## Chapter 1863 – 1863. Eternal Eden
“How far along is the camera control? Can I move around ignoring the cameras?”
I glanced at the camera on the ceiling of the hallway and asked. Even for me, it wasn’t possible to move only through the blind spots of the surveillance cameras. From the start, the enemies weren’t fools, and there were cameras on the paths that I had to take. Therefore, to continue the mission, Na Chaeyoung’s camera control was essential.
Na Chaeyoung had confidently guaranteed camera control, but planning and execution were different things.
-I’ve got it. You can move. The monitors will show the usual feed. But still, move quickly. If the work takes too long, you’ll get caught. Don’t forget our goal is the combat AI data.
“I know. The best thing is to not get caught and not fight.”
This research facility was guarded by armed military personnel. And they were well-trained special forces. Also, I didn’t know what else was inside the facility. There was no guarantee that there was only one monster that Na Chaeyoung had mentioned. A frontal assault was impossible.
-…If it gets dangerous, run. Nothing is more important than your life.
“Thanks for saying that, at least.”
I heard a sigh through the radio. I openly walked into the hallway. Since Na Chaeyoung had control of the surveillance cameras, I just had to be careful of the people walking around.
My senses were sharper than usual. I knew the reason. It was thanks to the sex with Na Chaeyoung yesterday. Due to the effect of my trait, ‘Lust Fiend,’ my stats increased by 30% for 24 hours after sex. It wasn’t just my physical abilities that increased.
-Wait. There’s a researcher on the left stairs. He’s heading towards the hallway.
My steps stopped. 20 meters to the end of the hallway. Even if I ran now, I wouldn’t be able to quietly deal with the researcher. I opened a nearby door and went inside. A clean dormitory. Since it was daytime, there was no one there.
I listened to the footsteps approaching from the end of the hallway and pondered for a moment. If it were night, this wouldn’t have happened.
‘…That’s a meaningless assumption. According to Na Chaeyoung, this place is closed at night.’
Card keys couldn’t be used to enter, and the security devices that were turned off during the day were activated at night. Therefore, the daytime when the researchers were working was safer.
I heard the sound of a door opening and closing. Fortunately, the researcher seemed to have entered a room before coming towards me.
‘Should I go kill him?’
I hesitated for a moment and decided to go downstairs. Killing a researcher who wasn’t a combatant wouldn’t make me any safer. And since I had killed a soldier, I didn’t have much time. It would take at most 10 minutes for the soldiers to realize my presence. Depending on the situation, it could be shorter or longer.
-There’s no one down to the basement. Go down.
I trusted Na Chaeyoung and acted quickly. In some ways, her role was more important than mine.
I managed to get to the basement entrance and go down without encountering anyone.
A large steel door blocked my way. As if it were natural, there was a surveillance camera above the door. The camera was filming me, but there was no response. Na Chaeyoung’s camera control was perfect.
“Can I go in?”
-Go in. There’s no one in front of the door. From there, move very carefully.
Beep!
First, I swiped the card key and pressed the severed thumb onto the fingerprint scanner. The steel door opened automatically. A white passage appeared. What should I call it? A disinfectant smell? It smelled like a research facility.
‘Even the white hallway. It’s a typical research facility.’
-Go left.
I went left.
-Wait a moment. Oh… Researchers are coming. Go into the next room and hide.
I held my breath and waited for the researchers to pass.
-You need to go further down.
There was no elevator. Even if there was, I wouldn’t have been able to use it since elevators had more variables than stairs.
I was about to go down the stairs to the second basement floor.
“Kyahhhhhhh!”
A shriek was heard. A voice that was too wild and sharp to be human.
“Is it an animal?”
-No, it’s a monster. It’s changed too much to be called an animal.
“Why is there a bio-experiment in a war weapons research facility?”
-Of course, it’s to create biological weapons.
“Since you say biological weapon, I’m curious how gruesome it looks. Can’t I go take a look?”
-Don’t talk nonsense and go down to the basement. Our destination is the 4th floor.
“You said there are 5 basement floors here. Is the boss on the 5th basement floor?”
-…That’s right. That monster is there. Don’t even think about fighting it. It’s impossible for you to fight that monster alone. Focus only on the combat AI data.
“I’m just curious what kind of monster it is.”
-I can’t say for sure. There are many kinds of monsters. What’s certain is that no matter what kind of monster it is, it’s not something you can handle alone. Wait, soldiers are coming up. Hide!
Hide? It was difficult to suddenly say that. This was a staircase, and there was nowhere to hide. I looked around and hid behind the door connected to the 3rd basement floor passage. If the soldiers came to the 3rd basement floor, I would be discovered. Then I would have no choice but to fight. I placed my hand on the titanium sword at my waist.
The soldiers slowly came up. Their footsteps were weak and slow. Their breathing was ragged. They were clearly exhausted.
“Damn it. Captain, how long do we have to work here?!”
“If we hold out for a week, we can rotate.”
“I want to quit right now. Last night, that monster bastard went wild again, and the entire 3rd squad was taken to the hospital! We don’t know when we’ll end up like that!”
“It can’t be helped. We are soldiers and must follow orders.”
“…Damn it. Will they accept my discharge application right away?”
“They will. But should I tell the higher-ups?”
“Hah. I was just saying. It’s too… I know too much to be discharged now. I can’t just disappear like that.”
“You’ve watched too many movies and dramas.”
“Can you really guarantee that won’t happen?”
“……”
“Damn it.”
They went up to the 2nd basement floor. I smelled blood and moved back to the stairs. Looking at the floor of the stairs, there were bloody footprints. It wasn’t the soldiers’ blood. They were exhausted, but they didn’t seem that dangerous.
‘Is it the monster’s blood? Judging by the footprints, it’s at least the size of three or four humans.’
I frowned at the smell of blood and went down to the 4th basement floor. Unlike the blood-stained stairs, the 4th-floor hallway was clean.
‘The entire 4th floor is where they research and experiment with combat AI.’
What would there be in a place that experiments with AI? Only complex-looking high-tech machines and supercomputers.
‘It would be helpful to take the supercomputer.’
It was too big to take.
-There’s no one in the hallway. Walk.
I walked. There was glass on the hallway walls, so I could see inside. Most of it was machines. There weren’t many people. Even if there were, they were busy typing on keyboards in front of their desks. No one was looking towards the hallway.
‘There are surveillance cameras in the labs too. I’d believe it if they were prisoners, not researchers.’
Prisoners who were locked up and only worked.
I glanced at them and went further into the hallway. Soon, I reached the end of the hallway. Unlike other rooms, there were no windows, so I couldn’t see inside. The door was closed, but I could open it with a card key.
“Na, Doctor.”
-There are researchers inside. Five of them. It seems like they’re conducting an experiment.
“What kind of experiment?”
-I don’t know. I can’t see from here. Since it’s combat AI, it’s probably an experiment to link the AI to combat machines. Maybe they’re running a simulation.
I took out the card key and placed it on the door.
Beep!
The door opened.
The researchers turned their heads to look at me at the sudden intrusion. I already had my titanium sword drawn.
Lightning Flash of the Thunder Sky Style.
Before they could open their mouths, before they could move their arms and legs, my legs moved forward and my sword swung.
A blue flash of light passed through their bodies. Following that, red liquid splattered, staining the obsessively white lab and machines.
“Aaaah!”
The one who was behind and not hit by the sword screamed. Two were killed by having their necks cut, one collapsed, and another threw a tablet at me.
I killed the one who threw the tablet first. The reason I killed him first was because he was calm. After that, I sliced the screaming one and the collapsed one in order. It didn’t even take 5 seconds.
“One of them screamed… Is it okay?”
-It’s okay. The alarm is normal, and the control room on the 2nd basement floor is normal too. Do you have the data chip? Insert it into the port on the navy blue machine on the right.
I didn’t know much about this stuff, and I wasn’t interested, so I did as Na Chaeyoung told me. The data chip glowed yellow and blinked repeatedly.
“Do I just wait now?”
-You have to take the combat AI data as originally planned.
“I inserted the data chip.”
-That’s different. It’s a kind of data signal chip. It’s transmitting the research experiment results and weapon data to my laptop in real-time. Since things went well, it’s okay to take this much.
I didn’t understand any of it.
“So, what do I do?”
-Do as planned.
“Actually, that’s what I was going to do.”
I held the sword in reverse and shoved it into the machine. Crackle! Sparks and electricity flew. Most of it flowed into me through the blade. Of course, it didn’t bother me. Rather, I controlled the electricity that flowed in. It was like… I became a charger.
Screeeeeech!
I strengthened the blade with the electricity that flowed in and sliced the machine. After slicing it a few times, I saw the AI core inside. I continued to swing my sword and took out the AI core. A 5cm diameter sphere. It was just a collection of data, not an actual core.
-You’re going to cut the machine with a sword… No, that’s not the point, how can you take out the AI in such a barbaric way?! If the data is damaged, will you take responsibility?!
“This is faster. By the way, how’s the data transfer? I want to get out of here quickly.”
-I’m excluding all the unnecessary data and only copying the useful stuff. Wait just one minute.
“One minute is fine.”
I plopped down on a chair. It was quite comfortable, probably because it was high-end like the machines. I sat on the chair and looked at the titanium sword. Even though I had strengthened the blade with the Thunder Sky Style and swung it, the blade was slightly damaged.
‘It was fine when I was killing humans. The sensation was a bit strange when I was slicing the machine, and the blade is slightly damaged.’
Just because it was titanium didn’t mean the blade wouldn’t get damaged.
Wiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing!
Suddenly, a siren went off.
“Na, Doctor?”
