Chapter 90: Fate

The Organization’s underground level.

The entire floor was a massive research facility.

Under dim, glowing white lights, everything moved with calculated, mechanical precision.

The research wing was one of the Organization’s most secretive sites, accessible only to a select few executives.

But such restrictions meant nothing to the boss.

Hands behind her back, she surveyed the facility.

Giant metal tubes intertwined from ceiling to floor, glowing liquid flowing through them, emitting eerie light.

The tubes led to transparent storage tanks, where small orbs floated.

Uniform in size, their colors and textures varied, each pulsing with intense power.

A massive screen on one wall tracked Traits' changes in real-time.

The boss’s face remained twisted in displeasure.

The stinging smell of disinfectant, chilling cold, mechanical hum—nothing pleased her.

Despite becoming an overwhelming powerhouse, childhood trauma lingered deep within.

She’d love to dismantle this place, but for her “happy ending,” she’d endure the discomfort.

Her steps halted for the first time.

Her gaze was fixed on two cylindrical capsules against the wall.

Inside, a man and woman crouched, asleep.

“These are the final successes?”

“Yes,” replied the researcher, a doctor, following silently.

The facility devoted over 90% of its resources to one experiment:

[Post-Awakening Trait Implantation and Enhancement]

Thousands of test subjects had undergone it.

Many had no side effects or were half-successes, but true successes?

Just these two.

Past subjects, like the sand-playing one, were successes only in avoiding side effects—non-failures.

Their base Trait was C-rank at best.

These two were different.

S-rank base Traits fused with multiple S-rank Traits—new humanity, surpassing modern heroes.

When perfected, heroes and villains would bow before true power.

“How’s the stability now?”

The doctor’s blank expression stiffened.

“W-Well…”

Sweating, he stammered.

“Currently 67%.”

Her brow narrowed.

“Odd. Last week’s report said 67% too.”

“I-It’s the time and budget…”

“I heard that excuse last week.”

Arms crossed, she sighed deeply.

“Pathetic. I barely recall the confidence you had when you joined.”

The doctor wasn’t an Organization villain.

He was dispatched from another villain group for tech collaboration.

“Your original group is vile. I’d tear them apart and feed them to dogs. But your skill was useful, so I tolerated it for the cause.”

Relations with the external group were hostile, but she’d set aside grudges for cooperation.

His face darkened at her limb-tearing comment.

“I’ll forgive you. A leader’s mercy avoids personal bias.”

“T-Thank you.”

“But you’ll pay for your incompetence.”

She flicked her finger.

Red vines crept up the doctor’s ankles, wrapping his body.

He’d expected a limb as “payment,” but gasped.

Was she really going to kill him?

The vines tightened, about to crush him, when—

Someone burst through the research wing’s door.

A man rushed to the boss’s side.

“What is it?”

She didn’t turn.

An intelligence executive, he could meet her anytime, even outside regular reports.

He pulled out a document.

“Info on your top-priority target.”

She spun around.

“What?”

The vines released the doctor.

Ignoring his relief, she pressed.

“True? Reliable?”

“Yes. Cross-verified with captured informants and external agencies—accuracy near 100%.”

Kidnapped Legal Department officials were tight-lipped, wasting time.

They’d scoured memories with Traits, finally yielding results.

To avoid errors, they cross-checked with other agencies’ data.

“I see…”

Unable to suppress a smile, she murmured.

“So it’s true.”

Her voice brimmed with joy.

Her most precious person, the “Sir” whose name she didn’t know, after over a decade of longing.

How could her heart not race?

“I’m curious.”

Building power, gathering villains, forming the Organization—all for this moment.

“Where is he…”

She stopped herself, raising a hand.

Eager to rush to him, she held back.

Like dipping toes in cold water, she needed to ease in.

“First, any photos?”

“Yes.”

The executive handed her one, taken covertly from a distance.

Seeing the man, her heart surged.

How could she forget?

After ten years of searching, dreaming of him—he was identical.

Unchanged.

No, changed.

In the photo, he smiled.

The Ho-cheol in her memory didn’t.

But she didn’t mind.

If he’d smile at her, only her, she’d embrace the change.

“This is the only photo?”

“Yes.”

Savoring it, she tucked it away carefully.

“Name?”

“Jeong Ho-cheol.”

“Jeong… Ho-cheol…”

She repeated it softly, the name resonating deeply.

A good name.

“Where is he?”

It didn't matter where.

Even the strictest prison—she’d drag every test subject to reclaim him.

Her heart swelled with anticipation.

Would he, Ho-cheol, remember her?

Probably not.

Too much time, and she’d changed visibly.

But it was fine.

She remembered.

She’d stand before him, proud.

For you.

Only you.

I grew this strong, prepared this, and waited.

Her reward was simple.

Just be by her side, like when she was a child.

That was enough.

Her hopeful daydreams snapped as the executive spoke.

“He’s on temporary release via an Association contract.”

“What?”

Forgetting her usual composure, she gaped.

“Contract? Temporary release? What’s that?”

He explained Ho-cheol’s situation.

She laughed, stunned.

His release date was months after their Zero—Chain raid.

If they’d acted sooner, they wouldn’t have missed each other.

Such a pity.

But no big deal—it made finding him easier.

“Fine. Where’s he affiliated?”

Flipping the report, the executive stammered.

“Clington Hero Academy. He’s a professor, reducing his sentence through student grades.”

“Clington?”

Her brow furrowed, as if mishearing.

Not just a professor—that sparked unease.

The Organization had attacked Clington multiple times.

A professor there?

He might be entangled with them negatively.

His strength could crush minor villains, but…

A realization hit.

“…Huh?”

Her unease took shape.

A new professor opposing the Organization.

Unnaturally strong, with tightly controlled info.

Close ties to a top hero.

Gears that clashed before now clicked with one hypothesis.

She clutched her head.

Turning, she pointed at the executive.

“That professor-bodyguard tied to the Swordmaster—what happened to him?”

“He…”

Recalling, he said.

“Sent to a confinement gate with associates via Trait.”

“Name!”

“What?”

“The professor’s name!”

He made a call.

Soon, he sensed something wrong.

Lowering the phone, he said grimly.

“Jeong Ho-cheol.”

Thud—

Her heart dropped.

Dizzy, she grabbed a desk to steady herself.

“Open the door.”

“Where?”

“To that damn gate!”

Rumble—

Her raw emotion shook the entire base.

* * *

The boss and several Organization members appeared at the gate.

She stomped, urging them.

“Find him!”

All had detection or movement traits.

As they searched, she chewed her thumbnail anxiously.

Crack—crack—crack—

She hadn’t meant to kill him.

This gate was hard to escape but low-risk, used for mild punishment.

A week to ten days—enough to leave him crawling, then a stern warning.

But how would he take it?

A different matter.

Her attacks on him, unaware he was her “Sir,” flashed through her mind.

Those grudges, plus this—wouldn’t earn her kind words.

“Found him!”

An executive shouted.

She stopped chewing, clenching her fist.

Blood dripped.

Ignoring the pain, she ordered.

“Move now!”

Using Traits, they reached the gate’s center.

“Ah.”

Emerging from the smoke, the boss gasped.

Dozens of meters away.

Ho-cheol stood atop the translucent core.

No need to compare to the photo—she knew instantly.

Her breath caught, chest tight, unable to breathe.

Longing and joy surged.

She opened her mouth slowly.

“S-Sir…”

But before she spoke, he muttered, irritated.

“Here to kill me before I escape?”

His blood-and-fluid-soaked body, surrounded by the shattered giant centipede , glared with hostility.

No, that’s not it.

She wanted to say it, but couldn’t.

His cold gaze silenced her.

“You’re the Organization’s boss, huh?”

I was half-sure.

No hiding that overwhelming presence.

Not comparable to mid-tier S-ranks.

Only those who’d crossed the wall—like me, Eclipse, or Smiley—had it.

If she wasn’t the boss, and the real one was this strong, the country would’ve fallen long ago.

Killing her here would be ideal, but my condition and stamina made it suicidal.

With her goons around, even that was tough.

Worse, I couldn’t fight while protecting So-hee.

My decision was quick.

Crunch—

I smashed the core underfoot.

“I’ll let it slide today.”

Pointing at her, my body faded from the feet up.

“But next time, you’re dead.”

So-hee and I vanished.

* * *

Feeling grass underfoot, I sighed deeply.

“Getting home’s a pain.”

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