The air echoed with a deep metallic hum as the colossal mechanical gate began its slow opening.
The noise echoed around, like a well-coordinated mix of machine sounds and the quiet squeaks of smoothly oiled parts. Big gears turned together in a kind of synchronized dance, ying their part in making the gate move.
It wasn''t my first encounter with this sound; in fact, it was the third time. Three thick metal gates guarded this tunnel, built to withstand even a nuclear st.
The first gate has a scanner that disabled my power, but it posed no problem.
All the people I brought were bound by an oath, ensuring they couldn''t reveal anything that might get me into trouble. In their hearts, they were merely double agents working for Cerebrum.
Regardless, the security here remained top-notch—tighter than a sealed pickle jar, the kind that proved impossible to open back when I was still a normal human.
This just show that whatever was concealed within this facility held a significance surpassing even that of the one in Seoul.
Well, in all honesty, the branch in Seoul felt more like a satellite office than an actual HQ. It was surprising to see an underground base, but it didn''t really give off the vibe of a hiddenir. In contrast, everything about this ce felt grand and mysterious.
CREAK!
As thest gate finally slide open, our car passed through, revealing a vast space reminiscent of a hangar.
The ceiling soared to such heights that even a small G*ndam could easily find its ce here. The sheer magnitude of the space became apparent as we entered, surrounded by an number of military equipments—tanks, jets, and armored cars filling the area.
I also noticed a bunch of people d in ckbat suits as we entered. From what I remembered through the words of my puppet, these seemed to be the mass-produced versions handed out for guard duties.
The versions used by ranked teams are much more advanced.
It really highlighted the immense wealth at Cerebrum''s disposal. It''s mind-boggling to think there are other organizations on par with them. The world truly was vast. Even for me, I''ve only explored South Korea and the North.
''I feel like I''m in an anime or something,'' I chuckled quietly, my inner otaku starting to surfaced. Despite the excitement brewing within, I made sure to keep a poker face and yed it cool.
CLICK!
I opened the door after the driver parked the car in a corner.
The air in this ce felt cold, probably because we were underground and everything was made of metal.
"Director Joon," a man in his 30''s approached me, and I just nodded in acknowledgment. He was someone who worked for another department .
"I''m here to take the three of them," he leaned in and whispered.
"Alright," I replied.
I made sure to enhance my MindLink for this, expanding its coverage to a wider area. As long as I could connect with Aiku''s group, I''d be able to know if they were safe or in danger.
After the exchange, I continued walking towards an elevator, needing it to gain ess to the location where I would deliver the Varium.
I noticed that Aiku''s group was also following me. We entered the first elevator, and it was massive, spacious enough to fit even a tank.
There was only one button inside, indicating that it had only one destination.
Someone pressed the button, and the elevator descended.
DING!
The elevator door opened, revealing an area that was more visually pleasing.
Unlike the industrial vibe of the hangar above, this ce resembled more of a well-maintained parking lot.
Guards were stationed near another set of elevator doors .
There were four elevators in total, and Aiku''s group entered thest one on the far right. Unlike Seoul, where all elevators had ess to the main office, this ce divided them for added security.
They were categorized into the Administrative Department, Technological Department, Security and Protection Department, and finally, the Advanced Power Research and Development Department.
For added safety measures, ess to different departments wasn''t granted without prior permission. This precaution was in ce to ensure that no unauthorized individuals, particrly spies, could ess sensitive data.
This security protocol was especially stringent for the Advanced Power Research and Development department, where all the ssified research findings were stored.
My mother should be in either the Security and Protection Department or the Advanced Power Research Department.
Unfortunately, I didn''t have much luck extracting information from my puppets. The identities of my mother and grandfather were too high-profile, leaving even my puppets with only limited knowledge about them.
''I better check on Aiku,'' I thought to myself.
I didn''t enter the elevator immediately, instead pretending to check something on my phone.
I linked with her to see where they were taking them.
Sharing my perspective with Aiku, I soon found myself in what appeared to be a hospital hall. The walls were an immacte white, gleaming under the bright lights, and everywhere I looked, people in crispb coats bustled about.
But upon closer inspection, some of the staffs seemed dead inside.
Not because they were lifeless, but with my experienced gaze, I could discern the haunting shadows of the horrors they had witnessed in this ce. The weight of their experiences was etched into the lines on their faces.
''What a bunch of half-assed,'' I shook my head in disappointment , reflecting on the fragility of their hearts. They should ept their sins without carrying the burden of guilt.
They chose this job, so feeling guilty would be an insult to those they directly and indirectly killed.
Look at me, I would never be that weak to feel such a thing after all the deeds I''ve done.
If I were to have second thoughts about taking someone''s life in the future, it would be an insult to those I''ve already killed. To keep it fair, I had no intention of sparing anyone who I deemed worthy of death.
Or, simply because I feel like killing them.