Translator: Wan ED/PR: Solarin
64. Faith and test (2)
When Tao Wonu headed to the main gate of the TC Research Institute, members of the security moved.
The security personnels with deeply pressed hats, watched Tao Wonu from under the caps of the hats, and communicated through radio of their exclusive devices.
Tao Wonu was just a highschooler ahead of graduation, but as a representative Player of Eungwang School, he was a veteran fighter, who tempered his body and mind through frequent visits to otherworlds.
Tao Wonu, wearing plain clothes, appeared to be completely unarmed, but feeling the spirit of Tao Wonu, some security members quietly armed themselves.
But the person, who was the first to recognize Tao Wonu’s face, waved his hand.
“Young Master Tao Wonu-nim is coming.”
Remembering the VIPs’ faces was one of the basic things a security team leader had to know, and it was a natural thing to prevent trouble with it.
At the team leader’s words, the security members let go of their weapons without a sound.
From the beginning, the people who recognized Tao Wonu as famous under his alias ‘Iron Lock’, were openly pretending to not to know.
But there were some annoying people in the eyes of the team leader.
‘… Even though you know a VIP is visiting, you kept a hand on the weapon item, eh?’
Currently, there were uninvited guests mixed in the security team at the request of the TC Research Institute.
Those uninvited guests were mercenaries, who were contracted on a strong request of a long-standing researcher, and they were the people who still didn’t let go of their weapons.
They looked at Tao Wonu, still without letting their guard down.
The security team leader felt his insides boil.
‘I emphasized that you have to be careful when dealing with the TC Group’s royal family, but…!’
They had no idea how complicated it was to deal with the people who occupied ranks in the TC Group.
Some of the security members rubbed them the wrong way when they were power tripping and got fired.
With a recent inside purge that happened inside the TC Group, most of those power-tripping main characters were cut off, and there was not one or two people who enjoyed schadenfreude from it.
Although Tao Wonu was on the better side, no one knows when a person may change.
What’s more, wasn’t Tao Wonu about to graduate Eungwang School soon and become an adult?
‘Young master Tao Wonu-nim may become like other royal family members after he graduates.’
If the only son of the next head, Tao Wonu just made up his mind, he could fire all people here.
The security team leader looked at the armed mercenaries with an anxious face.
If he wasn’t pressured into extending the contract for the next quarter, he would refuse to work with them until the end.
The security team leader decided to personally welcome Tao Wonu with those mercenaries deliberately out of sight.
“Young master Tao Wonu-nim, hello. I’ll help You with entering in.”
The security team leader didn’t say a word of the usual ‘Do you have an appointment?’ or ‘Where are you going and for what?’, and only humbly led him in.
As the result of the formal procedure for identity check, itwas proven this person was the real Tao Wonu.
The ID card presented through the device were without a doubt authentic and the unique superpower wave around it made Tao Wonu’s identity evident.
The security team leader offered Tao Wonu to go first, stretching his hand towards the entrance, but Tao Wonu didn’t move.
“…”
Tao Wonu, who stood still, glanced at the security team leader, and then stared at the mercenaries, who were still armed.
The gaze of Tao Wonu, which moved around, stopped on the recording device.
Tao Wonu looked up on the recording device and said:
“Am I currently recorded by this device?”
The security team leader’s face faltered for a moment at the sudden question, but he came up with a way to deal with it right away.
Because the number of VIPs, who avoided being recorded was not small, there was a manual response.
The security team leader fumbled through his memories, and then spoke, bowing his head.
“I apologize for the slow reply. The recording device in front of the TC Research Institute’s main gate is currently recording image and voice in real time. If necessary, I’ll help with deletion of the recording.”
The record deletion procedure was complicated, but it was better than souring a VIP’s mood.
The moment the security team leader was thinking if he should guide Tao Wonu to the place without recording devices, or should he take Tao Wonu to the place to turn off the recording devices, Tao Wonu shook his head.
“That won’t be necessary. I was just checking.”
Checking?
What was he checking?
He was somewhat bothered by the thought that Tao Wonu was simply checking whether the recording device was active or not.
Tao Wonu spoke with his usual calm voice without particular fluctuations, which he used when giving his thoughts on the otherworld conquest when giving interviews as a Player.
“It would be complicated if other people got swept in my actions, so I’ll leave a recording.”
At those words, the security team leader’s thought momentarily halted.
Unable to figure out what Tao Wonu’s words meant, the security team leader kept his mouth shut.
Tap-tap!
In the meantime, the mercenaries behind the security team leader, urgently dodged.
It was a movement like they wanted to urgently get out of somewhere.
The security team leader’s frustration deepened even more.
‘What is happening…?’
The security team leader didn’t get to figure out whether he should stop those mercenaries and ask them, or question Tao Wonu.
At that moment.
Zaap, zaaap…!
Sparks jumped around Tao Wonu’s body.
The team leader’s shocked face was clearly illuminated, reflecting the light emitted by Tao Wonu.
The security team leader urgently brought up his superpower wave, but Tao Wonu’s Electro Art activated much quicker than his defenses.
In the midst of it, Tao Wonu gathered powerful superpower wave in his arm that was wearing a support and turned it towards the sky.
Paaaaat!
Lightning burst from Tao Wonu and penetrated the TC Research Institute.
At the same time, screams rang out around the TC Research Institute.
“Aaaack!”
“Aack!”
The TC Research Institute fell into panic because of the sudden electric discharge.
But the screams didn’t continue for long.
It was a common occurrence that people would immediately scream or have their energy to scream taken away by Tao Wonu’s Electro Art.
The TC Research Institute engulfed in light and fell right into darkness, as if electricity went out.
As if that sudden great usage of the technique was too much even for Tao Wonu, he gasped for breath and wobbled.
“… Even though I condensed and gathered superpower wave in preparation — it’s hard, eh?”
For the security team leader, who barely did not fainted and endured, Tao Wonu looked like a monster.
Even if a normal Player gathered their superpower wave their entire life, they wouldn’t be able to handle such output.
Perhaps noticing that the security team leader didn’t faint, Tao Wonu walked up to him.
The security team leader flinched and tried to wiggle in his prone position and escape, but Tao Wonu was already standing in front of him.
“Yo…. Young master-nim…”
“… I know there are uninvolved people like You.”
Tao Wonu, who caught his breath, was drawing on the superpower wave again.
The Electro Art supporter Tao Wonu was wearing started to spark again.
Zaap…!
“Even so, I won’t leave You alone.”
Tao Wonu’s voice was the last thing the security team leader heard before he lost his consciousness.
Tao Wonu, who confirmed that the main gate was completely overpowered, quietly waited for something.
After a few seconds.
In certain areas, the emergency power grids that worked through superpower waves and not common electricity started to activate.
If there was a place where Tao Wonu couldn’t destroy all the equipment even after using all of his power, it was certainly a place where the TC Research Institute’s most important and secret research was carried out at.
“… As expected, it’s an area no marked on the guide map, eh?”
Touching the wall with one hand, Tao Wonu figured that location by pouring out superpower wave, and clicked his tongue.
Tao Wonu leaned against the wall for a moment, wiped off his sweat and then headed towards the stairs.
The place Tao Wonu was heading was the underground of the TC Research Institute.
* * *
Hwang Jiho’s messages kept coming without a pause.
The report of Tao Wonu, who was under surveillance, moving, was immediately changed with urgent matter.
It seemed that Tao Wonu, who visited The TC Research Institute alone, started a raid.
[Hwang Jiho] Tao Wonu attacked the whole TC Research Institute.
It was an absurd sound, but fully possible if it was Tao Wonu.
Considering Tao Wonu’s status and superpowers, it wouldn’t be difficult for him to infiltrate and do a large-area attack.
It wouldn’t be easy to attack the whole research institute alone, but if he gathered power and used highest quality supporter, wouldn’t it be fully possible?
As if my thoughts were right, Hwang Jiho’s report continued.
[Hwang Jiho] All facilities of the TC Research Institute were paralyzed, and the security team was all taken out.
… In the time Hwang Jiho sent the messages, you already finished overpowering them!?
I completely forgot because of the disgraceful behavior Tao Wonu showed, but it was indeed actions worthy of the Student Council’s president that could appear in a hot-tempered youth manhwa.
As expected, he was disgraceful, but there were parts that I admired as actions worthy of my Playable Character — but that situation wasn’t very good.
Even if it was Tao Wonu, his superpower wave would be pretty much consumed now, but he was infiltrating that place alone, where it’s possible to face Demons?
‘Unlike Tao Sihu, Tao Wonu has vast connections and power. If he got a clue, he would investigate to the end, so he must have a reason for having to venture with such an attack alone.’
For that reason, there was a high chance that the Demons were involved.
I could guess what Tao Wonu was thinking when taking such dangerous actions, but I couldn’t leave Tao Wonu alone like this.
Seeing Hwang Jiho’s message, there was even more so.
[Hwang Jiho] There is a person chasing after Tao Wonu.
[Hwang Jiho] Looks like they will meet soon, eh?
I don’t know when that ‘soon’ would be, but I couldn’t drag for time any longer.
[Me] Got it, I’m going.
[Hwang Jiho] … You plan to go to the TC Research Institute? Jo Uisin, you wait with your friend.
Hwang Jiho sent another message saying something after that, but I didn’t check it properly so I didn’t see what he said.
When I closed off the hologram, Yu Sang-hun was looking at me with a frowning face.
“… Jo Uisin, what’s going on?”
“Sorry, let’s talk later. Something urgent came up, so I have to go.”
I made an excuse and tried to go out, but I wasn’t able to follow my intentions.
Yu Sang-hun stood in front of the door, blocking the way.
“Please make way.”
“…”
It seemed that Yu Sang-hun has no intention to move.
Yu Sang-hun was someone who would usually pretend not to know when something happens and not ask.
I became anxious, unsure how I should deal with him.
“That urgent matter — seems to be related to me.”
“…”
“I guess, I’m right if you’re not saying no.”
Yu Sang-hun spoke with a tone of certainty.
Belated regrets surged in me when I realized I should have lied right away, but it was already too late.
“Take me with you.”
… Bring Yu Sang-hun to that dangerous place?
This time I replied right away.
“I can’t.”
“Why?”
“It’s dangerous.”
“You’re going.”
The confrontation between me and Yu Sang-hun continued.
It was the first time I had an argument with Yu Sang-hun, but no words got through at all.
I acutely felt how Yu Sang-hui felt like her insides were bursting every time she had an argument with Yu Sang-hun.
Yu Sang-hun was stubborn until the end.
“If I use my superpowers and Gwangrim, I’ll at least not get hurt. Trust me and take me with you.”
At those words, two choices came to mind.
One was going with Yu Sang-hun.
The other was overpowering Yu Sang-hun and going alone.
‘Isn’t the second choice the wise one? If Yu Sang-hun is powerful enough to not be overpowered by me, there won’t be any problems with bringing him, and if he is weak enough to be overpowered, there will be problems.’
It would be rational to attack Yu Sang-hun, but my hand didn’t move.
If I made this choice, would I be able to maintain a school friend relationship with Yu Sang-hun in the future?
Didn’t even before this, I already attacked Yu Sang-hun with ‘Replay’ two times?!
That time was steaming from my ignorance, and I was forgiven by Yu Sang-hun, but I didn’t know how it would turned out now.
Should I do as Yu Sang-hun said to trust him and take him?
Or should I move as I originally intended?
“Jo Uisin…!”
At the end of my worries, I made a choice.
*~*~*
Translator’s note: ‘It would be rational to attack Yu Sang-hun’ — Jo Uisin, I think you’re actually a bit insane.
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