Chapter 1889 – 1889. Eternal Eden
“Aaaargh!”
David Kim shrieked. A bit disappointing. Shouldn’t a CIA agent maintain composure even with an eye gouged out?
“What exactly is this bastard’s ability? Is it serious?”
“I’d like to say it’s not a serious ability, but it’s hard to judge with mental abilities due to lack of data.”
“Tell me. What exactly is his ability?”
The information Na Chae-young had on David Kim was as follows:
「Subject Name: David Kim.
Potential: ★★
Awakened Ability: Warm Favor.
Traits: Charm, Stealth.」
Warm Favor.
Na Chae-young speculated that it was an ability that made others feel favorable towards him, making them want to offer him kindness. It might seem like nothing. Since it doesn’t completely control the mind.
But as seen just now, Na Chae-young reversed her pre-determined opinion here. That’s how strongly she felt favorable towards David. To the point where she wanted to do him a favor.
“This fucking bastard dares to… touch my woman….”
Annoyed, I hit him on the head again.
His charm trait made it easy for others to feel favorable towards him, and his stealth trait was specialized in hiding his presence. According to Na Chae-young, if someone with the stealth trait was determined to hide, even experts would have a hard time tracking them.
“Ugh…. Dr. Na! Help me! This, this guy is crazy!”
Na Chae-young flinched. Her face contorted. Na Chae-young rarely showed her emotions. The fact that she was now openly showing her expression meant she was slightly in a mental breakdown.
“Annoying. Even at this moment, I want to save that man. Eugene, I even think your response is too harsh.”
“Even in this situation, you’re still trying to pull something? You’re really fucking crazy.”
I broke David Kim’s arms and legs on the spot. Even if his muscles were relaxed by the lightning, he still felt the pain. David Kim screamed like a pig as his bones were crushed. Then, at some point, he became quiet. He had fainted from the pain that exceeded his tolerance.
I took my eyes off the fainted guy and looked at Na Chae-young.
“How is it? Is the ability gone?”
“…No. I still feel favorable towards him. After experiencing a mental ability, I understand. It’s the worst. It’s like a part of my brain is broken. It’s my mind, but I can’t control it….”
“Are you saying that even if we kill this bastard, the ability will continue?”
“No, that’s not it. When a mental ability user dies, their ability disappears too. In Eternal Eden, the easiest way to deal with mental abilities was to kill the mental ability user.”
“I can’t kill this bastard so easily. That’s too merciful.”
How should I deal with David Kim? Dozens of methods flashed through my mind. Then, I suddenly remembered my ability. I can revive him even if he dies. I can use all the dozens, hundreds of methods that came to mind.
But before that. I put my hand on Na Chae-young’s head.
“…What?”
“I need to restore your mind first.”
“Do you think that’ll work? The mind isn’t a physical thing. It’s not like my brain is broken because I was hit by a mental ability. There’s no way it’ll work just by restoring the brain….”
Experience is important for abilities. The reason I can handle lightning so well in this world is because I’ve already handled lightning in that way. Recovery is the same. Reviving from death. Haven’t I experienced complete recovery several times?
‘Complete recovery doesn’t just revive the body. It recovers all status ailments.’
I had enough experience.
I used recovery on Na Chae-young. Na Chae-young flinched. But that was only for a moment, her eyes calmed down as usual. No, even more so than usual.
“……To think you could even restore the mind. It feels like I was forcefully injected with a tranquilizer.”
“Do you feel sorry for this bastard?”
Na Chae-young looked down at David Kim. The old her would have been flustered. But her eyes now, having gone through her own experiences and grown, were emotionless.
“It’s best to kill him now. You just saw it. Mental ability users are dangerous.”
I know. That’s why I brought Absolute Mind. In this world, there are mental ability users far more dangerous than David Kim, who can control people at will.
“…Of course, not for you, who has Absolute Mind.”
Simply in terms of ability, I was a hard counter to mental ability users. Their abilities simply didn’t work on me. Well, abilities can be used in different ways, so there’s also the method of controlling other people’s minds to attack me. Just like how Na Chae-young could be controlled now.
“What’s the method to deal with mental abilities?”
“There is. Among the drugs that Bionics can make, there’s a drug called Antisper. If you take it, it protects your mind for a certain amount of time. You gain resistance to mental abilities, so you’re not easily affected. The problem is that the materials are hard to obtain, so even Bionics that receive national support can’t make it at this stage.”
“What are the materials?”
“The corpses of special mutants.”
“How do the Technologists fight back?”
“They have to discover and research substances that resist mental abilities. Or they have to create new substances like your Galchium.”
Galchium was a metal created by chance. It’s not something you can just create just because you want to make a new substance.
“……Let’s interrogate this bastard first.”
• • •
Lee Yeon-hee had her subordinates watch Seongak Elementary School. They were monitoring it 24 hours a day from a distance.
S.
It was to monitor and understand Seong Yu-jin’s actions. In fact, she had somewhat grasped it after listening to Gu Tae-hee, the boss of Taehwang. However, given Lee Yeon-hee’s personality, she couldn’t completely trust Gu Tae-hee’s words. She needed a confirmation.
And this time, she concluded that David Kim was not coming out of Seongak Elementary School. Gu Tae-hee’s words were correct. Seong Yu-jin was a madman. But not just any madman. He had his own standards. So, if she followed those standards well, she could negotiate without any problems.
‘David Kim must be imprisoned in the building and going through harsh treatment. There are also players in Seongak Elementary School, and S’s mental abilities won’t work well on him.’
It was evident from his actions that Seong Yu-jin had a considerably high resistance to mental abilities.
It was Seong Yu-jin who killed the Brain Devourer, which emitted mental waves, at the War Weapon Research Institute. The reason she didn’t stop David Kim, who was presumed to be a mental ability user, and let him into Seongak Elementary School was for that reason. She had guessed that Seong Yu-jin’s personality would make him furious the moment he knew he was a mental ability user.
Beep beep.
The office phone on the desk rang. Lee Yeon-hee leisurely picked up the receiver of the old-fashioned phone.
“What is it?”
-We have a call from the CIA. It’s a call from Kyle Munson, the head of the CIA’s Korean branch. He wants to speak with the Deputy Director.
At this point in time, there was only one reason why the CIA would contact them. David Kim. They wouldn’t want to lose a mental ability user specialized in recruiting awakeners so easily. The corners of Lee Yeon-hee’s lips slightly curled up. It was Kyle who had subtly looked down on the NIS. She was looking forward to hearing what kind of favor he would ask for.
“Connect him.”
-…Deputy Director Lee Yeon-hee. This is Kyle Munson. It’s been a while since we talked.
“Indeed. How have you been?”
-…Well, I’ve been doing alright. I’ll get straight to the point. Please help us.
“It’s difficult for you to ask for help without any detailed explanation.”
-Don’t you already know? Surely you’re not going to pretend you don’t know what happened in my country?
“Hehe. Your way of speaking is still the same. Yes, I know. It must be about David Kim.”
-Seong Yu-jin. That man is illegally detaining a CIA agent. Please bring David Kim back. Originally, he should be punished… but we’ll be lenient on that.
“The NIS is not a subcontractor of the CIA.”
-I know. We have a cooperative relationship with the CIA. That’s why I’m asking for your cooperation now.
“David Kim is a mental ability user. Explain the situation to the Korean awakeners he has recruited and send them back to Korea. Isn’t it going too far to recruit people through mind control?”
-……David Kim is a mental ability user? I don’t know what you’re talking about. The reason we’re trying to take him is because he’s a CIA agent. The CIA doesn’t abandon its colleagues.
“Then do it yourself?”
-Is that how you’re going to play this? We need to cooperate for the security of both countries.
“Is it cooperation to only receive what you want? And it seems like you think we’re not doing anything…. The recent situation in East Asia is not good. There are more spies being sent down from the North. We’re already busy, do we have to clean up the mess you guys made?”
-Ha, alright. We’ll handle this matter. And… I’m disappointed with this conversation, Deputy Director Lee Yeon-hee.
Click.
The call was cut off. Lee Yeon-hee, feeling the anger in his voice, smiled faintly. She took out her smartphone from her pocket.
The CIA and Seong Yu-jin.
Normally, she would have sided with the CIA. But the United States now was not the United States of the past. The zombie outbreak caused by the D virus. In the United States, a country where guns are easily accessible, all sorts of problems were erupting.
And where there are heroes, there are also villains. Especially in the United States, it was severe.
‘It means they’re not as great as they seem on the surface.’
Moreover, she was also annoyed by their attitude of trying to steal talent from another country using unfair methods and then acting as if they had done nothing wrong.
They say they’re doing it for the sake of their allies, but in the end, what matters is their own country.
What’s important for the NIS right now is its relationship with Seong Yu-jin, a powerful ability user, rather than its relationship with the CIA.
Lee Yeon-hee made a call. It was when the ringing tone sounded about three times. The other party answered the phone. Lee Yeon-hee smiled as usual and spoke in a gentle voice.
“Hello, Mr. Seong Yu-jin. This is Lee Yeon-hee, the 4th Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service. I apologize for calling you so suddenly. The situation is unfolding rather urgently. The CIA’s Korean branch is moving towards Seongak Elementary School. Their target is David Kim. We can help Mr. Seong Yu-jin. Do you need help?”
-I’m a bit busy right now.
-Aaaargh! St, stop!!!
-If I need it later, I’ll contact you at this number.
Click.
The connection was cut off.
It seemed like they were interrogating David Kim on their own. If the CIA knew about this….
The relationship between the CIA and Seong Yu-jin would be over.
‘No. His voice was filled with anger. Perhaps their relationship is already over.’
