episode_0010

When Yuna entered the private briefing room of Icarus Technologies’ Far Eastern branch, Lazer, Titan, and Doctor were already gathered around the central hologram table.

On the table, Yuna’s mock training battle data from the Chronos base was being replayed, accompanied by complex graphs and figures.

In particular, the scene where the tattered Bugbear displayed incredible movements, and the moment it landed a punch on Silvera’s shoulder, were being replayed repeatedly.

All three ace mercenaries were deeply engrossed in the scene.

“You’re here, Yuna.”

Lazer said, without taking his eyes off the hologram.

His voice was still filled with surprise.

“That ‘Driller’ guy, he’s really something. To scratch Silvera with a pile of junk. If he hadn’t surrendered at the end, I wonder what would have happened…”

Doctor adjusted his glasses and chimed in.

His eyes were fixed on Bugbear’s energy pattern graph.

“This energy signature is truly bizarre. It’s a method of momentarily boosting reactor output beyond limits while simultaneously linking it to the machine control system. It’s impossible with standard technology.”

Doctor continued, sounding excited.

“It’s different from any known illegal modification pattern. Could it be resonance with bio-energy? The pilot’s latent psychic abilities might be interacting with the machine.”

“Psychic nonsense, Doctor.”

Titan dismissed Doctor’s words with a deep voice.

He seemed more interested in the machine’s physical limitations.

“Whatever tricks that guy used, that Bugbear was almost at its limit. If it had kept fighting in that state, it would have disintegrated in mid-air. It was smart of him to surrender in time. He’s got a working brain.”

Yuna listened to their conversation in silence, gazing at the hologram data.

Their analyses made sense from their respective viewpoints.

“So, Yuna.”

Lazer turned to her and asked.

“Were the test results satisfactory? What do you plan to do with him?”

Yuna was silent for a moment before opening her mouth.

Her voice was as calm as ever, but it contained an undeniable conviction.

“I confirmed his abilities. Data doesn’t lie. It wasn’t just luck or a fluke.”

She informed her colleagues of her decision.

“I offered him an invitation to the Icarus facility.”

“What?”

“An invitation? To a rookie from a third-rate mercenary group?”

“Yuna, are you out of your mind?”

Lazer, Doctor, and Titan simultaneously voiced surprise and opposition.

Their reactions were as expected.

“I’m aware of the risks.”

Yuna replied calmly, without wavering.

“But I judged his potential value to be worth the risk. We need to analyze and understand the unknown abilities he possesses, especially in a controlled environment.”

She pointed to the Bugbear’s movements in the hologram.

“If we can stabilize that ability and integrate it with our technology, its impact could be beyond imagination.”

Despite her explanation, her colleagues still looked skeptical. Titan grumbled.

“But do you think that guy will cooperate willingly? He seemed unstable in some ways.”

“That’s a problem we’ll have to find out about in due course.”

Yuna replied curtly.

“He said he needed time to think. I’m going to wait for now.”

She recalled instructing the information analysis team to gather his personal information.

There was much to uncover, starting with his name.

Just then, Lazer asked with a mischievous grin.

“So, are you in contact with that ‘Driller’ now, Yuna? When will you know if he accepts the invitation? Or perhaps you’re in frequent personal contact?”

At Lazer’s question, Yuna was momentarily speechless.

Contact? Now that she thought about it, she had only given him a data chip with her contact information; she hadn’t received his.

Until he contacted her first, there was no way for her to contact him.

Yuna’s brow furrowed slightly without her realizing it. To make such a basic mistake.

“…I only gave him my contact information. I didn’t receive his.”

She answered curtly, trying to appear as nonchalant as possible.

“Oh ho?”

Lazer’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

He folded his arms and teased Yuna with an exaggerated gesture.

“The pride of Icarus, the cool-headed Silver Witch, parted ways with a mere mercenary nobody without even getting his contact info? That’s an uncharacteristic mistake, did you perhaps forget because you were too flustered? Or did you intentionally leave room for possibility?”

Beside them, Titan also chuckled, and even Doctor looked at Yuna with interest.

Yuna’s cheeks seemed to flush ever so slightly, but she immediately glared at Lazer with a cold expression.

Under her icy gaze, Lazer coughed awkwardly and subtly averted his eyes.

“Unnecessary talk.”

Yuna spat out the words curtly and returned her gaze to the hologram data.

‘Will he really contact me? And when?’

Just then, a quiet notification sounded on her personal terminal, integrated into the briefing table.

It was a report from the information analysis team, which she had personally instructed just moments ago.

Yuna’s brow furrowed deeply.

‘There’s no… record?’

It was absurd.

In this information age, even a back-alley criminal was bound to leave traces somewhere.

For a human with the skill to pilot a machine, having a completely blank record was almost impossible.

Alias? Identity fraud? Of course, those were possibilities.

However, his piloting skills were not something that could be acquired in a short period.

So where did he appear from? How did he acquire such abilities?

Questions followed one after another.

His mysterious piloting abilities, the unknown energy pattern, and now a past that didn’t exist.

The more she learned, the deeper he seemed to sink into a labyrinth.

Yuna unknowingly clenched her fist slightly.

The frustration felt in the face of an unanswerable problem.

And the intense urge to definitely find that answer.

This was a feeling that went beyond mere professional curiosity or calculations for corporate profit.

‘Cog7. Who exactly are you?’

*****

Despite the hardness of the cheap inn bed, I had a truly deep sleep for the first time in a long while.

I hastily washed my face with cold water in the cramped bathroom, then decided to leave the lower district where the inn was located and fill my hungry stomach first.

I approached a street stall on one side of the corridor, selling unknown noodles steaming hot, and ordered a bowl.

The unfamiliar scent of spices hung in the air, but it was surprisingly edible.

As the warm broth went down, I finally felt alive.

After filling my stomach, I headed towards ‘Junk Alley’.

It was located on the outskirts of the station’s industrial district, a few blocks further from the central corridor.

As I approached Junk Alley, the air grew thicker, and the noise became deafening.

The sounds of metal being cut and hammered, engine test noises, and an endless line of large and small repair shops stretched along both sides of the corridor.

‘I need to find a reliable mechanic here…’

I slowly walked down the alley, scanning the repair shops.

If I rashly entered just any place, I might get ripped off or have my machine further damaged by shoddy repairs.

‘Where did I go in the game when this happened?’

I recalled my days as a ‘Galaxy Titans’ player.

Terminus was the largest free city in the game, home to numerous named NPC technicians.

Among them, especially…

Suddenly, one memory vividly came to mind.

Three female NPCs whom game users half-jokingly, half-seriously called the ‘Three Goddesses’.

They each boasted an overwhelming presence in different fields.

The first was an ace pilot belonging to a corporation.

It was Yuna, famous for her overwhelming skill and cold beauty.

To think I’d meet her in real life.

The second was Scarlet, a genius mechanic technician who lived hidden here in Terminus.

She was renowned for being able to revive any pile of scrap into a custom machine with monstrous performance.

She was particularly skilled in niche close-combat machines and illegal modifications, so many players sought out Terminus to commission work from her.

‘And the last one was… who was it?’

Strangely, the memory of the third goddess was hazy.

Was she an information broker? Or an expert in another field? She seemed important, but no matter how hard I thought, I couldn’t recall.

It was probably natural, given that I tended to skip all the story content anyway.

Yuna appeared as a hidden boss, and I often used Scarlet to sell special parts.

‘Damn it, why can’t I remember?’

I shook my head and decided to focus on the immediate problem.

Red hair, and a spider tattoo on one arm.

The image of Scarlet from the game came to mind.

She was far from delicate-looking, rather a healthy and energetic tomboy type.

Players also called her the ‘Red Spider Queen’.

Her workshop was in a hard-to-find spot, but I remembered it because of its unique signboard.

A design of a red spider spinning a gear-shaped web.

I began to thoroughly search Junk Alley again.

I wandered through countless signboards and workshops, searching for that sign from my game memories.

The alley was complex like a maze, and the touts were persistent.

How long did I wander?

Finally, in the furthest corner of the alley, I found the familiar design.

A medium-sized repair shop that looked a bit tidier than the others.

Above the entrance, a rusted but recognizable metal sign hung, depicting a red spider spinning a gear-web.

Faintly written beneath the sign was ‘Scarlet’s Web – Custom Mechs & Modification Specialist’.

‘Found it!’

As I reached for the repair shop’s door, the heavy metal door, sensing my approach, slid open with a hiss.

As soon as the door opened, loud rock music assaulted my ears.

Stepping inside, a space wider than expected appeared.

The ceiling was high, and all kinds of tools were unbelievably neatly organized and hung on the walls.

In one corner, there were what appeared to be state-of-the-art large 3D printers and processing machines, along with machine parts of unknown purpose stacked on shelves, categorized by size and type. Several complex holographic blueprints floated above the workbench.

It was a space distinctly different from other repair shops in the alley, exuding the system and order of a true professional.

I looked around the workshop, searching for Scarlet.

She was engrossed in welding something beneath a mechanical arm suspended from a crane.

A thick protective suit worn over a tight-fitting sleeveless work uniform, and intensely red hair tied up.

Her back was turned, so her face wasn’t visible, but the arm muscles visible beyond the welding sparks were extraordinary.

And every time she moved her arm, the complex and intricate red and black spider tattoo on her left forearm would occasionally flash into view.

She was unmistakably Scarlet.

Due to the loud rock music, she didn’t seem to notice my entry.

I watched her work for a moment.

The way she handled the high-output welder was almost like an artist making delicate brushstrokes.

The moment I took another step further inside, she immediately stopped what she was doing, seemingly sensing my presence, and put down her welding torch.

Then, with astonishing agility, she turned to face me.

As she pushed up the welding mask covering her face, a striking face, smudged with sweat and soot, was revealed.

‘She’s pretty, alright.’

She was certainly worthy of being called one of the Three Goddesses.

Sharp eyes, a high nose bridge, and full lips.

It was quite an attractive face, but what was more immediately noticeable was the intense charisma and confidence radiating from her eyes.

She scanned me up and down, her brow deeply furrowed.

“What?”