Chapter 192 : Chapter 192
Chapter 192 - Combo (2)
The Gwangun Sword Family was a sword family, but it was also like a corporate entity in itself.
They ran dozens of businesses through the byproducts their warriors brought back from dungeons or the Abyss.
In particular, the recent establishment of the Magic Engineering Research Center within the Gwangun Sword Family was evaluated by the public as the final touch to their success.
The magnificent, dozens-of-stories-tall corporate building that greeted people as soon as they entered the family’s gates was a point of pride for the Gwangun Sword Family.
"Unit Leader Ji-han. Was my acting good?"
Rosie was feeling proud of herself.
While her sudden outburst was a bit bothersome, it had yielded good information.
The real Yoo Seong-jin, whom Rosie was currently disguised as, would not return to the family for another two hours.
So, I decided to praise her for now.
"Yes. You did well, Rosie."
"It feels strangely good to receive praise from you. On that note, give my head a little pat too."
"No."
"Why?"
"Right now, you look like a dark, middle-aged man. Besides, your role is currently someone much higher in rank than me."
"Oh, right!"
Rosie seemed to realize her mistake and lightly tapped her own head.
I wished she would stop doing things like that too.
"You did well, but it is a bit problematic when you overreact like you did earlier. And it would be better if you kept your words to a minimum."
"Because I might make a mistake?"
"Yes. Your disguise is perfect so there is no worry of being caught, but the other person might still find it strange."
"Okay. Unit Leader Ji-han, instead, you have to give me all the head pats later at once. Got it?"
I nodded.
It felt like I was taming a puppy.
Of course, I could not tell Rosie that.
"Hey! Unit Leader Taewol!"
Taewol Unit Leader was Yoo Seong-jin’s title.
As soon as we entered the office building, someone called out to us.
I wanted to avoid talking to anyone if possible, but I had expected such a situation.
I had sufficiently familiarized myself with the key figures of the Gwangun Sword Family.
The man blocking our path now was Choi Jeong-do.
He was known as Yoo Seong-jin’s contemporary and rival.
"…."
Rosie simply nodded lightly, as we had practiced.
"I heard you were returning today. Did you achieve any special results in the Abyss?"
"That is a matter I must report to the Family Head first."
Rosie's acting was more natural than I had expected.
"Tsk. I heard you've been in and out of the Family Head's office constantly lately. Haven't you become a bit too arrogant?"
"So, what is your business?"
At Rosie's words, Choi Jeong-do’s expression twisted oddly.
"We are the only two peers left, so let us not be like this. Hmm?"
"If you have nothing more to say, I will be going."
"What on earth are you plotting lately? The Family Head doesn't say anything, but there is clearly something going on."
As he spoke, Choi Jeong-do glared at Rosie.
If that 'something' was about zombies, then even Choi Jeong-do knew nothing about it.
If even someone of his rank did not know, it meant the project was being conducted in extreme secrecy even within the Gwangun Sword Family.
"And the movements of your Taewol Unit have been quite suspicious lately. Like that restricted 10th floor that only you guys are allowed to enter. Are you really not going to tell me?"
"I cannot say."
Initially, I had hoped not to run into anyone, but Choi Jeong-do had provided a significant amount of information.
I learned that the zombie issue was a project being secretly plotted only by the Family Head and the Taewol Unit, at least for now.
"By the way, who is that guy next to you? He's a face I've never seen before."
"He is a new recruit."
"The Taewol Unit is just strange lately. Constantly hiring new recruits and all."
This was enough to solidify my suspicion.
When I gave Rosie a slight look, she spoke in a cold voice.
"If you have nothing more to say, I shall take my leave."
"That arrogant attitude is the same as ever. Let's see how long that lasts!"
Rosie turned her head away and began walking past him, and I followed immediately behind her.
I could feel Choi Jeong-do’s sharp gaze on my back.
"Unit Leader Ji-han. I did well, right?"
Rosie's lips moved to form the words silently.
***
The elevator.
After letting a few pass, we were finally the only two left.
"Unit Leader Ji-han. You said the 10th floor, right?"
"Yes."
That was the place where I had sensed the zombie energy even in the emergency stairwell on the day of Choi Ho-joong’s duel.
Hearing Choi Jeong-do’s words, it seemed the 10th floor was still a restricted area.
Something was definitely happening there.
Naturally, the first place to investigate was the 10th floor. However.
"Huh? Unit Leader Ji-han. Is it not working?"
No matter how many times I pressed the 10th-floor button, the light would come on and then immediately go out.
"It must be because it is a restricted area."
"Unit Leader Ji-han. Let me try."
Rosie stepped forward, but there was no way this would work.
"I think it might be better to just take the stairs."
Even if Rosie could make the light on the 10th-floor button stay on with lightning magic, the operation of the elevator itself was another matter.
Rosie pressed the button firmly.
A mana with a unique quality leaked from her hand.
As expected, the light came on.
Of course, that did not mean the elevator would move.
Just as I thought that.
Whir.
The elevator gave a slight jolt and began to ascend.
"Rosie. How did you do that?"
"I am not exactly sure myself, but as long as it works, it is fine, right?"
I did not know what kind of trick this was, but I could once again feel that a dragon's abilities were truly remarkable.
The elevator stopped at the 10th floor in an instant.
Of course, this was not the end.
The entrance door was firmly locked.
As Rosie approached the door, a scanner recognized her face and began activating the biometric security system.
A moment later, the message that appeared on the screen was exactly what I had feared.
[Unregistered user.]
While she looked almost identical on the outside, she did not match the fine details.
"Unit Leader Ji-han. Should I just break the door?"
"If I had intended to do that here, I would have caused a scene from the 1st floor and come up."
"If you are worried about causing a disturbance, I can just cast Silence around here."
"You can do that too?"
"Unit Leader Ji-han. I am a dragon."
Rosie looked at me and grinned.
She truly belonged to a cheat-like race.
"If you can perfectly block the sound, then breaking the door wouldn't be a bad idea."
Rosie immediately went into action.
"Silent!"
Simultaneously with the incantation, although invisible to the eye, I could feel a series of barriers forming around us.
I could only let out a hollow laugh.
"This actually works?"
"Yes. It is perfectly sealed, not a single sound can leak out."
The target of my revenge was the progenitor of such magic.
And a mature dragon at that, not just a hatchling.
"Do you want to try breaking the door, Unit Leader Ji-han?"
I nodded and immediately channeled mana into the Holy Sword Bastian.
Through the journey in Hardeon, the speed at which I recovered my past strength had become even faster.
It was a significant factor that my body, which had been contaminated in every corner by the Yeti's core, had been healed, allowing me to maintain a pristine condition at all times.
BOOM!!
An explosive impact sound.
However, this sound would not leak outside.
The security alarm that began blaring as the door broke was the same.
"As expected of Unit Leader Ji-han!"
"It was nothing."
"No, you have definitely changed a lot from before. To be honest, even I felt a bit intimidated by your aura just now."
Rosie had noticed that I had reached the level of a Sword Master in Seo Ji-han’s body.
As expected, a dragon's eyes were sharp.
And at that moment, the elevator door was about to open on the 10th floor once again.
They could not have come because they heard the commotion just now.
So there was no reason to be flustered.
Even though the door was broken.
"U-Unit Leader Taewol!"
I felt mana that was so faint it could hardly be felt. He had pale skin.
He was someone who could never be considered a warrior.
"Why are you so surprised? As if you have seen something you shouldn't have."
"N-no, it's not that. The entrance door is…"
"It seems to have malfunctioned."
"I will call someone to handle it right away."
"No. You handle it."
"…Pardon?"
"Do you think it makes sense to call people to a restricted area!"
Well done, Rosie.
The man flinched at her shouting.
"I-it's not that. I am a researcher of magic engineering, not a mechanic."
I figured as much.
Now it was my turn to step in, not Rosie's.
"You, come see me for a moment."
"Pardon? May I ask who you are, sir?"
"You can find out about me on your own."
"…Ah, yes."
The researcher blinked his eyes with a dazed expression.
"Lead the way. This is my first time here."
"Yes. Please follow me."
This worked out well.
With the premise that it was my first time here, I could naturally ask about various things.
I did not yet sense any zombie energy here.
Thinking back, it was the same on the day of the previous duel.
The zombie energy had suddenly appeared for a moment and then suddenly vanished.
As I followed the researcher down a narrow corridor, another new door appeared.
[Authenticated.]
The door opened with the message.
Several capsules were visible beyond the door.
I could tell instinctively.
"What is inside those is…"
"Correct. They are zombies."
It was the moment my suspicion was confirmed as fact.
"Tell me all the results researched so far. Tell me every single detail so that I can understand everything."
"Yes."
The researcher began telling me the story without any suspicion.
From the basic information about zombies that I already knew to the additional results they had researched.
The shocking part was just about to begin.
"We are now able to precisely control the timing of when the zombie seed sprouts."
"You can make them turn into zombies whenever you want?"
"That is correct."
This was information quite different from what I previously knew—that mana stones triggered the sprouting of the zombie virus.
"Furthermore, we have also become able to significantly amplify a zombie's mana."
This meant they had improved them into even greater monsters than the zombies in Hardeon.
What on earth was the Gwangun Sword Family trying to do?
"Tell me."
"Pardon? What are you referring to?"
"The plan. What is being prepared and how."
"I don't know if you've heard from Unit Leader Yoo Seong-jin, but so far, a total of twelve zombies have been deployed to the field. Of course, that number excludes individuals presumed to have been killed. And four more improved zombies are scheduled to be deployed in the future."
"Deployed? Where?"
"I-I don't know that much! You would have to ask Unit Leader Yoo Seong-jin directly about that."
The Gwangun Sword Family bastards could control the timing of the zombie outbreak.
And zombies had already been deployed somewhere.
I realized that the preparations had progressed significantly more than I had thought.
"Hmm."
I looked at my watch.
Yoo Seong-jin would be returning to the family soon.
I had been curious since Hardeon.
Just what kind of guy was this man called K?