Chapter 118: Back to the Battlefield 1
Translator: Moliere
Editor: SootyOwl
W.A.N.C.S. was in charge of overseeing patients with abnormal narcolepsy, and all patients who woke up died on the same day. This was a big issue in the media. People talked of conspiracy theories, but on his way to work on Monday morning, Junhyuk thought that W.A.N.C.S. had pressured the media.
Anna had told him about Prince Al Jar. He was one of the UAE princes, a billionaire that owned oil fields, and Junhyuk was naturally suspicious. The prince was antithetical to the Rockefeller family. So, a prince was involved.
He browsed the internet for more information on Schterron, but he couldn't find anything new. Junhyuk wasn't a hacker, so there was a limit to what he could find on the internet. It was an international mercenary company after all.
Junhyuk reported to work earlier than his coworkers, cleaned the office and sat on his chair. Soon, he saw other workers arriving. He greeted some of them. As Eunseo reported to work, she called for him. Junhyuk went to her office, and she offered him a seat.
"The lab chief contacted me. He is full of compliments," she said.
"I didn't do much there."
"He is usually quiet, but he complimented you," Eunseo said calmly, staring at him. "They will wire the money to your bank account. He'll pay you a hefty sum."
"What is the company's official position on this event?" Junhyuk asked carefully.
She fixed her glasses and said, "We were waiting for Jisuk Dong to wake up. Since he died, we will focus on dealing with the media. The media is blaming W.A.N.C.S., and if we aren't careful, we will be misinterpreted."
They were selling capsules, and if they were responsible for the patients not waking up, they would be blamed. Eunseo looked at Junhyuk.
"We prepared a special TV broadcast because of the recent events. The last one was popular, so you'll be cast with the rest of the group. Filming begins next week. The last program was broadcast worldwide."
"Is that right?"
"Is there a celebrity you want to appear with?"
"I can't think of anyone."
"Then, we'll take care of the rest." Eunseo looked at her tablet and said, "I'll let you know when everything is scheduled."
Junhyuk walked out, saw Somin and walked over to her.
"Would you like a cup of coffee?'
Somin nodded and followed him outside. They sat in the rest area, and Junhyuk got two cups of coffee from a vending machine.
"Are you OK?"
"We just signed a nondisclosure agreement, so that's nice."
Jisuk's death was a sensitive issue, and all they had to do was sign a media nondisclosure agreement about that day. Somin had pulled herself together from the shock of Jisuk's murder. After she left, the two mercenaries died, but he didn't tell her that. She stared quietly at him.
"I thought you would stay over there much longer. You came back so soon."
"They didn't need me."
"What did you do over there?"
"Oversee the capsules."
Somin smiled.
"It must've been boring."
"Something like that."
In reality, he hadn't been bored. His car crashed into the Han River.
"I got more work because of everything," he said calmly.
"More work?"
"A TV broadcast."
"Again."
He didn't elaborate, but he nodded.
"Yes, and it will be broadcast worldwide again."
"You'll be an international star."
"Do you want my signature?"
Somin broke out in a smile.
"Thanks."
"For what?"
"Being worried about me."
Junhyuk smiled.
"The things about the murder are probably not a pleasant memory."
"They are not, but I got paid time off and rested. I feel much better."
"That's nice."
Somin got up.
"I'm not working as a model, so I must get back to desk duty."
Junhyuk laughed. She wasn't lying, so he drank his coffee and got back to work.
Elise was taking in the aroma of her tea.
"I didn't expect you would call me personally."
Doeyol quietly sat in front of her and said, "I need to check a on few things."
"Go ahead."
"When will the iron soldiers be completed?"
Elise smiled and said, "They are being manufactured, and you will get yours within two weeks."
"Right." Doyeol fixed his eyes at Elise and said, "You do know I don't have much power within the Pentagram."
"Yes, you don't have enough power or friends compared to others," she agreed calmly.
Doyeol smiled.
"If I didn't have my mana stones, they wouldn't have included me."
Elise didn't answer him. Doyeol's company, ST Capsule, was growing at a scary rate, but it was still small compared to some of the other companies. If he didn't have the mana stones, the others wouldn't have supported him. However, he did have them, so he had joined the Pentagram, and the others were supporting him.
His mana stone was being used in all researches, and later, Chris brought him another mana stone and a blood stone. They were being used in the Iron Soldier and the Regeneration Projects.
Right now, they were training many people to survive the Dimensional Battlefield, but they were never sure of how many would return. That meant that the mana stone and the blood stone supplies could end at any moment. They were starting a revolution and they couldn't stop now.
"If the supply of mana stones and blood stones keeps up, the Pentagram will have the power to shake the world."
"Right."
The Metal Series had shaken the world already. The Regeneration Project would revolutionize the medical field. They would control the mechanical engineering and biophysics markets and would become the leaders of the world.
"But people are getting in the way."
The Pentagram knew all about the Dimensional Battlefield, and there were others with that knowledge. This time, the survivors had been killed.
"That's why I called you," he said.
Elise frowned a little.
"I want to stand atop the members of the Pentagram, so I need someone to help me. You should work for me."
Elise smirked.
"If I line up with you, I must abandon the others."
"Right."
She smiled, and her eyes beamed.
"What can I gain from working with you?"
"You'll get plenty of mana and blood stones."
Her eyes widened. Those stones came from the Dimensional Battlefield. It was not something you could get at a supermarket. How could he maintain the stones' supplies? Elise looked at him calmly, and he was telling the truth. She had to tell him she would line up with him and she would get all the stones she needed. Those stones needed to be studied further, but they didn't have enough of them at that moment.
Elise thought for a moment. If she refused him, he would find someone else to work for him. She was at the top of the mechanical engineering and biophysics fields, but he could find other people to work for him, and there were a few who could compare to her in her fields. Doyeol could hire them instead of her, and her position would be in danger.
"Can you prove it?"
Doyeol picked up the briefcase next to him and placed it on the table. He pushed it toward her. Elise let go of her tea cup and opened the briefcase. Her eyes almost popped out, and she gasped.
There was a mana stone and a blood stone in it, and both were bigger than fists. Elise looked at him stupefied.
"How about it? Do you want to work for me?"
The mana and blood stones were bigger than she had seen before. He could supply more, and the research would advance by leaps and bounds. She swallowed dry and stared at him. She had been busy, but he had called for her specifically.
"What do you need help with?" she asked carefully.
"Tell me what's going on with your research first, and make me a stronger iron soldier."
Elise closed the briefcase and said, "These are for research. I'll need more for your stronger iron soldier."
Right now, they needed to break down the mana stones into a hundred little pieces to make the iron soldiers, but if she had more of them, she could produce the iron soldier much more easily. Doyeol was waiting for her answer and pushed another briefcase forward. It was also filled with a mana and a blood stone.
"I only need mana stones for iron soldiers!"
"Think of the blood stone as a gift."
These things couldn't be bought with money. Elise smiled and picked up the briefcases.
"You will be the first to know about the research's results. If you need anything else, just let me know."
"You made the right choice."
She looked into his eyes and felt relieved. He would have had to find someone else if she had refused, but she couldn't even imagine betraying him.
He had only had mana stones when he got into the Pentagram, but he had guts, and she thought he would eventually take control of the Pentagram.
As long as he kept supplying stones, he would be at the top. Elise looked at the briefcases and smiled. Doyeol called for her personally, and she came. She made the right move.
Elise left, and Doyeol sipped his tea. The door opened, and a person walked in. A blonde man, Jeffrey, sat next to Doyeol.
"Is that the woman?"
"She is the best engineer in the world and she just joined us."
"Is that why you gave her stones worth $100,000 each?"
Jeffrey didn't believe Doyeol at first, but Doyeol had paid him on the spot for the stones. He earned $400,000 dollars from his trip to the Dimensional Battlefield. He brought back the four biggest stones he could find and he had also kept the monster who had been guarding them, the lion-like monster. He could summon it at any time now.
"I need her to make me the leader of Pentagram. I need you more, but I need her as well."
Jeffrey wasn't interested. His interests were his family, his life in South Korea and more money. They needed each other, and that was all for him.
"Can you beat that armored guy if you see him again?" Doyeol asked him.
'No, not yet."
Jeffrey had just captured the lion monster, but he knew he still couldn't beat the armored guy. That guy hadn't even used his power, and he had defeated his pets. He had to be an expert, so Jeffrey couldn't deal with him yet.
He would need to summon a buff monster to kill that expert.