The Return of The Mythical Archmage [EN]: Chapter 344

About ten minutes passed.

Mimir’s data copy was complete.

It was a surprisingly smooth process.

Even so, shouldn’t the main computer, which contains the essence of research, be protected with maximum security?

How could it be so lax?

It makes me question the very purpose of this research facility.

“Really… it’s too easy.”

Elena seemed to be thinking the same thing as me.

“Maybe the main research records aren’t here, but stored somewhere else?”

There were no defenses, no security to speak of.

Elena seemed to think this laxity wasn’t due to negligence, but rather a deliberate choice.

Since there was nothing to protect here, there was no security or defense.

That must be what she was thinking.

“That could be the case.”

It’s not impossible.

Usually, research records from such secret facilities are stored separately.

Since it’s an unauthorized experiment, it’s common practice to hide all research records somewhere in case of an emergency.

As Elena said, it’s highly likely that there’s no information left on this computer.

“No. That’s not it.”

Mimir interjected.

She opened her eyes, which had been closed, and looked at me and Elena with a serious expression.

“While copying the data, I checked the contents…”

Mimir moved her hand, creating a holographic monitor in the air.

Strange photos appeared one after another on the holographic monitor.

“I don’t think these are fake.”

They were all photos of the results of chimera research [a creature made of different animal parts].

“Here, the research logs are also meticulously divided into minute-by-minute entries.”

Mimir moved her right hand, pushing the photos aside.

She brought up the research logs.

As Mimir said, the research progress and results were recorded in detail, minute by minute.

“There are 621 days’ worth of this data stored.”

It’s not just a day or two’s worth of data, but a whopping 621 days’ worth.

It’s impossible to divide this much data into minute-by-minute entries and make it a dummy.

No, even if it were possible, it wouldn’t make sense to do so.

Even if this is a dummy, this record alone is enough to arrest them.

There’s no need to create such a meaningless dummy.

“It must be real.”

In other words, these research records are real.

The researchers at this facility stored such confidential information on the main computer without any defenses.

They didn’t even think about protecting the information, just leaving it as is.

In summary, it’s like this.

“…This is a headache.”

When people encounter something beyond their understanding, their thoughts tend to stop.

That’s exactly how I feel right now.

Faced with a way of handling things that I can’t comprehend with my common sense, my mind went blank for a moment.

“Is there any information about the mastermind in the copied data?”

“Yes.”

Mimir controlled the holographic monitor again, bringing up a new screen.

“The mafia. Specifically, Marco, the head of the Kanggeon faction. He’s sponsoring this research facility. Here. There’s even a ledger.”

“…Even with a ledger, it’s this lax?”

Even a ledger.

What are the people at this research facility?

How can people be so careless?

“…That’s strange.”

Adela, who had been quiet all along, spoke for the first time.

“Looking at these research records, the researchers at this facility seem to be very meticulous and detail-oriented. It doesn’t make sense that such people would leave such important information unattended.”

If a third-rate villain had created a research facility with such a lax structure, I would have just accepted it.

But this research facility isn’t some insignificant facility created by third-rate villains; it’s a top-secret research facility created by a powerful mafia organization.

Just by looking at these research logs, you can tell how skilled the researchers at this facility are.

It’s hard to understand how such skilled people could handle their work so poorly.

“Could it be that the person in charge of data management is just incompetent, separate from the researchers?”

Elena proposed a plausible hypothesis.

“If the subordinate sent by Marco to oversee things was in charge of data management…”

“…That could be the case.”

The mafia was ‘sponsoring’ this research facility.

In other words, this research facility is like a subcontractor for the mafia.

In that kind of relationship, it wouldn’t be strange for the mafia to send a subordinate as a figurehead.

If that figurehead was just an incompetent person with a high title, then this kind of sloppy work would make sense.

Furthermore, the discrepancy between the meticulousness of the research and the laxity of the management would be somewhat resolved.

“Hearing that, I looked for other data too.”

Mimir manipulated the holographic monitor again, displaying a new photo.

“It seems Elena is right. The head of this research facility is Paul Kala. He’s a third-rate thug with no connection to research.”

“A thug who doesn’t fit the role has seized power and handled things this way. That’s it.”

“Right. It seems all the authority is concentrated on this guy.”

“…It seems certain.”

If the person who holds all the authority is incompetent, this is bound to happen.

If the top is rotten, the bottom can’t be clean.

“I understand. There’s no need to think any deeper. It was just this.”

The question was resolved.

There’s no need to delve any deeper and complicate things.

“Um, but…”

At that moment, Adela cautiously spoke.

She had an expression that suggested she still didn’t understand something.

“Didn’t you say earlier that, based on the fast movements of the attackers who ambushed us, it was clear that a highly skilled person was in charge?”

“That’s…”

Adela’s question pierced my mind like a sharp dagger.

“…Certainly, those sharp movements don’t seem like they were under the command of Paul Kala, that incompetent guy.”

As one discrepancy was resolved, another discrepancy filled my mind.

It’s like nothing that happened at this research facility fits together properly.

Be it incompetent or competent.

I wish they would just pick one.

“Mimir. Is there any information about other powerful figures besides Paul Kala?”

“I was just looking into that. There isn’t. All the power in this research facility is concentrated on Paul Kala.”

Mimir’s pupils moved rapidly.

She must be using a screen visible only to her to examine the data.

“There doesn’t seem to be anyone who came to provide support recently either… Wait a minute. This…”

At that moment, Mimir’s eyes stopped.

“There’s no data from three days ago until today?”

“…None?”

“Yeah. None. There hasn’t been a single day without a record in 621 days. But there’s no record for the last three days until today.”

The research log, which had continued for over 600 days, suddenly stopped three days ago.

This means.

“Did something happen three days ago?”

That’s what it means.

“Three days ago…”

Adela slowly spoke, her eyes trembling.

It seems Adela also noticed.

“Isn’t that the day someone presumed to be Sophia was captured on CCTV?”

“That’s right. It’s that day.”

Three days ago.

That was the day Sophia was captured on the old CCTV at the convenience store, and also the day.

“The day the blue robe entered the Rid furniture factory.”

The day someone who looked like Sophia entered this factory.

“…It seems we need to investigate further.”

Mimir spoke my thoughts with a firm gaze.

“Indeed.”

I took my eyes off the holographic monitor and met Mimir’s gaze.

“We need to find out what Sophia, or the blue-robed figure who looks like Sophia, was trying to get from this research facility.”

Mimir, Elena, and Adela.

All three nodded slightly, as if agreeing with my opinion.

“Mimir. Is there any data about the internal structure of this research facility in the copied data?”

“Yes.”

Mimir manipulated the holographic monitor again, displaying a cross-section of the interior of this research facility.

“If we need to gather more information, I think it would be good to go to the main experimental area on the fourth basement level. We might be able to get live information that we can’t get from simple data…”

“If Sophia was aiming for something and infiltrated this place, there’s a high probability that there will be some clues left there.”

“That’s right.”

I nodded.

“Okay. Then let’s go to the experimental area.”

I then offered my hand to Adela.

Adela immediately took my hand.

“Mimir.”

“I know.”

And the next moment, Mimir and I spoke at the same time again.

‘Umbra.’

‘Umbra.’

We once again slipped into the darkness.

* * *

Basement level 4.

A place where monsters are kept, and at the same time, a place where experiments are conducted by attaching various parts of monsters’ bodies.

As such a place, it should be heavily guarded with strong defenses and security.

…But.

“…I see now.”

The security of this experimental area was terrible.

“Why the security up to the third basement level was so lax…”

“Indeed.”

No, it would be a bit of a misnomer to say it was terrible.

It ‘became’ terrible.

That would be a more accurate way to put it.

“They were hastily restoring the destroyed security.”

The fourth basement level was completely destroyed.

The research facility, which seemed to have been impenetrable, was in tatters, as if it had been hit directly by a typhoon.

The thick iron bars, which were protected by triple and quadruple layers, were completely cut off.

“These bloodstains… are they monster blood?”

Dried blood was visible among the destroyed facilities.

“The blue blood over there seems to be monster blood… but I don’t know about the red blood.”

Just by looking at this scene, I could tell what had happened in this place three days ago.

“This… Sophia did this… right?”

“Probably.”

It must have been Sophia who single-handedly broke into this experimental area and destroyed it.

“The iron wall made of firestone melted from the flames. There’s only one person besides me who can wield fire magic at that level.”

Sophia Anetschepri.

She is the only one who could have destroyed this lab so thoroughly.

“There’s no need to vaguely consider it as a possibility anymore.”

The evidence isn’t just the melted iron bars.

The place over there, which seems to be a monster storage area, was destroyed by electric magic.

The place on the opposite side, which seems to be a surgery room, was devastated by wind magic.

Sophia is the only one who can wield those three attributes to that extent.

“Sophia is alive.”

This made it certain.

Sophia is alive.

Alive, and hiding the fact that she’s alive from us for some reason.

“Sophia…”

Adela’s expression brightened.

In this increasingly ominous world.

She must have felt relieved that a reliable pillar like Sophia had returned.

I turned away from Adela and looked around the destroyed lab.

‘The problem is why Sophia hid the fact of her survival even from us…’

While pretending to look around, I glanced at Mimir.

‘Is Mimir’s hypothesis correct?’

Mimir’s hypothesis.

The theory that the Black Magic King is still alive.

A seemingly absurd theory that the Black Magic King is chasing Sophia, which is why she can’t reveal herself to us.

‘If that theory is true…’

If the Black Magic King is alive…

I was thinking that when.

“Successor. Here. Look at this.”

Mimir called me.

“Here. Do you see this cross-section? It’s incredibly sharp.”

She had a somewhat excited expression.

As a researcher, she looked happy to have found a new research topic.

“It seems to be an application of wind magic. How did she do it? Considering the magic resistance of this magic stone, even 9th circle magic wouldn’t be able to do this.”

I turned my gaze to the iron bars that Mimir was pointing at.

The iron bars were sliced in half like a radish.

“Indeed. How did she do it?”

It seemed like wind magic, but as Mimir said, it’s difficult to cut through a magic stone of that strength with wind magic.

What kind of magic did she use?

Not as much as Mimir, but I’m quite intrigued.

“What is it?”

As if she had become interested in my words, Adela approached me.

“Here. This cross-section. I’m wondering how you can use magic to make something like this.”

“Cross-section…”

She then stroked the halved iron bars and let out a small exclamation.

“I know. How did she do it?”

Then, she murmured softly.

“I would believe it if you said she cut it with a sword.”