episode_0027

Vance stood next to Gideon, arms crossed.

Only heavy air hung between the two.

“Where did Lazer go, and what is that mass-produced unit?”

The moment Vance asked, expressing his bewilderment, one of the operators urgently shouted,

“Commander-nim! High-risk energy approaching!”

“Confirm quickly!”

With a powerful energy reaction, a dark red Nemesis Corporation unit appeared on the screen, beginning to disrupt the flow of the battlefield.

A ruthless attack, indiscriminate of friend or foe.

A large beam cannon put Silvera in danger, and though Titan and Kang Jin-woo were engaging the unit, it was evident they were gradually being pushed back.

“This situation isn’t good.”

Vance clicked his tongue as if genuinely regretful and snorted.

“When will reinforcements arrive?”

Gideon urgently shouted to the operator.

“It is expected to take at least 15 minutes, Commander-nim!”

It was woefully insufficient time.

All four were in danger of being overwhelmed by the suddenly appearing Nemesis unit.

If it weren’t for that one unit, the synergy of the four would have been excellent, and they would have easily held out until reinforcements arrived.

No, it was even possible that the reinforcements would have made a wasted trip.

Just then, the mass-produced Harrier unit on the screen suddenly disengaged from the battlefield and disappeared to the rear.

“Huh! Is that guy running away? Seriously, even if we’re short-staffed, to deploy someone like that on a mission—is Gideon out of his mind?”

Vance openly scoffed.

But Gideon remained silent.

He was staring intently in the direction Kang Jin-woo had disappeared.

‘Running away? No, that movement isn’t a simple escape. It’s a definite move towards a purpose.’

Gideon’s mind raced.

The reason he had forced Kang Jin-woo into this dangerous mission was precisely to witness moments like this.

Shattering six pirate units with a drill bit, damaging Silvera with a junk Bugbear. And on top of that, single-handedly neutralizing Aegis.

If he had reported it, he would have been sworn at for tens of minutes for writing nonsense.

‘What’s in that direction? Did he analyze the terrain beforehand? Surely he didn’t prioritize the mission and go to retrieve the prototype, did he?’

A faint, yet hopeful smile touched Gideon’s lips.

‘Prove that my judgment wasn’t wrong.’

He refocused on the screen.

As the sight of Titan’s Atlas being battered played on the screen, only silence hung in the control room.

“What was I saying? So…”

Vance shrugged, just about to give Gideon a piece of his mind.

“High energy output detected! From the Harrier unit!”

“That railgun?! I thought they were all unstable and scrapped?!”

The operators’ bewildered voices burst out.

‘A railgun?’

Gideon was equally surprised.

How could he, a rookie Chronos mercenary, have known the railgun’s location?

The question lingered in his mind, but he focused on the screen.

A massive railgun, incongruously mounted on the Harrier unit’s shoulder, fired a single shot in an instant.

As the pitch-black projectile, breaking the sound barrier, pierced the dark red Nemesis unit’s defenses, a colossal explosion erupted, causing static on the screen and interrupting communications for a while.

“All enemy energy signatures in the area have vanished! Confirming allied casualties!”

“Remarkable.”

The corners of Gideon’s mouth curled upwards.

Vance clicked his tongue in displeasure, then stormed out of the command and control room without a word.

#

Shortly after the battle ended, Icarus Corporation’s reinforcement transports arrived one after another.

They quickly assessed the battlefield, and Titan’s battered Atlas was hoisted by a heavy crane and transferred into a recovery vessel.

Titan’s body was drenched in sweat as he dismounted from the cockpit, and his sunglasses were cracked.

“You crazy bastard, what did you do?”

Titan gave my Harrier a thumbs-up.

“Buy me a drink when we get back.”

“Anytime.”

Once Titan left the battlefield, only my unit, Yuna’s, and Doctor’s, along with the Icarus units, remained.

None of our three units were unscathed, but at least they were still operational.

[Report on each unit’s status.]

Yuna’s voice came through the communication channel.

[Pathfinder, sensor system partially damaged. Electronic warfare equipment output degraded. However, basic maneuvering and mission execution are possible.]

Doctor reported calmly.

I recalled the status of my Harrier, organized my thoughts, and then spoke.

[Harrier, power system unstable, weapon control system error. However, basic maneuvering is not an issue. Mission can be continued.]

[Silvera, external armor damaged and energy shield output degraded. Mission can be continued.]

Since not only us but also the Icarus Corporation’s units were present, there seemed to be no problems proceeding with the mission.

[Alright, then we will continue the mission.]

Yuna made the decision.

[Doctor, re-scan the target building’s internal structure and energy signatures with the other units. Jinwoo, you will enter Research Wing 3 with me.]

We regrouped, understood our respective missions, and then dispersed.

[Research Wing 3, huh.]

The building’s interior showed clear signs of damage here and there, but its basic structure remained intact.

[Jinwoo, that was too reckless earlier.]

Yuna’s voice came through the communication channel.

[Do you realize we almost got wiped out?]

[My apologies.]

There was no room for excuses.

[If you’re aware it was a reckless action, then that’s fine. Don’t do it again.]

I also heard her let out a small sigh.

[By the way, how did you know about that railgun? You acted as if you knew its exact location?]

[Before the mission started, I had some time, so I was looking through discarded data related to this area and stumbled upon the information by chance. Some location data remained, so I remembered it just in case, and I got lucky.]

I gave the most plausible excuse possible.

Yuna was silent for a moment, then let out a small laugh.

[Luck? That’s your skill, thoroughly prepared. You truly are a capable pilot.]

My face flushed at the sudden praise.

[Same for you. I didn’t expect you to cover me while dealing with so many enemies from the rear. I owe you my life.]

[Protecting a teammate is only natural.]

It was then, as we exchanged words and reconnoitered the interior of the research wing, that…

A short incoming signal sounded from Yuna’s unit.

[It’s Doctor’s report. He secured the objective. We’re returning too.]

Compared to the previous hardships, this mission completion felt anticlimactic.

Without needing to search the interior any further, we turned our units around and exited the research wing.

Outside, Pathfinder was already waiting with the reinforcement units.

We soon boarded the transport ship and returned.

#

There was no time to rest as soon as we returned.

After going through several reporting procedures and returning the Harrier, the moment I stepped onto the ground, I staggered slightly as if feeling dizzy.

Indeed, after surviving a life-or-death battle, it was natural for my body’s tension to release and my muscles to relax.

I wanted to drag my exhausted body to sleep right away, but Commander-nim Gideon did not allow it.

“Jinwoo, the Commander-nim is calling. You must be tired, but it’s a routine procedure.”

“It’s fine. Let’s finish quickly and rest.”

When we arrived at Commander-nim Gideon’s office and entered, Titan and Doctor were already there.

From a distance, Titan’s condition seemed decent, but up close, it wasn’t.

He had a cast on one arm and was wearing a medical eye patch instead of sunglasses.

“Everyone’s here. First, thank you for your hard work.”

Gideon continued with warm encouragement.

“As you are aware, this mission was a trap.”

No one in the room denied it.

“The Nemesis Corporation blatantly set it up.”

Gideon summarized the situation.

“Throwing the Chronos mercenary group as bait, elite units… and according to Doctor’s report, even an individual presumed to be an augmented human. It was a perfect ambush, as if they were waiting for us to arrive.”

He slowly looked around at everyone.

“But you survived. Against dozens of enemy units.”

Gideon’s gaze lingered on me for a moment.

“Especially Kang Jin-woo, your performance was unexpected in many ways.”

It was impossible to tell if it was a reprimand for disobeying Yuna’s orders or genuine praise.

“Still, it seems the prototype information was true.”

He set down a data pad and spoke.

“For the time being, Yuna, your team won’t have any missions. However, it’s obvious that upper management will raise objections about this incident, so the audit team might call you in.”

Gideon sighed deeply, as if a bitter taste lingered, or as if he knew the mastermind behind this scheme.

“Everyone is dismissed, except for Kang Jin-woo.”

I remained standing, and Yuna, then Doctor, exited the office. Titan, with an unreadable smile, patted my shoulder as he passed.

“Get some good rest, and I’ll see you at the lounge tonight.”

“Lounge?”

“Yeah, I’ll treat you.”

With those words, the office door closed.

A brief silence followed, and Gideon was the first to speak.

“First, regarding the compensation issue you were concerned about.”

I waited for his next words.

Gideon operated the terminal on his desk as he spoke.

“Consider it cleanly resolved with the successful completion of this mission.”

“Yes, isn’t that obvious?”

Surely he wasn’t trying to make a show of exempting me from it, was he?

“And this is a small token, but please accept it.”

Gideon took out a peculiarly shaped credit chip from a drawer and pushed it towards me.

“It’s a special reward from me personally. It might not be enough compared to your performance.”

I picked up the chip with a puzzled expression and scanned it with the terminal, and an astonishing number appeared.

[+500,000 CR]

500,000 credits? It was too large an amount to be a simple reward.

As if he read my surprised expression, Gideon continued.

“I’m pleased that this mission seems to have proven that my judgment wasn’t wrong.”

He took a breath, then got to the main point.

“Have you considered officially joining Icarus? It’s regrettable for me to have talent like yours remain external.”

A formal employment offer. It wasn’t unexpected, but hearing it directly from him gave me a strange feeling.

While I hesitated to answer, Gideon leaned forward and lowered his voice.

“There’s a reason I’m telling you this.”

His gaze darkened.

“You are still an outsider, far removed from our corporation’s internal affairs. That’s why I feel I can be more honest with you.”

Anger and bitterness seeped into Gideon’s voice.

“I am certain there is someone within who intends to drag me down to ruin.”

So, this is the turning point in the game where Gideon is discarded by the corporation and his life is ruined?

If I hadn’t been here, history might have flowed as it originally did.

Titan, Doctor. They were characters not present in my game knowledge.

They were likely fated to die in this mission.

“Commander-nim Gideon.”

Gideon’s eyebrows rose at my sudden remark.

“I am an electronic mercenary. How do you know how I might use that information, and yet you intend to reveal everything?”

At my reply, Gideon let out a hearty laugh.

“Well, I feel like I just got hit with a punch. To think I unconsciously tried to rely on you… How uncharacteristic of me.”

Gideon gave a bitter smile and seemed about to conclude the conversation.

“Julian Vance, it’s that bastard, isn’t it?”

At my last remark, Gideon’s eyes widened.