Chapter 49
Chapter 49
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 49
Chapter Title: Dragon Blood Deal and Group Project
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“But, you. Doing that won’t cause any problems with your body, will it?”
The National Intelligence Service Director seemed slightly moved before suddenly asking me that.
It wasn’t an incomprehensible question. After all, any living being would see losing blood as dangerous.
But that didn’t apply to me.
Someone might think that even a dragon would be in danger if it lost blood.
However, that only held true for excessive blood loss. I wasn’t so frail that a little blood donation in human form would make me waver.
My true body was the size of a building to begin with. Losing a few liters from a body that massive through blood donation wouldn’t pose any risk.
There was a reason I’d confidently promised Lady Yeon-hwa I could supply blood daily. It was just that my recovery cycle was a bit faster than most.
I didn’t even need a proper recovery period. That amount of blood was no more than what might trickle out from a slight prick of a needle.
“Director, my true body is that big to begin with. Losing just that much blood won’t cause any issues.”
“...I suppose you’re right. Still, isn’t it risky somehow? If medicines made from your blood produce such miracles, parasites looking to exploit it will surely swarm around.”
“That’s why I’m telling you, Director. I don’t want weird bugs buzzing around me either. And it’s a good thing for the public good, right? Isn’t this a pretty solid proposal?”
The Director laughed at my words.
“Haha, I get it. I’ll handle it carefully. Of course, I’ll keep you updated on the progress.”
“Yes, sir.”
“Honestly, even if some shady humans come sniffing around, with Lady Yeon-hwa there, it should be fine.”
“Oh, yeah. Lady Yeon-hwa’s abilities... they’re truly terrifying.”
In truth, to ordinary people who couldn’t resist once their blood was under control, she was a walking disaster.
If she wanted, wiping out a whole country would be child’s play.
She could just make every human’s blood in sight burst at once.
...Now that I thought about it, what if that power had gone to a demon-type mutant or something like that? The mere idea sent chills down my spine.
How on earth did such power end up with someone like Lady Yeon-hwa, and dragon powers with me?
It was miraculous. Sia’s powers were the same.
Was there... some kind of restraining force at work?
At the very least, something that didn’t grant excessive power to those with extreme mindsets?
Who knows... I had no idea. How could anyone even judge that?
“It is terrifying. That’s why my superiors—and those you call the higher-ups—have to tread carefully around you all.”
“Yeah. It’s... different from what I imagined, which surprised me a bit.”
“Haha, in what way?”
“You know, like the brawl at the National Assembly building back then.”
I phrased it as vaguely as possible, but the Director understood immediately.
He’d know better than anyone how many problems the government had.
Well... he might’ve been involved somehow, knowingly or not.
You couldn’t rise to a position like that just by being squeaky clean.
“That’s exactly why your safety is paramount to them. They’ll do anything for their interests. Would they dare mishandle beings who could turn those interests to ash in an instant?”
Now that I thought about it, that made sense too. As long as we didn’t mess with their vested interests, they had no reason to flip out.
“I’m no different from them. So don’t trust me too much.”
“Of course. Who trusts people blindly these days? That said... since you’ve done things for us mutants, I’ll trust you on that front.”
“Haha, a warning not to get reckless?”
“It might come off as presumptuous, but yes.”
“I’ll keep it in mind. I’m not stupid enough to destroy what I’ve built in a heartbeat. If things go well with the pharmaceutical company, I’ll let you know right away.”
“Yes, sir.”
“...Thanks again, truly. Thanks to you, my granddaughter has hope for survival.”
Somehow, the discussion wrapped up nicely.
The new drug would ultimately use my blood as the main ingredient, so as long as they acknowledged my rights properly, there were no issues.
The drug’s origins? The company wouldn’t want to take a loss, so they’d handle it discreetly.
The headaches and complications were their job, not mine as the raw material supplier.
I was just curious how they’d package and sell the dragon blood.
Win-win for everyone, right? Me, the pharma company, and all those desperate patients.
Of course, we’d need to scrutinize the dragon blood’s functions in detail.
Who knew?
Regenerating nerves meant interfering with regeneration somehow.
If that applied to cancer cells too, there could be side effects like sudden tumor growth.
The pharma company would need thorough clinical trials and verifications, so the public wouldn’t see the drug for a long while.
* * *
With Ha-yoon’s matter settled, all that was left was the group project.
I immediately asked about progress in the group chat. People always forget or half-ass these if you don’t follow up.
[Yoon Seo-hyun: How’s everyone’s progress on the group project?]
[Lee Si-hyun: We finished gathering materials like you suggested last time. Should I send them now?]
[Yoon Seo-hyun: Yeah, send them.]
Si-hyun had apparently compiled the materials based on the books I’d recommended last time.
[Lee Si-hyun: Anything else we need to do?]
[Yoon Seo-hyun: Nah, you’re done. Take it easy. What about the rest of you?]
The international students had uploaded their materials... but as expected.
Trash-tier quality. I knew it. At least there were signs of effort, so I let it slide.
[Yoon Seo-hyun: Then, Min-seong?]
[Kim Min-seong: Yes, sunbae?]
[Yoon Seo-hyun: I’ll get you the materials by tonight. Can you turn them into a PPT as fast as possible?]
[Kim Min-seong: Leave it to me. I’ll have it ready by Monday.]
[Yoon Seo-hyun: Reliable. Good. I’ll handle the presentation mostly, but just in case, I’ll prep a script too so you won’t panic if presenters are randomized. Professor Kim Jin-young doesn’t nitpick scripts much.]
[Lee Si-hyun, Kim Min-seong: Got it!]
It was basically a three-person group project, but since I’d done this one before...
Whipping up the paper was quick work.
I cited sources clearly from Si-hyun’s materials, cut the useless bits.
I’d done this so many times. Piece of cake.
[Yoon Seo-hyun: Final draft.hwp]
[Yoon Seo-hyun: Turn this into PPT. Ask if you’re unsure what to emphasize. I’ll explain.]
[Kim Min-seong: Thank you.]
No complaints, as expected. The result should be solid. There’s such a thing as trustworthy faces.
Good. Group project done. Scripting the presentation wouldn’t be hard.
Still, I made separate plans with Si-hyun.
Better for her to gain experience than me doing everything.
I didn’t call Kim Min-seong.
No point dragging in someone you’re not close to; it’d just make things awkward.
Besides, he was capable on his own. No need to micromanage.
So now, I was waiting for Si-hyun at a café near my officetel.
The café, remodeled after the minotaur-type mutant incident, looked even cleaner and welcomed guests.
...They’d fixed it up impressively. It’d been wrecked pretty badly back then.
Si-hyun had to find new part-time work because of it.
Must bring back memories.
I could’ve picked anywhere, but their coffee suited my taste best, and it was easy to find.
Soon, Si-hyun showed up. She beamed at me and said,
“Unnie!”
“Hey. You’re early.”
“You’re the one who got here way ahead.”
“Wanted to enjoy some leisure time. Staring out the window at a clear sky like this from a café feels amazing.”
“I get that. Oh, I’ll go say hi to the owner real quick.”
“Sure.”
She hadn’t quit on bad terms—just store circumstances—so she even scored a little complimentary treat.
“Ooh.”
“It’s good. Owner made it for me a few times when I worked here...”
Si-hyun’s complimentary item was a small tiramisu.
“I know. I came here a lot before mutating.”
“Ah.”
“Anyway, let’s get to it...”
I pulled out my laptop.
“I’ll show you how to organize materials, edit them, and write presentation scripts. You’ll lead groups someday too.”
“Oh, that’s why you called me today?”
“And after, we’ll chat idly.”
“Sounds good!”
“But learn well. It’ll help later.”
“Unnie, thank you! Dinner’s on me!”
“Nah, I’ve got money. I’ll cover dinner.”
“T-Then... I’ll gratefully accept.”
“I’ll go over PPT basics too. A junior dumped it on me once, so I had to learn.”
“...Who?”
“16th class, Sung Yoon-hwan. I suffered because of him.”
“What a jerk, that sunbae.”
“Sneaky bastard. That’s why I avoid 16th-years mostly. They’re all cut from the same cloth.”
“Ah...”
“But don’t show it around him. No point making enemies. Got it?”
“Of course. I know how to navigate that much.”
...Come to think of it, if Si-hyun sucked at social skills, she’d be gossip fodder in a female-heavy department like Korean Lit.
The lack of rumors meant she handled herself well.