episode_0046

The escorts of numerous transports and mechs scattered as if on cue once they entered the Terminus Station’s border zone.

The transport I was on soon landed in Hangar Zone 7 of Terminus Station.

When the ramp door opened, the first thing that caught my eye was the wretched state of my mech, Asura, being moved by several cranes and heavy-duty restraints.

Its left arm was so badly damaged it was almost unrecognizable, hanging in tatters. The mech’s armor was deeply gouged or torn in various places, grotesquely exposing the blackened internal frame and complex bundles of cables.

“Wow, it looks even worse viewed as a whole. Haah… how long has it been since I lovingly modified it, and it’s already in this state.”

Scarlet, who was standing close by, let out a deep sigh as if it were her own mech.

“You’re right, I did overdo it.”

“Overdo it? It’s a miracle you realize that now! I thought you were fine, but you were just putting on a show of being hurt!”

Scarlet grumbled, poking my side with her finger.

“Alright, alright. It’s all my fault. I know you worried a lot.”

“Hmph, worry? Worrrrry? Well, honestly, just a tiny, tiny bit!”

Scarlet still pouted with her arms crossed, but her voice had softened considerably.

“So, about that, I’ve prepared a very special gift to put in your workshop.”

“A gift? What kind of ridiculous talk is that amidst this chaos?”

Scarlet cocked her head, intently examining Asura as it was slowly moved inside her workshop.

Her eyes were already gleaming with a complex light, as if she were planning her next modification.

“Hmm… at least the skeletal frame is mostly intact, so that’s a huge relief. I’ll have to disassemble the entire mech again, damn it.”

I expected her to be furious, but surprisingly, she muttered to herself with relative calm.

Just like a mech fanatic.

“Can you repair it? Don’t postpone all your other commissions like last time; this time, it’s really okay to take your time.”

“Oh really? The sun must be rising in the west if you’re saying that. You were practically begging on your knees when you asked for the pile bunker and gravity damper.”

“When did I ever do that?”

“Don’t worry about commissions. New work hasn’t been coming in lately anyway.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? With your skills, people should be lining up.”

“Dutch, that damned bastard seems to have spread some strange rumors. Ugh, what a petty guy.”

Scarlet clicked her tongue and let out a short sigh.

“Well, it’s fine. Anyway, just working on your mech is more than enough for me.”

“The modification cost, I’ll really make sure to pay you handsomely this time.”

Last time, Scarlet did additional armor and frame reinforcement work beyond what I requested.

She must have spent a good amount of her own money in the process.

She pretended it was nothing, but it kept bothering me inwardly.

No matter how crazy a woman is about modifications, anyone would get tired without proper compensation.

“Money? Well, money is good, but…”

Scarlet paused mid-sentence, hesitated for a moment, then cleared her throat and turned back with a serious expression.

“You, for the time being, absolutely do not cause any trouble and just lie low.”

She pointed a finger at me and continued.

“And, you know you haven’t properly explained the full story of this incident to me yet, right? You’ll have to tell me everything, from beginning to end, clearly. Otherwise…”

Scarlet clenched her fist and showed it to me.

“Alright, alright. I’ll explain everything, and for the time being, I’ll really lie low as quiet as a mouse.”

We continued our conversation as we walked side-by-side towards her workshop.

“So, what exactly is that gift you mentioned earlier?”

At my question, Scarlet’s eyes twinkled mischievously.

“You’ll see when we get there. It’ll definitely make your jaw drop.”

“You’re really good at making people curious.”

When we were almost at the workshop entrance, her footsteps stopped abruptly. I too was speechless for a moment at the sight before me.

Because on one side of the open storage area in front of the workshop, giant containers were stacked like a small mountain.

‘So this is how it’s delivered. The system’s capability is amazing.’

I nodded, marveling inwardly.

On the surface of the containers, along with an unknown sender’s mark, my full name, Kang Jin-woo, was clearly printed as the recipient.

“Kang Jin-woo…? This is your name! What in the world is all this?!”

Scarlet pointed back and forth between the massive pile of containers and me, shouting in disbelief.

“New toys to attach to that pile of scrap metal.”

I calmly shrugged my shoulders, gesturing with my chin towards Asura’s remnants, which had already been moved inside the workshop.

“Toys? Do these look like toys to you, you crazy bastard?!”

She almost stomped her feet, snatching up what looked like a delivery manifest attached to a container, and frantically scanned the items one by one.

The more she read, the wider her eyes grew.

“My goodness… where on earth and how did you get your hands on parts like these?”

She spoke with a hollow voice, utterly unable to comprehend.

“You got all this? And in such a short time? That’s impossible! Are you, by any chance, the hidden son of some corporate chairman?”

“Just an old acquaintance helped me out. How about it, aren’t these items killer?”

“An old acquaintance? What kind of crazy acquaintance would just casually hand over items like these?”

Scarlet still had an unconvinced expression, but her body was already reacting honestly.

Like an excited child, she began opening the containers one by one, meticulously examining the condition of the parts as if possessed.

“Oh my, oh my… it’s real! Look at this sheen! They’re perfectly new!”

“So, do you like the gift?”

At my words, Scarlet paused for a moment.

“Th-this… is a gift?”

Her brow furrowed slightly, as if her pride was hurt.

But she soon let out a deep sigh and shrugged.

“Fine, I guess it’s good! Since I’ll be modifying your mech, you have to help me out, okay?”

“I’m a patient. Can’t you see the bandage on my forehead?”

“Patient my ass, you’re just making excuses!”

Scarlet made a gesture as if to hit me, then chuckled.

“It’s a simple task. All we have to do is move those containers inside.”

Soon, we used the workshop’s portable crane to move the massive containers inside one by one.

In truth, I barely helped at all. Scarlet handled the entire process skillfully and swiftly, as if she had received this type of cargo delivery many times before.

After finishing the work, she stared intently at the manifest again and spoke.

“Hmm… unlike you, this assembly seems to have made quite an effort to balance things this time?”

“From an expert’s perspective, is there anything else that should be added?”

“Hmm… if I had to pick something, maybe just a little more work on the leg frame and armor?”

“Leg frame?”

“It’s not that the Kinetic Reactor Coated Frame you chose is bad, but using it maximizes mobility while significantly lowering defense, right?”

“Right. The risk is a bit high.”

“Ultimately, this is a choice you have to make.”

Scarlet stated firmly, crossing her arms.

“Will you somehow compensate for the fatal flaw, or will you accept that flaw and further maximize the advantages?”

“The flaw would be defense, of course. And the advantages would be focusing on energy efficiency and evasive maneuvers, right?”

“Bingo. And looking at that Pulse Shield, the model you picked, it seems like you intend to only rely on it once during a truly critical moment, don’t you?”

“Exactly.”

“In that case, it would be best to completely change the leg frame as well, in a way that further emphasizes the advantages.”

Scarlet brought up a holographic screen on the workbench and spread out a complex blueprint.

“Here, this is the final blueprint from when I modified your Asura before.”

“Oh…”

My eyes were dizzy from the countless symbols and complex figures.

“Sorry, but I don’t understand any of it just by looking.”

“Never mind that, just listen carefully to my explanation.”

Scarlet zoomed in on the actuator section connected to the frame in the blueprint.

“This leg frame, while reinforced based on the existing Jervgbear’s and modified to suit your combat style, fundamentally follows the skeletal structure of a heavy-type mech. It’s a design focused on stability and durability.”

“Is there a problem with that?”

“It’s a balance issue, balance!”

Scarlet shook her head exasperatedly.

“If you look at the parts you’ve chosen, the upper body pursues extreme mobility with an almost ultra-light concept, but the lower body still relies on a heavy, old-model frame. If this is the case, the legs might not be able to withstand intense maneuvers, or they could even become a hindrance, obstructing overall movement.”

“So that’s why my movements sometimes felt slower than expected?”

“That’s entirely possible. Well, it was the best option at the time.”

“So you’re saying you’ll completely change the leg frame as well?”

Scarlet pinpointed the crucial detail I hadn’t deeply considered.

“Yes. So, since things have come to this, we might as well change the legs to an ultra-light high-mobility frame, and re-set the booster and generator output to match that…”

She tapped her finger, deep in thought with her arms crossed.

“And the armor… we’ll only put on the absolute minimum for shrapnel protection, and put everything else into mobility.”

A moment later, as if she had finished her thoughts, she spoke with a determined expression.

“Honestly, in the past, I would’ve cursed and thrown away the commission for such an extreme modification. But since you’re the pilot, I’m specially accepting it. Got it?”

“Yes, yes. Thank you very much. If there are any parts you need, could you let me know the model names in advance? I can prepare them for you again.”

“Oh, really? Are you going to ask that amazing old acquaintance for another favor?”

Scarlet gazed at me with a mischievous smile playing on her lips.

“I’m really dying to know who that acquaintance is. What’s your real identity? There’s almost no registered personal information about you, and your actions are even more suspicious…”

“It’s a secret, a secret.”

“Tsk, men with too many secrets aren’t my type.”

Scarlet let out a cute snort, then began manipulating the holographic blueprint again.

“I’ll organize and send you the model names for the necessary parts once the overall design direction is confirmed. It will take a while to find the optimal combination considering various situations.”

“Understood. Don’t push yourself too hard; take your time.”

“Mm-hm.”

With a short reply, she instantly entered a state of high concentration.

And before long, the ear-splitting hard rock music she always played while working began to blare throughout the workshop.

It seemed there was no longer any place for me.

As soon as I quietly exited the workshop, my terminal rang with a communication alert. The caller was Alexander Valentine.

“Yes, Mr. Valentine.”

[Oh, Kang Jin-woo. I was just about to contact you. I’ve just heard from Dutch that the commission was successfully completed.]

“Yes, well… it wasn’t easy, but the task you requested has been concluded.”

[Haha, I’ve heard the full story from Dutch. Just as I expected from you, Kang Jin-woo. The promised remuneration will be paid immediately once our internal arrangements are finalized. And I’ll contact you again soon for another matter. You can look forward to it.]

“Understood. I’ll be waiting.”

He cut the communication with a low, satisfied chuckle.

‘Should I go see Kaien now? She came with such a large force to help, and I haven’t even properly thanked her yet.’

It wouldn’t do to pretend I hadn’t received such a favor.

I headed in the direction of her office.

*****

Meanwhile, Commander Lucas of the Nemesis Corporation was nervously awaiting the operation results report in his office, suffering from a splitting headache.

‘Annihilation of the Steel Fang Mercenary Group and capture, or elimination, of Asura.’

It was a top-secret mission, personally handed down by Lieutenant Verso, who had even undergone augmented human surgery.

There had been reports of unstable communication in parts of the operational area, but he never dreamed that contact would be completely severed to this extent.

“Data analysis team! Is there still no situation report?! How much longer are you going to make me wait?!”

At Lucas’s shout, an operator in a corner of the command center leaped up from his chair in fright, almost bouncing off it.

His shoulders were trembling like aspen leaves.

“C-Commander-nim! Th-that… it’s really strange!”

“What’s strange?! Can’t you report properly?!”

At Lucas’s furious reprimand, the operator hastily straightened his posture and reported in a voice that sounded on the verge of tears.

“As far as we’ve ascertained… all combat logs and sensor data for all allied mechs within the operational zone… have completely, completely vanished without a trace!”

“Vanished?”

Deep, canyon-like wrinkles formed between Lucas’s brows.

“Is it a simple system error? Then what about the backup data?”

“Th-that… it doesn’t appear to be a simple system error, Commander-nim. At a specific time, only data directly related to that operation perfectly disappeared, as if it never existed from the beginning. Not only the backup data on the main server, but even the local data individually stored on each mech… everything evaporated without leaving a speck of dust!”

The moment he heard the report, the inside of the command center froze over.

The other operators also stared blankly at each other’s faces, as if they couldn’t believe it.

Nemesis Corporation’s data security system boasted the highest level in the industry.

Such localized and complete data loss was unimaginable with ordinary hacking or powerful signal jamming.

“Data erasure…”

Lucas muttered lowly, as if grinding his fangs.

“Who on earth, and how, did such an incredible thing? That Asura guy, there’s no way a mere mercenary would possess such electronic warfare capabilities…! Then who is behind him? Didn’t they say he was just a lone mercenary?!”

His gaze sank, cold as ice.

“Or is it a third party? Red Veil… those damned space pirates would definitely pull such a dirty trick. Damn it!”

One speculation led to another, spiraling out of control and conjuring all sorts of terrifying images.

Red Veil, a space pirate group whose power had grown too vast to be recklessly provoked.

Exaggerated rumors about them had ballooned endlessly, to the point where it was publicly whispered that they could turn an entire planet into ashes if they truly set their minds to it.

“As of now… it’s difficult to ascertain the exact cause. Perhaps… we cannot rule out the possibility that new technology, unknown to us, was used.”

“…Understood for now. Continue to determine the cause, and report immediately if anything comes up.”

Lucas pressed his throbbing temples and retreated to his private office with a deep sigh.

His head felt like it was about to explode.

Losing augmented humans to Icarus recently, and now being swayed by an unknown lone mercenary…

‘From those damned Icarus guys, to this unknown lone mercenary now… why are things getting so tangled?’

Then suddenly, a possibility flashed through his mind like lightning. Lucas immediately connected to internal communications.

“The data we secured when we clashed with those Icarus guys last time, you still have it, right? From that, re-analyze the movement of the mass-produced Icarus mech, the Harrier type! And its engagement logs from the previous Nova Seed mission, do it right now, intensely!”

“Yes, sir! I will confirm immediately and report to you, Commander-nim!”