Chapter 25. If Only I Had a Little More Time and Budget…
As soon as I showed my face in the lab,
the scientists started to panic and run away.
It seemed they never expected a hero to break into an important facility, as they rushed towards the only emergency exit in complete chaos.
Looking at their desperate escape, it felt like these scientists had been around for quite a while without respecting my appearance.
Click.
With a snap of my fingers, numerous metallic balls filled the air.
Ding ding ding!
The sound of countless metal balls clashing echoed throughout the lab.
Like claymores, the metallic balls spread out.
It’s a technique that rarely comes in handy due to its low power, but there’s nothing better when it comes to not killing people.
“Ahhh!”
“Eek!”
The metal balls embedded themselves into their arms and legs as aimed.
Sure, limbs might break, but isn’t that a much better outcome compared to being crushed by a hammer?
Some scientists shielded their companions while running, but most fell to the ground in the corridor, groaning.
Ignoring their moans, I grabbed the hair of the nearest elderly scientist, forcing eye contact.
“Now, shall we proceed? Where is the monster seed?”
“Ugh. Magical bludder… are you here to mess with us again?”
Thank goodness it wasn’t Crimson Hammer. That’s quite an insulting name.
“What? You don’t know me?”
“Oh, I’m well aware… how many fallen academic societies you’ve caused…”
Hmph, a survivor of the past, huh?
“So, you must know what comes next, right? Spill it. Have you done human experiments? Inserted Awakeners? Ah, we’re talking about heroes here.”
Choose wisely, it’s a crucial turning point.
Will you end up in the Association’s prison, or will you all be crushed here?
“No… we haven’t.”
“Really? I’ve seen so much that if I dig through the experiments, it’ll all come to light.”
Perhaps because of my overly developed senses, I can tell what kind of creature it is just by looking at a piece of flesh.
“Our goal is the perfect monster development. We have no interest in monsters.”
“Well, that’s something you’ll find out eventually.”
Thud.
I let go of his hair, causing his head to collide with the lab floor.
With the added impact of a head-on collision, I suppose the shock spread through his injuries, causing him pain, but what kind of suffering the humans attached to the Otherworld experience is none of my concern.
“Uwaaaah…”
“Maybe… let’s stop…”
Stepping over the injured scientists blocking the corridor, I moved towards the emergency passage.
Hmph… scientists… should I ask them a bit?
Beep. Ring ring.
The phone rang in my ear.
“The phone…”
The voice of that octopus guy came through.
“Al’Shel. Is there any problem with handing these guys over to the Association?”
Quickly exchanging necessary information.
“Yes. The goal is to cause the collapse of that group. If that’s achieved, the survival of the organization members means nothing.”
“Got it. It’ll be done today. Prepare the gene extraction.”
Beep.
As soon as I got his answer, I hung up and dialed another number.
“What’s up? Are you busy? Speak quickly.”
“Hyunseok. Send a biological disaster response team to the earthquake observation location. Type B-U23. Expected danger level: highest B. Multiple elevators at that location. Suppression expected to be completed within 10 hours.”
… Where’s the monster seed?
“After confirmation, it’ll be disposed of. I plan to handle it myself.”
“Understood. Don’t let your guard down.”
“Who are you talking to?”
Just as I was about to hang up, Hyunseok’s voice leaked from the phone.
“Next time, reach out before using your power. The Association’s observation team is in chaos. They’re asking if an unidentified hero or new 0-Rank has crossed over from the Great Barrier.”
“What’s the fuss with just one hammer strike? If we analyze past cases, won’t the results turn out similar?”
Or maybe the data is just too old, and they still can’t find it?
“It’s a time of peace right now. Don’t forget that those cases are things of the past.”
“Got it. Understood. I’ll be cautious.”
It wasn’t like an entire city was collapsing, but I didn’t expect to be scolded like this.
“Well then, let’s wrap up this messy conversation. Luckily, Haram.”
For some reason, a slightly softer voice flowed through the phone.
“What?”
“I thought you’d just rot away. Without any interest in the surroundings, just stopping until you die…”
Back in the days when I had no interest in anything and didn’t act as a hero.
Even then, Hyunseok would silently give me money, but only now do I realize he was worried about me.
No,
Maybe if he’d just cared a little back then, I would’ve known it was his passion for me.
I ignored it because I had no interest.
“Now that I’ve found something to do,”
“Good direction, Haram. The suppression team is scheduled to arrive within 12 hours. Make sure to handle everything by then.”
“Understood.”
“Understood,” huh?
When was the last time I used that word?
Talking to Hyunseok made me feel like I was returning to the past.
Shall we go?
To catch the fleeing scientists.
“Damn it! If we let this go, we’ll all die too! Dean!”
“Let go! Just let go! If we keep going this way, we’re all dead!”
What’s all the noise about?
Not even enough time to close the door, I kicked it open and stepped into the room.
Countless giant glass cylinders filled the room.
In the green liquid-filled cylinders, many life forms were floating.
Failed meat chunks from breeding.
Creatures that grew well but had limbs that seemed to be malformed.
Giant monsters nearing completion.
All the contents of the cylinders were monsters created by human hands.
Periodically, the lower parts of the cylinders opened, and the failed meat chunks disappeared through holes beneath the breeding chamber.
So, it seems they really didn’t do any human experiments.
No flesh of humans could be seen, and among the failures, no specimen resembling a human was present.
Well, I only glanced around, so I’m not sure yet.
After checking the surrounding situation, my gaze moved to the cylinder placed in the center of the room.
A huge leopard soaked in purple liquid.
Its body retained the form of a leopard, but instead of black fur, its spots were covered with eyes.
Not just simple decorations, its eyelids slowly blinked, and the eyes were darting all over.
Is that the seed of all the monsters born in this lab?
Based on the power I can sense, its grade seems to be at the upper tier of B, lower tier of A.
Well captured.
“We can’t fully control it yet. Even for 30 more minutes…”
“The hero has come barging in! If we don’t release it immediately…”
Not sensing my arrival, they continued to type on their keyboards without turning towards me, and one scientist who was screeching loudly was likely their leader.
“Hey. Attention.”
Their gazes focused on me.
Then let’s continue the conversation.
“Stop typing on the keyboard and let me explain the hero’s rules. If you surrender quietly, you’ll get a jail sentence. There’s no civilian damage, at most it’s just a violation of monster management.”
They might’ve been planning to use these monsters, but the scientists should feel grateful that I’ve barged in.
If they had released the monsters, there would have been no escape from a death sentence.
Perhaps my words affected them, as anxiety spread among the scientists.
“Now, it’ll end with light punishment?”
“That’s Haram Lee! Since it’s failed anyway, they should at least hand the technology over to the Association to preserve their lives…”
“Who knows, there may be a chance to get a research job at the Association…”
How long have they been stuck in their little bubble? Someone knows me again. Let’s skip that… the last one is the correct answer.
If there are no separate charges and no human experiments or exploration of the entity, and they haven’t conducted banned experiments by the Association, they might be able to substitute their jail time with a research position.
As the anxiety spread, the leader’s face grew more and more flushed with embarrassment.
As if unable to endure this humiliation, he wore a greatly angry expression.
“Don’t joke around!”
“Get away!”
The leader charged towards the keyboard.
I could’ve stopped him if I wanted to, but that would make it difficult to acquire the seed, so I let it slide.
Other scientists rushed to hold back the leader, but the leader’s fingers moved faster across the keyboard.
Despite the scientists grabbing the leader’s hand, his pinky struck the Enter key.
– Emergency release order approved. Please evacuate those within the vicinity. Commencing the release process for specimen 0-001.
“It’s over now!”
“Ahhh!”
Screams erupted as scientists fled past me.
Click. Click.
I snapped my fingers twice and embedded metal balls into the fleeing scientists’ legs.
You can’t flee. Go down and witness the end of your little academic society.
How is it that these villains all act the same way?
A group on the verge of collapse. The last resort.
After their final negotiations failed, an unstable specimen was released.
Is there a script for villains?
Thick hoses that had been stuck to the monster’s body pulled free.
A spectacular event.
The restraints that had been holding the monster’s limbs came undone, and the creature began to move.
Gurgle. Grroooorll!
The purple liquid that had been inside the cylinder bubbled and flowed down, and the two ordinary eyes on the leopard’s head opened wide.
“Hahaha! Get him, Patus Eyes!”
The name of the monster sounds ridiculous. Patus what?
Crash. Squish.
The moment the glass shattered, the confident leader’s rambling was silenced as he was devoured by the leopard.
The leader was transformed into simple meat without a final word, swallowed whole by the monstrous mouth.
A villain dead, just like that—this is the reality.
From the looks of it, people should know when to bend. Those scientists who acted quickly should have survived, huh?
Grrr!
The leopard’s roar, laden with killing intent, spread across the area.
“Ugh!”
The scientists foamed at the mouth and fainted.
The killing intent directed at me was clearly overwhelming, but even that was enough for them to black out.
An A-Rank monster, indeed. That’s just how fearsome it is.
“What the hell?!”
It’s not a monster to me, but—
In return for that killing intent, I too unleashed my aura towards the leopard.
I’ll grant you a swift death if you just stand still.
“7 EQI!”
Sensing the aura, the leopard took a step back.
No idea where it was captured, but there probably weren’t any beasts stronger than it around.
It’s never experienced such overbearing killing intent.
If it were born as a monster from the start, it might not understand; but for wild creatures transformed into monsters through seeds, such behavior is expected.
Thud.
As I took a step closer, the leopard retreated.
Thud.
Again. I took another step.
As that behavior repeated, the leopard’s legs crossed the railing.
No longer could it flee.
“Gyaaaah!”
Letting out a desperate roar, the creature opened its mouth, trying to maintain its last shred of pride, but as I moved without any response, it shrank in fear.
Thud. Bang.
The overlapping footfalls.
As I stepped forward, the leopard leaped towards the ceiling.
Crash.
The cylinder where the leopard had leaped shattered.
The green liquid and chunks of meat flew through the air.
Bang. Crash.
In an instant, the accelerated leopard barreled into the breeding chamber,
turning the scientists into nothing more than piles of meat scraps.
The monstrous sounds echoed in my ears once more.
Thinking it had sufficient speed, the leopard lunged at me.
So, you’re saying you’re willing to die as a monster, huh?
I swung the hammer that had been dragged along the ground.
I aimed it at the leopard’s head, ready for impact.
The sound of the leopard’s head exploding rang out, a flood of blood-colored scenes unfolded before my eyes.
Yet the sensation felt strange, like it wasn’t real.
An oddly unsettling shock.
Hypnosis? Or perhaps an illusion?
Many eyes were likely there to create that experience.
Whether it was an illusion or hypnosis, the leopard was not dead yet.
If I’m not the target, will it act differently? Will it prioritize fleeing, or will it go after the scientists behind me?
It’s obvious, isn’t it?
What choice would a wild animal who has suffered countless experiments make?
I swung my hammer where the fallen scientists lay.
An unsettling feeling washed over that location.
The flow of air ceased, and weak biological activity could be felt there.
Impact.
A sound that shouldn’t have been heard arrived.
An unshakeable thrill of destruction came through as the hammer I swung crushed flesh, stopping mid-air.
With just one strike of the hammer,
the monster met its end.
As the monster collapsed, it was as if the hypnosis had vanished, revealing the enormous leopard’s form in the air.
A gaping hole was ripped in its abdomen, flesh scattered everywhere, lifeless.
As if shocked by the final blow, every eye on its body opened wide, twitching, but no vital signs remained.
The ultimate weapon, the monster is dead, and the academy’s experiments amounted to complete failure.
“So, where’s the seed?”
A magnificent scene.
According to my will, a silver gauntlet appeared on my right hand.
Inserting the gauntlet into the gaping wound of the monster, I rummaged through its insides, feeling a disgusting texture.
The sensation of a corpse is always revolting.
Even through the firm gauntlet, I could feel the stickiness of blood and flesh, the lingering warmth of a freshly dead monster.
Slurp. Slurp.
Guts flowed from the hole, falling onto the unconscious scientists’ heads multiple times.
“Found it.”
A solid object gripped in the gauntlet, I pulled it out.
Clink clink clink!
The foreign substance lodged inside the monster’s body tore away countless vessels and nerves, and on the retrieved gauntlet, a lumpy black stone glimmered.
A mass of Otherworld’s Power.
The black seed found in the bodies of mutated monsters or corrupted heroes. Although it seemed like it had been cut out multiple times, revealing artificial incisions, it was still large enough to be usable.
“Seal.”
Clank!
As the top of the hammer opened to reveal a small compartment, I tossed the seed inside and closed the hammer.
While I told the Association I’d destroy the seed, my true goal was this.
The black seed. A mass of Otherworld’s Power.
Now, shall I go see my students?
After kindly breaking the joints of the scientists writhing on the floor, I left the breeding chamber.
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simply brutal