The building shook as if it was going to collapse at the thunderous roar of Ber.
Soon answers came from all directions.
[External intrusion detected.]
[Activating defense system.]
Jiying-
moment.
Whoosh, Suho's head turned to the side.
Then a laser beam flew in from the side and passed right by it.
Kkwarung!
A stray laser beam pierced the wall behind Suho.
Suho let out a hollow laugh at the lethal attack power that was evident at first glance.
"Is this why the best defense is offense?"
Before Suho could even finish speaking, numerous laser beams began to fly at him from all directions at t
he same time.
Jiiing-
Jiiing-
Kookwakwang!
Suho continued forward, dodging all the laser beams that were as dense as a net.
[Your Majesty! There are tiny dimensional gaps everywhere!]
As Ber said, beyond dimensions.
These laser beams were coming out through dimensional cracks that were barely big enough to fit a finge
r through.
First of all, it meant that there was no way to block the laser beam in the first place.
At that moment, the earnest voice of Subject 47 was heard in Soo-ho's ears.
"Mr. Seongsuho… … Please, I beg you. Anything beyond this is dangerous."
"Who is in danger? Me? Or the Doctor?"
"It's me."
"...hmm?"
Suho, who had been mumbling, turned around at those words, and soon couldn't help but burst out laughi
ng.
Unlike Suho, who was dodging the laser beams one by one, No. 47's body was being cut and reattached
nonstop behind him.
It was ridiculous to see him tattered and covered in holes like a rag, as if he had no intention of avoiding t
he laser beam in the first place.
"Your regenerative abilities are amazing. So you're saying that the person who created someone like you i
s hiding here?"
Suho wanted to meet the doctor even more.
But when No. 47 said it was dangerous, he meant it.
The original purpose of this laser beam was not to eliminate intruders.
Kwarrung!
"hmm?"
Out of nowhere, the ceiling above my head began to collapse.
It was a natural progression.
Because the laser beams that Suho had fired went through and cut through all the walls and pillars that s
upported the building.
[If we fail to stop the intruders, it seems like the entire building will collapse.]
"That's great. Are you preparing for the unexpected?"
He was a mean but smart guy.
The idea is that rather than allowing the enemy to invade, he would rather bury his own entire research la
b.
But Suho had no intention of backing down.
Instead, he used his fist to knock away the piles of ceiling debris that fell on his head, and looked around
calmly.
"Then how should I prepare for the next time?"
In my experience, smart people always prepare for the next thing like this.
Then wouldn't they have prepared for what would happen after the research center was destroyed?
"Found it."
At that moment, something strange appeared in Soo-ho's eyes.
At first glance, these laser beams appeared to be flying at random angles, but upon closer inspection, the
re was something peculiar about them.
Right on the floor.
"Why do they cut down all the walls and pillars, but never touch the floor?"
Suho raised his fist without hesitation toward the floor, which was surprisingly well preserved, unlike the
collapsing ceiling and walls.
[Use 'Skill: Rigid Body Technique'.]
Bam!
Suho's fist, wrapped in tremendous energy, slammed down vertically.
And with that momentum, it went down through the floor of the laboratory.
Boom boom!
[Warning! Intruder in the lab!]
[Warning! Intruder in the lab!]
An alarm sound that seemed more urgent than before rang out from all directions.
"You said earlier that you simply detected an external intrusion, but this time you're saying that the 'resea
rch center' was intruded. So then… … ."
Suho, who had come down through the floor, looked around and soon found an old-fashioned staircase le
ading to the basement.
"As expected."
It seemed that the 'real research lab' was located even deeper underground than this.
Suho, who slowly approached the stairs, suddenly tilted his head.
No matter how wide I opened my eyes, I couldn't see what was beyond the stairs.
Like a gateway to an abyss.
"Gate?"
It was Suho who grasped the structure at a glance.
"There's a gate under the stairs. Or is it the other way around? Did they build the gate first, and then the
stairs over it?"
I looked at number 47, hoping for an answer, but number 47 shook his head.
"I don't know anything because I was just born. The lab has been like this ever since I was born."
"That must be one of the reasons why I sent you as a gift."
If you don't know anything to begin with, there's no way to extract information.
In any case, what was certain was that the scale of the research lab hidden beneath the snowfield was m
uch larger than expected.
If the Apostle of Paradise chose to expand his territory by planting trees that soared high into the sky, the
Apostle of Evolution did the opposite.
To ensure your own safety and focus solely on your research.
It seemed as if he had established his stronghold deep underground.
Berga asked.
[Do you want to go right in? It could be a trap.]
I tried to get there as quickly as possible before he could do anything, but there was no way to know what
was waiting for him when dealing with such a smart guy.
But what can I do?
"Let them do the thinking, and let us take it easy."
In the end, in order to meet the doctor, the only option is to enter his territory.
"Hunters be hunters."
Even at this moment, Suho easily dodged the laser beams flying towards him, his eyes shining meaningf
ully.
"If there is a gate, we just attack the gate."
Swish!
Suho's feet stepped up the stairs without hesitation.
At that moment, the laser beams that had been pouring down from all directions as if by magic stopped.
The scenery beyond the gate unfolded before Suho's eyes.
[Activates the labyrinth system.]
"It really is a mix of all sorts."
What was before my eyes was a veritable labyrinth.
Numerous walls and mazes block the view.
And countless traps hidden along the complex corridors stood in Suho's way.
Kiiiiiing-
Starting with a self-moving saw blade.
Iron spikes rising from the floor.
Even acid rain pouring down from the ceiling.
These were literally death traps that went off one after another, targeting Suho's life.
"Oh my."
Suho just sighed.
"It's not like you're playing house. What on earth were you hiding inside here making?"
The laser beam above was much more threatening.
"Get up."
At Suho's command, his shadow stretched out along the corridors and walls of the labyrinth.
And inside it, countless shadow soldiers rise up with black steam.
"Pierce through."
Swaaaaaaah!
That was enough.
The shadow soldiers cleared Suho's path by destroying all the traps hidden in the labyrinth.
"Now, just a moment!"
No. 47 hurriedly blocked Suho's path.
"The doctor's lab has many test subjects in addition to the defense system! If we do this, the great achie
vements he has made will be damaged… … ."
Snap!
[It's interrupted.]
Ber's black hand lifted No. 47's head.
And he looked straight into the eyes of the woman dangling from his hand and gritted his teeth.
[If you don't like this method, show me the way.]
"Ah, I see… … ."
[It's late.]
"… … ?!"
Kwakwakwakwang!
[I've already pierced through it all.]
As Ber had said, Suho's path ahead was already wide open.
Looking at the scenery that had become desolate and full of walls and traps, 47 let out a soft sigh.
And at the end, there was someone waiting for Suho with an embarrassed expression.
boy.
A young child who looked no older than ten years old sat on a chair, looked at Suho, sighed, and spoke.
"… … I had thought we would meet someday, but I was surprised because it happened much sooner tha
n I expected."
"Are you a doctor?"
"Yes. Well, that's what I'm calling myself for now. You can call me the Apostle of Evolution."
Surprisingly, the Apostle of Evolution's expression did not show even a hint of regret over the miserable c
ollapse of his hideout.
Squeak.
As the Apostle of Evolution stepped down from his chair, his small stature became even more noticeable.
"It wasn't planned, but since you're here, would you like to take a look around my lab?"
Tap tap tap.
He moved his short legs and headed towards his laboratory, which Suho had not yet destroyed.
[Master, should I kill you?]
[First of all, I will… … .]
Shadow soldiers stood by Suho's side, glaring at the Apostle of Evolution's back, waiting for the order to b
e given.
But Suho stopped them for a moment.
Moreover, the Apostle of Evolution also responded that he didn't care whether they attacked him or not.
"I'm a little embarrassed because I didn't know it would be presented like this. These are all my failures."
If the path that Suho had taken so far was a labyrinth filled with traps, the place he had shown was a spac
e that had the atmosphere of a scientist's laboratory.
Numerous glass tubes and fish tanks.
Pink cells clumped together inside.
and.
"weapon?"
Even inside it, there were various types of weapons floating around in a half-finished state, emitting the s
ame energy as the sickle of harvest that Hasul was holding.
"Ah, yes. All the ones over there are unfinished. Starting with No. 41, we started making humanoid weap
ons in earnest. The No. 47 I gave you is… … ."
"for a moment."
Suho interrupted him for a moment and got to the point.
"So what you're saying is, there are 39 more weapons like the Harvest Sickle? Where are they?"
Suho's gaze quickly scanned the surroundings.
Nowhere in this place was a fully-fledged weapon in sight.
The Apostle of Evolution answered Suho's question awkwardly.
"If you think about it, they were all failures, and it's embarrassing to even call them weapons. But I felt it
was a waste to just throw them away, so I gave them as gifts to people I came across."
"gift?"
"Yes. It would be a blow to my pride to trade in a failed product, so I just gave it away for free."
It's free.
At those words, Suho remembered what he had heard from Woo Jincheol.
Woo Jin-cheol also said that the 'doctor' he met by chance gave him a sickle.
Just like what I just heard, without expecting anything in return.
'… … But how can there be no real purpose?'
Suho pointed to number 47 and asked to see what the bastard was thinking.
"So is this woman a failure too?"
"Unfortunately, yes, that's true. Still, some of them are useful fruits, so I don't think I'd want to give them
to just anyone."
"So you sent it to me?"
"Yes. It is a gift in the truest sense of the word. Just know that I have no intention of being hostile to the
Shadow Lord's son… … ."
"Then let me ask you one more question."
Suho didn't get swayed by the bastard's useless words and got to the main point.
"Then, to whom did you give the rest of the weapons, except for the sickle of the harvest?"
"… … ."
* * *
Meanwhile, at that time.
Woo Jin-cheol and his group split into two after parting ways with Su-ho.
Choi Jong-in and Woo Jin-cheol.
"Never burn the wooden stakes."
"I will keep that in mind."
After giving that answer, Choi Jong-in went around North Korea to deal with the rest of Elvenwood.
Whoosh! Whoosh!
His flame skills were optimal against tree-type demons.
Of course, it was nothing compared to the flames of destruction of Seongsuho, but it was enough for Elv
enwood, which was already in chaos due to the death of the Apostle of Paradise.
In the meantime.
"Then I too… … should do what I can."
The place Woo Jin-cheol went to was a city of villains.
'Alfheim'
Among all the Elvenwoods, this is where the Apostle of Paradise's favorite tree was located.
At the same time, it is the last hiding place where the villains who ran away to avoid Woo Jin-cheol were
hiding.
When I finally got there.
"There is no such thing as hell."
Woo Jin-cheol gave a short comment with a spontaneous burst of laughter.
They say that winter has come to this land, but isn't it a bit too much?
As was the case with all the lands Seongsuho had passed through, this land also once experienced the h
eat of hell and the bitter cold of winter all at the same time.
In a word, it's a mess.
And in the middle of it all.
In the center of the city where Alfheim should have been, a giant ice pillar towering high into the sky reve
aled its presence.
"We will guard this place from now on."
"Yes. We will set up a garrison nearby."
Woo Jin-cheol leaves other chores to Choi Jong-in.
I decided to protect what Seongsuho considered most important.
But I didn't plan on just sitting here blankly.
They say the Apostle of Paradise is dead, but his traces will still be buried beneath this snow-covered fiel
d.
"Let's search thoroughly for any trace of the 'bank.'"
When Woo Jin-cheol took off his black sunglasses, the eyes revealed inside flashed like a bird of prey.