Chapter 2602 – 2602. Eternal Eden

After finishing with the Awakened Union, I ordered the Imperial Guard to capture the high-ranking officials of Pohang.

They had committed their deeds believing in the Awakened Union. More precisely, they believed in Japan, which was behind the Awakened Union. However, the Awakened Union was utterly destroyed, and Japan was too preoccupied with the terrorist attacks happening all over its mainland to pay attention to the outside world. The high-ranking officials of Pohang had been abandoned.

I used the high-ranking officials to control the Pohang forces. As time passed, the Pohang forces, who had been brainwashed, regained their senses. They were furious at the fact that they had been brainwashed and used like machines.

“The Pohang Special Security Command demands the execution of the Awakened Union and the high-ranking officials and politicians who cooperated with them!”

“Speaking as a representative of the citizens of Pohang! We were merely used by the Awakened Union!”

“The Korean Human Rights Commission declares that mental abilities, including brainwashing, are a serious violation of human rights! Mental ability users must be directly managed by the national government!”

Public opinion was on the side of the Korean government. And the influence of existing Awakened individuals decreased. It was clear that the public’s view of Awakened individuals had changed for the worse.

Of course, I was an exception. I had personally taken the lead in attacking the Awakened Union, and I had sought out those who had been harmed by the Awakened Union’s tyranny and used my recovery abilities on them. I even put on a show of treating patients at the Pohang hospital.

“Thank you, Assemblyman Sung Yoojin! You are a true member of the National Assembly!”

“Someone like Assemblyman Sung Yoojin should be the president of this country…!”

“We believe in you, Assemblyman Sung Yoojin!”

I had secured the public sentiment of Pohang and returned to Seoul.

Of course, even if they were victims, those who deserved punishment would be punished. It just wasn’t my job to do it.

‘The NIS will take care of it.’

Lee Yeonhee was smiling coldly. A bloodbath would sweep through Pohang.

• • •

The Awakened Union incident was resolved, and April arrived.

It felt like just yesterday that we had been dealing with the cold wave and heavy snow, but now it was a warm spring.

‘What’s with this weather?’

It was unpredictable.

Even though there were still various problems in the Korean Peninsula, it was a relatively peaceful time. At least, all the zombies and mutants in Seoul had been dealt with. If there was one city in South Korea that could be called the safest, it was Seoul. Perhaps because of this, the population of Seoul was gradually increasing.

‘Was the population of Seoul 5.5 million now? It’s more than I expected, which is a relief.’

I was planning to completely demolish and redevelop the current Seoul.

‘It’s still in the planning stage, but if I had to give it a name, it would be the Seoul Fortress Plan.’

Nothing was set in stone yet, but I was thinking of making the entire Yeouido my residence. In addition, all important research facilities would be moved to Yeouido. Yeouido would become the heart of Korea.

‘Is it about time?’

I headed to the research institute where Na Chaeyoung was. It was the most important facility in Korea, located in Seoul, and guarded by military forces and the Imperial Guard.

As soon as I approached the facility, a drone that had been hovering in the sky flew over and scanned me from head to toe with its camera lens.

-Confirmation of Assemblyman Sung Yoojin. Security clearance: highest level executor. Welcome, Executor. Dr. Na Chaeyoung is waiting for you. I will guide you.

“Okay, sure.”

I followed the drone into the facility. As soon as the soldiers and Imperial Guard members saw me, they saluted and greeted me.

The interior of the facility was filled with machines and robots, as if it were from the future. Most of them were failures, but there were some useful ones that could be used as a power source.

I found Na Chaeyoung. She was frowning as she looked at some documents amidst the busy researchers. It seemed like things weren’t going well.

“Dr. Na.”

“You’re here?”

I walked up to her and gave her a tight hug. Na Chaeyoung’s ample chest pressed against my chest. I liked her coffee-scented fragrance. I instantly started to get turned on, and my lower body reacted.

“Ugh.”

Na Chaeyoung’s face turned red in an instant.

“…I told you not to do this in a crowded place…!”

Even though she was angry, she didn’t push me away.

“It’s okay. The others aren’t really interested in us anyway.”

Indeed, the researchers around us glanced at us and then went back to their work.

My hand, which was holding her, slowly moved down. It went past her waist and down to her butt, but then it was grabbed by Na Chaeyoung’s hand.

“No. It’s work hours right now.”

Na Chaeyoung’s will was firm, so I backed off.

“Does that mean it’s okay after work hours?”

“……”

Na Chaeyoung led me into another research lab. Inside, there was a chair. She handed me a helmet with wires attached to it.

“Put this on and sit down. It’s an improved analyzer.”

“It’s not going to make my head explode, is it?”

“I guarantee its safety. Nothing will go wrong. It’s not like it’s the first time, anyway.”

“I can never get used to this.”

I put on the wired helmet and sat in the analyzer. The chair wrapped around my body like a massage chair. It was surprisingly comfortable.

The researchers gathered around and started working on the computers.

“Dr. Na. The analyzer is ready to be activated.”

“Start it.”

Na Chaeyoung gave the order to the researchers. At the same time, she was also talking to me. I used lightning to stimulate my nerves and my whole body.

Thunder God Style (雷天流) Gale Lightning (疾風迅雷).

In an instant, my nerves accelerated. I accelerated, and the speed of the surroundings slowed down. It was a familiar sensation to me.

‘It’s still hard to maintain for long.’

I deactivated Gale Lightning after only a few seconds. My body felt hot.

Na Chaeyoung and the researchers were busy working on the computers.

This research was for the purpose of creating cybernetic implants, also known as enhancement implants. Among them, the one they were trying to create was a neural accelerator. As the name suggests, it was a device that accelerated the nerves. The plan was to mass-produce it and implant it into the Holy Imperial Guard.

“Yoojin. One time isn’t enough. We need to do it a few more times. Is that okay?”

“Even for me, it’s hard to use it continuously. This is a huge burden. If I use it a few times in a row, it feels like my nerves will burn out.”

“Can’t you activate it with a lower output?”

“I haven’t tried that. I think it might work. Should we try it?”

Thunder God Style (雷天流) Gale Lightning (疾風迅雷).

I activated Gale Lightning with a lower output. It worked. However, the acceleration time was shorter. It wasn’t even half of what it usually was. It wasn’t very satisfactory by my standards.

‘It’s like driving a sports car that can speed down the road as much as I want, and then switching to a piece of junk that’s about to be scrapped.’

Unlike my feelings, Na Chaeyoung and the researchers nodded and seemed satisfied.

“It definitely puts less strain on you when the output is lowered. If we add a safety device here, your nerves won’t burn out.”

“But it didn’t even accelerate to half of what it usually does?”

“If you accelerated the way you usually do, a normal person’s nerves would completely burn out. You can control electricity with your ability. You have a natural resistance to electricity, so it’s less of a burden for you.”

“Ah. Is that so? Then can I get up now?”

“What are you talking about? The more data we have, the better. Let’s do it a few more times.”

“If I do it more, my nerves might burn out.”

“You can just use your recovery ability to restore your burned-out nerves. Let’s do it about 30 more times.”

Na Chaeyoung’s eyes lit up. I broke out in a cold sweat. She seemed like a mad scientist.

• • •

Two weeks later.

Na Chaeyoung developed the ‘Lightning Dance Mk.1’, the first neural accelerator in Korea, no, the world. It was a cybernetic implant that was implanted into the spine.

It would become an enhancement implant that all members of the Holy Imperial Guard would have to get.

And now, Son Taehyung, who had the Lightning Dance Mk.1 implanted, was standing in front of me with a sword. It was a sparring match to test the Lightning Dance Mk.1. Na Chaeyoung and the other researchers were watching from outside the training room with cameras.

I looked closely at Son Taehyung.

“He doesn’t look any different on the outside.”

Na Chaeyoung’s voice came through the speakers installed in the ceiling.

-It’s an implant that’s inserted into the spine, so it’s not visible on the outside.

For reference, I couldn’t get the implant. Due to my characteristic of purity, implants or physical evolution would actually decrease my physical abilities. Even if I forced it, my body would reject it and I could die.

I raised my pistol, aimed it at Son Taehyung, and pulled the trigger without hesitation. It was a close range where he had no choice but to get hit.

Son Taehyung dodged the bullets by bending his body this way and that.

“Oh. He dodged the bullets.”

“I could see the bullets coming. It was at a level where I would get hit if I was careless, but… if I’m not careless while accelerated, I can dodge them.”

“That’s amazing enough. What was the activation condition?”

“There’s a switch on my right thumb nail. If I press it, the neural acceleration activates.”

“Can’t you activate the acceleration just by thinking about it?”

-That’s still difficult. To do that, we’d have to implant a small computer in your head… Don’t forget that we were only able to develop the neural accelerator because of you. Our technology is too lacking to develop a bio-computer.

After hearing Na Chaeyoung’s words, I drew my sword.

Thunder God Style (雷天流) Gale Lightning (疾風迅雷).

I entered an accelerated state with a lower output. Son Taehyung also seemed to have used the neural accelerator, as he started moving at my speed.

I swung my sword. Son Taehyung also reacted and swung his sword. The two swords crossed in the air, and sparks flew. Son Taehyung’s body was pushed back.

‘Unlike me, it doesn’t seem to enhance the entire physical ability.’

After clashing swords a few more times, Son Taehyung fell backward. He was convulsing all over and sweating profusely. He was panting as if he was about to die.

“He’s in this state after accelerating about 5 or 6 times? It seems like the physical burden is no joke.”

-A normal body moved in an accelerated state. It’s moving in a kind of overloaded state. Of course, there’s going to be a burden on the body.

“If Son Taehyung is like this, then a normal soldier would only be able to do it about twice in a row.”

-That’s why we’re prioritizing the Imperial Guard, who have trained their bodies to the limit.

“It would be the best if we could achieve physical enhancement here as well.”