Pharmacist Hyangrok poured considerable dedication and passion into experiments evaluating drug efficacy.

Skilled in both medicine and cooking, Hyangrok’s current main focus was pharmacology. He studied how drugs affected ability waves and the body, incorporating not only modern pharmacology and medicine but also changes caused by conflicts in the Otherworld.

To that end, Hyangrok conducted various experiments using funds secured from valuable elixirs and experimental subjects. He researched new drugs, tested, evaluated, and verified them to complete the medicines.

‘The Tigers paid a heavy price for those elixirs that taste bad enough to kill tongues and souls.’

Currently, Hyangrok’s main funding source and experimental collaborator was the Ho clan.

Since the mastermind had already acquired means like ability poisons and frenzy inducers, countermeasures were needed on this front as well.

Therefore, the Ho clan observed Hyangrok’s research, helped with experiments, and shared the results.

“Hyangrok seemed impressed by the wicked darkness he saw during the school trip. Noticing how that darkness amplified the effects of the frenzy inducer, he started new experiments.”

“Wicked darkness is beyond our control. How can it be regulated enough to experiment on?”

“Sometimes experiments are done even on uncontrollable subjects. Sometimes the impossibility of control is why it’s attempted.”

That made sense.

Though climate change or natural disasters are uncontrollable, experiments are conducted to predict their impact or future activity.

Psychology and sociology also experiment on uncontrollable emotions of others, often through indirect means like simulation or observation, aside from variable control.

Since Hyangrok preferred direct methods, he seemed to have found a compromise.

“He experimented on a researcher who was with the spirit sensing expert back then.”

“Yes. Especially the reckless one who targeted you didn’t survive even after being pierced by the spirit feather. Considering his trauma, it was miraculous he lived, but wicked darkness sustained him.”

During the school trip, there were those who tried to induce frenzy in me, appearing as ‘that word’.

Among assassins using frenzy inducers was a researcher involved in developing it.

Unlike the others, that researcher recognized ability poisons and only grew stronger enveloped in wicked darkness.

The spirit sensing expert attacked him upon my suggestion, aiming for vital spots without mercy.

Without the wicked darkness carried on the spirit feathers, survival would have been impossible.

“And that researcher had subordinates. Although differing in power and intelligence, they had lived in similar conditions for a long time.”

The Ho and Dragon clans recovered wicked darkness suitable for experiments.

The Zhuque and spirit feathers from Jeju Island contained wicked darkness.

They also secured individuals with similar backgrounds but one group gaining power from wicked darkness and the other not.

Since the Ho clan provided all funding and environment needed, Hyangrok was free to do as he pleased.

Hwang Ji-ho showed a hologram summarizing the results.

“Hyangrok experimented to find differences between the researcher and his subordinates. Besides them, other subjects were used as controls, and all experiments were blind and unaware.”

The blind method prevents bias by withholding information from experimenters and subjects.

Sharp subjects sometimes noticed Hyangrok’s aims and cooperated or interfered.

Yet no one figured out what he was actually testing.

Repeated experiments in closed spaces usually degrade cognition and mental health, so Hyangrok favored subjects who resisted with willpower.

‘We checked all kinds of factors—ability wave quality and quantity, ability types, stamina, intelligence, physical and mental health, age, gender, loyalty to the mastermind, emotions during experiments, spouse presence, meals, sleep...’

At the time, it was assumed that strong villains could control wicked darkness.

So among villains rampaging in Jeju to kill Yeom Jun-yeol, those overwhelmed by wicked darkness were thought weak.

But Hyangrok found that although the researcher held a high position, some subordinates had stronger abilities or bodies.

Just as strong teacher Im Yeon-hwa couldn’t become principal despite overpowering principal Hwang Bo-yoon, the mastermind faction wasn’t ruled solely by power.

After many experiments with numerous variables, a breakthrough emerged.

“Among test subjects handed over to Hyangrok before, one human who wasn’t consumed by wicked darkness appeared and gave us a clue.”

That subject couldn’t use abilities and wasn’t physically strong.

Yet, even exposed to wicked darkness that swallowed powerful Jin clan members who targeted Yeom Jun-yeol, he remained calm.

Having been in Hyangrok’s hands for a long time, he revealed the difference.

“That subject cannot feel guilt.”

“Isn’t that true of most caught for crimes?”

“Compared to ordinary people, their moral judgment is lower, but very few feel no guilt at all. They just prioritize self-interest and pleasure.”

Only those who feel no responsibility for their crimes seem able to overcome wicked darkness.

Their brain functions are severely impaired, and their wrongdoing is part of life.

I asked for clarification.

“What did that subject do to be caught?”

“I’ll withhold details as it would upset you. Just know his main targets were young and weak opponents around Hwang Yu-ho’s appearance.”

Hearing that felt like swallowing poisoned ice.

I didn’t understand why he gave such an example while holding back.

Showing obvious disgust, Hwang Ji-ho barely held back laughter but stopped himself thinking of Hwang Yu-ho.

That subject, researcher, and spirit sensing expert were beyond redemption.

Of course, others who felt a trace of guilt didn’t deserve forgiveness for attempting to massacre students on the school trip.

But it was an important clue.

‘Not all who cannot feel guilt are villains.’

Some lack emotions but follow social norms and rules logically.

Though unable to empathize, they can recognize others’ pain.

If they understand that preventing suffering benefits themselves, they willingly choose goodwill.

Though called calculating, they are clearly much better than those who feel some guilt yet try to kill innocents.

‘One of my playable characters was like that.’

That character was a typical emotionally detached psychopath.

Physically unable to empathize emotionally, they sometimes clashed with the main party.

But logically, they came to understand Joo Soo-hyuk’s and Ahn Da-in’s feelings.

Ultimately, they judged helping them better than the mastermind’s plan and cooperated.

Joining the main party when few remained, the new character received harsh criticism for being cold and inscrutable. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ𝓋𝑒𝑙.𝑐𝘰𝑚

Due to popularity, that character died quickly.

Judging it beneficial to die and save the protagonist, they acted without hesitation or will.

‘Maybe that playable character could handle wicked darkness.’

But using Gwanglim to test this was impossible.

Even if that character could handle wicked darkness, I doubted I could.

I borrowed ability waves from the player’s trajectory, not the personality.

“You seem to have something on your mind. I’ll cooperate as long as you’re not hurt. Also, there’s more to report.”

Hwang Ji-ho informed me that a newly added test subject was also free of wicked darkness.

It was the Water Shadow Knight.

He seemed unable to feel guilt either, but his intellect was too eroded for Hyangrok to use him for wicked darkness experiments.

For now, he’d be an advisor to the Ho clan and later used for intelligence-related experiments.

“And experiments were conducted on the Wo clan too, but not by Hyangrok. That was someone else’s proposal.”

“I heard the Ho clan didn’t intervene in the Wo clan’s civil war.”

“We didn’t intervene in the civil war, but we did intervene in the rebellion.”

Though it sounded like a contradiction, it wasn’t wrong.

Civil war is a fight among factions within a power structure, while rebellion is armed action to destroy an established order.

For example, the Class 0 seniors fighting over class presidentship were in a civil war, but the ‘month of hell’ involving Je Gal Jae-geol’s nighttime attacks and takeover attempts was a rebellion.

“To explain simply, Eunho designed an experiment to filter usable candidates among the Wo clan. We induced «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» a rebellion when the civil war settled to run the experiment. Also, we don’t want one axis of the twelve zodiac signs falling to the mastermind.”

If Eunho prepared it, there’d be no problem.

Hwang Ji-ho briefly explained the experiment’s background and results.

They reduced numbers drastically by filtering loyalty, morality, ambition, ability, and will, successfully selecting those without problems.

Though the Wo clan’s strength lessened, it was better than leaving uncertain traitors.

“The final result happened as you predicted, Jo Yi-shin. Your chess piece ended the rebellion.”

There was only one chess piece I planted among the Wo clan.

That piece must have ended their rebellion and become their leader.

But Hwang Ji-ho’s expression was grim.

“The newly appointed Wo clan leader, Gu Gal-anna, wants to thank you. Also, the number of people clinging to you as their benefactor has grown...”

Hwang Ji-ho rambled, but I didn’t pay attention to the rest.

Though a scheme of the mastermind, the Heavenly Bull Gu Gal-anna, now an ally of the Ho clan and leader of the Wo clan, would soon meet me.