Chapter 164
Chapter 164
Chapter 164: Cheorwon (3)
Translation: godtl
Patchy, unkempt hair and beard.
And a loose-fitting sleeve over his left arm, along with his right leg.
As Si-mun carefully scrutinized Dr. Choi Woo-seok, he fell deep into thought.
The reason was simple.
'Dr. Choi Woo-seok? I've never heard that name before.'
Even after combing through all his memories from his past life,
the name Choi Woo-seok was completely unfamiliar.
Especially if he had worked at a Seongsam facility—he should have been at least somewhat renowned in those circles.
'In cases like this, there are usually two possibilities.'
One was that he operated in secrecy, like now, and died before his name became known.
The other was—
'He changed his name and started a new life.'
Both were plausible theories, so Si-mun refrained from jumping to conclusions.
Perhaps misinterpreting his silence—
"Oh dear. Are you also skeptical about the progress of science?"
Dr. Choi Woo-seok let out an awkward chuckle.
"Well, it's always the same with perfectly healthy people like you. Instead of embracing progress that could save lives, you cling to meaningless ethics."
He stretched out his intact right arm to the side.
"Take a look."
Then—
Fzzzt.
A holographic light streamed out from a small groove in the wall.
An Illusion Artifact.
The artifact projected a strange, amorphous shape beside Dr. Choi Woo-seok.
Like an artist admiring a masterpiece,
"This is the DNA of a reptile."
he gazed at the illusory DNA structure he had conjured.
Then—
"Do you know about the regenerative abilities of reptiles? Most people understand easily when I use the example of a lizard's tail."
Like a patient teacher,
he continued in a calm voice.
"When cornered, a lizard will sever its own tail and flee. Because it grows back."
At those words, Kang Da-yeong frowned and glanced at Subject M249, who had just stepped into the lab.
"Of course, there are many creatures with regenerative abilities far surpassing those of reptiles. I used to study them extensively."
Dr. Choi Woo-seok's voice grew distant, as if lost in nostalgia.
Si-mun's brow twitched slightly.
He had already guessed where this was going.
"And then your research shifted to reptiles after the Galaxy Arena appeared?"
"Ohh! As expected of the top prospect. Very sharp."
"And then you discovered the Dragonkin, so naturally, your research pivoted to them."
"......You're quite perceptive."
Dr. Choi Woo-seok's eyes hardened slightly.
But it wasn't out of displeasure—
"Is it because you have the potential to become one of them? Truly remarkable."
it was more like the gaze of a researcher observing a fascinating test subject.
As Dr. Choi Woo-seok studied Si-mun intently—
"You're right. The Galaxy Arena is a world beyond scientific explanation. Among the countless races that appear there, I became obsessed with the Dragonkin."
he stretched out his remaining arm again.
"Though there are differences in rank, they are fundamentally superior. Even if we could only mimic them slightly, we could gain so much."
Then, the floating DNA model in the air twisted into something more complex, grotesque—
and eerily familiar.
"From congenital disabilities to acquired injuries, even rare diseases—their superior bodies and regenerative abilities could solve so many problems."
The very progress of humanity.
Dr. Choi Woo-seok listed all the things mankind had always yearned for,
but Si-mun's face only hardened in silence.
Not because he was moved by the doctor's words.
'That... Could that be Dragonkin DNA?'
He had no expertise in biology or related fields,
but when Si-mun saw that model, he instinctively knew—
it was a representation of Dragonkin DNA.
As Si-mun's interest deepened,
Kiiing.
Odin's Eye naturally absorbed his Transmutation Power, amplifying its strength.
Thanks to that, Si-mun could discern whose DNA it was.
"Drag?"
"Oooh!!"
Si-mun muttered without thinking.
Dr. Choi Woo-seok, who had been monologuing to himself, suddenly brightened.
"How do you know that? This is an unregistered specimen, not even documented in academic circles! Then do you know this one? And this?"
Like an excited child, he began swapping out the DNA samples at will.
'Drakan, Draco, Dvali... even Lamia...'
But with each new DNA model that appeared, Si-mun's expression only grew more rigid.
How had Dr. Choi Woo-seok obtained those samples?
There was no way he could have collected the DNA of Dragonkin from the Arena and brought it back.
'The official Arena hasn't even started yet. Does this mean Dragonkin have already infiltrated Earth?'
The realization that Dragonkin were actually on Earth was unexpected.
And since Dr. Choi, who appeared to be a non-Awakened, couldn't possibly have captured Dragonkin and extracted their DNA—
'That means there's even a collaborator who helped him obtain Dragonkin DNA...'
Uncovering the mastermind wasn't difficult.
Chairman Lee Sun-cheol, who had secretly authorized this facility.
And—
'Jong-ri Chu. Or more precisely, the Dragonkin allied with him.'
Si-mun's eyes narrowed slightly.
'Then that means Dragonkin were already on Earth around this time in my past life too?'
Considering that, by default, other races could only enter Earth once the official Arena began—
'Most likely, their base is in China, where Jong-ri Chu is.'
Of course, there were plenty of remote places on this vast planet, so it was also highly possible they had settled in some barren wasteland.
Dragonkin were among the highest-ranking races in the Galaxy Arena.
A harsh environment wouldn't even be a minor inconvenience to them.
As if reading Si-mun's thoughts—
"Incredible...! You truly know a great deal about Dragonkin! You've been aware of all this from the very beginning, haven't you?!"
Choi Woo-seok couldn't contain his excitement, like an inventor who had just stumbled upon the discovery of a lifetime.
"I can hardly believe it! I only received this data a few months ago... Is it because you're capable of Dragonkin transformation? Hm?"
With an exhilarated expression, Choi Woo-seok staggered toward Si-mun.
Despite clearly having no prosthetic leg, he moved without difficulty—as if aided by some unseen support.
His face flushed with excitement, he extended his hand.
"Hah! This makes things much easier. You. Won't you assist me in my research?"
"Research?"
Si-mun's gaze, momentarily puzzled, shifted to the side.
There—
"Kieek."
Subject M249 stood, none of the ferocity from before visible now.
Unfazed, Choi Woo-seok withdrew his outstretched hand and looked in the same direction as Si-mun.
"Yes. That's the one. Though not as perfect as your Dragonkin transformation, with your help, it could be something entirely different, don't you think?"
"You expect me to help you turn a healthy person into... that?"
"I understand your revulsion. But there's no need to worry about ethics. After all, that thing was a human who had no right to live."
Choi Woo-seok's eyes gleamed with scholarly fervor.
"Tell me. Do you remember the serial murders that took place in Incheon five years ago?"
Si-mun nodded silently.
And it wasn't just him.
Any Korean who lived through that time would know.
'It was a high-profile case involving Awakened crime.'
Awakened crime.
Literally, crimes committed by the Awakened—and naturally, most victims were non-Awakened.
No matter how inferior the criminal's Awakening was,
an ordinary person stood no chance against them.
And crucially, in a country like South Korea, where the homicide clearance rate exceeded 97%, the fact that the perpetrator was never caught made the case infamous.
As that thought settled—
"Wait. Don't tell me—?!"
Si-mun's eyes widened in an instant.
"You're correct. Subject M249. That thing was the Villain behind the serial killings."
Dr. Choi nodded with unmistakable delight.
However—
"And do you think it's just him?"
This wasn't the joy of having captured and punished a heinous criminal.
It was the joy of having justification—something to smash through the barriers of human rights and bioethics that hindered his experiments.
As if—
"They were all destined for execution or a lifetime of wasting taxpayer money anyway. If they can contribute to the advancement of humanity like this, isn't it better for them too?"
—he was flaunting his own righteousness.
And then—
"A brilliant young man like you must understand what I mean."
You agree with me, don't you?
"No need to hold back. It's just us here, and thanks to the EMP, no devices are operational anyway."
Hiding behind anonymity, as if searching for his own kind.
Though, more than any of these reasons—
"You knew this was a Seongsam facility when you came here. So? What do you think? We can pay you any amount—isn't this an excellent offer?"
—it was likely because Choi Woo-seok's desire to drag Si-mun into his research was overwhelming.
But Si-mun had already seen through Woo-seok's intentions.
"Hmm."
He responded only with an enigmatic smile.
At that, Choi Woo-seok's brow twitched.
"You're quite the bashful one, aren't you? Even though there's no risk of anything discussed here leaking out."
"It's not that. I'm genuinely saying the terms aren't appealing."
"What?"
Now, even the affable smile vanished from Woo-seok's face.
Si-mun seemed to relish the shift in his expression.
"Your mindset aside, the money you're offering is meaningless to me anyway."
A smirk curled at his lips.
"So, your conscience can't be bought with money? How clichéd."
"No, I mean it literally. Whatever amount you name won't be enough to satisfy me."
"How arrogant. Have you lived abroad or something? Do you not know what kind of group Seongsam is?"
Woo-seok stared at Si-mun as if he were a foolish child.
Then, into Woo-seok's ear—
"He might be serious."
A woman's voice chimed in.
It was Kang Da-yeong, who had been silently listening until now.
She tugged up one corner of her lips.
"No matter how much Seongsam offers, money alone won't sway this man."
"Secretary Kang. You, of all people, should know Seongsam's capabilities."
"That's precisely why I'm saying this."
The Yggdrasil Guild's Growth Buff.
Da-yeong knew Si-mun was its source.
"Let me be clear. Even if Chairman Lee himself stepped in, he wouldn't be able to name a sum that would tempt Si-mun."
Lee Sun-cheol, the head of Seongsam.
Even if he mobilized every resource at his disposal, buying Si-mun with money was impossible.
'Just leasing the Growth Buff alone earns him an unimaginable fortune.'
The colossal sums paid by major guilds worldwide were beyond even Chairman Lee's means.
And that wasn't all.
'Every Arena Disease treatment distributed by Seongsam Bio was also made by him.'
As Lee Yu-jeong's acting representative, Da-yeong naturally knew that the source of the treatments supplied to Seongsam Bio was Si-mun.
Therefore—
'No one in this world can control Kim Si-mun with money.'
—was the conclusion Da-yeong had reached.
Perhaps sensing her sincerity in that stance—
"Damn it... What an irreplaceable specimen."
Woo-seok let out a deep sigh, pressing his fingers to his forehead.
Then—
"You. Are you truly unwilling to work with me?"
His voice was thick with regret.
"With all you've done, you still expect me to collaborate?"
"Then at least pretend to join my research. Just meet me under that pretext."
"Given how thoroughly you clean up loose ends, I'm sure that'd go smoothly."
"Ha ha ha! Fair enough. The more I see, the more I regret it. Humanity could've made leaps in progress with someone like you..."
Profound disappointment lingered in Woo-seok's eyes.
But only for a moment.
"Fine. So be it."
He closed his eyes briefly, shaking off all hesitation and regret.
"Then I'll have to discard you along with this place."
As if pressing something down—
His lone arm stretched forward limply.
Then—
Whoooosh—
Like a geyser erupting—
A sinister black energy seeped up from the ground.
"W-what is this?!"
Da-yeong's horrified scream was justified.
Even in the Arena, this energy was as dreaded as the River of the Dead.
"R-run...!"
But before she could finish—
The inky energy, now forming an unfathomable circle, had already swallowed everything whole.
A universe devoid of light.
Was there any phrase more fitting to describe this place?
An endless expanse of black.
No—
In this pitch-dark world where it was unclear if his vision even functioned, not a single sound or scent existed.
Utter, perfect nothingness.
But the problem didn't end there.
"......."
A woman's eyes rolled back as her entire body convulsed violently.
Does this void space affect people's minds as well?
Shudder.
The woman continued convulsing as if possessed by a ghost from some horror film.
Fortunately.
Thud.
Her convulsions stopped with a dull sound from the back of her neck.
The reason was none other than—
"Almost caused an incident."
Despite this being a space where nothing should exist.
"I suppose we should be grateful we were dropped close to each other."
A strikingly handsome man with well-defined features held the unconscious woman, his voice as clear as his physique.
Then, as if swimming through a mother's amniotic fluid.
He moved forward with ease.
'To think I'd be flung into that place... I never could have imagined.'
That place.
Where ordinary things twist grotesquely.
Where even the most fundamental laws and concepts are distorted beyond recognition.
'Well, I suppose I should count myself lucky.'
Only one person was an exception.
"That way."
Though nothing should have been visible.
Si-mun advanced without hesitation toward a distant thread of light.
Then, a sharp voice whispered in his ear.
—How did you set up a teleportation array to fling someone into that place? Even in the regular Arena, this kind of knowledge is hard to come by.
It was the Philosopher's Stone.
Si-mun glanced down at his chest and replied.
"Jong-ri Chu probably told me. The original source was most likely the Dragonkin."
—True. Most void-related magic in the Arena involves spells that traverse that place.
As they conversed for a while—
[How dare.......]
A massive voice reverberated through the entire space.
[You crawl into my domain without permission. You must be utterly mad.]
The thread of light Si-mun was approaching began rapidly splitting apart.
Not just splitting—
'Spiderwebs?'
It was weaving itself into an intricate, endlessly expanding spiderweb.
And upon that web—
[Mortal? Ha! How did a mortal enter my space?]
A sinister, eerie red glow rose.
Soon, it split into eight, then sixteen, dividing into two clusters.
Before Si-mun could even process that these were the voice's eyes—
[Tsk. Can't be bothered to figure it out. Just die.]
The sixteen red lights emitted a glare so intense it could blind.
One.
[T-This is!]
As if time had frozen.
The approaching red light abruptly halted.
[This trace... is... His?!]
For some unfathomable reason.
The red light trembled violently, betraying faint traces of fear.
Gradually, it receded.
[Speak, human.]
Boom. Boom.
A deafening roar, as if the world were collapsing, echoed in sequence.
Thanks to the vast spiderweb spread behind him.
Si-mun realized the source of the noise was the legs of those red eyes.
And then.
[Who are you?]
The intense anger and hostility from earlier had vanished without a trace.
Almost as if showing respect.
Lowering its massive, planet-sized black torso.
[Why do you carry the trace of Him in His slumber? Why have you sought me?]
It leveled its gaze with Si-mun.
'Good heavens...'
The overwhelming sight left his mouth agape.
Could words like "enormous" even describe it?
A colossal spider, so vast it could only be called galactic.
Even with sixteen red eyes, each the size of a small planet, embedded in its body.
Its sheer scale—comparable to a celestial body—made it feel anything but excessive.
And all of them were fixed on Si-mun.
Even just meeting its gaze.
[Indeed. To remain unharmed by my gaze in a human body... Are you perhaps His Apostle?]
The galactic-scale spider marveled.
'What kind of nonsense is that? Am I supposed to die just from meeting its eyes?'
The thought crossed his mind, but Si-mun swallowed his doubts and answered.
"I'd say I'm closer to someone else rather than Him."
[Someone else? Who do you mean?]
The massive spider tilted its planet-sized head.
[Who else? Of course, it's me!]
A voice far sharper than the Philosopher's Stone's reverberated through the space.
At that.
[T-This voice!]
The galactic-scale spider trembled uneasily.
[If you've so much as touched a single hair on my child, I'll slice those filthy legs of yours into pieces. Lazy spider.]
Crunch. Crack!
As enormous tentacles tore through a section of space.
[G-Great Mother, I pay my respects!]
The spider swiftly buried its planet-sized head in submission.