We Do Business In Full Auto [EN]: Chapter 174

174

Poison (2)

After finishing my visit to 20th Century PAX, I dedicated myself to training until dawn.

I had already been focusing on training for 12 hours.

My goal was to condense the Poison Nova [a powerful magical attack] into a single point and launch it without using hand seals [specific gestures used to channel magical energy].

Visualizing and executing hand seals in my head was quite difficult and demanded intense concentration, but it seemed like the most effective way to win. No matter how much I considered other approaches, nothing else seemed feasible.

I needed to overwhelm them with immense power, if possible.

As dawn approached, the Dark Moon members began to gather.

Those who had flown in from France and those operating in the United States all assembled.

Since this involved absorbing an entire organization, the Dark Moon contingent needed to be substantial. The total number was a considerable 70.

Of course, this larger number was due to Curse [another organization] being absorbed into Dark Moon.

The group waited outside, and Calburn came to the hotel as a representative.

“Master, preparations are complete.”

“Is that so.”

I was still training until the very last moment.

That training primarily involved mental exertion, leading to considerable fatigue.

I dusted myself off and stood up.

I immediately called Lee Seul-gi.

I had to bring Lee Seul-gi with me, even if Lee Tae-jin couldn’t come.

Lee Seul-gi arrived shortly after receiving the call.

“Chairman! Are we leaving now?”

“Yes. I’m going to acquire the India Group.”

“I’m looking forward to it. If the acquisition is successful, you’ll have the world’s largest electronics company under your control.”

Once Lee Seul-gi arrived, we left the hotel.

Our destination was Iowa, in the Midwestern United States.

The plan was to travel to a secluded location and teleport from there.

In the dead of night.

Lee Tae-jin, now a managing director after heading the Su Group’s intelligence department, remained ever vigilant.

Originally a driver and bodyguard, he never forgot his duty.

Even as a managing director, he was highly attuned to the chairman’s safety.

He had already taken control of all the CCTV cameras in the hotel and installed a small alarm on the door to prevent any threats to the chairman’s security.

Beeep!

While he was monitoring, the alarm went off, and Lee Tae-jin quickly jumped up.

He immediately checked the hotel CCTV on his phone.

“Hmm?”

The chairman of M Group, Lee Seul-gi, and Chairman Lee Yoo-sung were leaving the hotel.

“What on earth is going on?”

It certainly appeared they were trying to do something without him knowing.

He hesitated about whether to follow them or not.

If only Director Lee Seul-gi had left, he would have dismissed it, but since the chairman of M Group was with them, he felt compelled to follow and provide security.

He made his decision, left the hotel, and started the car.

Two large buses were moving along with the sedan.

They headed towards the outskirts of Washington and then turned onto a secluded mountain road.

Upon reaching a densely forested area, people began to arrive in droves, all wearing black robes.

“What is this….”

Lee Tae-jin was completely bewildered.

He had followed them, but he had no idea what Chairman Lee Yoo-sung was planning.

It didn’t seem like those many people intended to harm Chairman Lee Yoo-sung. He was contemplating whether to turn the car around when…

Knock knock!

Director Lee Seul-gi was knocking on the window.

“Were you tailing us?”

“I was just providing security.”

“Oh dear….”

Chairman Lee Yoo-sung approached.

Lee Seul-gi and Chairman Lee Yoo-sung spoke quietly, and finally, Chairman Lee Yoo-sung gave his instructions.

“Get out.”

Lee Tae-jin got out of the car.

He felt inexplicably sorry, even though he hadn’t done anything wrong.

He felt like he had disrupted something secret they were doing.

“I’m sorry, Chairman.”

“You were tailing us for security?”

“Yes. It’s the dead of night, and the United States is a country where firearms are allowed. I followed you in case something happened.”

“Your loyalty is impressive.”

Chairman Calburn, who was nearby, commented.

Chairman Lee Yoo-sung nodded.

“He’s quite a capable employee.”

“How about having him swear allegiance and taking him under your command?”

“……”

Lee Tae-jin was bewildered.

Wasn’t this already an act of allegiance?

There was something he didn’t understand.

Chairman Lee Yoo-sung spoke.

“Managing Director Lee Tae-jin, if you are prepared to swear allegiance to me at the risk of your life, I will share my secrets with you. Are you ready?”

“……”

Dozens of black magicians surrounded Lee Tae-jin.

Some of them were emitting killing intent, which could have been intimidating, but Managing Director Lee Tae-jin didn’t flinch.

Lee Tae-jin knelt down.

“I swear allegiance!”

Lee Tae-jin was quick-witted.

I appreciated his loyalty, but simple words weren’t enough to truly bind him to me.

“Managing Director Lee, you must be prepared to give up your life.”

“My life is already yours, Chairman.”

Was he armed with a military spirit?

I explained it to him slowly.

“As a sign of allegiance, I will cast a kind of curse on you. If you betray me or even contemplate betraying me, your heart may explode, and you could die. Do you agree?”

“Hmm. Is that even possible?”

Ordinary people would naturally be skeptical.

Most would say that curses and magic don’t exist in this world.

I nodded calmly.

“Yes.”

“Then please cast that curse. I will become the Chairman’s loyal servant.”

Lee Tae-jin’s eyes were blazing.

I saw ambition in them.

What is the most effective way to motivate people? For a man, it’s ambition.

Although there would be restrictions, it wouldn’t be a loss for Lee Tae-jin, as he would hold a more important position in the future.

Above all, Lee Tae-jin was an excellent intelligence officer.

The importance of information would be even more crucial when we crossed over to the other world in the future.

“Good.”

I immediately drew a magic circle.

“Drop your blood.”

He didn’t hesitate.

He cut his fingertip with a knife, drew blood, and dropped it on the magic circle.

Swish!

A black aura enveloped Lee Tae-jin.

A geometric symbol was engraved on his forehead and then disappeared, absorbed into his body.

“It’s done.”

“Chairman, what on earth is this….”

“Listen to the story from Secretary Lee later. We need to teleport now.”

“……!”

Lee Tae-jin looked even more bewildered.

He had just stepped into a new world. It was natural that he didn’t understand everything that was happening.

Lee Tae-jin asked in a trembling voice.

“Where are you going?”

“Iowa.”

“No, that’s….”

I drew a large magic circle because many people needed to teleport.

It was possible with just hand seals, but doing so would consume a large amount of dark mana before any fighting even began.

“Come on.”

“Ah, yes.”

Woong! Woong! Woong!

Although he was cursed, a little dark mana now dwelled in Lee Tae-jin’s heart, allowing him to perceive the flow of dark mana.

He was experiencing a new world.

Swish!

A tremendous amount of mana engulfed us.

And the surrounding scenery immediately changed.

Earlier, it was a deep mountain, but now it was underground.

It was Poison’s main base, located in the northern part of Iowa.

Iowa could be considered the equivalent of a rural area in Korea.

A corn production area called the Corn Belt was widespread, accounting for 20% of US corn production.

Originally, there weren’t many mountains here, but further north, there were quite a few.

Even inhabited areas were rare, and the main base was located underground here, with a disguised entrance, so it had remained undiscovered until now.

I wouldn’t have known either if the leader of Poison hadn’t given me the coordinates.

Although 70 people had come, the huge hall had plenty of space.

There were about 100 black magicians from Poison, and there was plenty of room even after we all stood.

An old man walked out, parting the ranks of the 100 black magicians.

An old man in his early 70s with tattoos all over his body except for his face.

If his appearance suggested his 70s, he was likely in his 80s.

When black magic reaches its peak, aging naturally slows down.

He looked like a kindly old man.

He was Victor Regal, the master of Poison.

“Welcome! I am the master of Poison.”

“Lee Yoo-sung.”

“Hahaha! Don’t you know how to respect the elderly? I heard that Korea is a country known for its manners.”

“Manners? How can I show manners to someone who will soon become my slave.”

“Kekeke. You are very confident.”

Victor’s eyes turned cold.

“Now, let’s begin with the Oath of Mana.”

“Okay. That’s what I wanted.”

We cross-validated the magic circle and drew it on the floor.

Oath of Mana [a magical contract bound by one’s life force].

Whether a black magician or a white magician, once a promise is made through the Oath of Mana, it can never be broken.

The information is engraved in the heart, and breaking the oath results in the heart’s destruction.

“The condition is that the winner gets everything from the loser. The loser becomes the slave of the winner.”

“I agree.”

Drip!

As the blood fell, the magic circle activated, and a black aura burrowed into our hearts.

That was it.

We distanced ourselves.

At that moment, I was already visualizing and executing hand seals in my head.

“Hoo.”

I relaxed and focused.

Haven’t I suffered for days for this moment? If I panic now, all that effort will be wasted.

A black aura rose from both sides of our bodies.

He must have something up his sleeve as well, but he probably doesn’t even suspect that I will use poison.

As soon as the fight started, we immediately activated magic.

Pat!

Swish!

Some undead creatures popped out in front of me.

At the same time, he began to chant, drawing hand seals.

The master of Poison was no pushover. He had similar ideas to me.

I condensed the Poison Nova as much as possible and shot it at him.

Thud!

Fuss!

The chest of the undead hit by the Poison Nova exploded, and the Nova continued straight ahead without hesitation.

Discomfort flickered in Victor’s eyes as he was drawing hand seals.

The hand seals were interrupted, and he immediately erected a barrier.

This was my opportunity.

I immediately summoned succubi [female demons] and high-ranking demons.

It was possible because Victor was busy defending and I had the time.

The summons immediately understood my intentions and flew towards Victor.

Kuaaaang!

An explosion occurred in the front.

The succubi and high-ranking demons began to attack.

Naturally, the black magicians of Poison were shocked.

“T, the realm of transcendence!”