The embarrassment did not easily subside.
Why is the 'teacher' who suddenly disappeared sitting in the office of the CellbroLogics Lab? When on earth did his relationship with the lab begin? Was it before or after he got to know me?
A lot of suspicions have arisen and settled down. I have excluded things that I can infer on my own. Things that are not so essential. Things that I can figure out quickly if I put my mind to it and investigate.
There was a question that remained until the end.
'how…?'
Laonis looked straight at the other person's face. The one who had been his teacher in the past was smiling faintly. It was a cold expression, with only the corners of his mouth going up and his eyes not smiling.
A mentor who taught Laonis, who was introduced to me through my father 20 years ago, how to fly when he was in despair after losing his right leg.
He was still the same.
It was strangely still the same.
He hasn't aged a bit since I remember him.
"You look confused."
The man who had been through the years smiled brightly.
"What's so strange?"
"...You know. It's been 20 years. But, teacher…."
"Aren't you the same?"
"yes?"
"Once something goes wrong, it's hard to fix, and he doesn't show his emotions easily. When I see news that business is going well, it seems he's developed an eye for numbers, but his people skills are still shallow."
Laonis's brow furrowed.
I know what he meant. It's a way of speaking to avoid a bad topic by picking on him for no reason. Even though I could clearly see his true intentions, I still felt repulsed. It was pathetic, but there was nothing I could do.
I want to be acknowledged as a mature person by my teacher whom I haven't seen in a long time. It was a very natural desire. Especially since he is someone I truly respect.
But there was no room to refute.
"Putting Saddam aside."
The man in front of me sat up straight.
"Let's talk about the contract. Since the CEO of ASUS General Trading Company has come to visit us in person, we will try our best to accommodate your needs. However, we will reject any unreasonable conditions."
The atmosphere changed as if he had changed his clothes. The arrogance that was typical of capitalists disappeared. The empty space was filled with the coolness and strictness of a researcher.
"Building materials for facility expansion and maintenance. Materials for research and personnel equipment or their production. Your cooperation will be of great help to the lab."
"Providing? Distributing...."
"Yes? What are you talking about? Of course. I am very careful about choosing words. If you distribute the necessary items, of course I will buy them at a reasonable price."
'Reasonable price' seemed to be quite different from what Laonis thought. He had to come to his senses. The opponent he was facing now was not Mascherano, but Kushan. This was a place of business, not education.
Yeah, I know that.
'Ugh.'
Those eyes were the problem. Those deep, yet somehow sinister eyes. Even though he was acting like the director of the research institute, his gaze towards Raonis remained the same as that of his former teacher.
He kicked the wheelchair away because he got one number wrong.
Every time I made a slip of the tongue in a meeting, my cane was confiscated.
For crying once, they forced me to do a three-month internship as a disabled person… … .
Memories of a past that were pitiful and shameful.
A nightmare from my immature teenage years.
'Damn it. Why did I come all the way here?'
I shouldn't have come. I regret it so much.
* * *
Kushan summarized his conversation with Laonis in one sentence.
"You're a very communicative person."
"I guess it went well."
"It's more than I thought."
A comfortable posture with his body buried in the backrest and a faint smile on his lips. He looked happy for the first time in a long time. This might have been the first time that the 'guest' brought by Kim I-hyeon had brought joy to Ku-san.
It's not clear exactly how it went, but it was possible to predict it. Their relationship was also mentioned in the game.
'I do have a wide network of connections.'
If Banjar's information that hit Kim Ihyeon on the back of the head was a shallow connection, Laonis was a deep connection. Kushan's various names are not just ghost-like identities for camouflage.
After living under an assumed identity for at least a year or two and building relationships with others, periodically contact useful contacts or sow seeds in advance like Laonis.
Kushan has accumulated knowledge and experience in this way.
'If the contract is concluded, there is nothing more to say.'
It's time to get to the point.
"I heard there's a summit."
"Did you know?"
"I heard it while playing at St. Kitts."
"Can you call that playing?"
He smiled as if he found it ridiculous and nodded his head.
"Yes. That's good, I was just about to deliver it. The one who proposed it is the Emperor of Shiran. He must have been watching it since the days of Flaoria and Cilicia, but the incident in Bastitera must have been the trigger."
"The legion is your goal?"
"I don't know. It could simply be that they don't like the chaotic situation on the continent. It could also be a warning not to be provoked by terrorism and cause unnecessary trouble."
widely.
Kushan lightly hit the desk with his palm.
"Even if the intention is unclear, it's a good flow for us."
The current Cellbrox Lab is qualified. Qualified to intervene in the talks as a bridge between Bastitera and other countries. Even if they are not good enough, they can accompany us as an attendant.
"We will condemn the Legion. We must designate them as public enemies of the continent. At the very least, this will make the powerful people involved in the conference more vigilant and prepare for terrorism."
I don't even expect support for rap. Let those in power protect their own countries. If they can't, let them cooperate with each other. And let's not just reject rap when it tries to interfere.
The task of piecing together a piece of paper torn into dozens of pieces.
Even if it looks ugly with all that tape stuck on, it's fine.
Because there is no way that harmony would be meaningless.
'We've finally made it here.'
Kim Yi-hyun clenched his fists under the table. Episode 13. Unlike before, no dangerous incidents occurred. However, it was an unmissable turning point in the development.
The time when the counterattack begins after being beaten by the Legion.
The important fact is that the current continent is not all that it used to be. Cilicia, Bastite, and other countries that had been successively destroyed and devastated are still standing.
We must preserve the power of the continent as it is now. We must withdraw the Legion in order to get through the second half. Of course, if we proceed just like the game, we will reach the ending… … .
'I can never see that sight again.'
Polaris' main episode ends on a very unpleasant note. Overall, it's a happy ending, but it's an ending that really messes with the user's heart.
It must be changed.
When I killed Shadow and saved Ghost. When I brought Asterike in. When my comrades were killed by Snowfield. When I wounded Asterike in an attempt to kill Snowfield.
So much so that it would be cumbersome to list them all.
I have made up my mind again and again. Every time the ethical consciousness of the human being 'Kim Lee-hyun' holds me back, I have focused only on the goal and rationalized myself. The path I have walked is stained with the blood of others.
If you can't turn back, you have no choice but to move forward.
"Have you set your schedule?"
"They said it was July 30th. It's just a schedule, though."
"There are still two months left."
This time, Kim Yi-hyeon was determined to actively intervene. It was an episode that had little to do with the professor's growth. Above all, he had to be wary of variables that could arise because it was reality.
'I don't know where or how things might go wrong.'
It wouldn't be strange if the godmother, who had her eyes wide open by the foul language, terrorized the conference room. The godmother wouldn't be safe, but the damage to the continent would be enormous. We need to keep an eye on all possibilities.
"If you plan on participating, just wait quietly."
"I guess I should do that. It's a bit ambiguous where I should go."
Only after hearing the answer did Kushan let out a sigh of relief. If Kim I-Hyeon had kidnapped someone again with the meeting just around the corner… he felt like he would faint from the stress.
'But it's Shiran.'
He clicked his tongue in a volume that Kim Yi-hyeon couldn't hear. Even though it had been quite some time since they last met, the Emperor's face came to mind clearly.
'What are your intentions?'
It seems that Legion is gradually becoming a thorn in his side.
* * *
When I returned from my trip, it was full-blown spring.
Warm sunlight poured down on the ruined land of Shalem. The flower petals scattered by the wind gently landed on the bizarrely grown vines and tree roots.
And the vines were all set ablaze. The heat made the air sway. The flames spread here and there, but they did not spread out of control.
"덥네…."
"It's hot."
"Don't you want to eat ice cream?"
"Ugh. It'll all melt?"
"I guess so."
Kim Yi-hyun and Chelsea were sitting side by side in front of a large tree as big as a shopping mall. They were both sweating profusely and fanning their faces with their hands. They desperately needed a portable fan.
It wasn't a matter of the weather.
─Kwaaaaang!
The blunt blade of the [Vibranium Composite Sword] slammed into the ground. Sparks flew everywhere along with the asphalt fragments. Lava that resembled blood seeped into the cracks in the road.
"a little!"
bang!
"Chooooom…!"
Whoa!
"asleep!"
Whoa!
Smoke rose where the flames had swept. Asterike took a deep breath and raised her sword again. Edwin, a few steps away, also grabbed his shield.
"You can't die, right…."
"Practice is like the real thing. The real thing is like practice. Haven't you heard of it?"
"Personally, I think that's nonsense. If we practice like it's real combat, there won't be any healthy soldiers in the world. They'll all get shot and die during training."
For a moment, Asterike's expression became blank. At least to her ears, it sounded convincing. I thought he was a bit of a fool since Chelsea had also called him a swindler. Wasn't that the case?
I tried hard to shake off the wandering thoughts.
"Anyway! If you do it roughly, it's meaningless."
"Ha. I'm in pain too, but…."
There was a reason they were fighting in broad daylight.
It wasn't a feud between colleagues. Of course, it wasn't some kind of shady culture like a new employee's initiation ceremony. It was a healthy sparring match that came about simply out of necessity.
Asterike wanted a target to clash with freely. On the other hand, Edwin wanted a situation to check the durability of the equipment. There was an agreement between the two.
In fact, Edwin had asked Asterike to set up her equipment like a sandbag and pour out spells… but it didn't work. She wasn't a volunteer.
Kim Lee-hyun said something to the two who were arguing.
- Go out and fight.
This is the inside story of how I ended up going out and fighting.
"It's already been 30 minutes. Aren't you tired?"
"Edwin looks tired."
"Isn't that enough equipment?"
"It was enough. Now it's broken."
The shield that had stood firm for so long was nearing its end.
It certainly wasn't bad. Of the 30 minutes, there wasn't much time that was blocked by the shield. But the fact that it withstood Asterike's spells already proved its quality.
It's a luxury item that's too good to be thrown away as scrap...
"So what? I'll send you something better."
"The rich are the best, after all. Right?"
"That's true."
However, this did not mean that Asterike overwhelmed Edwin.
The record so far is 5:0.
It's Asterique's 5th loss.
'It's probably 6 losses now.'
At that moment, Edwin raised his shield and kicked the ground. The curved flames avoided the shield and aimed for Edwin's body. However, rather than blocking or avoiding it, they only increased their speed.
The top was already almost burnt, exposing the skin to the flames. The skin was melting and the muscles were quickly eaten away, but there was no sign of stopping.
As the distance narrowed, Asterike's face became filled with despair. Taking advantage of the difference in reach, she swung her fire-covered sword widely. Just before the swords made contact, Edwin slid in with a nimble glide.
"Ugh!"
It was then that Asterike pulled her tongue all the way into her mouth.
Bam!
A fist landed on his jaw. It wasn't strong enough to break a bone. But it was enough to shake his head, causing Asterike's body to sway and then collapse.
"Ugh…."
"Are you okay?"
He didn't even offer a hand to tell him to get up. Asterike didn't seem particularly dissatisfied with that. In fact, Edwin's injuries were much more serious.
It was 'serious'. It recovered completely in less than 30 seconds though.
"This is absolutely ridiculous."
It was a fight that was structurally unwinnable. For Edwin, defeat meant immediate death. No matter how injured he was, he recovered in an instant. He could never lose in a duel format unless he passed out.
But since she couldn't really try to kill him, Asterike had no choice but to limit the output of her spells, whether consciously or unconsciously.
This is what it felt like for Kim Yi-hyeon.
'Reducing the opponent's HP to 0 is prohibited. Edwin has about 100 HP potions, while Asterike has 0.'
Even if my ancestors came, I couldn't win. In a real fight, it might be possible, but in the form of a duel. With Pecatum's strong body added, there was no other spell as deceptive as that.
But let's say it the other way around.
'It's a sandbag that never breaks.'
I think the first person to notice in the rap was Asterike.
"Whew! Break's over. One more time."
"…How long will this last?"
"Until I win."
It was a spring day.
* * *
The next day.
Unexpected news arrived in the morning breeze.
"It seems there's trouble in Cilicia."
"Oh, what is it now?"
You won't leave me alone.