Chapter 1857 – 1857. Eternal Eden
D-23.
Technologist Na Chaeyoung had two basic skills.
One was the creation of a decomposer. She could create a decomposer that could break down existing objects to obtain resources.
The other was crafting. If she knew and understood exactly what she wanted to make, she could use resources to create it. Na Chaeyoung used this crafting skill to make firearms. It had the disadvantage of high resource consumption and the need to understand and create each part of the gun.
However, the advantage was that she could make anything if she had enough resources. Even if it was something made of rare minerals.
And right now, she was making a titanium knife for me to use. She was using her crafting skill to turn steel into titanium. It consumed more than ten times the steel resources, but it was worth it.
‘The structure of a knife isn’t complicated, so if Na Chaeyoung understands titanium and has enough resources, she can easily make it.’
Na Chaeyoung understood titanium metal in two days. The problem was resources. Making just one knife consumed more resources than expected.
Anyway, it was finished. A straight sword, not a curved one, just the way I liked it. I swung the knife and smiled with satisfaction.
“It’s a bit light, but it’s strong, which is good. Okay. Since it’s made of titanium, the knife’s name is Titania.”
“Don’t use it too roughly. Even if it’s a titanium knife, the blade will wear out.”
“Then Dr. Na can repair it.”
“Since I made it, I can repair it. But it will require additional resources.”
“Speaking of resources, is there no way to get them in large quantities?”
“There are ways, like dominating an entire special mine or using a resource converter to use them efficiently… but we can’t do either right now. The most efficient way is the decomposer. Upgrading the decomposer will increase its efficiency.”
“But we don’t have the resources to upgrade the decomposer.”
“That’s the problem.”
Na Chaeyoung sighed. In the end, without resources, they couldn’t do anything. That was the biggest drawback of technologists and bionics. Moreover, we had a mountain of things to do. We also had to start fortifying Seongak Elementary School.
I took the titanium knife and moved away from her. Exercise was annoying and tiring, but it was better than working.
‘If I want to get stronger, I have to train my body consistently. …It’s so annoying.’
I practiced the Lightning Sky Style, swinging the titanium knife in the empty auditorium. Tonight, I was going to meet the boss of Taewang. I needed to sharpen my combat senses as much as possible.
• • •
Na Chaeyoung sat in the passenger seat of the truck, wearing a white coat. She tried to ignore her pounding heart as she predicted the actions of Taewang’s boss. What Taewang’s boss wanted was her, or more precisely, the technologist’s abilities. Since her cooperation was essential, negotiations would be possible. She would lose out, but… she couldn’t help it. She was at a disadvantage.
Sung Yoojin, who was in the driver’s seat, started the truck and asked Na Chaeyoung.
“Are you going to wear that coat? You always take it off when you go outside.”
“…It’s a kind of jinx. It helps me concentrate when I wear it.”
The truck went out through the back gate of the school. Na Chaeyoung seemed to want negotiations, but Sung Yoojin’s intuition told her it wouldn’t go well. Sung Yoojin simulated the battle in her head.
She had to fight while protecting Na Chaeyoung. She might have to prioritize escaping over annihilating the enemies.
‘My current equipment is one pistol, a titanium knife. And just in case, two rifles in the back of the truck.’
Unfortunately, there were no bombs. Na Chaeyoung hadn’t researched them yet. Even a grenade would be helpful, but… there was nothing she could do about it.
They headed towards the abandoned factory in Incheon. The presence of people around them disappeared. There weren’t many lights, which made it feel eerie. It felt like a neighborhood where crimes would happen.
“…I did a little research, and dozens of deaths have occurred in this neighborhood. The police announced it was a conflict between criminal organizations, but people say there’s another secret hidden. They say there’s a monster.”
“Is that a common urban legend?”
“It’s not an urban legend. It’s a kind of sign. That sign has been consistent since 2000, after the first meteorite, the red meteorite of the beginning, fell.”
“Is that also a setting in the game, Eternal Eden?”
“Yes. After that, meteorites kept….”
The conversation, which seemed like it would continue, ended with Na Chaeyoung closing her mouth. The abandoned factory building they had agreed on came into her sight. There were a few lights in the dark factory. Also, there were cars lined up around the entrances. Roughly, there were more than ten. There were at least 50 gangsters around.
Sung Yoojin slowed down the truck and asked Na Chaeyoung.
“Are you okay?”
“…I’m fine.”
She stopped the truck. If they had to retreat, it might be easier to abandon the truck. Someone walked towards the front of the truck. It was Oh Sung-sang, the man who had brought us the invitation yesterday.
“You’ve arrived. The boss is waiting for you. Please follow me, I’ll guide you.”
Sung Yoojin rolled her eyes. The other gangsters were not visible. They seemed to be hiding.
‘Should I spread a subtle current like I’m spreading my senses? I think I can… No. I should save my strength. Since they’re definitely hiding. They won’t attack until the negotiations fall apart.’
The factory was half-built. There were walls, but they were crude. Even then, more than half of them were missing. The steel bars that formed the skeleton were thick and strong, so it didn’t seem like they would collapse easily.
They went up to the fifth floor. It wasn’t the highest floor, but the breeze was quite cool.
In the center of the fifth floor.
There was a woman in a suit sitting on a plush black sofa chair, and a large man standing next to her. In front of the woman was a table, and there was another identical chair.
The man, who was nearly 2 meters tall, was frowning. He had bulked up his upper body so much that the balance between his upper and lower body was similar to a gorilla. His hair was, of course, a buzz cut.
Sung Yoojin walked with Na Chaeyoung, watching Taewang’s boss. She was a woman with a voluminous dark brown bob with a part. Judging by her appearance, she looked to be in her mid to late 30s.
She was basically a beauty, but her face was full of scars. Her right mouth was torn to her cheek, and there was a burn mark on her neck. There was a long knife scar on her left cheek, and she wore a black eye patch over her left eye. Her cheek and eye had been cut.
She was smoking a cigarette with her left hand. Sung Yoojin knew from the smell that it was a marijuana cigarette. Her left hand was more brutal than her face. It was covered in all sorts of scars, and the red burn scars were particularly severe. Her left pinky finger was missing. It was unclear whether it was cut off or she had cut it off herself.
One thing was certain: she was a woman who had survived a battlefield.
“Dr. Na. It’s hard to get a glimpse of your face. Please, sit down.”
“…I didn’t expect to meet in a place like this.”
“I like it here.”
Na Chaeyoung sat in the chair. Sung Yoojin stood right next to her. Oh Sung-sang stood on the boss’s right side. He curled up the corners of his mouth as if he was looking forward to what was about to happen.
“I’m Gu Taehee of Taewang. Dr. Na Chaeyoung, let’s get straight to the point. Come under my command. I need the power of a technologist.”
“…I have no intention of going under anyone’s command. A life of exploitation is not in my life plan.”
“It’s not exploitation. I’ll give you what you deserve for your work. Wealth, power. I’ll pay you without holding back.”
“Do you think those are what I want?”
“What do you want?”
“……I want a deal. I’ll provide you with the things you need at a low price. That’s the relationship I want with you.”
“Ah. So you want to be on equal terms with me? Well, you’re a doctor, but did you just stay in the lab and do research? You don’t know the ways of the world. Does what I’m saying now look like a deal or a proposal?”
Thump.
Na Chaeyoung heard her heart drop.
She had been nervous since she came here. She tried her best not to show it, but she was sweating, and her heart was beating like crazy. She had several plans when she came here. But from the moment she arrived at the abandoned factory, her mind stopped working. Her damn heart was beating so hard that her whole body felt like a heart.
‘Maybe….’
Should she just give in?
Wouldn’t that be better? Taewang was the best gangster in Seoul. In other words, they were the best gangsters in Korea. If she joined that organization and worked for them, even if she was somewhat oppressed, her abilities would be needed, so wouldn’t her safety be guaranteed?
‘…If I refuse to the end here.’
A bullet would pierce her body. No, no. That was too generous of an assumption. She was a player. There were many uses for her. They wouldn’t kill her on purpose, they would subdue her. And then she would be dragged away, kidnapped, and subjected to all sorts of terrible things.
‘Ah, no! I can’t think about that now!’
Her expression.
She had to maintain a blank expression. That way, she wouldn’t be looked down on. She wouldn’t be ignored. She could somehow maintain her expression. That was something she had done her whole life. But a drop of sweat dripped down her chin, and her legs trembled.
“Doctor. Shall I tell you how to live long? Know your place, know your limits. You have the qualities to be a manager. But you don’t have the capacity to be a leader, a ruler. Do you think you can survive in a city full of chaos and death with that mediocre mindset and control?”
“……”
Na Chaeyoung couldn’t argue. Gu Taehee had seen her accurately. Her judgment was amazing.
Na Chaeyoung had never really taken the initiative in anything since she was a child. She became a researcher because her parents told her she had talent and should try it. She also played the Eternal Eden game because a friend recommended it. She also knew that leading others and being in the highest position of responsibility was not her forte.
“I…”
She opened her trembling lips.
Gu Taehee threw the marijuana cigarette on the floor and grinned. Dr. Na Chaeyoung. She thought she would be difficult, but she was nothing special when she saw her in person. She was just an ordinary person with abilities. She was easily frightened. But she had abilities and seemed to have some determination, so if she managed her well, she could be very useful as an executive.
Now that she had a technologist in her hands, she could draw her next picture. According to Oh Sung-sang, a technologist could use resources to create advanced weapons. She could develop advanced technology through research, and if she had enough resources and technology, she could even make fighter jets and tanks. So, if she came under her command, she would have her start researching and develop technology as quickly as possible. Even if she could only make tanks, she could gain tremendous power.
“Hey, gorilla.”
Suddenly, Sung Yoojin, who had been quietly standing next to Na Chaeyoung, opened her mouth. She glared at the big guy, Ji Hanmoo, who was standing on Gu Taehee’s right side, with a look full of annoyance.
“What the hell have you been doing to my woman since earlier? Are you dying to die?”
Ji Hanmoo was not the kind of person who would calmly accept insults. He frowned and growled at Sung Yoojin in a low voice.
“Shut up. This is not a place for the likes of you to open your mouth. If you’re a dog, act like a dog-”
His words were forcibly cut off.
The titanium knife was deeply embedded in Ji Hanmoo’s neck. Before Ji Hanmoo could even move his arms and legs, the knife was drawn downwards. As blood splattered and his intestines spilled out, and the huge man lost his balance and leaned forward, the knife severed Ji Hanmoo’s neck.
Ji Hanmoo’s head spun in the air and fell to the floor, landing at Na Chaeyoung’s feet.
