Chapter 265

Chapter 265

I went to Jafa’s hospital room. She was undergoing full-body regeneration treatment, which meant she was constantly asleep.  

But just because Jafa was unconscious didn’t mean the world stopped moving. That was why she woke up periodically to receive reports and make decisions about the company’s direction. A company’s leader couldn’t rest even when they were half-dead.  

In any case, today was the day Jafa would temporarily regain consciousness.  

-What brings you here?  

En was standing in front of the hospital room with his arms crossed. He had suffered a severe injury, with his internal organs ruptured, but he had somehow recovered and returned to duty.  

'En was skilled enough to take down a Shadow Legion unit.'  

That was something I had confirmed last time. En was a warrior worthy of pride.  

"I have something to discuss with Jafa."  

-I thought you had cut ties with us after disappearing for a while and sneaking that little kitten away.  

Even through the mechanical tone of the translator, I could feel the coldness in En’s voice.  

"I saw your performance in the last battle. You're skilled. But Legion units and combat prosthetics can still move due to residual signals even if their brains are destroyed. If you had known that, you wouldn’t have gotten hit. Don’t let yourself fall for meaningless attacks next time."  

I spoke calmly. En tilted his helmeted head.  

-…Hey, did you suddenly get diagnosed with a terminal illness or something?  

"I may be an asshole, but I’m not a psycho who doesn’t understand respect and gratitude."  

Thanks to the dedicated Equessian mercenaries, I was able to remain in Border City. If they had been emotionally driven or unreliable, I would have already been dragged back to the Empire.  

Creak.  

Looking a bit awkward, En turned his head to the side and scratched at his helmet.  

-They’re in a meeting right now. It should be over in about five minutes.  

Just as it’s hard to spit on a smiling face, it’s difficult to insult someone after receiving praise.  

I sat on a bench in the hallway, waiting for Jafa’s meeting to end.  

-Jafa is an impressive strategist, and you’re quite capable yourself. But if even the two of you, giving it your all, can’t find this person, then he must be a rather extraordinary individual.  

En broke the silence.  

"No matter what anyone says, he’s my mentor. He’s no ordinary person."  

-'A boy must kill his father to become a man, and a disciple must kill his master to become a warrior.' It’s an old saying.  

"A brutal proverb."  

-A long time ago, people apparently took it literally. But the real meaning is that a child or a disciple must surpass the one who raised and taught them to fully stand on their own. That’s how a group continues to grow and evolve. In that sense, you’re still an unseasoned warrior—you haven’t surpassed your master yet.

It wasn’t meant as mockery. It was advice in its own way.  

‘I haven’t been able to step out of Kinuan’s shadow.’  

I had tried to surpass him countless times, yet the Kinuan inside me always stood in my way.  

Even now, whenever I had to make a decision or take action, I would think of Kinuan and Hemillas, one after the other.  

How would Kinuan act? How about Hemillas? Their very existence was like a guideline for me.  

Looking back, my behavior closely resembled Kinuan and Hemillas. I could understand how they had reached their positions.  

Well, my actions were much closer to Kinuan’s than Hemillas’, which was only natural.  

‘If I had stayed in the Empire, I probably would have followed a path similar to Hemillas’.’  

I mulled over En’s words.  

-I’ll give you another piece of advice. ‘No individual is greater than the collective.’ There’s a limit to what one person can do alone. Wandering around solo is something only a fool would do. A lone individual who fails to belong to a group is always doomed to destruction. It doesn’t matter how exceptional their abilities are. No one can handle every variable and situation alone. We always need to complement each other.  

Equessians have an even stronger instinct for collectivism than humans. But humans, too, form groups.  

En’s words were clearly directed at me. I had yet to escape my mentor’s shadow, and I was still acting alone.  

I knew it too. There wasn’t much I could accomplish on my own.  

‘I’ve always needed someone’s help.’  

It was the same during the Storm Era. My strength alone wasn’t enough, and I had to rely on others time and again.  

"I’ll keep your advice in mind."  

-Keep it in your heart, not just your mind. You should know better than anyone—at the final moment, it’s not the brain that makes the decision, but the heart.  

En tapped his temple with a fingertip before pointing at his chest.  

As Jafa’s hospital room door opened, the executives of Jafa’s company began filing out.  

"It was an enjoyable conversation, Equessian En."  

I stood up and stepped into Jafa’s hospital room.  

Jafa, now conscious, spotted me and narrowed her slit pupils.  

"Hoyot."  

Hmph. Surprisingly, I had missed that laugh—it actually sounded welcoming.  

"How much time do we have to talk?"  

Jafa flicked her tongue before answering. She was submerged in a regeneration capsule, with only her head sticking out.  

"…About fifteen minutes."  

Fifteen minutes here too, huh.  

"That’s plenty."

"Go ahead and speak. I’ve already received reports on your recent movements, Luka. At this point, even if you were to leave me, I have no way of controlling or stopping you."  

"Gabriel and Ragnata have left, and Boyan and I are now under Deputy Minister Ismael’s jurisdiction. You can consider me a treacherous bastard if you want."  

"It is treacherous. You sucked me dry and discarded me. Hoyoooot, I might even feel a little heartbroken."  

"That’s why I came to speak honestly. I might give up on searching for Kinuan."  

"Is it because of Giselle Custoria?"  

Jafa spoke calmly. She knew about my connection with Giselle—I had hinted at it before.  

"Yeah. Finding Kinuan isn’t as important to me as finding Giselle. As long as I can find her, I don’t care where Kinuan is or what he’s doing…"  

Jafa’s expression was complicated. She was probably both angry and understanding. Jafa was a Tajirun with a considerate nature.  

Before her face could twist further, I continued speaking.  

"…That’s the impression I need people to have, Jafa. Make it seem like I’ve truly given up on tracking Kinuan. Kinuan wants me to keep chasing him. If it looks like I’ve stopped, he’ll react and reveal himself in some way."  

I spoke sharply. Jafa’s lips and eyes narrowed.  

"Hoyoot."  

Jafa and I spent a short time discussing our plan.  

*         *         *  

Time was moving forward.  

I reestablished contact with Barbara. The method was the same as last time.  

Like before, Lante stood behind me while I entered virtual reality through a simulation device that was barely more than a heap of junk.  

Bzzzz.  

My senses dulled.  

A white space appeared, and then I saw orange hair. The hair, round and soft-looking, soon formed into limbs, taking the shape of a person.  

Click, click.  

Barbara was holding a nutcracker shaped like pincers. She took a walnut from her pocket, cracked it open, and ate it one by one.  

I frowned deeply. Just watching made my lower body shrivel.  

"Are you ready to leave Border City?"  

Barbara asked. I forced myself to look away from the nutcracker.  

"There are things I need to settle before I leave, Barbara. I need your cooperation."  

"Cooperation? Do you think the world is a joke? You must believe that frowning so seriously will make everything go your way."  

Barbara pulled out another nut, placed it between the nutcracker’s pincers, and—  

Crunch!  

The walnut was crushed mercilessly, its shattered shell falling to the ground with a dull clatter.

"Aren’t you the one who’s lost touch with reality after spending all your time in the network and simulations? The Emperor and Kinuan are both making moves. Even the Federation is on high alert. Do you really think your plan will go smoothly just because I disappear in this situation?"  

Barbara’s expression hardened as she furrowed her brows.  

"Giselle and I have a lovely plan. You just need to shut up and follow my lead! You say you care about Giselle? Then my words are her words. I am Giselle’s representative!"  

Barbara shouted. Behind her, the space shimmered, and fragments of data in the shape of Giselle emerged, embracing Barbara from behind.  

"It was Kinuan who used Jafa to wake me up. You have no idea how much Kinuan knows or what he’s orchestrating. If you did, I wouldn’t have woken up in the first place. If you can’t capture Kinuan, your and Giselle’s plan will ultimately fall apart."  

"Kinuan isn’t some almighty figure. Giselle and I already landed a blow on him."  

"Maybe so. But you don’t even know where Giselle is. You keep saying it’s all part of her plan… but I can’t feel at ease unless Kinuan is eliminated. Deep down, you must feel the same way. I don’t know what Kinuan’s goal is. But if he needs to lure me out, he’ll use anything—including Giselle. If I simply go into hiding, he’ll do whatever it takes to find her. Can you really guarantee that you can protect Giselle, who has already vanished from Kinuan’s grasp? Answer me, Barbara. At the very least, I believe that your feelings for Giselle are real."  

I let the words pour out.  

At first, Barbara’s face contorted, her lips trembling with frustration. But gradually, her expression settled. A cold rationality flickered in her pupils.  

"…It’s true. Removing unstable elements is the smart move."  

She changed her stance with astonishing speed.  

"I’ve already woken up and wandered around Border City. That alone has disrupted your and Giselle’s plan. When it comes to adapting to real-world variables, I’m better than you."  

"Then… that means…"  

I cut Barbara off.  

"We’ll discuss the rest in person. You’re in Border City, aren’t you? No matter how skilled a hacker you are, it’s impossible to infiltrate a physically isolated network. I know you’re somewhere in Border City."  

"Meeting you in person? Ha, ha, ha. That’s funny, Luka. You want to kill me."

"You hate me and want to kill me just as much. Listen carefully, Barbara. We need trust. You’ll put your life on the line to meet me face-to-face, and I won’t kill you in the real world. That will be proof that we can cooperate. If you don’t agree, then we’ll simply go our separate ways. Find Giselle on your own."  

"You must have forgotten that Lante is standing right behind you."  

I made a move as if reaching for my waist. My real body would subtly mirror the motion.  

Flinch.  

Lante reacted to my movement in the real world.  

"Lante is an exceptional senior of the Imperial Guard. But to be honest, I can take him down. If you’re curious, you’re welcome to test it."  

The thrill of provocation sent a cold shiver clinging to my feet like a creeping frost.  

Could I disengage from the simulation and still react to Lante’s attack?  

My combat instincts ran rapid calculations, reaching a conclusion.  

‘…It’s possible.’  

Barbara wouldn’t go as far as to order my death.  

‘Even if she does issue a kill order, Lante will refuse. No matter what, I’m too valuable to The Empire’s Blade. At most, he’ll try to subdue me.’  

Lante was a man who could think and make his own judgments. If he were just a blindly obedient dog, he would’ve stayed in the Empire instead of coming to Border City.  

"After I subdue Lante, I’ll tell him about your existence. Then we’ll see—will he listen to you, or will he listen to me?"  

Barbara repeatedly opened and closed her nutcracker. She paced back and forth, then finally stopped to look at me.  

"Consider this a warning. Don’t deceive me, Luka."  

"That’s my line."  

"Then…"  

Barbara whispered a location. It was so unexpected that I raised an eyebrow slightly. Bold. Recklessly bold.  

Alright. Time to get out of this damn simulation.  

Screeeech!  

The moment I registered the location, I forcefully pulled my consciousness back to reality. A harsh metallic ringing filled my ears.  

The side effects of forced awakening hit me with a wave of dizziness. But it was still better than experiencing my balls getting crushed by a nutcracker.  

"Ugh."  

I groaned as I opened my eyes.  

‘Lante is already gone.’

Lante had already left after receiving Barbara’s orders. In every way, he was a former Imperial Guard. Thorough, swift, and efficient—he wasted no unnecessary movement.  

Srrrk.  

I pressed my throbbing forehead and stood up.  

The chair I had been sitting on had the number 46 written on it. I leaned against the partition wall connecting it to seat 45, resting my arm on the divider.  

‘The claim that our communication time was limited to fifteen minutes was just a convincing lie.’  

Barbara had been using an independent line, free from external interference, to meet with me.  

In seat 45, a ragged old man sat slouched, and beside him, there were some messy traces of him having watched adult content.  

I sighed and tapped the partition wall with the back of my hand.  

"Wake up, Barbara."  

The old man slowly lifted his goggles. A hoarse voice seeped through his yellowed teeth.  

"That was cowardly, Luka. Running away the moment I finished talking?"  

Barbara, disguised as the beggar-like old man, clenched her fist and mimed crushing something.  

"I’m not stupid enough to fall for the same trick twice. Not from you, nor from Kinuan."  

"Kikik, hihi."  

The old man laughed. His facial muscles moved unnaturally, making his smile disturbingly grotesque.

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