Chapter 144
Chapter 144
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 144
Chapter Title: 47. Happy Happy Idol Worship (3)
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In the video.
Gaeul gave an awkward smile as she looked at the 30-man Air Assault Special Forces team.
― "Hello...?"
She kept making eye contact with the screen, then looking away, over and over. At one point, she started twirling a strand of her fallen hair around her finger. It was a scattered, distracted sight.
― "Uh, um... This is my first time leaving a video letter for someone."
― "No, so that's why... Uh. Sorry... Um......"
― "Ah, I can't do this...!"
Her face turned bright red.
Yoo Ji-tae had only told Gaeul, 'There are people who like you.' "Heok, really!?" From that moment on, Gaeul had been in that state nonstop, but once they started filming, her tension ramped up even more.
― "Ah, no good. Ed-edit! Edit!"
― "What edit? No such thing."
― "Waa..."
Laughter exploded at the firm voice of Yoo Ji-tae in the video. "Euahaha!" The 30-man Air Assault Special Forces team was huddled together in the 'prayer room' right now, watching Gaeul's video.
In the incredibly cramped container. The breaths of the burly men and women were hot and heavy.
― "I heard you're patients who exercise... I haven't met you all, but... thank you for looking at me so prettily."
"Holy..."
"I'm being purified by her..."
"My god... I'm melting... Like, like..."
"Like your chili...?"
Santos, who suffered from erectile dysfunction due to drug overdose, flipped off Judy.
― "Hospital life must be tough. Exercising must be tough too... I don't know since I haven't experienced it myself, but I'll always cheer you on. Don't get hurt..."
It had been nearly half a year since they were forcibly confined in the underground labyrinth.
In the past, the 30-man Air Assault Special Forces—known as the 'Federation's Talon'—had enjoyed more freedom than any other unit.
Kill monsters. Catch and beat criminals. When the job was done, go home and spend time with family.
Such people suddenly crammed into a tight space. Whether because their minds weren't fully intact or not, they had been harboring some subtle resentment without realizing it.
That was why the Air Assault Special Forces felt an inexplicable comfort.
― "I hope you're happy."
A soft smile and a warm voice.
At those words, Bell Barrian shouted.
"From today, our unit is happy... Understood!"
""Yes...!""
― "Don't overdo your workouts and get hurt."
Bell Barrian shouted again.
"From today, if any bastard increases the weight, they'll die by my hand... Understood!"
"Ooh, Bell...!"
"That's...!"
Being happy was easy to say, but hard to do.
The feelings toward Gaeul clashed head-on with their obsession for training. The mentally unstable ones clutched their heads in agony.
― "Ah! But your muscles are all so cool...! I looked some stuff up? You're all so huge and rugged...!"
Bell Barrian shouted once more.
"The previous order is canceled... Lift those weights. As safely as possible... This is the Goddess's command!"
""Groooaaah—!""
The Air Assault Special Forces finally broke free from their inner turmoil and let out cheers.
Like a party in some country music pub. They chugged water like booze and danced around, roaring in excitement.
As they all started going wild, the entire container shook. The commotion didn't stop until BM came and yelled at them.
*
"......"
The regressor showed the Air Assault Special Forces' reply video to Gaeul.
In the whopping 20-minute video, the 30-man team—including Bell, Santos, Judy, and Ha Saetbyeol—tumbled over each other as they introduced themselves to Gaeul or professed their affection.
I love you. I get strength from watching you. Don't let bad people hurt your heart. Thanks to you, I hit X reps on deadlifts...
There were plenty of unfamiliar terms if you listened closely, but the emotions packed into them came through crystal clear.
"......"
With her mouth half-open in a dazed expression, Gaeul watched the video all the way to the end without a word.
Excessive empathy. Or immersion.
At this point, those traits had become negative factors that drove Gaeul to despair, but their origin was for the Gold clan to be loved and exist in happiness.
The video ended, and the hologram display went dark.
Then, a single tear trailed down both of Gaeul's cheeks.
His thinking hadn't been wrong.
In limited relationships with a specific group that harbored no malice. Gaeul began to feel an unbelievably immense happiness.
"......"
"You okay?"
Gaeul nodded through her sniffles. Then she broke into a wide smile. Even so, she couldn't hold back the overwhelming emotions, and the corners of her mouth twitched.
Gaeul then stretched out both arms. As he stood there silently, she wrapped her arms fully around his waist.
"What do I do...?"
"Why."
"I'm too happy..."
The child murmured.
And in the next moment, he felt a bizarre sensation.
Now the third time, so somewhat familiar.
The hazy, fogged senses sharpened vividly.
He could see each strand of her golden hair clearly. He vividly felt the child's feeble arm strength around his waist and her fingers touching somewhere on his lower back.
Like when Bom had sat on his thigh and whispered. Or when Yeoreum had a cigarette in her mouth and laughed in the back alley.
"Thank you, Ajusshi..."
He once again visibly sensed that the apocalypse was growing farther away.
BM notified him that preparations were ready two days later.
'If you send it, I will go. My lord.'
No. He decided to go himself.
This wasn't just anything—it was chimera-related. There were many memories about chimeras that not even his clones shared.
In the underground labyrinth. In the workshop attached to the inner chamber. Yoo Ji-tae faced the solemn-faced BM.
"Everything is prepared. Take a look."
BM chewed his lips.
As the old sage said, learning has no end. But even at his age and position, being in charge of a homework inspection didn't sit right with him.
As always, Yoo Ji-tae approached the table with his doll-like expressionless face. Then he began checking the items he had prepared.
"Is it okay? The items. I used every bit of my resources to obtain them."
BM was tense. But no reaction came from Yoo Ji-tae as he had hoped.
"......"
Thud—
Yoo Ji-tae dropped the leather pouch containing ATTN essence under the table.
"Can't use this."
"Pardon? Why not?"
"It's essence purified three weeks ago. Quality's too low for the heart."
Behind his sunglasses, BM's brow twitched.
"This won't work either."
Yoo Ji-tae shoved aside the material next to it with his hand. Gliacin-extracted carbon. The small silver sphere didn't hit the floor but stopped midair at a certain line.
Billions of won had gone into preparing just that one.
BM unconsciously clenched his fist. Veins bulged.
Yoo Ji-tae checked the next material and set it down like there was no need to bother.
"Bongmani."
"Yes."
"These are all ordered materials."
"......"
BM couldn't reply. It was true. BM had ordered the materials from various countries using his connections and influence.
A hint of irritation flickered in Yoo Ji-tae's previously expressionless eyes.
"You think this is a game?"
He grabbed and dropped the Purple Elixir vial.
"Where did you get this."
Next, he grabbed and dropped the anti-gravity fragment.
"Trash like."
The refined hydrogen and nitrogen leather pouches too.
"To make a heart."
The calcium pouch was the same.
"Not one usable."
Each word hammered down like high-pressure reprimand. Like an adult scolding a child.
"Your head's filled with pointless persecution delusions. Don't rush—should've prepared quality stuff even if it took time."
"......"
"Making a heart isn't child's play. You know that, right?"
"...Can't I be a little urgent?"
It was then.
BM, whose feelings were hurt beyond measure, couldn't hold back and opened his mouth. Voices of the chimeras in his head freaked out, but BM had to say his piece.
He turned to look at BM.
"I've been at this since 23 years ago. Muscles, skeleton, organs, and brain—that was 21 years ago."
In other words, he'd failed to make just the heart for 21 years straight.
"My peers grew up, enjoyed their youth, made families. I was holed up in this back room doing nothing but this crap. Two choices: use a human heart or not."
"So."
"My body isn't human anymore. But I wanted my heart to stay human. So no human materials. Over ten years, fucking no progress."
Over ten years of nothing but failures. Nights of effort scattered like bubbles.
BM couldn't take it anymore.
"You saw right away. Yeah. I even used humans as sacrifices."
He nodded nonchalantly.
"Still didn't work."
About ten years ago. The day he abandoned his cherished beliefs and still failed. BM couldn't hold back and smashed everything in his workshop.
But that was temporary. The human heart is a flimsy thing—over time, even failure became familiar and pervasive.
Now, he didn't expect success. His head was full of the thought that it'd fail anyway.
"Then you showed up out of nowhere. Must be nice for you. Like a goddamn god. So you treating what I have as trash is like a god belittling his creation. But I can't do that."
"......"
"So can't I act hasty in a state like this?"
Yoo Ji-tae's gaze was hazy.
After finishing, BM snapped to his senses. Only then did he realize his slip-up.
The teenage angst-like outburst quickly faded. He started wondering why he'd said such nonsense.
But spilled words couldn't be taken back. It was then that Yoo Ji-tae spoke.
"Yeah. They're all usable items."
"Pardon?"
"Three-week purified ATTN essence is clean. Usable for other materials anywhere."
"Ah, yes. Shelf life is six years, after all."
"Same for the rest."
With impurities. Or degraded quality. Whatever it was, not top-tier.
"Nothing trash in what you prepared."
"You called them trash."
"Your mental state dragging them here is the trash."
"......!"
Yoo Ji-tae picked up the fallen glyco-carbon anti-gravity fragment from the floor.
"Made hearts for 20 years? Then you bring this low-quality crap to a chance come after 20 years?"
Not truly low-quality. It was top-grade.
Just not ultra top-grade.
And knowing BM's circumstances, when he presented this crap and called it prepared, Yoo Ji-tae was honestly annoyed.
BM was a superhuman who could run around and gather better materials himself. Yet he was hasty.
He gripped the anti-gravity fragment harder. It shattered helplessly.
"Or since desperate effort fails anyway, you figure half-assed failure's the same?"
"No! I've never thought that!"
"That's why I asked. If not, how dare you present this trash."
"...I-I'm sorry. I apologize."
BM finally bowed his head.
"I'll prepare again."
"No. Don't."
"Pardon?"
"No need anymore. I'm done."
Shock etched onto BM's face as he looked up again.
"If you'd been truly desperate, this wouldn't have happened. I gave you a chance. You kicked it away. You were arrogant before a chance absent for 20 years."
"Ah......"
"Whining your urgent circumstances to me annoys me too. Why should I know? You think giving drama to your shitty thoughts will get my comfort?"
BM's fists trembled.
He couldn't meet his eyes and stared at the floor.
"If you need rent money, I'll squeeze it out another way—no hard feelings. Handle the rest yourself. This is over. If you try talking chimera stuff with me again, either die by my hand or pack up and get out."
The regressor drew a firm line in a low voice.
"You'll have to choose one."