Chapter 16: The Second Research: Machine Church Gate (5)

In Herbert Wells’s novel “War of the Worlds,” Martians invade Earth with spaceships launched from massive cannons.

Human militaries are utterly helpless, but the Martians, who lack immunity to Earth’s microbes, all die.

We too must repel the alien invaders, but we couldn’t expect such a stroke of luck.

“We’ll have to fight and win.”

The four researchers of the Supernatural Science Research Institute were gathered in the conference room. We needed to determine the research direction for the two Gates.

Preferably something practical, for use in combat.

I continued my explanation.

“To put it simply. The fact that the Gate won’t close is both a blessing and a curse. It could be an opportunity to explore a new world. If only we handle it well.”

Handling it well, of course, was the difficult part.

First, starting with Gate No. 1.

“What we know about Gate No. 1—”

That was the Gate from which Goblins and related Monsters had emerged.

As I spoke, I watched the others’ reactions. Dr. Ryoo was still fiddling with his Tablet.

It seemed he wasn’t really listening to the conversation in the conference room.

Honestly, knowing how free-spirited he was, it wasn’t surprising.

“It’s the Gate that produced green-skinned Monsters. The oxygen concentration is higher than on Earth, and there’s a vast Ruins area sprawling from where the Gate opened.”

The Ruins were currently being used as a base by the Military.

We exchanged our thoughts for a moment.

What came out of Gate No. 1, what weapons the Military used beyond the Gate, and so forth.

Dr. Kang quietly flipped through related documents.

Then, Dr. Min raised his hand.

“The Military had a plan to spray DDT beyond the Gate. But apparently, there’s no Factory producing DDT in the country anymore. All the plants have shut down.”

Well, it’s a chemical not used anymore.

Mass production right away would be difficult.

Even if we made it and sprayed it, it would take at least a few weeks.

“I heard they’re still exploring the Ruins with Drones and Robots, and that there’s a Basement. Progress is slow because it’s so dangerous.”

“I see.”

So there was more to the Ruins than met the eye.

I looked at Dr. Min again.

“We found a Basilisk egg in the Ruins. Is it doing well? I forgot to feed it yesterday.”

“It’s just sitting in the quarantine room now, still feeding on honey. It eats a whole jar every day.”

“Is that overeating?”

“Who knows, not me.”

The current goal was to raise the Basilisk to the size of a Hedgewing Dragon.

Right now it was only a Chick, so it would have to grow much more before it could be used as combat power.

“The Magic Stone the Goblin used was sent to the particle physics Research Institute in Daejeon for analysis. We haven’t heard back yet.”

I nodded.

“To sum up: The Magic Stone used by the Goblin is being analyzed. The Honey Combo is being raised. The Goblin Lord’s corpse is frozen in Liquid Nitrogen. They’re mining Coal in the space beyond the Gate. Correct?”

This time, Dr. Kang frowned.

“Honey Combo?”

“The Basilisk chick looks like a Chicken.”

“A chick… Never mind, please continue.”

Dr. Kang stopped, a resigned expression on his face.

Seriously, it’s common sense.

It’s just that the Monster looks like a Chicken, so I call it Honey Combo.

A brief silence made things awkward, so I cleared my throat and started on the next topic.

Next, Gate No. 2.

“Well then. Let’s move on to research related to Gate No. 2. Since it opened just yesterday, we probably don’t have much to show for it…”

Dr. Ryoo had been staring blankly at his Tablet, but when he heard ‘Gate No. 2’, he looked up.

Perhaps because he was the one who went to that Gate.

“That’s the Gate we explored this time.”

“It was dangerous. The kind of Monster where firearms barely work. Still, we managed to subdue it somehow.”

That was the key point about Gate No. 2.

“We’ll be researching the Monster that came out of Gate No. 2. Maybe we’ll be able to scientifically explain the Liquid Metal Hydraulic System controlled by the Crystal Computer.”

“Liquid Metal Hydraulic System?”

I nodded.

Dr. Ryoo hadn’t taken part in the dissection.

“We opened up the Monster that came through the Gate earlier. Liquid Metal forms the blood of the Robot, and at the same time, constitutes the Hydraulic System. Liquid Metal is usually made by mixing metallic powder into hydrocarbons…”

Theoretically possible.

The Liquid Metal forms the Robot’s blood, maintaining the Robot’s structure, and at the same time, serves as the life fluid of the hydraulic system.

The exact principle would need further research.

Lastly, there was one more topic left to discuss.

The reason the National Intelligence Service contacted us today.

And the major incident about to unfold.

“The third topic is—”

Before I could finish, I turned my head at the sound of the announcement.

Overhead, I heard the sound of helicopters, and the Research Institute announcement alerting us to a helicopter landing.

-Permission granted for landing at helipad 1.

I gathered up the documents and Tablet that were scattered on the conference room table. Dr. Kang looked at me with eyes that seemed to say, “Oh, I see.”

“Are we expecting visitors?”

“It’s the National Intelligence Service.”

They’d arrived several hours earlier than scheduled.

***

As planned, the National Intelligence Service arrived at the Research Institute.

I let out a sigh. They hadn’t specified the reason for their visit, but I could make a good guess.

I’d met them several times even before my regression.

The Director General of the National Intelligence Service Science and Technology Headquarters, Jinho Geum.

The Director General was sitting in the lab with a serious expression.

True to his reputation, he’d come in a black suit, but his face clearly showed fatigue.

Almost like a man on the verge of death.

Given what had happened since the Gates appeared, was there a single civil servant who could have slept comfortably? Probably not many.

“Looks like you haven’t slept properly for days. We’ve got a Chicken and a flying lizard wandering around the lab, too.”

I shook my head.

“They’re not just animals. They’re my pets.”

“I see.”

The Director General didn’t ask any further.

He looked as if he’d achieved enlightenment.

He must have had a rough few days. The man looked like he was barely holding it together.

“I’ve heard a lot about you, Doctor. It’s hard to imagine how many people would have died if it weren’t for you.”

“Yes.”

“Things are already chaotic in the surrounding countries.”

It had been the same before my regression.

China, being the largest, had the hardest time managing the crisis, and the highest casualties.

Japan’s situation was a little better, but in the end, the result was similar.

Finally, the reason the National Intelligence Service had come today.

By now, North Korea was probably on the brink of collapse.

Some of it was bad luck with the Gates, and the fact that the newly-emerged Awakened quickly toppled the North Korean Government didn’t help either.

“You’re concerned about North Korea’s movements, right?”

“Yes.”

“What’s the Government’s plan?”

“There is no plan yet.”

Wow, that’s honest.

Maybe it’s because he hasn’t slept for days and is on the brink, but there wasn’t a single empty word.

It was true that there wasn’t enough capacity to operate outside our own borders yet. We weren’t in a position to help other countries, nor could we conduct operations overseas.

At least, not for the time being.

“All we can do is keep the trouble from spilling over to our side when the North’s regime collapses.”

“Yes.”

Based on memories from my previous life, it was probably already too late on that front.

Whatever the Awakened in North Korea did, there was nothing we could do to control them from here, and the Gate was already beyond anyone’s control.

“There’s a rumor you’re a Prophet, Dr. Lee. Thanks to you, we were able to prepare in advance for the two Gates’ appearances. What do you think will happen this time?”

I didn’t remember all the Gates that opened in North Korea, but if memory served, the one that brought about its destruction was the Ant Gate.

A Fifth-Rank Gate full of insect-type Monsters.

It wouldn’t last even a month.

And there was no way to stop it.

The Director General continued his explanation.

He described the current situation in the North, as seen by Unmanned Aerial Vehicle surveillance—grim, to say the least.

Meanwhile, the Basilisk Chick and Hedgewing Dragon were scampering around the lab.

Like Dogs playing in a Public Park.

I considered whether I should stop them, but the Director General didn’t seem to care about them at all.

Or maybe he simply didn’t have the energy to react anymore.

“At most, a month. We need to prepare for the collapse of the North Korean regime before then. Of course, the Gates opening there are a problem, too.”

“You see it the same way, Doctor.”

Our side was probably monitoring things in real time with Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, too.

Watching North Korea get wiped out by the Gate in the north, unable to do anything.

“For now, it’s best to focus on the domestic situation. You never know when a Gate might open here, either.”

Recently, a Gate had opened in Busan as well.

This was no time to waste resources on problems we couldn’t address.

If there was anything we should know in advance…

“To get to the point. You should move on the assumption that North Korea will collapse within days or weeks.”

The Director General let out a sigh.

“Does the Research Institute have any way of predicting when a Gate will appear? It just seems so strange.”

“We’ve developed a method to detect them as soon as they open, but there’s no way to predict them before they open.”

Except for me, since I remember my previous life.

But if I brought up my regression, things would get complicated, so it was better to just let him be curious.

Now there was only one thing left to say.

“I have a request. By now, materials like Magic Stones from the Gates are probably starting to show up for sale in the Market… If possible, please try to recover as much of it domestically as you can.”

The real value of those hasn’t become widely known yet.

If you want to get Magic Stones, now is the easiest time to buy or sweep them up.

The longer you wait, the higher the price will go.

Ming Ming had started chasing its own tail in circles, and ended up knocking over a chair.

It was about time to take the Summoned Beasts and head back. If I left them alone, something important could get broken.

“Stay still.”

Ming Ming and Honey Combo turned their heads at my voice, glanced at me, and went to sit in a corner of the lab.

Director General Geum let out another sigh.

“Will it be possible to conduct overseas operations in the future?”

“Why do you ask?”

“It just doesn’t seem like a problem that’ll be resolved quickly.”

Director General Geum looked at me. I nodded.

Of course it’s possible. Once we have enough capacity to deal with Gates domestically, going abroad will be next.

“My plan is as follows. Other countries have failed badly in responding to the Gates, and things are getting worse every day. The worse it gets, the more Korea’s international standing will improve, and eventually, we may be able to help other countries.”

I chose words the men in black suits would like to hear.