Delivery Complete
Chairman Yoo Seung-chul was not going to die here.
The moment the sirens wailed, a passage to the bunker opened directly behind him.
Inside that bunker, even a tactical nuke wouldn't kill him. Stocked with enough food to last decades and overflowing with all kinds of cultivated plants, the bunker's interior was so self-sufficient it could be considered a world of its own.
Therefore, Yoo Seung-chul would not die.
Only Yoo Seung-chul would survive.
Realizing this, the executives in the conference room bolted from their seats.
They frantically contacted their secretaries, trying to flee the room. While they feared the chairman sitting at the head of the table, those who stood up feared their impending death just a little bit more.
Of course, there were also those who found Chairman Yoo Seung-chul far more terrifying, keeping to their seats even as they nearly pissed themselves.
They stared only at Yoo Seung-chul.
Whether they were waiting to follow him when he evacuated, or hoping that showing such devotion would earn them a spot in his escape pod, was something only they knew.
Regardless of their motives, they remained glued to their seats.
Yoo Seung-chul paid them no mind.
Staring at the warning text flashing crimson across his vision, he simply burst into laughter. It was a hearty, booming laugh, louder and clearer than ever before.
"Hahahahaha!"
He slammed his hand against the table, shaking with laughter.
He did not flee. He did not even stand up. He showed no sign of anxiety, nor did he spare a single glance at the bunker door open behind him.
Was he not afraid of death?
Or did he simply believe he wouldn't die?
Even if he was revered as a god and ruled over Eden, he was ultimately human. A human who would disintegrate into ash if that missile struck this room.
Yet, Yoo Seung-chul showed no fear whatsoever.
He had no reason to.
Zyrec had no reason to attack Neonic.
Hugo, who was in the middle of preparing his rebellion, would never attack Neonic either.
In terms of circumstances, Hugo was the most likely suspect. Staging a rebellion after plunging Eden into greater chaos would allow him to tear Zyrec out by its roots.
But it couldn't be Hugo.
Because in all of Eden, Neonic... no, Yoo Seung-chul, was the only one willing to extend a hand to him.
Of course, only a select few, including Yoo Seung-chul himself, knew this. Thus, the public would likely assume Hugo was the culprit.
Even so, Hugo Arcardo was not the perpetrator.
Yoo Seung-chul was certain of it.
Then was it Lui Chen?
That wasn't even worth considering.
Those cowards wouldn't dare touch Neonic. They were too busy trying to scavenge whatever they could from the chaotic state of Zyrec to make such a bold move.
Therefore, there was only one entity in all of Eden crazy enough to pull off a stunt like this.
Noise.
And even Noise had no reason to kill Yoo Seung-chul. He had no intention of dealing with the aftermath.
The ones who understood the structure and flaws of Eden best were the heads of the three mega-corporations, their subordinate presidents, and Noise.
Would such a Noise desire the collapse of Neonic?
That was absurd.
Just as Noise had analyzed Neonic, Neonic had analyzed Noise. Noise would never execute such a radical plan.
Confident in his assessment, Yoo Seung-chul watched the ballistic missile hurtling toward them outside the window.
It hadn't been launched from the ground.
Its trajectory looked as though it had been hurled straight down from the sky.
"You got me," he murmured.
The moment Noise had made his move, countless plans had flashed through Yoo Seung-chul's mind. He had calculated how to design his strategy from scratch and how to adapt it.
All of it had crumbled.
A single, brute-force missile had reduced his entire strategy to ashes.
Now, he had no choice but to ride the current.
What lay waiting at the end of this tide?
At first, I couldn't hide my disappointment.
When Noise saw the "vessel" Yoo Seung-chul had sent out, he had wondered if immortality was all Noise could think of. Yoo Seung-chul couldn't help but feel disappointed by the assumption that Neonic's ultimate goal was merely immortality.
But he had been wrong.
With the missile now before his eyes, it was clear that Noise had far exceeded Yoo Seung-chul's expectations and imagination.
It was utterly exhilarating.
How could he not find it amusing when such a brilliantly, wildly mad player had forced his way into a battlefield of cowardly old men?
Just how far ahead are you looking?
The total war within Zyrec sparked by Hugo's rebellion, and Lui Chen's hidden dagger. On top of that, Neonic's support backing Hugo.
What would happen after that?
Naturally, it would result in the downfall of Zyrec.
Yet, for some reason, he didn't think Noise would stop there. The reason was simple: Zyrec could easily foresee this outcome as well.
Therefore, Zyrec's countermoves might extend to Neonic. Or, alternatively, Zyrec might ask Neonic for help.
If that happened, Lui Chen would also approach Neonic to ask for assistance, or beg them to stay out of the conflict.
Did that mean Neonic held the cards?
Absolutely not. Neonic would have to walk on eggshells around both of them. While Neonic hesitated, Zyrec and Lui Chen might team up to strike Neonic instead.
However.
As established, Neonic had no choice.
The choice belonged to Noise.
Wherever Noise pointed was where Neonic had to go, and whoever Noise attacked was where Neonic had to sink its fangs.
"Haha."
He had thought he held the initiative.
I was complacent. I underestimated him. I let my guard down.
From the very beginning, the initiative had been firmly in Noise's grasp.
Noise stood atop the heads of Neonic—no, all the mega-corporations. He had never once stepped down.
I got too greedy.
In trying to secure a minor advantage, he had allowed his entire army to be captured.
Yoo Seung-chul acknowledged his defeat and offered his praise.
Just this once, I will move exactly as you wish.
But there would not be a second time.
Noise would pay the price for daring to provoke Neonic.
Yoo Seung-chul chuckled softly as he sank back into his chair.
At that moment, another missile launched from the flank, intercepting the one that was about to slam into Neonic's headquarters.
BOOM!
A deafening roar reverberated through the air. A blinding flash of fire erupted across the pitch-black night sky. The air trembled, and the building shook violently. Windows shattered, and a gust of dust swept into the room.
Feeling the dust and heat wash over him, Yoo Seung-chul admired the spectacle unfolding before his eyes.
"The twilight has already passed," he murmured.
A brilliant sunset seemed to settle over Eden, a city normally shrouded in neon lights.
It felt like a signal announcing that the true night of Eden had finally arrived.
"Special Affairs Director Laura."
"Yes, Chairman."
"The stench of iron has grown thick in Eden."
"I will clean it up."
Special Affairs Director Laura Ferran. In the corporate world, the prefix "Special Affairs" usually denoted dirty work.
Although her official title was Director, no one within Neonic knew exactly what she did.
However, everyone understood this particular order.
The "stench of iron" was a derogatory term used to describe Zyrec's cybernetically augmented employees. Saying the smell was bothersome meant it was time to sweep away Zyrec's personnel.
From this, the remaining executives and managers could guess whose hand Yoo Seung-chul was planning to hold.
But that was as far as their understanding went.
Those who had turned their backs on Yoo Seung-chul when the missile approached had no part to play.
"Inspector General Choi Mu-hyeok. It's been a while since you've had to work."
Choi Mu-hyeok, the Inspector General whose job was to root out those who opposed the chairman's will. The moment he heard Yoo Seung-chul's words, he drew a pistol from his breast pocket and racked the slide.
A pistol engraved with Neonic's symbol, the gear.
The old-fashioned handgun, meant for executing those who defied Yoo Seung-chul, spat fire.
One, two, three, four, five, six shots.
Just like that, the two executives and four managers who had tried to flee were gunned down.
Yet, there were no screams or sighs.
The ones who remained were executives and managers who lived only to await Yoo Seung-chul's commands, willing to offer even their lives without hesitation.
"Roman, what does next month's schedule look like..."
Yoo Seung-chul looked at the shattered window once more, let out a dry chuckle, and shook his head.
"No, let's make it tomorrow. Clear my entire schedule."
"Understood."
Roman Katarov, Yoo Seung-chul's chief of staff, obeyed immediately without asking a single question.
He was a man who had stood a step behind Yoo Seung-chul, waiting for orders even when a missile was right in front of them.
He was someone who commanded absolute trust.
"Now, let us continue what we were discussing."
The windows that once offered a view of Eden's bleak yet beautiful nightscape were completely shattered.
The floor tiles, each costing more than an average Eden citizen's monthly salary, were crushed to pieces.
A thick layer of dust covered the table, and the documents containing information that could shift the balance of power in Eden were ruined.
Yet, Yoo Seung-chul remained unbothered.
There was no need to make a fuss.
What was done was done, and he had to address the tasks at hand as quickly as possible.
That was how he had lived to reach this position, and how he had to continue living if he wished to remain Yoo Seung-chul.
"Withdraw all surveillance personnel from near the mercenary office and redirect them to Sena and Seung-ah."
"Yes, sir."
"Purge all undercover agents in Lui Chen. For the employees planted in Zyrec, just erase their data."
"Understood."
The Chief Security Officer gave a brief reply and left the conference room to relay the orders.
In three minutes, over a hundred employees would vanish from Neonic. But no one cared. Tools were meant to be discarded once they outlived their usefulness. To them, humans were no different.
"Lui Chen is currently running a development project in the Western Dead Sector. Let's drop a hint to them while we take our time washing away the stench of iron."
"Lui Chen will likely demand a lot from us."
For the first time, a voice spoke up in opposition to Yoo Seung-chul's will in a room where only brief affirmations usually echoed.
Yet, no one was surprised.
Han Ji-seok, Yoo Seung-chul's chief advisor, had the right to do so.
"They will be pleased enough if we just wash away the stench of iron."
"...Is that possible?"
"Because Lui Chen is about to get desperate too."
Yoo Seung-chul's gaze drifted out the window once more.
He wondered if the sky nearby would soon be dyed in the colors of sunset.
Thirty minutes later.
Only after countless citizens evacuated due to an explosion near Neonic's headquarters did they realize his prediction was correct.
A second Hellhound had completely obliterated Lui Chen's Second Branch.
A thunderous roar echoed.
This time, it wasn't intercepted.
She had simply thrown it.
After using Space Shift repeatedly to ascend into the sky, she had hurled it down with all her might.
A literal magic missile.
The result was quite satisfying.
"Heh."
Enough to bring a broad grin to Swoo's face.
Due to the explosion near Neonic's headquarters, the surrounding citizens had evacuated long ago. There were no civilian casualties. In fact, there were no casualties at all, as the building the missile struck had been completely empty.
Of course, since that building was a symbol of Lui Chen, restoring it would require a massive amount of labor. But they would get paid for it, so it was fine, right?
Swoo's smile grew even brighter at the thought of creating new jobs in such a harsh society.
"Well?"
Wearing that very smile, she whispered to the man trembling beside her.
"Feel like doing me a favor now?"
The man was the former director of Lui Chen's stem cell research department who had gone missing, surviving only because of the third path Swoo had chosen.
"Y-Yes..."
Victor Kral.
"I'll do it... I-I'll do it. Please, let me do it..."
The first puzzle piece to bringing down Lui Chen flailed in midair, held firmly by the scruff of his neck.