Rust - Chapter 551



Only Krnovel

RUST [RUST]-551

Maru, who received a polite greeting starting with ‘ㅈ’ and ‘ㄲ’, scratched the back of his head with the hand he had slightly raised.

‘Oh, right. It’s become like this again.’

Maru was embarrassed.

All the closeness I had built with Director Yoo Mark 2 was blown away in one go.

The relationship between Kim Yang and Mark 2 was starting to feel a bit more like they were on the same side, but then this happened.

Ugh-

For Ki-soon, it didn’t matter if he rolled for 30 or 40 times since his fate depended on it, but what crime did Mark 2 commit?

I could understand why he did that, since he had been through that kind of thing more than 40 times, where dying just once made him feel dirty. Maru sprayed a rapid healing agent on the neck of the researcher, whose carotid artery had been torn and whose eyes were rolled back.

Buzzing-

The researchers’ eyes lit up with a bright light at the sight of the raw, torn area being cleaned up with white foam.

‘It would be dangerous if we fought Mark 2 here right now.’

No one ran away, whether because they believed in themselves or because they were shocked to see the rapid cure they had only seen in virtual reality in real life.

70% of the researchers here are people who came with Na Ju-yeon. About 30% are existing researchers, but either way, they look the same.

‘It’s not like we’ve gathered together only mad scientists.’

Maru ignored the researchers’ enthusiasm and approached the researcher with the ballpoint pen stuck in the center. Director Yu’s clone, who was holding the sagging main body and looking tense, stepped back hesitantly.

Tsk-

When I pulled out the ballpoint pen stuck in the center, it seemed to have gone in about 2cm. It wasn’t that much, but since it was a small area, it would be right to treat it.

Knock-knock- As soon as he dropped a few drops of the rapid healing agent, Maru slowly got up after patting the shoulder of the researcher who was curled up like a shrimp, perhaps from mental shock rather than pain.

Maru, who showed that he had no intention of using force by moving so slowly, apologized once again to Director Yu Mark 2, who was exuding the will to kill and die if necessary.

“I really didn’t know it would turn out like this. I’m sorry.”

“Stop whining. If you’re really sorry, let me and all the kids go.”

“I have no choice but to listen to why the situation has become like this and then make a decision.”

“What kind of situation is this? They suddenly grab you and extract your data?”

Mark 2’s soft voice was filled with gloomy determination. His dead eyes, having experienced death over 40 times, were mechanically analyzing the situation.

“This is reality.”

“······.”

‘Really dead.’ Despite Maru’s small whisper, Director Yu Mark 2, who had been trained through the original’s memories(?) and the short, terribly compressed combat experience, did not move an inch.

I knew it was real. I had a strong feeling that what was in front of me was a real monster. Mark 2 took a deep breath as his heightened senses rang with warning.

It was around the 10th time that I felt that it was not a regression but a virtual reality while experiencing death. After that, I tried to be indifferent to death, but it was impossible.

Even though she knew it was a virtual reality, it felt too real. Enemies evolved with each rollback. In order to fight them, she had no choice but to change.

‘A sense of war.’

The unique sense that the original had during its active days was also expressed in Mark 2. And that sense was warning me not to move.

“Na Ju-yeon.”

“···yes,”

Maru glared at Na Ju-yeon. When he motioned for her to come over and explain with his chin, Na Ju-yeon, whose hair had turned slightly white, tried to quietly bury her head.

“I’ll put my head in later. Explain first.”

“Well. Since you didn’t say anything else earlier, I thought it was something I could decide on my own.”

What does that mean? Na Ju-yeon shook her head at Maru’s gaze.

“It’s not an excuse, but just before that, Ki-soon had done it over 30 times. So I thought it would be okay to do it 30 to 40 times. I’ve died over 100 times myself. So I really thought it would be okay.”

“······.”

“······.”

‘That too, with a beheading and death cut in half while still alive.’ In response to Na Ju-yeon’s words that she had died over 100 times, Maru and Director Yu Mark 2, who were about to say a word, closed their mouths.

“And in my opinion, Director Yu Mark 2 was problematic. Not only did he steal the clones, but he also trained them privately without reporting to his superiors. As far as I know, he also went on a wild boar hunt with the clones this time without saying anything, right?”

“······.”

“······!”

“No one said anything, and I thought that if someone had to be educated, it had to be me. Above all, if I were to make a mistake while teaching, I would now have Mark 3. So I thought that since I had something to replace it with, I could be a little stronger.”

“Hey. What the heck? Who decides that? You decide it?”

Na Ju-yeon tightly closed her eyes at Maru’s low voice. She had never thought Maru would react like this.

But she didn’t back down. No matter what anyone said, she was the president of the Ojin Group. So she knew what her responsibility was.

Although she had only recently arrived in the Holy Kingdom, she was in charge of the biotechnology and pharmaceutical fields. The researchers simply assisted her in the work she had decided upon.

“If anyone is at fault in this situation, it is my fault and my responsibility. I say this responsibly, but Director Yoo Mark 2 is dangerous.”

“······.”

“Mark 2’s ability to control clones is a kind of possession ability. Right now, he can only move his own clones, but the clones that were affected by him were moving as one body even though they weren’t possessed. Do you know what that means?”

“······.”

“Director Yu, this means that Mark 2 can indirectly control clones using mental waves. Right now, it only affects clones with the same DNA as him, but can we be sure that he will do so in the future? If we can’t be sure, then we need to prepare for it. Who knows what the future holds?”

“······.”

Maru kept his mouth shut.

“And even if the Mark 2’s abilities aren’t fully developed, let’s say they’re only slightly more advanced than they are now, what would happen if they could control people who are deeply asleep, brain dead, or unconscious?”

“······.”

“······!”

“In my opinion, the most efficient way to find out the limits of your abilities, the potential for their development, and the scope of your abilities as quickly as possible is to push yourself to the limit.”

“Without even explaining it to me?”

“As I said before, I thought you had given permission. When Director Yu called Mark 2, you didn’t say anything.”

“Ha- Right.”

Maru shook his head.

I admitted it. I couldn’t help but admit it. It’s a story that could happen. But what would it sound like from Director Yoo Mark 2’s perspective? But it wasn’t something that only Na Ju-yeon should be pressured about.

What was important was Mark 2’s affiliation and status. At first, Mark 2 was clearly being managed as a test subject. Mark 2, who was managed by Kim Yang and the researcher, naturally began to support Kim Yang as time went by and participated in operations.

And once they had the clones, they were able to act freely, taking care of themselves without management. Of course, since Kim Yang was silent and participated in operations, it would have been difficult for the researchers to tell Mark 2 what to do.

In Maru’s view, this wasn’t just Na Ju-yeon’s fault. But that didn’t mean Director Yoo Mark 2 was doing well either.

“Both of you. I’m sorry. I should have drawn a clear line.”

Maru bowed his head politely. Na Ju-yeon made an ‘Huh-?’ expression at the sudden apology, and Director Yoo Mark 2 had no answer.

Maru slowly turned his body towards Director Yu Mark 2, who was unresponsive with cloudy eyes, and spoke to Na Ju-yeon.

“Everyone, get out of here. You too.”

“Uh- yes.”

Na Ju-yeon led the researchers out of the lab. Even though she explicitly told them to leave, Mark 2 and the clones couldn’t move.

I could only watch as Na Ju-yeon and the researchers went out, feeling as if a wild beast was prowling in front of them.

“······.”

“······.”

Director Yu and the clone linked by Mark 2 looked at each other silently.

“So you’re trying to kill me?”

“Do you want to die?”

While Mark 2 and the clones were unarmed, Maru always had an Eclipse he carried around with him.

“I’d rather die than be a lab rat.”

“If you try to die in front of me one more time, I will kill you.”

Mark 2 shut his mouth at the murderous intent flowing out of him. Maru, who was looking at the body of Director Yu Mark 2, which was hanging limply, seemed to have gathered his thoughts and opened his mouth.

“You’re not a test subject… Then what are you?”

“I’m a human being too. I want to live properly too.”

Maru didn’t even blink an eye at Mark 2’s shouts through the mouth of the linked clone.

“Really? So the clones you linked and the ones behind you are also human?”

“They are···.”

“An arsenal that can be linked and used at any time?”

“That’s not it.”

“Then? What should I call you and those guys who were created from the traces extracted from Director Yoo’s body?”

“What the- fuck-”

Just as Director Yu Mark 2 was about to have a seizure, Maru tapped the Eclipse handle. A warning that he could really cut it down.

“Fucking dog- I’m me. I’m me.”

“Having Director Yoo’s memories in Director Yoo’s body? Or should I call it reincarnation?”

Mark 2 looked at the floor with blurry eyes.

“I don’t care about those tattered memories. I am me. I am not a test subject!”

“Is that so?”

The murderous intent grew stronger with an answer that showed no emotion.

I died over 40 times, but that damn thing’s life was hard to bear. The entrance was tightly shut as the researchers escaped. There were no windows, so there was no way to escape.

And he was empty-handed and had no weapons. Even if he had weapons, there was no guarantee that three clones could stop him, but he would have at least tried to resist.

‘I don’t want to be captured. I’d rather die.’

Maybe it was a good thing.

Didn’t the original die by that hand too?

Is this fate?

If this is fate, if being born is a lie, then at least let us die with dignity.

Determination shone through his cloudy pupils.

Maru, who was looking at Director Yu Mark 2, nodded slightly and said.

“Then what should I call you?”

what?

How do you call me?

“Yeah. You’re not Director Yoo. Then what should I call you?”

uh-

Death more than 40 times.

And most of the memories occupied by the original are of war.

In the ruins of my mind where there was only life, death, and war, a new first memory was engraved.

“This···. Name.”

She was confused when Maru asked what name to call her, not Mark 2 or a fake.

Although she claimed to have nothing to do with the original, she realized that her memories and instincts harbored the name Yu Da-in.

Because she had a heart to become an original, she never thought of another name. She said she was human, but she was also a human…

In fact, it was a being tied to the original.

Bam-

The little boy who had been hanging there with the link released sat up.

With him came the falling tears.

“This. Irmie… what.” (This. Name… is missing.)

Maru’s voice was heard amidst the sorrowful regrets.

A calm voice, as if saying that everything was okay. That voice was not inorganic.

“Can I build it for you?”

Every time I nod my head, tears flow.

“Heeyeon. It means a happy relationship. What do you think?”

“Yeah, that guy.”

She smiled like a dewy flower.