Chapter 186 – First Confrontation (1)

High-quality mana-infused water filled the cargo of the supply truck to the brim. Gazing at the densely packed water tank, I couldn’t help but whistle.

“Hmm, well.”

The valuable resource that Flower had been secretly siphoning for some unknown purpose. I didn’t know the extent of their wealth, but I was satisfied that I had dealt a blow.

Summoning a flame to my fingertips.

– Fwoosh.

A flame that bore a resemblance to Cistus’s fire, which I had once witnessed firsthand. However, due to the differences in mana purity, it couldn’t generate an explosion as massive as Cistus’s.

Still, there was only one reason for conjuring this particular flame. The similarity in the nature of the mana to that of Cistus’s could potentially mislead the police investigation in another direction.

It was a tactic that could be employed precisely because Cistus, the one who directly orchestrated the acts of terror, existed.

‘While its destructive power may pale in comparison to that of Heavenly Demon.’

Mana is undeniably useful.

Depending on its application, magic can deceive an entire nation or even transform oneself. There’s a reason why presidents and politicians often employ magic in their schemes to defraud the masses.

As a result, some individuals make a living akin to detectives, using the remnants of magical power to unravel such deceptions. The crucial point is that such manipulation is not a challenge, provided one is determined to engage in it. Zodiac, being innately kind, would never consider employing such trickery, but I am not so virtuous.

I ignited the oil spilled on the ground, sending a cascade of flames across its surface.

*Whooooosh!*

The fire raced toward the location containing the magically processed water.

*Boom!*

An exploding truck. Sparks falling onto the lifeless bodies. I used spatial magic to teleport to a safe distance before casually picking up my phone.

*Ring, ring.*

As I called Zodiac, I inspected my clothing. A hole had been burned into a section of the hood due to the heat. It was time to discard it.

*Click.*

[Hello?]

“Hello, it’s Byul.”

[Oh, Siheon~ What’s up? Your voice sounds odd, like it’s coming from a machine.]

Byul’s voice coming through the phone crackles. The magical energy waves caused by the explosion have made the radio signals unstable here.

“Well… it seems things have gotten quite serious.”

I took a deep breath and lowered my voice as much as possible.

[Huh?]

“It seems there’s been a terrorist attack. They’re searching for the Flowers, and it’s happening near the factory.”

[…What? Really?]

“Yes. I thought about going there, but it’s too far and it seems like the situation has already ended, so I decided to contact you instead.”

[Wait, hold on. How long ago did this happen?]

“Not too long ago.”

The Hunter Association, operated with the support of the government and the World Foundation.

And, naturally, the Korean Hunter branch has the responsibility and duty to contribute its strength to the welfare and defense of the nation.

In the event of disasters such as terrorism, their first obligation is to report and effectively handle the situation.

“[…Ah, you’ve already received word? Verify the truth of the matter immediately and release the article. Swiftly formulate a plan.]”

Anxious words are heard from the star through the phone.

The reason for disguising terrorism while causing property damage is not just to evade becoming a criminal.

“[Yes, Si-heon, are you alright?]”

When terrorism occurs, all related agencies begin intensively cracking down on the affected area.

Due to the influence of large corporations, ‘public institutions’ are now able to directly enforce regulations in areas previously untouched.

“Does that make sense? There’s no compromise when faced with public opinion.”

Even the largest corporations cannot refuse investigations and inquiries in a place where the eyes of the nation are focused.

Naturally, Flower temporarily withdraws from this city. The damage to Flower’s fortune as a result… It easily surpasses dozens of times the damage to the factory.

“Yes… It will be noisy for a while.”

It’s not the terror they caused.

However, it is attributed to their terror.

How many things will become entangled because of this? Thinking about it makes me laugh.

Usually, organized groups don’t establish any connections around the site of the terror act, except for simple behind-the-scenes operations. This is to avoid stepping on their own tails. Even if that’s not the case, they’ll take measures in advance to ensure a quick exit.

‘… I don’t know if they intended to cause terror from the beginning or not.’

I observed the site where they obtained magical processing water from the factory.

Their objective seemed to be more about securing resources than terrorism. It was only after witnessing that, I finalized the plan to demolish the factory.

‘As an organization, all economic activity in this city has come to an end.’

Naturally, one would withdraw to avoid being trampled.
It’s even better if they get caught while attempting to destroy the evidence.

From a simplistic viewpoint, I’m merely the person who detonated a bomb in the factory.
Yet, I reaped benefits amounting to tens of millions of won in losses, perhaps even reaching hundreds of billions.

Strictly speaking, there was no loss on my part.

Burst containers and logistics trucks?
They either belong to Flower or are borne by the factory contracted with Flower.

[Sigh. Just when I forget about them, those bastards show up.]

“Ha ha…”

Star murmured in an exhausted voice.

Right, there was damage on our side too.

If the Hunter Association’s suffering is considered damage, then it is damage.
However, I don’t like the Association, so for me, it’s a case of fighting fire with fire.

It’s just that Star ended up a little pitiable.
We should go to an amusement park together sometime.

‘If Flower has ties to the media or the police… we might find the culprit.’

It had been a long time since I’d known that and erased my traces.

Even if, during the course of the investigation, it turns out that Flower is innocent.
Flower and the faceless criminal. If one must take the blame, it is only natural to pin it on Flower, whom everyone despises.

‘…In the end, the case is closed because of your mistakes.’

The police are the ones who observe the pressure on Flower.

Watching both the citizens and Flower.
Eventually, they will have to choose one side.

“Ha.”

It’s refreshing—a sensation of unburdening.

I placed my hand on the surface of my facial skin and gently peeled it off.
The mask adhered to my face fell away, and my features returned to their original state.

‘The last thing I need to be cautious of.’

The probability of them creating a major incident as a final desperate act.

It was simple to counter, as long as one didn’t flounder in panic.
The Hunter Association dealing with Flower was no easy mark either.

Now was the time to bide their time.

* * * * * * *

The Fifth House of Sistus.

Tuberose sneered as he perused the articles appearing on the portal sites.

“…Are they deliberately picking a fight?”

The adversary’s intentions were quite varied.

Owing to the magnitude of the situation and the escalating incidents,
one of Sistus’ bases had come to a complete halt, save for the stables.

Corporations hurriedly erasing any traces of their connections.
Regrettably, even when attempting to utilize the remaining resources, they faced rejection due to the overt manipulation of their records.

Though the reason was understandable, it pained them deeply.

“…Is it an organization?”

I had thought it was my doing alone.
Yet, it couldn’t be ruled out that several people had collectively orchestrated the incident.

Indeed, it made sense, for the matter became an issue and spread through the media rather swiftly.

“No, it might have just been luck.”

The brazen fool, by chance, had inflicted significant damage.
In truth, the current situation seemed fitting: simply choosing a factory, locating a Flower, defeating it, and incinerating the evidence.

Tuberose, taking matters into her own hands, was aware of the unveiled circumstances.

‘…The evidence and traces of magical power present at the scene. Everything points towards impulsive actions.’

From the perpetrator’s footprints to the battleground itself, there was something unmistakable.

It wasn’t a covert killing. In truth, resolutely and unable to control their anger, the individual had torn their opponent’s body apart.

‘The imbecile got lucky somehow.’

The evidence spoke for itself.

‘…However.’

I was fortunate, wasn’t I? What if I were leading my partner to think that way?

It was such a convincing fabrication, that it actually created a sense of dissonance.

“A pesky bug has attached itself.”

-Squish.

The mouse he held shatters under his strength.

How irritating. The damage turned out to be more significant than anticipated.

Tuberose brushed away from her eyes with her feverish hand, then gazed at the ceiling and laughed heartily.

“Heh, heh. Hahaha!”

Having come this far, they too possessed the means. No, in fact, it had already been progressing for some time.

Tuberose promptly pulled a bottle from a drawer and snickered at the sight of the purple liquid it contained.

“Right. We can’t trade there anymore anyway.”

From that city… Perhaps it’s time to try the experiment the captain gave us.

The elixir of immortality.

Supported by the Cornus family, this was the most nefarious drug in history, having been researched for centuries and now on the brink of completion.

Of course, this drug would induce a rampage of Ents for anyone not a member of the Cornus family. This was because the nature of accepting nutrients differed among lineages.

‘Such a remarkable drug.’

The luminescent purple potion gleamed. As he rubbed the surface of the bottle, he let out a bitter laugh.

The reason Flower was entrusted with researching this drug was simple. Flower wanted to exploit the fact that those who took the drug would be driven into an uncontrollable frenzy by the Ents. The Cornus family desired the completion of the medicine.

Their interests were aligned from the very beginning.

“The heart of the Heavenly Demon. The roots of the World Tree… A Wood Dragon’s magic stone from centuries past.”

Each of these ingredients would cause great upheaval if revealed to the public.

Especially the Heavenly Demon… It was said that the old man’s heart had been procured directly by the head of the Cornus family himself.

“I don’t understand why they go to such lengths for eternal life.”

A long-held dream of the family. It is the people of the Cornus family who live solely by pursuing it.

Flower decided to fully exploit the family’s wealth.

“Shall we try?”

Two days later, the second clinical trial begins. Originally, it would have been implemented on a grand scale months later, but it was unintentionally brought forward.

Well… I think the head of the Cornus family will understand.

Then, I’ll leave as well.

Tuberose tilted the viscous drug, and a single thought crossed his mind.

If the medicine is complete, who will be the one to receive it? He had heard that there was a wooden person who had been taking medicine since birth.

“What was their name?”

He didn’t know. If eternal immortality truly becomes a reality, one day he might learn the name. He decided not to worry too much about it.

* * * * * * * *

The violet drug courses through the spinal cord via a lengthy tube.

“……”

Agonizing pain that envelops the entire body. The sensation, akin to tearing limbs apart, has now become inconsequential.

The day when the drug is administered once a month.

-Zzuwook.

The feeling is unremarkable.

Numb. Simply numb.

Neither pleasant nor unpleasant. Pleasure was never part of the equation from the start. It has been quite some time since I last felt the sound of a heartbeat, unsure if I even have a heart.

There’s nothing for me to do here. It’s there, but it isn’t.

Gazing around nonchalantly. Then, people clad in white encircle me. They converse in incomprehensible words, debating if something went wrong this time.

What were the names of these individuals? My memory fails me.

I struggle to memorize people’s names.

I don’t know why. It’s just been like that since some day.

20 years locked up in a white room, drugged and trained. According to the man, I was given medicine to build up my immunity from the moment I was born.

It’s medicine. It’s medicine. I don’t know where it helps, but it’s medicine. It’s good for the body.

At first, I would lose consciousness due to the pain from the injections. It was good to sleep. Back then, I still had good dreams. But now, I don’t feel anything, so I don’t dream much.

It’s been so long that I have even forgotten if I was happy back then. Now, I wonder what kind of emotion happiness is.

There are so many emotions I don’t know. I want to know, but I can’t.

When I think about it, I end up getting tired and giving up. But I’m feeling a bit of stimulation right now.

“…Ah.”

I don’t know. I wonder if Si-eon is doing well by now.

I look at the black sun inside the white capsule.

– Drip.

“Today… what day is it?”

I can scarcely recall the concept of ordinary dates. The people around me look after me.
Faded memories and numbed senses.

Despite all this, there is one thing I remember with certainty.

‘…Cornus.’

The image of the vivid red fruit my mother used to place in my hand comes to mind.
I closed my eyes, succumbing to the encroaching drowsiness.