Chapter 105
“My... word!”
The bubbling of water and the noisy sound of machinery echoed from the director’s room. The white-haired old man, Adolf, the assistant director of Weishaupt Research Institute, expressed delight as he held a glass vial.
“Whose is it?! Whose blood is this?!” he shouted.
A small amount of red blood was gathered at the bottom of the vial, but Adolf’s left eye could see much more than that.
“It’s perfect! A perfect hexagonal matrix!”
He could see the genes inside the blood. The hexagonal genes were endlessly bound together, each hexagon holding a mystical, iridescent aura. Adolf simply stared blankly at the awesome genetic makeup.
“Perfectly balanced... It’s the most stable among all the genes I’ve seen.”
It resembled a beehive. Beehives were hexagonal because it was the most efficient way to use space while minimizing the use of materials to create them, allowing for maximal storage with strong structural support.
Although triangular or quadrangular structures could also bind with one another without gaps in between, triangular shapes required more materials and lacked space and quadrangular shapes easily crumbled from external pressure.
In comparison, hexagonal shapes had several sides for binding, making them much more stable because they could easily disperse the pressure throughout the structure.
“And the aura inside them... has such high tolerance! What kind of aura is this?”
Adolf thought about the iridescent aura’s nature but lacked the knowledge to figure it out. It was only natural since it was the aura of the Harmony Stone, the Race Stone of the fairies.
“It doesn’t matter! As long as I have this...” he trailed off.
He was sure that this blood would determine the success or failure of the Ark Project, which had been in progress before he was even born. He had obtained this blood by pure chance because Weishaupt Research Institute’s structure allowed it to collect samples whenever required from anywhere.
The Failure Bodies he had recently unleashed engaged with the intruders. They seemed considerably powerful because the Failure Bodies were utterly defeated. However, a few drops of blood managed to be collected in the blood tank.
It belongs to one of the intruders! They have the perfect genetic structure! I must capture them! Adolf shouted inwardly, his eyes filled with madness and obsession.
He pressed a yellow button and shouted into a microphone, “Capture all the intruders and bring them to me! Every single one! Test subjects, security, researchers, it doesn’t matter who you are! This is your highest priority!”
The atmosphere of Weishaupt Research Institute changed after Adolf’s order.
***
[No.789 Test Subject Body of the race Chaos, discovered.]
“Intruders discovered!” a naked man at the end of the corridor shouted.
In the middle of his chest was an os, a fist-sized black orb.
“Volante, fall back! Stopper, forward!” Seong-Hwi ordered.
“Huy yo!” Leo cried as he charged to fill Enrique’s position.
[Activating Unique Skill: Spirit of Maasai.]
[Activating Unique Skill: Armification.]
Roar!
Leo grabbed his D Weapon, Rhodes, which had become an oval shield through Armification.
“Gyahaha! A lion, huh? It’s been a while since I’ve seen one!”
The Chaos man enveloped in grey Chaos Mana stomped on the ground to leap, instantly reaching Leo.
[Activating Race Skill: Bone Fist.]
A giant bone fist was generated from the Chaos man’s fist, slamming into Rhodes.
“Huy gaga!”
Although Leo was pushed back, he still managed to stop the Chaos monster’s attack, fulfilling his role as a stopper.
“Sweeper! Switch with the stopper! Crack, charge!” Seong-Hwi ordered.
Nakivarro, the sweeper, raised the Tuluta Round Shield and switched positions with Leo.
“DIE!” the Chaos shouted as he raised his bone fist again.
Just then, Yuri, the crack attacker, summoned the Black Dog of Grievance to activate Mythical Beastification and charged at the Chaos man to bite his flank.
[Activating Unique Skill: Grieving Spirit Binge.]
“Damn mutt!” the Chaos man shouted as he repeatedly punched Yuri, who would not separate from his flank.
However, Yuri did not loosen his jaw despite getting covered in blood. He simply growled as his eyes shone with madness.
“What are you doing, raumdeuter?!” Seong-Hwi shouted.
“I’m ready!” Khanh answered from the far rear. She aimed her D Weapon, M1903 Springfield, at the monster’s os and shouted, “Shot!”
[Activating Unique Skill: Penetrating Bullet.]
Khanh’s bullet ripped through the air toward the Chaos man’s os. As the bullet was about to penetrate it, bone spikes suddenly sprouted from the Chaos.
“GAAAH!” Yuri, who had been attached to his flank, screamed as holes formed all over his body.
The Chaos man easily dodged the Penetrating Bullet now that his movements were unrestricted.
“Dammit! I missed! What the hell is that?!” Khanh shouted.
“It’s his Secondary Transformation! He’s a goddamn Uluhatu!”
“Cursore! Complete! Follow me! Interno, ready a healing skill!” Seong-Hwi ordered as wings sprouted from his back.
[Operating Wings of Evolution.]
[Five Wings.]
Seong-Hwi instantly reached Nakivarro’s side and pulled a card from the Tarot Deck of Destiny, showing a man with blue will-o'-the-wisps for eyes, rampaging throughout a battlefield with one old sword. He instantly activated his two unique skills.
[Activating Unique Skill: Borrowing Destiny.]
[Chok Chun-Gyong the Unfortunate Martial God]
[Activating Unique Skill: Symbol Embodiment.]
[Sword of Koksan.][1]
His eyes blazed with blue will-o'-the-wisps like Chun-Gyong, and an old iron sword appeared in his hand.
“Nakivarro! Get back!” he shouted.
“What?” Nakivarro asked as he frowned.
“Get away from my striking distance!”
Nakivarro flinched from the sudden burst of Seong-Hwi’s mana and quickly jumped back toward the rear. Seong-Hwi activated one more skill.
[Activating Exclusive Skill: Chok’s National Sword Technique.]
Chok’s National Sword Technique consisted of thirty-three movements—twenty-four cuts and nine thrusts. Seong-Hwi instinctively knew what a sword was, what it wanted, and what it was made for. A sword was born to cut and thrust; no more, no less. After realizing that, Seong-Hwi realized he had become one with the sword.
Draw Sword, he said inwardly.
He unsheathed the Sword of Koksan, making a clear sound, unlike its old appearance.
High Guard Stance.
Seong-Hwi grabbed the Sword of Koksan with both hands and pulled it toward his left shoulder, staring at the target.
“Gahahaha! I’ll turn you into a skewer!” the Chaos man, who now looked like a white tree or a hedgehog, laughed crazily as he charged at Seong-Hwi.
They’re perfect for cutting and thrusting practice.
Seong-Hwi commenced his sword dance.
Inner Right Strike. Step Forth and Kill. Golden Pheasant Stands Alone. Strike from the Peak. Golden Pheasant Stands Alone, again. Step Forth and Strike.[2]
Inner Right Strike was for attacking the opponent’s right flank. Step Forth and Kill was for stepping forward and killing the enemy. Golden Pheasant Stands Alone was a stance where one raised their left leg and raised the sword over their head. Strike from the Peak was a downward slash. Step Forth and Strike was for stepping forward and attacking the enemy.
Each movement was quickly linked with the other. His movements were smooth and fluid as a stream, but the result was not.
“GAAAH!” the Chaos man screamed.
The attacks occurred in a single breath and destroyed the Chaos man’s bone spikes, leaving just his bare flesh. Frank and Sonya charged from behind Seong-Hwi.
“Haaah!” Frank shouted as he raised his Flame Sword from the right.
“Die!” Sonya yelled as she spun her D Weapon, Tannesberg Pinwheel, from the left.
[Activating Item Skill: Fireworks.]
[Activating Unique Skill: Wind Cutter.]
Frank’s Fireworks destroyed the Chaos man’s right arm, and Sonya’s Wind Cutter severed his left, leaving the Chaos defenseless. Seong-Hwi dealt the finishing blow by thrusting the Sword of Koksan through the Chaos man’s os.
Straight Thrust! he shouted inwardly.
“Kurgh!” the Chaos man grunted as he writhed in pain and crumbled.
The Chaos Mana enveloping him dissipated, and black blood seeped out of his head orifices as if the liquid lost its surface tension.
[No.789 Test Subject Body of the race Chaos, defeated.]
[Party hunt.]
[925,180 Karma obtained.]
[Major purification merits obtained.]
...
Seong-Hwi examined the Akasha Messages and slowly sheathed the Sword of Koksan.
Sheathe Sword, he said inwardly.
***
“We’ve been here for four days, right? The monsters are getting more and more terrifying. My cam drone... didn’t even register this guy,” Enrique said as he poked the Chaos man, now a lump of flesh, with his foot.
“It’s not your fault. He was a Uluhatu-rank Chaos,” Frank consoled.
“I’m this team’s volante. What kind of direction finder doesn’t know the way? Dammit,” Enrique said self-mockingly. He then turned to stare at Seong-Hwi and mumbled, “On the other hand... our second commander is outrageous. Who the hell is he?”
Seong-Hwi stood still with his hands in his hoodie pocket, seemingly in deep thought.
“Haha! You think so too, right? He’s not normal, especially his swordsmanship. It’s phenomenal,” Frank replied.
“Is it? I’m not a martial artist, so I can’t tell.”
“It is! He has no wasted movements! If you want a detailed explanation...”
As Enrique was about to run away from Frank to escape his rant, Seong-Hwi suddenly said, “Why has the difficulty suddenly gone up?”
“What?”
“The Chaos monsters are too different compared to the beginning.”
“Well, of course. This is an S-rank dungeon. Didn’t you see the Akasha Message? It said this guy was the 789th test subject, meaning there are more like him,” Gardner replied as he illuminated the bloody Yuri with Healing Spotlight.
Seong-Hwi shook his head and remarked, “No, I’m not doubting their power. I’d expect nothing less from an S-rank dungeon. What I mean is their behavior.”
“Behavior?” Sonya asked, tilting her head.
Enrique also thought deeply and nodded. “You’re right... Their attitude completely changed in only four days. They initially treated us like annoying flies to swat away whenever we got in their faces, but now, they’re actively conducting searches.”
“Yeah, it’s as if... They’re looking for something,” Seong-Hwi replied.
“Looking for something? Could it be... the Elixir?” Gardner asked.
“Perhaps.”
The light in the team members’ eyes changed.
“They know about the Elixir? Aren’t we fucked, then?” Frank said.
“They might have hidden it deep in the dungeon,” Nakivarro added. He turned to Seong-Hwi and continued, “If that’s the case, we’re wasting our time. We have to regroup with Onie Yuki.”
“Dude, why are you jumping to conclusions? Nothing is set in stone yet,” Enrique said to Nakivarro, who snorted.
Everyone on the team knew what was on Nakivarro’s mind; he preferred to follow Yuki’s orders over Seong-Hwi’s.
“Urgh... Kekekek! But they give a shit ton of Karma! I’m satisfied. No, beyond satisfied!” Yuri said as he leaned on a wall after being sufficiently healed.
“Well, I suppose.”
“I got five hundred thousand Karma. What about you, Sonya?”
“Five hundred thirty thousand...”
“I’ve gotta admit, this place is a Karma mine. We might be a better team than we thought.”
“Tsk, too bad the purification merits are useless for us. Well, I suppose it can’t be helped since this world is guaranteed to end.”
As the team members were chatting with one another, Leo, who had been rummaging through the Chaos man’s corpse, approached Seong-Hwi.
“Cheon Seong-Hwi,” he called.
“Hm? What is it? It’s the first time you’ve approached me,” Seong-Hwi asked unexpectedly.
Seong-Hwi struck up conversations with Leo several times over the past four days, but Leo simply gave short answers to cut the conversation short.
“I found this on his waist,” Leo said as he handed Seong-Hwi a syringe the size of an index finger.
[Doctor S.G.’s Syringe (Artifact)
Rank: F(0)
Description: A syringe that can hold 100 liters of blood. It is currently holding 5 litres. The mixed blood can be separated at any time. The blood of 23 individuals is held at the moment.]
“An artifact?” Seong-Hwi said.
It was an odd artifact. Since artifacts had at least C-rank potential, one could only find their true potential by investing Karma into them, but the artifact did not seem particularly useful.
Leo expressed hesitation once he handed Seong-Hwi the artifact, and then remarked, “Cheon Seong-Hwi. There is something... I would like to ask you.”
“About what?”
“About what you mentioned last time... regarding Sir Kabuka.”
Seong-Hwi smiled faintly as he thought, Took you long enough, you inflexible bastard.
“Sure thing,” he replied.
Leo stared at Seong-Hwi, his face filled with guilt and curiosity. Nakivarro watched them from afar, his expression dark.
1. Koksan is Chok Chun-Gyong’s place of birth. ☜
2. These are the names of each sword movement. ☜