Chapter 224
Chapter 224
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 224
Chapter Title: Saving the Luminary (1)
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#224. Saving the Luminary (1)
It had finally come.
If possible, I didn’t want to tell a complete lie. Our relationship was already built on a fragile foundation of ignorance, and the moment Jonathan learned the truth, it would all crumble.
I didn’t want to pile on more deception.
I slowly typed out a reply.
[I learned it from someone who took care of me when I was young. They’ve already passed away, so I don’t know who they learned it from.]
Not a single lie.
While waiting for a response, I scrolled through all the messages that had piled up.
A month had passed since the live broadcast, but I was still getting calls from unknown numbers. Some messages made no sense, while others were clearly from media outlets or broadcasters, but I didn’t read any of them.
I searched through the backlog for anything meaningful and read those.
[Mountain: Holy shit, I finally cleared that stage!]
[Claudio Winter: I’d like to renew the cider contract next year too. Are you brewing anything else?]
[Barbie Winter: No plans to start SNS?]
[Spitfire: That guy’s been leaving traces lately. With your face popping up everywhere, it’s clearly getting to him ^^ Next target seems to be the Supreme Commander.]
[Caller ID Restricted: Don’t rush it. The longer we drag this out, the better for us.]
[Bad Blood: I’ve put the noisy ones in their place, so they’ll stay quiet for a while.]
This is driving me crazy.
I quickly replied to Mountain and the Winters’ messages, then glared at the elders’ ones.
Yekaterina’s and Colton’s weren’t too troubling. Suhoi had said something similar to me right after the live broadcast. Her point was not to charge after Kyle recklessly.
The longer we held out, the more it favored us.
Colton’s message was easy to understand too.
The bad friend who’d pulled off a masterful job of keeping the media from exploding.
I narrowed my eyes and tapped out a reply.
[I’ll give it a try.]
After sending it, I opened Eric Airhart’s chat.
I rubbed my face a couple of times, hesitating, then hit the call button.
[Ah, Prometheus. Good morning.]
“Sorry to call so early.”
I offered an insincere apology in a subdued voice.
“Is now a bad time for a call?”
[Even if it were, I’d make time if you wanted.]
Same old guy.
But I was too desperate to brush off his words casually.
“Thank you. I don’t know where to stand with the favor of someone so skilled. As you guessed, I’m calling about your message.”
[I figured. This time, it looks like he’s moving himself.]
“I want to hear as much as you can tell me.”
Spitfire told me more than I expected.
You’s whereabouts were still unknown, but he’d left traces at places he’d visited. He was investigating Ye-hyeon through various routes. Ye-hyeon’s home address. Ye-hyeon’s public schedule.
The routes and security details of those schedules.
[Even with security, they won’t be sticking to Ye-hyeon, so it’ll be easier for him to make a move.]
I couldn’t help but sigh.
[I’ll let you know if anything else interesting pops up.]
He definitely wouldn’t give me the key details.
Like which public event he might hit and how. Because that would be no fun. If You succeeded, Airhart would enjoy it more than anyone.
The kind who loved dangling a shred of hope to the desperate and watching their frantic struggles.
I thanked him and ended the call.
He’d given me all the info he was willing to share anyway, so now it was my move.
***
A little past evening.
I was on the roof of Ye-hyeon’s residence, inside the vinyl dome, drinking with Yoon.
Satisfyingly, the drinks were vodka and whiskey. The snacks were cheese and yukhoe.
The air was bitterly cold, even through my coat, but the vinyl and heater warmed me up. We sat in plastic chairs, sipping our glasses.
My master was as taciturn as ever. He’d tensed up when I relayed Airhart’s info, but with nothing we could do right now, the topic shifted quickly.
We drank in silence for a while.
This whiskey’s top-notch.
I was enjoying the session when Yoon suddenly spoke up.
“What’s your tolerance like?”
“No idea. I’ve never gotten drunk enough to lose control.”
Kyle and I were notorious drinkers in the Empire.
I wasn’t well-known for it since I didn’t enjoy drinking much, but Kyle was famous. Guys proud of their tolerance would seek him out sometimes.
Of course, Kyle always won.
I took a sip of vodka and asked back.
“What’s yours like?”
“Similar.”
“What about you when you’re drunk? You must get there if you drink.”
“Movements slow down a bit.”
If that’s drunk for him, he’s one hell of a drinker.
“And you?”
“I get a silly grin.”
“At this year’s year-end party, keep an eye on Ami.”
So that’s what he wanted to say.
I smiled faintly and poured myself another.
“You’re not coming to the year-end party this year? Is there a reason?”
“That damn portal issue from last time isn’t resolved. The one you called a spatial teleportation circle. Your crazy kin bothers me too. With eyes on Ye-hyeon, you handle reining in the rampaging Choi Ami.”
“Ami rampages?”
“She charges when she’s drunk.”
Oh.
That explained why Yoon had shown up so half-heartedly last year.
I nodded and accepted the request. It wasn’t a big deal. This year, attention would be on the rookies, so I could drink more comfortably and handle others’ antics too.
I’d have to watch Kairos too. Didn’t know his tolerance or drunk behavior.
Maybe ask now.
I picked up my phone to message Kairos while chewing cheese.
That’s when mine and Yoon’s phones buzzed at the same time.
[Deserter Sighted]
What’s this?
[Deserter: Doug Clark]
“A Black Badger from Center Core?”
“If spotted, capture. Not ‘drop everything and go now.’”
Unlike me, Yoon glanced at his screen with indifference.
I’d looked up briefly, then back to my phone. Narrowing my eyes, I stared at the screen.
The phone that had blared the alert was now showing a photo and profile of some stranger.
Buzz-cut head, deep brown eyes. Deep-set sockets.
Physical age 26. Went missing a month before scheduled leave. No record of leaving Center Core.
Height 177cm, sturdy build.
No weapons on him.
….
The info kept scrolling.
Didn’t know you could take leave.
As I studied the man’s face, I looked up.
Yoon answered before I could ask.
“There are reasons for leave, but guys who ghost like this cause problems sometimes.”
“Who catches Black Badgers who desert like this? It’s clearly an emergency.”
“DP. We call them enforcers usually.”
“There’s a separate Deserter Capture Team?”
I’d tossed it out lightly, expecting a yes.
But Yoon just grinned creepily instead of answering.
“Leonard and Sylvia.”
Ah.
“Deserters outside the Core get captured and processed before disposal. Inside, it’s capture or kill on sight.”
“Why not just say ‘kill on sight’?”
“Even rats bite when cornered. Gotta leave an out, even if it’s fake.”
I understood my master’s point.
I didn’t question Black Badger policy on executing deserters on the spot. If I were Ye-hyeon, I’d give the same order.
I’d once beheaded a knight who’d killed his comrades and fled.
I stared back at the photo on my screen.
“So those two hunt him, and the rest of us capture or kill if we cross paths.”
“Yeah.”
Low chance, but good to remember.
I sipped my drink while reading his profile.
Then Yoon brought up something random.
“If Choi Ami offers to take you up in a fighter jet, turn her down nicely.”
“Huh? Why?”
I wanna go.
I blinked in confusion, and Yoon raised an eyebrow.
“What’s with that look?”
“I really wanna go. Honestly, I’ve wanted to for a while. Can’t I?”
“No special reason. Just said it ‘cause she flies wild.”
Aha.
Considering Ami’s personality, she’d probably pull stunts.
I chuckled lowly and said that was fine, when Yoon muttered dryly.
“Funny you wanna ride one.”
“Why? Lots of people must. I even followed some aircraft I was into.”
“Which ones.”
“U-2, B-29, TU-95….”
I mumbled while sipping whiskey.
The buzz was hitting. Senses dulled, everything felt comfy and languid.
Was starting to grin like an idiot.
“Hey.”
Yoon called, snapping me out of it.
“Yeah.”
“All nukes-related recon and bombers.”
My master had set his glass down, eyes narrowed, studying me.
Face screaming disbelief.
“What got you into those back then?”
I chuckled lowly.
Picked up my glass to hide the grin. Inhaled the nose-tickling aroma, brought it to my lips.
Old memories resurfaced.
Smiling, I answered.
“Back then, I was obsessed with anything nuclear-related.”
Could say I’d devoured nearly every book on it.
“Knew the locations of nuclear test sites worldwide, hangars with nuclear bombers too.”
In the end, I lost.
Couldn’t find all the hidden nukes, or the triggers.
So I surrendered, blending in with humans.
But I’d fought hard. Did my best.
No wonder I was drawn to what I’d hunted so fervently back then.
“Crazy bastard.”
Yoon snorted and downed his drink.
I smiled back in reply.
We emptied our glasses without more words after that.
***
The day after drinking with Yoon.
While he was away for research.
A call came to his spot.
A wired Black Badger dispatch call.
Click.
[Creature sighted near HQ!]
The problem: John Mullen had picked up.
Genius scientist with an Enhanced Body implant, but couldn’t even do thirty sit-ups.
The luminary of science, hopeless at anything outside his research.
[Dispatch immediately!]
“…….”
John Mullen dispatched to exterminate the creature.
***
The day after drinking with Yoon.
I got a bizarre call from Hiroshi.
“Hilde! Mullen’s dying!”
Huh?