Chapter 148
Chapter 148
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 148
Chapter Title: Poisoning
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International mercenary Cougar gave the order.
"Run a step-by-step status check."
One of his subordinates reported back.
"Once Gamma Team releases the XVE gas in the basement, it'll spread through the vents—not just inside the building, but across the whole area."
Chemical weapons keep the police at bay.
"Everyone inside the building and a good number of people nearby will go down from the gas."
Once the city center descends into chaos, the emergency police response won't be enough to control the crowds.
"We disguise it as a chemical weapons terror attack, set the place on fire, and slip out. Done."
Diamonds burn. Among the jewels they've stolen, the raw diamonds are the most valuable. If a massive fire breaks out here, it'll be hard to tell if those stones were taken.
The building currently held visitors and staff. Outside was Seoul's bustling downtown— even if the XVE gas only spread nearby, there'd be hundreds of casualties at minimum.
Cougar knew that. He knew and planned it anyway.
"If a terror attack hits and no one dies, it'll look suspicious. We need to release some gas to sell it perfectly."
"As expected from the boss. The plan's flawless. That Cha executive doesn't even compare."
"Cha couldn't hold a candle to me. But you know..."
Cougar smacked his lips.
"Things are going so smoothly, doesn't it make you greedy for more?"
Cougar was greedy. And pulling off something this big again would be tough. Repeating the same method would get them caught fast.
So he wanted to make this one count big.
"Outside's still quiet, and we've got some time left before we wrap up, right?"
"Heh heh. Yeah. The display room right next door had some prime jewels too. Shame if they burn up when we torch this place."
"We love jewels too much for that. Got room in the bags? Let's grab some more high-end stuff."
Another subordinate spoke up.
"Boss. The guys in the basement are hooked up and waiting for the signal."
"Tell 'em to hold a few more minutes while we pack jewels."
Cougar pressed the transmit button on his radio.
"Gamma Team. Stand by. Grabbing a few more items."
No immediate reply came—the kind that should've snapped back right away.
"Hm?"
Cougar frowned.
"That's weird. Hey. Gamma Team."
Still nothing. His face hardened.
"Something's gone wrong."
"What? What kind...?"
Cougar recalled Kim Yu-chan, who had been next to Scarlett Kelly. He'd mistaken him for a top-tier bodyguard assigned by the Korean government.
"Looks like that guy next to Omega Tech's CEO took over the basement."
"What? There were three down there..."
"Else they'd answer the radio."
Their radios were modified—no outside comms possible. Even if captured, no alerts could go out.
"No one can know we did this."
"What do we do?"
"Wipe 'em all out. That was the plan anyway."
He gestured to his men.
"Get the emergency XVE gas."
Two subordinates carried briefcases. One held the jewels they'd grabbed so far.
The other opened his. Inside: four gas masks and a small silver cylinder. A few other items too.
The four donned masks—compact ones covering just nose, mouth, and eyes, not full-face models.
Cougar picked up the silver cylinder, tumbler-sized. Tiny compared to the basement tanks that reached thigh height—slender and slim.
The subordinate closed and locked the case.
Cougar cracked the lever on the cylinder. XVE gas leaked out slowly.
He handed it off and gripped his pistol properly. Gas kept seeping from the thin cylinder.
"Once the gas settles, this battlefield tilts completely in our favor. Let's go!"
Na Gang-in ascended from the basement to the first floor.
"Damn. More gas?"
"Doesn't matter—it's still dangerous to breathe. What were those basement guys planning after the gas spread?"
"They hid gas masks somewhere in the basement, huh."
But no time to hunt for them. The first floor had several people already short of breath.
"Meaning you can't last if you keep breathing it."
Na Gang-in shouted to the people.
"Poison gas!"
Startled, they covered their mouths and noses with their arms. Some stared at him wide-eyed.
"Evacuate them first."
The main entrance was already sealed. The rooftop was confirmed safe moments ago.
"Rooftop evacuation?"
Na Gang-in yelled.
"To escape the poison gas, head up! Evacuate to the rooftop!"
The exhibition hall visitors already sensed something was wrong. No one resisted his words.
Staff led them up the stairs. Everyone looked pale but could still walk.
But Shin Eun-ha's group wasn't among them.
He guessed where Shin Eun-ha and the other actors might be.
"Where are the pricey jewels?"
"There."
Na Gang-in headed that way.
"Wait. Can I even breathe this? Shouldn't I grab masks from the basement?"
"Not here now."
"Tell me that stuff upfront."
International mercenary Cougar had spotted Shin Eun-ha's group early.
But he couldn't approach recklessly. He'd seen Kim Yu-chan among them.
"That guy's gotta be the super-elite who nabbed Jackal. Explains why he's back from the basement already."
"What do we do?"
Cougar smirked.
"No matter how elite the special agent, he needs air to live. No human survives XVE without a mask."
Cougar had already released half the gas from the mini canister. Aimed toward Shin Eun-ha's display room—so concentration there was higher.
"XVE poisoning strips combat ability in one minute. Factor in holding breath, we wait five and move in to finish."
Shin Eun-ha's group slumped on the floor.
XVE disrupted nerves, sapping muscle strength. Prolonged exposure weakens breathing muscles—death for most.
No strength in their bodies.
Nerve disruption dulled pain too—no agony. But breathing grew harder; they all knew it.
Shin Eun-ha spoke.
"They must've released some kind of gas."
Even Kim Yu-chan, whom Cougar's crew feared, opened his mouth.
"Save us."
Cougar checked his watch.
"Three minutes. Two more and..."
Suddenly, Cougar whipped his head sideways.
The display room had two access points. Cougar's crew held one.
Then Na Gang-in burst from the other.
Cougar instantly raised his pistol.
"Who the hell's that guy!"
Na Gang-in had no mask. It made Cougar relax a bit.
"He must be out of energy too..."
Na Gang-in sprinted toward the display room. Cougar pulled the trigger late. The silencer muffled the subsonic round.
The shot hit the wall behind Na Gang-in. Cougar fired again frantically, but it too struck the wall.
Na Gang-in dashed into the room in a flash.
A subordinate asked urgently.
"Boss. What the hell is he?"
"Gotta be the one who took Gamma Team in the basement. Didn't know there was another."
"Why isn't he poisoned? No mask."
"Holding his breath. Gas only works inhaled."
"He can move like that holding his breath? How?"
Cougar snapped.
"Damn it! Why ask me?!"
"N-no, I just can't wrap my head around..."
Cougar aimed his pistol at the display room entrance.
"Impressive, but holding breath while running? He's hitting his limit soon. We got him."
Na Gang-in spotted Shin Eun-ha in the display room.
"Found you."
Shin Eun-ha tried raising a hand. No strength— it wouldn't budge.
"Gas here... dangerous."
Kim Yu-chan mustered force to lift his hand. He rasped.
"Save us."
"Damn. Hospital evac?"
AI Jeon Ji-in said victims could survive if hospitalized within ten minutes.
"Find a way."
Na Gang-in had no antidote. Couldn't fetch from Yulmyeong Bio now.
He glanced sideways. AI Jeon Ji-in holograph-marked enemies behind the wall.
"They have it?"
Unknown. Had to check. No other options.
"How much time left?"
Others sat slumped. Only Lee Yeon-ji stood.
"She's standing. Yeon-ji holding breath, inhaled less?"
"Special constitution?"
No diagnostic or constitution-analysis skills for AI Jeon Ji-in.
Lee Yeon-ji had bought a hair pin from a shop inside—like a hairpin, but with a metal butterfly adorned in synthetic sapphire on the back. Pinned in hair, it looked like a butterfly perched on her head.
She'd worn it until recently.
Lee Yeon-ji pulled it from her hair. Locks cascaded down smoothly.
The tip was sharpish. She gripped it like a weapon.
"I can fight too."
Words aside, her state was poor. Legs buckled—she wanted to collapse.
Na Gang-in said.
"You just had surgery. Moving spreads the gas faster. Minimize activity—stay here."
No choice now. Unknown if enemies had antidote. Only hope.
"Hacking and siphoning a bit of meds are worlds apart."
Bribing staff for finished product easier than hacking. No recipe needed—just divert a box of antidote.
"They got XVE, so likely antidote too. Gotta prep for accidents. They must have it."
Na Gang-in pinned his hopes there.
He opened Lee Yeon-ji's hand, took the hairpin.
"Lemme borrow this."
"Huh?"
Na Gang-in launched out of the display room.
Cougar's crew waited for him. They fired the instant he appeared.
Na Gang-in flipped midair. Bullets grazed past.
Dodging four pistols nonstop was tough. Needed to thin their numbers.
He kicked off the wall in mid-leap. Thrust right hand forward. The short, hairpin-like pin shot like an arrow, slamming into an enemy's shoulder.
It pierced the shoulder bone. The enemy screamed, tumbling back.
"Argh!"
The butterfly ornament stayed atop—beautiful yet deadly, like a fatal butterfly impaled on his shoulder.
Others froze briefly, then refocused muzzles on Na Gang-in.
Charging three pistols head-on was suicide. AI Jeon Ji-in marked cover spots. Decorative fixtures lined the hall.
Subsonic pistol rounds lacked penetration. Lethal to people, weak against objects.
Na Gang-in dove behind a hall fixture. As he ducked, enemy bullets thudded into it repeatedly.