Chapter 197

If someone is going to drift into the gaming world, I have one piece of advice from experience.
Enroll in an acting school while you’re at the gym. While sloppy martial arts skills become meaningless once you’ve got a gun, acting skills are something you can put to good use.
For now.
‘This is the kind of thing that gets me in trouble.
Kim sits cross-legged in her chair. He glanced up slightly and saw Leila across from him, stiff and rigid. He sighed inwardly and dropped his gaze again.
His eyes landed on the filing cabinet on his thigh. It was filled with numbers and jargon, which, of course, were beyond her knowledge.
But in context, it made sense.
“A research report.
It’s a “progression” of research done in the past at Celbrosys Labs, and one that continues to this day. The bureaucratic sentences about the test subjects evoke a mild sense of revulsion.
It’s the sensation of tired eyes after only a short look.
When I stopped reading, Leila spoke up as if she’d been waiting for me.
“Well, what do you think?”
“First of all, it’s complicated. It’s hard for a blind guy like me to read.”
“Ah, ah, ah, I was short thinking, you don’t have any expertise in this area.”
They stare at you like you didn’t know.
“Would you like me to break it down for you?”
“That’s not necessary. It’s not like I’m tutoring a test-taker.”
“Maybe I should have commented it out after all….”
This is a serious reflection on a joking remark.
Kim let out a small gasp, then hardened her expression.
“I know it’s already late, but can you show me this?”
It’s not a random report in an archive. It is infused with a scientist’s conflicting sense of mission and a politician’s greed. This is a document that should never have been made public.
One of the great secrets and original sins of the Celbrox Labs.
It is now in Kim’s hands.
“Yes, sir. I have the warden’s permission, technically he gave me the final say, but even if he didn’t, I’m sure he would have agreed to it, and I’m thinking it’s rather late.”
“Yes.”
“I don’t know where you’re going with this, but just to be clear-”
Leila took a breath, then spoke.
“This is the lab report for subject 004, Leila.”
She talked about herself in an uncharacteristically stiff manner.
“The research itself started more than 50 years ago, and the Cell Biology Lab was in many ways a different group than it is today, with a lot of external ties, such as close ties to the Royal Family of Shalem.”
Entanglement. A phrase I heard from Kushan the other day.
“Let me put it in order for you to understand: It was 1977 when Lab discovered the first parasite, and Shiran somehow got wind of it and decided to put his foot in it.”
“I heard you did a joint study.”
“Yes, sir. You were the one who was sent back then. You were the chief researcher for the Xuran imperial family at the time. From what I hear, you were cold-blooded at first, no blood, no tears.”
Leila smiled faintly, as if remembering the past.
“The woman who brought it to my attention, Helena, was the former director of the lab, my professor was working in the lab as a senior researcher, and it became a big project with a lot of other people involved.”
An illustration popped into Kim’s head. A lab with lab coats and researchers bustling around. The picture looks similar to the present, but with noise in the background.
“There was only one parasite, but the research themes were varied, with a heavy emphasis on the use of the parasite factor, and the results were remarkable even by modern standards.”
A prime example is the word “unhappy”.
And in front of him is Raila.
“We combined the genetic information from Parasite and Warden Helena to create an artificial life form, and I was born in a special incubator, and named Leila… by my mother.”
The title of mother was tinged with nostalgia and affection.
In fact, in flashbacks during the episode, the relationship between the two was close. There was a bond that went beyond researcher and subject and could be called family. Leila learned about the world from Helena.
It’s a thing of the past.
Helena died instantly. No remains remain, not even an empty coffin, buried in the aftermath of the catastrophe. At this point, Leila’s only remaining family members are Kushan and the Professor.
“I’m human on the outside, but biologically I’m much closer to a parasite – I stopped aging at some point, and I’m already more tainted than anyone else, so I can’t mutate.”
Leila gave a self-deprecating smile.
“What did you think so far?”
After a long explanation, he seemed calmer than at the beginning. But it also seemed like a kind of resignation. Like he knew the answer, like he was ready to be hated.
This is the problem.
“I have to pretend to be surprised.
I was thinking about a reaction, but then I threw it away.
It’s not even a YouTube shoot, so what’s the reaction.
“What do you think?”
“It’s offensive. It’s offensive. It’s offensive….”
“Why should it be unpleasant and off-putting?”
Kim slowly retraced his steps. From one day to the next, he’d been labeled a lunatic at every opportunity. It’s very unfair and regrettable, but he knows why.
If we look at “Kim” from a third party’s perspective, it looks like this.
A hardened criminal who pops pills first before looking.
Knowing confidential information from multiple groups, but keeping their identity a secret.
“That’s terrible.
Too bad Polaris doesn’t have a doppelganger type monster. If there were, I would immediately halt all plans and hunt him down and kill him.
“I know you’re just a fake nice guy, but look at you now, you’re showing your weaknesses, and if everything I’ve seen so far is a lie, I’m going to distrust you.”
As a separate story.
Kim can kill Leila any time he wants, whether by assassination or hand-to-hand combat. Whether by assassination or hand-to-hand combat, Leila is not someone he should be afraid of.
“Is this information not even publicly available inside the lab?”
“Only a few people are aware of it, including the warden, because it’s a sensitive issue.”
“Yeah, but I’m sure they’ve figured it out by now. We’ve known each other for about five years now, and neither you nor Kushan nor the professor are getting any younger, so it’s just a matter of time.”
“Ahaha, although I’ve been asked that question in all seriousness….”
I handed the filing cabinet back to a smiling Leila.
“Well, thanks for letting me know.”
“No, like I said, I think it’s too late, even though I’ve been helped by Mr. Hyun many times and am still indebted to him.”
That’s the way it is. Kim has many secrets. Secrets she wouldn’t share with anyone she trusted. Even now, after hearing Leila’s story, she still thinks that.
“I understand your intentions, but it doesn’t change anything. I’m surprised you’re twice my age, though. For some reason, I feel your age every time you scold Pablo.”
“Oh, old age…! That’s a bit of an understatement.”
“You’re at least 50 years old, right?”
“That’s true, but…. Ugh.”
I suddenly remembered the community right after Leila’s identity was revealed: the word “mold” was thrown around a lot, and there were posts that called her a douchebag for choreographing her admonishment.
That’s about the extent of the recognition.
There was a lot of bullshit about not being a normal human being in the first place. As a user, it was acceptable enough. It was a surprise to Kim, who had understood it beforehand.
Her calm demeanor proved to be her saving grace.
“……Thank you, Mr. Hyun.”
“Sir, you can keep your voice down.”
“Please don’t do that in front of anyone.”
“I know I’m not above it, but I’m two and a half decades older.”
“Oh, he really hates it, and he’s talking back to the director!”
If you think about it, Kushan is almost 100 years old. That’s more than triple, if not double, his age. He’s an elderly man who should be treated like an ancestor, but there’s a reason he’s so disrespectful.
“Because he’s a horse from the get-go?”
“Then I’ll say something back, and you’ll say something back… ouch, I can’t!”
“Take it, old man.”
“Ugh!”
Unlike his smirk, she’s stomping her feet and stirring the pot. It’s almost too bad it’s only one stanza, but it’s not funny if you get used to it, so I’ll use it while I can.
“Did it go well anyway?
A phase that could have been a landmine depending on how you reacted.
At this point, I was relieved that it seemed to have ended amicably.
* * *
Bastitera has been a very busy place lately.
Labs and Dustborn are in and out of the city on a daily basis with lab modifications and searches, and the crown is busy dispatching knights based on reports. In the meantime, the royal guard has been tightened to guard against spies.
Anima, who had just arrived at the castle today, also sensed the disorganized atmosphere. Not knowing the details, she couldn’t help but feel nervous.
He thinks it’s all because of his asshole boss.
“How many times do I have to say it before you understand…!”
Anima poodled as soon as she saw Irene.
“For God’s sake, didn’t I tell you to stay out of trouble!”
“I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean to do this! It was force majeure….”
“No, no. Force majeure is when something happens to you that you didn’t give any room for, and you’re not the captain, are you? You’re giving it a reason to blow up, and this is what you get.”
Tears pricked at the corners of Irene’s eyes as the blows hit hard.
“Hee hee, me too, I’m remorseful, I’ll behave better in the future.”
A haggard face and a gravelly voice. It’s a sympathetic sight to behold. It would be enough to make anyone weak at heart, but it didn’t work on Anima.
“You think you’re done crying, I can cry too. Ugh!”
“Yeah, why are you crying, ughhhhh!”
“I can’t believe I’m already bursting into tears at the thought of cleaning up after you.”
Half of it was an act, but the other half was real.
“If you touch it, you’ll get….”
Celbrox Labs and Dustborn. They have not been involved since the operation in Howland. Anima has developed a strong antipathy toward the Labs after hearing the truth of the disaster.
Dustborn, of course, is a different story. A mercenary company that’s only a few years old is unlikely to be tied to research from the distant past. But it’s not all goodwill, either.
In one word: vigilance.
I witnessed their true colors in the underground cisterns. Two Pekatums who breathed flames as fierce as hellfire, who could take a beating and not die. Snipers of unreal skill.
And Kim Yi Hyun.
“I guess I can’t help it.”
“What, what…?”
“As long as it’s not an impossible request, we’ll take it.”
“Huh? Did you have to do that? No, I know it was wrong, but we’re not the kind of people who just hang ourselves somewhere. Can’t we just save face and avoid it in the future….”
The Albatross is an organization that uses force to get its way. Basically, violence is violence, even if it’s for ‘good’. There have always been many enemies, and it’s not like there are any new ones.
However.
“You’ve got to cover your tracks.”
This is the most dangerous type. They may be small, but they’re not tied down to an organization, which means they’re free to do whatever they want, and they’ll come after you like a mad dog.
As far as Anima was concerned, Kim was a human being who deserved to be.
‘He’s staging a terrorist attack at the summit.
In short, a man with a screw loose, but a capable one.
It’s always better not to be hateful.
“Ha. I wonder what they’ll ask for…….”
Anima’s headache was quickly solved.
After the formalities, Kim got down to business.
“We will be attacking the Xuran Imperial Palace soon.”
What?