Actually, Dad Was a Hero

Chapter 10: Monster Incident Response Headquarters

The secluded warehouse, revisited after a week, had transformed beyond recognition.

The areas that were under messy construction just last week were neatly organized, and people with photo ID badges were bustling about, diligently handling their tasks.

“This is the research lab.”

Lee Sang-Jun, with a proud expression, guided Jin Beom-Min around, showcasing the completed facilities.

“What kind of research is being done here?”

Jin Beom-Min asked indifferently.

The lab was brightly lit, but it was empty except for power outlets and various wires scattered around; there wasn’t even a single desk.

“We’ll be researching the scrolls you provided, as well as the monster corpses collected from the battlefields.”

“Ah, you’re keeping the monster corpses too?”

“Of course. They’re being cryogenically frozen and stored under tight security. We’ll dissect them once the lab is fully operational. We might be able to find some weaknesses.”

“That sounds a bit gruesome……”

“Well, isn’t slicing up monsters what you do best, Jin Beom-Min-ssi? Haha.”

Lee Sang-Jun cracked a silly joke as they exited the lab and entered the hallway.

Jin Beom-Min silently followed, walking down the hallway filled with the strong smell of fresh paint.

“……Since we need to cover a wide range of fields like biology and physics, it’s difficult to recruit people. We also need security clearance. But we’re in talks with the Agency for Defense Development, so we should be able to expand our personnel soon.”

“You have impressive drive.”

It had only been a few weeks since the first monster attack, yet things were progressing remarkably fast.

Jin Beom-Min had always thought that government officials were only concerned with protecting their own interests and were notoriously slow at getting things done. However, seeing how things were unfolding recently, he felt like he might have been mistaken.

Or perhaps Lee Sang-Jun, who was orchestrating all of this, was exceptionally competent.

Thinking about it, Lee Sang-Jun’s face looked quite haggard. Dark circles seemed to be forming under his eyes.

“You look very tired.”

“Ah……”

Lee Sang-Jun stopped for a moment and massaged his forehead with his fingers. He let out a light sigh and replied.

“It can’t be helped. We need to set up the response headquarters and gather the necessary personnel as quickly as possible……”

“Response headquarters?”

“This place.”

Lee Sang-Jun said, gesturing to their surroundings.

“Monster Incident Response Headquarters. We’ve shortened it to ‘Monster Response,’ I guess? It’s not a great name, but it’s a secret facility anyway.”

“Monster Response……It’s definitely a bit of a strange name.”

“Well, thanks to the hard work of you and Ghost Squad, we were able to get things set up.”

“Us?”

All Jin Beom-Min had done was fly to Vietnam, slice up a few monsters, and receive 250 million won.

Lee Sang-Jun, with a weary smile, answered Jin Beom-Min’s bewildered question.

“Thanks to the successful resolution of the Vietnam incident, we received a lot of support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Blue House. They say we’ll be able to see significant gains in arms exports and trade negotiations with Vietnam because of this.”

“Oh, really? I didn’t know I’d have an impact on diplomacy as well.”

“That’s why you, Jin Beom-Min-ssi, are a very valuable asset to the Republic of Korea. You can not only eliminate monsters but also generate enormous national profits.”

Jin Beom-Min nodded in admiration.

If what Lee Sang-Jun said was true, then receiving 100 million won per day didn’t seem like such a rip-off.

After all, it would be a fraction of the profits gained from arms exports and trade negotiations.

“Then follow me this way. The Central Information Center is at the end of that hallway.”

Jin Beom-Min followed Lee Sang-Jun, touring the Monster Incident Response Headquarters.

The Central Information Center was a spacious room equipped with a large screen and communication devices.

It resembled the control center of a spaceship from a movie. Intelligence agents wearing headsets were checking, classifying, and organizing various reports and information sent from all over the world.

Following the Information Center, they visited the infirmary, which seemed to be still under construction.

Although Lee Sang-Jun explained that it could handle everything from light first aid to full-fledged surgery, Jin Beom-Min wasn’t paying attention to the explanation at all.

The grid of tiles on the infirmary floor, slightly misaligned, caught his eye.

“Is there something wrong……?”

Lee Sang-Jun asked Jin Beom-Min, who was staring intently at the floor.

“Ah, no. Nice facilities. Hmm, hmm.”

Jin Beom-Min stammered, startled.

He was no longer a tile installer. He was the only monster extermination specialist in the Republic of Korea……no, the entire world.

However, the misaligned tile arrangement lingered in his mind as they moved on.

‘Ah……that’s not how you do it……I could rip it all out and re-lay it in half a day……’

As he was thinking this, Lee Sang-Jun arrived at a heavy steel door and unlocked it with a card key.

“This is the armory.”

“Armory?”

“This is where we store defensive weapons to protect the headquarters, as well as weapons for Ghost Squad and you, Jin Beom-Min-ssi.”

“Mine too?”

“Yes, isn’t it inconvenient to carry them around all the time?”

“Well, that’s true……”

Indeed, his sword and armor were stored in the back of the truck seat, rolling around like luggage.

It wasn’t a problem, though. They had been buried underground for over 20 years, after all.

But it was definitely inconvenient. There was also the possibility of them being seen by others.

“It’ll be more convenient to leave them here. We’ve prepared a separate section for you, Jin Beom-Min-ssi.”

Lee Sang-Jun said, pointing to a section blocked off by a wire mesh.

“This section can only be opened with your fingerprint, Jin Beom-Min-ssi. You can store your things here with peace of mind.”

“So, I’ll come here to get them when I’m dispatched?”

“That’s right. You can train here, and when a situation arises, you can equip yourself and head to Seongnam Airport.”

“Is Ghost Squad here too?”

“They’ll be deployed here within a few days. Their quarters aren’t finished yet.”

“There are quarters too?”

It was a larger building than he had thought.

A research lab, a central information center, an armory, quarters……and even the gym he saw last time. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that it was equipped with all the necessary facilities.

There were probably secret areas that Jin Beom-Min wasn’t aware of as well.

“This must have cost a fortune……”

Jin Beom-Min said in admiration, and Lee Sang-Jun replied with a tired laugh.

“……We pulled enough budget to make the NIS wobble.”

“But what if the monsters suddenly stop appearing?”

“Huh?”

Lee Sang-Jun asked back, dumbfounded.

“What if they suddenly stop? There’s been no news for over a week now, so what if……”

“Uh……then……we’re fucked.”

He continued with a gloomy expression.

“……They’ll definitely appear again.”

“They will, right?”

If the monsters stopped appearing, it would be a disaster for Jin Beom-Min as well.

The position he had finally regained would disappear once again. So, Jin Beom-Min forced a smile and nodded.

******

“Now, slowly exhale……! Don’t bend your waist! That’s right, slowly!”

“Ugh……!”

Jin Beom-Min straightened up, his legs trembling. The barbell he was lifting sagged downward with a strange sound, as if stretching.

“Okay, slowly……!”

Clang!

The barbell crashed onto the floor with a metallic bang as Jin Beom-Min released it. The impact, which even the mat couldn’t fully absorb, reverberated through the entire building.

“Ouch, you have to put it down slowly! You’ll break the floor!”

Yoon Jeong-Hyeon, Jin Beom-Min’s personal trainer, nagged as he busily checked the floor and the barbell. Fortunately, nothing seemed to be broken.

“Whew, that’s not easy.”

Jin Beom-Min said, wiping his sweat with a towel, and Yoon Jeong-Hyeon replied with exaggerated enthusiasm.

“Of course it’s not easy! You just deadlifted 930kg! That’s almost twice the world record!”

“Is that so……? I didn’t know……”

“Wow, really. If it weren’t for the confidentiality agreement……!”

Jin Beom-Min grinned at Yoon Jeong-Hyeon, who had a look of regret on his face.

“Actually, I can lift more.”

“What? Isn’t this your one-rep max?”

“Ah, with just my body, yes. But I can lift more if I use Mana.”

“Mana……? You mean……”

Jin Beom-Min bent down again and assumed the position. He then drew up a small amount of Mana and lifted the barbell once more.

“Heave-ho!”

Unlike before, the barbell rose easily.

“Whoa!”

Jin Beom-Min held the barbell for a moment, then slowly lowered it, unlike before.

Thud—!

Still, due to the sheer weight, a heavy thud echoed throughout the gym.

The weight of the barbell alone, with its large plates, was equivalent to a small car, so no matter how gently he put it down, there was bound to be noise and vibration.

If they didn’t reinforce the floor soon, the gym floor would probably cave in.

“……How……? No, then what’s your max……no, how many tons……can you lift?”

“Hmm, I don’t know exactly. Because……”

Jin Beom-Min paused for a moment to gather his thoughts, then continued.

“When I draw up Mana, I don’t use it solely for strength enhancement……I don’t know exactly how many times stronger I become compared to my original strength. Usually, I use Mana to enhance my strength, infuse it into my weapons for attacks, and use it to block attacks, so……”

“Uh……I can’t increase the weight anymore……There’s no exercise equipment on Earth that can handle that kind of weight……”

“No, this is enough. After all, I need to increase my power when I’m not using Mana, so that I can become even stronger when I do use it……”

“Phew, that’s a relief……”

Yoon Jeong-Hyeon sighed, genuinely relieved.

Just getting the equipment Jin Beom-Min was currently using was no easy feat.

They were specially ordered from the manufacturer, requesting that they be made even more durable than the equipment used by the world’s top athletes. It cost a lot of money, and it took a lot of effort to find and inquire about them.

But even heavier equipment than this……? At that point, they might actually have to have him train by lifting cars or trains.

“Uh, anyway, we’ll focus on weight training to increase your overall power, and we’ll also incorporate some cardio for stamina. Today, for now……your three major lifts max out at 2,410……so……2.4 tons……”

“Is that good?”

“Yes……well……it’s about……five times my record.”

As Yoon Jeong-Hyeon let out a hollow laugh at the utterly absurd record, the gym door burst open and someone entered.

“Jin Beom-Min-ssi!”

Lee Sang-Jun called Jin Beom-Min’s name with an excited expression. Unlike his exhausted appearance from earlier, he looked much more lively and energetic.

“Yes?”

“A monster has appeared!”

His voice was filled with delight, as if a welcome guest had arrived.