After completing all the tests on this so-called “Hana” creature, Researcher Park Chung-won, the department head, had a serious expression on his face.
The test results were as follows:
[Test Results
Strength: F
Agility: F
Stamina: F
Magic: F]
“This is…”
Park Chung-won could draw a conclusion about this creature. Of course, it was based solely on the test results, but this creature was truly… truly… almost zero in terms of usefulness as a specimen.
Its stats were lower than a porter who just entered the Gate, and it had no potential for growth whatsoever.
If someone with this kind of grade tried to enter a Gate, they’d probably get slapped and told, “You’re useless!”—straight out of a trashy drama. That’s how bad Hana’s abilities were. To put it bluntly, they were garbage.
There was a possibility of special abilities, but nothing had been discovered in the earlier tests. At least, based on the tests conducted at the institute, no special abilities were found.
Maybe another institute’s tests would reveal something different, but for now, this creature was deemed completely useless in general tests.
The only thing it had going for it was its cute and adorable appearance. Maybe that appearance was for survival? Perhaps using cuteness to lower the aggression of enemies was their way of surviving.
Of course, back when there was nothing but the institute, creatures like this, deemed useless for Gates, were either abandoned or “disposed of.”
It’s a cruel story, but maintaining something that eats up astronomical amounts of money with no benefit wasn’t necessary.
But times have changed. Now, monsters inside Gates are standardized by grade. It’s like a game guidebook—anyone can buy a book at a bookstore that details monster specimens. And it’s entirely possible to make money off this creature.
In the past, disposal was mandatory regardless of danger. But after a long tug-of-war with the government, it was acknowledged that creatures with some level of control could be monetized within guilds.
“An anomaly was found in the blood test.”
Other reports were coming in quickly. Being able to complete these tests in just one day was possible thanks to the institute, which grinds through researchers like a mill.
“What’s this?”
“It’s not normal human blood. We’re not sure how it works, but it’s red blood with chloroplasts found inside.”
Chloroplasts? Aren’t those cells found in plants? Curious, Department Head Park Chung-won asked the researcher who brought the results.
“Does that even make sense?”
“It doesn’t, but… according to the test results, it seems to be true.”
“Hmm…”
But no matter how much he racked his brain, he couldn’t think of a use for it. It’s not like Dracula, where blood is needed. Even with the anomaly, there was no practical use.
Maybe it could be sold to an organization that wants rare samples? Park Chung-won was already thinking about extracting Hana’s blood every two months. He was confident that this unique blood sample could be sold for a high price.
“And a special ability was also discovered…”
Before the researcher could finish, Park Chung-won grabbed their shoulders and shook them.
“What?! You should’ve said that first!”
Park Chung-won, under pressure from his superiors, was eager to find something profitable for the company. But he hadn’t completely lost his researcher mindset, so he urged the senior researcher to spill the details.
“It seems to have the ability to purify indoor air… basically, it’s like an air purifier.”
“Huh?”
“Humans usually breathe in oxygen and exhale carbon dioxide, but Hana breathes the same way as plants.”
“And?”
“That’s about it. Oh, and the air Hana exhales is very clean.”
“Ugh… go away.”
As Park Chung-won said that, the researcher bowed and left the room. An air purifier as a special ability? This was a result he’d never heard of before.
Should they stick it in a factory with exhaust fumes? Park Chung-won was pondering how to utilize this seemingly useless creature.
There were many ways, but he had to find the most suitable one.
—————————————————
I was hitting poor Jeong-gu, yah yah, when Kim Bora, who was next to me, picked me up. I couldn’t hit Jeong-gu anymore and just hung there limply.
“Tsk! Do you know how much this is worth? Even if there were a hundred Hanas, they couldn’t afford it.”
Was my value really this low…? Hearing such harsh words, I could only slump down in defeat. Waiting inside the magic testing room, I soon got the OK sign and was able to leave.
I guess it was because I had F-grade magic power, so I couldn’t help but feel down. Hunters with such low magic power didn’t even exist. This kind of magic power was something you’d see in low-tier jobs like porters, not hunters who usually escape F-grade by the time they graduate.
As I sat there gloomily, Kim Bora patted my head.
“It’s okay, it’s okay. Hana is cute, after all.”
Hearing Kim Bora say that being cute was enough made me feel even more deflated. All I had left was this cute, adorable charm. If my body had changed like this, shouldn’t I have gained some ability that could help humanity?
I screamed in my heart for a status window, but it betrayed my expectations and didn’t appear. If it had, I might have felt better, but no matter how much I screamed in my heart, it remained silent. Useless status window.
As I sat in the hallway waiting, Kim Bora, who was waiting for my test results, couldn’t stay still and kept pacing around. She looked like a mom who had brought her kid to the hospital.
Someone opened the door and came in, holding an iPad with the results of the CT and MRI scans. I was too short to see, so I tried jumping to get a look.
But Kim Bora had a surprisingly serious expression. Maybe my body was just too fascinating? Her expression made me even more curious.
“This is… fascinating. Really.”
I kept tugging at Kim Bora’s clothes, begging her to show me. Eventually, she turned the iPad toward me.
“Do you even understand this?”
Kim Bora thought I wouldn’t get it, but even though I didn’t know every detail of human anatomy, I had a rough idea from science class. Though I wasn’t sure where smaller organs like the pancreas were located.
Looking at the cross-section of my body, it was drastically different from when I was human. It felt similar but also alien. It was hard to describe, but I was curious how I was even alive.
The most noticeable thing was the absence of a heart. Well, there was something big in the heart’s place, but it looked different. I stared in awe, mouth agape, until Kim Bora took the iPad back and handed it to the researcher.
“It’s definitely a life form… The body structure is different.”
“Yeah, I’d love to dissect it. Every single organ inside Hana could be a Nobel Prize-level discovery. There have been humanoid life forms before, but each one has distinct characteristics.”
Hearing the researcher talk about cutting me open, I was shocked. Terrified, I quickly hid behind Kim Bora’s legs. The way he looked at me was unsettling. If I followed him, I’d end up being dissected in some secret lab like an alien.
“Oh, Hana must’ve sensed something. Hiding behind me like this is rare…”
Kim Bora seemed to understand my feelings even without me speaking. From the moment we met, even though I couldn’t talk, we could communicate through body language.
I kept hiding behind Kim Bora, scared of the researcher’s intense gaze as he held the iPad. I stayed there until he finally left through the door and went back to the lab.
