Why Aren't They Coming?

Why Aren't They Coming?

They had captured a mine hiding out at Hapbin Prison.

It turned out to be the Japanese-descended prison guard, Daigo Katsuya.

Of course, they investigated him thoroughly.

He wasn't a native-born imperial citizen.

He was an awakener immigrant from the colonies.

There were no issues with his status.

As an awakener, working as a guard at Hapbin wasn't particularly difficult.

He'd been on the job for about two years.

If he'd turned into a mine, he wouldn't have been able to suppress his urge to eat people.

The investigation results came in.

Out of the villains who had served their sentences at Hapbin Prison and been released, five were listed as missing.

All of them were ex-cons who had lived in cities near Hapbin.

Daigo Katsuya had eaten them.

‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

Villains were the perfect prey for mines.

Compared to ordinary people, when criminals went missing, neither the police nor those around them paid much attention.

Eh, they probably just committed another crime and fled somewhere.

Better if we never see them again.

Who would report them missing?

Daigo Katsuya had exploited that fact.

He acquired personal information on criminals about to be released from prison and targeted weaker mana compatibles or awakener villains as his prey.

Then, on his days off or during leave, he hunted them.

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

Imperial Intelligence Director Nam Ilbok read the report submitted by Deputy Director Moon Kyungshik.

"...So he really identified it by smell?"

"I asked him several times, but the answer was always the same. He said it reeked."

"Not a skill, though."

If it were a skill, that would make sense.

Awakener skills came in all varieties.

There could easily be a skill for detecting mines.

But Chairman Kim Taeju hadn't awakened, so he couldn't have any skills.

"Anyway, he cornered the mine and induced its beast transformation skill?"

"Yes. From Mine Daigo's perspective, he had no choice. Die outright, or at least try resisting with beast transformation."

"In the end, he chose beast transformation but got subdued way too easily."

"I clearly witnessed the mana condensation phenomenon around Chairman Kim Taeju's fist. It was just like..."

"A mana blade?"

"Yes."

In just the past few days, following Mine Sergei, they'd nabbed Mine Daigo too.

Imperial Intelligence had racked up back-to-back mine captures.

"We can't just sit on this. A hundred million for deployment costs won't cut it for bragging rights."

"Exactly. He's practically chaebol-level wealthy."

"...Speaking of chaebols, what's Mirinae Group's Lee Gieon up to these days?"

"No special movements yet, but he won't stay quiet for long. Lee Gieon firmly believes Chairman Kim Taeju killed his son, Lee Dongwoo."

Nam Ilbok snorted at Moon Kyungshik's words.

"That Lee Gieon sure is shameless! Why pin his missing son on Chairman Kim?"

"He might not be missing."

"Got evidence?"

"Remember the Imperial Audit Office's report on the Patent Office?"

"Yeah, the one where missing President Lee Dongwoo bribed Patent Office staff to delay Taehong Bio's new drug patent application?"

"That case's suspicions were fully confirmed. In the end, Deputy Director Jeon Juhak confessed too. But since Lee Dongwoo's missing..."

"Prosecution was suspended."

I get it.

Bribing public officials is a serious crime.

Heavy sentences await.

To prevent Lee Dongwoo from being summoned by prosecutors and dragged to trial, they'd hidden him away.

Distract attention with the "missing" story, frame Chairman Kim Taeju on purpose to create an excuse to attack Taehong Bio.

"We can't let him be. He's going wild because he has connections to the imperial family."

"True. Mirinae Group backs the Third Prince."

"Shall we drop a few bombs?"

"Nah, leave it. I'll meet him separately. A warning should suffice."

"What if he crosses the line?"

"Then we cross it too. It's a mine-related issue. Even the imperial family can't touch that."

Chairman Kim Taeju could detect mines.

Imperial Intelligence needed to maintain close ties with him until all mines in the empire were eradicated.

"So when will you meet Lee Gieon?"

"What, to brag to Chairman Kim Taeju?"

"Of course we should."

"Got it. I'll meet Lee Gieon ASAP ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠and settle things."

Once Chairman Kim Taeju finished his New Seoul schedule, he'd head back to Gurye Free City soon.

Then it'd be hard to meet.

He might even ignore their deployment request notices.

So they had to keep proving Imperial Intelligence's value to Kim Taeju.

Look how much we can do for you!

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

The Samhan Empire's Food and Drug Administration was a department bound together by pride.

Not always, but other imperial agencies could sometimes bend to external pressure or lobbying.

It had happened a few times before.

Just a few days ago, the Patent Office scandal had blown up.

But not the Food and Drug Administration.

Not for at least thirty years.

What about thirty years ago?

It was a time when the empire's population was exploding.

Numerous new drugs for pregnant women hit the market one after another.

A now-defunct but ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠then-prominent pharmaceutical company had developed an iron supplement for pregnant women and requested review from the Food and Drug Administration.

At the time, the Food and Drug Administration director met the company president for dinner and received a bag stuffed with 100,000-won bills. The iron supplement passed a cursory inspection and hit the market swiftly.

Then severe side effects emerged.

Pregnant women taking the company's iron supplement lost consciousness or died without waking.

The emperor flew into a rage.

Around then, he'd finally yielded to his ministers' persistent pleas to secure the imperial bloodline, taking in an empress and concubines to produce heirs.

He had the Food and Drug Administration director and the pharma president beheaded, and all related officials tried and imprisoned.

The Food and Drug Administration was blown up.

The renowned pharma company collapsed overnight.

A special law for the Food and Drug Administration was enacted, and no company has dared lobby it since.

The agency reorganized to ensure such a thing never happened again.

A few days ago, two new drug sales approval reviews came to the Food and Drug Administration.

After component analysis confirmed no harmful substances to the human body, they immediately moved to animal testing.

Squeak, squeak, squeak.

The cages holding the lab animals shook nonstop.

The Food and Drug Administration's Drug Research Lab director asked a researcher.

"What's up with these long-tailed Sekto rabbits?"

"No idea."

"Are they going crazy?"

Top breeding rate among mana beasts.

Even accounting for their habit of mating right after eating, this was excessive.

All day long.

Without tiring.

"How's the Sekto rabbits' health?"

"A week in, and they're fine. That's why they keep going."

"This is insane."

Sekto rabbits had pathetically weak physiques that even normals could crush easily.

Any harmful substance would kill them on the spot.

"What drug are we testing on them?"

"A health drink. Vitality Surge from Taehong Bio..."

"Damn! It's really surging. Got aphrodisiac ingredients?"

"No. It's a fatigue recovery drink."

"Narcotics?"

"None detected."

"Dependency?"

"We gave Vitality Surge to some Sekto rabbits for five days, then stopped for a while—no withdrawal symptoms."

The lab director pondered deeply.

"How many Vitality Surge samples came in?"

"300."

"Bring them."

The researcher placed the sample box on the lab bench.

But?

"Huh? This is less than 100. We already used them all?"

"W-Well... the researchers volunteered for human trials themselves."

"Are they nuts? We haven't even finished animal testing!"

"It's just a health drink."

"Drink or not! ...Gimme one. I'll try it."

The director gulped down a bottle of Taehong Vitality Surge.

He didn't return to the lab for exactly two hours.

"Hey, Researcher Im! Got more Vitality Surge? Bring another bottle."

"...H-Here."

"Huh? Why's this all that's left?"

"The researchers swarmed in and took them."

"Those bastards?"

But the director couldn't blame them.

He was the same.

"...Let's rush human trials. Contact Taehong Bio for more samples."

"How many?"

"300—no, 500. The more, the better."

"Yes! I'll call right away."

Even in this changed world, tonics like sipjeon-daebotang had meaningful effects—but only for mana compatibles and awakeners.

Because the mana in the drugs did the work.

They had little effect on normals.

But Taehong Vitality Surge was different.

It showed fantastic effects even on normals like them.

Why should only compatibles and awakeners get the good stuff?

To the lab director, this needed to hit the market ASAP.

Human trials immediately.

One bottle whenever you're beat...

◇◇◇◆◇◇◇

What are the conditions for ascension?

Practice benevolence and righteousness, uphold propriety, accumulate virtue—become an immortal that way?

Absolutely not.

Benevolence, righteousness, propriety, virtue.

That's the Confucian way, not the immortal way.

Of course, there are virtue immortals.

Usually called accumulated virtue immortals for piling up merit.

But immortals aren't exactly good.

Far from benevolence, righteousness, propriety, virtue.

Most ascend not from goodness, but from innate immortal roots or burning ambition for their ultimate goal.

Even the higher Celestial Immortal Realm knows this well.

Countless incidents caused by immortals over the years.

So the Supreme Emperor dispatched divine generals to guard the Peach Garden.

To block any immortals sneaking in to steal fairy or celestial peaches.

The Peach Garden spans a vast area.

Five zones.

Zone 1: 500 fairy peach trees.

Zone 2: 1,000 trees. Zone 3: 1,500. Zone 4: 2,000. And Zone 5: a single celestial peach tree.

Divine generals guard each zone with ironclad security.

Especially the celestial peach zone.

But the Peach Garden got robbed.

By about a dozen immortals.

Zones 1 and 2 were hit.

Jongri Seonin, the Celestial Immortal overseeing the garden, asked the wounded divine general who returned.

"...Geomseon was the ringleader?"

"Yes."

"What does that guy lack?"

Geomseon was one of the oldest and strongest immortals in the Immortal Realm, alongside himself.

He had no greed for fairy peaches, nor reason to.

"How much did they take? The trees are unharmed?"

"Over half the fairy peaches from Zones 1 and 2. Trees are thankfully intact."

"Phew."

Fortunate amid misfortune.

At least the trees survived.

Compared to that damned monkey bastard's stunt, it was nothing.

That punk stole a celestial peach.

Celestial peaches fruited once every ‍‍‌‌⁠⁠‌‍‍‌⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠‌‌‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠millennium from the sole tree.

Fairy peaches were mere Immortal Realm fruit by comparison.

Still, serious damage.

Each tree bore about 50 fairy peaches.

Zones 1 and 2 combined: 1,500 trees. Over half gone meant at least 50,000 stolen.

"How did this happen? Spontaneous?"

"No. We were patrolling the boundary when Geomseon suddenly attacked. Meanwhile, other immortals breached the barrier and stole the peaches."

"How'd they carry that much?"

"Brought a gourd sack. Opened the lid, chanted an incantation, and the peaches on the trees got sucked right in."

"Planned, then."

They had to get them back.

And ask why.

Jongri Seonin told the divine general,

"Take a few comrades and bring Geomseon and the immortals here. No intimidation—be polite! Tell them I want to talk."

"Yes."

Thus, ten divine generals guarding the garden descended to the Immortal Realm to meet Geomseon.

Jongri Seonin waited for them to return with the culprits.

He and Geomseon went way back.

He knew the man well.

Geomseon would surely regret his mistake by now.

If he requested a meeting, he'd come.

But?

An hour passed, two hours, half a day—no sign of the generals with Geomseon.

...Did he intimidate them?

Why would Geomseon act like this?

So he summoned the great general equivalent, Tower-Holding Divine General Taktap Singjang.

"Hey, Taktap."

"Speak, Jongri Seonin."

"It's about..."

Jongri Seonin explained the Peach Garden incident and asked him to bring Geomseon.

"Hmph! Wait a bit. I'll drag Geomseon here. Daring to disrupt Immortal Realm order?"