How to Live as an Immortal Chapter 98

Chapter 98

My Uncle Had Everything Planned

***

“Failure? You failed? Both Team 1 and Team 2?”

Baek Ryang twisted his lips when he heard that all the fixers he had hired were dead. What swept over him was an indescribable sense of humiliation.

He had lost to Baek Seol. And not even to her directly, but to the manpower she had hastily gathered.

Most disgraceful of all was that, despite enduring such losses, the information they obtained was poor.

He had started one step ahead, yet sohow ended up two steps behind.

It was enough to make his molars grind on their own.

And soon, that emotion manifested in action.

Pop, click, pop, click….

The hand that opened and closed the DuPont lighter gradually sped up.

It was a habit that surfaced whenever he tried to calm his mind and body. It was also a routine that had begun after that day.

However, even a solemn ritual was nothing more than noise to soone else’s ears.

Kenji, who glanced sidelong at Baek Ryang’s hand, pointed it out for that very reason.

“It’s loud. Be quiet.”

“You dare give an order? A lowly life who even cast aside the title of Sword Master with his own hands. Don’t tell you think sitting in the sa seat puts you on equal footing with ?”

Baek Ryang’s arrogance had been apparent from the mont we t. Kenji, having long since seen through that temperant, crossed his legs and let the insult pass in one ear and out the other.

“Why carry a lighter when you don’t even smoke?”

As he said. Baek Ryang was not a smoker, nor did he drink. In this era, such strict self-discipline was rare. But that was rely the manifestation of his desire to enjoy the power he possessed for even a little longer.

He had taken Baek Seok-do, who had begun wasting away before even reaching two hundred years old, as a cautionary example.

Unlike his father, he wanted to rule Baekdu for a thousand years and more.

That was Baek Ryang’s true intention.

Of course, he did not reveal it outwardly.

“For soone who’s been hired, you’re awfully curious. If you’ve signed the contract, show the manners and attitude that match it.”

“Strictly speaking, the one who hired is that man. I have no obligation to cater to your temper, nor any loyalty that requires to lower myself.”

When Kenji pointed at Baek Geum-do, Baek Ryang scoffed.

“You should consider who’s paying the money. Or will you send your respect to Uncle and return empty-handed? Be grateful that you’re still of use. Otherwise, I would have beaten you senseless and thrown you out long ago.”

“Well then, should I say thank you? Thanks to you, it seems I’ll avoid the fate of a stray cat. Though whether it’s a house cat or a stray, it’s much the sa.”

“That’s enough.”

Baek Geum-do struck the table hard enough for the sound to ring out as he said so.

Perhaps it was simply a matter of human incompatibility. Looking back, the two of them had been growling at each other since the first ti they t. If left alone, there would be no end to it.

There were many great undertakings yet to be accomplished ahead, so that simply wouldn’t do.

Above all—

“The failure was expected.”

“Expected… failure?”

“It’s impossible to find sothing that doesn’t exist.”

“Is there so secret I’m unaware of?”

Even as the rightful successor, it didn’t an he understood every internal detail of the corporation. A gacorp was a massive collective, far too vast to be contained within a single person’s cognition. Its expanded wealth and accumulated technology had already surpassed their limits and were racing ahead uncontrollably.

Nearly half of it was already being managed by artificial intelligence.

That was precisely why, despite having both the right and the justification, he couldn’t recklessly seize control and instead focused on the process of managent succession.

“They weren’t truly hired to find my brother’s child. Strictly speaking, they were deliberately sent out to avoid my brother’s eyes.”

What was needed wasn’t information, but formality. The act of having made such a decision itself was what mattered.

As Baek Ryang tilted his head in confusion, unable to grasp it, Baek Geum-do flicked his finger.

“It’s more effective to show you once than to ramble on.”

“What do you an—”

“Co in.”

Soon, the door opened and a man entered the office. Though it was a face he had never seen before, Baek Ryang instinctively knew. That man was the ultimate card capable of overturning the board.

Baek Ryang’s lips curled into a smooth arc.

“So you had everything planned, Uncle.”

***

A total of six tactical nuclear weapons fell upon Hyphen Colony.

Five of them landed on the battlefield, forming a clustered impact zone, while one fell into a residential area.

Yes, it was an intentional arrangent.

Considering that Broken Precept Monk and Amal had been dispatched, it was practically a foregone conclusion that the Mars Defense Force had intervened in the Black Shower. There was no need to even ask who had used the tactical nuclear weapons.

What was interesting was the party that caused the Black Shower. In other words, it was the side of RYQ Company.

The 17th ghost company under Ryungyeong.

Because of their greed, a catastrophe had occurred, yet the parent entity, Ryungyeong, still continued to exist as one of the Four Great Underworld factions. After causing such a disturbance, it would have been more than reasonable for them to face severe punishnt as an example.

‘Is there a force within the Mars Defense Force that sympathizes with them, or perhaps supports them?’

In this day and age, it wasn’t uncommon for factions that opposed each other on the surface to secretly collude beneath it.

‘Still, seeing how Eden quickly uprooted them again, it doesn’t seem like they’re entirely favorable toward Ryungyeong either.’

It seed that even within the Mars Defense Force, the structure of factional conflict was quite complex.

That aside—

As a civilian, the routes through which Ga-on could obtain classified information were extrely limited. Although he held the title of advisor, using it would inevitably reach Jin Geon’s ears.

From the start, it was inefficient.

Didn’t Jin Geon himself lack the ability to exert influence within the Mars Defense Force? That was precisely why Ga-on had frad Amal as Yang Hu.

He had never expected to achieve aningful results using a position that rely borrowed Jin Geon’s authority.

However, necessity breeds opportunity, and there happened to be one suitable person.

Dominique Jordan.

A Sheriff who had co all the way to Hyphen Colony while pursuing the grave cri of device extraction. He was an individual with exceptional drive and ambition.

If such a man were to harbor doubts about the truth of Hyphen Colony and slightly overstep the ‘line’ by abusing the authority he held, no one would find it strange.

Even if the Mars Defense Force were to conduct an internal audit, it would be the sa.

At most, it would end with a pay cut or a warning.

Of course, that was only from Ga-on’s perspective— for Dominique, it was a bolt from the blue.

Even if it was a reasonable cause and effect, he would be the one bearing the burden.

“I’d rather compensate with money.”

It was only natural for him to let out a pained complaint, uncharacteristic as it was.

“If it were yesterday, you might’ve felt that way, but it’s too late. The situation has changed.”

At Ga-on’s firm attitude, Dominique let out a low groan. Since it was a request from the one who had saved his life, he couldn’t simply ignore it. His deliberation didn’t last long.

The fact that he went over what he had heard once more served as proof.

“So, you’ve detected signs that a tactical nuclear weapon was used in Dong-gu, and you’re curious about who made that decision.”

“To be precise, the person who designated the target.”

The military utility rating of a tactical nuclear weapon was 6. It was enough to influence large-scale warfare. At tis, it even approached 7, so its impact went without saying.

As it was a strictly controlled asset, only a limited number of individuals could access it.

“Most likely a flag officer, a general. Soone in a position ordinary people can’t even approach.”

“Still, if you’re a Sheriff, you should be able to grab a tail, right? Especially if you’re an ace whose stock is rising thanks to the device extraction case.”

“As you said, it’s worth a try.”

But—

“You do understand that the chain of command is different, right? Just because I request cooperation doesn’t an approval is guaranteed. My history and achievents may serve as reference material for the Mars Defense Force, but they don’t count as rits.”

In the end, it ant that a convincing reason strong enough to draw the Mars Defense Force’s cooperation was what mattered. Ga-on knew that well enough.

“I heard that at the ti the Black Shower occurred, there were signs that the Mars Defense Force intentionally expanded the operation zone. Right after that, the number of groups extracting devices surged, so I’d like to add that I want to confirm whether there might be an internal collaborator.”

“If it’s a claim made by , the person in charge of the case, it’ll carry weight.”

Even Dominique, who had plenty of experience, clicked his tongue at how ticulous the plan was. It was an argunt the Mars Defense Force would have no choice but to accept.

Still, there was always a possibility—

“Even if the result you want doesn’t co out, I’ll consider the debt repaid. No objections?”

“I’m not that much of a devil.”

At the point of making such an absurd proposal, wasn’t he already one? A complaint nearly slipped out unconsciously, but Dominique simply closed his mouth instead of voicing it.

There wasn’t enough ti even to draft an official docunt and submit it to the Mars Defense Force. In this day and age, where everything was handled digitally, there was no need for a superior’s approval or an official seal.

No— to be precise, such processes themselves had been streamlined into a unified system. Through a device, consensus could be reached from one’s seat.

The sa applied to the other side.

Perhaps because of that, the reply ca back faster than expected.

Though it was flooded with redactions.

“This is severe.”

Receiving the report from Dominique, Ga-on scratched his chin. It looked as if a mouse had gnawed through it. Both the operation details and the personnel involved were partially erased throughout.

The sa was true for the final decision-maker.

[■■■ ■ral■s]

Still, perhaps it was fortunate that at least a few characters remained intact.

“There would be hundreds of people matching those letters.”

“Still, we secured at least a minimal clue.”

In the first place, Ga-on hadn’t expected the Mars Defense Force to cooperate willingly. What he relied on was soone else.

After parting ways with Dominique, Ga-on imdiately tapped his probe.

“Dobby.”

***

After visiting the main house, Baek Seol imdiately requested a private eting.

The eting was arranged in an instant.

Only a few sols had passed, yet Baek Seok-do had grown noticeably more gaunt than before. It was to the point that one could feel he was nearing the end.

“It seems you found the answer faster than I expected.”

Recalling Ga-on’s face, Baek Seol gave a faint smile.

“I t a good person.”

“I see. Then let’s hear it.”

Passing along the information obtained through short-range communication, Baek Seol recounted everything that had happened so far. Although the sub-brain implanted in his body finished analyzing it instantly, Baek Seok-do listened to her until the very end before letting out an exclamation.

“So that’s why we couldn’t find it. I see, the main cause of the Black Shower wasn’t the shuttle, but the nuclear weapon. If it didn’t reach my ears, then the Mars Defense Force must have been involved.”

Soon, a shadow of disappointnt fell across Baek Seok-do’s face. Was it grief from losing family? Or despair from knowing they could never reunite?

Whichever it was, Baek Seol believed without a doubt that he would acknowledge her efforts.

However, what ca out of his mouth was far from what she expected.

“It seems I taught you poorly.”

“Pardon?”

“The most important thing—where that child is—is missing, isn’t it?”

“I told you. That child…”

“You think they died in Dong-gu? Since when did you start making such optimistic assumptions? If they truly died, you should have brought back bone fragnts, or a witness, or a friend, or an associate—at the very least, even a single strand of thread with their DNA detected on it! Until physical evidence is secured, nothing has been decided. Do I really have to spell that out for you!”

His voice rang loudly enough to pierce the ears. It was hard to believe he was an old man on the verge of death.

“Ah…”

Facing his frost-like cold gaze, Baek Seol had no choice but to realize it.

Now that she thought about it, Baek Seok-do hadn’t fallen into despair because his half-sibling had died. It was disappointnt toward a child who had brought back nothing more than this level of information. In other words, it was irritation.