episode_0008

Only after the silver flash completely disappeared into the dawn sky did I realize I had been holding my breath.

“Hey, Cog7!”

“Are you okay? How’s the mech?”

“What on earth did you talk about with the Silver Witch?”

“Why did Icarus invite you…?”

The mercenaries slowly approached me, pelting me with questions.

Irritation welled up.

Just a few weeks ago, these same people were busy bossing around the rookie, and now their sudden pretense of familiarity was nauseating.

I wasn’t in the mood to answer their questions, nor did I feel obligated, so I walked past them in silence, heading towards the hangar.

As I reached the hangar entrance, as expected, Sergeant Bulldog was waiting for me, arms crossed.

His expression had changed from blatant hostility to a sly, cunning smile, as if trying to grasp and exploit the situation.

“Wow, Cog7. You’re the pride of our mercenary group. Who knew you’d manage to get one over on the Silver Witch!”

He tapped my shoulder exaggeratedly, continuing his sarcastic remarks.

“So Yuna-nim personally invited you? Haha, what an honor! Icarus Technology… this could be an opportunity for Chronos to establish a good relationship too. If you could act as a bridge for us…”

I cut him off coldly.

“Is that all you have to say?”

I said, feigning a glance at the credit balance on my personal terminal.

Current balance: 20300 CR.

This amount was enough for me to get by for a while without his nagging.

“And my conversation with her was a private matter. It’s not something Chronos should meddle with.”

At my firm attitude, the fake smile vanished from Bulldog’s face.

He bit his lip, vexed, but could no longer casually order or interrogate me.

“Stop right there, Cog7.”

His voice sank low and threateningly.

The fawning mask seemed to have been completely discarded.

I stopped walking and turned to face him. I had a rough idea of what he would say.

“Did that arrogant Silver Witch of a bitch sweet-talk you? What makes you so puffed up?”

His gaze swept over me from head to toe.

I stared at him silently, waiting for his next words.

“Just because you got some lucky attention, do you think the world revolves around you? Don’t be mistaken. You’re still nothing. Just a replaceable part!”

His words contained the cynicism and grasp of reality of someone who had long experience in the mercenary world.

They weren’t wrong words. But hearing them from his mouth was simply revolting.

“Don’t be so happy just because a corporation took an interest in you.”

The contempt in Bulldog’s voice deepened.

“They’ll chew you up and spit you out whenever they don’t need you anymore.”

He took another step towards me.

His eyes held a clear warning along with a subtle threat.

“And don’t forget, Cog7. You’re still part of Chronos. I’m your commander! Remember that if you try to fly too high… your wings might break.”

His last words were an open threat.

His true intention was to keep me under his control, regardless of my involvement with Icarus.

His gaze was like that of a master trying to put a leash back on.

Suddenly, something snapped inside me.

There was no longer any need to be tied down to this dreadful place, this place that treated me like a part.

Without a word, I slowly brought my hand to the ‘Cog7’ identification patch on the shoulder of my combat suit.

Bulldog looked at me with a puzzled expression, unsure of what I was about to do.

Rip!

I snatched the patch without hesitation.

“Go screw yourself.”

The sharp sound of cheap velcro tearing echoed through the hangar.

I looked down at the detached ‘Cog7’ patch for a moment.

This insignia that had been my name, that defined me as a part. I crumpled it casually in my hand.

Then, looking Bulldog straight in the eye, I spoke coldly and resolutely.

“Not anymore.”

My voice was low, but the resolve within it was harder than anything.

“I, Kang Jin-woo,”

I revealed my true name for the first time.

“As of today, I am withdrawing from the Chronos Mercenary Group.”

I tossed the patch in my hand at his feet.

As if discarding trash.

“You’re not my commander anymore, Bulldog.”

At my declaration, Bulldog’s face was painted with shock.

He was speechless for a moment, only blinking his eyes.

The mercenaries watching this scene nearby also froze, holding their breath.

To dare declare withdrawal right in front of the commander.

And in such a manner. It must have been unimaginable for them.

“You, you just said…!”

Bulldog, belatedly regaining his composure, turned red and bellowed.

He trembled with clenched fists as if he would lunge at me any second, but he couldn’t bring himself to act.

Was it because of the killing intent in my eyes, or because of the obvious interest Yuna-nim had shown in me just moments before?

His angry shouts echoed from behind me, but they didn’t stop my footsteps.

In a corner of the hangar, Foreman Han was tidying up his tools.

He seemed to have witnessed the entire commotion, looking at me with a mix of surprise and a subtle sense of satisfaction.

“Huh… you actually did it. What are you going to do about the consequences, rookie? You’re truly alone now.”

Foreman Han mumbled beside me, as if worried.

“Do you think Bulldog will let you go easily with his personality? He could call the guards right now, thrash you, and seize your mech.”

“I know.”

I replied briefly.

“That’s why I need to hurry.”

I quickly climbed into the Bugbear’s cockpit.

“You’re leaving now? You haven’t even checked the mech after the fight with Silvera?!”

“As you said, Foreman, who knows when Bulldog will pull some dogshit stunt? This amount of damage is fine.”

“Hah! So you’re just leaving without a goodbye?”

Foreman Han grumbled, expressing his inward disappointment.

“I know. I just got carried away and couldn’t help it.”

“Tsk…”

“I have no intention of working any longer under a bastard who treats people like parts. He’s a human scumbag who didn’t even bother to recover the bodies of Sparky, Jinx, and Cog4.”

“Hah, alright, a skilled pilot like you won’t die a lonely death anywhere.”

Foreman Han rubbed his wrinkled forehead, then turned away.

“Go. Before that bastard Bulldog bursts in.”

“It was short, but I am grateful.”

“Hmph, get lost.”

[System activated. Main power engaged. Reactor booster standby mode.]

The dashboard lit up, and the mech rumbled to life with a low vibration.

I gripped the controls and took a deep breath.

Now, only one thing remained: passing through that massive hangar door.

“Let’s go.”

I slowly increased the Bugbear’s engine output.

*****

Bulldog stood by the window of his office, coldly watching the old Bugbear exit the hangar and take off.

The mech bore obvious signs of patchwork repairs, but the booster flame during takeoff appeared distinctly more powerful than before.

It seemed that punk had installed some rather useful items overnight.

Parts bought without his permission, perhaps even with his own funds.

‘That arrogant punk…!’

Bulldog clenched his fist once more.

A strong impulse arose to activate the base defense turrets and shoot down that mech immediately.

Or should he send a pursuit squad to capture him, then thoroughly crush him as an example?

His pride wouldn’t allow him to simply let go of someone who dared defy him, even insulting him to his face and declaring withdrawal.

But there was something that held him back.

The overwhelming presence of the silver mech that had visited his base this dawn, and its pilot, Yuna-nim.

Her cold warning, and the clear interest she had shown in Cog7—no, in that punk Kang Jin-woo.

And the colossal name of Icarus Technology, the company she belonged to.

‘Damn it… that unlucky bitch.’

Bulldog gritted his teeth.

If Yuna-nim hadn’t appeared, that punk would either be rotting in an underground prison with broken limbs, or already be space debris.

But with Icarus involved, he couldn’t rashly provoke him.

‘If I mess with someone a corporation has their eye on, who knows what trouble I’ll get into.’

He had seen countless times the miserable ends mercenary groups like Chronos met when they displeased giant corporations.

Audits, sanctions, even armed conflicts disguised as ‘unfortunate accidents.’ He couldn’t risk such dangers just for that one punk now.

Though his insides were boiling, he had to judge rationally. For now, letting him go was the right move.

‘Hmph, he’ll think he’s gained freedom.’

Bulldog sneered as he watched the lights of the departing Bugbear.

‘At best, he’s just breaking free from the small fence of Chronos to switch to a bigger, flashier leash called Icarus. That punk won’t know yet how cunning and cruel those corporate bastards are.’

Once they’ve sucked him dry, he’ll be ruthlessly discarded or thrown into dangerous missions as cannon fodder.

Or he might disappear in an unfortunate accident before then.

‘Yeah, maybe it’s for the best. Let’s just consider it getting rid of one troublesome guy.’

Bulldog consoled himself thus and averted his gaze.

He had no intention of reporting Kang Jin-woo to his superiors for the time being.

It was better to bury it quietly.

Instead, if the opportunity arose later, he could discreetly leak information about that punk to Icarus and profit from it.

He sank deep into his office chair and began to plan recruiting new Cogs.

Kang Jin-woo had left, but Chronos had to keep running.

There were always plenty of replaceable parts. It was just that this particular part had been unusually noisy and annoying.