Chapter 7 - I am a Doppelgänger?
Han gestured for Carn to follow and made his way over to a blond mechanic, who was hunched over a peculiar-looking metal backpack. The mechanic wore thick eyeglasses while his fingers tinkered with wires and small components.
As Han and Carn approached, the contraption suddenly sprang to life, startling the mechanic. The backpack morphed into something out of a nightmare—a jetpack-like device unfurled into six spindly, mechanical spider arms, whirring and clanking menacingly.
"Whoa!" The mechanic yelped, stumbling back and landing on his rear. Flustered, he scrambled to his feet, hastily pressing a button on a nearby laptop to deactivate the rogue machine. The spider arms stopped moving immediately, folding back into their original form.
Han stood still, watching the display with a dull expression, clearly unamused by the chaos.
"Eric, got a moment?" he called out the worker.
Eric, a somewhat clumsy mechanical researcher, looked up, brushing dirt off his lab coat. When he saw Han, he gave a wry smile and waved. "Mr. 007, back to test another UNSAFE spy gadget, huh?"
Han rolled his eyes at the playful jab, then lightly patted Carn on the back. "Get this boy an MC-scan, a full-body X-ray, and take a blood sample."
Eric frowned, confused by the sudden request. "This ain't a hospital, boss. We don't give out free medical checkups."
Han raised an eyebrow. "Just now, he broke a level-2 mannequin. Bare-handed."
Eric's eyes widened, and his excitement instantly flared. "Say no more, boss!"
His expression lit up with a mix of curiosity and anticipation as he moved to grab Carn's arm, already eager to start the testing process. But when he tried to pull Carn along, he met an unexpected problem. Carn didn't budge. He stood like a statue, completely unfazed by Eric's efforts.
"Uh… Boss?" Eric panted, looking over at Han. "This... specimen is too sturdy. A little help?"
Han smirked, shooting Carn a quick glance. "Cooperate, Carn."
Carn sighed, looking down at the overzealous mechanic. He asked, tilting his head slightly in confusion. "What exactly are we doing here?"
"Just getting you checked out. Thoroughly." Han gave a nonchalant shrug. Then, he paused, scanning the room before clicking his tongue in mild annoyance. Han's eyes flicked around the space, "By the way, Eric, are the level-3 mannequins out of stock?"
Eric let out a dramatic sigh, slumping his shoulders. "Boss, level-3s ain't some candies. They cost over a million bucks to make, and we don't have that kind of budget for a random test. We're stuck with level-2s for now."
"Shame. Level-3s would've been interesting," Han clicked his tongue again, clearly disappointed. Turning back to Eric, he nodded toward Carn. "Alright, get him tested. I'll wait."
Meanwhile, Carn remained mostly oblivious to the details of these so-called "tests." He followed Eric to a secluded section of the facility, where a portion of the area was curtained off with white partition walls.
As they entered, Carn noticed a small clinic-like setup, but the real standout was a large glass capsule in the center—something straight out of a science fiction movie.
Eric grinned and motioned toward an elderly man, who had been sitting in a wheelchair near the clinic's center. The man, known as Rev, was a retired combat medic, a war veteran from the Middle East. Despite losing the ability to walk, Rev had continued serving his country as a medic for decades and now supported the research team at this military base.
Rev's grizzled face was weathered, and he had an unlit cigarette dangling from his lips, a reminder of his old habits, though smoking was clearly prohibited in the infirmary.
"Rev," Eric called out, pointing at Carn. "Boss Han said to get this kid scanned and x-rayed. Blood sample too."
Rev glanced up. His wheelchair creaked slightly as he spun it around to face them. He muttered something under his breath, but with the cigarette still in his mouth, his words were garbled. Despite his rugged appearance, he moved efficiently, pointing his thumb toward the glass capsule.
"Change into that suit on the table and stand in the capsule," Rev instructed with a deep voice.
Carn eyed the equipment with a mix of curiosity and apprehension. The capsule definitely didn't look like anything you'd find in a regular medical clinic. He chuckled awkwardly. He'd faced monsters and magicians in other worlds, but now he was wondering if this world's "adventures" would involve high-tech experiments.
Nodding, Carn complied. He changed into the tight one-piece suit laid out for him. The suit resembled a diver's gear but had extra padding on the shoulders, elbows, and knees—strange design choices for something that seemed medical. He couldn't shake the bad feeling creeping up on him, though his curiosity pushed him forward.
After suiting up, Carn stepped into the capsule. He stood inside, the glass door sliding shut behind him with a soft hiss. He half-expected to be submerged in some futuristic liquid, and it seemed his instincts weren't too far off. As soon as he was enclosed, the green liquid began to fill the capsule from hidden pumps, quickly rising to his neck.
From outside, Rev casually grabbed a microphone on his desk and, still not bothering to remove the cigarette, spoke into it. "Hold your breath for five minutes or die trying. Good luck."
Huh?
Five minutes?
Carn's eyes widened in alarm, but then he remembered: his gargoyle self could easily survive centuries without breathing, eating, or drinking. With that in mind, he let out a long sigh, wondering if this bizarre test was just another part of this world's "normal."
The green liquid continued to rise, fully submerging him. His eyes remained unblinking as he stared through the glass, observing Rev and Eric's every move from inside the capsule. They appeared engrossed in their work, talking and checking data on their laptops and consoles, though the muffled sounds were inaudible to him. He watched them carefully, noting their animated gestures.
One minute passed. Carn's expression was indifferent, showing no signs of panic or struggle. He wasn't exactly concerned about the lack of air, but he did begin to wonder what they were trying to accomplish.
Were they testing endurance?
Or was it something deeper?
What did the "MC-Test" stand for?
At the two-minute mark, Rev shook his head in apparent frustration and wheeled himself back toward his main workstation. Carn watched as Eric abruptly pulled Rev's wheelchair away from the desk and spoke with urgency. Rev's expression darkened, and their conversation escalated.
Though Carn couldn't hear them through the thick glass, it was clear they were arguing. Hands waved, brows furrowed, and tension filled the air. The argument lasted for a full minute, with Rev and Eric practically yelling at each other, their gestures becoming more animated.
Just as Carn began to wonder if something had gone wrong with the test, Han walked into the room, showing his usual unreadable expression. He glanced around, taking in the scene with a raised eyebrow, before spotting Carn floating in the capsule.
Han smirked as if this was exactly what he expected. He casually approached the two researchers, interrupting their argument with a few sharp words. Whatever he said caused Rev and Eric to immediately stop fighting. Both men, still fuming, returned to their stations, clearly uncomfortable but compliant.
Carn watched all this with growing impatience, unsure of what exactly was happening.
Another minute passed. Then another. Soon, five full minutes had gone by. He was fine, of course. No discomfort, no strain.
But the test wasn't ending. The water level remained unchanged, and Carn was still fully submerged.
…
Outside the capsule, Rev glanced anxiously at his watch before looking up at Han.
"Five minutes. Shouldn't we drain it by now?" His voice was tense.
Earlier, he had intended to end the test at the two-minute mark when Carn's heart rate suddenly plummeted to a near-dangerous 10 beats per minute. Rev had panicked, fearing that Carn might be suffering from complications.
But Eric had stopped him, claiming it was a phenomenon known as "Hibernation," something monsters from the dimensional rifts and top-tier explorers practiced to conserve energy in extreme environments. It was an adaptation to survive in inhospitable conditions, a method of slowing bodily functions to near dormancy. Still, Rev had argued, concerned about Carn's well-being, while Eric stubbornly insisted that this was all part of Han's plan, and they had no choice but to continue.
Their heated exchange was abruptly cut short when Han arrived. He reassuringly told them that Carn was his son and perfectly capable of handling the test.
But now, as the minutes dragged on, both researchers were growing increasingly uneasy. Five minutes had passed, and Carn still hadn't surfaced. Neither Rev nor Eric had anticipated such a duration, and despite Carn's calm exterior, they were concerned that he might fall into a coma after holding his breath for too long.
Rev kept glancing at the console, which showed Carn's vital signs and brain activity. Everything appeared normal, even his oxygen levels—baffling both of them. For all intents and purposes, Carn was fine, but that didn't ease the knot in Rev's stomach.
Han, standing at the center of the room with his arms folded, watched with a cold detachment. His grin widened as if everything was going exactly as he expected.
"Extend the test for five more minutes," he said casually.
"ARE YOU CRAZY?!" Rev exploded, turning his wheelchair sharply toward Han. "DO YOU WANT TO KILL YOUR SON?!"
Eric remained silent, but his eyes reflected the same concern as Rev's. Han, however, remained unfazed. He glanced between the two researchers, his smile slowly fading into something more serious—more dangerous.
"Have you ever heard of the doppelgänger incident five years ago?" Han's voice was low, almost a whisper, but the weight of his words froze the room.
Rev's expression hardened, recognition dawning in his eyes. Eric shifted uncomfortably, glancing back at the capsule where Carn floated, still submerged and completely calm.
"The government tried this exact test with one of the rift explorers," Han continued with his icy tone. "At that time, it was an accident. The administrator in charge forgot to release the explorer. But you know what? Something funny happened during the test, and you all should have heard about that."
Rev swallowed hard as the tension in the room escalated, "You're not saying—"
"I'm saying," Han cut him off sharply, "the kid in that capsule might not even be my son anymore. If you want to understand what's really going on, then extend the test. Five more minutes. You'll see for yourselves."
"B-But that's your son!" Rev argued.
Suddenly, Han erupted, "Do you really think a normal 16-year-old, without proper training, can break a level-2 mannequin barehanded and last five minutes in mana acid without struggling? WHATEVER THAT THING IS, DROWN IT!"
"Bastard!" Rev wanted to stand, but he couldn't. He wished to punch Han in the face, "What if he's really your son?!"
Han exhaled deeply and glared into Rev's eyes, "If that's the case, only one innocent person will die. But if that thing is a doppelgänger, how many people do you think it will kill if you let it loose. Now, do what I said!"
Rev's grip tightened on the arms of his wheelchair, but no words came. Eric hesitated, his gaze flicking nervously between Han and the capsule. He was visibly conflicted. After a tense moment, with a reluctant sigh, he gave in and began typing commands into the console, initiating the extension of the test.
All eyes were now locked on the capsule, brimming with anticipation and fear, waiting to see what would happen next.
…
Meanwhile, Carn's eyebrows slightly twitched. He sensed Han's killing intent from the muffled sound outside.
'What are they doing?'