Chapter 167
Chapter 167
Chapter 167: Omen (2)
Translation: godtl
Clang.
An expensive glass shattered into pieces.
Without even sparing a glance at such a trivial thing.
"What did you just say?"
Chairman Lee Sun-cheol bared his teeth and growled.
-As I reported. Starting from the facilities in Gwangju and Cheorwon, extending to the others. All of them have been infiltrated by the Association's people.
"How the hell is that possible!"
Lee Sun-cheol's voice rose sharply.
And rightfully so.
"Five facilities suddenly infiltrated by the Association? Since when did the Association even know these facilities existed in the first place!"
These were research labs that had operated flawlessly until now.
And suddenly, they were compromised?
-It seems... the intruders we reported earlier must have survived.
The voice on the other end of the line.
Dr. Choi Woo-seok sounded genuinely perplexed.
-It's truly baffling. The Void is supposed to be fatal even to Diamond-rank players.
But.
-Not only did we release a substantial amount, we sent them directly into it. Yet somehow, they survived and returned.
His tone carried the peculiar curiosity of a scientist wondering how they had escaped.
"Is that really what matters right now!"
Noticing this, Lee Sun-cheol's eyes turned fierce.
"The fact that there were intruders in the first place is the problem! Where the hell did the information leak from?!"
-I'm still investigating, but please don't worry too much. All critical data has already been disposed of.
"Dr. Choi. I asked where the leak came from."
-...I do have a suspicion, actually.
A brief hesitation in the voice over the phone.
Then.
-I suspect it may have leaked from within Seongsam itself.
"Nonsense!"
Lee Sun-cheol immediately snapped.
"Aside from me, no one in Seongsam knows about these experiments."
There were six research labs where Dr. Choi Woo-seok's experiments took place.
And on paper, all of them were registered as facilities related to Arena development.
There was no reason for anyone to suspect they were human experimentation labs.
-Didn't you say Lee Yeong-hui seemed to have noticed something?
"That wasn't what I meant."
Lee Sun-cheol shook his head firmly.
"I spoke with Yeong-hui recently. She had no idea what the labs were for."
Not long ago, hadn't she stormed into his office, screaming about where the research facilities were located?
If that lioness of a daughter had known what those labs truly were, she wouldn't have come to him at all.
She would have gone there herself.
But.
-But Chairman, isn't it possible she was pretending not to know? She is a seasoned 1st Generation Ranker, after all.
Choi Woo-seok's suspicion lingered.
"Don't talk nonsense."
Lee Sun-cheol scoffed.
"If that girl had caught wind of the facilities, let me tell you—you wouldn't have had the chance to dispose of anything properly."
-I'm well aware of how formidable Do-hu was, but isn't that an exaggeration? She's not even at her full strength yet, is she? I heard she's still only Gold-rank.
As Choi Woo-seok stubbornly clung to his doubts.
"You really don't know her at all."
Almost disgusted.
Lee Sun-cheol shook his head repeatedly.
"Do you really think Yeong-hui's influence is limited to just her combat prowess as a player?"
-Of course, she was groomed as Seongsam's successor through an elite course, but...
"That's not what I'm talking about."
Lee Sun-cheol cut him off, furrowing his brow.
"I'm talking about the connections she's built as a 1st Generation Ranker. Those can't be measured in money."
-Are you suggesting other 1st Generation Players might have mobilized as well?
"More than that. The players they've raised, their factions—all of them would have moved. Then..."
The rumor that the Seongsam Guild had secretly conducted human experiments would spread like wildfire.
If it came to that, not only would Lee Sun-cheol himself be in danger, but the very existence of the entire group could be at risk.
Lee Sun-cheol swallowed his next words with effort, but Choi Woo-seok responded as if he had heard them all.
His voice carried a tone of disbelief.
But Lee Sun-cheol drove the nail in firmly.
"She's more than capable of it. That girl values her own principles more than the Seongsam I've built over my entire lifetime."
Choi Woo-seok let out a peculiar sigh of admiration.
Knowing full well it wasn't a compliment.
"Indeed, I have."
Lee Sun-cheol stroked his coarse beard with a bitter expression.
"Hah..."
A sigh escaped him unbidden.
'Where did I go wrong?'
The thought surfaced every time he clashed with his daughter.
As children often do.
Lee Yeong-hui hadn't always been a daughter who defied her father like this.
He had hoped for a son, but he never discriminated against her for being a daughter—not when she displayed such extraordinary talent.
If anything, he poured even more effort into ensuring her gender wouldn't be a disadvantage.
He gave her everything he possibly could to raise her right.
And for the day his daughter would sit atop Seongsam,
he personally handled the internal affairs to ensure no issues would arise.
He even went so far as to select a groom for her—one who was obedient and pliable, suited to her strong-willed and principled nature.
'And then she brings that lowborn bastard into the family!!'
She had the audacity to bring home some nobody as her groom and deliver a crushing blow to her own father's pride.
'If she couldn't forget that bastard, she could've just taken him as a lover after marriage!'
It was a common practice among chaebols—nothing to be frowned upon.
After all, from time immemorial,
marriage among the upper class had been nothing more than a tool to maintain privilege.
But no.
'What was it she said? Love? The ungrateful wretch!'
Not only did she bring in that rootless nobody, but she dared to stand against her own father?
After everything he had done to raise her.
How could this even make sense?!
As his thoughts reached that point—
'Ah. That's when it started.'
He realized the exact moment his once-proud daughter had begun to stray.
"She's completely lost her mind over that lowborn bastard!"
Not only did she abandon the father who had given her everything,
but now she was even baring her fangs at him.
Bang!
Unable to control his emotions,
Lee Sun-cheol slammed his fist down on the desk.
'This is why daughters are useless to raise!'
Had she been a son, things wouldn't have come to this.
But no—she had to be born a daughter, weak to personal emotions, and now everything had gone awry.
Had Choi Woo-seok heard the noise?
Choi Woo-seok's voice came through the phone.
"...My apologies. I got carried away for a moment."
Chairman Lee Sun-cheol pressed his fingers firmly against his temples.
"So, you're certain no evidence of the research will remain?"
"I'll take your word for it. But what about you? Kim Mu-yeol isn't the type to give up easily."
"China..."
Lee Sun-cheol let out a thoughtful hum.
Then, slowly, he nodded.
"Yes, that would be safer. Have you arranged for passage?"
"Someone? So they'll teleport you, then."
"Even so, it can't defy death."
His tone bordered on sarcasm.
In response, Choi Woo-seok cautiously asked:
-How has your health been lately?
"Same as always. Occasional pain, some coughing up blood, that sort of thing."
-If you wish, I could send you a sample.
"A sample?"
One of Lee Sun-cheol's eyebrows shot up.
"Didn't you say it was still incomplete?"
-That's true, but... We've refined an extremely small quantity. You should experience significant effects.
"And the side effects? How far have you observed them?"
-I can't give a definitive answer, but any that arise would at least be minimal. With luck, you might not experience any at all.
"Minimal, you say..."
Lee Sun-cheol tapped his fingers rhythmically against the armrest.
But his deliberation didn't last long.
Minimal side effects.
And if the effects were greater, keeping some on hand as a precaution wouldn't be a bad idea.
"Fine. Send me a few, just in case."
-Understood.
"Ah, and about those intruders you mentioned. It's confirmed to be Kim Si-mun and Kang Da-yeong, correct?"
-Of course.
"Is that so..."
Lee Sun-cheol fell silent for a moment.
Frowning, he seemed to be weighing something in his mind.
"Very well. Contact me once they arrive in China."
-Yes.
With that farewell, the call ended.
"Kim Si-mun..."
Why was it that this bastard—a mere illegitimate child—bothered him more than his granddaughter, who was a Ranker?
The wrinkles at the corners of Lee Sun-cheol's eyes deepened.
'This isn't good.'
Though invisible to the eye.
This unpleasant feeling, like some unknown fissure slowly spreading through his chest—he had experienced it before.
'Something is gradually going awry.'
Back when his once-proud daughter had first begun to defy his will.
Yes.
It felt exactly the same as back then.
A fresh, verdant glow.
A small fragment, as if carved straight from nature itself, radiated a brilliant light.
Si-mun pressed it directly against the center of his chest.
Sssk.
Like powder dissolving in water.
The fragment melted into his body without a trace.
Then.
[You have acquired a World Tree Seed Fragment.]
[The effects of the title 'Companion of the World Tree' have grown.]
[Due to the growth of the title 'Companion of the World Tree,' your guild's buff has improved.]
Messages scrolled before his eyes.
After checking them, Si-mun opened the title window.
[Companion of the World Tree] - Growth-type
A title granted to the companion of the World Tree.
- Guild members' EXP gain increased by 40%.
- Guild members' stat growth rate increased by 90%.
"It rose just as expected."
A smile formed on his lips without conscious effort.
'Last time the buff grew, EXP increased by 10% and stat growth by 20%.'
EXP had gone from 20% to 30%.
Stat growth had risen from 50% to 70%.
So.
'I thought the required Achievement Points were still maxed out, so the buff growth might decrease.'
Contrary to his worries, the Growth Buff showed the same increase as before—10% EXP and 20% stat growth.
As if sharing his thoughts,
-Hehe. Sweet, isn't it?
The Philosopher's Stone inside the flask, which had approached unnoticed, chattered in a bright voice.
-And, Oppa, you know the 'Pioneer of Alchemy' title grew too, right?
"Of course."
Si-mun nodded immediately.
After obtaining Ars Magna, along with 20 Transmutation Power, the title 'Pioneer of Alchemy' had also grown.
"Might as well check it now."
Si-mun glanced back at the title section.
[Pioneer of Alchemy] - Growth-type
A title granted to an alchemist who has successfully transmuted all mythical alchemical products.
-Receives a slightly larger bonus related to transmutation.
"Oh? All the bonuses have improved?"
At the Philosopher's Stone's quizzical look, Si-mun scratched the back of his head sheepishly.
"Uh... Honestly, I had no idea."
"Crazy bitch...?"
Desperado—the world's largest villain organization.
Malina, one of its members, had long been infamous alongside her brother, Malik. To hear her described so casually was...
Especially for Si-mun, who remembered her from his past life, it was enough to make him snort.
The Philosopher's Stone narrowed its eyes.
"Well, can't argue with that."
Naglfar, the creation of the Death Constellation Hel.
True to its Mythic-grade status, it was the ultimate counter to necromancers—but even without it, Si-mun's sheer combat prowess alone was more than enough to handle someone like Malina.
After all, he had already been defeating Diamond-tier opponents before even encountering her.
Not to mention his Death Energy stat gave him considerable resistance to necromancy.
Chuckling faintly, Si-mun glanced at the phone beside him.
The Philosopher's Stone peeked out curiously.
"Because of Dr. Choi Woo-seok."
Si-mun's knuckles came down sharply on the flask.
The Philosopher's Stone teared up, clutching its forehead with its alchemically formed arm.
It had the audacity to spout nonsense with a straight face.
Si-mun sighed softly before speaking.
"The Association's made its move. By now, the other side must've caught on too."
"Yeah. Especially in matters like this, I trust his abilities completely."
Si-mun rested his chin on his hand, gazing out the window.
"Sooner or later, Dr. Choi Woo-seok will be caught. He won't even have a place to sleep, let alone continue his research."
"Exactly."
And the obvious destination would be China, where Jong-ri Chu was waiting.
"Never mind how vast China is. More importantly, he'd be able to continue his research there."
As if realizing something, the Philosopher's Stone let out a small sigh and stared at Si-mun with disbelief.
"Bingo."
As Si-mun nodded, the Philosopher's Stone continued.
"Our Hyun-ah is so clever."
Smiling faintly, Si-mun stroked the floating flask's surface.
"He'll probably try to stow away as soon as possible. The Continent Guild might even send escorts."
"Like I said—in matters like this, I trust my uncle completely. He might be the Association President now, but he's sharp when it comes to this stuff."
Even before taking office, his past spoke for itself.
Hadn't he recently smuggled in the Continent Guild's assassination squad?
"The moment Choi Woo-seok moves, he'll be caught in my uncle's network."
No sooner had Si-mun finished speaking—
Buzz.
A vibration sounded.
The phone beside him lit up, the screen flashing with the name "Kim Mu-yeol."
Told you so.
With that smirk, Si-mun answered the call.
The awaited reply came through the receiver.