episode_0055

“Alright, alright. I’ll really handle it carefully this time.”

Leaving Scarlet’s nagging behind, I headed straight for Kaien’s office.

“Kang Jin-woo?”

Nix, who had been looking at her data pad, raised her head and spotted me, her eyes widening slightly.

Instead of my usual training clothes, I was wearing active-looking cargo pants and a black turtleneck.

“Nix, Kaien-nim doesn’t seem to be here?”

“Yeah. She went out for a patrol and some other errands. It’ll probably take another hour or two.”

She replied briefly and was about to turn her gaze back to the data pad when she suddenly looked at me again, as if something had occurred to her.

“Oh, by the way, the combat protocol training is officially over now. Your learning speed was so fast that we could finish earlier than scheduled.”

“That’s thanks to you. Your explanations were so clear they really stuck with me.”

At my compliment, she gave a small cough and avoided my gaze.

“As for hand-to-hand combat or dagger skills… well, if you want, I can sometimes make time to train you. I don’t like my body getting stiff either.”

She spoke as if doing me a favor, but there seemed to be a subtle hint of anticipation in her voice.

“That’s great. I still have a lot to learn from you. Please take good care of me.”

“Hmph, why are you being so formal all of a sudden?”

Nix replied curtly, but she couldn’t hide the slight upward curve of her lips.

An awkward silence hung in the air for a moment, and she fiddled with her data pad before asking abruptly.

“Yesterday… where did you go? I couldn’t reach you all day.”

Nix’s voice was normal, but it felt as if it had an edge to it.

“Oh, an urgent request came in, so I handled that and came back.”

At my answer, Nix stared at me silently for a moment, then let out a light sigh and spoke.

“Right… You must be busy. Well, you have to earn your living.”

I felt a sense of disappointment that was hard to describe. It was as if she was sulking because I hadn’t told her first.

“Are you worried about me?”

When I asked playfully, Nix’s face flushed slightly as she retorted.

“W-who’s worried about that! It’s just… I was worried you might cause trouble again! Then Kaien-nim would get tired!”

Saying that, she abruptly stood up from her seat and headed towards the exit.

“I need to start preparing for patrol myself. Come by for a sparring session if you have time.”

After Nix left, I sank deep into the sofa.

Outside the window, the complex and vibrant scenery of Terminus Station unfolded, but my gaze was fixed on the opaque future beyond it.

‘A happy ending, huh… easier said than done.’

Ever since I fell into this world, one goal has never left my mind.

To avoid the numerous tragic endings of the game I knew, *Galaxy Titans*, and to create an ending where everyone could smile.

That was my reason for living in this unfamiliar reality, and perhaps even the meaning of my existence.

Preventing Gideon’s downfall from Vance was the first step.

But the countless events yet to come still felt like a massive mountain.

The endless power struggles between corporations, inter-planetary wars due to resource depletion, and… the unidentified threat that led everything to ruin.

In the game, it was just a storyline, but now it was a reality I had to directly confront and fight.

‘My strength alone isn’t enough. My mech isn’t perfect yet either.’

Even with my knowledge of the game and Asura’s increased power thanks to Scarlet’s help, it was nowhere near enough to change the flow of this vast world.

I quietly opened the system window to check my current skills.

[Skills Owned]

[Movement Flow – Lv.2]

[Data Ghost – Lv.1] [Enhancement Complete]

‘Still Level 2. Data Ghost is only Level 1, I see.’

Thanks to the enhancement tokens, the additional effects had become powerful, but the skill level itself still had a long way to go.

‘Leveling up is slower than I thought.’

But the very existence of these levels was a source of hope for me. I could still grow stronger.

‘I need to build up my influence. With my own hands, I’ll save the key figures of this world and build a new future with them.’

I took out my data pad and checked the emergency communication channel information Gideon had given me last time.

My hesitation was brief.

‘A mysterious research group… Gideon might know something about them.’

Given Icarus Technology’s vast information network and his insight as a commander, he might know something about the unknown research group Scarlet had mentioned.

In particular, the existence of Nightfall, which they supposedly created, was a dangerous factor that couldn’t be ignored.

If the prototype was that powerful, I was afraid of what it would be like if it were completed.

[Commander Gideon-nim, this is Kang Jin-woo. I have a request.]

Not long after sending the message, his reply arrived.

[Calling after a long time without even asking how I’m doing, just a request… I suppose that’s just like you. What is your request?]

[Commander-nim, have you perhaps… ever heard of a research group that secretly developed autonomous combat weapons during the former United Government era?]

[A research group, you say… That’s news to me. Wasn’t that just a circulating urban legend?]

His reaction was as expected.

Scarlet had also dismissed it as an urban legend, so there would likely be few official records or information remaining.

But I had concrete evidence.

[It might not be a simple legend, Commander-nim.]

I transmitted the combat log video of my fight with Nightfall in the abandoned mine a while ago to Gideon.

[This… I’ll have to verify.]

Silence hung for several minutes.

[This video, and what you experienced… it will require a thorough investigation. I will mobilize all of Icarus’s information networks to find clues about that research group and mech.]

[I’m counting on you.]

[Understood. I’ll contact you when the investigation is complete.]

****

In the Chronos Mercenary Corps’ command office, the musty smell of cigarette smoke and cheap distilled liquor stung the nose.

Sergeant Bulldog glared at the holographic report on his desk, his brows deeply furrowed.

The contents were dismal.

‘Operation to Reconnoiter and Secure Abandoned Mining Zone 7, Failure. Most deployed forces lost. No survivors.’

“Damn it!”

Bulldog slammed his heavy fist onto the desk.

The old desk groaned as if screaming.

This operation was part of his ambitious plan.

He had aimed to secure valuable ancient resources or data from the abandoned mine, hoping to use it as an opportunity to escape their perpetual third-rate mercenary status and make a leap forward.

But the result was this disaster.

“Who in the world, what damn bastards dared to provoke Chronos!”

The report stated that an unidentified high-performance mech had appeared and instantly decimated their allied forces.

‘All data wiped too? How absurd.’

Bulldog’s mind raced with complicated thoughts.

“Commander-nim, we have a visitor.”

Just then, an adjutant carefully opened the door and reported. Bulldog snapped back in an irritated voice.

“A visitor? What visitor at this hour! Send them away immediately!”

“W-well… they say they’re from Nemesis Corporation. They have an important matter…”

“Nemesis Corporation?”

Bulldog’s eyes narrowed instantly.

Nemesis was one of the giant corporations, rivaling Icarus.

Furthermore, they hadn’t been in contact since the last failed mission, so what business could they have?

An ominous premonition struck him, but he couldn’t very well turn away a representative from a giant corporation.

“…Let them in.”

A moment later, a man in a neat black suit entered the command office, guided by the adjutant.

A small badge indicating his high-ranking position in Nemesis Corporation was pinned to his lapel.

“You must be Commander Bulldog-nim of the Chronos Mercenary Corps. I am Naze, a representative sent by Commander Lucas-nim of Nemesis Corporation’s Far East Branch.”

“To such a humble place, what brings you here… Do you perhaps have a request for us?”

Bulldog hid his true feelings and asked, flattering him as obsequiously as possible.

“Rather than a request… I’ve come to verify a few things.”

Naze sat down and placed the data pad he was holding onto the table.

“Recently, our Nemesis Corporation experienced an unpleasant incident where we were attacked by an unidentified mech.”

Naze lightly tapped the data pad.

“We mobilized all of our internal information networks to track the mech’s whereabouts and discovered a very interesting fact.”

A holographic video appeared, playing a combat log where the dark red Asura unilaterally destroyed Nemesis Corporation’s Stinger mechs.

“After tracking, this mech’s origin point is…”

Naze’s cold gaze turned to Bulldog.

He then pushed the data pad towards Bulldog and played the next video.

The video was a combat log from the abandoned asteroid mining base in Sector Gamma-7, which had been leaked from Icarus Technology to Nemesis in the past.

It was none other than the exact scene where Cog7, Kang Jin-woo, swung a rusty Bugbear-model drill bit and smashed pirate mechs.

‘Cog7… Kang Jin-woo! Why is that guy in Nemesis’s records…?’

Bulldog’s face twisted in confusion.

He didn’t know how Nemesis had obtained that video, but what mattered was what came next.

Naze displayed the two videos side by side and presented additional data comparing and analyzing the movement and energy patterns of the two mechs.

“As you can see, Commander Bulldog-nim. Our analysis team’s conclusion is clear. The pilot, formerly known as Cog7, who was part of your mercenary corps, and now presumed to be code-named Asura, is the same person.”

He continued as he flipped through the data pad.

“Although the mech used has changed, his unique combat style and abnormal maneuvering patterns couldn’t be hidden.”

Naze stared at Bulldog with sharp eyes.

“We’ve concluded that this pilot is highly likely to still be connected to your mercenary corps in some way, or possesses important information about his activities.”

Bulldog tried to hide the cold sweat trickling down his spine as he licked his dry lips.

The situation was spiraling towards the worst. Kang Jin-woo, that damn punk, had become a target of Nemesis Corporation, and now the fallout was about to hit him.

“W-well… that Cog7 guy is a pain for us too. He unilaterally left the mercenary corps a long time ago, and his whereabouts have been unknown ever since.”

Bulldog rattled off pathetic excuses, trying to evade responsibility.

“So… what exactly do you want?”

As if he had been waiting, Naze leaned forward slightly and spoke.

“It’s simple, Commander Bulldog-nim. We want to eliminate or capture the pilot named Asura. The same goes for his mech. That’s why we need your help.”

“Help, you say… Specifically what kind of…”

“We believe you are highly likely to know information about him, his past activities, or his weaknesses.”

Naze paused for a moment, then made an even more tempting offer.

“If you contribute to handling him, we will offer appropriate compensation.”

Bulldog smiled and spoke without a moment’s hesitation.

“In that case, it’s precisely what I wanted.”

“First, I’d like to know his name.”