The Martial God who Regressed Back to Level 2

[Translator - Asura]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Chapter 542

The cloning experiment of Kim Jihun.

It proceeded very easily.

Beep. Beep.

After pressing a few buttons,

Hiss...

Liquid filled and disappeared repeatedly in the test tube containing Kim Jihun.

"Body composition copying is done..."

The surrounding test tubes filled up instantly.

And in the center of the liquid,

A faint green light began to sparkle.

"Precise cloning is done too... Just need to wait now."

'Is that all?'

The World Tree Alliance must not be doing this experiment for the first or second time.

Well, it was completely instantaneous.

As he watched the light sparkle simultaneously in over a hundred test tubes,

Whirr.

The lab's automatic door opened, and a High Elf entered.

"Good evening. Oh, huh? What's this? Director! Why did you discard my chimera?! I thought it would succeed this time!"

"It's orders from above. And from the Council Chairman himself."

"Ah... The Chairman? What's so special about this half-breed that he ordered directly?"

Momentarily disappointed about her chimera being discarded,

The newly arrived researcher stood before Kim Jihun's test tube with sparkling eyes.

"He does look the most similar to Seong Jihan among the existing half-breeds..."

"It's a specimen whose compatibility grows."

"Oh? Hasn't there never been such a specimen before?"

"That's right. That's why we're ordered to clone it immediately."

"I see... It's worth discarding the chimeras then."

The researcher nodded in understanding, then opened her mouth while staring intently at Kim Jihun.

"Hey. Before sending him back, can I do some personal experiments? There's a lot to test in my 'Half-Elf Lab'."

"...No. This is an important specimen, we're supposed to return the original. If I give him to you, he'll die."

"Ah. I'll handle him carefully! We just need to leave the brain, right? We can replace all other organs."

"No. Experiment with the clones."

"Aw... But Director, you know they won't have any compatibility."

"I would've lent him to you if it weren't for the Chairman's orders."

"That's a shame..."

She looked at Kim Jihun, licking her lips, then,

"Can't be helped. When they're cloned, please give me about ten. Director. Precise cloning takes... about a week, right?"

"Oh, I'll give them to you next week."

"Hmm... Then Director. Since all existing experiments were canceled to clone this guy anyway, can I go organize my Half-Elf Lab?"

"...Sure. There's nothing to do here anyway."

Swish swish.

As the lab director waved his hand, the researcher left with a grin.

'Half-Elf Lab, huh.'

A place that dealt with male half-elves?

As Seong Jihan was considering following her,

Beep. Beep.

The lab director pressed a few buttons.

"Let's send him back quickly... I can't stand wanting to dissect him. Need to get him out of my sight."

He scolded that researcher earlier, but it seems the director himself wanted to experiment on Kim Jihun too.

After he pressed the buttons above the test tube

Elven letters appeared saying, "Returning in ten minutes".

'I have a 10-minute window.'

Then, it might be worth checking out the Half-Elf Lab.

Seong Jihan followed the researcher who had left Kim Jihun behind.

Walking lightly towards the 'Half-Elf Lab,'

She was so excited about something that she was even humming.

"This clone looks good, you know? He looks the most like Seong Jihan. Maybe we can really create 'Seong Jihan' at this rate?"

A real Seong Jihan?

This elf seemed a bit crazy; she was definitely not normal.

'She's quite different from the elf players I've seen before. She seems to have a stronger sense of self.'

Compared to the elves, who were thoroughly obedient and like accessories of the World Tree Alliance,

These researchers seemed to think more freely.

Did Yggdrasil loosen some restrictions to allow research?

As Seong Jihan was thinking that,

Beep.

The Half-Elf Lab opened.

And there,

'...What is this place?'

Heads of male half-elves were displayed in a row.

And on the wall above, a large full-body photo of Seong Jihan was attached.

'These guys look quite similar to me.'

While existing male half-elves vaguely resembled Seong Jihan,

The heads displayed here were implemented to look very similar to him in appearance.

They didn't seem to be dolls, did they perform plastic surgery or something?

'...This feels even worse because they look similar.'

Heads that look exactly like him,

Displayed in row-like exhibits with various expressions.

Though Seong Jihan had seen countless cruel scenes,

A display made up of only 'his heads' instinctively evoked disgust.

"Now that we have a better sample, we should clear out the ones below."

Clap. Clap.

As the High Elf researcher clapped her hands,

Pop pop pop!

The heads at the bottom of the display all exploded at once.

Blood and internal contents burst out from there.

"Ugh, so messy."

Squish.

The researcher stepped on the fragments rolling on the floor, smiling despite her words.

As she quickly moved inside,

She continued to burst the things placed at the bottom of the display.

First the heads.

Then chest, arms, legs, etc.

She cleared out the display that had arranged pieces of the human body.

"Hurry up and cultivate... I need to complete my Jihan..."

Lick.

[Translator - Asura]

[Proofreader - Gun]

Licking the blood splattered on her cheek, she approached the center of the lab with expectant eyes.

"Hello, Jihan?"

In the center of the lab,

She waved at a chimera patched together with male half-elf bodies inside a huge test tube.

The chimera with three heads and six limbs,

Looked like it was forcibly combined to match the full-body photo of Seong Jihan on the wall.

'This place definitely needs to be completely incinerated.'

A chimera that looked like three of him combined.

They really did all sorts of crazy things.

Seong Jihan felt like immediately transforming into the Red Administrator and burning this place to ashes.

'And definitely eliminate her too.'

The researcher made an ecstatic expression while looking at the Seong Jihan chimera.

If that elf was left alive, she'd probably continue such experiments even outside this lab.

He should start by eliminating her first.

'I've confirmed the planet's coordinates.'

After clearly identifying the lab's location on this planet, Seong Jihan re-entered Kim Jihun's body.

The ten minutes had almost passed.

As the number on the test tube glass reached 0,

Flash...!

Light flashed from the test tube containing Kim Jihun,

And his body returned to Earth.

* * *

Namsan Colonial Government.

"Ugh..."

Kim Jihun looked around with a bewildered expression.

"Huh... I was sleeping at home..."

A place completely different from his room in Sword Palace.

He woke up rolling on a pure white floor, confused about what was happening.

'His acting skills are improving.'

As Seong Jihan thought that inside, while continuing to make a dumb expression,

Flash...!

Light flashed in the air, and Deputy Governor Tria appeared.

"How are you feeling? Player Kim Jihun."

"Ah... I, I think I'm okay."

"You look fine."

After examining him closely, she slowly opened her mouth.

"Just now, you were specially summoned from the Hall of Swords. That's why your physical body is here instead of where it originally was."

"Is, is that so? I don't remember anything at all..."

"Such special summons are an honor. You can take pride in it."

Though the inside story was just being summoned to the lab and cloned, the packaging is quite plausible.

As Kim Jihun nodded with a dazed face,

"As a reward for this special summons, you've been given an elf secretary."

"An elf... secretary?"

"That's right."

Clap.

As Tria clapped her hands,

An elf wearing a suit appeared.

"From now on, she will assist Player Kim Jihun 24 hours a day. Mia, please introduce yourself."

"I look forward to working with you, Jihun-nim."

Bow.

The elf secretary bowed towards Kim Jihun, then smiled brightly.

However, her eyes weren't smiling, and she was silently observing him.

'Well, this is blatantly assigning a watchdog.'

They were attaching one right away as soon as Yggdrasil's order came down.

Though Seong Jihan inwardly thought it would be troublesome,

Outwardly, he kept nodding with a pleased expression.

"I, I look forward to working with you too! Miss... Mia."

"Oh my, since I'll be working as Jihun-nim's personal secretary from now on, please speak comfortably to me."

"But how could I to an elf..."

No matter how well-treated the male half-elves were, they were still half-elves.

Compared to real 'elves', they were definitely lower in status.

As Kim Jihun showed such a hesitant attitude,

"Hehe, it's really okay. Please speak comfortably to me from now on. I insist."

Mia encouraged him to speak casually once again.

"Ah, alright..."

"Then I'll personally escort you to your home. You reside in Sword Palace, correct?"

"Yes."

Zing...

A portal opened immediately.

"I've opened a portal. Let's go, Jihun-nim."

The elf secretary opened a portal so easily.

Kim Jihun entered with a dazed expression, but,

'...Why is it a High Elf instead of an elf?'

Seong Jihan felt puzzled seeing the intense life force emanating from her when the elf secretary used her power.

Though Mia's hair color was the blonde of elves,

The energy shown when opening the portal was definitely not at the elf level.

'Somehow, she seems even stronger than the Deputy Governor.'

A difference in power that would be hard to discern without Seong Jihan's keen eye.

But because he clearly perceived that difference,

He became wary of the suddenly appeared secretary 'Mia' and moved through space.

Arriving at home like that,

"Your home is quite cozy."

Mia looked around Kim Jihun's room and gave that impression.

'This is actually quite a nice place in the heart of Gangnam.'

Originally, it was the room Sophia used, given when Seong Jiah said she'd prepare the best room.

There was no better place for living alone.

But it might look small to elf eyes.

Kim Jihun carefully asked,

"Should I... move? It might be too small for two people?"

"No. I like how cozy it is."

Grin.

Mia answered Kim Jihun's question with a smile.

"I can assist you closely like this."

"But, you know."

"Please speak comfortably."

"Ah. Right... But. Um. Do I really need a secretary? I don't really do anything... I'm a homebody."

He needed to lay Kim Jihun down to watch dramas at home.

And then go annihilate elf planets, you know.

As Seong Jihan was thinking that,

Mia answered with a smiling face.

"It's okay. Actually, though I said secretary, my main duty is to guard Kim Jihun-nim."

"Guard..."

"Yes. So don't worry too much and just continue what you were doing before."

"Ah, I see."

‘So you're going to stay put somehow under the pretext of guarding, huh.’

This was really annoying.

'Still, there are plenty of ways to slip out.'

Unless the opponent before him was on Yggdrasil's level,

She probably wouldn't be able to detect Seong Jihan slipping in and out of Kim Jihun's body at all.

'This might be better, actually. I should go commit terrorism right in front of her.'

This way, Kim Jihun would definitely have an alibi.

While thinking that, he outwardly maintained an attitude of being clearly intimidated by the elf secretary.

"Th-Then... I look forward to your protection."

"Yes. Just trust me, Kim Jihun-nim."

[Translator - Asura]

[Proofreader - Gun]