Chapter 333

The feeling of having a hot head must be something like this. I don’t remember how I caught the elevator and went down to the third basement floor.

Time was extremely limited, and the only thing filling my vision was a guy in a white T-shirt and blue shorts, fidgeting nervously.

Standing at the entrance, keeping an eye on Jin Hyuk, I was reminded of Executive Hong Soo-jung for a moment. Specifically, the way she looked when she left the house on her wedding day. But only for a moment. As I slightly lowered my head and looked up at him, the beast hidden deep within Jin Hyuk woke up.

Without a word, he kissed me.

It was the same for Hong Soo-jung.

Grrr!

Meow meow meow!

Two beasts clung to each other so tightly that not even a razor blade could fit between them, pulling each other with all their might.

{Oops-.}

{Ruby Team, retreating.}

{Suddenly?}

{What about the report?}

{The chairman and his wife are on a European trip with their son······.}

{Perfect opportunity······.}

{Shouldn’t we stop them?}

{Is it a fight? Why stop them, you lunatic?}

{We have to intervene if it gets dangerous.}

{It looks dangerous, but it’s hard to tell if it’s the right kind of danger.}

{Gulp-.}

{Stop watching and retreat.}

I don’t even remember how we got back to the house.

As I opened the front door and threw off my shoes, I came to my senses a bit.

‘Oops!’

Did I act too much like a beast and drag her in without a word?

It seems I didn’t drag her in. Hong Soo-jung, held in Jin Hyuk’s arms, was tightly clinging to his neck. Only then did I remember carrying her all the way up from the basement.

Her face was flushed like a drunk person, and her watery eyes looked up at me like a scared cat.

‘Shouldn’t I say something?’

I need to be careful.

When I think too much, I tend to blabber nonsense.

How desperately I wanted you, how long I waited for this day.

Grrr-.

“Ugh!”

A scream escaped, and her face twisted.

This guy showed up again.

‘What! Why are you here!’

【Your earnestness has shaken my world. I’ve come after rejecting the ⬛⬛ and ⬛⬛ of the Model Clan.】

Though an unwelcome guest, the fact that I had summoned Dugu Elil showed just how much I wanted Hong Soo-jung, which surprised even myself.

On the other hand, I was ashamed. It felt like I had abandoned my humanity and chosen my wild instincts.

Perhaps because I was more desperate than ever, his presence was stronger, and my headache was particularly severe.

【Ooooh-, are you mating?】

‘Don’t talk nonsense! We haven’t done anything yet!’

【The earth has split, stone mountains have pierced the clouds, and springs and lava are gushing out. Now I understand.】

What kind of world is this and how is it connected that Jin Hyuk’s psychology causes such cataclysmic events? Anyway, it’s a ridiculous guy in a ridiculous world.

【Hey, friend. Do you know something?】

‘What? My head is killing me.’

【In the world where I lived as a human, there was a tradition of observing a friend’s first night. Consider it an honor. The second greatest in the universe, I myself will witness your first night with the woman-.】

‘Funny! What kind of uncivilized world has such a tradition!’

【You’re not fooled. As expected, you’re sharp. Tsk-.】

This guy’s taste has changed, hasn’t it?

‘Get lost right now!’

【I’m disappointed. I’ll close my eyes, so just let me hear the sounds-.】

‘I’m really going to die. What kind of virgin loser talk is this? Go play with the Model Clan!’

【But friend, do you know something?】

‘What now? My head’s about to explode, stop wasting time!’

【Using Guildmok, you can do it without getting tired.】

‘Really? Ah, no! I don’t need that!’

It’s tempting, but who’s going to kill someone?

【I’m leaving. Do it a lot······.】

Dugu Elil faded away.

What does he mean by “do it a lot,” that idiot.

As the headache that felt like it would split my head disappeared, my vision cleared.

My breathing became comfortable, and my hot head felt cooler.

I met Hong Soo-jung’s worried eyes looking up at me.

She looked like a lost, rain-soaked white kitten with wet, shining eyes.

‘Ah······, my heart. I still react strongly only to this girl.’

Hong Soo-jung carefully touched Jin Hyuk’s cheek.

“Are you okay?”

Her clear, wet voice gave me strength.

First, I need to reassure her.

When I growled and explored her lips in the basement, and the rough breaths I exhaled all the way up, I must have seemed like a beast. Plus, I stopped with a grimace, so she must have thought it was strange.

In times like this, be as considerate and gentle as possible.

‘Sorry. Were you scared? Oppa is fine.’

“Oppa is not a eunuch!”

Kwawang!

Ah, I give up.

Go!

Jin Hyuk ran to the room with Hong Soo-jung in his arms.

Thud-!

“Ouch!”

He hit his head on the door, but it didn’t hurt.

Because it wasn’t Jin Hyuk’s head.

The two beasts, as soon as they settled on the bed, ⬛⬛ the ⬛⬛⬛ and ⬛⬛ the ⬛⬛ ⬛⬛.

***

Saturday morning dawned.

Since I was young, I’ve noticed that sleeping while holding her makes me oversleep.

It was the same in elementary school and middle school.

She must have been the one who soothed and comforted my tired soul.

I quietly got up and glanced at the woman sleeping soundly beside me.

‘Ah, this girl.’

Since we only brought her body from the parking lot, Hong Soo-jung had no clothes to wear.

So, I reluctantly dressed her in Jin Hyuk’s T-shirt and let her sleep.

Even for Jin Hyuk, it was a big size, so it comfortably covered Hong Soo-jung’s thighs and looked comfortable as sleepwear.

‘But why did it ride up this far?’

Carefully, so as not to wake her, I pulled down the T-shirt that had ridden up to just below her neck.

My eyes were wide open.

Gulp-. I swallowed.

‘Even your breath is sweet, and there’s no part of you that isn’t fragrant.’

Suddenly! The inner beast raised its head again.

But.

Growl-.

‘Ugh-. I’m hungry.’

Jin Hyuk was also a beast with a considerable appetite.

My body, which had been running all night, was sore.

Fatigue clung to me like lead weights all over my body.

It’s natural, considering I ran an endless marathon with the energy of a sprint.

It’s harder to run carefully without falling than to run fast.

The habit of focusing on embracing rather than harming with explosive energy must have become ingrained.

Still, the duality of the beast, completely burned out after a long time, is laughable.

‘Should I get some food? I need to get water too.’

There were no proper ingredients at home since I rarely cooked.

Juice and milk were stocked at the training ground, and I hadn’t bought any for over a year because they would just expire.

Water can be boiled, but I ran out of that too.

Bzzz-.

‘What the!’

I quickly grabbed the vibrating phone.

It would be bad if Soo-jung woke up.

I covered her with a blanket so she wouldn’t wake up and went to the living room.

“Hey, Jaguar. What’s up?”

As soon as I opened my mouth, I felt the cracked roof of my mouth and my expression naturally twisted.

Chae Kyu-ho is working at the Yeouido Research Institute, not at the dockyard.

It was Jin Hyuk’s decision after reviewing the equipment report that Chae Kyu-ho and his friends were developing.

Chae Kyu-ho’s proposed item needed to be kept close for development and to provide feedback.

– Chairman! Today is a historic day!

Yes, it’s a historic day.

– Sphere Cap ready!

What the······.

It was a magical spell that made a workaholic forget his thirst.

“I’ll be right there.”

With a stiff expression, Jin Hyuk headed straight for the entrance.

Oops, I need to put on pants.

*

“Chairman, you’re dressed casually today?”

“Yeah. It just happened.”

It’s unusual for someone to wear a suit on weekends. Chae Kyu-ho tilted his head and led the way to the Sphere Capsule.

Sphere Capsule.

A sphere with an inner diameter of 3 meters and an outer diameter of 4 meters. Up close, it’s smaller than a ping-pong ball and made of ceramic with holes drilled all over.

Each ball acts as both a sensor and an axis, connected to a titanium alloy axis operated by hydraulics. The balls move organically, advancing and retreating, freely creating terrain inside the Sphere Capsule. The axis isn’t embedded in the ball but holds it, like a steel rod with a bearing at the end.

“That axis still bothers me. It only goes straight.”

“The technology isn’t there yet. We need to keep researching.”

“But since the ball isn’t constrained, we can freely apply rotation, so it’s useful.”

“Adjusting rotation speed is still a challenge. Fine-tuning isn’t easy.”

“If it were as easy as saying it, someone would have already made it.”

The fact that it was purely the result of Chae Kyu-ho and other researchers’ efforts, without any alien technology, made the equipment particularly meaningful to Jin Hyuk.

‘Even Yongpijie doesn’t have this kind of technology······.’

Though crude and large, Jin Hyuk was grateful to Chae Kyu-ho for realizing the equipment he had casually described in middle school.

It was just an idea for equipment to use when there’s no space to exercise or when far away, but the researchers added their thoughts, and it grew.

It started from a brainstorming session questioning whether a treadmill would suffice if only tracks were to be implemented.

「We need to experience the entire world while moving inside the ball.」

「That would require millions of golf balls, power, and control software.」

「What about mountain climbing, obstacle courses, and individual combat modes?」

「Let’s just program all the Earth’s terrain into it!」

「Let’s implement zero gravity, gliding, and falling too.」

「Let’s overlay game maps and test them. Transforming 2D games like Zirini into 3D should work.」

「There’s also Quake and Rainbow Six.」

「Let’s kill exercise addicts inside this.」

Jin Hyuk narrowed his eyes as he approached the Sphere Capsule.

“Jaguar, how does the wind pass through if it’s this dense?”

“We need to surround the Sphere Cap with fans. Behind the fans, we’ll install heaters and coolers to introduce climate effects-. If the penetration is insufficient, we’ll need to improve the balls.”

Chae Kyu-ho pointed to a pile of boxes stacked in one corner of the research institute.

“Those are all fans. We’ve prepared ones more powerful than strong wind machines.”

Fans with coolers and heaters. Anyway, it meant the Sphere Capsule would get even bigger.

“We need to install even stronger ones on the floor. We need to be able to lift the body.”

Creak-.

The sphere’s entrance opened, and Jin Hyuk and Chae Kyu-ho entered.

“It’s not slippery?”

“We haven’t given any commands yet. We can adjust that with rotation force too.”

As Jin Hyuk positioned himself in the center of the sphere, Chae Kyu-ho mumbled something into the microphone on his collar.

Soon, gloves, boots, a vest, and cycling goggles, all hanging from thin wires, descended from above.

“Let me help you.”

With Chae Kyu-ho’s help, Jin Hyuk put on the equipment.

The fit wasn’t great, but the wires didn’t restrict movement.

“Wear this too.”

After putting on the goggles, Chae Kyu-ho exited the sphere.

The entrance closed, and darkness fell.

A moment later, a thud- was felt as power entered the sphere, and Chae Kyu-ho’s voice came through the goggles.

– Chairman, can you hear me?

“Yeah. I hear you well.”

Though not plugged into the ear, the communication was clear enough.

– Well then-, welcome to a new world-.

With Chae Kyu-ho’s signal, the familiar world unfolded on the previously black goggles.

‘Ooooh-. Thrilling.’

It was Yeouido Park.

Turning his head left and right, objects that should be at those angles appeared, and looking up, the sky was visible. Looking down, he saw the feet of someone wearing sneakers.

The images weren’t smooth and were angular, sometimes cutting out, but with current technology, this was groundbreaking.

‘Money is the issue.’

From hardware and software development to improvements, testing only began today.

So far, development costs alone have reached billions of won. It’s a project that might not even succeed, and even if it does, it’s unclear if it can be sold. Without Hong Ki-jun’s full support, it would have been an impossible challenge.

‘If it fails, I’ll have to cover it with my own money.’

I don’t have to, but if I just lose money, I’ll feel indebted to the public. Anyway, Jin Hyuk has a lot of money. He just can’t withdraw it freely, but the money in RB alone has already surpassed n trillion.

‘I meet Hammond too often.’

Hammond was the only one who frowned at Jin Hyuk’s flexing muscles. Everyone else was in awe, but why does he······.

– Want to move?

Chae Kyu-ho’s voice cut through the distractions.

“Yeah, sure.”

The various operation tests were quite satisfying. As Chae Kyu-ho said, it wasn’t precise, but one of humanity’s strengths is adaptability. Jin Hyuk’s body quickly adapted to the awkward ball rotation. Of course, the machine should adapt to the person, not the other way around, for it to be complete.

It was a pity that the lack of wind effects prevented testing gravity changes and environments.

“I’ll give you plenty of time. Just work safely.”

“Sure.”

“And, Jaguar.”

“Yeah.”

“Make sure it’s sufficient for combat training too.”

“Combat training······. Crawling and shooting······ that kind of thing, right······.”

Tap tap tap-.

Watching Chae Kyu-ho input into his device, Jin Hyuk added.

“Can you add a sync function?”

“Sync? Are you planning to move that with this?”

Razenka.

A 12-meter tall robot crouching on the 6th floor of the dockyard’s underwater research institute.

When Jin Hyuk named it, everyone laughed, but he insisted on emphasizing its domestic origin and pushed it through.

The body was completed with alloy material, and operation software was installed, but a suitable engine hasn’t been found yet, so it’s still in development. For now, they’re hoping UOF is completed soon for large-scale use. If it’s delayed, they’ll have to install a reactor.

“If we overlay real-time field footage on these goggles, wouldn’t it be possible?”

“Theoretically, yes, but to move that hunk of metal as much as I want, hmm······.”

Jin Hyuk placed a hand on Chae Kyu-ho’s shoulder as he pondered, chin in hand.

“That’s why we need sync. If it’s hard to adjust the hunk of metal to the person, adjust the person to the hunk of metal.”

Then he pointed at himself with his thumb.

“It’ll need a lot of power. If it’s the chairman, maybe it’s possible.”

“We’ll do it?”

“We have to! That’s my joy and reason for existence!”

“Brat.”

After encouraging Chae Kyu-ho, who answered vigorously, and the moved researchers, Jin Hyuk headed to the elevator.

Zzzzzzz-.

As soon as he left the lab, his phone vibrated as if it had been waiting.

「My love Ruby」

Oops! Soo-jung!

– Oppa······.

The cracked voice was unfamiliar.

Did this girl cry? Did she feel left alone when I left?

“Uh uh uh-, Soo-jung. Oppa will be right up. I’m sorry-. Oppa was wrong-.”

– I’m thirsty. All I have to drink is bleach and shampoo······. My clothes aren’t dry yet-.

“Don’t wear clothes!”

Ah, no, not that. Uh, uh-

Don’t drink bleach!