do-un.

[What kind of weakness did you find? .]

[This is my first time seeing a test subject eat a researcher alive.]

[Leave it alone. It’s number 17.]

For the sake of research, I could endure the pitiful looks at me.

6 years like that. Cheon Do-woon is 19 years old.

Joseph found out what plant cells Cheon Do-un possessed.

The day the world tree was first sighted.

Joseph took the fruit that had fallen on the spot and found out that the power of the World Tree was the same as that of Heaven’s Cloud.

‘The power of the World Tree flows through Number 17’s body.’

The power to bring everything into harmony. The power to purify everything.

That was the reason why no side effects occurred even after hundreds of types of monster cells were transplanted.

‘But something is strange. Number 17’s World Tree cells are gradually disappearing. Why all of a sudden… ?’

Is it related to the World Tree being seen inside the gate and its size shrinking and disappearing?

I don’t know the exact reason.

But one thing was certain: Cheon Do-un had about five years left.

‘Within five years, the cells of the World Tree in my body will completely disappear. If that happens, the side effects of the experiment will begin for number 17 as well.’

When you reach your early 20s, side effects will gradually appear.

There would be no pain. His body is the world tree itself.

As it consumes all the unclean energy, the pain caused by side effects is also canceled out by the energy of the World Tree.

Even though your body is breaking down, you don’t notice it because there is no pain.

‘Shall I tell you?’

Should I tell you to prepare your mind because the side effects will start soon?

‘No. why me? I need to keep this valuable information to myself. That’s what makes it worth it.’

Joseph kept his mouth shut due to his perverse desire for knowledge.

Around that time, a shocking incident occurred.

[My roots… ! My roots are gone!]

The mandragora that was growing in the glass case disappeared.

It was the day Cheon Do-woon left on a mission to the gate.

[Number 17, you! You took my roots!]

[root… ? Oh, that dried bellflower? Why would I take that?]

[You said that before! Wouldn’t it be better to send them back inside the gate!]

[Did I do that?]

[I did! The only culprit is you. It disappeared the day you left on your mission!]

[it’s not me. If you have any doubts, just look at the CCTV.]

That’s a fair statement. That’s why Joseph grabbed the back of his neck.

[My lab CCTV… It means everything is broken. Even the destruction was not filmed because it was so fast.]

[Oh my. There is no evidence.]

Cheon Do-un patted Joseph on the shoulder.

[go for it.]

A voice without pitch said, Fighting.

Ah, I want to give you a beating. If I could hit you in the back of the head just once, I don’t think there would be any regrets.

Joseph clenched his fists and trembled.

The old man pressed his eyebrows as he recalled that day from his youth.

Because of the loss of the Mandragora, Joseph was kicked out of the laboratory.

After that, I never met Cheon Do-un.

“I want to see his shocked face even just once. For some reason, if it were him… “I think they would have done that even when they found out I was having side effects.”

The old man sighed and said.

“I know I took the wrong path when I was young. I should apologize a hundred times a thousand times for that. But something… Something. It’s clear that he’s the test subject, but I feel like I’m the victim. “Is this my imagination?”

Kim Cheol-soo could not answer.

The teacher who told me about the past somehow seemed 10 years older.

* * *

The moment when Joseph pressed his forehead against an old memory.

Cheon Do-woon, who was having coffee time with the Coconut family, stopped.

‘My ears are itching. ‘Who’s criticizing me?’

I’ve never done anything to deserve resentment, so why?

Cheon Do-un tilted his head as he drank his coffee.

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