<One Sword (3)>

“Human, they’re here!”

“Yeah.”

Cale stoically looked down at the people entering the building.

‘You take care of it.’

The crown prince had left it all to Cale as he was busy enough dealing with the Roan Kingdom’s affairs.

RPOG as well as Roan’s administration… Honestly speaking, the crown prince was already sleeping less to deal with it all.

“Human, did you know our Eden Miru’s recovery rate is already at 80%?! Don’t you think he will hatch within the week?”

Cale ignored Raon and quietly waited for the people who would come up to him.

‘It’s annoying.

Let’s just take it easy.’

That was the thought on his mind.

* * *

The Transparent ©.

The person who was still there as a top researcher but would leave once his resignation letter was accepted…

Kim Sae Hyun seemed to be uncomfortable in a suit, his first time wearing one in a long while, that he kept messing with his tie.

‘Fuck.’

Click. Click.

He looked forward.

‘… The Vice President.’

Vice President Lee Mi Jung was standing in front of him.

‘You need to do well today.’

She had stealthily brought Kim Sae Hyun and Park Jeong Gyu here today and had sternly warned them.

‘Miss Rosalyn told me something. She said that we will meet the person at the center of all of this today.’

Gulp.

Kim Sae Hyun’s eyes looked around.

The Sun Building.

This beautiful building located in a prime location was said to not allow any businesses inside.

‘But this building belongs to the Sun ©?’

The Sun ©.

As someone who had focused his life on research, Kim Sae Hyun knew nothing about them.

He knew nothing at all.

‘Wow. Vice President, your backing is the Sun ©?’

But it was different from Park Jeong Gyu, as a member of the operations team.

‘This is worth trying.’

His hoobae, Park Jeong Gyu, had said the following about the Sun ©.

‘I don’t know much about it either, but…’

The people who knew about this company usually learned about them similar to how Park Jeong Gyu had learned about them. He had learned through a close friend who worked in investment.

‘Apparently they are an endless gold mine.’

Money poured out endlessly.

Kim Sae Hyun then asked if they were known as a major player.

‘A major player? Ah ah. I guess you could say that.’

But Park Jeong Gyu then shook his head with an odd look on his face.

‘But it doesn’t really fit to say that about them.’

‘Why?’

‘They are not a major player at the level of us common folks. They are a major player even among the conglomerates.’

‘Then-’

‘If the Sun © makes up their mind to hold onto their money and ask their debtors to pay them back…or if they suddenly say that they will start acting as major shareholders to decide on a company’s investment decisions- that would be quite the shakeup.’

Once he heard that… Kim Sae Hyun asked a question.

‘Why isn’t such a company famous?’

‘Hahaha. That’s because there’s no need for people who are not interested to know about them. Even you didn’t know about them, sunbae.’

‘I guess you’re right.’

Vice President Lee Mi Jung stopped walking.

“Welcome.”

“Nice to see you again, President Choi.”

President Choi Sun Hee of Sun ©.

Kim Sae Hyun watched Lee Mi Jung greet her before following Park Jeong Gyu to greet her as well.

“Nice to meet you both.”

Choi Sun Hee greeted both of them before pushing the elevator button.

“I will escort you there.”

Kim Sae Hyun could see Park Jeong Gyu gasping in shock at those words.

He felt the same way.

‘…This is someone the President has to personally escort us to meet?’

Most businesses would send at least their Executive Directors to welcome Choi Sun Hee if she went somewhere.

They were here with Vice President Lee Mi Jung right now, but for Choi Sun Hee to personally escort them for something like this-

‘This is driving me crazy.’

Boom boom. Her heart was beating fast.

Kim Sae Hyun looked down at the bag he was holding.

Inside this bag was a tablet with, ‘Step 1. Connecting the Black Castle’s Portal.’ The results of his research with the other researchers.

‘Theoretically-’

The simulations stated that it was doable.

‘However-’

Mana.

They still did not know that much about this ‘mana’ that existed in other dimensions.

‘This is the part we need to figure out with Miss Rosalyn.’

Either way…

‘At least I came with results.’

The elevator closed and it started moving up.

Kim Sae Hyun gulped while watching the floors pass one by one.

It was the same for Park Jeong Gyu.

‘This is driving me nuts.’

The operation team’s discarded card.

That was Park Jeong Gyu’s current position. He was in an even shakier position than Kim Sae Hyun.

‘This is my chance.’

There was a role for him as well.

‘Please persist in the operations team no matter what it takes. We need you to find the evidence.’

Vice President Lee Mi Jung had told him to do it.

‘I don’t expect evidence that would be critical to the Transparent ©. Just enough to leave a dent is enough.’

Park Jeong Gyu, as a part of the numerous operations teams of New World…

Was pretending like he had nothing to do as usual as he gathered all sorts of information.

‘I reported all of it to Miss Rosalyn.’

Originally, he should have sent them to Lee Mi Jung, but…

‘I’ll take a look at them all.’

Lee Mi Jung had lost all power at Rosalyn’s comment.

‘Just that is enough to let me know that Miss Rosalyn holds more power.’

‘Seriously. The person they were about to meet here was the one with the power.

“Huuuuuu.”

He let out a deep breath.

His breathing was louder than he had expected, but nobody was looking at him.

Park Jeong Gyu looked away for a moment before seeing the deep gaze in Lee Mi Jung’s eyes and flinching.

‘No matter what.’

Lee Mi Jung felt as if she was sharpening a blade right now.

No matter what.

‘Either take control of the Transparent ©.’

If not that…

‘Earn the foundation to surpass them.’

Now that she accepted Rosalyn’s offer to do business across dimensions…

Lee Mi Jung could no longer step back.

She had basically already betrayed the Transparent ©.

‘Of course, the Transparent © is always ready to let me go.’

Honorary Chairman Han Taek Soo.

That guy did not trust anybody other than himself.

‘He’s someone who would even cast away his child, the current Chairman.’

Lee Mi Jung, as someone who started as a general worker and made it up to the position of Vice President, stealthily relaxed her shoulders.

Ding-!

The elevator had arrived at its destination.

“…….”

Vice President Lee Mi Jung slowly followed behind President Choi Sun Hee.

Click. Click.

Choi Sun Hee did not hide her presence.

This whole floor was basically empty.

You could look out in all directions because of the glass windows.

Only a desk and a couch were at the center of this floor.

‘That person-’

And the moment they looked at the person seated at the head of the couch looking at them…

“……!”

Lee Mi Jung could no longer walk.

She instinctively gasped for breath.

It felt as if she forgot how to breathe for a moment.

“!”

“!”

It was not just her.

Kim Sae Hyun and Park Jeong Gyu stopped walking as well.

They could not move at all.

‘What is going on? Why am I acting like this?’

As the red-haired man with the reddish brown eyes looked at him…

Kim Sae Hyun felt as if he could not move.

‘…What is going on?’

He could not understand this situation at all.

Ability users had appeared once the monsters invaded. Kim Sae Hyun was someone who had gathered lots of information about them and had even met with some of them in order to create New World, but…

He had never felt like this before.

‘How-

How could he give off such a feeling, no, I don’t know.

I don’t know at all!

What am I experiencing right now?!’

The red-haired man seated in the distance…

Something emanating from that man seemed to be binding him.

‘No.’

It wasn’t just a feeling, it was reality.

It was a real sensation.

‘Something like this- is possible?’

Kim Sae Hyun had experienced a lot of abnormal things while chatting with Rosalyn, a mage from a different dimension, as well as other existences in the Black Castle.

It was what allowed him to trust in the potential of a new New World, a fully completed New World, the thing that pushed him to focus on his research night and day.

However-

‘Ah.’

This moment was the first time Kim Sae Hyun felt as if he was in contact with something from a different dimension.

This abnormal…

This overbearing existence that could suppress you with just his presence.

‘The Sun ©’s power is not money.

It is this person.

No. Is he even human?

I don’t know.

Either way, as long as this guy is here, the Sun © is strong.

Fuck!’

Park Jeong Gyu continued to swear in his mind.

‘We definitely got on the right side this time!’

He was amazed.

However, both Kim Sae Hyun and Park Jeong Gyu were feeling one emotion right now.

‘I’m scared.’

They felt like this person might even control their breathing.

Furthermore, this instinctual fear, this feeling that they were meeting a mysterious formless existence, was slowly seeping into his mind.

It was faint, but the sensation felt as if it started from his feet and was rising up.

Vice President Lee Mi Jung was a bit different from them.

Delight.

Delight was visible in her eyes.

Cale heard Secretary Choi’s voice.

“I have escorted them, sir.”

“Thank you, Secretary Choi-nim.”

Secretary Choi.

Lee Mi Jung’s eyes clouded over after hearing how Cale addressed the President.

“Then I will be heading back down, sir.”

Secretary Choi left.

Cale got up and slowly extended his hand toward the three people.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Cale Henituse.”

He gently smiled.

“Ah.”

Kim Sae Hyun felt as if his strength was leaving his body.

It was now easier to breathe.

This was the same for the other two people as well.

“Nice to meet you. My name is Lee Mi Jung.”

All three of them shook hands before Cale motioned for them to sit down.

– You sure showed them who is boss.

Cale ignored the Super Rock.

He had let out a tiny amount of the Dominating Aura, which was enough to get rid of all of the cumbersome things.

Why was someone young like Cale in this position?

Who are you in the Sun © and what is your position?

Can we trust the Sun ©?

Without needing to explain all those things…

‘Easily.’

Cale planned on taking the easy way through.

These three people were already working with them anyway.

“Mr. Kim Sae Hyun?”

“Y, yes sir!”

“You found a way to connect the portal in the Black Castle?”

“Yes sir!”

Kim Sae Hyun quickly opened his bag and pulled out a tablet.

“I’ve recorded everything in here. The simulations show positive results if we proceed like this, but I think we will need a first round of experiments.”

“I see.”

Cale placed the tablet on the table without even turning it on.

‘Mm.’

As Kim Sae Hyun flinched and slightly scowled…

“You should trust and leave things like this to the experts.”

Cale’s comment made Kim Sae Hyun look at him.

“I don’t know much about this. That is why I choose to trust Miss Rosalyn and you, Mr. Kim Sae Hyun, to take care of this.”

Cale looked relaxed as he commented.

“Please experiment as much as needed and let me know if you need anything. And if it gets too hard to stay working at the Transparent © , get your research team members and quit. I will create a lab for you.”

“Wow.”

Kim Sae Hyun blanked out for a moment.

“I promise you everything will not be lacking compared to the Transparent ©. And some day-”

Cale looked toward Lee Mi Jung.

“New World, the Transparent ©… The owner of both may change… Or an even greater corporation may appear.”

Smile.

Cale smiled as he spoke.

“Isn’t that what you think, Miss Lee Mi Jung?”

He had noticed that Lee Mi Jung had reacted differently to his aura than the others.

That was why he asked one more thing before she could answer.

“Vice President-nim.”

As she stood there without being able to answer, she saw the amused-looking Cale.

“What did you see in me earlier?”

“!”

Lee Mi Jung did not expect such a question and flinched before smiling and answering.

“Have you ever met Honorary Chairman Han Taek Soo?”

“No.”

Cale shook his head.

On the other hand, Kim Sae Hyun and Park Jeong Gyu looked at her with confusion.

Lee Mi Jung didn’t care and calmly answered.

“… Honorary Chairman Han Taek Soo-”

She made up her mind.

She had thought about finding her own path when she met Rosalyn and Choi Sun Hee as well, but…

Now that she felt like she met a proper backer…

‘I should throw one of my hidden cards.

That will be the way for me to get accepted.’

She quickly continued to speak.

Honorary Chairman Han Taek Soo.

“…That thing.”

That thing.

Lee Mi Jung called Han Taek Soo a thing before saying a secret she had been keeping since she was a lowly employee.

“He is not human.”

Han Taek Soo was not human.

“……!”

As Cale’s eyes opened wide for the first time…

“I heard that you were looking into dirt on the Transparent ©. I’m sure that the information that Deputy Section Chief Park Jeong Gyu has found will be quite helpful, but…”

Lee Mi Jung was pointing at Park Jeong Gyu, but Park Jeong Gyu… Looked at her with a blank look on his face.

Kim Sae Hyun was doing the same.

Lee Mi Jung Cale didn’t care and continued to speak.

“I don’t have information, but I have a hypothesis. It is based on what I have seen. Of course, it could just be a hallucination as I have not found any evidence in over ten years.”

To be more specific, she had only seen a shadow.

Honorary Chairman Han Taek Soo.

She had seen his shadow, but the shadow was not in the shape of a person.

It was definitely a monster.

A monster slowly turned into a person.

Lee Mi Jung kept this fact hidden after seeing it.

She had no way to prove it, but…

‘Presence-’

Han Taek Soo.

The presence that the shadow gave off was immense, making Lee Mi Jung feel suffocated.

She was facing a presence similar to that presence.

That fearful power that stimulated an instinctual fear…

However-

‘This one is stronger.’

She was facing a presence even stronger than the monster she faced back then.

‘It wasn’t a hallucination.’

What I experienced at that time was not a hallucination.

In that case, this really was an opportunity.

“That thing is a monster.”

A monster.

It was the word used on Earth 3 to describe the existences that infiltrated Earth.

Most of those monsters were being safely subjugated right now.

Kim Sae Hyun, Park Jeong Gyu, and Cale all knew this, but…

Vice President Lee Mi Jung still said what she needed to say.

“An unconfirmed monster that wears a human mask. Or maybe a devil or a god. That is what I believe he is.”

Ding-!

They heard the elevator at that moment.

Cale opened his mouth.

“Originally, I was planning on spreading rumors of the Transparent ©’s shady dealings to lower their stock price, buying them up to increase our influence before gathering the shareholders to force a voting. I was planning on talking about things like that, but…

Haha-”

Cale laughed and looked at the open elevator door.

Secretary Choi Sun Hee bowed and reported.

“I have brought him here, sir.”

‘There is someone else?’

Lee Mi Jung turned her head in shock to see someone.

‘Mm.’

She was not happy to see this person.

He was someone who could be called Earth’s hero.

The best specialist when it came to monster subjugation.

“Are you discussing something fun?”

President Ahn Roh Man.

The person who was basically guaranteed to step down from the position in the next election was standing there.

“I came after hearing some fun things as well.”

He had said the following to Alberu, Cale, and Rosalyn.

He told them that he was investigating something that could be dirt on the Transparent ©.

‘A large number of people go into the Transparent ©’s laboratory every two months. However, they never come out.’

Alberu told Cale that they seemed to have found some evidence of it.

“Eek!”

“Gasp-”

Kim Sae Hyun and Park Jeong Gyu gasped in shock, wondering how far the connections to this issue reached.

Cale warmly welcomed Ahn Roh Man and continued to speak.

“Yes, it is an extremely interesting story. They are stories that will allow us to buy the Transparent © and take care of Honorary Chairman Han Taek Soo as well.”

A smile appeared on Ahn Roh Man’s face.

“That truly does sound like an interesting story.”

* * *

Lee Mi Jung called over one of her people that night.

“…Spread the word that the Transparent © abducts people and uses them for experiments.”

“Excuse me?”

“Spread it first in the stock brokers, no, among the private equity firms. That will make it naturally spread there.”

“…Vice President-nim?”

The sudden order and its content made the subordinate surprised, but Lee Mi Jung clenched her eyes shut.

‘…Our company killed people to experiment?’

She had chills all over her body.

As for Ahn Roh Man, he had a chat with his aide, Mary.

“You’ve earned money and power.”

“I did.”

“Money from the Sun © and traitors from the Transparent ©. This is now worth trying.”

Mary said one more thing before leaving Ahn Roh Man’s office.

“The information our side gathered will be slipped out to the press as well.”

“Slip them to the tabloids first.”

“Yes, sir. I won’t start with the major outlets but the bottom ones.”

Click.

Mary left and Ahn Roh Man looked up at the light once he was left alone.

“…He may be a monster-”

Ahn Roh Man had met Honorary Chairman Han Taek Soo before. His gaze sank low at this unbelievable piece of information.

“If he is a monster-

I’ll need to take him down.”

Nobody heard the words he mumbled in a low voice.

It was said to himself.

* * *

“Young master-nim, you finished until the third round of the preliminaries so easily. You are so amazing! Tomorrow is finally the main tournament! I’m so proud of you, young master-nim! Haha!”

The Heavenly Demon smiled with satisfaction at Cale’s bright voice.

“This is nothing.”

Alberu gently commented as well.

“You are amazing, young master-nim.”

“Hoo hoo.”

The Heavenly Demon lightly shrugged his shoulders.

A warm breeze was blowing by as Cale, Alberu, and the Heavenly Demon sat at the inn’s restaurant.

The third stage of the preliminaries had ended after a few days, and…

Tomorrow was the start of the main tournament.

There were a total of 64 competitors left.

“Number 44! I even like your number very much, young master-nim!”

Kim Hae-Yi’s number was 44.

The Lan Kingdom’s Queen Tamahi would also start watching the matches starting tomorrow.

—

Translator’s Comments

Not 42? What a missed opportunity.

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