The boardroom was a theater of high-stakes tension. As Woo Jinchul concluded his presentation on the 'Eternal Slumber,' the silence was deafening.
He didn't blink as the wealthy directors and government officials stared at the data. The fear in the room was palpable, a cold draft that seemed to bypass their expensive suits.
"The funding for this research will be astronomical," the Minister of Finance noted, his voice wavering as he looked at the projected costs for specialized isolation wards. "How do you propose we sustain this without a public panic? The taxpayers will demand to know why billions are being diverted to a 'sleep study'."
"We don't go to the public yet," Jinchul replied smoothly, adjusting his glasses. "We start with the elite. We are going to offer a 'Premium Mana-Purity Screening' service immediately. The billionaires, the top-tier CEOs, Guilds and the high-ranking politics who have enough money to fund it, won't you all agree"
Jinchul leaned forward, his voice dropping to a persuasive baritone. "When they or you see the risk of your own families, they won't just fund us—they'll compete to see who can give the Association more resources. We need to use that. By the time the news reaches the general public, the facilities will be ready, and the funding will be secure. We aren't asking for a handout; we are selling the one thing money usually can't buy: survival."
The proposal was a masterclass in political maneuvering. The directors, many of whom were already mentally calculating the safety of their own grandchildren, nodded in frantic agreement. By the end of the session, the board had not only approved the funding but had also signed off on the creation of the Special Task Force.
After the meeting, Jinchul made his way to a private balcony area where Yoo Jinhee was waiting. She had been observing the lobby's atmosphere, gauging the reactions of the departing board members.
"You look like you just convinced a den of lions to become vegetarians," Jinhee said, standing as he entered. She handed him a coffee, her eyes searching his face for signs of fatigue.
"I convinced them that the lions are starving, and they are the only ones with the keys to the pantry," Jinchul replied, taking a seat beside her. He let out a long breath, the tension in his shoulders finally easing in her presence. "and tell me on why you are here. I dont think we agree to meet here you know"
Jinhee smiled, a soft expression. "Well I suddenly thought of seeing you and was free. So I dropped here for few minutes on how you are doing and how you look in the suit"
"How do I look then?," Jinchul said, his gaze on her who also replied "I think you look handsome and I am planning to prepare few more suits for you like this"
"Not required for now but I need one suit for the President. I am planning to gift him" replied Jinchul holding her hand while walking toward the exit " And Can you setup a meeting with your father tomorrow"
"Sure, I can but what it is about?" asked Jinhee "It's a secret?" replied Jinchul with a wink
"Ok, then I will be part of that meeting for sure then" Jinhee told with a smile to which Jinchul nodded '"Why not? Jinhee I am sorry, I am meeting with the team now. Will meet you tomorrow then" and said their goodbyes for the day.
Jinchul descended into the sub-level briefing room of the Surveillance Team. Taeshik, Chiyul, Seok, and the core elite agents were gathered. The air here was different—sharp, professional, and thick with the scent of mana-conductive steel.
"The board has approved the Mana Coma research," Jinchul began, skipping the pleasantries.
"Is it really as bad as the rumors, Chief?" Seok asked, his usual boisterous tone replaced by concern. "My cousin's neighbor... they say he just didn't wake up."
"It's worse," Jinchul said. "The saturation is accelerating. We'll be guarding the new wards around the clock. But to do that, and to keep up with the 'Shadow' suppressions, we need more than just better armor. We need a fundamental shift in power."
He walked to the center of the room, his aura flaring slightly. "I've studied the way Chairman Gunhee's body was restructured. Most hunters fail to grow because their mana vessels have 'knots'—bottlenecks where the energy can't flow efficiently. My plan is to increase each of your ranks by at least one."
Taeshik stopped spinning his dagger, his eyes widening. "Increase our rank? Chief, that's unheard of. You're talking about a miracle."
"I'm talking about a procedure," Jinchul stated firmly. "I will perform a method where I inject my own refined mana directly into your cores. I will use my perception to find those bottlenecks and manually guide the flow to force them open. It will be a guided breakthrough—essentially a controlled, artificial double-awakening."
The team stared at him in stunned silence. The idea was revolutionary and terrifyingly dangerous.
"It will be painful," Jinchul warned. "And if I lose focus for even a second, it could damage your vessels permanently. But if we succeed, Taeshik, your speed will reach levels you can't imagine. Seok, your physical reinforcement will be on another tier. We are the Association's shield, and it's time that shield was forged into something S-rank caliber."
Taeshik was the first to step forward, a predatory grin spreading across his face. "If it means I can finally stop being a 'little snake' and actually bite something that matters, I'm in. Let's see what the Chief's mana feels like."
Jinchul nodded, his eyes glowing with a cold, determined azure light. "Prepare yourselves. We start with Taeshik tonight. Chiyul-ssi, monitor the vitals. We're making our own luck from now on."