Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Battle Preparation (5)
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“Wh-where is this...?”
Kim Chang-sik’s reaction was exactly as expected. He stood frozen at the front gate for a while, craning his neck back to take in the sight of the mansion.
“What’s the holdup? Get inside.”
“W-Wow...”
“We’ll take your luggage.”
As a servant from the estate approached to greet them, Kim Chang-sik’s jaw dropped even further.
“You look like such a country bumpkin. Fix your face.”
“Doesn’t this make you think anything, Team Leader?”
“What should it make me think?”
“If you’re a man, you’d build a mansion like this and surround yourself with dozens of beauties for endless indulgence...”
Suhyun lightly smacked the back of Kim Chang-sik’s head.
“Save that for ten years from now.”
“You need concrete goals to stay motivated, right? Besides, in ten years, I’ll be how old...”
“If you want to live like that, you’ll need to save for another ten years. Even then, it’ll be tight. Just live moderately and be content.”
Kim Chang-sik scratched his head. He knew full well he was receiving treatment far beyond his abilities right now. It was a stroke of luck impossible without Uncle Jo Company and Suhyun. And yet, it still wasn’t enough.
“Rich people are really...”
“Shut up and keep your mouth shut. I’m going to see the Chairman.”
“Have a safe trip!”
* * *
Satisfaction beamed across the Chairman’s face. He popped a red boar mushroom from the silver platter into his mouth as he spoke. His personal chef had raved that it was the finest of the finest. That praise had put him in high spirits.
“To be honest, even though I said all that, I didn’t expect you to find something I like so quickly.”
“I needed a favor, so I rushed to get it.”
Suhyun didn’t beat around the bush. Even hearing straight-up, ‘I brought this because I need a favor,’ right to his face, the Chairman beamed like a child. He chuckled as he replied.
“Alright, what is it?”
“I understand you have deep knowledge in Cameron research as well.”
“It’s not that I’m deep into it—I just have a lot of experts under me. Do you need some of them? From what I know...”
“Yes, the Korean government’s researchers are decent. But it takes too long and it’s complicated. Plus, if it’s new tech from the Chinese side, they won’t release it until it’s rock-solid.”
“Chinese new tech?”
The Chairman, who had been lounging back leisurely, sat up straight. Suhyun’s words had piqued his interest. Americans prided themselves on leading global research, but that didn’t mean they had everything. Tech from a powerhouse like China was bound to draw attention.
“Is it okay to tell me this?”
“Well, I trust you, Chairman.”
“You don’t look like you trust me at all. But let’s say that’s the case. I’m curious anyway. So, what kind of tech is it?”
“It seems like tech for artificially luring monsters.”
“Oh, the Chinese. Up to some interesting stuff.”
The Chairman didn’t seem particularly surprised. Given his age and connections, it was harder to shock him with hearsay.
“I’m not interested in the principles, analysis, or future applications of this device. Just make it usable in the field as fast as possible.”
“No curiosity, huh. Fine for me, but you’re a frontline mercenary. If you can lure monsters, doesn’t that mean you could control them too?”
*That’s why I’m doing this—because I know it’s impossible.*
“If it gets practical, I’ll be interested. For now, I just care about what’s usable.”
“Hmm, intriguing.”
“?”
“Seeing you like this makes me wonder if the Korean government has held back on some other new tech. I’m curious what that was.”
“...!”
“No, no, I’m not demanding you tell me. Just idle curiosity. What would an old man like me do with it anyway? Artificial artifacts, superpower nullification, artificial superhumans... That’s about what I know.”
Suhyun was startled. This man, who seemed to be idling away at his villa, had pieced together info as accurately as Suhyun had by pounding the pavement himself.
*The superpower nullifier must be from the Dragon Slayer project.*
It had been used in front of so many people; everyone must have guessed.
“You look shocked. What about?”
“The artificial artifacts surprised me.”
“What’s shocking? Everyone’s researching that.”
Creating artificial superhumans and artifacts was humanity’s long-standing dream. Of course, there’d been no real success yet.
“China’s doing it, we’re doing it... I’m a bit curious how far China’s gotten. Hopefully not as far as us.”
“How far along is your side, Chairman?”
“Ah, well... Artificially creating superhumans is still a pipe dream, but we’ve pretty much figured out how to make artificial artifacts. The problem is, it’s a meaningless method.”
“!”
The Chairman chewed on his mushroom before continuing.
“You look curious? Since you brought something fun, I’ll explain sincerely. ‘Artificial artifact’ sounds impressive, but it’s not that big a deal. Where do you think our artifacts come from? Someone made them too.”
“You’re right.”
“Thinking about how they were made... it was easier than expected. Artifacts boil down to the core. The core that generates superpowers. If we could make those artificially, we could mass-produce artifacts—but sadly, no leads there. Right now, it’s a very primitive method.”
Suhyun already knew, but he feigned maximum surprise for the Chairman’s sake. Emboldened, the Chairman continued enthusiastically.
*American tech really is impressive. They already knew this back then?*
“Extract the core from a superhuman’s corpse. It’s tricky with lots of conditions... but the fact that it works at all is significant, right?”
“Right.”
Suhyun figured cores from monsters or superhumans worked on similar principles.
“More than that, no surprise at superpower nullification or artificial superhumans?”
“I already knew about one, and the other’s too far-fetched to care about.”
“You’ve got ties to the Korean government, so nullification makes sense. The artificial superhuman project... yeah, far-fetched. Just a money pit. Oh, speaking of, there was that rumor about you.”
“?”
“That you know how to awaken superhumans—or at least how to spot them.”
“Exaggerated rumor. Just luck.”
Suhyun grumbled inwardly about the thorough investigation. When someone with money and power set their mind to it, the intel was on another level.
“Is that so?”
The Chairman, who’d dismissed it as nonsense from the start, didn’t press further.
“So, you just want me to make this usable? Got it. I’ll whip my guys and let you know within a week how long it’ll take. I know you’re busy.”
He didn’t mince words, just like Suhyun. They both knew what the other wanted, so the talk was quick.
“Oh, any rumors floating around Cameron lately?”
“What kind?”
“Something the government would take interest in.”
“Something like that...”
Bang!
“?!”
The door burst open roughly. Suhyun instantly positioned himself in front of Charles and prepared to activate his superpower.
But it was just Kim Chang-sik—and a young woman with brown bobbed hair gripping his ear. Charles spoke from behind.
“I appreciate you stepping up, but it’s not dangerous. She’s my distant relative’s daughter.”
“Is that so?”
Suhyun lowered his arm. Seeing this, Kim Chang-sik groaned.
“Team Leader, don’t you see my ear?”
“I’ll heal it if it falls off. Can’t hit the Chairman’s relative’s daughter.”
“Maria, that’s enough. Let go.”
“Yes.”
“More importantly, Chairman, no kids? You’re still on Earth?”
“No kids. Got married plenty, though.”
“How many times?”
“Stopped counting after ten... Ask the butler if you’re that curious.”
“No need.”
Hearing their exchange, Kim Chang-sik looked at Charles with eyes full of admiration.
“Your subordinate?”
“Yeah.”
“Doesn’t look that impressive.”
“He’s got his uses despite appearances.”
“Anyway, thanks for stepping in. I’d love to hire you as a bodyguard, but you wouldn’t accept. Seems you won’t be bored.”
“What weak talk is this? You’ve already got bodyguards. No need to make me uncomfortable.”
“!”
Charles didn’t show it, but he was genuinely shocked. Superhumans waited in hidden spaces around his room, ready to rush in at a moment’s notice. They were paid more than top mercenaries just to stay out of sight from visitors.
But Suhyun had known all along.
*He’s even more impressive up close.*
Meanwhile, the woman called Maria was talking to Kim Chang-sik again. He looked fed up, edging away, terrified of getting his ear grabbed once more.
“Maria. I said stop.”
“How’d you two get so friendly?”
“She takes after me—super curious. Must’ve been intrigued hearing he’s a mercenary.”
“Team Leader, help me out...”
“And about what you mentioned earlier.”
“?”
“You asked about rumors in Cameron.”
“Oh. Right.”
“I don’t know what you’re after, but the Russian government’s stirring a bit.”
“For what reason?”
“Some problem cropped up, but I haven’t dug into details. Clearly needs a lot of manpower, though. They’ve sent letters to famous American teams requesting reinforcements. Helpful?”
Suhyun grinned.
“Perfect.”
“Good to hear. Thanks again for the gift. We’ll replicate the device as fast as possible and send it over.”
* * *
“Ugh, my ear still...”
“What’d you talk about?”
“I was sitting quietly outside, and she comes up asking who I am. I said I’m a mercenary guest, so she asks what I do. I explain, and she wants more details...”
“And that’s how you end up with her yanking your ear?”
“She asks why I’m a mercenary, so I tell her my goal exactly like I told you earlier. She recoils, so I say my ideal beauties aren’t her type, no need to recoil...”
“......”
“I said it politely!”
“We need to redefine ‘politely’ for you.”
“Anyway, why’d we come here?”
“Had a gift exchange.”
“Oh, that box in the back?”
“Yeah.”
“What’s in it?”
“Red boar mushroom.”
Screeech—
The car came to a screeching halt. Cameron’s roads outside the city were famous landmarks. Vast land meant you could speed freely without issue. So even Kim Chang-sik’s sudden stop didn’t cause an accident.
“You got a grudge against me?”
“No, red boar mushroom?! The stuff in the warehouse?!”
“What, thought it was drugs?”
“If it was, you could’ve told me!”
“?”
“I wanted to buy some, but it was sold out! If you’ve got good stuff like that, tell the team first! As a premium for working together! I’ve got money too!”
“More than the Chairman?”
“W-Well, no.”
“Don’t worry. The warehouse is stacked with red boar mushrooms. Eat as much as you want.”
Kim Chang-sik’s face lit up.
“But why’s everyone after red boar mushrooms?”
“Good for stamina, right? Wait. You didn’t know and just gave it as a gift?”
“No, I knew he liked it.”
“Ugh, rich people... So jealous. Oh, check this. Sold out now, can’t buy anymore.”
Kim Chang-sik handed over his smartphone. An ad was playing: a muscular orc striking dynamic poses, with embarrassingly overt promo text.
-Order now! Red boar mushroom extract for only...
Suhyun shut off the ad and tossed the phone back. He shook his head.
“Second time seeing it, still ridiculous.”
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