9. Starting with a Disaster-Grade Cursed Sword Because of Corruption Immunity
Warehouse No. 6
Had it been about four days since I first entered a Dark Zone?
In the meantime, I had cleared a few minor Hunter missions.
I could have reported that I’d become a Level 1 Hunter to receive higher-grade missions, but that would require filing an application with the Bureau.
Since I’d already agreed to go in soon for a "Corruption Immunity" test, I figured there was no need to make two trips.
"Mission complete! Great work, everyone!"
"Oh, my aching back."
"My legs are killing me. What kind of suffering is this, trekking through mountains without even a paved trail?"
"That’s just how Level 0 missions are."
The pollution purification at Mt. Geumak, which I’d found in the recommended missions, had to be carried out over two days.
Since we had to carry chemical canisters on our backs and hike up unpaved mountain paths, quite a few people had slipped and fallen.
"Is it because you're young, Gaon? You're full of energy."
"If you put it that way, Tae-su over there looks like he's about to die. Gaon, did you work out a lot?"
"A little."
Was this the benefit of awakening my Magic Power?
Compared to before I awakened, my physical abilities had improved significantly.
I felt like I could even win a fight against a professional boxer.
It seemed it was true that once you awakened, you became stronger than a rifleman.
"Other than my stamina and strength improving, nothing much else has changed."
【Nothing changed? You've become able to use Blood Energy whenever you want!】
Right, there was that, too.
The Blood Energy I used to cut down the corrupted Kim Tae-jin after I became able to use Magic Power.
I had become able to use it at any time.
Well, to be precise, I had to consume the blood I’d stored up to use it.
"I had a hard time learning that for the first three days."
I learned it because Black Heron was being so noisy, but maintaining Black Heron while channeling Magic Power and coating it in Blood Energy wasn't an easy task.
I even had to control my strength at home to avoid cutting the furniture.
"Hehe, 200,000 won a day... that makes 1.55 million won already."
Between the gathering mission wages and the side income from the goblin bits, plus today's pay.
I’d effectively earned 1.55 million won in three days. That meant my daily pay exceeded 500,000 won!
"Hehe, I'm rich!"
【Tsk, tsk, tsk. The way a grown man clings to pocket change is pathetic.】
"I'm going to buy tteokbokki and sundae with the money I earned today."
【What kind of food is that?】
"Ah~ it's the symbol of K-food."
【Just hearing about it sounds harmful. Host, I will not stand by and watch you overeat.】
Just as I was looking for a snack bar near my house, the screen switched and my phone rang.
"Hello?"
[Ah, Gaon. Have you been well?]
"Yes, nothing special."
I’d awakened my Magic Power, my body was full of energy, and I’d been eating well—could things get any better?
[That’s a relief. It’s about the 'test' I mentioned last time; we’ve received approval from the higher-ups. Do you happen to have time tomorrow?]
The experiment to see if I was suitable for the trash can... or rather, Warehouse No. 7.
I nodded without hesitation.
"Yes, should I keep tomorrow free?"
[Yes, thank you for making the time. We will send a car to your home.]
"Oh, right. I awakened my Magic Power."
[???]
There was silence on the other end of the line for a while.
***
The basement of the Hunter Management Bureau was much larger than I had imagined.
The first five basement levels were full of parking, but in reality, it had been dug much deeper than that.
"The reason the Bureau was built this way is not just to provide a focal point for civilian Hunters and agents to gather, but also to prepare for emergencies."
Even if a Cursed Object secures a host, the directions from which they can emerge are limited.
In such cases, the agents, the military, and civilian Hunters on standby are mobilized in large numbers.
"But even that has reached its limit. Warehouse No. 6 is at capacity."
"Warehouse No. 6?"
"It means there are five other facilities like this."
Well, they had asked me to become Warehouse No. 7, so there must be others.
"How is Hunter Kim Tae-jin? I haven't even been able to visit him."
I’d cut his arm off; I didn't know if they’d managed to reattach it. Would an arm reattach even if cut by a Cursed Object?
"You don't need to worry about Hunter Kim Tae-jin; he has recovered. The arm was successfully reattached through surgery."
"That's a relief."
"However, since it cannot be known that he became a Corrupted One and then recovered, he will have to spend some time in the Bureau's infirmary."
"Why is that? Isn't it a good thing?"
Park Do-kyung didn't deny my words and continued cautiously.
"There is no precedent for a human who has been corrupted to return. If this fact becomes known... Hunter Kim Tae-jin will be in danger. There will be countless groups trying to study him."
"Ah..."
Corruption is the biggest hurdle in clearing a Dark Zone.
No matter how strong an Awakened is, if they become corrupted, they become an enemy of humanity, so everyone has no choice but to play it safe.
But if there is someone who returned after being corrupted, everyone would want to find out the cause.
I think someone said something similar to me.
"Uh... then wouldn't I be the most dangerous one?"
"That is correct. If I were an agent or a head of state from another country... I would try to secure you, even if it meant going to war."
"Oh..."
As I flinched, Park Do-kyung tried to reassure me.
"We will do our best to prevent that. So, Gaon, you must be careful in everything you do."
Just as I was resolving to be careful and then careful again, the elevator arrived at our destination.
Just how many floors down did we go?
When the doors opened, several people were waiting in front of us.
Armed soldiers, agents from the Bureau. And even Agent Kang Cheong-hwa.
"Team Leader Park Do-kyung! Is this him?"
A middle-aged man who seemed to be the highest-ranking among them stepped forward.
"Yes, this is Yoon Gaon."
"Haha~ Gaon! Nice to meet you! I'm Kim Jung-ho, Chief of the Containment Division!"
Chief Kim Jung-ho greeted me with a noticeably bright face.
"Come this way. We'll give you a tour of our Republic of Korea's Warehouse No. 6."
We boarded a vehicle immediately. It was an olive-drab military vehicle without a roof. I think I heard it called a Retona.
Kang Cheong-hwa drove, Chief Kim Jung-ho sat in the front passenger seat, and Park Do-kyung and I sat in the second row.
"VIP departing. Prepare to open the gate."
The Containment Division Chief relayed the order via radio.
As the Retona headed toward the gate, I could gauge the true scale of Warehouse No. 6.
"I thought we were going down for a while, but the ceiling is incredibly high."
"Haha, in terms of buildings, it's as tall as a 16-story building. We had a really hard time digging this out."
Are there really so many Cursed Objects that they need to build a warehouse this big?
No, even if Cursed Objects came out of Gates that occurred over the past decade, isn't this too big?
"Is there a reason it's this big?"
"Because if Cursed Objects are placed close to each other, they can be misused in a chain reaction."
According to the Containment Division Chief, Cursed Objects lure hosts even when they are contained like this.
In the end, if a lured host equips a Cursed Object, what happens to the surroundings?
Since it's surrounded by Cursed Objects, wouldn't they try to take them all out and use them?
"Oh..."
There's no rule that says you can only wear one artifact, like a ring.
Couldn't you wear one on every finger... or even more?
"That would be a disaster."
"That is why all Cursed Objects are thoroughly sealed. And we increase the physical distance to secure time to respond."
The gate to Warehouse No. 6 opened, and the Retona passed through.
And then I could understand the meaning of the Containment Division Chief's words.
"Oh..."
The warehouse, which I thought would be packed because it was a large facility, was so sparse that I wondered if it was empty.
However, what I could clearly see was how thoroughly the artifacts inside had been sealed.
"...Did you pour concrete over them?"
"Yes, we made it so that even an average person couldn't take them out no matter how much they hammered away."
Concrete blocks were solidly surrounding everything here and there.
It was the most certain seal, one that couldn't be physically removed.
"Inside, there are even solid steel safes, so we've locked them twice over."
"Even with all that, can the Cursed Objects find a host?"
By the time they broke through all that, they'd be suppressed, wouldn't they?
"When it comes to high-ranking Cursed Objects, they sometimes grant incredible power to targets of bewitchment who aren't even hosts. This is a story for later, but you'll understand when you see the items 'inside'."
How could they escape such a thorough seal?
I couldn't imagine it, but there must be a reason everyone was worried.
"Alright, let's take a few out."
The Containment Division Chief pointed to a few concrete blocks at the entrance of the warehouse.
Then, Park Do-kyung and Kang Cheong-hwa started taking one of the blocks out and breaking it.
Since they were all quite skilled, the concrete block began to crack after just a few strikes of a pickaxe.
"Is it okay? To take them out like that."
To my question, the Containment Division Chief answered as if it were no big deal.
"The Cursed Objects at the entrance are low-grade, so it's fine."
"Our Black Heron almost ended up like that, too."
At those words, Black Heron flinched.
Chief Kim also glanced at Black Heron and tilted his head.
"I did see the report Team Leader Park submitted, but this Cursed Sword might be of a higher grade than I thought."
"Really?"
"Yes. By nature, don't Cursed Objects bewitch people and make them corrupted?"
"That's what I heard."
"But, Cursed Objects that strengthen the host themselves are rare."
I heard that Cursed Objects make the host strong with their powerful force. How is that different from Black Heron?
"It's different. The former is purely the power of the Cursed Object, while the latter becomes the power of the host."
In short, it's like saying that just because you have a gun, the shooter doesn't become stronger.
A gun makes you stronger no matter who shoots it, but in the case of Black Heron, it makes the user themselves stronger, so to speak?
"Strengthening the host's own capacity could mean there is no limit to the power. Even if you start off weak, as time passes, you could eventually become a 'monster' beyond anyone's control."
"I see. Black Heron, you were a much more impressive Cursed Object than I thought, weren't you?"
【You may be a lowly human, but you have an eye for talent!】
Black Heron immediately puffed up with pride and raised its voice.
【Come to me.】
"Hm? Black Heron, what did you just say?"
【What are you talking about? Has your fat clogged your ears now? I told you not to stuff your face with so much liver and blood sausage.】
I tilted my head at Black Heron's words, but the voice grew clearer.
【Come here.】
A sinister voice whispering in my ear.
Am I the only one hearing this?
"The dismantling is almost complete. I'm going to open the inner vault. Please wait here for a moment."
The Containment Division Chief said this as he walked away, assuming I was still talking to Black Heron.
【Come. Come and claim me.】
I followed the direction of the voice.
It's 'inside.'
It's quite a distance away.
*Click!*
"Hm?"
The Containment Division Chief looked back.
I turned the key left in the ignition of the Retona, and the body of the car shook as a loud engine roar erupted.
"Mr. Gaon?"
As the Containment Division Chief called out to me, Park Do-kyung and Kang Cheong-hwa also turned their gazes toward me.
But it was already too late.
My foot was already pressing down on the accelerator.
*Vroom!*
In the middle of the underground warehouse, a single Retona began to race.
"……Huh?"
"Oh……."
"……."
The three of them stared in stunned silence as I drove away, but it didn't matter.
I was in a Retona now.
***
[Emergency Alert! Emergency Alert! An intruder has breached the Level 2 Restricted Area! They are heading toward the Top-Secret Restricted Area!]
[Code Red. Code Red. Intruder path interception failed. All personnel, arm yourselves immediately and enter the restricted area!]
The warehouse was riddled with countless traps and security devices.
But all of them were meaningless.
It was as if the speeding metal beast knew exactly where they were and avoided them all.
[Damn it, what is that! How does it know how to dodge them!]
[It's a Cursed Object! The Cursed Object is directing its path!]
Among Cursed Objects, those that are particularly powerful often bestow immense strength and knowledge upon their targets to lure them in.
The top-tier artifact 'Heart of Rapid Flow,' which had been dormant for years, had been observing the countless incidents in Warehouse No. 6 and analyzing the Bureau's responses.
It knew when and where traps would trigger, where the sentry guns would pour out machine-gun fire, and from which direction the emergency response teams would enter.
[Activate Interception Gate No. 6! Right now──!]
[It already passed through!]
[How is that possible already?!]
The tires shredded the concrete floor, sending sparks flying, and the car maintained a dizzying balance through reckless driving.
The sight of Yoon Gaon, who didn't even have a driver's license, handling the rampaging Retona as if it were an extension of his own body was truly a case of man and machine as one.
Even an F1 Grand Prix racer would have been terrified to see this madness.
【Oh, ugh! Ughhhhh!】
The Cursed Object, which had overindulged in spicy rice cakes and blood sausage the day before, screamed, but Yoon Gaon stepped on the accelerator even harder with a look of madness on his face.
[Interception Gate No. 7! Gate 7 is closing!]
[We must stop them here!!]
At the end of the tunnel, the final steel gate was descending with a roar, and just as everyone watched with bated breath.
Yoon Gaon didn't even slow down when he saw the descending gate.
What he chose was... a frontal breakthrough.
Even though it was certain that he and the car would be torn to shreds the moment they collided, he didn't stop for a second.
"Damn it, no one can stop me!!"
He didn't stop; he broke through.
In an instant, the Retona collided with the gate that had descended to head-level, shattering the windshield and causing the car to bounce and soar, but……
He broke through.
The car, having narrowly made it inside, flipped over once and slid for a long distance.
"Ugh……!"
Gaon crawled out from under the half-destroyed Retona.
Having awakened to Level 1, Gaon's body was enhanced, allowing him to survive this insane crash.
And finally.
He stood before the artifact storage room where the voice was calling from.
The deepest part of Warehouse No. 6.
Beyond the black glass wall, inside a cold alloy case.
The 'Heart,' marked with a seal, was pulsing.
【H-hey... wait a second.】
"I won't stop!"
Gaon stirred the Blood Energy of Black Heron.
Gaon swung, ready to shatter the glass wall in one strike.
Even with the Blood Energy of a Cursed Object boasting extreme cutting power, the top-level military-grade barrier didn't cut easily.
【Ack! W-wait! It's too hard! Don't just swing it like a brute──】
"Walls! Are meant to be overcome!!"
【Then climb over it! Don't try to smash it!! Aaaagh!!】
Amidst the Cursed Object's screams, destructive Blood Energy was swung indiscriminately.
How long had he been swinging?
The glass wall finally shattered and collapsed.
The moment the case containing the top-tier Cursed Object came within reach of Gaon.
"Stop right there."
*Click!*
At the cold sound of a hammer cocking, I turned around to see Kang Cheong-hwa standing there.
Her entire right arm had 'transformed' into a charged particle cannon.
"Mr. Yoon Gaon. If you don't step back, I will fire."
The particle cannon, humming as it condensed a fierce aura, looked as if it would swallow Gaon whole at any moment.
Gaon, who had turned around, faced the menacing weapon without a hint of hesitation, wearing a smile as he──
"My precious!"
Reached out his hand toward the case containing the Heart.
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