He flopped face-first onto the bench. "Mama was right. Not the brightest."
Click.
The screen went dark.
An officer appeared, chewing gum and looking annoyed.
"No more entertainment. Detainees don't get front-row seats."
From the hall, a voice rang out: "All set. Bring the naked guy."
Gin's new nickname. And judging by the guards, it was sticking.
The officer tapped his badge. "Doctor's here. Come on—time for your Captcha."
Gin stood still, eyes sweeping over the blinking machines and humming consoles.
"...Captcha?" he asked, uncertain.
One officer exchanged a look with the other. "CAPTCHA profile," he said flatly. "Combat Aptitude Class-Type Profile. Scans for Gate residue, Class Rank, and Pulse potential."
Gin tilted his head, attempting to pronounce it. "C… Capt-chae?"
"Just get out," the first guard muttered, giving him a light shove.
The younger one snorted. "Yeah, to see if you're human—or one of them."
Gin looked over his shoulder. "Them?"
Neither answered. They just nudged him forward, cuffs clinking as their boots echoed down the corridor.
As they passed an old vending machine, Gin stopped, eyes narrowing at its contents.
"What is that metal box… and the stuff inside?"
The officers didn't bother answering.
They reached a steel door, pushed it open, and shoved him into a stark white room glowing with cold light. Machines lined the walls, pulsing and beeping, as if alive.
Two figures in lab coats turned from a console. One was older, calm and observant. The other—young, balding, and sharp-eyed—lifted a scanner.
"Take off the jacket."
Gin stepped back, clutching the collar. "No. It was a gift."
The older doctor raised a hand. "No need. We can scan through it."
Gin pointed to the machine. "What… does this thing do?"
The younger doctor ignored him.
The older one sighed, as if explaining to a child. "It detects your Pulse—if you have one—and checks if you're a Gate-dweller."
Gin perked up. "So… I'll learn my Pulse? My abilities?"
The older doctor nodded. "Exactly. Then we'll know how to help you—maybe even where you belong."
The younger one muttered under his breath, "My guess? Memory loss. Or body-swap syndrome."
But Gin wasn't listening. Pulse. That word echoed in his head like a drum.
If I have a Pulse, maybe… I can get the camera. I can join a Guild. And then beat this prime warrior.
The thought sent a thrill through him.
A soft hum filled the room as a beam swept across his chest, then his face.
The younger doctor squinted at the monitor. "No Gate exposure. No Dungeonair in the lungs."
He tapped again.
Gin leaned forward, breath caught. Waiting.
The screen blinked.
"…Reads…..nothing," the doctor said finally. "No Pulse at all."
The room fell still.
"Maybe it's dormant?" the older doctor suggested, leaning in. "Something's off. Did you run the full spectrum?"
"Twice. It's clean. He's… just normal." The younger one turned to Gin. "Name?"
"Gin."
"Full name."
"…Gin Maximus."
The older doctor raised an eyebrow. "Do you do drugs, Gin?"
Gin blinked. "I… used to take pills. From my favorite alchemist. Nini." He paused. "But I can't remember when or where that was."
Turning back to Gin, the older doctor crossed his arms. "Alright. These pills. What were they?"
Gin's eyes flickered, his voice growing steadier. "There were several. I took the Jade Spirit Rejuvenation Pill first—it steadied my breath after extended flight. Then the Vermilion Root Tonic for muscle regeneration. Bitter to swallow, but very effective."
He glanced up. "Nini made me Seven-Cycle Clarity Drops for mental haze, and the Food Replacement Pill. It became useless to me once I reached high-level cultivation, but it was useful for low-level cultivators."
The Older doctor exchanged a look with his junior. "Go on," the older one urged cautiously.
"Starlight Bone Dust, when my left arm wouldn't reset after that fight with Taro," Gin continued, eyes distant. "White Lotus Burn Salve for internal backlash. Mindseam Elixir—rare, forbidden in most sects. It let me—"
"Wait—did you say forbidden?"
Gin nodded. "Nini wasn't licensed. She brewed outside the Saffron Accord. But she said rules didn't apply to people like her."
The room fell silent.
The younger doctor cleared his throat. "Any others?"
"Oh. Yes. Hollow Echo Capsule for spiritual dissonance. And... uh... Phoenix Foundation Establishment Pill, very expensive. I only got three. Then she gave me a half-dose of Qi Recovery Pill when I—"
"Okay—please, stop," the older doctor said sharply, hand raised.
Gin blinked. "But there's more."
"I'm sure there is," the younger doctor muttered, now eyeing Gin like a live wire. "But unless one of those pills came with a timestamp and actually exists here, I suggest you take a break."
Gin stared at them. "You asked me what I took."
"We did," the older doctor replied cautiously. "And you... certainly answered."
The younger doctor turned his tablet to face Gin. "You're nineteen, but you sound so... mature."
Gin recoiled. "What?!"
"Nothing foreign in his system. No sign of drugs," the younger doctor added. "Clean."
"Could someone have used their Pulse on him?" one of the guards asked.
"Unlikely," the younger doctor replied. "These machines are built to detect exactly that."
Silence fell as everyone stared at the screen, puzzled.
The older officer whistled low. "By all the gods... My head hurts just thinking about it."
"Forget it," the older one grunted. "Just tell him his current CAPTCHA profile."
Gin looked up sharply.
"…What do you mean current CAPTCHA profile?"
The younger doctor hesitated mid-keystroke.
"…Just listen."
CAPTCHA SCAN – INITIATING...CAPTCHA PROFILE
Hero Name: None
Name: Gin Maximus (recently inputted)
Origin: Unknown
Rank: Unranked
Pulse Profession: None
Pulse: None
License: None
Verified Skills: None
Status: Civilian
Pulse Compatibility: Undefined
Strengths: Above-human strength and endurance
Weakness: Death
The older officer leaned closer to the screen. "Death? That's his only weakness?"
It made sense, considering he didn't have a pulse making him just a normal human
The younger one added. "Happens sometimes. Weaker Pulse candidates. He's human, after all."
"Still…" The older doctor muttered, tapping the display. "It's vague. These machines are usually precise. Where have I seen this scenario before…" His voice trailed off. "But this one—" He tapped the screen again. "It's reading someone with no Pulse at all."
The Incident: Escape
Just as they began preparing to escort Gin back, the alarm screamed.
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
"Warning! Monster 06-C has breached containment!"
Red emergency lights flooded the hallway.
Younger doctor blinked. "Wait—you keep monsters in here? I thought they were supposed to be transferred to HQ?"
Neither officers responded. Then the two officers rushed out, guns drawn.
A monstrous screech shook the facility. Shouts echoed from down the corridor, followed by crashing steel and the unmistakable sound of something huge approaching.
Then it appeared.
The monster was massive—easily taller than the doorway. Its hide was jagged and coarse, leaking crimson mist that curled like smoke. A hybrid. A Redspine.
"Contain it!" someone screamed. "It's trying to escape!"
A guard flew across the hallway like a ragdoll, slamming into the wall and dropping lifeless.
The doctors ducked behind equipment.
The Redspine roared—and charged.
Gin stepped forward. Calm. Focused.
stood still, facing the Redspine monster.
"Time to test my strength," he muttered under his breath.
Closing his eyes, he took a deep breath, recalling the words of his master: "Let the chi flow within your core."
The creature, only seconds away from him, charged.
Gin opened his eyes, now fully focused, and declared, "Legendary First Move!"
He dodged the first attack with ease, his body moving like a blur, and launched a powerful punch aimed at the monster's abdomen. The force behind it was immense.
Boom! The creature's stomach absorbed the punch….effortlessly.
The doctors watched in stunned silence.
The monster didn't even flinch. It froze for a moment, then stared down at Gin, its expression unreadable—its body entirely unaffected by the blow.
Gin slowly lowered his hand, the realization crashing down on him. He stood frozen.
There's no chi in this world. damn it!
The monster, unbothered, swiftly retaliated with a backhanded strike, sending Gin flying through the air. He crashed to the ground with a sickening thud, slamming into the floor near the feet of the Chief Officer—the same man who'd knocked him out and dragged him here.
Gin's head spun, the pain intense, but he smirked. "It appears I might have brought the wrong pet." The chief officer remarked.
He muttered to the creature, which roared back, but there was hesitation in its response
"Growing up fast, aren't you?" the officer said, almost fondly.
"Chief Megnon," the older doctor gasped. "You knew?!"
Yes I did. I was supposed to deliver it to HQ but ran abit late due to personal affairs .i had to contain it here.
The younger one panicked. "Please! Just deal with it—we won't tell HQ! I swear!"
Megnon, standing nearby, eyed the scene. "You grow fast," he remarked to the monster with a sly grin.
Chief Officer Megnon shook his head. "Sorry, doctors. I had to keep you in such a situation."
The younger doctor screamed, "Please, help! Just get rid of that damn thing! We won't report!
Megnon smirked, "You promise?"
The older doctor snapped, "Damn it, Megnon, we won't!"
Megnon grin widened. "Then I'll have to deal with it immediately."
With a roar, the creature dashed toward Megnon with terrifying speed.
Megnon, his hands still in his uniform pockets, looked down at Gin for a brief moment. His other hand shot forward, crackling with lightning.
Boom!
Megnon glanced down and smirked. "That's how you do it," he said, his voice low—almost like a teacher giving a final note to a student.
Gin blinked, his body throbbing. Slowly, he lifted his head, feeling every bruise and jolt. The creature was gone. Vapor.
The guards stared, mouths agape.
"Sir?" one muttered.
Megnon straightened his jacket. "Clean up the area."
"Yes, sir!" came the chorus.
Gin laid his head back, staring at the ceiling. A slow, childlike grin spread across his battered face.
A slow, childlike grin spread across his face.
"Megnon… Prime… whoever," he whispered.
"I'll surpass you all."
His voice was filled with excitement, like a child eager to level up.
[MONSTER DATA CARD]Name: REDSPINE
Classification: Class E Monster
Species Type: Aberrant Insectoid – Redline Subspecies
Appearance: Humanoid ant-like beast with elongated limbs, obsidian carapace, and a glowing crimson spine protruding from its back. Its mandibles twitch constantly, and its movements suggest a hive-trained predator, though it operates independently.
Origin: E-Class Dimensional Gate — Hive Breach #0147
Subspecies type: Redspine Variant (Rare)
(Unlike standard Bluespine ants.)