The chimera research conducted at the Magic Tower in Hannam-dong was revealed to the world.
The video, which began spreading globally via China, brought shock and horror to the world, and as a result, a situation followed where the state was forced to take action for sanctions.
The Magic Tower maintained a confrontation with the government forces that were urgently dispatched, and the discussion was progressing with Pi Jin-hyeok at the lead, confronting An Sang-ik amidst much attention.
“It is an anti-human rights criminal act. The experiment you conducted itself has caused an unbelievable national loss, and even… Wang Sun, who was seen at the end of the video… grind.”
It was An Sang-ik grinding his teeth as he spoke.
That was because the identities of four individuals besides Wang Sun had been identified.
It included Bak Hyeok, who had been classified as a missing person because his whereabouts had been unknown for a long time—despite everyone thinking he would return someday—as well as quite famous prospects and veteran war heroes.
However, Bak Hyeok… or [Pi Jin-hyeok] spoke firmly.
“Such a facility does not exist, and you must know that this fact itself is a fabricated video intended to incite conflict through innocent manipulation.”
“Then, you should prove that the place is clean by revealing the basement of the Magic Tower right now.”
“We cannot do that. The basement of the Magic Tower is a deep layer and a place where major spells are engraved. If the flow changes due to a small impact or an investigation disguised as a search, the Magic Tower will have to bear an enormous loss.”
Even all the many mages were claiming that the video was a fabrication.
In fact, China was a nation that had waged wars of invasion by distributing many videos even during the war to induce internal chaos.
It was a sort of “Boy Who Cried Wolf” effect, but since An Sang-ik was aware of recent events and various unsavory matters, he directly refuted Pi Jin-hyeok’s claim.
“I was already in the process of grasping that Wang Sun had entered the country and recently operated in Seoul before the incident occurred, so I would appreciate it if you didn’t try to make excuses.”
“We are flawless and innocent. If you continue to try to pressure us by being swept up in another nation’s manipulation like this, the Magic Tower will perform a Sealing of the Tower.”
Sealing the Tower was literally a decision to seal the Magic Tower.
There were a total of seven Magic Towers existing in the Republic of Korea, and among them, the group commonly called the “White Tower,” led by Pi Jin-hyeok, operated a total of three.
He was saying that those three would stop all external activities and go into seclusion.
Because of that, a magical vacuum could actually lead to an incredibly fatal accident.
Various security issues, as well as overall industrial technical support, could be shaken.
It was at that moment when An Sang-ik was fuming at this absurd threat.
“Then, it wouldn’t be a difficult matter for a small number of personnel to enter the interior and examine it, would it?”
Pi Jin-hyeok was agonizing seriously at the appearance of Chu Myeong-hun and some members of the National Assembly who appeared at this time. Then, he spoke to An Sang-ik.
“If it is a small number of personnel, I can permit it. If we Seal the Tower, we too will have to bear an enormous loss and endure various inconveniences.”
At this, Chu Myeong-hun spoke as if he had been waiting.
“Then, will the representatives of each party, some personnel, and you, Vice Commander An Sang-ik, move with me?”
If the Magic Tower was truly conducting crazy experiments, at least one person with powerful strength had to remain outside to maintain solidarity.
So, while looking for a reliable adjutant, he chose one who looked very annoyed and spoke.
“It seems this friend can go.”
Colonel Han So-yun, who was pointed out at that, jumped in surprise.
“I don’t know anything even if I look at such things. Wouldn’t it be right to bring in someone who can understand it in detail?”
“It is an order. You only need to identify that illegal experiments are being carried out. It is by no means a difficult task.”
“But…”
“I said it is an order.”
At those words, Colonel Han So-yun eventually tucked her tail. Afterward, Chu Myeong-hun, some members of the National Assembly, Colonel Han So-yun, and some Awakeners entered the Magic Tower.
In that process, An Sang-ik, who stopped Pi Jin-hyeok, made a demand.
“You, the Tower Master, must remain.”
“…How can you tell me to remain when I don’t know what they will do inside?”
“It is Chu Myeong-hun. Do you think a person called a hero of this nation would do something to the Magic Tower?”
At that moment, Chu Myeong-hun and Pi Jin-hyeok met eyes, and after appearing to hesitate, he eventually let out a sigh, turned to the Vice Tower Master, and spoke.
“Cooperate so that they can look around the facility clearly, and explain the safety matters and points to note clearly, understood?”
With the answer that they understood, many personnel headed for the basement of the Magic Tower.
“Do you think those people can find the secret location?”
An So-mi asked a question about the Magic Tower incident, which had become a huge issue and was creating a flow like the calm before a storm.
He shook his head and spoke.
“In white magic, there are quite a lot of concealment-related spells, such as sealing or overlaying virtual spaces. The reason would be that it developed because of the mages’ tendencies, and in the case of someone who doesn’t know this well, they would have prepared so thoroughly that one wouldn’t be able to find the concealment; it would be a miracle if they found it.”
“Then, ultimately, the secret of the Magic Tower won’t be revealed?”
“Probably so.”
Moreover, it was Chu Myeong-hun and his lackeys who went down to the basement of the Magic Tower. Most high-level black mages, including the Black Mage Association and the Black Tower, already vaguely guessed or suspected their relationship as a figure whose possibility of a cooperative relationship with Pi Jin-hyeok was emerging.
If asked whether a person of Chu Myeong-hun’s stature would be a Cultist of Ruin, one might be skeptical, but most say it is highly possible in that they could be in a cooperative relationship for some reason.
One person emphasized honor and power, and one person was obsessed with ugly desires and money.
Among those who fought in the war together, there was no one who didn’t know that Chu Myeong-hun showed an enormous obsession regarding women and money, yet such a person naturally intervened in the Magic Tower incident with his own two feet?
It was obvious at a glance that Pi Jin-hyeok had pulled strings in advance.
‘Li Chang, I am grateful that you obtained so much information in there and leaked it to the outside, but the problem is that you chose the Chinese media as the outlet. How stupid.’
In a way, it was natural to not trust domestic public opinion.
However, since Korea had reached a situation where it did not trust China itself, he thought that a good operation had gone down the drain.
“What if we step forward?”
At Go Yu-jin’s timely question, I met her eyes.
It was because I was curious about what kind of opinion she had.
“It’s true that Seong-chan is great, but the profiles of the people there are beyond imagination, and if we keep drawing issues, the ones who will ultimately be beaten are the Association or the Black Tower.”
At An So-mi’s opposition, Go Yu-jin shook her head and spoke.
“I’m not saying we should step forward recklessly, but I’m wondering if we should drive public opinion by intentionally provoking them and intervening, since we don’t have a good relationship with mages.”
My eyes widened at Go Yu-jin’s alternative.
‘Certainly, I should resolve the feeling of being wronged, and moreover, we live only if Pi Jin-hyeok falls.’
To be precise, the experiment Pi Jin-hyeok was preparing was revealed in a video, even if briefly; from the perspective of someone who could handle high-level magic, I noted that Pi Jin-hyeok was trying to achieve something by literally using Awakeners with powerful strength as sacrifices, just as the Cultists of Ruin extracted artifacts by using humans as sacrifices.
‘If left as is, an uncontrollable monster might appear.’
Even the appearance of Wang Sun chasing Li Chang looked like a decisive weapon running rampant, having lost his reason and become a doll, even neglecting defense for the sake of his objective.
So I was concerned in the case that all five experimental subjects showed such performance.
“I should meet the old men.”
“Seong-chan, you’re not agreeing with Yu-jin’s words, are you?”
In fact, I was in a state of experiencing a strong earthquake, not just being shaken. When I nodded firmly, she let out a sigh.
“I know you want to bring down Pi Jin-hyeok… but you know it’s difficult to handle, don’t you?”
“That’s why I’m going to lure the old men. No matter what anyone says, if four out of the fewer than ten black mages in the country move, they won’t be able to refuse in the end.”
“I am with you too.”
If Go Yu-jin was included, there would be five.
It could be seen that 1/3 of the total force of black mages in Korea was moving.
“There won’t be plenty of time. They would have prepared without being clumsy, so the scale will also be quite large, and they will maintain the current situation for a few hours while saying they are examining the interior.”
“I’ll be busy. Then, who should I meet?”
“Please go to the Black Tower with An So-mi. I will persuade the Association and old man Han Sang-gil.”
With that, we began to move quickly.
I judged that the success of this operation depended on how actively the targets of persuasion intervened.
And I thought that there weren’t many instances where we could stand at the forefront and speak unless it was a time when the world was in an uproar, and I intended to move while keeping even the worst-case scenario in mind.
‘The cornered Pi Jin-hyeok might use military force. If so… we will have to handle all the latent power inside the Magic Tower. Although more personnel will be needed as the necessary force for that… the government won’t be able to turn a blind eye to this fact, and even An Sang-ik will have no choice but to step forward.’
At any rate, for now, it was time to focus on persuasion.
Afterward, the place I visited first was Han Sang-gil’s residence.
“It’s a chaotic time, so I thought you might come.”
I asked Han Sang-gil, who welcomed me.
“Will you move?”
“You’re asking me to move out of the blue; what are you thinking?”
“The Magic Tower—if left like that, it will become an uncontrollable monster. At that time, enormous hardships will sweep domestically and internationally.”
“I know, I know… I thought I had nothing more to learn from the Necronomicon. But when I asked because I thought the magic used in that was somewhat familiar, ironically, it was black magic.”
Having timely done something while watching the video, the magic language enlarged on the large screen caught my eye.
‘How stupid, why didn’t I think to grasp that?’
Thinking that one cannot ignore years of experience like this, he lamented and asked.
“So, what kind of magic was used?”
“It’s a brainwashing-type black magic. Since it’s fragmented magic language, it’s difficult to grasp it all.”
“…It could also be mind control.”
Han Sang-gil, who nodded, asked seriously.
“So, what is it you want to do?”
“I want to tear down the Magic Tower.”
“No matter how many atrocities they commit, they are those who stay in the light. No matter how much a group like us, treated as an underworld cartel, makes a fuss, people won’t even listen. Moreover, the government won’t stay still if we target the Magic Tower.”
The Magic Tower and the government have a quite close relationship. That is why one cannot recklessly push into the Magic Tower.
Since the fine links established with the vested interests were in a state of being stubbornly connected as if they could never be cut, I conveyed that I intended to cut them because I could not untie them.
“In the end… you’re thinking of seeing blood.”
As I nodded and relayed several incidents I had experienced, Han Sang-gil was surprised.
“Do you think those stiff-necked people will move?”
“If you move, old man, anyone will move along. What will you do?”
Han Sang-gil looked at the video again, and then spoke as if he had made a decision.
“Let’s go. I should check if they’ve made soybean paste out of shit and break the jars.”
