Ch.591Chapter 22. The Price of Labor (23)

In any story, there are countless humans who desire ‘immortality and eternal youth.’

Just look at human history.

The Chinese Emperor Qin Shi Huang made countless people suffer in his quest for the elixir of immortality.

Human history is a struggle to overcome death and aging.

The desire to extend life is a common wish that all humans inherently share.

This world is no different.

While ordinary humans tried to achieve immortality through medical advances and robotic technology, creative works have depicted immortality in as many ways as there are creative works themselves.

“Immortal! Eternal youth! Vampire power!”

Either transcending humanity.

“Dragon god! Extend my lifespan!!”

Or making wishes.

“Miyuki-chan? Ah, this body? Unfortunately, the Miyuki-chan you knew is gone. I am Miyuki-chan now. Hehehe.”

Or inhabiting someone else’s body.

Our elderly chairperson, Choi Ho-jung, chose the method of ‘body switching.’

Not by possessing some humanoid entity like a homunculus, artificial human, mannequin, or realistic doll.

But by having her soul inhabit someone else’s body.

The ‘how’ doesn’t matter.

Analyzing and researching that method isn’t Choi Ho-jung’s job but that of ability users. Choi Ho-jung simply enjoys the benefits of the technology.

Choi Ho-jung had ambition.

If she was going to possess someone, she wanted to possess the strongest ability user.

She wanted to inhabit a stable body that would delay aging as much as possible, even if the flesh eventually rotted away.

And ideally, one with a handsome face, good physique, tall height, and excellent physical condition would be perfect.

And if she could be even greedier, being an ‘ability user’ would be even better.

Especially an S-class ability user with abundant magical power and diverse abilities.

There was exactly one such being.

The ‘protagonist.’

Yes.

Looking at this world from a more external, observer’s perspective, that’s how the story progressed in the original work.

-Haeguneul Chairman Choi Ho-jung attempts to steal the protagonist’s body.

That’s the story.

So what was the method?

[The seal.]

I took out a marble from my chest and rolled it toward Choi Ho-jung.

[This Haeguneul seal that each member of the Choi family has embedded in their pubic bone. You were planning to use this to switch bodies, right?]

“Y-you…!”

[I knew about it, so I took countermeasures.]

Thud.

The marble stops at the tip of the chairman’s shoe.

The marble is ordinary mana gold, but there are traces on its surface that look like leeches attached to it.

[Using the seal to exchange souls within bodies. A very ingenious and excellent ability. Unlike ability users who simply breathe fire or such, this is what you’d call a higher-level ability.]

However.

[It doesn’t work on me. Too bad.]

I brushed off the remaining traces of the ability that had touched my shoulder.

[Curious? About how I protected my body.]

“…….”

The young man in bandages standing guard in front of the chairman just glared at me silently without saying a word.

[You seem to be scanning with magic power in your eyes. It’s useless.]

“……So you came prepared for everything. How did you know so much about me? My ability should have been top secret.”

[Indeed. How did I know?]

I can only tell her to take it up with the author.

Even The Syndicate only knew of this ability user’s existence, not the specific workings or principles of the ability.

The moment they started to figure it out, the body switching would have begun immediately.

[Well, since I knew everything, I must have worked my way up from the bottom, right?]

From that point, a relentless game of chicken would have ensued to find the real Choi Ho-jung among the Choi family members with embedded seals.

[It would be useless to try body switching with others who have the seal. All Haeguneul executives have already become ‘Zenros’ after having their seals removed.]

“Grr, grrr…!”

Chairman Choi Ho-jung glared at me, trembling with rage.

In the form of an old woman, of course.

The original person already had quite a vicious appearance, but with Choi Ho-jung inside, the malice emanating from her was extraordinary.

[Body transfer. With that ability blocked, what can you do now?]

“…….”

[Give it up.]

I pointed my Goblin Club forward.

[Whatever you’re thinking of doing is the worst possible action you could take. The moment you commit to it, you lose everything.]

The bandaged young man’s hands are placed on two shoulders.

One on Kim Geum-ok’s shoulder, where Choi Ho-jung resides.

And the other on his own shoulder.

[Are you planning to directly surrender your body to Chairman Choi Ho-jung?]

“…….”

“Heh, heheh.”

Chairman Choi Ho-jung started to act smug with a sinister smile.

“Too bad. This one doesn’t listen to you. He’s a loyal dog who only listens to me.”

[Do you think it’s right to call a person a dog?]

“Humans are ultimately what you make of them. And it depends on how they behave. Just as the Goblin is The Syndicate’s dog, this one is my dog, Choi Ho-jung’s.”

[…….]

Treating people like dogs is extremely unpleasant, but I can understand what emotions this young man might have toward Choi Ho-jung.

[Even if he’s at least 20 years old, if he’s been gaslit and lived as Haeguneul’s dog for those 20 years, anything I say won’t make a difference.]

“Hehe, you understand well…. Yes, you were behind everything.”

Choi Ho-jung tilted her head back leisurely and smiled sinisterly.

“It was you who played tricks on Haeguneul in non-lethal ways, acting like some righteous scholar. You changed your clothes and mask, even your behavior patterns, deceiving the whole world. All to mess with us, with me.”

[…….]

“Haeguneul doesn’t die. I am Haeguneul, and Haeguneul is me. No matter how much you take away Haeguneul executives’ stocks and assets, Haeguneul won’t disappear as long as I, Choi Ho-jung, don’t die.”

[You equate yourself with the company.]

No matter how big a conglomerate is, the chairman isn’t necessarily the owner of the group.

That’s my perspective, or that of minority shareholders.

Just as the master of The Syndicate-Company is ultimately the master of this planet, the master of the sky, and my master, Choi Ho-jung thinks the same way.

“Hehe, everything of Haeguneul is mine. Naturally, Haeguneul’s employees are also my people, my dogs. Even if it’s their own bodies and flesh.”

[Stop it. Do you think you can handle it?]

“Whether I can handle it or not is my business. And… you seem to have already sensed it?”

Choi Ho-jung’s voice was no longer coming from Kim Geum-ok’s mouth.

“From the moment I started talking in earnest, it had ‘already happened’…”

[Tsk.]

The ability had already been activated when I told them to stop.

The moment the ‘body switching’ failed against me, they had already moved on to their next plan.

“That’s right.”

Rustle, rustle, rustle.

The bandaged young man unwraps the bandages covering his face.

“Pleased to meet you, I should say. I am Choi Ho-jung.”

As soon as the bandages came off, the face hidden beneath was revealed.

“We look alike, don’t we? Hehe.”

[Sorry, but I don’t know what an old person looked like in their youth.]

“…Impudent.”

Choi Ho-jung, who had taken over the body of an ability user who probably looked identical to her younger self, patted Kim Geum-ok’s slumped shoulder.

“Anyway, you did well. Farewell.”

Squelch!

Before I could move, Choi Ho-jung’s hand quickly moved toward Kim Geum-ok’s heart.

Red blood splattered to the side as Kim Geum-ok collapsed.

Without a chance to say anything, Kim Geum-ok closed her eyes as blood poured from her pierced chest.

“Whew. An ability user’s body is really something. I never imagined it would be this good.”

How did Choi Ho-jung inhabit the ability user’s body?

That was obviously possible because the ability user himself allowed her to inhabit his body.

“So many things have happened. Since the moment you were crawling around, our Haeguneul researchers…”

[Whether you converted some training center into a research facility for human experimentation, or rerolled to find ability users to realize your immortality plan, that’s none of my business.]

“……Impudent. Kids these days have no manners.”

Choi Ho-jung fidgeted with her nape in irritation.

“If you had listened quietly, you could have at least met the King of the Underworld with your curiosity satisfied.”

[Let me say again, I have no interest in hearing about the disgusting process of how the Haeguneul chairman kidnapped newborn ability users and gaslit them into being willing to give up their lives to provide immortality effects.]

“……How on earth did you know?”

It’s Choi Ho-jung who should be curious, not me.

[You don’t need to know.]

“Impudent bastard. No matter how much of an ability user you are, I’m now an ability user too. And one that Haeguneul carefully selected over 25 years.”

Tap, tap tap.

“Once I get used to this body, someone like the Goblin will be nothing.”

Choi Ho-jung tapped her temple lightly with her hand and smiled sinisterly.

“What will you do, Goblin? Want to fight me? Hmm?”

[Asking if I want to fight…]

I slung the Goblin Club over my shoulder.

[Even with that body, you’re still trying to use your ability to covet my body.]

“……Hehe.”

Choi Ho-jung extended both hands downward.

And then.

Squelch!!

[…….]

“Kuh, kuheh, heurk….”

Self-harm.

She pierced a hole in her own abdomen with her fingers, making red blood flow.

“Kuh, hehehe…. I would have liked to destroy the cradle, but….”

[Self-harm? You don’t mean-]

“Then, surrender your body obedientlyㅡㅡㅡ!”

Flash.

“Body chaaaaange!!”