Chapter 46
Bing Seol Hwa narrowed her eyes at the building in front of her. The secret research facility of Galaxy Bio stood alone in the middle of a vast, empty plain.
For context, the entire surrounding land was privately owned by Galaxy Bio. It seemed like a clear statement that no one was allowed to enter. Bing Seol Hwa slowly approached the research facility.
Naturally, the guards blocked her path. Bing Seol Hwa was skeptical of the scene before her. After all, it wasn’t as if mere guards could stop her.
Bing Seol Hwa had reached a level where even without transforming into a magical girl, her magical energy seeped out—she was a monster beyond the realm of superhumans. Even without transforming, she could easily subdue the guards.
And surely, the guards knew this too. Yet they stood firmly before her without a hint of hesitation, even going so far as to point their guns directly at her.
Their stance was, quite frankly, absurd. Did they not realize what could happen if she swung her arm just once? Even if defeating a monster was a challenge, it would be no trouble for her to deal with mere humans. So why were they acting like this?
“Step aside. Unless you want to die. This is my mercy. If you don’t want to lose your life for no reason, I suggest you move now.”
And their response came.
“We cannot do that.”
“Excuse me, what…?!”
“It is the chairman’s order. No one is allowed inside if the chairman has forbidden their entry.”
Bing Seol Hwa gritted her teeth.
“Do you not know who I am?”
“We do. We know you are an S-rank magical girl and the chairman’s daughter. But even so, we are simply following orders as instructed. Threatening us will get you nothing.”
How stubborn could they be? How could this be happening? …Then again, it made sense since her father was deliberately blocking her way.
If that’s the case, there’s no choice. She realized it would be impossible to get through by convincing them with words, so she’d have to use another approach.
She pondered for a moment before gathering her magical energy to infiltrate the research facility. But at that very moment, the guards suddenly spoke up.
“Please proceed inside.”
“What?”
“Authorization has been given to let you through.”
Bing Seol Hwa frowned at the sudden change. What did they mean? Why had their stance shifted so abruptly?
Her father had clearly intended to keep this research facility hidden. And yet, now they were offering to show it to her so easily?
…It didn’t make sense. But in this situation, she had no other choice or alternative path.
In the end, she made her decision and began walking into the research facility.
Escorted by the guards, she arrived at a place where a woman stood waiting. She wore large glasses on her face, and her white lab coat clashed oddly with her youthful appearance.
The woman smiled as soon as she saw Bing Seol Hwa and spoke.
“I apologize for making you come all the way here, Miss. I wasn’t prepared to receive you… Please forgive the slight disrespect. Now then, could you tell me why you’ve come all this way?”
Bing Seol Hwa narrowed her eyes as she looked at the woman. Was it just her imagination? No. Though it seemed like she was hiding it, she could definitely sense magical energy from the woman before her. Very few could conceal their magical energy from the strongest magical girl.
Yes, the woman before her… was a magical girl. And one she had never heard of.
The woman let out a small laugh, “Miss?”
Bing Seol Hwa gathered her thoughts and replied.
“I came to see what kind of research is being conducted here. Out of all the Galaxy Bio labs, this one is particularly secretive. Can you tell me what you’re researching?”
The woman let out a sound of understanding.
“Ah, I see. Yes, we do conduct our work rather discreetly. I appreciate that you are so interested in our activities. Our research lab focuses on the study of magical energy.”
Bing Seol Hwa’s eyes narrowed. Researching magical energy? While studies on magical energy had been active, there had been few breakthroughs. And why was this lab part of a bio company? What was the connection between magical energy and biology?
As if reading her thoughts, the woman smiled and continued.
“You might think, ‘Why call it bio research when it’s just about magical energy?’ But that would be a misunderstanding. You see, magical energy is inherently related to biotechnology. Magical energy is a unique form of energy that doesn’t exist anywhere else. It only accumulates within certain life forms.”
Bing Seol Hwa knew what those life forms were: magical girls and monsters. Beings beyond ordinary humans, capable of wielding magical energy.
“And this magical energy, as it turns out, is closely tied to human emotions. Think about the monsters. People who weren’t originally bad become heinous villains when they turn into monsters. It shows that magical energy influences emotions, and emotions, in turn, influence magical energy.”
“…”
Indeed, that was true. Monsters were born when the darkness in a person’s heart grew and they made a pact with the Seed of Evil. In other words, emotions were deeply intertwined with the origin of magical energy.
It made sense when considering that magical girls were born from those with strong desires and willpower who made a contract with the ‘Light.’
“In other words, magical energy is the plant, and human emotions are the soil needed for the plant to grow. Simply studying magical energy in isolation holds little meaning. Research on humans must be conducted alongside it. Studying plants without researching the soil is a foolish waste of effort, isn’t it?”
“…So, can you tell me what kind of research is being conducted here?”
“Yes, if you wish to see it, I must show it to you. Please, follow me.”
The woman led Bing Seol Hwa further inside. In the room they reached, several women lay on machines with something attached to their heads.
And Bing Seol Hwa could tell that all of them were magical girls, as she could sense faint magical energy emanating from their bodies.
“What… is this?” Bing Seol Hwa asked. The woman chuckled.
“It’s the process of amplifying the power of magic.”
“…What?”
Bing Seol Hwa stared at the woman in disbelief. The woman adjusted her glasses and continued.
“I told you, didn’t I? Magical energy and human emotions are closely related. Even with magic, the stronger your will, the more refined and powerful the magic becomes, right? So, by influencing the mind… we can enhance the power of magic.”
The woman tapped her head lightly with her fingers.
“So, if you manipulate the brain, you can manipulate the power of magic. After all, the mind resides in the brain.”
In other words, the women before her… were having their brains ‘manipulated’ to amplify their magical power.
“…Is that even safe?”
“Oh, don’t worry. You know how under hypnosis, an onion can taste like an apple, or you might feel stronger? It’s like that. By implanting artificial emotions, we strengthen their will and thereby increase their magical power. There’s no harm to the body.”
The woman spoke as if trying to reassure her, but Bing Seol Hwa furrowed her brow. Was such a thing truly safe?
“What about side effects?”
“…Well, even though we only implant artificial emotions during combat to boost their magic, there can be some residual effects. It might cause some issues in daily life. But compared to enhancing the power of magic, it’s a minor issue.”
Minor? Was it really minor to be overwhelmed by artificially implanted emotions even in daily life?
Bing Seol Hwa narrowed her eyes.
“The emotions you implant—what are they?”
At this, the woman grinned, looking more pleased than at any other moment that day.
“…There aren’t many emotions that can truly strengthen one’s will. The most effective one is anger. So, they say that the magical girls who’ve undergone magical enhancements often feel sudden bursts of anger in their daily lives, but isn’t it admirable that they’re still undergoing these enhancements consistently?”
Something seemed wrong about this. Yet, there was no clear flaw to criticize. Bing Seol Hwa tried to ignore the throbbing pain in her head as she questioned the woman further.
“…Is this the only research being conducted here?”
The woman answered simply.
“For now… you could say so. Haha. After all, figuring out how to enhance magical girls is the primary focus of our research here.”
Bing Seol Hwa acknowledged the answer. It all seemed suspicious, but there was no way to probe further.
…
From the shadows, a black monster concealed in darkness smiled as it watched Bing Seol Hwa enter the building.
The monster spoke softly.
[Found you.]
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