Episode 157
[The item you mentioned has arrived. See you at the lab.]
‘You’re here.’
The hand holding the cell phone takes strength.
There were two items to be delivered to ‘Irregular’.
One is a helicopter-type device obtained from the ‘Trinity’ guild.
The second is a cursed object sent from France far across the sea.
It was dark matter.
The text message that arrived a little while ago was from Doisu of ‘Umbrella Industries.’
‘Irregulars’ is a small group of elites and does not have a separate research center like other guilds.
Since the product is a product, collaboration with a state-of-the-art research institute with which a relationship of trust is established is necessary.
In that sense, Doisu was the perfect partner for me.
Above all, isn’t Dr. Jin in a separate research institute he runs?
“It’s my day off, so it’s a good thing.”
The Irregular did not have any special schedules in recent days.
It hasn’t been long since I exhausted my stamina in Gyeryong City, and since I will soon be going through a hard time in the ‘Hidden Dungeon’, I thought I would enjoy my freedom in the meantime.
‘But I don’t know if there are people who might be interested… … .’
I posted a notice in the chat room where the Irregular members were.
[Dark matter has arrived from France. We are planning to move to Dr. Jin’s lab tomorrow. Will anyone join us?]
Then, in less than 5 seconds, a reply arrived from Bisu.
[ㅗ]
“Oh my gosh… … .”
In the first place, I didn’t even expect Bisu.
Yuk Cheol-wan was embarrassed, saying he had made an appointment with his wife, and Chen also left a short comment saying he would not attend.
He’s a funny guy.
Sitting with me on the sofa at home right now.
“Tell me directly when you’re next to me, why are you sending me a message?”
“Then what if you say something else later? “I just made my intention clear.”
“and. “You blatantly treat people like frauds.”
Then Chen twitched his lips and laughed.
“Then isn’t it? “When I saw you robbing the helicopter, it seemed like S-class wasn’t enough and you should be called a ‘super-level’ conman.”
“No. No. “I just got a fair deal.”
“Usually, scammers also make excuses like that.”
“This bastard… … .”
How can he lead The Irregular if he has a relationship of trust like this?
While I was shaking my head and lamenting, a message from Kang Jeong-hyeon arrived.
[I will also not attend.]
That was quite a surprising answer.
Kang Jeong-hyeon was a friend who would always come out when called, even if there was nothing special going on.
I used to say that I had nothing to do alone.
“It looks like Jeonghyun wants to rest for a while, too.”
Chen answered me bluntly.
“Probably not.”
“huh? “What does that mean?”
“You said that last time. “I want to try growing stronger plants.”
“Is it stronger here? “Are you planning on conquering the Earth?”
“It seems like you were stimulated by Yuk Cheol-wan’s growth. Since Kang Jeong-hyeon is not a typical knight type, it will be difficult to utilize buffs like Yuk Cheol-wan. “He probably intends to increase the plant’s power in his own way.”
“There is a guy who goes shopping all day. “It’s amazing.”
When I think of Kang Jeong-hyeon, who is sweating like crazy, the corners of my mouth naturally go up.
“By the way, when did you become so close to Jeonghyun?”
“Are you getting closer?”
“uh. “I feel weird knowing that you didn’t even tell me.”
“It’s not strange, it just seems like something I should blame myself for. Doesn’t that mean he is not trusted as a leader?”
“hey. Is there a leader in the world who wins a helicopter on a single bet? “If you have a leader as good as me, come out and see me.”
“But in the end, I will end up going to the lab alone.”
“Tsk… … .”
When did this kid become so talkative?
Just as I was relieving my bitterness from the assault on facts, the final reply arrived.
[Let’s go together, Hunter.]
The member who sent the message was Maria.
* * *
A man and a woman ride down the road in a sports car.
Everyone’s outfit is neat, and the sky is clear.
To anyone, it would have seemed like a couple going on a date, but unfortunately today’s schedule was far from a date.
“Franco kept his promise.”
“They said they would kill me if I didn’t send the dark matter.”
“… … .”
Maria narrowed her eyes once and let out a small sigh.
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“Haeseon Hunter, I really don’t know even if I know him.”
“Me?”
“yes. “I’ve been with a lot of different hunters while I’ve been in the Glory Guild, but this is the first time I’ve met someone like Hunter Haeseon Cheon.”
“Is that an insult or a compliment?”
“well?”
A smile clearer than the clear sky forms on her lips.
It was a shame that today’s plan wasn’t a date, and Maria’s complexion didn’t show a single flaw.
“Looking back on what happened in Gyeryong City… … I think the real ‘Janus’ is not CEO Song Woo-sang, but Hunter Cheon Hae-seon. To think of making such a scary bet with such a bright face… … “If dark matter hadn’t arrived, Hunter would have really flown to France.”
“Do you really think I would kill Franco?”
Although she joked as usual, Maria answered in a firm tone.
“I would have killed at least half of them. With dark matter in her hands.”
hmm.
I guess I couldn’t deny that.
“But I have no intention of blocking Hunter’s path just because of my mycelia.”
I have tuberculosis.
I almost turned the steering wheel wrong.
Her voice was still soft, but the words she spoke had a completely different feel from the usual Maria.
“I know. To lead your team and save the world, you can’t just run on paved roads. “Sometimes blood gets spilled, sometimes you have to point fingers, and sometimes you get scammed.”
“Hey. I don’t commit fraud. As I have said many times, helicopters are legitimately… … .”
“Still, I hope Goo Geon doesn’t lose himself like CEO.”
“!”
This time, the vehicle really deviated slightly from its path.
I can’t hide my feelings because my emotions are conveyed through the steering wheel.
“I don’t want to see myself destroyed again because of my desire to become stronger.”
Now I see that dark matter is just an excuse.
Maria seemed to want to say this today.
“Are you worried that I might use dark matter like Gu Geon?”
“I know that Hunter Cheon Hae-seon is different from CEO Gu Geon-i. However, every hunter wants to become stronger, and as the gap with the opponent widens, they feel a great sense of loss.”
The various dirty feelings I felt after dealing with Mine.
That might be similar to the feelings Goo Geon felt towards me.
Maria was mentioning that very point.
“I don’t know what CEO Goo Gun-i was like in terms of business, but at least he was always sincere and honest when it came to training. That such a person put dark matter into his body… … “I really feel like he sold his soul to the devil.”
“Do not worry too much. “I can’t be like Goo Geon.”
Although his gaze is directed forward, he can feel Maria’s subtle gaze.
“Because it’s real. “I have suffered all my life because of the poison in my body. How could I possibly put something strange in my body again?”
“that… … but… … .”
“It is true that I felt impatient after dealing with Mine. That guy is ridiculously strong, and it wouldn’t be surprising if he attacked tomorrow. But I never thought that dark matter would be a source of hope. Because he clearly witnessed what happened after using that substance. furthermore… … .”
“?”
“Hope was already found elsewhere. “I recently received a special substance from Chairman Lee Sa-soon.”
“special… … “Substances?”
“yes. “It is an energy that is completely opposite to dark matter, but I cannot show it to you because I am not yet good at controlling it.”
“Hmm.”
Maria responded with complete doubt.
“… … Now, if I say something, they seem to suspect that I’m scamming them. Right?”
“Ho Ho. no.”
Is it because they say they found another hope?
Maria’s face felt a little brighter than before.
“I’ve already gotten the clues to deal with Mine. But dark matter is worth studying in its own way. There is a possibility of counteracting the hunters who have been blackened by dark matter, and possibly returning them to their original state.”
“I would really like that to happen.”
It is said that if you know your enemy and yourself, you will not be defeated.
How dark matter takes over Hunter’s body.
And what is the source of that power.
It will be an important clue not only when dealing with hunters who have become chimeras, but also against demons.
“ah. “There you are.”
In the distance, you can see Dr. Jin standing at the entrance.
It was as if air had been blown into her mouth. Her plump cheeks were still the same, but there was a slight difference.
‘You’ve gained a little weight.’
He said that if he is comfortable, he will gain weight without any measures, but he seems to be quite satisfied with his life here.
Above all, the biggest change is that Dr. Jin is ‘out there’ without any anxiety.
Considering that I suffered quite a bit from paranoia, I could say it was a huge improvement.
“Welcome. “It’s such a sad picture to see in a place like this.”
“yes?”
“I’m saying this because I like the relationship between the two.”
“no way. “What are you saying?”
While she was waving one arm, saying this was nonsense, Maria’s ears began to slowly heat up.
… … Why is the reaction like this?
“Because we had just arrived, we were unable to conduct a detailed analysis. But even to the naked eye, he doesn’t look like an ordinary guy.”
We moved to the laboratory and stared at the black substance contained in the flask.
An ominous substance that cannot be clearly distinguished as solid or liquid.
It even trembled occasionally, as if it was moving on its own.
“Just by looking at its movements, it looks like the low-level slime you see in the dungeon.”
“yes? It felt like a living thing rather than a substance. “First of all, as a matter of urgency, I tried to put this guy in a laboratory rat.”
Dr. Jin pointed to a transparent square box on one side.
“Sigh.”
The inside of the transparent box was so miserable that even Maria, who had fought countless battles, had to quickly cover her mouth.
The boxes were strewn with unrecognizable things that had been scratched and eaten by each other, and fresh blood was splattered on the skin that would have originally been white.
“It happened like this even though I put in a very small amount. As you can see, his personality has become very vicious, and his strength has increased several times compared to his original strength.”
“It looks very similar to the hunter who became a chimera.”
It was disgusting to look at, but I checked everywhere in the box.
If you replace these guys with human beings, there would be no such thing as hell.
However, in this seemingly intact box, I saw the only thing that was not damaged.
“What is this?”
“I tried putting in artificial skin. “We looked at how these guys react to the human body.”
“however… … “Are you okay?”
“okay. We wanted to find out what mechanism is at work that allows chimeric hunters to eat people. But the assumption we made was fundamentally wrong.”
“Family… … “Wrong?”
Dr. Jin continued speaking with cold eyes.
“As you saw, the lab rats showed no reaction to human skin. It wasn’t just manipulating people into eating them. An insatiable appetite for guys who look like themselves. “I think that’s the essence.”
“If it’s guys who look like you… … .”
“Cannibalism.”
“!”
My face suddenly stiffened at Dr. Jin’s words.
“It appears that dark matter was designed to prey on its own species. If this substance affects all animals as well as humans… … .”
A world where all races prey on others of their own kind.
It was clear what would happen at the end of the father-in-law’s return.
“All life on earth will become extinct.”
Dr. Jin nodded heavily at my answer.
