Keal placed his foot on the first step and began his ascent. Each creak of the stair echoed faintly through the dim corridor, as though the upper floor was holding its breath, waiting for him to arrive.
Beyond the half-closed door, two figures sat in hushed conversation. Their voices bled into the corridor—low, deliberate, almost too quiet to catch, like the whisper of knives sliding against each other.
"Boss, I… I want to become an Elthera, like you," one man said, his voice low but eager. "Can you give me the thing—the one that turns people into Elthera?"
His boss leaned back, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. "Oh? Really? And why would you want to become an Elthera, may I ask?"
"Power, of course," the man replied without hesitation. "With that power, I can support you."
"I see…" the boss's tone darkened. "Do you even know what you're asking for? That thing you desire—it's banned. And do you know why it's banned? What risks hide behind it?"
"I heard there are side effects," the man admitted. "Blood vomiting… and even a chance of dying if you use the Elthera power too much."
"Umm… hhhaaa…!" The boss let out a low, dismissive chuckle. "Don't make me laugh. You know nothing."
"There are no side effects," he said coldly. "The real risk comes the moment you take it into your body. When the drug starts mixing with your blood, that's when the reaction begins—you feel your flesh burning, your bones screaming. Radiation floods your veins, and your body begs to die… but the drug won't let it. It won't let you live, either."
His eyes narrowed, a glint of cruelty flashing within them. "It's a battle—a war between life and death. If your body can endure the pain and the radiation, you survive. If not… you die."
"One thing you said was true," the boss admitted, his voice dropping to a cold murmur. "If Elthera uses his power carelessly, he will die. The reason is simple—radiation."
"When an Elthera tries to wield that power, the body generates an overwhelming surge of radiation all at once. And most bodies… they simply can't withstand it. It doesn't matter whether you use a little or a lot. The result is the same."
"Then how are you able to use such a dangerous power?" the man asked, his voice trembling with both fear and curiosity.
The boss slowly rolled up his sleeve, revealing a strange device embedded in his arm. Metal glinted under the dim light. "Do you see this? This is the core of Elthera's strength."
"What is that? I've seen it before… yes, I remember now—the Kythor guards have something like this in their vests."
"Let me explain this to you clearly," the boss said, his tone heavy. "There is no guarantee you'll survive taking this drug. Even if you do… another risk awaits. Once you begin using the power, the possibility of death never leaves your side."
He paused, his eyes narrowing. "The government knows this very well. But they still want that power in their military. So they created this machine—it suppresses the radiation. By lowering the frequency, the radiation created in Elthera's body also drops. But there's a cost."
"As the radiation decreases, so does the power. If the user raises the frequency to gain more strength… blood will follow. Vomiting, internal damage—maybe even death."
"That is the very reason it was banned from becoming common among the people," the boss said, his voice calm but laced with steel. "Think about it—what would happen if everyone wielded superpowers and inhuman strength? The world would tear itself apart. Cities would burn, laws would crumble, and chaos would be the only thing left to rule."
He leaned forward slightly, his gaze sharp. "Power like this cannot belong to the masses. If everyone held it, there would be no balance, no order—only destruction. That's why they choose who gets it… and who never will."
"Then, boss… how did you get this? Did you buy it on the black market? It must have been expensive, right?"
"Actually, no," the boss replied, his tone turning distant. "Someone gave it to me. There were three of us who received it."
He paused, a shadow passing over his face. "When I took the drug, it didn't affect me the way I just described. But the other two… they screamed in agony. Blood poured from their ears, their noses, their eyes. They vomited blood, their flesh tore apart. One of them died right there. The other… survived for a while, but when he tried to use his power, the same thing happened to him again—and that time, it killed him."
The boss clenched his jaw. "Because at first, the radiation grows slowly in the body. But the moment he uses the power… it surges all at once. Too much, too fast."
The boss's stomach let out a low growl. He sighed, rubbing his temple. "Hah… I'm getting tired of explaining all this to you. Go and check on them—see how long they're going to take to bring some food."
Outside the room, Keal stood silently, straining to catch their words. He couldn't make out everything they were saying, but fragments reached him—enough to stir his thoughts.
His gaze dropped to his wrist. GOA2.0… was it actually created in this world?
If it was, I wouldn't be surprised… but then how did it end up in my world? And more than that… How did it end up with me?
The man inside finally stood and stepped out of the room, but Keal was already gone. He hurried down the narrow staircase, each step echoing faintly in the dim corridor as his thoughts tangled in a rush. I should leave before things turn dangerous…
As his foot hit the last stair, he caught sight of two men coming from the opposite side, each carrying food packages. Their sudden appearance made his stomach tighten. He tried to keep his head low, hoping to slip past unnoticed, but one of them narrowed his eyes and called out, "Hey! Who are you? What were you doing up there?"
Keal froze for a heartbeat, then instinct took over. He spun on his heel and bolted deeper into the market, his steps pounding against the stone floor. Shouts erupted behind him as the two men dropped their hesitation and gave chase.
The commotion reached the man who had just descended from the upper floor. Seeing them run, he barked, "What happened?" One of the pursuers tossed his food package toward him without slowing down. "A trespasser!" he shouted.
The remaining man clutched the food package tightly and rushed back to the room, his hurried footsteps echoing in the dim corridor. He burst inside, breathless, and shouted, "Boss! A trespasser—he looks like he's from Zorqah! I think he heard everything… even that you're an Elthera!"
The boss's lips curved into a faint, cold smile. His eyes narrowed, sharp as blades. "Let's hunt." Without hesitation, he surged outside, every movement precise, every step meant to catch the intruder himself.
Gou and Tashi walked along the bridge, each carrying a drink. Gou sighed, "I'm just tired of walking around here. Ms. Mei Lin has been waiting for me forever… and how many steps have we even taken?"
Tashi chuckled, shaking his head. "Relax. This is the last area, and then we return to the market. You'll see Ms. Mei Lin soon enough. Honestly, I don't know why those annoying brats insisted on coming with us."
As Gou stopped and moved to toss his can into the trash box on the bridge, something inside it caught his eye. He froze, a cold shock running down his spine. The ordinary trash suddenly looked… wrong, as if hiding a dark secret. For a moment, he couldn't breathe. Then, forcing himself to speak, he called out in a calm voice, "Hey, Tashi… come here. Look at this."
Tashi sauntered over, curiosity written across his face. "What now? Are you planning to give something to Ms. Mei Lin?" he said, half-joking. But as he leaned closer and saw what was inside the trash, his expression shifted instantly. His eyes widened. "What the… hell."
Lying in the box was a man, his body drenched in blood as if he had been tortured mercilessly. From the lines of his face and the strength of his build, he looked to be around forty years old. The sheer violence of it made both men recoil. Without hesitation, Tashi grabbed his communicator and called Mei Lin. "Ms. Mei Lin… the guy we've been looking for… he's dead. His body… it's here."