Chapter 50 – Divine Maiden (3)

Red lights flashed and alarms sounded throughout the facility. Soon, thick steel shutters began descending in front of the laboratory doors. 

Though they had prevented the alarm button from being pressed and even turned off the CCTVs, once the CCTVs went offline, the emergency alarms inevitably had to sound. 

“It seems quietly coming and leaving is impossible.” 

Caroline sighed, but in the modern era guarded by CCTVs, it wasn’t an easy task. 

“Still, it seems we bought enough time. They’re even blocking the entrance for us.” 

“It’s a pharmaceutical company laboratory. When problems arise, they shut down first.” 

Sun-woo walked to the entrance where the shutters had descended and placed his hand on the wall next to the entrance. 

Crack! 

The sound of something breaking came from above the shutter, and Sun-woo removed his hand from the pillar with a satisfied expression. 

“Now it will be impossible to enter for a while.” 

“Good work.” 

Now the emergency bell had also stopped and the animals had quieted down, so the laboratory became quiet again. 

Caroline went to the refrigerator and easily made the locking mechanism disappear, then began searching through the medicines. 

Meanwhile, Yeon-hwa, who had quieted the animals, was tilting her head while looking at the researchers lying on the floor in sleep. 

“You pressed their pressure points. You pressed them really cleanly and well.” 

At Yeon-hwa’s praise, Sun-woo’s lips slightly curved up, but at her following words, he could only scratch his head. 

“If you can press pressure points this well, why did you break arms and legs earlier?” 

Sun-woo couldn’t bring himself to say that he hadn’t even thought of pressing pressure points. 

Having fought strong opponents all this time, the thought of pressing pressure points had completely disappeared from his mind, and it was only when the middle-aged man said he was cruel that he barely remembered he could press pressure points. 

Caroline, who had been searching through the refrigerator for a while, eventually asked for Yeon-hwa’s help, and Yeon-hwa pointed to glass bottles lined up side by side in one corner of the refrigerator. The glass bottles were each about half filled with white powder. 

When Caroline took the glass bottles out of the refrigerator, Yeon-hwa placed her hands over the glass bottles. 

Red energy began flowing out over the glass bottles. 

Finding the medicine and then converting the medicine’s effects with her ability. This was Yeon-hwa’s mission this time. 

While she was changing the medicine, Caroline and Sun-woo began searching through the laboratory. 

Shortly after, through research notes and journals that Caroline found, they could understand how things had progressed. 

The contaminated summoned and this pharmaceutical company had planned to release contamination spreading agents to the world as new drugs. 

It was unknown how far up the pharmaceutical company the connections went. 

The researchers here only knew the contamination spreading agents as excellent new drugs that had some side effects but strengthened the body and mind. 

“It seems these people wanted to understand the structure and make copies no matter what. They seem to have felt the amount of raw materials being sent was too small.” 

But there was no way they could make copies. 

“Moreover, it seems the supply of raw materials was cut off recently, making research sluggish.” 

Caroline, who had been looking through the journal, sighed in relief. 

“We almost had big trouble. If things had gone wrong, this medicine could have been displayed in every pharmacy.” 

In a situation where even summoned couldn’t easily identify this medicine, if more diluted medicine had been spread in large quantities, the components could have accumulated in countless people’s bodies before the summoned noticed. 

Sun-woo was also checking a computer placed to one side. He was able to find recorded files of internal laboratory CCTV footage on the computer. 

Since it was an important experiment, it seemed they had separated the CCTV from external connections to prevent exposure. 

“Tsk, did I unnecessarily pull out the CCTV cables?” 

Sun-woo, who had been scratching his head in regret, began scanning through the recorded footage just in case. Sun-woo, who had been roughly skipping through and looking, stopped the screen at one moment. 

“Carol, come take a look at this.” 

“Yes!” 

Caroline approached him with a bright face when Sun-woo called her by her nickname, but her expression soon hardened. 

On the monitor was a person both Sun-woo and Caroline knew. 

***

The research institute building was very chaotic. Sirens were sounding and all the researchers who had been working late were forced to leave. 

Moreover, cars that appeared to be private security guards tightly surrounded the building. But nowhere was there any sign of police. 

From the research institute tightly wrapped with security guards, three men and women suddenly emerged from a quiet field at some distance. They were Sun-woo’s party who had escaped from the research institute. 

When Yeon-hwa had finished changing all the medicine, Caroline put the medicine in a bag, and the party had again escaped through the hole Sun-woo had made. 

Of course, they had messed up the laboratory and blocked the hole to make it as difficult as possible to figure out what had happened. 

Thanks to finding areas with as few people as possible while moving underground, there was no sign of people around the party. 

“Whew, it seems I should refrain from traveling underground.” 

Caroline grumbled while brushing off the dirt pouring from her head and body. Looking at her pale face, it seemed like a fight would break out if they suggested going underground again. 

“Is the work finished now?” 

“Probably.” 

It was the moment Sun-woo answered Yeon-hwa’s slightly tired-looking question. 

[Good work. The mission has been safely completed. 200 points will be awarded.] 

A voice reached Sun-woo’s ears, and Yeon-hwa looked at the air and exclaimed in admiration. 

[Min Sun-woo: 6 Star. Achievement Rate 12%] 

… 

[Current Points: 280p] 

The reward window that now appeared before Sun-woo’s eyes seemed to have appeared for her as well. 

Yeon-hwa pressed here and there in the air and tilted her head with a contemplative expression. 

Shortly after, like before, it was time to part ways. 

“As Sun-woo said, we’ll meet again soon.” 

Sun-woo nodded at her words, and Yeon-hwa bowed deeply toward Sun-woo and Caroline. 

Yeon-hwa’s figure disappeared before the two people. 

Thus this mission came to an end. Sun-woo and Yeon-hwa received rewards, and Caroline would also receive a reward when she returned the modified contamination agents to the association. 

But in reality, one more task remained. 

“Do you need any help?” 

At Sun-woo’s words, Caroline shook her head. This was internal association business. No matter how helpful Sun-woo might be, this was something she had to resolve. 

“I have enough materials. Now it’s time for me to perform my main duties.” 

Shortly after, Caroline’s car, after dropping Sun-woo off partway, raced toward Incheon. 

***

Do Il-myeong, branch manager of the Korean branch of the multinational corporation <Cleanse> and head of the Korean Summoned Association, boarded the first-floor elevator while receiving greetings from employees and security guards. 

The branch manager had been in quite a good mood recently. This was because Caroline, who had been a thorn in his side, had collapsed for a while and hadn’t been visible. 

During that time, she had been poking around all sorts of places under the name of headquarters audit, causing no small amount of complaints and criticism from employees. 

He had heard news that she had quickly recovered, but unlike before, she wasn’t making a fuss, so as branch manager, these were very pleasant days. 

“She must have adapted now. If you come to Korea, you should follow Korean ways. Where does she get off causing such a commotion?” 

Moreover, thanks to the pressure he had continuously put on headquarters, it seemed she would be returning soon, so the branch manager was almost humming. 

But his mood turned completely sour as he entered the secretary’s office. Because the secretary’s office was completely empty. 

It was almost work time, but the sight of the completely empty secretary’s office was something he was seeing for the first time. 

“Have they all lost their minds? Tsk. I’ve been too soft on them all this time.” 

The branch manager entered his office while considering what measures to take regarding the secretary’s office. He stopped walking abruptly as he entered. 

There were people who had entered the branch manager’s office before him. 

Two men and one woman. Summoned from the audit office and Caroline. 

“What brings you here so early in the morning?” 

His voice was filled with displeasure. 

At his question, Caroline placed a file folder on the table. 

“Tsk tsk. What on earth could this be about?” 

The branch manager opened the file folder. Inside were several documents and enlarged photographs. 

The branch manager’s hands began trembling. The photograph contained his image touring the laboratory. 

Numerous excuses flashed through Do Il-myeong’s mind and disappeared. But all those excuses were excuses that would only work between people. 

“Branch Manager Do Il-myeong. You committed dozens of cases of bribery, lobbying, and information leaks for personal gain. The supporting documents for those are in the file folder you’re currently holding, so please check them.” 

Caroline looked at him and continued speaking calmly. 

“But honestly, such crimes aren’t important among us summoned. However, the crime of leaking contamination spreading agent elimination information to opponents beforehand and sabotaging operations has no room for excuses.” 

“No! I didn’t know at first either. I just thought it was ordinary lobbying. The stakes were high and the possibility of success was great, so I just continued the relationship. I never dreamed things would turn out like this!” 

He finally couldn’t hold back and poured out excuses, but the expressions of the people looking at him remained unchanged. 

“Anyway, we’re only expelling you from the association. The rest is for the Summoners to decide.” 

After finishing her words, Caroline and the two men from the audit office left him alone in the branch manager’s office and went outside. 

The branch manager, left alone, knelt on the floor and began crying and begging. 

“Please, there’s the effort I’ve made all this time. I’ve solved countless missions and built the association up to this level. If you forgive me just once, I’ll grow the association two times, no, ten times, a hundred times. Please forgive me!” 

[Since you have caused great damage to the summoned system, sanctions will now begin accordingly.] 

Regardless of his pleas, the Summoner’s voice began echoing through the branch manager’s office. 

“No! Stop!” 

[First, the various abilities and equipment previously provided will be deleted.] 

At that moment, the branch manager felt a great power disappearing from within his body. 

And his gun would no longer summon. 

[Next, all memories since becoming a summoned will be deleted.] 

“No, no, no…” 

Stopping mid-sentence, the branch manager looked around the room with a blank expression. 

“Wh-where is this?” 

[Finally, physical age will be restored to original age and you will be returned to the place where you were first summoned.] 

When the voice ended, the branch manager’s body changed to that of an old man in his 80s. After that, the branch manager disappeared from the room. 

[All sanctions have been completed. Branch Manager Do Il-myeong, thank you for your hard work.] 

After the final voice ended, no more voices were heard.