Neurolink System in the Modern World

'Inhale... exhale... inhale... exhale.' I whispered to myself, as I tried to control my breathing.

I had discovered that meditating helped a lot in recovering my mental power and making it easier to focus.

It was a pretty funny discovery, to be honest. I mean, I'd read those over-the-top main characters in cultivation manwa, and I thought, "Why not give it a shot, just for the heck of it?" But when I actually tried it, I couldn't help but burst into laughter. It worked! Well, not like some lightning-fast, super-efficient recover, but it did work, slowly but surely.

Finally, I opened my eyes, and the throbbing headache was gone.

'I wonder if the system can add something like an HP and MP bar," I mused with a sigh. 'It would've made checking my condition in real-time so much easier. Maybe it'll be available in the next system update. I mean, the last one came when I reached level 10, so who knows? Level 20 might bring another pleasant surprise.'

But reaching level 20 was still a bit far away at my current leveling-up rate. At this pace, I'd probably need another month of grinding.

I thought about the idea of hunting down another gang to speed things up, but I imagined the headlines:

[Unknown Vigilante Patrols Seoul, Killing Gangsters for Fun,]

I mean, sure, it might give me a reputation for being somewhat kind-hearted in a twisted way, but that was definitely not the attention I was aiming for.

The last thing I needed was everyone in the city thinking I was some enigmatic, slightly sadistic hero, bringing justice in the most brutal way possible!

So, for now, I decided to lay low. I had a feeling that daily gang-busting might lead to Seoul's next news conspiracy trend, and I wasn't ready to face the government yet.

"I'm starting to get pretty hungry with all this training," I said to myself as I got up and dusted off the back of my pants.

I went to check my bag for some supplies. Fortunately, I had brought along a sandwich and some snacks because I had a feeling this training session might stretch into the night.

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As I happily chomped down on my food, my mind couldn't help but wander. I kept thinking about what I'd do once I had enough power to defend myself.

Initially, it was all about survival, but as I grew stronger, I realized there might come a time when no one could even come close to competing with me, except for those super-powered Gifted individuals.

A curious thought struck me, "If those Gifteds are so powerful, how on earth did the government manage to keep their existence hidden from the general public?"

It was weird, I mean even the High-Danger Gifted power I experienced on the police station was already quite formidable ?

Thinking logically and based on my source, the mole, mentioned, The more powerful a Gifted becomes, the more likely they are to go crazy. If that's true, then there should have been widespread reports of Gifted causing havoc and chaos by now.

I understand that the government could try to cover it up by shifting these events to natural disasters, but if that were the case, it would mean that these super-strong Gifted aren't as powerful as I think.

After all, I highly doubt they'd just willingly surrender to the government without a fight.

"Maybe I've already ascended to the level of 'strongest' without realizing it?"

***

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Cerebrum Korean HQ

The room was quite somber, with no windows to let in natural light.

A middle-aged man, wearing a smart suit, occupied the seat at the end of a long, polished table. The room's only sources of illumination came from a square shape ceiling light and several TV screens mounted on one wall. These screens displayed a detailed map with lots of blinking red dots, giving an air of seriousness to the meeting.

Sitting around the table was another man with blond hair and blue eyes, and it was clear he held a significant position within the organization just by looking at his black suit. He seemed both eager and solemn, fully aware of the importance of the upcoming discussion.

"Is Team Gumiho ready?" The middle age man spoke.

"They're en route to hunt down Code Zero, sir," the blond man reported, his glasses perched on his nose as he tapped away at his tablet.

"Good,"

"But, sir, are you sure it's a good idea to send them on this mission without additional back up?" The blond man voiced his concern.

Team Gumiho was currently the most powerful squad in Cerebrum Asia when it came to dealing with powerful Gifteds.

They were practically unbeatable and had successfully apprehended every powerful target they'd encountered so far. However, Zed, also known as Code Zero, posed a whole new level of danger.

He was so dangerous and powerful that he held the special rank of "Zero." in Asia. This was because the difference in strength between him and the next most powerful Gifted was immense.

At his peak, he could defeat the top five Gifted individuals single-handedly.

The government managed to capture him only because decades ago, they had struck a deal with him to save her daughter's life.

But now, this very same monster had discovered what had happened to his only daughter, and he was on a crazy rampage.

If they didn't put a stop to him soon, it was only a matter of months before the entire country of Korea would know about him.

"You don't need to worry. He's a mere shadow of his former self now. When that old monster was at his prime, catching him was a fantasy – even a nuclear bomb wouldn't have been enough to contain him." Just the recollection of Zed in his prime sent a spine-tingling chill down his spine.

"Is he really that powerful ?" The blond man gulped audibly, his throat suddenly feeling parched after hearing his prideful superior speak so. This was a man who firmly believed in the superiority of humans over Gifteds, yet he was now acknowledging the power of Zero.

"He was closer to a god than a human,"