Since the System made Kobayashi's rescue a clear condition, Mark guessed that the illustrator was still alive. He didn't know how long that would still be the case, however, so he had to take action as soon as possible.
The first thing he did was retrieve his phone and contact him by text as usual. Fortunately, the illustrator was alive and well.
Apparently he has undergone the Awakening process as well and thanks to that he was able to make it to safety. He was currently residing in an underground bomb shelter somewhere in Hope's End.
Though its name sounded a bit ominous, Hope's End was one of the most thriving cities in NUSA. It just happened to be a couple hour's drive from Stonegate City, which wasn't too far from their current location.
There were two problems, however. The first was that they were currently in the middle of an apocalypse, and with his powerful Soul being the main reason he suffered during Malarak's invasion, it was doubtful that he could have the usual relatively safe journey where he wouldn't encounter anything too powerful.
The second problem was the Peace Keepers themselves. It was clear that, from the moment they caught him, they had no plans of letting him go.
The friendly treatment he received was intended to convince him to join their organization and Mark had no doubt that it would completely flip if he declined their invitation. If that were to happen, only death would await him.
Best case scenario, he would be imprisoned for the rest of his life.
The idea of escaping had been on his mind ever since Lara referred to the room he woke up in as a prison, but it was impossible for the same reasons.
In the simplest of words, he was trapped.
His lacking capabilities meant he couldn't defy his captives, his ignorance of the matters involving the Awakened meant he couldn't just rely on himself, and with his world being absorbed into a place called the Underworld, the future didn't look the least bit bright.
His apprehension and distrust toward governments and similar organizations hadn't decreased one bit, but his choices were limited, to say the least.
Even if by some miracle he were to escape, the target on his back would ensure his freedom wouldn't last long. It was either work for the shadowy organization or try his luck at surviving in the Underworld.
'It's not like I have to stay loyal to them forever.' He had thought. 'Escaping could wait until I'm stronger.'
After much deliberation, Mark arrived at one conclusion: accept the Peace Keeper's invitation and look for an opportunity to slip from their grasp.
He would have to play nice and earn their trust, and once the opportunity shows itself, freeing himself would be a matter of how good he turns out to be at stabbing people in the back.
With his decision already made, all that was left was to convince the Peace Keepers to help him with his quest.
The negotiations went as Mark had expected, with the Head General denying his request and insisting that he travel to the Overworld as soon as possible. Nevertheless, he was able to steer things in his direction.
A victory was still nowhere near, but compared to before he could at least see a road toward it.
"A quest, huh…" Natalie muttered to herself. "That's going to be a problem…"
"I'm glad you understand," Mark replied evenly.
"Well, since this illustrator friend of yours is in one of the shelters then he should be fine." Shrugging, she picked a paper from one of the stacks in front of her and began looking through it. "I will have someone deliver him here in a few hours."
Rebbeca had already informed him that the Peace Keepers had people guarding the underground bomb shelters to ensure the safety of the survivors. As long as Kobayashi remains in that shelter, no harm should reach him.
The most optimal way to finish the quest would be to send someone to retrieve both the illustrator and the computer that contains the original source code, but for some reason, Mark didn't feel like taking that option.
"I don't think the System would've given me those conditions if it wanted me to sit on my ass and let you do all work."
"There is no need to put yourself at risk. We…"Pausing for a few seconds, Natalie knit her brows and rubbed the bridge of her nose as if she were having a sudden headache. "You know what? Fine. You can go get your illustrator friend. I will even let you go look for your parents."
Mark was caught off guard by the sudden change and so he quickly became suspicious.
"I sense a really big but coming."
"Obviously." Tossing the paper onto her desk, she leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms. "First, you have to be done at least one day before the counter for the Complete Dimensional Collapse hits zero, even if something happens and it accelerates again.
"Second, you must join the Peace Keepers right now. I would've preferred it if you spent a couple of years in the academy first, but some field experience wouldn't hurt.
"Lastly, you must avoid taking risks and survive no matter the cost. I said it before and I will say it again; you are too valuable. Dying in a Lower Realm like this will be a huge loss for the forces of good all across the multiverse."
Mark stared at her for a while then let a smirk form on his face.
"Talk about unrealistic expectations."
Natalie smirked in turn.
"You are a Level 5 LRGS for god's sake." She shook her head with a smile/ "You wouldn't have Awakened with it if you weren't capable of at least this much."