"Haizz! My fate must be too miserable to be stuck with a loser like you!"
Suddenly, a voice drifted out of nowhere, slicing through the chaotic atmosphere.
It was cold and frail, yet it carried a strange weight, stirring worry and fear as if it crept into the depths of one’s soul.
Hector snapped out of his frenzy. He released Tom’s throat—Tom, who was on the brink of death—and grabbed the steel collar tightening around his neck, trying to rip it off with all his strength.
He gritted his teeth, blood seeping from the corner of his lips as he struggled against the tightening band.
With final rage, it also quickly lost after that.
Simply, the steel collar was too hard.
Honestly, the steel collar was formed from a lot of complex and overpriced stuff, so just an unsource power that Hector just gained was too tough to break.
Moments later, slowly, his knees buckled.
And then, he collapsed entirely, motionless.
That was a function of the collar, and it had completed its mission.
And now, the air began to be silent, until Tom, who was near there, slowly stood up in fear.
His fear increasingly turned into anger.
"B-Bitch!" Tom rasped, massaging his scorched throat to relieve the pain. Then, with staggering steps, he approached Hector.
"Fuck you!" he spat bitterly, seething with rage and humiliation. For a split second, the urge to kill surged within him.
But then, that same voice returned—clear, commanding, and merciless.
"Don’t do anything stupid. Otherwise, that’ll be the last time I spare you!"
The prisoners who had spoken moved away as the sound of footsteps grew louder.
"You never fail to disappoint me," Haley said flatly to Tom before giving Hector a satisfied glance.
A few seconds later, he smiled as if the previous anger was just a glance.
"Perfect... just what I’ve been waiting for."
"Still needs some fine-tuning," Haley murmured, shutting his emotionless eyes briefly before turning back to Tom.
"He’s a treasure—you better understand that. If he dies, your death won’t be swift."
"Throw him into a privileged prison!"
"Y-Yes! I-I’ll do it, Master!"
Tom bowed his head in shivering before eyes fixed to the ground where Hector was lying in silence, with a peak of anger on his face
He didn’t dare look at Haley—not after witnessing that smile.
To his twisted luck, Hector had proven a more promising creation than Haley had ever expected. Otherwise, Tom’s head would’ve rolled long ago because of the previous action.
And yet, he still wasn’t sure whether that was fortune... or a curse.
But one thing was certain—Hector was a man kissed by fate.
Always slipped past death.
"Lucky bastard," Tom muttered through clenched teeth, glaring down at Hector with eyes full of loathing.
Once again, he had another reason to hate him.
Another reason to kill him.
A damp, dreary prison. Water dripped from the ceiling, echoing in the silence.
The room was large, lined with rusted iron bars and worn stone walls.
Only Hector lay on the cold, dusty floor, unmoving.
There were other cells nearby, each with one prisoner, all lost in their own worlds.
No one spared Hector a glance. It wasn’t the first time.
Everything seemed dull, dead—
Until Hector’s eyes slowly opened.
"Urgh!... What’s happening to me?" he groaned weakly, eyes squinting as he clutched the side of his aching head and tried to crawl.
"So, you’re the new prototype! Congrats! Your life just got extended!"
At that "encouraging" remark, Hector simply scowled in fury, letting rage smother the pain clawing at his brain.
"What the fuck? Can’t you just stop screwing with my mind?!"
He had grown used to cruel whispers ever since Haley forced that strange capsule into him.
It had clearly left an impact... and now, it was just plain irritating.
But the voice came again, now tinged with mockery.
"Huh? Is that how a man speaks to a lady?"
Hector instantly turned toward the voice, cautiously.
His eyes narrowed. Behind a steel-barred gate stood a girl, probably around twenty.
In his old world, he might have called her gorgeous.
By comparison, she wasn’t the most beautiful he had seen in this strange realm.
Yet... she was exactly the kind of girl he wanted.
Not too stunning, not plain.
"Where was that behavior earlier?" she said, a faint, bitter smile touching her lips. She leaned against the cold wall, brushing aside blonde strands that had veiled her mature face, eyes scanning the room with a detached look.
"F-Fuck! She’s totally my type!" Hector mumbled, flushing with a mix of shame and excitement.
"Hey! Bastard! Don’t look at my woman with those dirty eyes! She’s mine! MINE!"
Hector’s focus snapped toward the source—a rough, snarling voice thick with jealousy.
It was an older man, his gaze burning with hostility, flicking constantly between Hector and the girl like a hound in heat.
"Well... guess everything comes with a downside. I can’t expect to be surrounded only by women," Hector muttered with a shrug. He moved to a quiet corner, ignoring the man’s hateful stare from across the bars.
Finally, a bit of silence.
And then... the memories returned.
Nothing but the final image.
That anguished look on a prisoner’s gaunt face.
Suddenly, Hector’s head throbbed violently. Emotion after emotion slammed into him, one after another.
A shiver ran down his spine.
Pain consumed him—half metal, half ghost. No flesh.
"D-Damn it! I shouldn’t have remembered that!" Hector groaned, trying to regain control, swiping at the sweat streaming down his pale skin.
But of course... it wasn’t over.
"HAHAHAHAHAHA! YOU CAN’T FORGET ME! I’M ALWAYS WITH YOU!"
"TO REMIND YOU OF YOUR GUILT!"
[Warning: The corruption is consuming your positive emotions!]
[Warning: The corruption is consuming your positive emotions!]
[Warning: The corruption is consuming your positive emotions!]
[Warning: The corruption is consuming your positive emotions!]