Episode 244
“Huh….”
Ji Jin-hee hyperventilated and opened her eyes.
Taehyun was there.
“Did you rest well?”
There was a hint of playfulness in Taehyun’s eyes as he asked that question.
“What the hell is this…”
Ji Jin-hee shook her dizzy head and thought about past events.
New Korean ancient martial arts 7th type plain.
He clearly performed well against Kassim Jort.
However, it could not reach Kassim Jort, and he melted his limbs.
Death was assumed as the price for defeat.
However.
[I won’t kill you. [It’s a precious sacrifice.]
He clearly said that to Ji Jin-hee, who was losing consciousness.
The nightmare began.
A nightmare from the past that could not be protected.
A current nightmare that I haven’t been able to deal with.
And the nightmare of a future that cannot be endured.
I thought I would be eaten away and die like this.
That is, until Taehyun, with shining red eyes, appeared.
‘Taehyun… did you save me?’
Ji Jin-hee looked up at Tae-hyeon with haggard eyes.
Taehyun’s red eyes had already returned to their original state.
“You really… are the ones who got me out of there…”
Ji Jin-hee asked in a weak voice, but Tae-hyun, who was actually the person involved, didn’t seem to have any intention of saying anything.
“President of the Association. “You are trying to carry too much of a burden on your own.”
“….”
Taehyun added to him who was silent.
“There is no need to overdo it.”
“…Thank you.”
It’s time for Ji Jin-hee to say that.
“President of the Association!!”
Suddenly.
The door opened and Go Tae-wook came in.
This is because it was confirmed through the installed camera that Ji Jin-hee woke up.
“Manager Go… I’ve made you worry.”
“Taehyun…!! President, are you okay now?”
Ko Tae-wook raised his voice without realizing it and asked.
Taehyun nodded at the reaction as if he were his own child.
“I think I was subjected to a mental attack by Kassim Jort. “As long as you get enough rest, you will recover.”
“Thank goodness, Chairman of the Association!!”
Go Tae-wook hugged Ji Jin-hee’s emaciated body.
This is because I desperately feel that the new Korea still needs a giant named Ji Jin-hee.
“Hmm… I didn’t know that our manager Go thought of me this much.”
Ji Jin-hee joked and teased the audience for a while, creating a friendly atmosphere.
“Taehyun. “How did you know?”
Ko Tae-wook, who ended his tearful reunion with Ji Jin-hee, asked belatedly:
He became curious about the full story of the incident that neither he nor the saint had noticed.
It was nothing special.
Taehyun told us how Kassim Zort accessed Jinhee Ji’s spirit.
Go Tae-wook, who heard those words, blamed himself.
Because he thought Ji Jin-hee suffered because of his mistake.
“Director Go. “It’s not your fault.”
“Still… I’m sorry.”
Tae-hyun, who was watching Go Tae-wook blaming himself and Jin-hee Ji calming down, quietly intervened.
“Then I will go to guild leader Seo Sang-ik.”
“okay. “I will follow you soon.”
Taehyun left the intensive care unit, leaving behind Ko Tae-wook, who was supporting Ji Jin-hee.
“What’s going on at Alchemist?”
After Taehyun left, Jinhee Ji asked worriedly.
What if something happened to the four major guilds while you were down?
What if Kwon Kang-hyuk, Kwak Si-yang, and Park Seong-jin were injured?
That ominous thought came to mind.
Fortunately, Go Tae-wook shook his head.
“We have obtained important ingredients to create a vaccine for gray disease.”
Ji Jin-hee’s eyes widened at the unexpected good news.
“is it…! “It’s not the time for me to be like this.”
“Association President, you must not overdo it.”
“I’m… okay…”
Ji Jin-hee’s eyes say that.
Took.
Tears started flowing.
“President of the Association?”
Go Tae-wook asked in confusion, and Ji Jin-hee also looked surprised.
“Huh… It’s a burden…”
He has lived as a player representing New Korea and as the president of the New Korea Players Association.
There is no need to overdo it.
That’s something I’ve heard countless times.
However.
I have never felt as relieved as Taehyun said.
“Now I want to ease Taehyun’s burden.”
Go Tae-wook knows what Ji Jin-hee is thinking just by looking at his eyes.
He turned his head toward the door of the treatment room where Taehyun had left.
“I agree.”
Focusing on Taehyun.
The solidarity of the new Korea was becoming stronger.
* * *
“Welcome. “Player Kim Tae-hyun.”
Seo Sang-ik, who had been contacted in advance and was waiting, welcomed Tae-hyun.
“Can we start right away?”
“yes. Just follow this friend. “I will operate the experiment myself.”
There was no atmosphere or time for a welcome ceremony or anything like that.
Taehyun headed straight to the laboratory under the guidance of a guild member.
30 minutes later.
Only Taehyun remained in the laboratory.
[Kim Tae-hyun player. Are you ready?]
“Yes. “Let’s get started.”
Taehyun answered while looking at Seo Sangik on the screen.
Behind him, dozens of Alchemist researchers could be seen concentrating.
This is because the current experiment will determine whether or not a vaccine for gray disease can be created.
‘There’s no need to show your full power.’
Tiring.
[Skill Devil’s Saliva (SS) has been activated.]
Sigh.
Purple magic bloomed from Taehyun’s body.
The magical power that rose up was directed to the circular sphere installed in front of me.
It was a machine made to analyze the components of horsepower.
However.
Cheeeeeeeek.
As soon as it was touched by purple magic, the machine began to melt.
[her…!! A controller that can withstand SS-grade magical power…]
[There were no problems when researching gray disease… How…]
[Player Kim Tae-hyun. Can’t you lower the magic power a little more?!!]
“I’ll try.”
The magic power that Taehyun maintained in his skills was further lowered.
Nevertheless.
Chii Iik.
The ‘Devil’s Saliva’ completely melted the machine without any sign of weakening.
The amount of magical energy injected was not the problem.
The toxicity of magical power itself is more poisonous than you might think.
That was all.
‘Beelzebub. ‘I’m surprised you survived that guy.’
With that thought in mind, I reached out to the corpse of the monster next to the machine.
An SS-rank monster that appeared in New Korea not long ago.
It was part of Hydra Fenrir’s body that was suppressed by four players, including Ji Ji-hee.
‘Hydra Fenrir is also a poisonous monster.’
I thought it would be able to endure to some extent since it is an SS-class monster.
Chii Iik.
Even though the magic power was lowered to the lower level of S class, the body that could not withstand the ‘devil’s saliva’ melted as it was.
“The experiment doesn’t work like this.”
Taehyun said as he unlocked the skill.
The virus called Gray Disease created from Venom’s magic is suppressed with Beelzebub’s magic.
It certainly seemed possible in theory, but the experiment itself was not successful.
Unlike the blood, which could be said to be pure liquid, the effect was strengthened by mixing with Taehyeon’s magic power.
[Where on earth did you get such magic power?]
Seo Sang-ik does not know that the poisonous magic power belongs to Beelzebub.
he asked in a confused voice.
Taehyun has no intention of revealing information about the Archduke yet.
Just like before, they just pretended that they got it from a monster at the deepest level.
The meeting went on for a while and Seo Sang-ik made a decision.
[I need to make purified water. Only then can we proceed with research.]
Purified water.
It was Taehyun’s first time hearing about it.
“How long will it take?”
[It will take at least… a month.]
“….”
One month is too late.
This is because we must return to the Abyss as soon as the gray disease is dealt with.
“That purified water. How do you make it?”
Taehyun asked, and Seo Sangik continued with his explanation.
There was nothing special.
‘It is a principle that weakens the power over time by mixing magical power of opposite nature to the target magical power…’ The
problem is that a magical power of at least three times the magical power for refining must be maintained for about five hours.
In short, it meant trying to create a vessel to contain the ‘devil’s saliva’ using the magic power of many players.
[If it’s the magic power that Taehyun just showed, you’ll have to ask the World Players’ Association for help.]
I don’t know, but I don’t know.
‘It would take at least a thousand S-rank players to withstand the toxicity from before.’
That’s why Seo Sang-ik needed a month’s time.
Among the mixed magical powers, how many of them are compatible with the ‘devil’s saliva’?
‘Even if you make purified water, if it needs to take the shape of a bowl… even one month won’t be enough.’
Seo Sang-ik sighed, remembering the process that would not be easy.
at that time.
“Guild leader. “Do you need a bowl?”
[Yes… I guess the magic power I showed a little while ago was so over-spec… I think neutralization and extraction work will be needed.]
“Then how about doing it like this?”
[…?]
Instead of explaining, Taehyun released his magic power.
Quaaaaaaaaa.
The laboratory was filled with dark red magical power.
and.
Tiring.
[Skill Dark Apostle (SS) has been activated. Specifies the shape.]
Crrrrr.
The dark apostle transformed into a round bowl.
next.
Tiring.
[Skill Devil’s Saliva (SS) has been activated.]
Taehyun put the purple magic power of ‘Devil’s Saliva’ into ‘Apostle of Darkness’.
Chii Iik.
Purple magical power began to melt the bowl.
Even though it was the same SS grade skill, the difference in power was significant.
Tiring.
[Skill Dark Apostle (SS) has been strengthened. Magic consumption accelerates.]
[Skill Energy Compose (SS) has been activated. Specifies the form.]
[Skill Energy Compose (SS) has been strengthened. Magic power consumption accelerates.]
Pazuzuzu.
A sphere of magic was created in the air.
‘Energy Compose’ was also strengthened from the beginning after realizing that the basic model was insufficient.
and.
[Skill Energy Drain (SS) has been activated. Specifies the target.]
The chain created from the magic sphere covered the devil’s saliva contained in the dark apostle.
Sigh. Continue.
The purple magic power was being weakened by the dark red magic power.
As time goes by, the magic sphere that has absorbed the ‘devil’s saliva’ seems to be becoming more and more cloudy.
[What is this…?]
Seo Sang-ik and the researchers who were watching through the screen began to mutter.
It’s not enough to emit poisonous magical power, so you create purified water yourself to neutralize it?
Isn’t it like a walking laboratory?
Taehyun was equally surprised.
Tiring.
[The proficiency of the skill ‘Energy Compose (SS)’ has increased.]
[The proficiency of the skill ‘Energy Drain (SS)’ has increased.]
[The proficiency of the skill ‘Apostle of Darkness (SS)’ has increased.]
‘As expected, if you use it in a form other than the existing one, your proficiency will increase.’
Changing a skill to something other than its fixed form is impossible except for a select few.
It didn’t matter to Taehyun.
“Please hurry. “The next schedule is tight.”
[I understand!]
Seo Sang-ik answered with all his might and started the measurement system.
‘With that much magical power… neutralizing ability…!!’
It seemed that the only thing that would be created would be a vaccine for gray diseases.
* * *
Tokyo, Japan.
Players Association Headquarters.
The saintess who passed through the warp gate there sighed deeply.
Thanks to the special skill called ‘ultra-fast playback’, I am working on an absurd schedule.
The problem is that no matter how busy you are, the situation in Japan does not improve.
“Have you heard from player Kim Tae-hyun?”
She asked the secretary who handed her the potion.
“Not yet.”
The saintess sighed once again.
The strongest player in New Korea and ranked No. 1 in the world player rankings.
‘If you don’t join hands with him… Japan is over.’
It was a conclusion reached after losing Shinji Nakata, the ghost sword that supported Japan together.
While the level of monsters and gate breaks that appear is increasing, Japan has lost many talented people due to previously unexplored dungeons.
It was natural to feel the empty space of the ghost sword every time that happened.
‘The next ten years…are they dark times?’
The only hope was that the United States had reached out to keep China in check.
At that time, the secretary, who had received a call from somewhere through the earring, opened her mouth.
“Mr. Tsurara. “It is said that Night Walker’s guild leader Yoo Ah-young has come to visit.”
“Guild leader Yoo Ah-young?”
The saint asked a question about the unexpected visit.
In the past, she contacted Taehyun several times to deepen her friendship, but she refused, citing her busy schedule as an excuse.
Moreover, he was unconscious after being attacked by demons recently, and he did not show up even when he visited Ji Jin-hee a day ago to treat him.
“Did you come alone?”
“yes. “They say they entered the country through a private warp gate.”
“Hmm…let’s meet.”
Contrary to words.
‘What’s going on with that fox all of a sudden?’
She took steps, trying to guess Yoo Ah-young’s actions.
