Chapter 134
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 134
Chapter Title: An Unholy Alliance
“A better world?”
As Iron Mask spoke with incredulity, the old man smiled faintly and nodded.
“Indeed. A truly beautiful world. A world where responsibility becomes duty, a world without sin or suffering, filled with recovery and regeneration. We will become its inhabitants.”
Iron Mask finally understood.
Their true intentions.
‘So they plan to destroy the world.’
A strange madness lingered in the old man's calm and serene eyes.
Realizing what it was, Iron Mask unconsciously moved his hand to scratch his neck, but it was blocked by cold metal.
Noticing the flustered gesture and the unsettled look in the eyes visible through the helmet, the old man's eyes crinkled as he smiled.
“If you stay with us, you will eventually come to understand everything.”
Iron Mask stared at the old man in silence.
He felt as if he had just heard something utterly absurd.
But he had a feeling that these people could make that absurd story a reality.
An executive from the company Kanghyeok was associated with.
An old man whose identity was unknown but who seemed anything but ordinary.
Even his father, who had been an absolute presence, was just another person filling a seat at this round table.
Iron Mask shifted his gaze to the empty chairs around the table.
There were many empty chairs.
What if all these chairs had owners, and all those owners were formidable figures?
Their goal of destroying the world might one day be achieved.
“That's enough about my story. You have something to say as well, don't you?”
Gary Chang exhaled through his lips and gave a short nod. Then, he turned his gaze to Iron Mask and spoke.
“I understand you're hostile toward Kanghyeok, but you need to back off.”
The old man closed his eyes as if listening intently and nodded, while Iron Mask's gaze shifted to Gary Chang.
“What?”
“I'm telling you this as your senior. Just focus on completing the Elixir.”
The second Iron Mask had succeeded his predecessor.
It was only natural that he should inherit his father's duties.
He needed to complete the Elixir as soon as possible and await the day of the final battle; he had no time to obsess over someone like Kanghyeok, who wasn't even a full-time employee but a mere contractor.
*Click.*
Gary Chang took a cigarette with a heavy aroma from its case and, placing it between his lips, tilted his head to the side.
“Kanghyeok is insignificant. You might not know this, but he's just a piece of trash, a mere subcontractor. He's the kind of guy we can get rid of at the company whenever we feel like it.”
The moment he finished speaking.
Iron Mask's hand shot out like lightning, grabbing Gary Chang by the throat.
“Gack!”
The cigarette he was holding fell onto the round table, and Gary Chang's hands flew to cover Iron Mask's.
“Ghk! Ggghk!”
Iron Mask's grip tightened, as if he intended to snap Gary Chang's neck right then and there.
“Ggggh!”
Gary Chang looked at Iron Mask in a panic.
According to the intel, Iron Mask was covered head to toe in heavy metal, yet he had no assistive devices to aid his movement.
Therefore, he was presumed to be slow and unable to exert his full strength.
But Iron Mask had completely overpowered Gary Chang with one hand and was now applying even more pressure with his fingers.
*Clank.*
Removing the mouthplate of his helmet, Iron Mask revealed a disfigured lower face that looked as if it had been badly burned.
His lips and gums were curled back, menacingly exposing canines and teeth that appeared abnormally large. He warned in a low, bestial voice.
“Don't you dare speak of him so carelessly. Say another word like that, and I'll tear your face off.”
“Gghk!”
Sensing his life was in danger, Gary Chang nodded frantically, and Iron Mask released his grip.
“*Cough, hack! Ggggh!*”
Looking down at Gary Chang, who had collapsed and was gasping for air, Iron Mask reattached his mask.
All the while, his gaze was filled with contempt.
‘Should I just kill him?’
It was probably because Kanghyeok, the man he considered his rival, had been insulted.
Feeling as if he himself had been slighted, Iron Mask lifted his foot.
With his weight behind it, a powerful stomp could easily crush this bastard's skull.
“Enough.”
Just then, the old man spoke in a low voice, and Iron Mask moved only his eyes to look at him.
He was pointing at the ceiling.
“That man is one of us, and he still has work to do. If you try to harm him, I will have no choice but to mete out a fitting punishment.”
Iron Mask smirked.
“I'm not afraid of that.”
“But what about your subordinates?”
On the island were the helicopter Iron Mask had arrived in and his men.
From the air, there had been no other means of transportation around the island.
If his men were killed, Iron Mask would be trapped on this island.
*Grind!*
Iron Mask ground his teeth and spoke in a low, threatening tone.
“So, my men…”
“Be more cautious. You're a valuable asset now, aren't you?”
The old man said, the corners of his mouth lifting.
But his eyes were not smiling.
“Please, do not make the same mistake as your father.”
Iron Mask stared at the old man in silence for a long moment.
Then he looked down at Gary Chang, who was pushing himself away with his elbows and heels, creating distance.
“Unbelievable. That you're his superior.”
“There may be a slight misunderstanding. That man isn't here representing the company; he's here as a proxy. He is one of us, but he's not irreplaceable.”
“Ha!”
“In any case, what he said isn't wrong. You become emotional when it comes to this person, Kanghyeok. That's all the more reason you shouldn't get involved with him.”
Something hot surged within Iron Mask.
But he didn't know what the old man might do to his men.
And this man already knew everything Iron Mask had done.
This old man and the organization he belonged to were not to be taken lightly.
“However, it is undeniable that Kanghyeok has obstructed our will. He will be held accountable for that. We will handle him ourselves.”
“You will fail.”
*I am the one who will kill him.*
As Iron Mask spoke, his words laced with a heavy message, the corners of the old man's eyes curved.
“Once you gain more experience here, you won't be saying such things.”
The old man extended a hand toward Iron Mask.
His palm was turned upward, as if to receive something.
“Still, it's best to handle matters with care. Tell me. You've been pursuing Kanghyeok and have even fought him, so surely you have some information we can reference.”
*Tsk.*
Gary Chang wrinkled his nose and clicked his tongue.
He knew Kanghyeok was formidable, but he believed all of his achievements were just a matter of luck. He didn't think Kanghyeok was someone worthy of such words from the old man.
A man who had just reached Team Leader level.
And not even an official Team Leader, just Team Leader-level.
He had talent, but he was too young and absurdly lacking in real-world experience. It was just unpleasant to hear Kanghyeok's name mentioned repeatedly in a place like this.
But he couldn't voice his complaints, because Iron Mask's eyes were on him.
“Hmph.”
Averting his gaze from the cowardly Gary Chang, Iron Mask pressed his lips together firmly.
‘Provide information for reference?’
It wasn't as if nothing came to mind.
The footage transmitted by the camera installed on the MK2.
In that footage, Kanghyeok had moved even in the midst of a terrible fire.
As if he possessed a body that could regenerate endlessly.
‘They don't know this.’
Iron Mask deliberately avoided looking at Gary Chang.
If Kanghyeok's peculiar trait were known, Gary Chang, who was from the same organization, would not have spoken of him in such a way.
At the same time, the old man wouldn't have asked if there was any information to reference.
Only Iron Mask knew about Kanghyeok's unusual constitution.
Convinced of this, Iron Mask slowly opened his mouth.
“His combat skills are exceptional, and he is aggressive. But the thing to be most wary of is his ability to assess a situation.”
“Is that so.”
The old man added a request for Gary Chang to provide Kanghyeok's profile.
“I see. Then return and focus your efforts on producing the Elixir.”
Iron Mask immediately moved toward the stairs, like someone eager to leave this place as quickly as possible.
*Clank, clank.*
His heavy footsteps echoed through the spacious underground area.
He could feel the gazes of Gary Chang and the old man fixed on the back of his head, and the lights on the stairs gleamed like the eyes of a warden.
Amidst it all, Iron Mask twisted his lips into a smile.
‘Try it, if you think you can.’
Kanghyeok was a man Iron Mask acknowledged.
They might think he could be easily dealt with, but on the contrary, they would be the ones to fall to Kanghyeok.
When that time comes, they might reach out to Iron Mask again.
I just have to wait until then.
For now, I just need to catch my breath and regroup.
When the time is right, I can fight Kanghyeok again.
*Clank, clank.*
With gleaming eyes, Iron Mask ascended the stairs.
But was it because he had become one of them?
Or was it because others had claimed they would handle Kanghyeok?
Even though he was clearly climbing the stairs, he had the strange feeling that he was descending.
*Tatatatak.*
In the basement of the safe house, Kanghyeok silently watched Leila type on her laptop.
There was a mountain of reports to submit to their superiors.
Leila, new to her secretarial role, frowned as she checked report samples while drafting the documents. Kanghyeok breathed carefully, trying not to disturb her in the slightest.
Then, he looked up.
Upstairs, they were probably tearing down the burnt wallpaper and removing the interior materials damaged in the fight.
With the company's technology and support, it would be restored soon.
‘Everything will go back to the way it was. Me, this building, this city.’
At a glance, it was a comforting thought.
But Kanghyeok couldn't feel at ease at all.
‘They will definitely strike back.’
Now that he had confirmed they had supporters, they probably wouldn't attack this city again.
They weren't foolish enough to use the same tactic twice in a row.
But they would aim for a time when he was alone, most likely during a mission or when he was at his weakest, and they would surely try to kill him.
Is this really okay?
Should I just be relieved that things are being restored?
No. Considering the threat that would come at him with even greater venom, he had to be better prepared than before.
*Tatatatak.*
Leila, who had been typing away, spoke without taking her eyes off the screen.
“How should I report the number of suits?”
One was given to Yohan.
Another was lost in battle.
That's a total of two suits missing.
“Report the quantity as is. Say they were damaged in the fire.”
“Understood.”
As Leila replied in a voice full of concentration, Kanghyeok lowered his gaze.
He wasn't on a mission, so he wasn't wearing a suit.
He was wearing a black turtleneck and dark-colored jeans, but in his eyes, he could see the burning suit.
The suit that had been damaged during the fight with the MK2 and engulfed in flames.
The most urgent need was a suit.
A better suit was more crucial than ever.
As Kanghyeok blinked slowly and let out a shallow breath, the phone in his pocket vibrated briefly.
‘A text?’
He checked his phone, and the tension in his face eased.
The atmosphere lightened enough that even Leila, who had been engrossed in her report, glanced at Kanghyeok for a moment.
It was only natural.
[A new fabric has been prepared. Please come by anytime.]
The sender was Jeff Black.
Kanghyeok drew in his lips and put the phone back in his pocket.
A fabric with better bulletproofing and impact resistance had finally been developed.