Chapter 297

Tur— Ung!  

The shock pistol, Ruina, roared. A shock round streaked through the air in a vivid blue trajectory.  

The energy-packed projectile exploded upon impact, shattering the wall and engulfing the Equessian mercenary hiding behind it in the blast.  

Krrrrrng!  

In the narrow corridor, the sound reverberated in every direction.  

I detected the bouncing echoes through echolocation and visualized them. Inside my mind, the terrain and enemy positions appeared outlined in flickering contours.  

When I opened my eyes, the objects and enemies I had sensed through hearing became visible to my sight as well. To be precise, I wasn’t truly seeing them—this was a type of hallucination caused by my brain’s misinterpretation.  

I had never experienced an enemy like this before. My auditory vision and normal sight overlapped.  

My brain couldn’t differentiate between them. Even though my eyes functioned normally, the artificial processing of auditory signals in my visual cortex was causing interference.  

My visual and auditory signals were competing for priority in the same neural pathways. It felt like a traffic jam in my nervous system.  

'...I think I'm going to throw up.'  

Abnormal responses were emerging throughout my brain.  

Until now, my brain had always compensated for damaged areas by expanding its neural connections to other regions, making up for lost functionality.  

But even that had reached its limit. The compensatory mechanisms were no longer enough to sustain full brain function.  

If not for the chemically enhanced neural processing, I wouldn’t have lasted this long.  

I steadied my breath and looked at the Equessians.  

'Nothing personal. I’m sure it’s the same for you.'  

I pulled Ruina’s trigger once more. The shock round struck an Equessian mercenary square in the torso.  

Kwoom!  

When the blue explosion subsided, a gruesome sight was left behind. The mercenary’s front skin and muscles had practically vaporized.  

Ping!  

I ejected the searing hot coolant casing and stepped forward.  

'Boyan isn’t armed. He won’t last long.'  

I needed to rely on my senses to locate Boyan and Ismael. If I had a map of the auction house, I could predict their escape route in advance. But for now, the Equessian mercenaries and the traces of sound were my only compass.  

Bang! Tong!  

The sounds of a standoff echoed ahead. Gunfire clashed from opposing directions.  

Kwaang!  

A violent explosion rumbled through the corridor.  

‘There are three Equessians beyond that corner. One is watching the rear, while the other two are engaged at the front. I’ll use Ruina to—’  

I stopped mid-reload. Ruina’s overheat sensor was glowing red-hot. It had reached a dangerous threshold.

'...I've never used it this continuously before. It was originally designed as a short-term combat weapon.'  

Ruina was in an overheated state from prolonged use, starting with the air vehicle incident. Even with coolant casings, there was a limit to how much heat could be dissipated. If my hands were still flesh, my skin would have melted from the sheer heat radiating from Ruina.  

If I didn't want a shock round detonating in my hands, I had to put Ruina away.  

I holstered Ruina against my chest and moved forward. It felt like I was holding a hand warmer against my body.  

'I’d rather avoid putting more strain on my brain, but now is the time to push forward.'  

I increased the output of my prosthetics and prepared for high-speed movement.  

Crunch!  

My leading foot dug into the ground, and I shot forward like an arrow loosed from a bowstring, streaking across the corridor.  

Tung! Tung!  

I maneuvered swiftly between the walls and ceiling, moving in an erratic pattern.  

The Equessian guarding the rear spotted me and opened fire. But I had already veered out of the gun’s trajectory, and the bullets embedded themselves uselessly in the wall.  

Kwa—zzzzzt!  

Closing in, I slammed my knee into the Equessian’s face. His combat helmet shattered, and his skull caved in. The force of the impact crushed his occipital bone, sending his brain and cerebrospinal fluid splattering against the wall.  

Creak!  

The other two Equessians turned their guns toward me.  

Kwoong!  

I landed and swung Crucis in a wide arc.  

The Equessian caught in its path crumpled like a boneless doll and was sent flying sideways.  

Thud!  

His body slammed into his comrade, jerking the latter's aim upward.  

Kwachik!  

I corrected my grip on Crucis. Then, as the second Equessian fired into the ceiling, I thrust my blade into his gut and slashed upward.  

Crunch!  

The blade carved through his stomach and emerged from his crown. The stench of blood and entrails filled the air. A death by the sword was gruesome beyond what most could stomach.  

Srrrk.  

I turned my head to confirm the deaths of all three Equessians.  

'Who were these Equessians up against…?'  

Before I could finish my thought, I instinctively leaned backward.  

Bang!  

A bullet whizzed past the tip of my nose.  

"I get that you're inexperienced in live combat, but at least aim before you shoot."  

I side-eyed the source of the gunfire and spoke.  

From a room the Equessians had failed to breach, a familiar girl peeked out.  

"Luka?"  

The person who had been engaged in a standoff with the Equessians was Yanaka Bondred. She was an MAU pilot from the Strategic Weapons Research Department. And, needless to say, she was also Boyan’s friend.  

"Where are Boyan and Ismael?"  

"I can’t tell you. There's no guarantee that you aren’t targeting the Deputy Minister... Ugh, cough."

Yanaka coughed up blood. She was holding a gun she had taken from an Equessian.  

"You don’t even have to say it. Seeing you holding your ground here means Ismael is escaping in that direction."  

"S-Stop right there!"  

Yanaka shakily aimed the gun at me. Since it was an Equessian firearm, it looked like a heavy weapon in her hands.  

"Believe it or not, I’m here to save Ismael. You really want to waste time getting in my way?"  

Ignoring the barrel of her gun, I stepped into the room. At the far end, a staircase led to an old back door.  

'So that explosion earlier happened in here.'  

The room was a wreck from the blast. It looked like a grenade had gone off. The furniture was shredded into pieces, and the walls and ceiling were heavily scorched.  

And… Yanaka had barely survived the explosion, but she was in bad shape.  

'She’s missing three fingers on her left hand, and her left leg is gone below the ankle. Third-degree burns are a given… and there’s a metal fragment lodged in her abdomen.'  

I assessed her condition. She wouldn’t last long like this. She was critically wounded and losing too much blood.  

I activated the communicator in my ear.  

"Lars, I’ve identified the target’s escape route. Break a window or bust through the wall and head straight to the back of the auction house. Ismael and the Crawler should be coming out that way—secure them."  

-Understood.  

Lars swiftly accepted my command.  

Yanaka’s eyes widened as she watched me.  

"Promise me. Tell me you’re not lying about protecting the Deputy Minister…"  

"Lie down first. I need to administer first aid."  

"I’m a soldier. I’m prepared to die. Save the Deputy Minister first."  

I pulled out a cord and tied off her left wrist and ankle to slow the bleeding. The metal shard in her abdomen couldn’t be removed—not yet. If I pulled it out now, she wouldn’t last a minute before bleeding out.  

'She’s shaking.'  

Yanaka’s limbs trembled. The blood loss was part of it, but… more than that, she was terrified.  

"You’re not a soldier. You’re just a kid."  

"I am a soldi—ugh!"  

I flicked her forehead. A sharp snap echoed, and her head jerked back.  

"It’s a miracle Boyan left you behind and ran off with Ismael. Knowing his personality, I figured he’d rather die here than abandon you."  

"He was the only one strong enough to break the locks. We kept running, forcing open every sealed door in our way."  

As I finished administering first aid, I quietly studied Yanaka’s face.

"And on top of that, you promised Boyan you’d survive, didn’t you? That’s the only way he would’ve left you behind."  

Yanaka didn’t deny it.  

"…If you made a promise, you should keep it. You still have strength left in your arms, so get on. Carrying you is nothing for me."  

As I spoke, I hoisted Yanaka onto my back. She didn’t resist and quietly let herself be carried.  

'She’s not someone who’s truly prepared to die. That was just learned bravado.'  

With Yanaka on my back, I stepped into the passage leading to the back door. A metal staircase descending downward came into view.  

The stairs were rusted, as if they hadn’t been used in ages. This passage must have been sealed off when the auction house was expanded and remodeled.  

The trembling in Yanaka’s arms, which were wrapped around my shoulders and neck, gradually faded. She must have felt reassured.  

Tung! Tung!  

The echo of my footsteps against the metal stairs was hollow.  

I moved swiftly but absorbed the impact with my lower body to keep from aggravating Yanaka’s wounds.  

"Hey, old man."  

Yanaka spoke up.  

"If you need to pee, just do it on my back. It’s a natural bodily function, after all."  

The moment the words left my mouth, a chill ran down my spine. It felt like Yanaka might suddenly press a dagger to my neck.  

"…Are you insane?"  

"You still have the energy to talk back, so you’re not dying yet."  

At the bottom of the stairs, a corridor leading to the first floor appeared.  

On the floor lay broken chains and shattered locks, their destruction purely physical. Boyan’s handiwork, no doubt.  

Yanaka hesitated before speaking.  

"I… don’t want to be a burden to anyone. I wanted to become someone who could live confidently, without relying on others—without needing the help of adults."  

Her body had weakened, and now her heart had as well. Even with the first aid, she was still gravely injured. Today could very well be her last.  

I set her down at the base of the stairs and adjusted my collar.  

"There’s no one strong enough to go through life without help. Whether you’re a child or an adult, it’s the same."  

"You need other people’s help too?"  

In Yanaka’s eyes, I probably seemed like some capable, all-knowing adult—someone who could do anything.  

I had felt the same way when I first met Hemillas. He had seemed like a perfect being.  

"…I always need help. Even now."  

Just as I was about to step forward, static crackled in my communicator. Placing a hand to my ear, I focused.  

- I’ve taken out the guards at the back door and secured Ismael and the Crawler. However, the Crawler got too agitated and kept attacking, so I broke one of its arms and legs and knocked it out.

"You did well. That’s about what it takes to stop a Crawler."  

I let out a sigh of relief.  

'Lars saved my ass.'  

I had tended to Yanaka and left the rest to Lars.  

If Lars hadn’t been here, would I have let Yanaka die and gone after Ismael and Boyan?  

'…I don’t know.'  

*         *         *  

I was currently a member of the Empire, carrying out the Emperor’s orders.  

For that reason, I had no intention of revealing myself to Ismael.  

'But circumstances always change.'  

Ismael and I had lost contact for some time. Naturally, he would be suspicious of my true intentions and objectives. On top of that, I was now accompanied by Lars, who was unmistakably an Imperial soldier.  

I walked toward Ismael and Boyan, whom Lars had secured.  

"So it really was you, Luka."  

Ismael, sitting on a street bench, stared at me.  

"Call for medical support first. Yanaka is critically wounded."  

I laid the wheezing Yanaka onto another bench. Her consciousness was fading.  

"They’re already on their way. Which means we don’t have much time to talk."  

I cast a brief glance at the unconscious Boyan before looking away.  

"I won’t take up much of your time, Deputy Minister."  

I kept it concise, summarizing the situation regarding Son Seok-jae. When I told him Son Seok-jae was dead, Ismael’s eyes widened.  

"…I lost the game of wits, then. I appreciate you saving me, but I can’t help but question your motives and allegiances."  

Ismael held my gaze, speaking boldly despite his life being in my hands.  

Thud.  

I sat down next to him.  

"Deputy Minister, I have no intention of defecting to the Federation. I don’t care about the MAU development that you hold in such high regard. I couldn’t care less about being called 'the Empire’s Blade,' and frankly, the rivalry between the Empire and the Federation isn’t my concern anymore. If people want to play spy games, they can do it without me."  

Ismael wasn’t the only one surprised by my words. Even Lars flinched and looked at me.  

"What do you mean?"  

"I saved you. And as a bonus, I also saved Yanaka Bondred, a Federation asset. Even that idiot over there—Boyan—unleashed his inner beast to protect you."  

"Are you saying you want to make a deal with me?"  

I chuckled and shook my head.  

"This isn’t a negotiation, much less a threat. It’s just a request. You’re a high-ranking official in the Federation… You hold both influence and power. With Son Seok-jae dead, your path forward is wide open."

Ismael’s pupils trembled.  

"A request, huh? That’s unexpected."  

I didn’t bring up any complicated interests. There was no time for that, and besides, Ismael was already calculating the costs and benefits in his head.  

"I only want one thing. Within the limits of your authority, protect those connected to me."  

Ismael let out a laugh that shook his shoulders, gazing up at the sky before speaking.  

"If that’s all, I could just call it a trade for saving my life. I’m quite fair when it comes to these things."  

"If you see it as a transaction… then you’ll only do as much as your life is worth. But if it’s a request, you might do more."  

"You have a high opinion of me, Luka."  

"It’s not a high opinion—I just think you’re the same kind of person as me."  

With that, I stood up.  

We are creatures of emotion. When it comes down to it, emotions guide us more than calculations.  

At the critical moments of my life, what saved me was never the price of a deal—it was always the return of kindness.  

It was the same for Anguis Regina. The small kindness she showed to Ragnata came back to her in a great reward.  

Of course, sometimes kindness returns as a cruel blade. I used to fear that.  

'If you let the fear of betrayal keep you from trusting people, you’ll never move forward.'  

Remember—one mistake is enough.

If you find any errors ( broken links, non-standard content, etc.. ), Please let us know < report chapter > so we can fix it as soon as possible.