107. Extraction Room (2)
1, 2, 3 numbers.
Core upgrade.
Innovation Nexus Corporation.
Checking Nexus Energy.
User compatibility: 97.2%
Nexus Core: Metallokinesis lv.6 [0/100]
Nexus Core energy exceeded.
Nexus Core upgrade is impossible.
Doesn't this mean those bastards at IN Company can now upgrade cores without even catching Infected?
1, 2, 3 must be items used at level 1, level 2, and level 3.
The previous ones from 10 to 70 were abilities; these are for when the level is low.
Wouldn't that be it? No, it's almost certainly that.
Building a place like this in the mountains and bringing people here... the stuff they're doing is obvious.
There's nothing else. Appendages of Infected, appendages of humans. Humans who look like they've been stuffed. Flasks, refrigerators/freezers.
I'd probably see more people if I waited here, but the 20-minute portal duration is the limit.
However... even though they call it an Extraction Room, I don't understand why they'd bother putting it in the mountains.
It's also strange that they're hiding it even from regular soldiers.
With a scale like this... I mean, given the capabilities of the Chungju Defense Force and IN Company, they should have bunker capabilities too. Wouldn't it be better to just build a new bunker and experiment there?
Wasn't it like that at the previous Cheonan Bunker? Cheol-woo's vaccine and the operation of the IN unit were all conducted at the Cheonan Bunker.
'No.'
There must be a reason they built a place like this.
Whether it's for external activities. Or for trading with other groups. Or to hide this from someone.
What's certain is that this Extraction Room is here, and these bastards' goal is to grind humans down into Human Pills.
Especially inside the Extraction Room. The fact that there wasn't a single ability exceeding 70, and that those Nexus Core growth flasks didn't exist above 5, made that even clearer.
The important stuff must have already flowed somewhere else.
I'd like to stay here, but since this place operates via portal, I have to go back before 20 minutes pass.
'The flasks...'
I deliberated a bit. Whether to take them or not.
However... I know from what Cheol-woo said that these could have side effects.
I heard there are some side effects when transplanting abilities with high compatibility.
Also, I heard there's a margin of error when extracting abilities from humans with positive compatibility.
Even though it was a different branch. Because this is information I confirmed by placing a Contract on Cheol-woo, the Chief Researcher of the Sejong Branch who had absorbed the headquarters.
'Even if it's fine for now, problems could arise later.'
I didn't hear the details about the serum back then. I only heard the facts: they extracted it, they succeeded, they failed, and there's a margin of error.
I didn't hear about how to transplant these safely with low side effects, or how they extract them from people.
No, to be precise, I couldn't. I intended to bring Cheol-woo along and hear those stories slowly, but the IN Company bastards died on their own.
That's why using the serum ourselves felt a bit iffy.
There's also a possibility it's related to the Chairman's death. The Chairman, who had negative compatibility, was transplanted with the Contract ability but died later. That means there's a chance he died because of the serum transplant.
'......'
Even so, it's even weirder not to take them. Maybe I'll just take enough that it won't hinder my movement.
'They'll be useful later.'
I put four level 3 flasks and four serums in the 60s range into my bag.
The abilities in the 60s range were Barricade, Appraisal, Plant Growth, and Subspace, respectively.
If I subdue the IN Company bastards later and learn how to transplant high-grade abilities into them, and if I run into trash like Jong-hoon's group, it would be good to experiment on them.
'Since it doesn't seem like they just jam the serum into low-level guys right away.'
Just looking at the fact that there are no high-grade abilities inside the Extraction Room, I suspect they take these and probably perform some special procedure on the higher-ups.
With that, I'm done here, and since there might be CCTV or other surveillance abilities, I completely smashed this Extraction Room.
ㅡ!!!!!!
The sound of the building being smashed.
However, even though the building collapsed, nobody came, perhaps because this place is completely isolated.
Even if they do come, they'll come via portal, so it'll probably take some time.
'Portal.'
Come to think of it, it is a dangerous ability.
The fact that it takes 20 minutes to open means people targeting them on the other side can react.
Whatever, it's fine. Just knowing about a place like this was a harvest in itself.
Before I knew it, an hour is almost up. I should slowly head back through the portal to the other side. If that thing closes, I'd have to fly all the way from here to our I-Pension.
#
I arrived at where the portal was.
It was still open.
The woman who was dying earlier was still there.
'Still alive, huh.'
Must be tough as nails?
I took her and first crossed back over to southern Chungju.
The air felt different. The portal was still maintained, but since I'm not a portal ability user, and I don't know information about portals, I don't know how to use it.
Now, what to do?
Nothing came out of the Chungju IN Company branch.
I waited and followed the black truck, but the place I ended up at wasn't a lab or a bunker, just a place to extract people.
In this case...
I could wait and track more black trucks.
Or just go in and smash them.
Both are fine.
However, this place is hidden tight, and since the Chungju Defense Force outwardly claims to be a more conscientious group than the Cheonan Warlords, the latter option might have some big side effects.
'I don't know.'
But the former doesn't seem like a good method either.
Or I could infiltrate, kidnap some guys who look like high-ranking people, and try to do something.
This place, the Extraction Room, is probably quite important to them.
Even if it's not important, it wouldn't be a place they'd just ignore and discard like the Naesu-eup gangsters.
It's probably best to watch for a few more days. They'll show reactions, bait, or how they respond to this damage.
But before that, it seemed best to figure out what to do with this woman.
And... for safety, the Appraisal ability I brought from the Extraction Room this time.
'Appraisal, huh.'
Seems similar to Identification.
#
I went all the way down to the south of Chungju and got a vehicle in Goesan-gun to come down.
On the way to Naesu-eup.
Before I knew it, it was past midnight, and the weather on the dawn of July 6th was quite sweltering.
Well, it is summer.
Even if the world has collapsed, I heard it takes some time for the Earth to normalize.
Or was it? Did they say it passed the critical point and won't return?
'Well, it's humans who are ruined, not the Earth.'
It was hot enough to die. That's probably why they said they'd bring back all the heaters and air conditioners they'd cleared out of the I-Pension recently.
'Heaters and AC are good.'
Electricity.
To check this too, it'd be good to go to where the nuclear power plants are.
Every time this happens, I really regret not having the portal ability.
"....Ah."
As I was thinking that, I heard the woman's voice from the passenger seat. I turned my head and saw the woman blinking.
"You're awake?"
".....?!!!"
The woman was startled. She twisted her body this way and that, realized she was tied up, and darted her eyes around.
"Wh-where is this..? Ah?"
The woman screamed. I said.
"I don't know if you understand the situation, but you'd better calm down first."
"Mom! Dad!"
The woman wouldn't calm down. Then I'd have to calm her down by force. I tightened the metal around her body and gagged her too.
"Mmmph! Mmph!"
And I ignored her struggling and explained.
"You were being transported. By the Chungju Defense Force, the Chungju Warlords... whatever you want to call those bastards. To be precise, they're IN Company bastards, but they're a group that outwardly claims to be the military."
"......"
The woman shut her mouth.
"You were being transported in a suspended animation state from there, and you were scheduled to be turned into a Human Pill and enter the mouths of the higher-ups. But I intercepted you in the middle. And now we're heading to our base. So, do you have any questions?"
I opened her mouth.
"Wh-what are you talking about? The s-soldiers told me to wait. Wh-what is this, where am I...!"
"I just explained it to you."
"I don't understand. I was with Mom and Dad... Where are Mom and Dad? They said they'd guide us if we were there..."
"Looks like you were caught with your family? When I found you, there was no one but you."
"They'll be there. I want to find them. I came with Mom and Dad. I even have the ability to go there."
The woman twisted her body. I said.
"Didn't I tell you? I said you were in a suspended animation state when you were caught. There was only you."
"I can't believe it. Let me go, let me go. If I go now..."
I gagged her again.
"Mmmph! Mmph!"
And I drove for a few minutes while keeping her quiet.
About 10 minutes. When I thought the woman had calmed down, I opened her mouth.
"I don't know how you were caught. I don't know where you were or what you were doing. So, I'd like you to explain first. If you understand, nod your head; if you don't want to, just stay like that."
The woman nodded. I untied her mouth.
"......."
The woman looked like she was about to cry.
"First, tell me your name, what your ability is, where you've been staying until now, and what your last memory is. Those bastards who caught you are all going to die anyway. Maybe we can find your Mom and Dad."
She looked at me and said.
"Name.."
"Yeah, tell me your name."
"No. Tell me your name first. Ah, or I won't tell you."
She's bold.
Well, it wasn't bad. Because her eyes had changed.
"Fine. Kim Yu-seong. My ability is this."
I lifted pieces of metal and tightened them around her body.
Then I repeated what I said earlier. Suspended animation. And waking up.
"Happy? Now hurry up and tell me."
"...Yes."
The woman seemed a bit scared, and also suspicious of me.
The woman swallowed and said.
"I'm Yu Bo-ram. I'm twenty years old, and my superpower is Portal. My last memory is arriving at some base-like place with soldiers and waiting."
Portal?
A portal ability pops out here?