IBP C1 Part 4

Swallowing a sigh, I hid in the bushes, peeking out with only my eyes. A pretty young man, on all fours, was right in front of me. His buttocks, bruised from countless beatings, looked like ripe apples. A rope, connected to restraints binding his genitals and testicles, was held in the hand of the man following behind.

The man urged the young man to walk faster by whipping his buttocks, and whenever the young man picked up the pace, he’d yank on the rope as if waiting for it.

“Kgh!”

The young man, gagged, paled and stumbled forward, his ass high in the air. His tense thighs trembled. Then, the whipping continued.

Usually, it landed on his buttocks, but about one in ten lashes hit his testicles and penis. The gagged screams and moans grew louder. I quietly crouched down. I planned to slip through the gaps whenever the distance between the surrounding pairs widened.

I watched these acts, bordering on torture, for a long time. Perhaps because the tension had eased somewhat, I couldn’t help but feel my blood boil.

Although a few in the gymnasium were unpleasant, they were all kidnapped and brought here against their will. It was unsettling to see them being treated worse than dogs and abused. Above all, that could be me in the future.

‘If I don’t escape now, that will definitely be me.’

It also infuriated me that there were many familiar faces among the guests. Famous politicians, scholars, and businessmen from Koranest, whose names were widely known, appeared one after another. At this rate, it wouldn’t be surprising if someone high up in the investigation headquarters was also roaming around here somewhere.

‘All these people who know they’re famous are walking around with their faces uncovered.’

The source of their confidence likely stemmed not only from their trust in the island’s security but also from their ability to cover things up even if word got out. This made me feel even worse.

‘They said they erase memories when they release the slaves.’

It didn’t seem like a lie. They should know better than anyone that killing and getting rid of them would be cleaner and leave no loose ends. Did this island have its own management philosophy regarding evil?

My lips twisted in a strange way. I tried to scoff, but it didn’t quite work.

If Morer’s words were true, it was a serious matter. It meant that this island possessed the technology to tamper with biochips.

There were two possibilities:

Either this island possessed technology half a century more advanced than Winchester Corporation, which held such unique and overwhelming technological prowess that some engineers seriously questioned whether they were harboring aliens, or this island was simply connected to Winchester Corporation.

…Either way, it was the end of the line. As the gravity of the situation dawned on me, my throat went dry.

‘Island owner.’

Ever since the self-proclaimed victim mentioned him, the owner’s existence had bothered me like a splinter every time I heard about him.

I treated the island itself as an urban legend, and others, focused on the events taking place on the island, didn’t even think about him, but when you think about it, he’s someone who should obviously exist.

‘Capturing him is out of the question in my current situation. But if I could at least find out his identity…’

When eradicating an ant colony, killing soldier ants or worker ants is pointless. What you need is the queen.

‘Are you crazy, Han Yunseo…?’

I shook my head, cutting off my runaway thoughts and facing reality. It was hard enough to look after myself; what was I thinking about queens? I swallowed hard several times to wet my throat. I briefly brought my reason, blinded by duty and conscience, back to focus. Escaping safely should be my top priority. What could I do, naked and weaponless?

I took a deep breath. I would somehow make my way back to the pier, hide there, and sneak onto a ship when it arrived to return to the mainland. Good. A perfect plan.

I quickly scanned my now-deserted surroundings, chose a spot where the sounds were minimal, and started to move.

***

The less populated areas have a reason for being so.

…I should have known that beforehand.

“.….”

The area was particularly spacious and pleasant, even within the meticulously maintained gardens, but there were almost no sounds or signs of people. I did think it was odd. However, perhaps because I had waited so long to finally seize a chance to escape, my brain rationalized the situation with all sorts of excuses.

Persuaded, I confidently pushed through the bushes and immediately came face to face with six men in uniform. Six pairs of inorganic eyes locked onto me.

I frantically racked my brain to find a way out of this situation… which was utter bullshit.

‘I’m fucked…’

Cold sweat trickled down the back of my neck.

They were definitely the guards of that so-called king I saw earlier. That meant the handsome king would be nearby…

“Who’s there?”

As soon as he spoke, the six men, standing like a wall, parted to the left and right as one, with an almost artistic precision. The man’s figure was revealed between them.

It was the king, Yudhis.

The man, who already resembled a perfect work of art, shone like a diamond under the natural light. His light blue eyes, holding a faint hint of amusement, were directed at me from between strands of platinum blonde hair that flowed like golden threads. Now that I saw him up close, his eyes also looked like jewels. No, his entire being seemed to be crafted from jewels. Because of his unreal appearance, I registered his current state a beat later.

“…..”

Yudhis had his hand inside a convulsing man’s orifice. I felt momentarily dizzy. Not his dick, but his hand. What the fuck, are you crazy? Why are you putting that there?!

“Ugh, hack, agk.”

The man, his wrist buried deep, trembled all over, choking as if he were about to lose his breath. Even from his rigid back, I could feel the immense pain he was in.

Should I intervene? My sense of duty and morality as an investigator surfaced. At the same time, my self-preservation instincts grabbed me by the hair, urging me to turn and run with all my might.

“I distinctly told you not to make any noise.”

He raised his free hand.

Slap!

“Agh!”

“Sound.”

Slap!

“…!”

The force was strong enough to momentarily change the shape of his buttocks. He was even subtly moving his hand inside. Every time his wrist disappeared completely, the man’s head jerked in agony.

Yudhis turned to me, frozen in place. His light blue eyes stared intently at me. Seeing the faint scars around his eyes and the light reflecting off his pupils, I realized.

Both his eyes were prosthetic. An ordinary person wouldn’t have noticed, but as an investigator, I was accustomed to artificial body parts. Almost every field investigator in the special investigations unit had prosthetic limbs. Even as a desk jockey, I frequently encountered and interacted with other investigators, so naturally, I became familiar with them.

“Do you like my eyes?”

He smiled faintly. I was frozen, unable to speak. Just the slight crinkling of his previously sharp eyes completely changed his expression. He exuded a languid, decadent, yet dangerous aura.

“Since you’re new, I’ll let it slide this once. But in the future, it would be wise to answer immediately instead of making me ask twice. Do you like my eyes?”

“…Yes.”

“Why?”

Why, what kind of why? I said ‘yes’ because I couldn’t say ‘no’ in that situation. If I had said they were beautiful because I genuinely liked them… well, they are beautiful, though.

“I… I like the color blue.”

It was true. My office partition was decorated entirely in blue, and the picture pinned to it was of the ocean at a resort I wanted to visit.

“I like that.”

The man, smiling as he said that, exuded an aura more like a beast than a human. My hands curled into fists from tension. Part of the reason I had come out so recklessly was my confidence in my own abilities.

To become an investigator, even a desk jockey, martial arts was a required course. I was among the top three trainees. Although it would be difficult to face a veteran mercenary with a gun, I was confident I could take down a guest or an unarmed staff member.

‘I can’t beat this guy.’

There was a man considered the ace among the special investigators. He had a cold demeanor, spoke little, and was as large as the person in front of me. I had felt the same way when I ran into him in the hallway.

That awful feeling of strutting around among those on a similar level, only to be forcibly reminded that I was, in fact, the prey.