Kang Hyeon-woo followed the woman deeper underground.
Within the ant-nest-like complexity of the underground, people had managed to build this and that using electricity and make a life for themselves.
“My name is Lena.”
Kang Hyeon-woo followed Lena in silence.
Lena shrugged.
“It's better than you expected, isn't it? Have you ever been to a Resistance base before?”
“Not interested.”
“You're cold.”
There was no way Shinhwa could be unaware of an organization of this size.
Shinhwa simply did not care.
Of course, that was likely also the intention of those who controlled Shinhwa.
The more rampant the Resistance became, the stronger Shinhwa's grip grew.
Creating an external enemy to strengthen unity within.
It was an extremely common governing strategy in the real world of long ago, where Kang Hyeon-woo had once lived.
“This way.”
The place Lena led Kang Hyeon-woo into was a large office.
A huge map of the world had been printed across the wall.
“Have a seat. Let me introduce myself again. I'm Lena, the leader of the Resistance here.”
“SIN.”
“Impressive. I never thought I'd meet two of the Final Seven in my lifetime.”
“Beast's whereabouts.”
“First, hear me out. Do you know about the Biodroid Genome Project?”
“None of my business.”
“It's a project to create living organisms.”
A ruined world.
The birth rate had hit rock bottom.
Through repeated research and development, Shinhwa had created something that could hardly be called a living organism, yet could hardly be called an android either.
“This is a horrible act that goes against the laws of nature.”
“How romantic. The laws of nature, you say.”
What hope could possibly be found in a ruined world? Kang Hyeon-woo thought the young woman before him was naive.
“Why are you telling me about that project?”
“Because Beast came here because of the Genome Project.”
Twitch.
Kang Hyeon-woo's brow twitched.
He, too, had seen and heard things while wandering the world for ninety years.
There were all sorts of back-alley worlds where illegal procedures were performed.
Among them was a special procedure known as ‘Consciousness Transfer.’
Transferring every one of your memories into a tin-can android. In effect, being born anew.
‘Park Seong-jun. Don't tell me…… you bastard……!’
If the reason he was looking for the Genome Project was to escape this time-limited buff.
If he dreamed of immortality by transferring his consciousness into a new body.
‘I'll find you and kill you, you bastard.’
Lena swallowed dryly as she looked at Kang Hyeon-woo's hardened face.
“Why do you look so scary?”
“Tell me about Beast in detail.”
“Beast said the Genome Project absolutely had to be stopped. It was a failed project anyway…….”
Shinhwa had failed with the Genome Project.
Most of the new humans it had created died before long.
They could not even determine why.
“Our Resistance recently succeeded in stealing the final Genome Project test subject while it was passing through Port Mine.”
That was why Park Seong-jun had come here: to see that test subject.
“Recently. You mean the Anomaly explosion that happened this time?”
“No. That was the work of a criminal organization parasitizing Port Mine.”
A criminal organization in Port Mine had caused the Outbreak and pinned it on the Resistance.
“I thought the Resistance and the organization were in league with each other.”
“That's how they're framing it.”
‘There's something in Port Mine too.’
Even so, it was none of Kang Hyeon-woo's concern. He spoke again.
“Beast. What did he do?”
“He said his blood has tremendous regenerative power. That it might be able to save the Genome test subject…….”
Park Seong-jun had given the test subject some of his own blood.
“And he said the Archmage would come here. He told us to make absolutely sure we entrusted the test subject to him…….”
“Ridiculous.”
One thing was now certain.
Park Seong-jun knew that Kang Hyeon-woo was tracking him, and he wanted Kang Hyeon-woo to do something.
“I refuse. Where's that bastard?”
“He just disappeared overnight. So we don't really know either…….”
“Then you're no use to me.”
Kang Hyeon-woo was just about to rise from his seat.
BEEP- BEEP- BEEP- BEEP-.
A loud alarm blared throughout the underground base.
BANG.
The door flew open, and a young man rushed in with a deathly pale face.
***
“M-Master. It's the organization from Port Mine. Three kilometers out.”
“……The organization? Why are they coming here?”
“I don't know. But…… this doesn't look good.”
The man pulled a small pad from inside his clothes.
The screen, apparently recorded from a distance, showed dozens of vehicles and armed men approaching.
“Energy detection indicates there are also numerous C-Grade Mercenaries who have undergone illegal procedures…….”
“What is going on? There has to be a reason!”
Just then.
A new message notification appeared on the pad.
When the man touched the screen, a sharp-eyed man appeared.
“Resistance Master. Lena. By now, I assume you have figured it out. I am the man who oversees Port Mine's underworld. Call me Smith.”
Lena bit her lip.
“Smith? What is this? Didn't we have an unspoken agreement not to interfere with each other?”
“Oh, heh heh heh. An unspoken understanding is not a deal.”
In most cities, the Resistance, criminal organizations, and the Defense Force were bound to end up in power struggles with one another.
Everyone knew when to stop and back off. The Resistance, in the end, was still just a group of people.
“You're going to take on the Resistance outside the city? Do you have a death wish?”
“Oh, heh heh. Can you not tell from the fact that we are heading straight for you?”
Several state-of-the-art weapons resembling machine guns emerged from one of the vehicles on the screen.
“……Don't tell me the Defense Force……”
“All we need is our payment.”
“What do you want?”
“That child. We will take her back.”
“……No!”
“The City Lord seems troubled because of that child. If Port Mine is ruined, it will be troublesome for both of us, will it not?”
“Absolutely not.”
Lena shut off the screen.
Then she turned her gaze toward Kang Hyeon-woo.
“Um…….”
“I refuse.”
There was no reason whatsoever for him to grant their request here.
“I won't ask you to help us. Then please, just see the child once.”
“I don't understand. Why?”
“Beast said you'd understand once you saw her.”
‘Park Seong-jun…….’
Kang Hyeon-woo let out a small sigh.
“Lead the way.”
***
Even deeper underground.
There was not even anyone passing through this area.
A large steel door that had been firmly locked opened, revealing the interior.
Inside a vast space that seemed to be about three stories tall stood a glass tube filled with some unknown liquid, like a giant tank.
A young girl was asleep at the center of the tube.
“As far as I know, she's officially the only Biodroid left in the entire world.”
“Didn't you say it goes against the laws of nature? Why didn't you dispose of her?”
“Beast said this child might become humanity's hope. That's why he gave her some of his blood.”
BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.
[Tracking Target : Beast]
Kang Hyeon-woo's Tracking Device was telling him that the child before him was connected to Beast.
Lena approached the controller in front of the glass tube and operated several buttons.
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE-THUD—.
The liquid drained away with a heavy sound.
Lena gathered the girl into her arms with the clothes she had prepared and dressed her.
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!
The entire underground shook.
“Looks like those bastards have arrived. Please take care of the child.”
Lena quickly ran out.
A short while later, the girl, now on the ground, opened her eyes.
“Where…… is this? Who…… am I?”
Kang Hyeon-woo watched her for a moment, then turned his back.
“I've fulfilled Beast's request. That should be enough. I'm leaving.”
At that moment, the girl's eyes widened.
“Beast? Beast? Mr. Bear, the man who shared his blood with me?”
Kang Hyeon-woo, who had turned away, stopped and faced the girl.
“You remember him?”
“……Yes. I can feel him.”
“Details.”
“He's bleeding to the southeast of here.”
“Distance?”
“I don't know. It's faint from here.”
Kang Hyeon-woo narrowed his eyes.
‘A life-form that shares his blood. So she's a living tracker, is that it?’
Was that why Park Seong-jun had sent Kang Hyeon-woo here? Kang Hyeon-woo could not fathom what Park Seong-jun was thinking.
‘Isn't it almost as if he's telling me to follow him?’
“I call the bear who shared his blood with you Beast. I'm looking for that bastard.”
“Ah, Mr. Bear?”
“Come with me.”
“Okay. I want to find him too.”
RUMMMMMBLE.
The underground space shook even more violently.
Kang Hyeon-woo took the child with him and headed to the surface.
***
“Aaaaaaargh—!”
BOOM-BOOM-BOOM—!
THUD-. THUD-.
The surface looked like a battlefield.
The gang members who had come for the Resistance attacked the abandoned factory district as if bombarding it, using the firearms and skills they had brought with them.
The Resistance hid between the buildings and fought back, but they were clearly outmatched in firepower.
“Let's go.”
Kang Hyeon-woo led the child onward.
“Aren't you going to help them?”
“This isn't our fight. Their request was only that I take care of you. There's no need to get any more involved.”
It was a fight between the Resistance and a criminal organization.
There was no reason for Kang Hyeon-woo to interfere.
“……There! I see the target!”
Someone shouted through the explosions.
For a moment, the fighting stopped, and every gaze turned toward Kang Hyeon-woo and the child.
“Get them!”
“Stop them!”
The situation changed in an instant.
Everyone charged toward Kang Hyeon-woo.
“If you can't capture her, kill her!”
RATATATATAT—!
The sound of Core Guns rang out.
And several masses glowing in strange colors.
Skills from the Awakened flew at them as well.
‘Absolute Shield.’
HMMMMM—!
A glowing white sphere formed around Kang Hyeon-woo and the child. It was a thick barrier that looked to be more than ten centimeters thick.
THUNK. THUNK. TH-THUNK—.
The hail of Core Gun bullets.
The dozens of skills flying through the air.
None of them could pierce Kang Hyeon-woo's shield.
“Wow. What's this?”
“It's a shield.”
“Woooow…….”
“It's useful.”
RATATATATATATAT.
THUD. THUD. THUD. BOOM. BOOM.
The attacks continued with tremendous explosions, fierce enough to crater the ground.
Yet Kang Hyeon-woo and the child kept walking slowly, as if they were merely out for a stroll.
“Grrgh……! What is that bastard?! What is he?!”
“Pour it on! Kill him! Kill him!”
“If we go back like this, the City Lord's going to kill us. Either way, we're dead!”
‘The City Lord……? Seed?’
Kang Hyeon-woo stopped walking.
‘Phase Intervention.’
‘Classification.’
‘Reverse Gravity.’
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-THUD—!
A gigantic white sphere spread across the entire factory district.
The gang members Kang Hyeon-woo had thoroughly Classified were lifted high into the sky by Reverse Gravity.
“W-what? What's this……?!”
“That's a high-grade Awakened……! Just hold out a little longer! He can't maintain a skill like this for long!”
‘Hold.’
Kang Hyeon-woo bound the man who had mentioned Seed with a ring of light. The ring slowly pulled the airborne man toward Kang Hyeon-woo.
“Repeat what you just said.”
“W-what are you talking about?!”
“If you make me ask twice, I'll kill you on the spot.”
“E-eek……! He's a high-grade Awakened…… J-just hold…… out.”
“Not that. Before that.”
“If we go back empty-handed…… the City Lord's going to kill…… us.”
“Did the City Lord hire you? For the record, my warning that I'll kill you if you answer with a question still stands.”
“E-eek……!”
Fear filled the man's eyes.
His fellow gang members were flailing helplessly in the blue sky.
A man surrounded by a sphere of light.
And gang members floating in the sky, trapped within that barrier of light.
It was a shocking sight beyond anything he had ever imagined in his life.
“A-actually…….”
It was all the doing of Lee Yeon-gak, the son of City Lord Seed.
Among the confidential goods headquarters had sent to the port under his management was a test subject.
The Resistance had managed to secretly steal that test subject from the port.
When Seed learned of this, he fretted that headquarters might use his blunder as grounds to replace him as City Lord.
If he deployed the Defense Force in large numbers to this place where the Resistance was hiding in order to find the test subject, headquarters was certain to learn of his mistake. There was no major justification for suddenly sending a large force beyond the city to wipe out the Resistance.
Seed knew in advance that an Anomaly would occur right in the middle of Port Mine, and he deliberately made no preparations.
When the resulting Anomaly Outbreak finally erupted, he pinned it on the Resistance.
After that, he had the criminal organization attack the Resistance.
Even if the criminal organization and the Resistance fought and inflicted losses on each other, Seed had nothing to lose.
His thinking was that, under the pretext of putting an end to the fighting between the two organizations, he could send the Defense Force in afterward, taking his time, to clean up the remnants. That way, he could rack up accomplishments and recover the stolen goods as well.
“Stupid.”
Seed had sent the organization even though he knew Kang Hyeon-woo was here.
It was a cheap scheme based on a shallow calculation: if they were lucky, they might even eliminate Kang Hyeon-woo, and at the very least, Lee Yeon-gak expected Kang Hyeon-woo to help the City Lord's side because he was acquainted with his father, Seed.
‘Dispel.’
The white magic barrier surrounding the area vanished in an instant. The people floating in the sky plummeted to the ground.
“Aaaaaaargh!”
THUD- THUD- THUD—.
Dull impacts were followed by screams erupting all around.
The Resistance quickly rushed out from every direction and bound the gang members.
The man caught in Hold stared at Kang Hyeon-woo with an aghast expression.
“With this, Port Mine's punishment has been decided.”
“……Punishment?”
‘Meteor Strike.’
RUMBLE-RUMBLE-RUMBLE-THUD.
Dark clouds suddenly began gathering in the clear sky.