Chapter : 91
The Long Road to Poison Mastery (13)
The air inside was cold. Suhyun followed Luiril down the dark, gloomy stairs.
“How did you even find this place? Does anyone else know about it?”
“No one else knows. It’s just me. I stumbled upon it by chance.”
“The way it opens is unusual… was that intentional?”
“Yes. So that no one else could enter.”
“Thorough.”
“I don’t think this is something you need to hear about.”
“By the way, even if you rummage through the supplies I have, you won’t be able to distinguish between suppressants and antidotes. Don’t waste your effort.”
“…….”
“You didn’t plan to go ahead and search my supplies first, did you?”
“I didn’t think of that.”
‘I see you did.’
Normally, there might have been a way to open it from outside, but Luiril had completely disabled that. If she could see it, she could teleport inside in an instant.
“This is quite well-made… a dwarf’s work?”
“It’s an elf-made ruin. Humans always assume that well-made things are made by dwarves.”
“Excuse my assumption.”
“This is it.”
Suhyun couldn’t help but let out a small gasp. Human technology had long surpassed that of other races, but that didn’t mean the creations of other races could be ignored.
“It’s beautiful.”
Not just the structure inside, but the artifacts placed within the space left Suhyun in awe.
“How many are there…?”
Even at a glance, it looked like more than ten. When Suhyun looked at Luiril, she avoided his gaze.
“What was this place originally used for?”
“Seems like a tomb.”
“Did someone remove the bodies?”
“What do you take people for… there weren’t any bodies. They must have been forgotten for some reason.”
Luiril sounded displeased at the misunderstanding. She did not want to be thought of as someone who cleared out tombs to store artifacts.
“The Flashstone Dagger… so it really was yours to steal.”
“…….”
“Wait, this greatsword… did you steal it from other races too?”
“No! That one was taken from the Chinese government.”
The Shockwave Sword—an artifact that harnessed psychokinetic energy. Not as freely controllable as Suhyun’s, but it could send a shockwave in a set direction. It was a fine A-rank artifact.
The problem was that it was considered a sacred relic by the northern Haimken Orc Tribe. Located north of the Gate, in the territory where the Chinese and Russian operations overlapped, the orcs had cherished the greatsword. After it disappeared, they had protested fiercely, but eventually, it was forgotten…
‘Ah, now I understand.’
The Chinese government stole it from the orc tribe, and then Luiril stole it from them. Honestly, Suhyun was impressed. Even with teleportation, stealing at this level was exceptional. She could easily be called a genius thief.
“I only steal human artifacts collected without permission. I don’t touch artifacts still owned by their original owners. That’s my principle.”
“Hmm, then why haven’t you returned it?”
“Because if I return it, they’ll just take it again.”
“…….”
“It’s true.”
Suhyun wasn’t entirely convinced, but it wasn’t his concern anyway.
“It’s impressive… but there’s a problem.”
Suhyun pondered. The artifacts here could be used as combat tools immediately. But there was a risk.
‘If I use them carelessly, I’ll get caught immediately.’
Simple rings or necklaces could be hidden, but the Shockwave Sword or Flashstone Dagger were too distinctive. Carrying them around would immediately spread rumors.
Luiril, thinking Suhyun was admiring them, smiled slightly proudly. Collecting artifacts was fundamentally an expression of her desire to collect.
There was no one else to show them to, and in that sense, Suhyun was her first audience. Even though he had been dragged there under duress, he felt a sense of satisfaction.
“You can admire them as much as you want.”
“Huh? Oh… they’re impressive. You’ve gathered them well. The question is whether I can take any of these out.”
Suhyun’s casual admiration slightly frustrated Luiril.
“Stealing only famous items… using them recklessly would be dangerous. Better to leave them here. This is the best place for storage anyway.”
“…!”
Suhyun said he wouldn’t take anything, and Luiril’s expression became complex. It was fortunate that no artifacts were being taken right now, but there was no way to smuggle them either.
Any attempt at deception would be obvious, and Luiril would easily strangle him herself.
‘Is there a way to wash them?’
Distinctive artifacts seemed impossible to “clean,” but nothing is truly impossible. There is always a solution for every problem.
“Alright, at least now I know they’re here. Now, the suppressant.”
“Huh? Ah!”
Suhyun tossed a small vial containing medicine, and Luiril flailed to catch it.
“You almost dropped it!”
“I’m not going to take it anyway.”
“…Too sweet.”
“Medicine that’s bad for you is always sweet. If there’s nothing else to see, let’s go. Staying longer won’t help.”
Before returning, Suhyun scouted the terrain around Poshukan. Living in the poisonous territory would be tough even for him. He had to prepare whatever he could in advance.
After returning, Suhyun methodically finished his tasks. The Red Pig Mushroom was fully preserved and stored in the company warehouse. Jo Seunghyun was skeptical, but Suhyun believed these would eventually turn into gold.
Next, he introduced Luiril as a new member. Accepting other-race members was not unusual for Uncle Jo Company. Shaina had set a precedent, so the team accepted her without concern.
“Keep an eye on her.”
Suhyun called Seogangseok, Park Sooyong, and Lee Sohee aside.
“Huh?”
“Don’t trust her completely, especially when I’m not around. She’s fundamentally different from Shaina or Gorgan.”
“Does that mean we can’t trust her? Then why even add her to the team…?”
Park Sooyong asked, confused. Uncle Jo Company’s situation wasn’t bad. Thanks to Suhyun, they had secured a government-affiliated position. The upcoming Dragon Slayer project wasn’t a pressing concern for the team.
“It’s necessary. Her abilities are solid.”
A-rank teleporters were not easy to find. Her skills would be crucial eventually.
“But she’s unpredictable and tough. Don’t let your guard down. A guy like Kim Changshik would be melted in an instant if she wanted.”
“I’ll make sure to keep her in check.”
“Good. The leash is on, so she won’t act recklessly, but keep an eye on her.”
“Yes.”
Looking at the three of them, Suhyun felt reassured. No matter how cunning Luiril was, she couldn’t shake these three.
‘Compared to her… that guy…’
“By the way, is Luiril also a superhuman? If the team leader brought her…”
“Elves don’t reveal their abilities carelessly.”
“Hey, that’s not fair!”
Having only recently joined, Luiril was already assimilated into the team. A stark contrast to Shaina.
When Suhyun met her, their interactions had always been confrontational, but seeing how she treated Ada and others, her natural demeanor was quite different. She had the mysterious aura one would expect from an elf. In simpler terms, she was very full of herself. Knowing what happened when she was cornered, Suhyun found it amusing.
“…I’ll make sure to keep her in check.”
Park Sooyong said this again, glancing at Kim Changshik. Suhyun tapped his shoulder and nodded.
“Suhyun.”
“?”
While they were talking, Jo Seunghyun came out, his face set in a grim expression.
“The Development Planning Bureau has contacted us.”
“…!”
Suhyun’s mind was spinning. On the drive to the Development Planning Bureau, he recalled the recent conversation.
- “What is it? Could it be…?”
- “No way, I wouldn’t have missed anything!”
Suhyun worried that the Dragon Slayer Project might have advanced while Jo Seunghyun was distracted. But Jo firmly denied it.
- “A project of that scale wouldn’t proceed outside my notice.”
- “Agreed… I concur with that.”
It was also impossible for it to progress so quickly; it would take months.
‘Then what is it?’
“What’s the reason for the meeting?”
“You’re here. Come in. The Director will explain inside.”
Suhyun noticed the cars outside were unlike the usual government vehicles—luxurious sports cars. Only a select few could arrive at the Development Planning Bureau like that.
‘Other mercenaries?’
Many mercenaries indulged in luxury after risking their lives, unlike frugal and disciplined Suhyun.
Guided inside, Suhyun entered a large conference room filled with attendees.
“Everyone is here.”
“…….”
For a moment, they all sized each other up, eyes coldly assessing one another.
Everyone present was exceptional. Suhyun immediately recognized them as government-affiliated teams.
‘Other government teams, then.’
“Now that we’re all gathered, let’s begin. You may know each other already, even if you haven’t been assembled like this before.”
Except for fast-tracked cases like Uncle Jo Company, most government teams came from large mercenary companies. They generally knew each other by face. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Galmate, Iron Shield, Meteor, Omega, Titan. These were the government teams operating before Uncle Jo Company joined. Each had the backing of a major mercenary company, and each team leader was highly capable.
But to Suhyun, they looked like people doomed to die.
‘I wonder how many will make it out alive.’
While Suhyun pondered this, other team leaders watched him closely. Unlike Suhyun, they were intrigued. Uncle Jo Company had made a dramatic rise in reputation.
There were also rumors about Suhyun:
‘He supposedly has a way to identify superhumans.’
Some could awaken superhumans, or at least distinguish them. Otherwise, the situation made no sense—it was too coincidental.
‘Maybe he knows the synthesis formula.’
‘Or has an artifact for identification?’
“The reason we’ve gathered you today is for an upcoming large-scale project.”
The Dragon Slayer Project. Everyone knew it; no one was surprised.
The leader of Meteor raised his hand—a handsome man with a small scar above his eyebrow.
“Wasn’t the condition to keep it secret from each other?”
“Correct. Until now, we’ve operated you independently. Your skill level meant we didn’t need to mobilize multiple teams simultaneously. But this project is different. With all four Gate nations involved, independent operation wouldn’t make sense. On-site, you’ll find out anyway.”
Learning that they had all been government teams wasn’t surprising; those who could guess, already had. Their concern wasn’t about each other’s identity, but the Dragon Slayer Project.
“So, what is this? Some kind of cooperative training?”
“Would you do it if we told you to?”
“…….”
“Just kidding. We’re not asking that. This meeting is to let you assess each other and ensure coordination on-site. At least so cooperation is possible in emergencies.”
Ideally, they wanted to unify the teams for full power, but given their personalities, it was impossible. Better to leave them independent and give orders individually.
“They seem serious about this.”
“Yes. Also, one more thing: if the project succeeds, the Development Planning Bureau plans to officially announce and operate these teams.”
“!”
“It’s a project worthy of that recognition.”
