235. Invited Lab (1)
“Hey, I’m really going to send an employee as my agent……. Damn, you don’t take the situation here at all.”
The mean man in the hood said with dissatisfaction.
Wrinkles slowly settled in, and he was a researcher at the Herbal Research Institute in Mountain Face. Although he was quite old, his rank didn’t seem very high.
“sorry. The professor sent me because he was busy. Please, thank you for your understanding.”
Oliver politely apologized, but he refused to listen.
There were also negative feelings toward Oliver, but from the beginning, it seemed that he was very angry.
Taken from n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
Not rational anger like Wallace, but emotional anger.He snorted and muttered.
“under-! Even if you’re busy, how busy you are…”
Jealousy and irritation shone in his emotions.
The exact reason is unknown, but it seemed to have something to do with the accumulated fatigue, rough hands, and dirt on his work clothes, to the extent that his vitality was blurred.
As Oliver was contemplating how to respond, a woman appeared from inside the lab.
“You have to be careful. Hayden Senior Researcher. Professor Kevin is the master of the tower, and his rank is higher than you.”
The woman who suddenly appeared was in her 30s and wore the same work clothes as the man.
If there was a difference, it was much more lively and full of self-esteem.
As she approached, the man in the hood was stunned.
“Yes? Yes, sir.”
“Go in. Hayden.”
At the woman’s gentle command, a man named Hayden shook his head and ran into the lab.
As the man disappeared completely, the woman reached out to Oliver with a soiled hand.
“Nice to meet you. My name is Sophie, the director of the Herb Research Institute here. I heard it was coming.”
Oliver also took her hand and responded politely to the polite greeting.
“My name is Xenon Bright, a private employee hired by Professor Kevin Dunbar of the Elemental School. It is an honor to meet you. Commander Sophie.”
Sophie smiled at Oliver’s polite greeting.
“Oh, sorry. I wondered who he was because Kevin hired him, but he’s still funny. I understand Hayden’s grumbling earlier. He’s a person who has accumulated a lot of anger because he’s been stuck here all the time.”
“I am fine. Do you know Professor Kevin more?”
“sure. It’s the same door… Would you like to come in for a moment?”
Oliver nodded and went inside. Sophie suddenly raised her hand and stopped Oliver.
“Wait. Who is that?”
Sophie pointed to Wallace in a leather mask.
Oliver introduced Wallace as a hired fixer, as promised.
“Are you a fixer?”
“Yes, I’ve heard that this place is rough.”
“Hmmm…. It is difficult for outsiders to enter. Research and knowledge are life for wizards, so I’m conservative when it comes to security.”
“According to the school rules, I understand that you can enter if you provide proof of identity.”
Sophie’s eyes widened slightly.
“Ho-oh…. By the way, have you read all the [Matopian Rules]? Is it that thick?”
“Because you decided to work in the tower?”
“You are sincere…. No one reads those boring, thick books these days for that reason, and it’s no big deal. Come on in.”
Sophie allowed Wallace to visit.
“But remember, if something goes wrong, this can hurt Kevin.”
“Yes, I understand. Your professor will understand.”
“okay? Are you a picky friend?”
“Because you sent me on your behalf, I trust you will understand this degree of discretion.”
“under-! Not only is it fun, but it’s also good-natured. I love it. I’m sure it will be of great help.”
“It’s not enough, but I will try my best.”
“like. Do you know about the situation here?”
“Yes, I know that a small number of the lab staff at Mountain Face are missing, and the wizards who came to investigate it suddenly lost their news.”
“Exactly. Three of our labs also disappeared.”
Sophie pulled out a pipe and held up three fingers.
He then took a dried herb from the front pocket of his work clothes, shoved it into a pipe cigarette, and ignited it with magical power.
dang. dang. Smoke rising with sound. It smelled like cigarettes, but it was a little sweeter.
“Sorry. I just put up with work.”
“I am fine. By any chance, can I ask what the total number of people in the laboratory is and who the three missing are?”
“If you include all the little workers, there are fifty-four people in the research lab, and the missing people are two apprentices and a general researcher who manages them.”
“How did you disappear?”
“They disappeared while gathering the herbs they needed. Originally, I would have entrusted it to the local villagers, but I entrusted it to their friends because it is an item that needs to be able to use magical powers to be properly collected. Now that I think about it, it was a mistake.”
Sophie pretended to be calm on the outside, but on the inside, a sad feeling shone.
“still···. Three out of fifty-four is not a lot.”
“As soon as the disappearance incident happened, we restricted all personnel from outside the lab. A lab that responds late is a bit more damaging than here.”
“Are you serious?”
“From the point of view of the tower, it’s not like that. It’s still pretty good. Matthew doesn’t want to make a fuss over this. The fact that it’s a little bit of a job here also plays a part.”
Sophie’s horse with bones. As Oliver was trying to figure out what he meant, Wallace intervened from behind.
“Are there any rumors or stories?”
Sophie stared at Wallace and answered.
“Rumors?”
“Yes, rumors. When a disappearance case occurs, rumors are bound to spread. A monster or a ghost.”
“It is the same as what the villagers are talking about. Did you ever come by?”
Sophie asks Oliver. Oliver replied yes.
“Yes, I was wondering if I could find another trace in the village.”
“Well···. That’s not a bad approach. The villagers here are also suffering. First of all, let’s say we haven’t seen it.”
“Is that so?”
“Yes. First of all, we restrict outside access. The wizards dispatched from the tower first searched, but they also couldn’t find anything… Then the story is one of two things.”
“What?”
“Whether it’s a rumor or it’s a ghost’s ability to hide well enough to avoid a wizard’s search.”
Oliver thought about it for a moment.
After a while, Oliver spoke again.
“May I ask, what exactly does this lab do?”
“Is it related to the missing case?”
“A little. I was curious too.”
Sophie laughed slightly.
“Kevin picked a really interesting friend……. As the name suggests, it is a place to study medicinal herbs. As you may know, herbs are essential to making great potions. It’s not a big part of the Alchemy School, but it’s a very important study.”
“Then, is there anyone who covets that research?”
Oliver asked calmly but sharply, and Sophie, grasping the point, raised an eyebrow.
“Of course there is. Sorcerer’s research is quite expensive. But these days, it’s rare for a human to steal lab data. At least outsiders.”
“Is that so?”
“Wizards are often exposed to the risk of being robbed of their research, and they know how to prepare for it. Each research institute, including this one, has its own security system and guards, so it is not easy to be attacked, and we have a security system that can respond to attacks.”
“A security system?”
“Yes. Each day they send their own passwords to each school for their regular reports. If something goes wrong, you’ll know right away. In addition, there is an emergency contact network that notifies nearby research institutes and horse towers in the event of an attack, so if there is a problem, you will not be aware of it.”
Oliver said, ‘Ah…’ I couldn’t help but scream.
I thought that the disappearance might not be a kind of advance to raid the research institute, but it certainly didn’t seem easy, according to Sophie’s words.
“Then, can I ask another question?”
***
As the sun went down, Oliver left the herbal lab and returned to town with Wallace.
Afterwards, I asked a few questions, but nothing was answered.
Since there were only obvious answers to obvious questions, it was a natural result.
“sorry. I thought I would get something, but it’s not easy.”
“Anything? are you okay. I didn’t expect to get the answer all at once anyway. Rather, I am satisfied that I have obtained useful information.”
“Is this useful information?”
“Yeah, did you say that even the wizards who came out of the tower did not find any traces? Then your opponent is not normal.”
The person Wallace was referring to was the perpetrator involved in the disappearance, which Oliver agreed with.
This was not an ordinary disappearance, and if so, people had no choice but to intervene.
There was also a wizard among the missing, so it was easy to infer that the culprit was not normal.
So Oliver suspected that he was trying to raid the lab.
‘Did you see it too much from a warlock’s point of view? After all, wizards are larger and more organized than warlocks, and they are also protected by the law, so attacking them is not as easy as it sounds.’
Even when I heard about the security system of the institute here, even if there was an attack, it was a problem to be behind the scenes.
The difference between the disappearance of a researcher and a worker and the attack on the research center is the difference between heaven and earth.
If that was the case, Matoap would also abandon his cautious attitude and send a large number of wizards to this place right away.
Then there was nothing to be gained by those who wanted to take out the research.
‘It’s not easy to guess something.’
“Your guess wasn’t bad either.”
Wallace spoke to Oliver.
“I thought mainly of the villagers, so I thought he was a trafficker or a warlock trying to experiment with humans. By the way, if it’s a mountain pace, the research center might be the goal.”
“Ah, that’s too much.”
“It’s not overdone. The officials of the tower are not good at thinking like that.”
Oliver tilted his head.
“I don’t think it’s that far, do you?”
“No, Matop doesn’t think like that. Not because I’m stupid, but because I have a reasonable self-confidence.”
“Are you reasonable?”
“Yeah, Ma Tower is very tall, so they don’t get the idea that they are being attacked first. Smart wizards will be vigilant nonetheless, but most of the others aren’t. Because they are strong. So your comments were quite interesting.”
Wallace asked with sharp eyes open. With him he shone a feeling of doubt.
“I’ve said it before, but this is the first year I’ve been to the tower.”
“Then, what did you do before that?”
“Yes?”
“What did you do before entering the tower? restaurant employee? Bellboy? factory worker? Or a fixer?”
Taken from n̲o̲b̲l̲e̲m̲t̲l̲.̲c̲o̲m̲
Not just a question, but a question with certain certainty.As Oliver was about to answer, something came from afar.
Oliver noticed the warlock’s eyes, and Wallace noticed the sensing magic that he periodically spreads from his body.
The story is interrupted, and Oliver and Wallace suddenly appear and prepare for their presence, even though they have not spoken a word.
Suddenly, someone appeared through the bushes. It was a woman wearing outdoor clothing and an expensive necklace that didn’t match the outfit.
“ha. ha····. hello! My name is Lena, a general researcher from the Chimera Lab under the School of Life. I came here after hearing a call from the Herbal Research Institute. Are you sure this is Mr. Jenon Bright, who came as a substitute for Professor Kevin Dunbar?”
***
“I will arrive soon at the latest. I didn’t know you could even get a car here, but thank you.”
Lena, a general researcher at the Chimera Research Institute under the School of Biology, said as she and Oliver and Wallace were in the cargo hold of a truck.
She said that the Chimera Research Institute under the School of Life is a place that conducts chimera research using beasts in the Mountain Face.
Luckily, the Chimera Lab heard of Oliver’s arrival from the Herb Lab, and told him that he had Oliver come to him at the same time.
“I was really lucky. Because it was nearby at the time. I am so happy to meet you so easily.”
“Thank you for thinking like that. I’m just a professor, but I’m so grateful that you welcomed me.”
Wallace’s eyes lit up slightly at Oliver’s other appearance, which was polite but not submissive.
Lena of the Chimera Lab waved her hand with her characteristic bright smile.
“no! no! First of all, we want to be happy that the support came from the tower. It is enough just to convey our words!”
“You mean?”
“Oh, didn’t I tell you? I found some traces.”
“Is it a trace word?”
“Yes! Traces of the disappearance! I can’t give you more details right now, but I’ve figured it out to some extent.”
“That’s great.”
“You’re welcome. Because our research institute is rather large in this area, and there are a lot of missing people. They say that a thirsty man digs a well, right?”
“I heard it at the Herb Research Institute. It’s one of the most damaged labs… So you were outside to find traces of the disappearance?”
“Oh, that’s not it. I went out for a while to experiment. I want to see the state of the beast marked for observation. No matter how cluttered, research cannot be stopped. There are a lot of people who want to get out of this place quickly with results… I don’t know if you know.”
“I heard that a little while ago. The mountain face is the same as the whole of the tower.”
“Yes, that’s right. It’s a lot of work, but it’s not a place to know. So most of the time, the goal here is to return the results to my horse tower… It’s been a long time since I’ve seen an outsider like this, so I can talk about everything.”
Lena laughed as she said that. Words have feelings, and there is some sincerity. As if you were really in that situation.
Oliver looked at it with interest and kept asking questions until the truck arrived at the Chimera Lab.
What specifically does the Chimera Research Institute do, the number of people in the laboratory, the number of missing persons, and other circumstances.
Lena answered naturally, and it wasn’t much different from what she heard at the herbal lab.
Then the truck stopped.
The driver said through the eye sockets on the driver’s seat.
“Im here.”
Lena, Wallace and Oliver get down.
When I came out, the sky was already dyed black.
Oliver walked over to the driver’s seat and said to the driver.
“Knight.”
“Yes?”
“I have left some luggage in the village, could you please bring it to me……. If you are tired, you can sleep in the village and come back tomorrow.”
At Oliver’s sudden words, the driver frowned. I worked hard until late at night and came all the way up here, but it was like running small errands without rest.
However, the driver was quick-witted like a person helping Wallace, and looked at Wallace without a word.
Wallace also noticed something, and nodded his head slightly.
“Yes····. All right.”
The driver started the truck at the same time as he answered.
Lena said at the sight.
“It’s too late, wouldn’t it be better to rest and go down tomorrow?”
“sorry. I want to do it too, but it’s an important thing. If you’re okay with it, I don’t think you need to worry.”
“Aha···.”
Lena couldn’t say any more, and the driver was able to go down to the lower town without interruption.
He probably wouldn’t come up until the sun came up tomorrow.
“Then, can you guide me to the lab?”
“Ah yes! Follow me.”
She woke up as Oliver spoke to her and led her to the Chimera Lab.
It is not a lie to say that the scale is a bit bigger than that of the Herb Research Institute.
Although the Herb Research Institute was large, if it looked like a botanical garden built on the ground,
The Chimera Lab was in the form of a secret fortress that had been dug into the mountain face.
Even in the same lab in the same tower, there was a huge difference in the sense of intimidation.
“Our school of life cares more about security than other research institutes. Follow me.”
Lena took the lead, followed by Oliver and Wallace.
The laboratory of the School of Life is a thick iron gate, and when you put your hand on it, the magic of the iron gate responds and the door opens with a rumbling sound.
“It’s similar to the automatic door in the Martial Tower library.”
“Oh, you see. It is a security system that was created by applying the technology of the School of Life after getting an idea.”
When I opened the door and went inside, there were eight people who appeared to be lab guards waiting.
They stood around Oliver and Wallace, gesturing to guide them without saying a word, as if they had expected Oliver’s party to come.
like an escort, like a siege.
As I entered the hallway through the door, the door of the Chimera Lab of the School of Life was closed, blocking the outside from the outside.
There was only light bulbs lined up in a row on the ceiling, so the room was a little dark as if a veil had been put on it.
Oliver asked, looking at the light bulb on the ceiling.
“How did you incorporate life science technology?”
“Did you know that the automatic door used in the horse tower opens the door by setting the setting value in the world tree and inputting the specified magic power?”
“Yes, I know.”
“The basic principle is the same. It takes the world tree that exists for communication and assigns a setting value in the way of the life school, so that only certain people can enter.”
“A setpoint for the life school equation?”
When Oliver asked a question, the dim light bulb began to flicker.
T-Dick- T-Dick- Tick-
“Yeah, each person’s magic flow is slightly different. My fingertips are like fingerprints.”
Lena pointed to her fingertips.
“In other words, unless you have the same magical flow and the same fingerprint, you cannot open that door and enter. And for security, the researchers here open the door one by one every day.”
“Oh, then you wouldn’t have to worry about intrusion or infiltration at all, would you?”
“Yes.”
“By the way, is it possible to duplicate a fingerprint with a leather mask?”
stand tall.
Everyone stopped walking.
Lena and Wallace, who were leading the way, and all the bodyguards around them.
“But there’s something I don’t understand. I know that the flow of magic is different from person to person, but is it easy to follow? I was a bit picky about it because it asked for delicacy.”
“Oh····. okay?”
Lena, who was in front of her, turned her head back and answered.
Her face, which had been gentle and lively, became unnatural like a mask, and not only became ferocious.
Tendons, muscles stand out, elongated fangs, etc.
“He’s a fun-loving guy. Well, you can check it slowly… bite.”
At Lena’s command, the bodyguards surrounding Oliver and Wallace rushed in with beast-like screams, and the dim light bulb in the hallway went off with him! and turned off
The place was engulfed in darkness.