Chapter 239

Chapter 239

Jafa’s corporate headquarters was no different from a military facility. This formidable fortress had proven its defensive capabilities during the Menoan Guard raid incident.  

It was a building that could withstand air raids and bombings without issue. And yet, now, the upper floors and rooftop had collapsed so easily, as if in vain.  

An attack that could penetrate all the way to Jafa’s office was no ordinary event.  

‘What is it?’  

How was the attack carried out? What kind of weapon was used?  

‘Who did it?’  

Kinuan? Or one of Jafa’s enemies? Mushir al-Kashura? CEO Son Seok-jae? Or the Federation?  

‘What was the goal?’  

That part was easy to narrow down. It was either me or Jafa.  

I opened my eyes, thoughts racing. The first thing that hit me was pain.  

Throb, throb.  

The aftershock had thrown me around, leaving my entire body creaking in protest.  

‘I can still move. My condition is better than expected. At worst, a few broken ribs and torn muscles. My spine is intact.’  

I stared at my left hand.  

‘Jafa’s arm.’  

That’s right… Only Jafa’s arm was left, gripping my left hand. Everything beyond the elbow had been torn away.  

Srrrk.  

My gaze stopped on Jafa, half-buried in the wreckage. The air still hummed with the lingering aftermath of the explosion.  

“Tss… tsk…”  

Jafa let out a faint, shallow breath. She was covered in blood. Her limbs were twisted and torn—if someone were to pull on them, they might just come off entirely.  

In fact, the arm I was holding had already been ripped away. If I hadn’t held on, she would have been sucked into the explosion and died instantly.  

Jafa had been caught in the blast far worse than I had. Unlike me, she wasn’t trained to instinctively protect her body. The injuries she sustained were extreme.  

Srrk, srrk.  

The Equessians who had been blown away by the explosion began to rise one by one, preparing for battle. Some of them had died on the spot, while others were severely injured.  

‘En.’  

En forcefully popped his dislocated shoulder back into place and assessed the situation. He signaled to another Equessian, then ordered Jafa’s evacuation.  

‘At first, he looked at me with suspicion.’  

But En wasn’t a fool. If I had wanted to kill or harm Jafa, she would already be dead.  

Kuuuurung!  

A deafening roar continued from the ceiling. Even at a glance, the office ceiling was layered with dozens of reinforced support structures, each several meters thick.  

‘This isn’t something a standard bomb or attack could break through. It’s a military-grade penetration bomb.’  

A weapon designed for a specialized purpose. Something neither civilians nor individuals could easily obtain.  

My mind began racing.

‘A military-industrial company, or someone in the privileged class with enough power and wealth to obtain military-grade weapons. If not that…’  

The worst-case scenario surged into my mind.  

‘State-sanctioned violence. In other words, the military.’  

Even in Border City, this was still Bellato Federation territory. If a foreign nation were conducting official military operations here, it would inevitably lead to diplomatic friction.  

‘Then… could the Federation have deployed its military?’  

Did the Federation even have a motive for this?  

Soon enough, I confirmed the grim reality of this overwhelming force.  

Kuu-woong!  

A direct path had been carved from the rooftop straight down to the office. A dark mass was dropping through the opening.  

Kkiririk, kkirik.  

Mechanical noises echoed. They weren’t loud or harsh. Instead, the soft frictional sounds spread smoothly through the air.  

Giiiiiing!  

Through the thick haze of dust, a massive optical lens gleamed.  

“…Legion.”  

I quietly uttered the name as I gazed at the iron knight.  

Its exterior and color were an unfamiliar shade of dull black, as if it absorbed light itself. But its distinct skeletal frame gave it away—I could never mistake a Legion.  

Kiririririk!  

The single-eyed Legion unfolded a heavy spear. The collapsed shaft and blade snapped into place with a sharp jolt.  

Kkik.  

Then, gripping the spear tightly, the Legion extended a finger—pointing directly at me.  

…Its target was me.  

Ivan Accretia had moved swiftly. He had sent his subordinates to take me.  

‘This isn’t a Legion under the Imperial Guard. Most likely… it’s a Shadow’s Legion, one that has lost its sense of self.’  

I had fought against the Shadows' combat prosthetics before. But against a Shadow’s Legion… this would be my first time.  

‘Can I take it on?’  

A bad habit of mine was kicking in. My fighting spirit flared. Right now, I didn’t even have the Firelight Saber.  

‘Not enough firepower. Not enough offensive capability.’  

An auto-tracking pistol wouldn’t stand a chance against a Legion.  

Essentially, I had to fight an armed Legion relying only on Lapis’ prosthetic enhancements.  

Kadak, kadak.  

As my grip strength increased, my fingers twitched. Even knowing how difficult this would be, I wanted to take on the challenge.  

Kuu-woong! Thud!  

Two more figures dropped behind the first Legion.  

…Correction. This wasn’t just a challenge—it was impossible.  

There were three Shadow Legions. Even three Shadow combat prosthetics would be a nightmare to handle. The Empire’s elite forces were never easy prey.  

The Equessians had evacuated Jafa and were now watching the situation unfold.  

‘There are no orders from Jafa right now. The Equessian mercenaries will act on their own judgment.’  

The attackers were clearly targeting me. Their movements made it obvious that they had no interest in the Equessians or Jafa.

The Equessians didn’t like me. And it wouldn’t take them long to understand that the attackers in front of them possessed overwhelming firepower.  

‘The Equessians have no reason to help me.’  

The single-eyed Legion stared at me for a moment, then turned its gaze to the side—toward En.  

Tu-woong!  

A deafening blast erupted. From the Legion’s head, the distinctive spherical energy burst of an impact round flared out.  

I looked toward En. He was pulling the trigger of his shock rifle repeatedly.  

Tung! Tung!  

Impact rounds struck the Legion’s body and head. However, the Legion’s armor emitted a bluish energy reaction, dispersing the force.  

Clack. Shiiii!  

Spent coolant casings dropped to the ground at En’s feet.  

—We have no intention of fighting you. Our objective is the Empire’s traitor, Lukaus Custoria.  

The Legion, staggering slightly, steadied itself and addressed En. But it wasn’t saying this out of kindness or to avoid unnecessary casualties.  

‘They know that if the Equessian mercenaries join the fight, it’ll complicate their mission.’  

En gestured, giving tactical signals to the other Equessians.  

—You barged into Jafa Corporation’s headquarters and injured our employer. Our mission is to repel you. It doesn’t matter who you are or where you belong, you dumb tin cans.  

I had been mistaken. There was no reason for the Equessian mercenaries not to fight.  

Even if they disliked me. Even if the odds weren’t in their favor. Equessians fought by the book, with unwavering adherence to duty. If Jafa had hired them for the long term, they were likely among the most honorable and dedicated of their kind.  

Maybe I had gotten too pessimistic. Expecting everything to turn against me had made me overlook something so basic.  

…Perhaps the world could be just a little kinder to me.  

There were 18 Equessian mercenaries on this floor, including En. If we could buy time, reinforcements would arrive.  

Tung!  

I moved toward a fallen Equessian and stomped my foot down.  

The blade pinned under my boot bounced up from the pressure. The airborne weapon spun, rising to my eye level.  

Swish.  

I snatched the Equessian’s sword out of the air. To them, it was the size of a utility knife—but to me, it was a decent longsword.  

Bwoong!  

I swung it. It had the heft of a machete. The blade shimmered with a dispersed bluish glow.  

‘A monomolecular-coated blade.’  

It would be effective against the Legion for at least a few strikes.  

The battle between the three Shadow Legions and us began.  

Tung! Quang!  

Explosions erupted all around. The deafening blasts made my ears ring. The Equessian mercenaries dispersed efficiently, taking cover as they returned fire.

The Legion unleashed a barrage of high-powered projectiles, obliterating cover in its path, yet the Equessians managed to endure.  

Equessian mercenaries were relentless. Even when their comrades died right beside them, they didn’t waver. Not because they were devoid of emotion or grief.  

‘Emotional aftermath can be dealt with after the battle. No matter how much the interest stacks up, it has to be suppressed for now.’  

Their emotional control and combat execution were on par with elite military units.  

Two of the Legions were occupied by the Equessians. But the single-eyed Legion, its red optical sensor gleaming ominously, launched itself toward me.  

Despite the confined space, the Legion maneuvered its massive frame and landed directly in front of me. The floor cracked beneath its weight, sending debris flying.  

I didn’t flinch. I simply stared at it.  

“Ivan Accretia ordered you to take me alive, didn’t he? Quite the troublesome order.”  

Its target would be my limbs.  

The single-eyed Legion didn’t respond. It simply swung its spear in a sweeping motion, aiming to take out my legs.  

This space was ridiculously small for a Legion to fight in. But with its battle-specialized neural system, it calculated the optimal movements with inhuman precision.  

Swish! Swish!  

The Legion moved as if it had all the space in the world, wielding its spear with effortless grace. Occasionally, it reached out with a hand, attempting to grab my legs.  

Tuung!  

I planted my hand on the shaft of the Legion’s spear and vaulted upward, swinging my sword at its head.  

Srrrk!  

The Legion smoothly tilted its head, evading my blade.  

‘Impressive.’  

But I wasn’t impressed by its raw power.  

‘Even if it can’t go for the kill, it’s still keeping up with me.’  

I was handling the Legion far better than I had anticipated. Even without the high of combat hormones, I felt like I could take it on.  

‘Mushir al-Kashura was a much tougher opponent.’  

My victory against Mushir al-Kashura had been riddled with lucky breaks.  

‘Kashura never intended to kill me. He even put himself at a disadvantage by testing me in close combat.’  

My lips twitched as I maneuvered behind the Legion. No matter how much power it had, its turning radius was massive. It couldn’t be faster than me.  

‘Kashura was arrogant. And so are you.’  

I wasn’t someone who could be captured so easily.  

‘If you keep trying to take me alive, you will lose your head.’  

Before the Legion could turn around, I grabbed hold of the armor plating at the back of its neck.  

Tuk!

As I was flung through the air, I yanked on the back of the Legion’s neck armor, pulling myself close. The best time to strike was when the monomolecular coating’s cutting power was at its peak. If I wasted it on hacking at limbs, I’d have no way to sever its throat when it mattered.  

‘Die.’  

I aimed to stab through the base of its skull.  

Tu-woong!  

But the armor on the Legion’s nape suddenly detonated. The blast hit me like a sledgehammer, sending me flying backward.  

‘Damn it. What don’t they have built into these things?’  

Thinking about it, the feature made sense. With a massive frame and wide movements, a Legion would frequently be vulnerable from behind.  

I forced my hazy mind to focus. Under normal circumstances, I would have died just now.  

With the Legion’s tracking capability, power output, and reaction speed, it could have easily sliced me in half mid-air.  

‘So they really can’t kill me.’  

No matter how imposing the armor, that thing was nothing more than a slave.  

A mindless war machine. Ivan Accretia’s puppet.  

But even a puppet’s violence was real. Unlike me, the Equessians were dying mercilessly. In mere moments, fewer than ten remained.  

Kwa-jik!  

But there was a breakthrough—En’s spear had impaled a Legion clean through, from its jaw to the top of its head. Its circuits crackled, and its legs gave out beneath it.  

‘So when he said he was strong, it wasn’t just bravado.’  

Good. If I survive this, I need to get on En’s good side.  

Thud!  

But then, the “dead” Legion swung a fist, slamming En straight into a wall. I saw his stomach cave in from the impact. His internal organs had ruptured completely.  

Cybernetic prosthetics sometimes retained excessive residual signals, causing brief movement even without a functioning brain. We called this a phantom phenomenon. I knew it well… but it seemed En didn’t.  

“Ha, fuck.”  

A curse slipped out.  

The single-eyed Legion was approaching, rubbing the exposed gap where its armor had blown off.  

‘If En hadn’t gone down just now, we could’ve won this. Our odds were actually higher.’  

But with En taken out so easily, our chances had plummeted straight to the bottom.  

‘Goddamn, you dumbass Equessian—!!’  

If I live through this, I’m going to mock him mercilessly. Idiot. Moron. Loudmouthed alien bastard.

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