Chapter 2410 – 2410. Eternal Eden
The day after spending a passionate night with Yoo Seo-jung.
I visited Kim Ji-hee’s hospital room with Yoo Seo-jung.
Kim Ji-hee’s room was a mess. The nurse had briefly loosened her restraints to clean her body, and she had apparently gone wild. Fortunately, Kim Ji-hee was subdued before any major accident occurred. It was before the nurse could clean the room that Yoo Seo-jung and I arrived.
“Ji-hee…”
Yoo Seo-jung choked back tears as she looked at Kim Ji-hee.
I quietly clicked my tongue. Kim Ji-hee’s impression was different when her eyes were closed versus when they were open. When her eyes were closed, she looked haggard, but thanks to inheriting good genes from her mother, she was somewhat presentable.
‘But now that her eyes are open… she looks like some kind of hag. I didn’t realize eyes could have such a big impact on one’s impression.’
Kim Ji-hee opened her parched lips as she looked at us.
“Med, med… med…”
She didn’t even recognize her own mother and only looked for medicine.
She was already broken. It would be difficult to treat her. Seeing her in this state made me wonder what kind of drugs Ilwoo Group had created and used.
‘I didn’t expect it to be this severe. So that’s why Yoo Seo-jung gave in so easily and clung to me. This can’t be treated with ordinary methods.’
But I was different. I reached out my hand toward Kim Ji-hee. Kim Ji-hee opened her mouth wide and tried to bite my hand. She looked weak from being so thin, but… there was a madness caused by the drugs.
I avoided her mouth and pressed down on her head.
“Don’t be a nuisance and stay still. It won’t take long.”
As I used my ability, Kim Ji-hee’s body began to recover. Her dry, brown hair regained its luster, and her thin body, which looked like it wouldn’t produce a drop of water if squeezed, filled out nicely. Her rough skin became smooth. Her dry lips, which looked like they had turned black and died, returned to being pink and moist.
Her eyes, which had been crazed and unable to recognize her own mother, regained their clarity. I took my hand off her head.
‘Looking at her like this, she looks a lot like Yoo Seo-jung. Are their personalities similar too? If so, things will be easier.’
If she had a similar personality to Yoo Seo-jung… I could just push her. She would constantly be aware of the fact that she had received help from me. Even if Yoo Seo-jung had paid the full price for that help.
“Uh, Mom? Where am I? And who is this person?”
Her voice was clear. Passed.
Yoo Seo-jung hugged Kim Ji-hee tightly.
“Ji-hee!! It’s okay! This isn’t a research lab. Ilwoo Group won’t inject you with drugs. This is… a safe place. This person who saved you is… Sung Yu-jin, the CEO of this Sungak Elementary School. He healed you with his recovery ability. Sung Yu-jin also saved us.”
“……Is that so? Um, Mr. Sung Yu-jin. Thank you.”
Her eyes, looking at me from Yoo Seo-jung’s arms, were full of wariness. I immediately realized. She definitely did not have a similar personality to Yoo Seo-jung.
“Let’s talk about the details later. Rest first. Tell me if there’s anything wrong with your body.”
It was too bothersome to explain everything to Kim Ji-hee. Yoo Seo-jung was here, so she would do it.
‘I need to scrap all the plans I had prepared, thinking she would have a similar personality to Yoo Seo-jung. I also need to discuss this with Na Chae-young.’
I went up to the research lab.
Na Chae-young was staring at the workbench with a serious expression. On the workbench, a superconductor was floating in the air.
“Dr. Na. How’s the superconductor research going? You have several samples, so it must be going well, right?”
“…I don’t understand the principle at all. How can you create a superconductor just by hitting metal with electricity? It’s not scientific at all.”
“What’s not scientific is this world. And your abilities, for that matter.”
Technologists and Bionics have a skill called crafting.
It’s the ability to create objects using resources. You must know exactly what you’re creating. Also, it must be within your field.
Superconductors are made of metal, which is in the field of technologists. Theoretically, she should have been able to create superconductors using her skill.
“I can’t understand it at all. I could even understand how galchium works… but I can’t even grasp this. It’s not like it’s locked.”
Na Chae-young muttered anxiously.
Lock.
It was a kind of security. Technologists and Bionics could lock the objects they created.
Locked objects were difficult for other players to interpret and research. Even using research machines would cause errors. To research a locked object and figure out its principles and technology, it would take a long time and a lot of research personnel.
“Don’t try to understand it, just accept it.”
“…If I don’t understand it, I can’t create it. That means you’ll have to keep making the superconductors.”
“That’s not good. How can you understand it quickly?”
“I’m like this because I don’t understand it. Technologists can quickly understand metals or machines that aren’t locked… but this is an exception. Maybe it’s impossible to understand it at all. Maybe it would be faster to create a new superconductor by referring to this one…”
There was no option to not use superconductors. Machines using superconductors had significantly improved performance overall. Giving up on superconductors now? It was no different than humans regressing.
“…So. What’s going on? Weren’t you going to heal Kim Ji-hee? Did you fail to heal her?”
“It’s not like I was resurrecting a corpse, so there’s no way I failed. Rather, Kim Ji-hee’s personality is the problem. Judging by the atmosphere, she was quite wary. She’s nothing like the gentle Yoo Seo-jung.”
“…That means Ilwoo Group didn’t drug her for nothing. How about kicking her out? Or monitoring her 24/7.”
“Kicking her out is absolutely not an option.”
“Well, I figured as much. I was just saying it. If we kick out Kim Ji-hee, Yoo Seo-jung won’t cooperate with us either. Although, I think you have a different reason.”
“Monitoring her 24/7 would only make Kim Ji-hee more rebellious.”
“Then what are you going to do? I’m telling you, I can make surveillance equipment, but I’m not good at handling people.”
Considering that, she had helped me well with people problems so far.
But it was also true that I couldn’t rely on her help forever. I needed an expert in personnel management, someone who could handle people.
‘But I can’t just hand over personnel to anyone. It’s easy to gain power from it. I need to entrust it to someone capable and truly trustworthy.’
Na Chae-young was definitely out. It wasn’t that I doubted her abilities. It was simply that she was busy. For my faction’s technology to develop, Na Chae-young needed to focus on research.
‘Son Tae-hyung? He’s busy training the Holy Guard and managing the Sungjin Church.’
Choi Hye-jin? If I gave her power, she would definitely wield it as she pleased. She might gather the subordinates and beat them with a stick just because she was bored. It was highly likely.
Irina? She hated facing strangers. It wasn’t her forte. She wasn’t capable either.
‘Yoo Seo-jung is a Bionic. I can’t entrust it to her for the same reason as Dr. Na.’
There was no one else I could trust…
The fanatics? They would do anything for me, but they were also the type to cause any kind of accident for me. There were many other capable people, but I didn’t trust them at all.
‘Yoo Ri-ah and Elena were excellent at handling people. I can summon them with the Bond Summon, but… it only lasts for 30 days. Hmm….’
Suddenly, Lee Yeon-hee came to mind.
The 4th Deputy Director of the National Intelligence Service. She had reached that position at a young age, so her abilities were certain. She also managed her subordinates well. I had seen it with my own eyes.
‘I had subtly made her an offer before.’
The result was explained by the fact that she wasn’t here.
Lee Yeon-hee was satisfied with her job. It wasn’t just that she was intoxicated by the power of being a deputy director of the National Intelligence Service. If she wanted power, she wouldn’t have joined the National Intelligence Service in the first place.
‘According to her, it’s patriotism. In other words, she wants the safety of South Korea. The reason Lee Yeon-hee is nice to me isn’t because she has a crush on me. It’s because I’m helpful to South Korea.’
Lee Yeon-hee was a woman who was good at cutting ties. If she decided I was no longer needed, she would cut me off without hesitation.
• • •
Lee Yeon-hee entered the Blue House. It was a summons from Jung Woo-hyun, the President of South Korea.
Lee Yeon-hee quietly looked around the Blue House. She saw guards dressed in black, like agents.
‘I remember seeing them on the list of Awakened. I received a report that they had joined the Capital Defense Command… I didn’t expect them to be working at the Blue House.’
The Blue House was quiet but heavily guarded. There were guards on one side, and military units were guarding the Blue House on the other. If someone didn’t know, they might think a coup had occurred.
‘Since martial law has been declared, it’s understandable to see military units. Although, I don’t know if they’re really military units or the President’s private army.’
Soon, she was led to the President’s office by the Chief of the Presidential Secretariat.
“The President is waiting for you, so please go in.”
Despite the secretary’s words, she didn’t go in right away. Lee Yeon-hee checked her attire. Her black suit was neat and without a single wrinkle.
Soon, Lee Yeon-hee entered the office and faced the President. She naturally stood with her hands behind her back.
“It’s been a while, Deputy Director Lee Yeon-hee. Is it a year since we last met in person? You haven’t changed at all.”
“Your Excellency… you look even more robust than before.”
“Haha. I’m taking the medicine that the Bionics make. It’s more effective than any tonic.”
“It’s fortunate if it’s helpful to Your Excellency. But there is no perfect medicine in this world.”
“I will take your advice to heart. Ah, of course, I’m also checking the reports you send regularly. My aides say that the reason South Korea is able to maintain its strength is thanks to your contribution of over 30%.”
“It’s an honor to be of help to South Korea.”
“The reason I called you here is because of the report you submitted this time. You’re overestimating Sung Yu-jin, the CEO of Sungak Elementary School, to an excessive degree. Do you really believe that he will become the hope of this country?”
“Yes, I do. The people already treat him as a hero. Some are even deifying him.”
“There are signs that a pseudo-religion is being formed. That’s what was written in your report.”
“There’s no definite evidence yet, but… yes. I found traces of it in Busan. It’s called the Sungjin Church. I don’t know how involved Sung Yu-jin is.”
“He’s involved. Sung Yu-jin. I only met him briefly, but… I could feel ambition in his eyes when he looked at me.”
“……”
“I’ll get straight to the point. In my opinion, he’s a danger to South Korea. But I can’t eliminate the hero of Korea and the healer. I want to put a leash on him. Is that possible?”
