The Age of Adaptation
The color of the Omega Suit was one of the primary indicators of its wearer’s combat style.
Yoo Sung-jun’s suit gleamed in five colors.
That was the color of an all-rounder—someone who used strength, speed, and senses in equal measure, accumulating information as he went. The suit adjusted its performance to match the wearer. It analyzed the actions the wearer had shown and maintained the optimal state accordingly.
Red.
Alexei Cruiser’s suit was red.
That color was called the attacker’s hue.
It was the color worn by those who stood at the front of the battlefield and hunted down Infector. More often than not, it appeared when power was converted toward raw strength.
What’s his natural talent?
Level 2 body enhancement. Level 2 suit.
Using both to the fullest, he struck the man’s head.
As Cruiser slammed into the floor and bounced, Yoo Sung-jun thought, and when he saw the thick arm twitch, he shifted his left foot back.
Here it comes.
Cruiser endured the tremendous blow to the head.
Then he reached out.
Just as expected—his left leg.
Yoo Sung-jun whipped the leg he had already pulled back.
The brutal kick known as a soccer kick slammed into Cruiser’s face.
Thud—!
It felt like striking a massive iron ball with a giant sledgehammer.
A heavy sound burst out.
The nano-particle visor scattered like dust.
Cruiser’s face, briefly exposed beneath it, was dark and bruised.
At the sight, Yoo Sung-jun could be certain of his natural talent.
Muscle hardening. Damn sturdy, at least.
He was a tough one.
But was that the same as an impenetrable shield? No. Which was why, beyond the visor, Yoo Sung-jun smiled with childlike innocence.
How long would he last?
This was the first time he’d wielded this strength against a user.
Still sprawled on the ground, he snapped his leg upward.
The recoil swept across the floor.
It was a rational strike, the kind that would work on an ordinary user.
Yoo Sung-jun moved the right foot aimed at him to the side.
He deflected it with his left leg and tilted his body.
Loki. Convert 30 percent of power into strength.
[Understood.]
The suit’s muscles stood out sharply.
With a creak, he swung the fist he had clenched.
He slammed it down as if smashing a roof tile laid on the ground.
The way to break muscle hardening was this simple.
Hit it where you hit it, and hit it again.
Crack!
Cruiser’s visor shattered once more.
Beyond the restored protective gear, his face was grotesquely caved in.
Like a live fish thrown onto the deck, he bounced and rolled across the floor.
The suit still pulsed, but its wearer had lost consciousness.
Watching that, Yoo Sung-jun brushed off his hands.
He seemed like a pretty skilled guy, but Cruiser’s got a very single-minded streak.
Cruiser’s fighting style was specialized for dealing with Infector that weren’t terribly intelligent.
In simple terms, it was brute force—crush first and ask questions later.
Well, Yoo Sung-jun himself preferred a tyrannical style of combat using a greatsword, so he couldn’t exactly mock him for it.
At least I fight while thinking, you idiot.
He shrugged and swept his gaze around.
The silence was deeper than silence.
If a pen dropped now, it would sound like thunder.
Yoo Sung-jun studied the faces of those swallowing hard in tension, especially their eyes.
That bastard still looks like he can’t accept it.
He had overwhelmed the atmosphere with sheer force and stamped the name Meteor into their minds.
And yet, as if it still weren’t enough, some of them kept their eyes sharp and wary.
He’d have to soften them up a little.
***
In the end, there was no one in the banquet hall who still refused to acknowledge Yoo Sung-jun.
The crazy ones who rejected it until the very end had either been kicked out or expelled.
Choi Hyun-seok really was a man with backbone.
He didn’t hesitate to expel users for the sake of information. Did he calculate the cost and benefits?
Well, as a clan leader ranked fifth in the world, he knew very well that only a tiny fraction of users could meet the standard for hunting high-level Infector.
And that one of those few was Yoo Sung-jun, Meteor.
Rather than throw away this irreplaceable card, he was willing to discard the hand he already held.
Yoo Sung-jun liked that response.
That was enough to create the basic atmosphere needed to explain the operation.
But he didn’t start explaining right away.
There was something more immediate to focus on.
“Choi Hyun-seok. Do you have a map for the underground bunker search?”
“We’ve already replenished our numbers and secured equipment through point acquisition. From here on, we intend to begin raiding in earnest under Meteo—under your command.”
So in other words, preparations were done and it was time to begin.
That was actually better.
He’d been worried they might go and make a mess of things on their own, thinking they were doing him a favor.
“Then let’s form the first recon team right away. Start with the number of entrances leading toward the center of the bunker, the environment at the mouth of the tunnels, and the types and visible numbers of Infector distributed at each entrance. We need it all turned into information.”
If the first button was fastened properly, it would keep him from making a mess at the very start.
“Understood. I’ll pick out the fastest users and send them out for reconnaissance.”
“After the recon is done, assign them low-difficulty missions nearby so they can return without trouble. That’ll improve both survival and return rates.”
Choi Hyun-seok took out a laptop and began typing up Yoo Sung-jun’s orders.
He seemed to know that once a user left the mission area, the mission would shift to suit a different region.
“After the first recon is complete, we’ll do a second pass. We need to verify every detail of the terrain.”
“You mean only the entrance area?”
“If they go too deep and get surrounded, they could die uselessly. So reconning the entrance alone is enough.”
For now, that was what they’d prepare for.
They had a generous four days.
During that time, the other users would form teams by position and select team leaders.
“Boss. So what’s the final operation?”
At the sudden question, Yoo Sung-jun turned his head.
Alexei Cruiser was there.
He still hadn’t recognized Yoo Sung-jun’s voice.
Come to think of it, that made sense. He’d been listening closely to the supporter’s translation, after all.
And the Omega Suit was hiding his face.
Maybe there’s no need to reveal it at all.
As long as they followed orders properly.
If he unnecessarily exposed himself, it would probably just become a hassle.
“Once the map is secured and the final route is decided, I’ll call you back together. I’ll explain the full operation then, so for now, focus on raid preparations.”
“So I should pay attention to my own preparation instead of worrying about the operation?”
“You understand perfectly.”
Any more questions?
He asked the group, who were sitting in banquet chairs dragged into place.
Someone raised a hand.
“If the recon team runs into trouble, do you plan to send a rescue team?”
“We’ll run this with a one-day operational window. If they haven’t returned after a day, then we’ll send a rescue team.”
“And if even they don’t make it back?”
“We abandon them.”
At his blunt answer, murmurs spread through the hall.
Yoo Sung-jun continued.
His tone was quiet, but everyone listened.
“We don’t know when Dark Cover is going to happen. It could happen right now, for all we know. That’s why we’re rushing this raid, isn’t it? So we can secure a refuge as quickly as possible. In a situation like this, manpower is short and the overall level is lacking. If it were you, would you keep throwing people in?”
“...No.”
“Then there’s only one thing you need to be thinking about right now.”
Getting stronger.
It didn’t matter whether it was through points or through tempering your natural talent.
“Get stronger than you are now, and do it as fast as you can.”
That was enough for the moment.
Yoo Sung-jun took more questions.
Most were about the recon team.
Nothing he couldn’t answer.
He even answered the more pointed, almost critical questions with patience.
Before long, the users who had started out unwilling to accept him were acknowledging Yoo Sung-jun.
He had the force worth acknowledging.
The initial operation was worth acknowledging.
In a very short time, he had shown enough to be called a leader.
“I think that’s enough to set the starting point for the raid, so let’s disband here.”
Yoo Sung-jun rose from his seat.
The place meant for command had turned into a strategy meeting, but that didn’t matter.
It had been necessary either way.
“Thank you, Yoo Sung-jun. Thanks to you, raid preparations got off to a smooth start.”
As he left the banquet hall through the back door, Choi Hyun-seok followed after him.
Yoo Sung-jun shot him a sidelong glance and asked, “How are you going to repay me?”
“Choose whatever equipment you want and let me know. I’ll have it delivered by the bodyguards escorting your younger brother.”
“Clean enough. Then I’ll wait for the first report.”
“Haha, yes. I’ll handle everything carefully. Ah, but would you mind telling me just a little about the operation? Even a key word or two?”
“You’re curious?”
“Since the future of the country’s reconstruction is on the line... yes, I’m curious.”
“For someone like you, there’s nothing I can’t tell. We’ll take the leaders out one by one.”
“So we’re eliminating each boss before the others from the different sites can arrive.”
“That too... but there’s another reason.”
“What is it?”
“We’re going to drag that Muaz bastard out of his nest.”
Choi Hyun-seok’s face clouded with doubt.
How, exactly?
Reading that expression, Yoo Sung-jun gave a faint smirk.
“Because that’s how I killed him.”
It was the Muaz strategy known only to Meteor.
But the relationship he had with Choi Hyun-seok was still bound by business, and there was no reason to reveal such a powerful card to him.
“Then we’ll meet again when the final raid begins.”
He waved and headed home.
***
The points earned from clearing the child-rearing misery mission had reached 320,000.
Adding his remaining 100,000 points brought the total to roughly 420,000.
With just 80,000 more, he could raise Body Enhancement to Level 3.
But with the raid looming so close, he didn’t have time to run other missions.
So Yoo Sung-jun chose to improve his equipment instead.
He was already starting to feel that the BK-108 lacked firepower.
The Agantic Sword’s cutting power and overall functionality were falling behind, too.
He needed weapons that were stronger, more effective.
That was why he had chosen two things.
“Here. This case contains the equipment Meteo requested.”
“Thanks for bringing it all the way here.”
“Not at all. Then I’ll be off.”
The bodyguard, tense to the point of rigidity, stepped back.
It seemed they were still reeling from the shock that the older brother of the person they’d been escorting was Meteor himself.
“They’re frozen stiff.”
Yoo Sung-jun tilted his head, not realizing it was because of him.
He carried the case inside the house.
The younger brother, who came out of the room, had stars in his eyes.
“What’s that?”
“A weapon. Choi Hyun-seok gave it to me as a gift.”
“Oh, seriously?”
He answered loosely and set it on the dining table.
The younger brother, brimming with curiosity, urged him to open it right away.
He was already planning to check it immediately anyway.
He released the lock and opened the case.
Inside the all-black case sat a gray dodecahedral box.
“Huh? Isn’t that... a nano weapon?”
“Yeah.”
“I couldn’t even dream of buying one—it costs 300,000 points.”
“That just means the information I have is worth a lot.”
With a shrug, Yoo Sung-jun picked up the box.
This regular polyhedron, framed by pentagonal faces, was the crystallized form of the nano-particles used in the Omega Suit—a peak achievement of nanotechnology.
On its own, it was nothing more than a useless object.
But once synchronized with the Omega Suit and reshaped to his liking through the station, it could become a weapon unique in the world.
That was what Yoo Sung-jun wanted.
He intended to push this equipment to the limit of its potential.
He’d need to forge it into a cold weapon with excellent cutting power, one suited to his own hands.
“Are you coming too?”
“I’ve got nothing else to do, and I might as well watch, right?”
“I guess that’s fine.”
He smiled and sent an invitation message.
Together with his younger brother, he moved to the Enter Room.
All right. Let’s make the best weapon possible for hunting down Muaz.