After returning home, I stayed up late examining the information I had purchased.
It wasn’t wasted 1 billion won. In addition to information about the research facility, it was packed with various miscellaneous details like the security system, experimental data, and the researchers’ personal information.
The information regarding the industrial spy was the highlight.
There was a spy among the researchers selling secrets to China.
Surprisingly, this information was even more thorough than the research lab’s.
Daily routine, hobbies, debts, home address, search history, and the amount of money received from China – virtually everything about this person was documented.
There was also information on the Chinese agent scheduled to meet with her.
Description, flight details, hotel reservation.
I memorized all the information.
Of course, reporting the human experimentation to the police would be useless. This establishment operates with the tacit approval of the government.
In the original story, an idealistic new researcher tried to expose the truth by leaking research data to communities and contacting TV stations, but everything was covered up. Later, his body was found in his home, labeled as a suicide.
“Hmm? Now that I think about it, the whistleblower was also a woman. Her name wasn’t mentioned though.”
Something about this industrial spy seemed oddly similar.
After confirming all this, I came up with a good idea.
The lab had state-of-the-art security measures, making a frontal attack very difficult. Each section was separated by steel walls that required biometric authentication to pass.
Since I didn’t have clearance, I would have to break through physically. But even I would take time to break steel walls, and during that time, heroes would inevitably converge. And if there’s an S-rank hero among them, that would complicate the situation.
So, I decided to employ a smarter approach.
“Hayeon, I’ll be visiting Laura’s parents for a few days.”
“Okay. I’ll take care of the house.”
I traveled to Busan with Laura. I figured I could get some use of her magic.
We booked a room we had planned ahead of time at a hotel in Busan, where the Chinese agent was staying.
The moment we entered the room, Laura tossed her bags aside and dove onto the bed. Her tail swayed side to side as she lay face down.
I had an impulse to touch it, so I carefully grabbed and stroked her tail.
“Mmm.”
It felt soft yet springy. Her tail was indeed of excellent texture.
“What are you doing?”
I looked up to find Laura staring at me, her eyebrows forming an ‘八’ shape.
“…”
Realizing I had no explanation, I quickly released the tail, only for it to dynamically flick and slap my cheeks.
“Let’s get to work…”
“Alright.”
The agent from China was staying at this hotel. I planned to kill him.
“Seems like the 1 billion won was worth it. They even handed over the spy information.”
Though it felt like they bundled it to sell for a higher price, it was still a gain. Thanks to this information, I figured out an easy way to infiltrate.
A frontal assault wasn’t impossible, but I didn’t see the need to make things unnecessarily hard for myself.
“Miss Laura, is invisibility magic possible?”
“Huh? Yes.”
“Please cast it, just for a bit. I’ll be fast.”
She cast the spell while still lying down.
“Invisible.”
My body became transparent. Looking into the mirror, I couldn’t see myself.
“How long does it last?”
“With my mana, about 30 minutes.”
“Understood.”
I brewed and drank some coffee.
“Hot!”
The water had just boiled, so it burned. I put the cup down and spoke.
“I’ll come back before the tea gets cold.”
I opened the window and jumped out.
The Chinese guy’s room was two floors below.
I used telekinesis to control my fall speed and precisely descended two floors.
The hotel had an ocean view with large glass walls facing the sea. Through the glass, I saw a handsome man lying on the bed with a laptop.
His appearance matched the photos in the dossier.
Crash.
I broke through the window and entered.
“What!”
Panicking, he grabbed a gun and scanned the room, but unfortunately for him, he couldn’t see me. I drew the Dragon Sword and sliced his carotid artery.
He collapsed without any reaction, and the bed became soaked with blood.
A red gem appeared on his body.
‘So, this guy was an Awakened One…!’
I hesitated whether or not to use ‘Succession.’
‘…’
I decided against it. It would bring more harm than good at the moment.
I searched the dead body and his belongings, taking care not to leave any trace that could be identified through scientific investigation.
His passport and an employee ID that said “三体科学院” were present. Likely his cover identity.
I grabbed everything useful and climbed back out through the broken window, using telekinesis to climb back up. It wasn’t very difficult.
I returned to my room.
Laura was still lying down, scrolling on her smartphone.
“What are you watching?”
“O-tube.”
“…”
A mix of complicated feelings arose within me.
‘So dragons also enjoy O-tube, huh.’
I sipped the coffee I’d prepared beforehand. It was lukewarm.
‘At least it’s still warm, so it’s alright.’
I managed to return before the tea got cold.
Without turning her head, Laura said,
“That guy you killed was kinda interesting. By your standards, an A-rank Awakened One, but with ridiculously little karmic weight. It’s the first time I’ve seen such a mismatch. Hmm…he was almost like a Chimera.”
“Is this ‘karma’ Laura speaks of akin to combat experience?”
“Not necessarily combat experience… but if you live truly and earnestly, karma builds up naturally.”
I’m still not entirely sure, but it seems like the person I killed possessed powers disproportionate to his ability. If I think about the “ZEUS” universe, it makes sense. In this world, China is ruled by a group of Awakened Ones who keep progressing in radical ways.
They aim to replace all civilians with Awakened Ones. This insane goal is being seriously pursued as they’ve already produced many genetically modified humans to create an army of Awakened Ones. The DNA samples for the kids I’m trying to rescue were also made in China.
The agent I killed was likely one of these mass-produced Awakened Ones. They create designer babies and if their powers aren’t satisfactory, they’re given growth accelerators to quickly become full-sized adults. These individuals are used as expendables.
On the flip side, if the person has good abilities, they’re given quality education to become future leaders.
Probably why the agent I killed, hastily created, lacked karma.
In any case, I’ve gathered everything I needed, so now it’s time to move to the next step. The researcher colluding with China. I’m meeting her.
*
Haeundae Beach.
Naye Kim sat under a beach umbrella on a beach chair. She wore a bikini, looking like any typical beachgoer.
She was anxiously waiting for someone. The meeting’s time and place had been arranged long ago, but the person she was supposed to meet lost contact the day before. She kept sending emails, but there was no reply.
“What if they don’t show up? This can’t happen…”
Kim Naye was cooperating with China to pay off her debts. In fact, unless she continued her collaboration, she wouldn’t be able to repay them.
Soon, someone approached her. A broad-shouldered blond man with earrings in his ears and a delinquent-like appearance.
“Are you here alone?”
“Uh… Yes.”
Kim Naye thought he was trying to flirt and drawled her response.
‘This isn’t the time for that!’
She was worried that the person she was supposed to meet might walk past her without recognizing her.
Fortunately, her fear was unfounded.
He smirked, pulling out an ID from his pocket. It read “三体科学院,” the familiar Chinese characters of the company buying her information.
She realized this was the agent she was supposed to meet. They had always communicated through messages, so she hadn’t noticed the switch. She assumed his thug-like demeanor was a disguise to blend in.
“So, you’re from the company!”
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Shinnoda took over the conversation naturally, informing her that the plan had changed.
“I will need to enter the laboratory myself.”
“Wait, that wasn’t part of the original plan.”
“The situation has changed. In exchange, I’ll pay you five times the agreed amount. This will essentially be your final task.”
“Hmm… Our lab has strict security measures. Even with me guiding you, it’ll be hard not to get caught…”
“Don’t worry. We have an invisibility item. If we go in late at night, we’ll remain undetected. To be honest, I don’t really need you. It’s just more convenient with your help. If you’re unwilling, we can back out.”
The mention of “five times” swayed Kim Naye. Entering the facility would definitely raise suspicion. But with that amount of money, she could flee to somewhere like the Philippines and live comfortably for the rest of her life.
“Alright, I’ll do it.”
Shinnoda couldn’t help but smile.
“Great.”
The plan was proceeding as expected.
