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 [Chapter 148]

[New Humanity Project]

『Mana is not inherited.

Internal mana is not inherited from parents, nor is it determined by acquired factors!

In that it is determined solely by the laws of nature how much internal mana a being can hold for life,

Isn't it a gift (Gift) given equally to all of us in this unequal world, while not being an innate talent?

Damn, God's dice game!

In the end, humans have still not completely escaped from God, even though they started to exclude the concept of God starting with the scientific revolution.

Ridiculously, in a world where God has disappeared.

Even foolish people are in a situation where they don't try to run away when faced with monsters, but pray to a non-existent God to save them.

Those people even go so far as to worship mana as God because they have nowhere else to pray.

As a scientist who denies the existence of God, I can't help but deplore this.

(Omitted)

...So I think a new philosopher king must appear to stabilize the world that has become anarchic.

A world of pandemonium where monsters are rampant and order has disappeared!

Therefore, I think a philosopher king with power that no one dares to defy must organize the chaos and establish a new order.

He is the Superman (Übermensch).

People who use magic to kill monsters, people with power that can't be called human while being human.

I heard they came to be called Players at some point.

Anyway, Players must become the standard and vested interests of the new world.

(Omitted)

...That's what he said.

I can't help but shudder.

I, have obtained the glory of becoming a human who conquers God.

I'll summarize the story.

Mana is not inherited.

No one can do anything about the fate determined at birth.

Modern science cannot solve what determines the limits of us humans.

But internal mana originates from the heart.

Then if we take out the heart of a person containing vast mana and transplant it into another person's body, how will that person's internal mana change?

Since internal mana originates from the heart, wouldn't a person transplanted with a heart that produces vast mana come to contain vast mana in their body?

Even if we can't create the humans we want innately, can't we create the humans we want through acquired means?

Then in terms of creating humans, how is what I'm about to do any different from God creating humans!

Someday I will go down in history as the human who killed God.

I am God!

(Omitted)

...So, in that I create humans superior to existing humans, I decided to call this project by the following name.

The "New Humanity Project".

─ From Dr. Deus' research journal』

☆

In the previous life,

There was a time when the Yeongwon Group almost completely dissolved.

It wasn't just the Yeongwon Group.

...The world was greatly shaken.

It was an incident where the vested interests were almost uprooted.

Many groups were involved.

There was no clean group.

Somehow, each group's funds flowed there.

To the Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals Research Institute.

For decades, without people knowing,

There was a project being carried out secretly at a research institute away from Seoul.

The name of the project revealed to the world at that time was─

─New Humanity Project...

New Humanity Project.

It was research to create enhanced humans, no, enhanced Players.

In a world where monsters were rampant, the purpose of creating humans optimized to defeat monsters wasn't a problem.

The problem was due to the content of the research.

The criterion for distinguishing between living and non-living things is whether that being has an organ that produces mana that gives vitality to existence or not.

For humans... that organ can be said to be the heart.

For the reason of creating people containing vast mana,

The Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals Research Institute conducted research to extract the hearts of people containing vast mana and transplant them into people with bodies specialized for combat.

It was human experimentation.

Illegally conducted research.

They forcibly kidnapped people through brokers and conducted inhumane experiments.

Moreover─

─The test subjects were made up of lower class people living in slums or nearby...

People living at the bottom of society.

People abandoned by the world who no one would look for even if they went missing.

People not protected by society and wanderers roaming the streets.

People were outraged by the news that such vulnerable people had their hearts extracted and died over decades.

People raised their voices to condemn the Yeongwon Group.

People in the political and business world who helped the Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals Research Institute's work in any way were also put on the chopping block.

In the end, a major reform took place in the political and business world.

Though it was no different from covering their eyes and saying "peek-a-boo"...

During this period, the generation that experienced the <End of Century Destruction> largely stepped down from their positions.

It could be said to be a period when people who built up a group in the midst of disaster largely retired.

Of course, among them was the chairman of the Yeongwon Group who created the incident at the center, the Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals Gate.

And the one who became chairman in his place was─

─That bastard Do-jun is amazing too. To say he protected the group in such a situation, knocked out all competitors and became chairman.

Yoo Do-jun, who hadn't received much attention until then, ascended to the throne of the Yeongwon Group.

Of course, it was all Yoo Do-jun's plan.

People greatly supported Yoo Do-jun who revealed to the world the inhumane research Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals was conducting.

'─We will be reborn. Cutting out all the diseased parts and rebuilding the group! We will surely create a group that contributes to the development of this country. I will surely repay the citizens by breaking this body into pieces.'

In a situation where the likely successors to become chairman of the Yeongwon Group were cornered by the Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals Gate,

Yoo Do-jun overtook them in one breath and reached closest to the throne.

The world raised its hand for him, and he quickly regained the Yeongwon Group's status by displaying excellent skills.

If it weren't for the Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals Gate... Yoo Do-jun couldn't have become chairman of the Yeongwon Group.

In the end, it was all or nothing.

Whether to aim for the situation to be reversed through the Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals Gate or to completely destroy the Yeongwon Group.

Yoo Do-jun is not a righteous person.

He was someone who didn't try to distinguish between means and methods to become chairman of the Yeongwon Group.

So he thoroughly exploited the Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals Gate.

While removing all those who would become his enemies, he spared those who would be helpful to him.

That's why people in the political and business world supported him and raised their voices for him to become chairman of the Yeongwon Group.

If Yoo Do-jun had sincerely announced the Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals Gate for justice, most people in the political and business world, including the Yeongwon Group, would have disappeared from the world.

Of course, he didn't spare those who were too deeply involved...

If it's natural, it's natural.

Anyway.

As a result, through the Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals Gate, Yoo Do-jun becomes chairman of the Yeongwon Group and achieves the revenge he had held in his heart all along.

That will happen a year earlier than planned in this life.

Now, the gate that will shock the world is about to burst.

☆

Late at night.

At a time when everyone was asleep, Eunha got up from his seat.

"...I can't wear the school uniform."

He opened the closet door.

Eunha hesitated for a long time in front of the Academy uniform.

The Academy uniform with various protective magic inherent in it.

It was the most optimized for combat among the clothes he currently had.

But since it was a matter of secretly infiltrating the Yeongwon Pharmaceuticals Research Institute, he couldn't wear the uniform that could expose his identity.

I should wear black clothes.

Since a lot of blood will splatter and I'll have to throw them away, clothes with good durability but that can be discarded...

In the end, Eunha changed into the darkest clothes possible.

It's the height of the hot season.

Though it was uncomfortable to wear long sleeves, it couldn't be helped.

Instead, he lowered his body temperature a little with life magic.

"Potions... Is this all?"

Eunha lay on the floor and checked under the bed.

He pulled out a box inside.

There were a few potions he had prepared before.

Also─

─It seems to be either Eun-ae or Avenir's doing... There are only two people who would look under my bed. Ah, there's noona too... But it wouldn't be noona.

Eunha smirked.

There were also a few bottles of vitamin drinks in the box.

It was probably Eun-ae's doing.

Thinking so, Eunha gulped down one vitamin drink at once.

Next is...

Ah, here it is.

This time he rummaged through the drawer. A ring case deep in the drawer.

When he opened the case, there was a crude ring connected to a necklace.

It's a disposable artifact.

An artifact with Julieta's gift <Amplification > bestowed on it.

"Since it can't be used in overlap and using it more than twice puts a heavy burden on the body... One should be enough."

So it doesn't interfere with Pride's Counterattack.

Eunha put on the necklace connected to the ring around his neck.

Is this everything I need to bring?

He even packed the Avenieres Cloak.

Eunha checked his condition.

He strapped the two swords that were standing in the corner of the room to his waist.

Soon he carefully opened the door and checked the atmosphere in the house.

...Everyone seems to be sleeping.

The house was dark.

Eunha carefully checked his parents' room and Eun-ae's room.

Eun-ah was staying at the Regulus Clan hall even on weekends due to having a lot of work.

After confirming everyone was asleep, Eunha returned to his room.

Just in case...

Noh Eunha made the blanket bulge to make it look like he was sleeping.

With that, he finished preparing to leave.

"─Pipi?"

Just then.

Fire Chicken sleeping in the nest Eun-ae made by the window.

The red bird cried while rubbing its eyes with its wings.

Eunha could interpret through the Pass that it meant where are you going.

"Pipi!"

"Shh."

"Pupu..."

Fire Chicken says it wants to come along.

He put his finger to his lips and signaled to be quiet.

"You just stay here. Sleep more."

"Pupu."

Fire Chicken expresses dissatisfaction.

The red bird tries to bite his hand.

Eunha avoided Fire Chicken's beak and opened the window wide.

Eunha put his foot on the windowsill.

"─Guard the house well."

Saying goodbye to Fire Chicken.

Eunha jumped down from the 2nd floor to the ground.

"..."

Landing lightly.

He quietly left the row house so as not to be caught by people.

Coming out to the yard and leaning against the fence,

Soon he felt a presence.

"─You came out quickly."

"You came?" "Dressed like that, you look like a thief trying to rob this house." "This is my house, you know?"

"Yes sir."

<Floater > Twenty-five.

He who revealed himself in the darkness smiled brightly at Eunha.

With his long hair tied in a ponytail, he was wearing dark colored clothes like Eunha.

Other noticeable appearances were─

"─You brought a gun too?"

"I brought it in case a battle breaks out. Additionally, I brought..."

Twenty-five with a slender build had various things hanging around his waist.

Apparently he brought bullets, daggers, and various medicines.

"Did I do well?" "Yeah, you did well."

"Ugh... There's no soul in your voice. Master, you don't speak without soul to the madams too, right?" "Want to get hit without soul?" "I love soulless praise. Master, please take your hand off the sword."

Twenty-five wearing black fingerless gloves made a face as if asking for praise.

Eunha responded halfheartedly.

Afterwards, the two conversed to pass time.

And a little later─

"─Sorry I'm late." "No, you came right on time."

Unlike Eunha.

Bruno coming out through the front door.

Bruno was also wearing dark colored clothes.

The difference from Eunha and Twenty-five was that he was wearing combat gear.

"Then since everyone's gathered, let's go now." "Alright, got it."

"Yes sir."

Everyone who was supposed to gather had gathered.

Eunha expressed gratitude to the people who came to help him tonight.

Then Twenty-five giggled as if it was nothing, and Bruno just shrugged.

"─We go to Goyang-si?" "Yes, we should get off near there for now."

"Got it."

"Master, sit here. I'll take the passenger seat."

"Eunha, sit there."

"...Thank you."

Bruno starting the car.

Twenty-five naturally opened the back seat door.

Bruno also urged him to sit.

Eunha was momentarily flustered by the treatment as if dealing with a superior.

Soon Eunha nodded and decided to accept their goodwill.

He was about to get in the back seat.

Just then.

"─Pipi pipi pupu pupu!" "Oh? It's Fire Chicken?"

"When did this kid come out..."

Fire Chicken flew down from above.

Fire Chicken that suddenly flew nearby landed on top of Eunha's head.

It sits down on its butt as if that's its place.

"Pipi pipi!"

"Geez..."

Fire Chicken says it wants to come along.

Eunha clicked his tongue.

"You won't cause trouble, right?"

"Pupu."

Do I look like I'd cause trouble?

Fire Chicken protesting quietly.

Eunha poked Fire Chicken on his head with his finger.

It wants to come along, so what can I do... I guess I have to take it...

It can't be helped.

Eunha decided to take Fire Chicken along.

And so, the infiltration operation of three people and one bird begins.