Chapter 148
Chapter 148
That Didn't Work
It was an awkward situation, but I hadn't lived for hundreds of years carelessly. There was no way I lacked the experience to smooth something like this over.
"I meant you were slim."
"I don't think that's what you were admiring."
But Noah wasn't an easy opponent. Effortlessly dismantling Ga-on's compliment, she stubbornly maintained her sulky expression.
If I let her lead me around, I lose.
As that thought flashed through his mind, Ga-on laughed loudly instead and tossed Noah high into the air.
"Wow, it's an airplane. An airplane. How light do you have to be for this to be possible?"
The louder his exclamations became, the stiffer Noah's expression grew. She looked just like an angry cat with its tail standing straight up.
Sure enough—
"Put me down. Your complacency in thinking you can smooth things over with something like this only makes me angrier, mister."
"So that didn't work."
Landing lightly after dropping from Ga-on's arms, Noah pulled her hood over her head as she always did.
"More importantly, why are you here?"
"You're really the one asking that? You barely log into Lost Saga, and even when I send you messages, you act like you never saw them. It would actually be harder to ignore me any more thoroughly."
"Well... that's my fault."
Sera had already pointed that out to him before, so Ga-on couldn't help feeling guilty. At the same time, a corner of his heart felt strangely ticklish.
Before obtaining his identity, he had always kept his personal relationships to a minimum so he could leave without regrets.
Having someone worry about him like this felt unfamiliar.
"I bet you ran into another technical problem and have been struggling with it."
As she spoke, Noah glanced toward the floor.
It was obvious where her gaze was directed. She was the only person who knew that the unlocked artificial intelligence, Veda, was underground.
"Want me to help? Compared to you, who's completely out of your depth in this area, I think I could at least offer a better blueprint."
"I'll pass. This isn't something I can entrust to someone else."
"You really have a talent for saying hurtful things."
With her head lowered, Noah lightly kicked at the innocent floor with the tip of her foot. It was such a different reaction from her usual sharp retorts that Ga-on found himself instinctively trying to explain.
"No, that's not what I meant. It's just that you're really busy right now."
"You mean Professor Preston's papers? It's fine. Everything's finally getting on track, and I'm starting to see the overall picture. I guess all those sleepless nights are finally paying off."
What Noah was researching was the organic processor and the Attention Neural Network. Together, they could be called the twin pillars that would grant inspiration to artificial intelligence.
Developing a new material while simultaneously creating software placed the difficulty at the very pinnacle of academia. If she succeeded, even the Board wouldn't dare treat her lightly.
A budding scholar destined to become one of the greats.
Ga-on honestly didn't want to drag someone who would naturally shine in the light into the darkness.
Of course, if a genius like her joined him, his research into immortality would undoubtedly progress further.
But that was nothing more than his own selfish desire.
That was why he had subtly pushed Noah away.
"I'll gladly accept the thought."
"Tch. Maybe I should report you to the Public Enforcement Corps."
"Please spare me that."
If there truly was no other option, Ga-on would have no choice but to bow his head.
Fortunately, there happened to be a suitable person nearby.
A person who could drown while carrying the burden of his own karma.
***
After arriving at Orametic Bionics, Ga-on received an overall report from Daniel. As someone Baek Seol had recognized early on, Daniel was exceptionally capable, and everything was proceeding with smooth sailing.
Being the owner of a company certainly had its conveniences. Even if he only showed up once in a long while, not a single person dared criticize him.
Of course, Ga-on wasn't the only one enjoying such privileges.
There was one more.
Croft Shen.
The timing of his appearances was completely irregular. He almost always skipped company dinners and took vacations whenever he pleased. By no means was he a diligent employee.
Yet no one complained.
Not only was he the president's son, but his performance was on an entirely different level from everyone else's.
Pointing out his work ethic would only create trouble for oneself.
A troublesome yet impossible-to-hate man—that was Croft.
And today, he had shown up at the company.
'To see me.'
Ga-on had realized long ago that the unreliable Croft always followed him around like a shadow. Daniel wasn't the only pair of eyes he had planted within Orametic Bionics.
Croft's pattern of behavior was simple.
No, it was singular.
He would pretend to examine samples and conduct research, only to eventually resort to sowing fear.
"The signs are not looking goood. The rate of collapse is becoming faster and faster."
It was the same warning Ga-on had grown sick of hearing ever since they first met.
Was he trying to force him into making a decision?
His intentions were painfully obvious.
There was no denying it was gaslighting.
But to Ga-on, it was such a shallow trick that it only made him laugh.
An incurable disease for an immortal?
What kind of nonsense was that?
"So you're saying I should undergo your procedure? The one that's supposed to awaken humanity's innate abilities."
"If we delay any longer, I don't think even I will be able to help youuu. Timing is important for this as well. If you hesitate too much, you may miss your chance."
Even without Croft's urging, Ga-on had already intended to do it.
After all, he had been curious to see exactly how Croft intended to manifest supernatural abilities.
"There's no chance of it failing, right?"
"Ah, so you've finally made up your miiind!"
Croft's eyes sparkled as though he had finally accomplished something.
But there was one thing he didn't know.
What had changed wasn't Ga-on's resolve.
It was the situation.
"If, as you say, I don't have much time left, then I might as well struggle until the very end."
"One thing I should mention, just in case. The damaged genes won't return to their original state. All we're doing is taking measures so you won't die young."
The more Ga-on listened, the more suspicious the explanation sounded.
Anyone with a shred of common sense would refuse outright.
But Ga-on had a reason to move forward.
"The equipment here won't be sufficient, so I'll look for a more suitable location and contact you afterward."
"And the price?"
For a brief moment, Croft froze.
As if he hadn't expected that question.
"Why the look? You're supporting me in every possible way because there's something you want."
"Hmm, I do have something in mind, but I'll tell you later. Since we haven't even succeeded yet, I think discussing what comes afterward would be premature."
Premature, my ass.
He was just delighted because he'd decided he'd hooked a sucker and was already dreaming up some absurd bill to hand over later.
It wasn't hard to guess how Croft viewed him.
'A source of funding. Or a test subject.'
Well... whether that preconceived notion would remain after the procedure was something that remained to be seen.
***
Taking advantage of some free time, Ga-on visited Columbus.
Besides letting everyone know he was still alive, there was something he wanted to ask Fernandez personally.
"The title 'Consultant?' You're asking if I know about it?"
Thunk.
Fernandez set a vodka martini down in front of him before falling silent.
Considering how talkative he normally was, it was unusual for him to be this reserved.
Anyone could tell this was the first time he'd heard of it.
According to Samuel Trian, Chairman of Trian, the Consultant sounded like quite an influential figure, so Ga-on had expected an impressive history.
"You don't know?"
"At least not within the limits of my memory. Perhaps they're someone from an older generation. Or perhaps very few people know of them. They could even be a case similar to yours."
Someone so extraordinarily capable that they had, paradoxically, vanished from the records.
Whenever a major incident occurred, information control inevitably followed.
From Ga-on's perspective, he could sympathize with that a hundred times over.
"Come to think of it, I believe I once heard that the Lucchesia Family invited them. Though I can't say for certain. It's only a rumor."
"So I'd have to ask the person directly."
He wasn't in a hurry to discover the Consultant's whereabouts.
Experience had taught him countless times that rushing in carelessly would never lead him to the truth.
After all, this was someone meticulous enough to evade even the megacorps that had pursued them.
He wasn't expecting a lucky break.
"Since they have a title, they're probably someone from the underworld. But I doubt they're a fixer. As you know, fixers can't help but attract attention wherever they go."
"That sounded like it was directed at someone in particular."
For example, someone who had detonated the Cannibalism Gate.
Anyone else might not know, but Fernandez had arranged that job himself. There was no way he wouldn't know exactly who Ga-on was referring to.
"It's always enjoyable watching your exploits. It even makes me proud. As I've said many times before, I became a broker because I wanted, however slightly, to change this stagnant society."
"And what do you really mean?"
"I'm starting to worry. Even if you've only recently begun making a name for yourself, this industry has always hammered down the nail that sticks out. I don't know what happened, but I heard Ryungyeong has its sights set on you as well."
As it happened, he'd already been attacked not long ago.
Ryungyeong had demonstrated the meaning of overwhelming numbers by attempting to bury him through sheer manpower—
"It worked out. I made a deal with the current Sword Master of the Miyauchi Group."
"The current Sword Master?"
Fernandez repeated the words as though he'd just heard something impossible.
"Weren't you deceived by someone? I'll tell you in advance—Nasuno Kenji was expelled."
"I wasn't talking about Mr. Kenji either."
"Then that's even stranger. The current Sword Master hasn't even been chosen yet."
"That can't be right. I heard the name clearly. It was Hiiragi Alice."
The hand wiping the glass came to an abrupt stop.
His widened eyes looked like those of a frog.
"What did you say?"
"Hiiragi Alice."
"She's active again? No... then again, considering what happened to the previous Sword Master, perhaps that's only natural."
Just as Dae Gwanmu had reacted in shock, Fernandez muttered to himself, unable to hide his astonishment.
"What is it? Don't keep all the fun to yourself. Let me in on it."
"The person you met was the Sword Master before the previous one. In terms of seniority, you could say she's above even the current head of the Miyauchi Group."
A position that even the leader of one of the Four Great Underworld factions would treat with respect.
Only then did Ga-on understand why Alice had appeared after Kenji.
The order had been reversed from the very beginning.
The reason her skill far surpassed Kenji's was because she belonged to an earlier generation.
"Furthermore, she's known to possess skill comparable to the very first Sword Master. She's undoubtedly among the strongest in the underworld. No... even if you expanded the scope to include the Mars Defense Force, there would be very few people capable of matching her."
The Alice Ga-on had met had been the very image of a refined young lady.
It was difficult to believe Fernandez was talking about that same person.
Still, if that was the world's assessment of her, he had no choice but to accept it.
"And she stepped in on your behalf? No matter how I look at it, that doesn't seem like a good sign."
"There's no harm in knowing her. From what I've heard, she's hardly washed up."
"The problem is that she's someone who officially retired. And the reason for that retirement wasn't exactly pleasant."
"Retired?"
"Yes. As far as I know, she stepped down after being accused of killing Ryungyeong's boss. Of course, no one actually witnessed it, so opinions remain divided even now."
But no matter how thoroughly a predator wiped the blood from its mouth, no one would fail to realize it had hunted.
"That incident nearly caused a clash between the Four Great Underworld factions."
"Wait. If someone like her vouched for me, then..."
"Well... I doubt Ryungyeong will look kindly upon you."
Especially when Ryungyeong itself was involved.
"Ah... this is bad."
"Ah... this is serious."
It was a rare moment when the fixer and the broker found themselves in complete agreement.