Chapter 101
Chapter 101
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 101
Chapter Title: The Chimera Lab
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Time flowed on, neither fast nor slow.
The investigation into Choi Dong-wook, the head of the Transcendence Stone Research Institute, was taken over by the MID under Kim Soo-kyung's lead.
Kim Hwan-soo seemed a little anxious, but frankly, to Do-jae, it was someone else's problem.
Still, since Choi Dong-wook had created the core that fused Gellahan's mana and it might be related to other Sealed Memories, Do-jae decided to act personally once his whereabouts were known.
Moreover, as the lives of the Suppression Corps members trapped in the chamber were at stake, he couldn't remain entirely indifferent and stayed in constant contact with Kim Soo-kyung.
Of course, it was better to entrust the matter to them rather than get directly involved, so he spent his time raiding dungeons and training with the guild members.
Then, after about two weeks had passed.
A text finally arrived from Kim Soo-kyung, saying they had found Choi Dong-wook.
"Just a moment."
"Ugh. I'm exhausted... So-eun, I think my arm is broken. Take a look..."
"Looks fine. The Vice Guild Master is getting tougher. We're going to die at this rate."
The trio collapsed on the spot, groaning.
Do-jae smirked at them and checked the message.
It contained an address, photos, and the findings from the MID's investigation.
"That's it for today."
"Really? Whoa! Thank you, Vice Guild Master!"
"Already? I want to go a little longer. Tae-sung, you up for it?"
"Yeah. Let's do it."
While Park Kyung-min put his sword away with a thrilled expression, Gong So-eun and Ha Tae-sung raised their swords again and took their stances.
Finding their dedication admirable, Do-jae called Park Kyung-min over.
"You're not doing more?"
"Huh? You said we were done..."
"Your friends are training on their own initiative. And you? From now on, you're on cleaning duty here."
"What? By myself?"
"That's right. You'll do it all yourself until we move. Got it?"
"W-wait a minute, Vice Guild Master! Vice Guild Master?"
Do-jae patted Park Kyung-min on the shoulder and headed up to the office without a backward glance.
It was a bit contradictory to punish Park Kyung-min for resting after he had called an end to the training, but what could he do?
The punishment was for Park Kyung-min's own good.
He hoped that while cleaning, Park Kyung-min would reflect on why he didn't think to work as hard as his friends.
"Did I sound like a nagging old man...?"
"Huh? What did you say?"
"Nothing. What were you working on?"
Do-jae walked over to Young-jin, who was furiously typing on his keyboard.
His monitor was a chaotic mess, cluttered with various documents.
"A cooperation request to send to the Association, the interior design invoice, checking the transaction list with Mr. Choi... Ugh, why am I doing all this...?"
Young-jin sighed, running a hand through his already messy hair.
"You're... working hard."
"Boss. I'm dying here! But what can I do? There's no one else to do it."
"Once the office move is finished, we'll be hiring administrative staff, so just hang in there until then."
"Okay..."
Young-jin slumped over his desk, completely drained.
Lately, Young-jin hadn't been going to dungeons, sitting only in front of his computer.
Thanks to him, preparations for the guild's relocation were nearly complete, and they were almost ready to welcome the members to their new building.
Do-jae felt a pang of sympathy for Young-jin, who had taken on all this hard work.
"Got a lot left to do?"
"What's the difference? The work never stops."
"Then let's go get some fresh air."
"Huh? Fresh air? Just a second! Let me just finish this! Just a little longer, please!"
Was it because he was excited about going out for the first time in a while?
Young-jin frantically organized his papers and typed on the keyboard at a blinding speed.
After about ten minutes, he turned off the monitor with a determined look and stood up.
"All set. I'll deal with the rest tomorrow during overtime... Anyway! Let's go, Boss!"
"Uh... okay..."
"If I'd sat there any longer, I think mold would've started growing on my butt. Let's get out of here!"
As Young-jin started to pull him by the hand, Do-jae followed with a faint smile.
***
Do-jae and Young-jin got out of the guild van.
They had arrived in a quiet, secluded neighborhood.
"You really have a thing for places like this, Boss."
Young-jin said, looking around.
Across a two-lane road, rice paddies and fields stretched out near a small mountain.
A few buildings were scattered about, but most were long-abandoned shops. Only a small convenience store and a hardware store were still open.
"It's over there."
Young-jin pointed toward the mountain.
Following an alley uphill, a large building came into view.
The navigation system had marked a nearby building, but their destination was that abandoned structure.
The path to it was blocked by overgrown weeds, and with its toppled sign and rust-stained exterior walls, it was the kind of building no one would give a second glance.
Which was precisely why, for Do-jae who knew who was inside, it looked all the more ominous.
Crack-
"Boss, I'm ready. I'm itching to move my body for the first time in a while."
Young-jin stretched, ready to dash out at any moment.
On the drive over, Do-jae had told Young-jin they were going to capture Choi Dong-wook and explained the reason why.
Since then, he had been burning with a strange sense of justice, leading to this state.
"Young-jin, stay alert. This could be more dangerous than you think."
"He might be an Awakened, but he's just one scientist. What's there to be tense about? Let's just grab him and beat the truth out of him."
"I told you. There are unidentified monsters."
The text from Kim Soo-kyung included a photo of a monster, taken from a distance.
It was a fairly clear picture, but it was a monster Do-jae had never seen before. Kim Soo-kyung had said she couldn't identify the species either.
She had also added a warning to be careful.
"Boss, I did some research while you were driving... Don't you think those monsters might be a subspecies of chimera?"
"Chimeras? Well, considering his past profession was a bioengineer, that's a strong possibility."
A chimera is a monster from Greco-Roman mythology, a creature with parts from various animals.
But that was just a mythical beast.
The chimera Young-jin was talking about was a type of monster.
The chimera species is divided into various grades depending on its base components. There are Grade 9 monsters with the body of a goblin and the hands of a mantis, as well as Grade 3 monsters combining the arms of an ogre, the wings of a wyvern, and the skin of a lizardman.
Given the vast variety of chimeras, it was possible it was a species Do-jae didn't know, but the fact that Choi Dong-wook was a bioengineer was unsettling.
With the help of mana and skills, he might have crossed a forbidden line and created a new species.
In particular, a photo he hadn't shown Young-jin kept lingering in Do-jae's mind.
"Let's hunt them all down. How dare he unleash monsters without permission? This is a clear violation of the law! Let's arrest Choi Dong-wook immediately!"
For reference, C-Rank Hunters and above can be granted special judicial authority, surpassing that of the police, specifically for crimes committed by the Awakened.
However, not just anyone could exercise this power; one had to pass various exams to qualify, and neither Do-jae nor Young-jin had such qualifications.
Naturally, Kim Soo-kyung had agreed to take full responsibility, so there would be no problem with apprehending Choi Dong-wook.
"I don't want to make a scene. We move stealthily, like when we hunted the Red Orc Shaman, and bring out only Choi Dong-wook."
"What about the monsters?"
"If they don't resist, the MID will take care of them. Even if a fight breaks out, don't push yourself. I'll be summoning my golems."
He could already sense the presence of MID agents waiting in various spots around the mountain.
Even if the chimeras inside the building escaped, the agents would not miss their chance to eliminate them.
The best-case scenario was to subdue Choi Dong-wook, assuming he controlled the chimeras, and then hunt them all down at once.
"Aww... I was hoping for a real brawl for a change..."
"It's not that I don't understand how you feel, but like I said before, you can't use your mana recklessly."
Do-jae was worried that Young-jin might use his mana excessively.
Currently, Young-jin had raised his level to 51 through steady effort.
Compared to gaining strength instantly through a Transcendence Stone, this was considerably slower, but it was the optimal pace for getting stronger without side effects or backlash.
Despite all that, however, Young-jin's mana could still be described as unstable.
If Young-jin got too excited by his first monster hunt in a while and his mana balance collapsed, he could end up in a state similar to Kang Young-chan's.
"I get it. Don't worry."
Young-jin replied sullenly.
In the past, such an expression and response would have been completely untrustworthy, but now, he could be trusted to some extent.
"Alright, let's move. We'll look for a good entry point, just like in China."
"Yes!"
***
Click- clack-
The sound of something sharp and hard walking on the cement floor could be heard.
It was clearly the sound of four feet, not two, and soon the owner of the footsteps made a sound like phlegm rattling in a throat.
"Krrk, krrrk."
"Is that so? Understood. What are you all doing? Hurry up, clean up, and get ready to leave!"
Choi Dong-wook hurriedly began to destroy all the research data in his lab.
His creation, Chimera No. 5, had detected an outside presence and alerted him.
*I was planning to leave soon anyway, but this is a pain.*
When Park Do-hwan was suddenly captured, Choi Dong-wook had hastily left the Suppression Corps.
He then destroyed everything related to his Transcendence Stone and chimera experiments before going into hiding.
With Park Do-hwan, who had tacitly approved his experiments, gone, he didn't know what Kim Soo-kyung, who had never looked upon him favorably, might do.
*Incorrigible fools. Ignorant bastards who don't even know the meaning of a greater cause.*
Bang-!
Choi Dong-wook smashed a computer tower, venting his frustration.
He loathed the people who opposed him without understanding the value of his experiments.
The evolution of humanity, a leap into a new world, a transcendence to a higher plane.
They suppressed him, failing to understand his efforts toward all this.
Five years ago, only Park Do-hwan had recognized his true potential and freed him from the Awakened prison, but now that he was captured, they were trying to restrain him again.
"Seong Dong-woo! What are you doing? Get out there, now!"
"Krrrk, krrrk..."
"Tsk, tsk."
The monster called Seong Dong-woo quickly went outside at Choi Dong-wook's command.
Choi Dong-wook clicked his tongue, soothing his regret.
*I should have gotten my hands on Kang Young-chan back then. I could have made him into a much better lookout. If it weren't for that bastard Kim Hwan-soo...*
It was a bitter pill for Choi Dong-wook that he hadn't been able to secure Kang Young-chan when he had been brought back unconscious.
If he had turned Kang Young-chan into a chimera back then, he would have created a specimen far stronger and more intelligent than the current Seong Dong-woo.
Just like the other ones helping with his research now.
"Is everything cleared out? Then let's get out of here. The rest of you, buy us some time."
Choi Dong-wook prepared to leave with the six chimeras he had created as his masterpieces.
The remaining failures and monster-based creations would stay behind to buy time until he had completely escaped.
He didn't care whether they lived or died.
"Let's go! Open the passage...!"
KRA-KOOOM-!
Just as Choi Dong-wook was about to escape through a passage he had built deeper underground.
The ceiling collapsed, and two figures appeared.
"Are you Choi Dong-wook?!"
Young-jin emerged from the cloud of dust.
He pointed his sword at Choi Dong-wook and shouted.