The Cellbrox Labs sent out agents on several occasions. Teams that were conducting separate operations were also sent to Bastitera as soon as they returned to the lab.
One of the teams that arrived that way was the professor's party.
"Ah, yes..."
"Is that the end of your appreciation?"
"No, I'm really surprised. My head just isn't keeping up with the story."
Leila groaned, pressing her temples. Kim Yi-hyun was also slightly flustered, although his agony was not as severe as hers.
'What the heck is that gesture?'
Maybe it was a communication with space or something. It was fun to watch. I got to the point where I could expect other people's reactions when I did something absurd.
"Oh… something big happened!"
Eventually, Leila gave up on the idea. She was smart, not stupid, but sometimes her brain would shut down in absurd situations.
That made sense.
How could something that started with the kidnapping of the princess lead to the purge of the nobles and preparations for war with the Legion? If I had heard it from a third party, even Kim I-hyeon himself would have tilted his head in confusion.
But so far, things have gone pretty much as expected.
'If there was a mistake, then I'm sorry.'
Ainoa's actions were bolder than expected. Even though they had laid the groundwork for him, he really shot all the nobles. There was no need to persuade or appease him.
In short, it was a good miscalculation.
"Thank you for confirming. We were initially informed of this before we left, but, um. We didn't quite understand it."
"Even if I hear it twice, it's the same to me."
It was Professor and Pablo in turn. It had been about two months. Technically speaking, it wasn't that long, but it felt like I hadn't seen him in half a year.
It was a matter of perception. There must have been so many incidents.
"That's right, Turkam's son asked me to tell you. He said he'd be here soon."
"The Turks?"
It was unexpected news.
In fact, Kim Yi-hyeon had half given up on taking Turkam with him like before. He thought he would have been exhausted from the last crisis.
To be blunt, he is only a reserve. Unlike Chelsea or Asterike, there is someone who can replace Turkam. If he refuses, there is no intention of forcing him to come.
But on the other hand, there is no need to send them back if they are motivated. A single reserve agent may not have much strategic value. Who knows what will happen in the future.
"You have more tenacity than I thought."
"yes?"
Pablo chuckled.
"He's a good guy, even though he's a jerk. No, he'll get better from now on. Even though he pretends not to like it on the outside, he's learning a lot from you. And he's well aware of that."
"I guess we're pretty close?"
"아...."
There was a pause for a few seconds.
"I've known you longer than other people."
Then he shut his mouth tightly. As if telling us not to ask for more details. Anyone could guess that there had been an incident in the past that he could not reveal publicly.
'Is there a backstory here too?'
Even this was an element that was added as Polaris became reality. Things that the developers probably didn't even think about, let alone mention in the game, were added here and there.
I don't really feel like digging into it. Unless someone asks for it first, like Asterike.
They were characters in the game, but they were also human beings living in the same reality.
"Anyway, Hyun, I'm glad you look healthy."
"You too."
I also exchanged greetings with Ghost. There was plenty of time. Kim Yi-hyun asked how things were going and told me how the episode went, and told me about various things about Bastet.
A thought suddenly occurred to me during the conversation.
'I don't know what to say, but I feel a strange sense of accomplishment.'
In the work, this is the time period after clearing the main episode 4. It is the time when the professor and agents gain experience, and the name of the lab gradually becomes known throughout the continent.
But what is the reality? We've skipped several episodes. The 'player' has arrived here way too early.
All of these changes were brought about by Kim Lee-hyun.
'I'm worried about that too.'
The professor is still inexperienced. The same goes for the agents, including Leila. The scale of the battles with the mercenaries is different from the ones we've had so far.
If, really, something unfortunate happens to the professor, it doesn't end with just an accident. At that point, you have to consider the option of giving up the lab.
'… … All these shitty thoughts.'
It's a waste of energy to plan a backstabbing. If you have the time, it's more constructive to try to predict one more Legion move.
No one can avoid death, but at least as many people as I know can survive.
That was the best effort Kim Lee-Hyeon could make.
* * *
Around midnight, the city was painted in ink.
"Oh, it's fucking cold."
Kim Yi-hyeon grumbled while wrapped in a blanket. The rooftop of the hotel. It was a much shorter building than the other buildings, but there was no problem looking down on the street.
Flickering streetlights and gangsters walking through back alleys. Closed clothing stores and grocery stores. On the other hand, there are also shops without signs that are wide open and emitting a crimson light.
It couldn't be said in vain that public security was good.
But it is vibrant. The atmosphere of Bastitera is palpable. It is different from the lively atmosphere of Cilicia, where the lights never go out, or the oppressed air of Atlanta.
While I was looking for a suitable expression, Wangseong caught my eye.
'This is definitely more convenient.'
When I first arrived in Bastitera, I stayed in the guest room of the Crystal Palace. It was to deal with Ainoa's personal situation immediately. Thanks to that, I ended up causing unnecessary misunderstandings.
After a whirlwind of bloodshed, the assassination attempts suddenly stopped.
'It seems the prince is also concerned about Ainoa's safety.'
It's not that we became close, but rather that we were simply in the same boat. We were not bad political partners. But our relationship may go wrong again someday.
The important thing for Kim Yi-hyun right now was that Ainoa was safe. Of course, Carmen was left there as a precaution against any unforeseen circumstances.
The rap team, including Kim Yi-hyun, are staying at a hotel. It's not as luxurious as Wang Sung's, but it's almost like renting a whole house. It's become a temporary base for the rap team.
So, naturally, this kind of situation arises.
"Hey, you were here."
I turned my head back at the familiar voice. I saw the professor covered in a blanket as well. She came up to me and took something out of her bosom.
"Okay, write it down."
A hot pack was thrust in front of him. Kim Yi-hyeon stared blankly and then took the hot pack. He felt the warmth rising from his palm and smiled bashfully.
"I thought you were going to give me cigarettes."
"I've never smoked, that's what I remember."
"I do that too. It's not good for your health and it's expensive."
"But everyone said that I couldn't quit."
"They say that the best thing to do is not to start."
"Pabl is like that too. He said, 'You shouldn't do this kind of thing.'"
"fool...."
I can imagine it. The way he speaks with a serious face while blowing smoke. Although he has never been seen as an ugly person, Pabul has established himself as a comedic character in Kim Yi-hyun's mind.
'The prejudice of the first mine slave is very big.'
It was a sad story, considering that Kim Lee-hyun himself had now become an agent.
If we assume that there is a 'player' who can force actions regardless of an individual's will, there is a possibility that Kim I-Hyeon would be thrown into the mine without being able to utter a word.
Just like Pablo back then.
"By the way, why did you come up here? You weren't even sleeping."
"What about Hyun?"
"The bed is hard, my head hurts because I keep thinking about various things, I feel like I'll get in trouble if I go out and walk around, it's awkward to walk around with horns on, etc."
"There are many reasons."
The professor chuckled. Each and every one of them was sincere, but it sounded like a joke.
"I was thinking of going and seeing it."
"What report? I heard it was from the Republic of Salares."
"That was just a recitation of what was said on paper."
What more could you ask for?
I tilted my head and then remembered. There was a time when the professor gave me some advice when I was feeling lost. I guess I took it more seriously than I thought.
'It was a story I shouldn't have let slip.'
I'm not the type to ignore other people's advice. Only I know exactly how I took it, but I'm glad it helped even a little.
"I did well. I think I did well."
The professor began to speak in a quiet tone.
"I took the initiative to act autonomously while taking care of external relations with the Republic. I also thought about operational efficiency as much as possible when deploying personnel… and I received help, so I think there were fewer mistakes."
As I said, I have received the results, even though I have not read the report. The Legion units that invaded the Republic of Salares have been successfully eliminated. It is said that they have also established friendly relations with the government.
"They say that quite a few Republic soldiers died. They didn't give me the exact number of casualties, but I was on the back lines and knew it, so it must have been more than one or two."
"Of course, if we fight, there will be casualties."
The event that ties together episodes 3 and 4. The beginning is mainly about friction with the Republic Army, and the middle part is mainly about battles with the Legion.
The officer does not appear, but the Walker unit participates in the battle. These soldiers are not human and move like zombies even when shot. They are definitely a difficult unit to deal with.
'There were originally three people who died in the rap.'
New operatives who are not playable characters will die. From the developers' perspective, they can't just kill off the main characters, so they chose suitable victims.
That's what the existing development is like.
"No one died on our side."
It was a performance that exceeded expectations.
The reasons are probably complex. Unlike the game, the fact that the ghost survived until now probably played a big role. But in any case, it means that the professor didn't spread shit.
Fortunately, the professor's mental state seemed to have returned to normal.
"Well done then. If you just keep doing what you're doing now, everything will be fine."
"It seems like it's quite lacking compared to the present."
The professor laughed, "Ahaha." Maybe it was because we had been together all this time. His smile resembled Leila's.
"While we were in the Republic, we finished up our work in Atlanta early and came here. I guess the other agents are interested in Hyun too."
"What kind of troublemaker are you being considered?"
"No, it's not like that. It's a good thing. I heard there are some agents who secretly want to be called team members."
"What is it secretly?"
"Why, there was a time before when I took three reserve agents with me. Just like that time."
It's already out since it doesn't come directly and claim its usefulness. It might be different if it had a useful spell like Navy.
"I got off track for a bit, but I was just saying thank you. I think I saw it clearly thanks to Hyun's sharp words. Like the direction I should pursue, or my purpose."
"purpose?"
Come to think of it, the professor's purpose was never clearly stated. Get caught up in battle with lost memories, get close to the lab's agents, participate in operations as a commander... .
When I looked at the overall narrative, I felt like it was flowing. Of course, he is not a completely passive character like Snowfield. He sometimes does strange things.
It's just not expressed in a sentence.
As time goes by, the professor's personality becomes more and more similar to Kim Yi-hyeon's. As he adapts to reality, he begins to show a cold side. To the point where users jokingly call him a psychopath.
"It's nothing special. I just want to lead them well so that no one dies if possible, that's all. I don't know what kind of person I was before, but... that's how I am right now."
"I see."
It seemed like everyone was the same.
The conversation ceased and silence fell. Breathing and puffs of breath were heard.
Kim Yi-hyeon shivered. As dawn deepened, the night air grew colder.
"Now that we're done talking, shall we go in?"
The professor will also have a big role to play in this operation. If he catches a cold and ruins his condition, it won't be something to laugh off. It may be funny to say that to someone who was there before.
It was the time when I was closing the blanket covering my body.
"Now, that's..."
The professor's gaze was focused on Kim Yi-Hyeon's hand. The back of his left hand. To be exact, from below the wrist to the back of his hand, gray crystals were sprouting out.
It was a trace of 'mutation'.
Kim Yi-hyeon clicked his tongue inwardly. He hadn't covered it up because he had only come out to get some fresh air. He couldn't help but blame his own carelessness.
"Don't tell anyone about it."
"Is there something wrong?"
"Not yet."
It was fortunate that the professor had lost his memory. He probably knew little about mutations or blue water.
'No, even if I remembered, this might be the first time something like this has happened.'
Even though I covered my hand, my gaze did not leave hers. I felt the need to add at least one word. I did not want to explain in detail, but simply.
"Once this matter is settled, I plan to have Kushan examine me separately."
"...If you say so, I understand."
He seemed to have a lot to say, but he was holding back. It was strangely awkward to have a professor who couldn't even walk on his own worry all the time since we first met.
'You're saying that the player and the professor still don't match up?'
Is it because you chose the male professor in the game?
* * *
December 24th, 5:03 AM.
South-central Bastitera, Castilian territory.
A tunnel dug by private laborers hired by the mountain nobles. Below the surface where the Pecatums lived unaware of anything, soldiers stood waiting armed.
"The order has been given."
The commander of the legion said after finishing the communication.
"It is the godmother's order. We advance."