A distant horn echoed, growing louder as I pried my eyes open. I sat up in bed, my muscles aching, moving them felt akin to dragging a brick underwater. I rubbed my eyes and dragged myself out of bed, starting to pace around to get my bearings.

The door swung open, revealing Yeonju. "Rise and sh... oh, you're already up. Good, very good." He tossed me a pair of blue jeans and a white shirt, a definite upgrade from my current attire. "Put these on, I'll wait outside."

After a quick change, I discarded my old clothes in a corner. Just the thought of wearing them again made me cringe. My body odor was anything but pleasant, reminding me of a garbage truck on a hot day. I confronted Yeonju about my predicament. "I need a shower, I reek."

Yeonju gave me a brief sniff and cringed, "Reek might be an understatement."

He guided me upstairs, past the lounge where we'd been the previous night, and into a room that felt a lot like my old flat. It was a blend of Korean and Japanese aesthetics, the wooden floor creaking slightly under our weight. The room was divided by a wooden sliding door, a dimly lit lamp sitting at the far end, battling the sunlight pouring in through the window. A neatly arranged futon lay under some pillows, a table with scattered papers, ink, and a quill was nearby. Walking in felt like stepping back in time.

Not wasting any time, I asked Yeonju to show me the bathroom. He pointed to a small compartment built into the wall with a toilet, a shower, and a basin lined up. The warm shower was exactly what I needed. I felt my soreness fading as the heat permeated my skin, thawing the cold that had settled in my bones overnight.

As I was enjoying my shower, I heard footsteps and a familiar Russian accent demanding, "Where is he?" No doubt, it was Viktor.

"Inside, in the shower. Just hold on a minute before you say anything – the guy reeked worse than Hector's farts. Honestly, I don't think any of us could stand handling a package that smelly," Yeonju said, trying to defend me Viktor grumbled in response, clearly not pleased. "Fine, but make sure he’s done quickly. We need to leave soon."

Yeonju gave him a salute, trying to lighten the mood. "Yes boss." Then called out to the shower cubicle, "Hey Josh, you need to hurry up and finish washing. Viktor’s getting impatient and we don’t want to cross him."

My animosity towards Viktor grew with every passing second. It felt ridiculous - shouldn't a man be able to enjoy a decent shower even when he's held captive?

Once I finished cleaning up, Yeonju led me into the lounge area where everyone was deep in conversation. "We have to keep a low profile and move fast. The last thing we need is to draw attention," Viktor directed the team.

Ashley chimed in with a concern, "But what if Josh starts screaming for help or tries to make a scene while we're transporting him?"

"He won’t," Kira assured her with confidence. Then she turned her gaze to me, as if she knew I was coming. "Come here," she commanded.

I didn’t budge. I was aware of the risk but I felt stronger now, somehow revitalized. But could I match up to her strength? I wasn't sure, but it seemed like the perfect time to test it out. Still, I knew I was dancing with danger.

I could tell she was growing impatient, her face a clear giveaway. "Come here, now," she ordered again.

I stood my ground, unmoving. That's when she snapped her fingers and the collar broke loose. It began to tighten itself around my neck, suffocating me. Worse, it was burrowing into my skin, causing unimaginable pain. I collapsed to the floor, gasping for air and frantically clawing at the collar. Despite my newfound strength, I couldn't remove it. It only seemed to dig deeper as I struggled.

Suddenly, a surge of electricity shot through the collar, spreading underneath my skin and burning everything it touched. It felt as though I was being cooked alive, an experience I'd never imagined I'd have to endure.

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"Do you feel that?" she asked coldly, her voice echoing over my screams. "That's what happens when you disobey me."

With another snap of her fingers, the collar's torment ceased abruptly. "Disobey me again, and you’ll relive that experience, only for longer."

The pain lingered, deeply embedded in my bones. It would take a while to fade away.

Yeonju gave me a hand and hoisted me up as pain screamed through every cell in my body. A quick scan of the room revealed the impassiveness on all faces, except Kira's. Same old, same old for this lot. Heartless monsters. But honestly, what was I expecting?

"Okay, let's try that again. Over here," she ordered.

Like the obedient slave I had become, I followed her directive and trudged towards her. She grasped my hand, taking my pulse, before squeezing my arm and shutting her eyes in concentration.

"His physique has changed. There's a noticeable increase in muscle mass since yesterday. Minimal, yes, but it's there. His strength too, has amplified," she announced.

"Could the injection be responsible for this?" Viktor wondered aloud.

Kira seemed lost in thought for a moment. "Possibly," she finally conceded.

"Well, boss, why not hand him over to the doc? Let's get this mission over and done with as swiftly as possible," one of them proposed.

Hector and Yeonju gave nods of agreement.

Until now, I believed that following their orders would keep me safe, though they'd fling me around like a rag doll, treating me like a servant. It was a life I was sadly familiar with. But this, using a collar to inflict excruciating pain, was beyond cruel. I regret not protesting more back then. Maybe if I'd resisted harder, they would've killed me, and it would've all ended there.

But thoughts of my family kept me going. I never mentioned it during the interrogation, but I wanted to survive for them. I was their only glimmer of hope for a better life. But each passing day here reduced my own chances of survival.

"Let's roll," Kira declared, leading us out of the ship. The metallic staircase echoed under our feet as we descended to the docking platform. Yeonju was in front of me and I lagged behind him, trailing our group. I knew I could bolt, but chances were slim that I'd make it far before getting nabbed. And after witnessing Kira's earlier demonstration, escape seemed unlikely. I wasn't eager to test the reach of this collar.

We sauntered past towers of shipping containers, each precisely aligned in an eerily organized fashion. An overhead crane hoisted a container. I hustled past it, worried it might tumble on us, drawing a couple of chuckles from Yeonju and Ashley.

We veered right into a corridor formed by the containers. Two cars appeared at the end of the passage, morphing into three as we drew nearer. Men, dressed in sleek black suits, stood at the ready. A man, with a face seemingly sculpted by the gods, confidently stood guard by the passenger door.

"Looks like B team's already here, boss," Yeonju noted. "Did you hash this out with Martin?"

"I did," she confirmed. "I spoke to Martin last night, asked him for a low-key security detail to guide us to this 'Heavenly Doctor.' I requested the A team, but Martin wasn't too thrilled about our latest mess-up. He insisted we prove our worth to him and the Gaijin Defence. So, he dispatched the B team and instructed us to see it through with them."

"When is Martin ever pleased with us?" Ashley chimed in.

"Never," Hector retorted.

I guessed even in criminal organizations, quarterly performance reviews were a thing. This Martin guy sounded strikingly similar to Mr. Choi.

As we drew nearer, something caught my eye on the handsome guard's head. Three question marks. Odd. I rubbed my eyes, believing I might be hallucinating, but then, it dawned on me.

System, what’s that question mark.

That is the level being displayed of the individual. Currently it is set to ???, as the level is too high compared to the user.

The bewilderment wasn't exclusive to me. I looked around, noticing that everyone on the team wore a question marks over their heads.

We came to a halt a mere metre away from the cars.

"Alberto," Kira called out.

"Kira," the man known as Alberto acknowledged.

"Bring out the package," she commanded.

Suddenly, Viktor yanked me from behind, rough and sudden. I stumbled and landed hard on my knees.

"We're transporting him. Have you made the necessary arrangements?" she inquired.

Alberto nodded, "Yes. The body armour has been reinforced to withstand Ki attacks from Martial Golds. We've got re-inflatable tyres to counter any sly Ki blasts. Windshields are fortified to stop Ki bullets, and we've arranged for fifteen Martial Silvers 2nd Stage, including myself, a Martial Silver 4th Stage, to accompany you."

Kira's expression indicated her satisfaction. "Throw him in the back. I'll sit with him. Yeonju, you're riding shotgun. The rest of you fi--"

Suddenly, Viktor's urgent scream pierced the air, "Watch out!" In a blink, he lunged to shield me. All I could see was a flurry of movements. Ashley and Hector scrambled out of harm's way. Yeonju leaped backwards. Kira stood firm, launching her own Ki blast at the oncoming one from the top right. There was a powerful explosion that released a shockwave, tossing everyone aside. Everyone, except Kira. The last image I recall is of Kira's back shielding me and Viktor.