*

After an intense conversation with Mark, I was able to find the answer. Perhaps because I had been so persistent in my questioning, Mark didn't budge an inch after that.

'Niel Hoover...'

The Executive Director of New Delvier, was it?

Being the chairman's child, it was likely just a nominal position, but I couldn't ignore its authority. He was the kind of person who wouldn't hesitate to make extreme choices to gain the upper hand in dealings with Millennium Code.

As Shin left Club Davenue, his objective was clear.

The target had been identified. The investigation that followed was inevitable.

Surprisingly, this part didn't take long.

After disposing of Thomas, Niel had brazenly taken up residence in a secluded lodging.

[Kollemberg Hotel]

Simply put, it was an unpopular 3-star hotel.

A place of relatively low grade for someone dispatched from MegaCorp to reside.

It might seem like an unexpected move, but Shin could understand. Niel was now luring him into his own territory.

As it happened, he had tailed him again today.

Being a publicly known figure, just a few searches on social media were enough to deduce his whereabouts.

Niel's daily routine was quite monotonous.

Arrive at New Delvier headquarters at 9 AM, leave at 5 PM.

One might expect him to stop somewhere for leisure time, but he would return directly to the Kollemberg Hotel and not leave until the next day.

His only escort was a single man who accompanied him.

It might seem like he was exposing a vulnerability, but that would be a mistaken assumption. One should never be fooled by appearances. The ten-story hotel had long since been fortified.

Though cleverly concealed, it couldn't possibly deceive Shin's eyes.

Autonomous control turrets were positioned on the roof, making it virtually impossible to climb the exterior walls.

Moreover, the newly hired doormen alone numbered thirty. The staff residing inside must be even more than that.

It was clear they had prepared thoroughly.

But Shin had achieved his goals under even worse conditions before.

Having memorized the hotel's internal structure down to the last detail, Shin checked his weapons not far from the site.

Dealing with Niel would be child's play.

The crucial part was avoiding detection afterward.

While circumstantial evidence was unavoidable, he had to avoid leaving any physical evidence.

After confirming that the noise worm was functioning properly, Shin took out a small case from his pocket. Inside was a tiny pill.

It was called Nuclease.

A drug containing enzymes that break down specific DNA sequences.

With this, it didn't matter if he bled or if flesh was left behind. The damaged genes themselves couldn't be analyzed.

However, as one might guess from its mechanism, overuse could turn it into a poison.

It was akin to voluntarily exposing oneself to radiation.

For this reason, it was rarely sought after these days, but Shin was fond of using it.

While the drug that leads to death would normally be broken down in the body immediately upon ingestion, he could control that process to some extent.

Going through the unavoidable process of dying and coming back to life had allowed him to gain a bit of control over his special constitution. Especially reaching this level, where plastic surgery became possible, was a significant advancement in expanding his range of movement.

Though it still didn't mean he could actually die.

Slinging a long guitar case over his shoulder, Shin manipulated the control device he had obtained from Gerald.

Simultaneously, the patrol drones' routes were altered.

In an instant, the area became a security vacuum.

After confirming that the floating population had completely disappeared, Shin moved his feet.

Towards the Kollemberg Hotel.

*

It's already been a week.

Niel's paranoid tendencies were getting worse by the day.

Yawning, Evan asked Jimmy, who was on the same shift:

"Do you really think he'll come?"

"The terrifying opponent the young master mentioned?"

"Yeah, that guy."

"Well, I'm not sure."

To Jimmy, it all sounded like a far-fetched story. Wasn't Niel himself a person who had made many enemies?

"And if he's scary, he's scary. What's this 'as terrifying as Yang Hu' business?"

The mention of such an old name suggested they should be on high alert, but it seemed that even Niel, who had been acting so recklessly until now, had picked the wrong opponent this time.

It was then that a man with a long guitar case slung over his shoulder approached.

The dress code that didn't match the place was bound to stand out. Even more so if a sword came out of it.

Startled, Evan and Jimmy drew their pistols from their holsters and aimed immediately, but the target that should have been at the end of their sights was nowhere to be seen.

He had slipped out of view in a time span too brief to even call a moment.

'Where on earth?'

The moment Jimmy thought that, something flew from right beside him. It was Evan's head.

Jimmy quickly lowered his stance and turned his gun, but even such an agile response couldn't save his life. Before he could pull the trigger, a swift wind struck his neck and passed by.

Slash.

The last thing Jimmy heard was the sharp sound of cutting.

Having swiftly dealt with the two guarding the entrance, Shin entered the hotel.

There wasn't a single person in the lobby or the corridors. He knew from his prior investigation that Niel had rented out the entire place. Knowing there would be no innocent casualties, his actions were uninhibited.

Swoosh.

After placing the sword in the long guitar case, he pulled it out to reveal a cleanly washed blade.

Shin's preference for bladed weapons was not only his specialty but also a strategy to gain an advantageous position in prolonged battles.

Firearms were not only constrained by the physical limitations of ammunition but also couldn't hide their distinctive firing sound.

Of course, there were products that compensated for these weaknesses, but their maintenance costs were exceptionally high.

In contrast, bladed weapons were easy to buy and discard.

There was no chance of malfunction, and with proper care, they were practically permanent.

It was only natural for Shin, who operated alone, to choose a weapon that could maximize his immortal characteristics.

Standing in the center of the lounge, Shin took out a round ball from his pocket and dropped it. With a crackling sound, a hemispherical static electricity spread widely, and the surroundings were plunged into darkness.

Electus.

It was a device that generated an electromagnetic pulse in a localized area. In other words, a commercialized EMP bomb.

As it impacted the integrated circuits that make up electronic devices, it would pose significant challenges to operating surveillance equipment or communication devices.

Having blocked the enemy's eyes and ears, Shin sprinted to the second floor as if taking flight.

"Shoot!"

"It's just one person anyway!"

"Concentrate fire on the right!"

There were a few people who came out to greet him first, seemingly aware that an intruder had entered.

They were even equipped with night vision goggles, acting swiftly.

It was a response infinitely close to the correct answer, but it was useless before Shin.

Breaking through the rain of bullets, Shin rushed forward, swinging his sword without regard for his own body being torn apart.

The moment the distance closed, the outcome was as good as decided.

Not a few attempted knife fighting, but they couldn't escape the fate of being cut in half.

It was the inevitable result of a fight between one who wouldn't die even if killed and those who could only die when killed.

Shin, who had soaked the floor thoroughly with blood, opened his mouth.

"How many people are in this hotel?"

"That's..."

"Seeing you hesitate, it seems you don't want to live that badly. I'll grant your wish."

"No, wait!"

Though he seemed to be the leader of the group, with a distinctive appearance, Shin didn't stop the sword in his grasp.

Slash.

They were just hunting dogs intoxicated by the fruits offered by MegaCorp. Knowing their ideology wasn't right, yet they still joined the cause, there was no reason to show mercy.

Therefore, killing indiscriminately didn't give rise to any feelings of guilt.

He only felt more urgent the more he cut.

After all, he hadn't come to deal with these small fry.

As his sweat-soaked coat grew heavier, as his once-sharp sword grew duller, that thought became increasingly clear.

6th floor, 7th floor, and then 8th floor.

As his speed of ascent increased unstoppably, the level of enemies waiting also rose sharply. To save even a little more time, he procured abandoned firearms on-site, but—

'Auto-lock?'

They were set up so that they couldn't be used without registered fingerprints. As expected of MegaCorp members, even the equipment they were issued seemed to be top-notch.

Come to think of it, the upper floors felt different from the lower ones, with a more restrained atmosphere.

The deployed personnel were all robust.

It goes without saying that they were soldiers enhanced by genetic manipulation; their judgment abilities and reflexes had to be considered superior.

Not only were they wearing anti-knife and bulletproof vests, but they also seemed to have received specialized training, maintaining their concealment of intent and rarely giving any openings.

What was most irritating was the devices installed at every passage.

Anti-personnel directional claymore mines.

Codenamed, Storm.

This weapon, which could blow away anything in a straight line, did not allow for intrusion by others. The moment one entered its range, it was clear as day that they would become a beehive from the exploding steel balls.

If it were open ground, one could go around to another place, but this was indoors. In other words, it was a one-way street.

He could guess the opponent's intention.

They probably wanted to induce a tedious battle of nerves to reinforce their troops. Perhaps reinforcements dispatched from New Delvier had already arrived on the first floor.

Front and back.

They must have thought they had a chance if they attacked from both sides.

But that was a strategy that knew one thing but not the other.

Click.

Assessing the situation faster than the blink of an eye, Shin leaped and ran along the wall.

A movement using neither the X-axis nor the Y-axis, but the Z-axis.

Cross-fire continued to respond to the sudden situation, but it was too late once they grasped the situation. Shin, having accelerated to the fullest, began to spin with his coat tails fluttering.

Gripping the sword that seemed about to slip from his grasp at any moment, Shin unleashed the centrifugal force that had reached its limit.

The Storms touched by his trajectory misfired one after another.

Boom!

They were already unnecessarily clustered together. The steel balls that shot out in all directions left horrific marks on the walls.

It was only natural that the entire 8th floor shook from the aftershock.

Shin, the only one who had stepped away from that catastrophe, put his half-broken sword into the long guitar case.

With a click, the blade was replaced in an instant.

"Not much left now."

*

The entire 9th floor was open.

It seemed as if the pillars and partitions had been demolished recently, with signs of disarray evident everywhere. As the last line of defense, it appeared they were determined to crush any intruder with full force, leaving no room for cover.

However, despite this apparent strategy, there was only one person standing guard.

"It has turned out just as the young master said."

"Who are you?"

"Lloyd Baran. Please call me Lloyd."