NOVEL NEXT Chapter 328
In conclusion, we didn’t learn much about this bizarre injection.
One was burnt out and unconscious, while the others merely repeated that my friend bought it from the black market.
“Nano machines?”
“That’s what the sellers said! They just said nano machines would enhance your strength! We don’t know anything! Really!”
“Why would they sell something like that to kids like you?”
I asked sternly, pointing a gun at them.
It seemed a bit absurd to sell such a powerful drug to these kids.
Their true identities might actually be a suspicious secret organization disguised as students.
“They just said it’s good and they’re selling it to us at a special low price!”
“Do you know who’s selling it?”
“I don’t know! He bought it! I just received it!”
At Kalia’s cautious inquiry, one of them hesitated and finally spoke up, likely due to the gun being pointed at him.
“Liars!”
I lightly beat them a few more times with the club, but their answers remained the same.
“I don’t know! I really don’t! Aaaaah! He probably doesn’t know much either! They said it was sold by guys in masks! How would I know without seeing them?”
Hmm, they really do seem clueless. Moreover, some appeared surprised by the very existence of the drug.
The one under the drug seemed to have long since shriveled down to just bones, drawing on all his remaining strength.
“Wow, just bones left! Is he dead?”
“Looks like it.”
The one who was drugged trembled as if feeling cold and just died.
His appearance became quite horrible for an injury-related issue, especially considering we had given him a recovery stimulant.
“Well, he can’t be helped… What should we do with you guys?”
They quickly sensed the mood. With terrified eyes, they looked at us and pleaded.
Now, it was our choice.
“Please, please spare us! We won’t come back! We’ll sincerely repent and live on!”
“And what will you give us?”
“Here! Everything!”
They immediately put their heads on the ground and hurriedly pulled out their wallets.
Well, that was quite a courteous posture.
“Don’t come back again!”
“Thank you… Aaaaaah!”
After hitting them a few more times, I called in the other clones to toss the messes away at a distance.
“Threats and extortion, huh? Feels like we’ve become a gang…”
“No, this isn’t extortion, it’s just legitimate compensation for damages.”
“…Sigh, I’ll take it as that.”
We talked while having drinks nearby.
“…By the way, this is bad. Now even drug users are lurking around? I don’t get why the world has come to this. Even if doping is a part of a hunter’s daily life… they can’t be the only ones, right? I hope no gangs show up again…”
Kalia mumbled nervously.
She seemed worried that the remaining thugs would gather here for revenge, burning with a desire for vengeance.
“Right? Well, don’t worry too much! If those guys show up, we’ll just throw them in a drum and dump them in the sea!”
“Ah… a drum?… Sure.”
As soon as the word “drum” was mentioned, Kalia looked quite uncomfortable.
It seemed she hadn’t quite accepted our righteous democratic violence yet, which was a bit disappointing.
If she fully understood our spirit, she might gain a more active willingness to attack.
In any case, I was shocked that the matter had resolved so quickly.
“What the hell is this? Nano machines?”
“I hope these kinds of guys don’t keep appearing.”
I tilted my head.
A few days later, before a rampaging student appeared at Aegis Academy’s outdoor training ground.
—
The outdoor training ground was pure chaos. A student, now mere bones, was wheeled out with an oxygen mask, groaning in agony.
What had just transpired was quite intriguing.
“Alright, let’s begin the duel—”
“Ugh, Aaaaah! Did you give too many injections? Damn it!”
“Huh? Rashid, what’s wrong with you?”
A student, resembling a delinquent drug user, suddenly began to swell.
Later, I found out that he had gotten into a serious duel over his girlfriend.
When Clone 6432 hastily ran over via the nearby Violet Beacon after sensing something strange, the rampage was already underway.
“Ah! Now that I think about it! You lied first! I’ll kill you!”
“U-ugh! Aaaah!”
The one seemingly having rage control issues was smashing his opponent relentlessly.
As fists flashed like storms, the magical power shield making impact sounds began to shatter.
The combination of magical and colossal physical strength proved to be formidable.
“Stop him! Call the guards! Get the student council over here!”
“Calm down! Calm down—”
“I’m invincibleee!”
With unbelievable explosive strength, surrounding students were comically flung away.
Everyone looked flustered, unable to find a way to subdue someone with regeneration abilities.
“Still, he doesn’t know how to use it, right? He’ll be caught soon!”
“Whoa! Crossbody!”
But still, there was no major problem. The guy was just wildly strong, and everyone was holding their ground with the knowledge they had. It looked like watching WWE.
The bloodied guy was quickly lifted away by magic, and fortunately, no one was seen close to death.
After a while, a brave savior showed up to resolve the incident.
A hulking male student, looking determined, casually glanced at the massive battle axe he had been holding.
Thinking the axe was too excessive, he set it down and instead picked up a nearby tree.
“Calm down now. Even if that guy spoke to the girl you’ve got a crush on, this isn’t the solution. Now, take a breath and inhale slowly…”
“Who are you? What do you know about Yulia! Die, bastard!”
-Kuwung!
“Ugh!”
Granite’s club strike ended the rampage of the muscular student.
The unconscious guy was promptly restrained by the guards rushing in.
His body deflated like a balloon, gradually letting out the air.
This incident was strangely reminiscent of something we had experienced a few days prior.
The term “nano machines” passed through my mind.
“What’s this, so lame…”
“It ended quickly, huh!”
I waved to Granite while observing.
He looked over, recognized me immediately, and awkwardly returned the greeting, seeming a bit flustered.
“You sure can fight!”
Still, I wondered what had caused such an event.
What on earth was happening in this once peaceful and innocent Aegis?
I would learn the reason four days later, in June.
[Experimental Nano Machine Enhancement Leakage via Underground Distribution to Students]
[Serious side effects of enhancement drugs… Over 80% of users experiencing severe side effects, sudden rage, and exhaustion…]
[Widespread distribution from clan members to academy students…]
It seemed we weren’t the only ones in chaos.
In various places, muscular balloons suffering from rage control problems could be seen.
The whole academy city felt like it had fallen into a cauldron of rage.
So who was behind the distribution of these nano machines?
We quickly figured it out through instinct. Those who would do such a thing were obvious.
“Laplacian!”
“Those guys are definitely involved!”
—
“We absolutely did not!”
The voice of the policy collaboration manager was filled with desperation.
After Violet had sent her predecessor flying across the Styx River with a truck, the newly appointed manager had never faced such a splitting headache.
“Clarification! We must clarify thoroughly! Cooperation is a must! This is the chairman’s order!”
The external policy cooperation department of Laplacian expressed its grievance in response to the sudden suspicion from the foundation.
Based on a history of countless incidents and conspiracies, the foundation had been pressing hard, but unfortunately, this time it was genuinely unrelated to Laplacian.
“Laplacian representatives, we cannot help but express our concern regarding your position on the regrettable situation that has recently occurred. Given that unfortunate events of a similar nature have happened in the past, we would like to request your opinion and clarification on this matter.”
While the foundation’s polite letter was thrown forward, it was laced with fury and doubt.
To paraphrase, it meant:
-You little bastards, this time you did it, right? What the hell did you do again?
“Our foundation is inclined to question any connection between the nano enhancement technology we previously researched and the present incident. We seek to ascertain your company’s stance regarding any potential leaks related to this technology.”
-That nano enhancement, we were researching it but stopped! You smuggled it and distributed it, didn’t you?
Laplacian was genuinely feeling wronged this time. Even while swiftly catching army lackeys and putting them into incinerators, inserting cerebro-mites into the heads of double agents connected to Restraid or the foundation, they were still parked in ludicrous circumstances.
That said, a healthy corporation would not risk distributing unstable pharmaceuticals through criminal organizations.
In an attempt to cover up a larger opportunity, and to keep their operations against the Apostles from blowing up, Laplacian had to back down.
“We hereby clearly declare that our company bears no relation to this incident. We also regret that our company has come under unjust suspicion due to this matter. However, we promise to actively cooperate with the foundation to unravel the truth of this situation and transparently disclose any necessary information.”
-We’re innocent! This time we’re truly wronged! We’ll spare no effort in our cooperation!
Fortunately, the culprit was promptly revealed.
One of the researchers from a former cooperative clan of the foundation had leaked materials and set up a lab on his own.
Regrettably, due to the severity of the side effects, it was discovered all too quickly. The foundation could finally cease its criticisms toward Laplacian.
“Your company is understood to hold a position of being unrelated to this incident, correct?”
Peeling back the flowery words to get to the essence, that phrase could be interpreted as:
-You lot, you didn’t have anything to do with this at all, right?
“Our company firmly states once again that we have no involvement in this unfortunate incident.”
-Yes, you have no relation.
“It’s a relief to confirm your lack of involvement in this matter. We hope to continue building constructive partnerships based on close cooperation and trust between our two firms.”
-Sure, let’s work hard.
Laihan plopped down on his chair, grumbling.
Was the fact that a rotten fruit had fallen from a corrupted family tree the only consolation?
“Dammit! Should I say we’re fortunate? What’s important is that we weren’t caught. Besides, we’ve even obtained one of those nano machines.”
He held up the bizarrely shaped syringe sample that clattered loudly in his palm.
His secretary lowered her voice and cautiously whispered.
“But it might be best to be careful for a while. The foundation’s information network is still intact.”
“Damn it, what do we do about that…”
Continuing to grumble, Laihan’s gaze landed on the screen in front of him.
A woman news anchor excessively exposed drew attention with her earnest reporting.
[Noborsk Research Institute, illegal drug testing and sales—]
‘Looks like the broadcasting company is crazy for viewership, what the heck, why are they broadcasting the operation against such insignificant people?’
Though the foundation decided to execute public punishment against those reckless enough to dare touch their perilous technology.
What was captured on the screen was a small building standing proudly at the boundary of the East and South.
Surrounding the building, the local police formed a dense barricade, and in front of them, Inspection Bureau agents set up a tide-like formation.
In addition, large and small clans waited around with voracious looks, ready to fight.
It just so happened that a significant portion of the victims were naive academy students who had taken the drugs.
A situation worthy of the clans’ wrath.
What Laihan didn’t know was that the patents he poured his life into, along with the foundational technologies of Laplacian, patiently awaited the opportunity that the goddess of coincidence had woven together in miraculous culmination.
“Sis! So, can I go in too, right?”
Violet’s eyes were filled with excitement and anticipation.
She was planning to smuggle out nano enhancement drugs.
She was curious what it would feel like to be injected.
“Yes, but don’t rely on your abilities too much. Got it?”
At Sophie El’s admonition, Violet nodded and readily agreed.
It just so happened she had already seen a few people on the enhancement drugs, so asking her acquaintance, an Inspection Bureau agent, to participate along was not difficult at all.
Suddenly, a thought swept through Violet’s mind.
Hadn’t she heard about them both becoming scholarship officers soon?
She had no clue how the current bureaucrat, known to be ineffective and foolish, had charmed and persuaded Sageis, but it was clear that he had done something extraordinary.
Anyhow, it was definitely unexpected for them to both become scholarship officers, even based on the original story’s narrative.
Well, if it works out, then good. Violet muttered to herself.
Now, the kind protagonists were practically two individuals.
While the inside of the courtyard seemed quiet, the anxious silhouettes swayed beyond the window.
The main gate stood firm, and defensive turrets loomed menacingly, but it was clear they would soon be breached.
Thinking those thoughts as she prepared to follow behind the Inspection Bureau staff, Violet suddenly felt a sharp prickling sensation in her head.
“Huh? Sis, is this…?”
At that moment, everyone’s phones simultaneously erupted with loud notifications.
[Please retreat to a radius of one hundred meters from this point.]
Messages flooded every electronic medium and communication network simultaneously.
“In accordance with the procedures for protecting patent and intellectual property rights, this matter will be entirely handled by the foundation.”
A bizarre voice pierced through their minds.
“This is a matter agreed upon with the Rustroom administrative authorities.”
“Mind-reading?!”
“What’s going on?!”
While the people around began to panic, only Violet stood there looking perplexed, glancing around.
“Mind-reading? I don’t hear anything…”
Right after that, the air rippled violently as a steel door mysteriously appeared.
It unnaturally revealed itself as if it had been there from the beginning.
As the door swung open, armed agents suddenly appeared.
[From now on, we will initiate the sealing procedure against Noborsk Inc.]
The solemn declaration barely finished when prominently armored combat staff in orange and black hazmat suits strode forward.
Individuals clad in black suits among them began to draw out long, silver objects, inspecting them meticulously.
Before the uninvited guests who suddenly emerged, no one dared to speak.
The atmosphere they emitted felt chillier than raw iron—one false move, and it felt as if flesh would be torn from bone.
Among those frozen in shock stood a hunter who snapped back to reality and shouted.
“Those, those things! They’re it! The patent execution unit!”
Before his words could finish, translucent domes began to surround the building.
In an instant, a dome was completed, swallowing the structure like a gigantic soap bubble.
“What the hell are you all doing without notice…?”
Someone seemed ready to protest, but a cold voice cut him off.
“Conversations with upper management have concluded. Please exit once sealing is complete.”
A chilling and firm tone.
There was no emotion in the words that sounded almost mechanical.
Just as people were finally shaken from their stupor, their figures vanished beyond the dome.
—
The interior of Noborsk Research Institute was as noisy as if a beehive had been poked.
The representatives were hurriedly packing their things at the forefront of the chaos.
People in all sorts of attire rushed around, frantically organizing documents and grabbing important items.
“Aren’t we gonna get caught? Look outside!”
A terrified staff member shouted. However, the representative remained unfazed.
“Get caught, my foot! It’s fine. I knew this would happen and secured the way to the underground passage! Those inspect-bureau bastards likely don’t know about it!”
Irritation dripped from the representative’s tone.
They had been too hasty in their research, blinded by the momentary profits.
The foundation had discarded the project for a reason—nano machine enhancements were far too unstable and imperfect.
All they wanted was a big score, yet they had never expected so many academy students would use it.
Unfortunately, it included children of high-ranking officials among them.
“So hurry and grab your things! This is both your lifeline and your income!”
Internally grumbling, the representative thought.
Even though it had returned to failure due to insufficient funding, the technology from the foundation was formidable.
He couldn’t comprehend why they wouldn’t use something this useful, leaving it idle like that.
Once they escaped this place, there would be a way out.
While nano enhancements were unstable, they were still highly valuable.
If they could somehow find a buyer or negotiate, they’d survive.
‘Where to go? Arrsit? No, moving toward the Federal is…’
The representative’s internal deliberation came to an abrupt halt. The thick security door built with substantial funding began to open on its own.
“What?! Who opened it! Close it at once!”
The representative yelled, but his outcry was swiftly drowned out by an echoing voice.
“Pavel Noborsk.”
That mechanical, lifeless voice mercilessly interrupted him.
“You are the representative of Noborsk Research Institute and chief researcher of the Altred Operation, class-C hunter. You have been confirmed to have unlawfully taken the Lumynexa Foundation’s patents LN-7424-BNC and LN-9312-NCC related to biological fluid nano augmentations, in violation of foundation regulation RR-27, as well as Rustroom intellectual property protection clauses 13(2) and 27(1) and 33(3), using them illegally. You have no grounds for defense.”
“Uh… uh… um…”
The representative stammered, struggling to speak. Meanwhile, the resisting staff and security mercenaries had already been subdued.
Those clad in protective suits displayed an air of confidence, shaking off their weaponry with sparks flying.
“The officially recorded casualties from the distributed nano enhancements are twelve dead, two hundred eleven injured, along with substantial material and psychological damages reported.”
One of the men in suits adjusted his sunglasses and continued speaking.
The researchers who were quickly tied up scanned their surroundings in terror.
“As such, Lumynexa Foundation has determined that you lack the capability to safely and appropriately utilize these intellectual assets, concluding that all the data and knowledge in your possession poses a grave threat to society and humanity at large. Therefore, the foundation officially orders a complete seizure of your enterprise and laboratory.”
With this declaration, everyone froze in disbelief.
“As of now, the intellectual property sequestration team will commence seizure procedures effective from 15:21. No objections will be entertained from the parties involved. Activate the Nimosis protocol.”
As soon as the last verdict was delivered, a blue flash engulfed the interior of the building.
White lines bloomed from the researchers’ heads.
The suited agents drew out silver devices, ruthlessly absorbing those white lines.
“Ugh, Aaaaah!”
The screams erupted from various corners.
All kinds of documents and texts levitated into the air.
The charts, graphs, and numbers inscribed on the pages fluttered up before crumpling and turning dark.
All electronic devices began to flicker abnormally.
The endless cycle of 0s and 1s unfurled before collapsing into black and white particles, rising from the screens and the building’s structure, rippling into reality.
From the walls and fixtures erupted wisps of smoke and shadows, reminiscent of memories and emotions.
The nano enhancement test tubes left in the boxes and laboratories scattered, almost as if tainted with white ink, before being obliterated.
The whitened objects scattered, turning to dust and vanishing into thin air.
Every type of medium, every memory left in that space was greedily extracted, trampled, and obliterated.
It could never be found again.
No matter what magical or supernatural means were employed, it would never be read again.
“Ah, no! Anything but that! Please! Please!”
The representative’s wails reverberated. Nothing resurfaced.
The scream had barely concluded before he slumped forward, eyes rolling back.
As agents in orange suits bound the staff, the others in suits began to deposit every collected essence into a massive translucent capsule.
The man in sunglasses soberly announced.
“At 15:26, the intellectual asset seizure and sealing procedure has been completed. We will withdraw.”
All information related to the nano enhancement held by Noborsk Research Institute was erased without a trace from that location.
Knowledge rightfully returned to its legitimate owner.
No one would be able to replicate the nano enhancement ever again.
And it should never be done so.
Knowledge was meant to be possessed only by those deserving of it.
At that moment, the extraordinary hearing of the man in sunglasses caught a whisper.
“Cheep!”
A childlike, playful sound echoed.
A rat staggeringly slipped into a drain on the laboratory floor.
One of the agents in protective gear questioned his superior.
“What should we do with that rat?”
The electronic bolt projector the agent was holding hummed as it charged. The man in sunglasses shook his head.
“That’s just a mindless beast. There’s no way to extract meaningful data from such a creature, no matter what relic or magic you use. Just let it go.”
A simple, matter-of-fact command.
The intellectual asset sequestration agents calmly exited the scene, holding their data capsules.
—
The rat slipped away into the dark sewers.
No one paid any heed to the rat. It appeared to be a trivial, inconsequential life form.
Yet sometimes, from the most unexpected places, the most significant roles are played.
-Clank!
A syringe clattered against the pipe, ringing.
Rats, equipped with a pair of nano-enhancement syringes strapped on their backs, steadily advanced into the darkness.
“Boss! Boss! We’re on our way! We’re on our way!”