Chapter 296: The Secret of Birth (2)
Yoo Seol-ha was greatly flustered by the unbelievable situation and covered her mouth.
” L-Lee Kyung-joon…… two of them……?”
The person holding her up as if she was about to collapse was Lee Kyung-joon, and the person she went to school with was also Lee Kyung-joon.
A situation where two identical people, like doppelgangers, were in the same place at the same time.
” There are two, but the real me is only here. That one is my assistant, Teemo. “
Kyung-joon straightened Yoo Seol-ha’s body, which he was holding, onto the ground.
She staggered momentarily but managed to regain her balance, and looked at Kyung-joon with a still bewildered expression.
It seemed like she needed a little more explanation.
” I brought him from The World. “
Kyung-joon believed in Yoo Seol-ha’s intuition and ended it with a very simple explanation.
” Aha, from The World. “
Yoo Seol-ha nodded her head as if she understood immediately, but then.
” W, Wait. The World……? What kind of crazy talk is that……. “
She had an even more confused expression than before.
However, Kyung-joon did not have time to wait for Yoo Seol-ha to adjust.
” Teemo, Isolated System, please. “
” As you wish. “
As Kyung-joon (Teemo) unfolded the Isolated System, the three figures disappeared from the alleyway.
However, they were still able to hear each other’s voices.
” Ugh. “
Yoo Seol-ha cringed again at the sudden unfolding of mana.
She reacted to mana.
” What Teemo said was real. “
” She reacted to even fainter mana than this. To the mana used to communicate with Master, in fact. “
” M, Mana? What the hell…… mana, The World, is this really……. “
” Surprisingly, you’re not in virtual reality right now. It’s not CG either. “
Kyung-joon added to Yoo Seol-ha’s speculation.
” This is 100% reality, Yoo Seol-ha. “
” ……. “
Yoo Seol-ha was speechless and closed her mouth.
And at the same time, she began to run her brilliant Ultimate Daughter brain in real time, chasing down one possible possibility.
After about a minute had passed.
Yoo Seol-ha arrived at the answer.
” Don’t tell me…… The World really exists, and you brought him from there……? “
Kyung-joon didn’t answer Yoo Seol-ha’s question.
He just raised the corner of his mouth slightly, giving a faint smile.
The smile felt somehow slightly sad, unlike his usual annoying smirk.
” But that’s not what’s important right now. It’s you, what exactly is the existence called ‘Yoo Seol-ha’. “
Kyung-joon started to move his heavy footsteps.
He continued speaking without looking back.
” Let’s go. To reveal the truth. I’ve already made the preparations. “
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
Ordinary people cannot feel mana.
This starts with a very simple logic.
Because they do not have a mana core or mana circuits.
For ordinary people without a core and circuits to feel mana, it has to be so dense that it can be seen as heat or light.
But Yoo Seol-ha was different.
She felt even the slightest amount of mana that ordinary people would never be able to feel.
” You’re right. Come to think of it, the first person I should have suspected was Chairman Yoo, or rather than Seolha Group, it was you that they had. “
Kyung-joon handed Yoo Seol-ha a pitch-black mana X-Ray film.
He had just placed it behind her back to allow mana to penetrate through.
A blue figure began to appear on the film, which had been completely black.
It looked similar to a heart and blood vessels, or even a nervous system.
” What is this…… “
” What else could it be, a mana core and mana circuits. “
Something that shouldn’t exist in reality existed in Yoo Seol-ha’s body.
” Well, roughly speaking, it’s all just an imitation made with carbon nanotube material. And it doesn’t even have the mana particles that would be the core of it. “
<To put it simply, it’s like having an MP bar but no mana to fill it, so the MP is 0.>
Kyung-joon and Teemo, who had the same face and voice in reality.
Now, in consideration of Yoo Seol-ha, Teemo was speaking in his original voice.
” Yes, that’s the perfect analogy. “
Kyung-joon prepared a kit for a genetic test and asked Yoo Seol-ha.
” Have you ever had surgery for an accident or anything when you were young? “
” ……No. “
Yoo Seol-ha’s voice was very low.
What was she feeling and thinking right now?
Kyung-joon had such thoughts, but he deliberately ignored them and continued to ask the cruel truth.
” What about the case where surgery was performed without your knowledge? “
” That’s……. “
Yoo Seol-ha’s eyes wavered.
” That can’t be…… It’s not like I’m some kind of guinea pig…… for something like that to happen without my knowledge…… There’s no way Grandfather would have……. “
” Yoo Seol-ha. We’re talking about scientific facts. Cause, process, result. We don’t need unscientific beliefs or speculations. “
” ……. “
” Let’s just check for now. Teemo, please. “
<Yes, as you wish. Yoo Seol-ha, this might sting a little.>
Woong.
Teemo spread his mana, enveloping Yoo Seol-ha’s entire body.
He was scanning the inside and outside of her body with mana.
There was only one thing to find out.
<Traces of minute perfluorodecalin have been observed near the artificial mana core and mana circuits, as well as in the lungs.>
Perfluorodecalin.
A substance that allows you to breathe underwater.
It was a trace of the ‘capsule treatment’ that Kyung-joon had also received at Seolha Group’s central hospital.
” Estimate the exact time based on the half-life. What do you get? “
<It seems like there were at least 10 or more surgeries. When I estimated the time frame, they were all at dawn. It seems like they performed the procedures when Yoo Seol-ha was asleep.>
” Then maybe it’s left a memory in her subconscious as a dream or something. “
Kyung-joon clicked his tongue briefly as he continued working on the kit.
” Yoo Seol-ha, we’re going to do a quick sleep test before the genetic test. Teemo, I’ll call Vodka to prepare the sleep lab, so in the meantime, you can work on the brainwave image conversion algorithm……. “
Thud!
A thick textbook fell to the floor.
Yoo Seol-ha had thrown it.
Kyung-joon stopped working for a moment at the sudden happening, but then continued as if nothing had happened.
” Teemo, keep working on the brainwave image conversion algorithm. “
<Yes, I’m already on it.>
” Good. “
” What’s so good about it……! “
Yoo Seol-ha shouted in a voice filled with frustration.
” What the hell…… what’s going on……!! “
” It’s not happening. We’re just confirming what’s already happened. “
Despite Yoo Seol-ha’s tearful voice, Kyung-joon remained calm and composed.
” Didn’t Teemo tell you? “
Kyung-joon turned around.
In his hand, clad in a white coat, was the completed kit.
” Whatever the results may be, prepare yourself to accept them. Otherwise, you’ll break down. “
Kyung-joon approached Yoo Seol-ha.
Yoo Seol-ha’s legs were already trembling as if she was about to collapse.
Seeing this, Kyung-joon shook his head as if he couldn’t help it.
” Teemo, hold this for a sec. “
<Yes.>
Handing the kit in his hand to Teemo, Kyung-joon took off his top.
Then, his shocking body was revealed.
” Y, You……. “
Blackish-red blood vessels stretched out like branches.
Especially in the center of his heart, a third-degree burn-like scar with blue and blackish-red light swirling around.
All of this wriggled and squirmed.
The wound was still healing and breaking down repeatedly.
At the horrifying sight, Yoo Seol-ha couldn’t bear to look away or continue looking.
” I really implanted a mana core into my own body. I almost died because of it, and at the same time, I barely survived. I have about a year left? “
A year was the lifespan that Kyung-joon currently had.
” Curiosity killed the cat, as they say. I kept stepping into places I shouldn’t have, and this is what happened. “
Kyung-joon shrugged.
And he held out his hand to Teemo and took back the kit he had given him.
The kit contained a total of 23 pairs of confirmation sheets.
Each sheet could confirm information about each of the 23 pairs of chromosomes in the human genome.
The color would be one of three.
Blue and Red.
And purple, a mixture of the two colors.
The color that Kyung-joon and Teemo expected was neither blue nor red, but the third color, purple.
” Yoo Seol-ha. This is the final crossroads. Whether you turn back now, knowing nothing, or you stick your foot in all the way to the end. “
Yoo Seol-ha concentrated on Kyung-joon’s words, feeling much calmer than before.
” I’ll guarantee you one thing with my life. If you say you’re going to see the truth to the end, and if you’re determined to do so, I’ll take responsibility for everything that happens from now on and lead the way. But if you say you’re going to back out now……. “
Kyung-joon deliberately trailed off, leaving his words hanging.
If she backed out now…….
Yoo Seol-ha mouthed the words, swallowing nervously as all sorts of imaginations ran through her mind.
” Why are you so nervous? Do you think I’m going to erase your memories like in The Matrix or Men in Black? “
Kyung-joon eased the tension with a smirk.
Even though he did so, Yoo Seol-ha couldn’t easily relax.
” ……No? “
” Well, I could if I wanted to. “
” ……. “
Yoo Seol-ha felt like Kyung-joon would even erase her memories to cover his own ass.
No, it was clear that he would do more than that.
Just like the body Kyung-joon had just shown her, Yoo Seol-ha herself might be treated the same way.
” It’s okay. You don’t have to worry about it too much. With Arc-en-Ciel, the jumping event, and everything else, you’ve supported me so much by my side. I’m not that heartless. “
” ……From what I heard from Ezeri, you sounded like you had no heart at all. “
” Hey, that was just a joke. Did you really think I was going to get revenge on Ezeri? I had a plan, you see, a plan. “
” ……. “
Yoo Seol-ha was still suspicious, but Kyung-joon continued anyway.
” The choice is yours. Like I said, if you come this way, I’ll take responsibility until the end, and if you don’t want to come any further, just turn back now. As for your memories…… I’ll erase them if you want. “
” If I want……? “
” Yes. It’ll be hard to pretend you don’t know anything and go back to living a normal life, right? Well, if you think you can handle it, fine. Just go back to being the Ultimate Daughter Yoo Seol-ha you were before you met me and live well. It would be a shame to lose a high-quality person like Kim Elsa, but what can I do if she doesn’t want to? “
Kyung-joon added a ‘but’ after saying that.
Yoo Seol-ha felt her heart pounding as she focused on the words that would follow.
” But if I know you like I think I do, you already know what you’re going to do, right? “
Kyung-joon held out the kit with a playful expression.
At the end of it was a tiny needle that could be used to prick her thumb and draw blood.
” Whether you back out or go all in, the choice is yours, Yoo Seol-ha. “
Yoo Seol-ha felt all sorts of thoughts and memories flash through her mind.
Even in the midst of all this, her brain was constantly calculating and speculating.
What exactly was in the abyss he spoke of?
What was The World?
What were Kyung-joon and Chairman Yoo each aiming for and opposing?
And.
Who exactly was she?
She couldn’t help but keep thinking.
At the end of that thought, there was only one action.
Pierce.
Yoo Seol-ha grabbed the kit with her thumb.
There was no more hesitation in her expression.
” ……You said you’d be responsible? “
” Of course. Unless we both screw up and die, everything will be fine. “
” I hope it’s the latter. Really. “
Squeeze.
Yoo Seol-ha’s blood was sucked up into the kit.
Each time, the confirmation sheet next to it began to turn red.
And the moment it reached the last, 23rd pair.
The entire sheet turned purple.
Seeing this, Kyung-joon let out an empty laugh as if he couldn’t believe it and said.
” Congratulations. This scientifically proves why you’re the Ultimate Daughter. “
All 23 pairs of chromosomes turned purple.
What this meant was…….
” Yoo Seol-ha, you were an artificially created being from birth. “
Moreover, as a being with the most superior genes that could never be created naturally.
🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷🔷
The human genome consists of about 3 billion base pairs.
By mixing these with appropriate rules and randomness, various humans are born and created.
The number of possible combinations is countless.
‘But there is only one perfect and ideal combination.’
With the highest possible intuition.
Overflowing with creativity.
Excellent calculation ability and memory.
Concentration that no one else can match.
Facial features as beautiful as a sculpted statue.
Physical condition that is the most attractive and healthy for her age.
Possessing characteristics that are superior to any other human being.
That artificially created being was Yoo Seol-ha, the one and only Ultimate Daughter.
‘But still, Seol-ha…… Experimental Subject Y999 is human.’
She did not escape being human.
She was a human on the borderline of purple, which distinguished between human-blue and monster-red.
She lacked the most important ingredient to transcend humanity.
‘Mana…… Mana could not be implemented no matter what we did.’
Even if we mobilized all the latest technology to create a mana core and artificially mimic mana circuits.
The mana particles that would be the core of it could not be implemented at all.
It was only natural.
Mana was something from another world that could never be obtained in reality.
And it was this mana that Seolha Group…….
No.
Chairman Yoo.
” Yes, the usual Silla Ribs, right? Hehehe, my granddaughter wants to have dinner with her grandpa, I’m so happy~ Alright, let’s see each other tonight. Yes, yes. I’m free. “
He desired more than anyone else.
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