Chapter 85
Chapter 85
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 85
Chapter Title: Colosseum (1)
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We were certain we could exert influence over the Creatures.
It was probably by using what I alone called my sixth sense—the sensation of being connected to a distant entity. In fact, right now, I could vaguely guess which direction Kyle was in.
The problem was that I had completely forgotten how to apply that sense.
It was definite that some Creatures had come from the world I was in. I couldn't remember exactly when they had arrived on Earth, though.
Would more memories surface if I encountered more Creatures?
As I explained what I knew, Yoon stood there with his arms crossed, silently listening.
Then he spoke abruptly.
"Going to play it again?"
"...After this emotional shock fades a bit. I haven't found all the Easter eggs yet."
"Let's look at it first."
I handed over the game chip without hesitation.
Now even I was curious about the game developer. If I left it to Yoon, he'd uncover something. Even if it was just the date the game was made.
I wanted to know everything that could be known. The production date, the production method, the unique features of this game.
The man nodded at my request to tell me whatever he could.
Yoon took the game chip from me.
***
It was almost the end of November before I knew it.
The days grew even chillier, and the sunlight grew shorter. The city was starting to feel the end-of-year atmosphere. Until the mission day arrived, I focused solely on training without any stray thoughts.
It felt good that my body was speeding up, even if just a little. It felt good to train until I was utterly exhausted and then collapse into sleep.
Lately, whenever I dreamed, it was a nightmare, so I tried not to dream if possible.
Even non-nightmare dreams weren't welcome. While dreaming, fragments of memories from my previous world kept popping up. It seemed like the influence of 'From E', and after dreams featuring Ray and Kyle, I wanted to quit everything.
Some memories were painfully detailed.
Kyle, smirking with full confidence when people said no one returned alive from the castle.
Ray, who didn't blink an eye at bizarre evil spirits but freaked out at the sound of dripping water echoing through the castle.
Me, laughing at them while devouring their shares of pie.
What good was remembering those things now?
That's why I was glad the mission day was approaching—it grounded me in reality.
I wanted to do something to help someone. Or even if it wasn't direct help, something that would benefit society in the long term.
It wouldn't erase my past mistakes, though.
I counted down the days to the mission.
***
Mission day.
I arrived at the train station at 8:30 a.m.
To make it to the arena by 7 or 8 p.m. when the match started, I had to catch the 9 a.m. train. The Center Core was ridiculously vast. Even taking the fastest high-speed train.
This station was quite a distance from headquarters, too.
The station was deserted. Now, every breath produced a puff of white vapor. Even though I'd layered civilian clothes over my thin combat uniform as instructed, the chill seeped in.
Still, being in the morning sunlight felt nice.
Spotting the senior agent standing in the snow-white station building wasn't hard.
In the empty station, the senior was yelling into his phone.
"Get lost, you bastard!"
Barbie Winter was in the middle of a fight with her boyfriend.
"Shut up! I'm the idiot who took you back after that!"
Should I pretend I haven't arrived?
Her back was turned, so she probably hadn't seen me yet. I wasn't so oblivious as to approach and greet her in this situation.
I slowly backed away, eyes darting around.
I'd hole up in the bathroom and come out later. Check my reflection and fix my outfit.
"Gifts? Come get them! Take it all!"
Until the other seniors arrived....
"Those cheap pieces of crap!"
"Junior."
I whipped my head around at the voice from behind.
"Step aside for a bit."
He was tall and lanky.
I took in the senior agent's weary blue eyes and slender silver hair.
Asil Fisher. Former detective. Barbie's junior but senior to Aki, and until last month, he'd worked at a different core, not the Center Core, as a Black Badger.
He wore a wrinkled gray jacket and held a steaming cup of coffee in one hand.
I bowed my head quietly.
"Pleasure to meet you, Senior. Hildebert Talib."
"Let's get out of sight first."
He ambled slowly to stop behind a station pillar.
His weary movements were amusing. I could see what Ami meant when she said he felt similar to Lee Ho-chang. Lee Ho was the type to laugh wildly and enjoy drinking parties, while Asil was the type to smile tiredly and then go home.
I hurried to the senior who beckoned me behind the pillar with a nod.
"Looks like another rough romance."
Stopping by the pillar, Asil took a sip of coffee and muttered to himself.
I looked at the pale-skinned man, blinked once, then again.
"Seems like you're the type for fiery relationships."
"My taste in men is weird."
He falls for personalities with character, huh.
The blonde senior was still arguing. It had calmed a bit from before, but her irritated voice kept drifting over.
I turned my head only after I heard "Don't call again."
Asil spoke to me as I checked on Barbie's situation.
"Ask her yourself later for the details."
"Yes. I'll ask when I get the chance."
A sensible response.
Then I turned to meet the senior's eyes.
"Can I ask you some things too, Senior?"
His pale blue eyes slid lazily toward me.
I let the senior agent I'd just met observe me quietly. As Ami described, the former detective who seemed prickly on the outside but was actually a really good person. But for some unknown reason, the Black Badger who'd grabbed Yoon by the collar out of nowhere.
He shot me a look like he'd seen every weird rookie there was.
"What're you curious about?"
"Just this and that.... I want to get to know you, Senior."
Stating my honest feelings directly made the bewilderment in his eyes deepen.
The senior, who looked mid-thirties physically, stayed silent for a while.
"Ask whatever when it's convenient."
"Asil."
The click of heels.
The sound grew louder quickly. I looked at the senior with elegantly styled-up blonde hair and heavy makeup.
The deeply plunging V-neck black jacket suited her well with her bright red lipstick.
"And weird rookie."
That's me.
I grinned at the senior who deftly lit a white cigarette and put it in her mouth.
Barbie Winter had been at the safe point in D Zone. She'd seen the safe point surrounded by Creatures with her own eyes, which meant she was a veteran Black Badger.
Surprisingly senior in service. According to Ami, she was 'cheerful, loves fun, honest with her emotions, but childish and sloppy in spots.' She narrowed her eyes at my grinning face.
With the cigarette between her fingers, she looked me up and down and said,
"Your civilian clothes suck."
"Ugh."
Way too harsh.
An unexpected attack.
It hit hard. I thought my plain baseball jacket was decent enough.
I let out a hollow laugh and rubbed my neck.
"Sorry. I don't really care about clothes...."
"Not you. Though yours suck too. Asil, you.... Are you heading to a crime scene in the financial district or something?"
"I'm the one who has to talk to the cops anyway, so it doesn't matter."
Asil rolled his eyes upward while downing his coffee.
"We're not going inside the arena like the others."
Exactly.
That was why the mission instructions specified 'civilian clothes over combat uniforms.' We were regulars for this mission, so we couldn't completely hide our identities, but the three of us needed to blend into the crowd as much as possible. Me, Barbie, and Ricardo, who hadn't arrived yet—we had to enter the arena tonight.
Into the crowd enjoying Creature versus illegal implant matches.
The problem was I didn't have anything suitable to wear for that.
"Get a leather jacket."
Barbie advised, biting down on the white cigarette with her red lips.
"Black one. It'll suit you."
"Ah, yep. Thanks. I'll keep that in mind next time I shop."
"Call's over. Let's board."
Asil peeled his back off the pillar.
He pointed toward the station entrance with the hand holding his Americano.
"Ricardo's coming too."
Finally.
He's here. I turned my head in the direction of Asil's gaze.
My eyes widened at the senior walking into the white station.
I'd seen him almost as often as Ami since falling into this world, but Ricardo approaching from the stopped train looked unfamiliar. Black mask, black flight jacket loaded with pockets, pitch-black boots. And silver piercings that stood out even more because of the outfit.
He wore his usual snake-shaped ring on his finger.
It was quite different from his usual style.
The green-eyed man stopped in front of the train, spotted us, and waved energetically.
I stepped forward, eyeing his elongated smiling eyes, and muttered my inner thought.
"Delinquent...."
He really looks like a thug dressed like that.
***
Even the express train to the outskirts was mostly empty.
We'd booked the best car, so we each got a private compartment again. We agreed to use the time until arrival for personal prep, and anyone who wanted could meet in the dining car for lunch and dinner.
In the end, only me and Asil showed up to the dining car at lunchtime.
A quiet, pale dining car with a few civilians.
Asil bought me a lunch box.
He waved off my thanks and, while eating, asked about my background.
"Ah, you were at another core during introductions."
"Yeah, not many Badgers from the intro attended."
Really? Didn't it fill the auditorium?
And wasn't it supposed to be all-hands? As if reading my thoughts, the silver-haired senior gave a rough explanation.
"Badgers not at the Center Core, or outside cores, or even in distant parts of the Center Core didn't attend."
"Ah, makes sense. My thinking was short-sighted."
"So what'd you do to become a Badger?"
I recited the fake personnel history Yoon had told me.
Asil's expression darkened a bit hearing my fake past. The administrative Hildebert Talib had lived a somewhat unfortunate life.
But it's all fake, so no need to grim ace like that.
I quickly added that I'd grown up happily and changed the subject.
Asil answered my various questions readily. Why he became a cop, what cases he handled as a detective. Listening to his rough but detailed answers gave me courage.
If the mood stayed good after my last question, I'd ask about Yoon.
"Why'd you quit the police to become a Badger?"
But that question was a landmine.
Asil's face darkened rapidly. An unnatural silence fell in an instant.
And that ended our conversation. I apologized for the sensitive question, and ate lunch while watching Asil grumble that it was fine.
After that, I read a mystery novel provided on the train until arrival.
The train only reached the destination after darkness had fully set in.
As we walked from the train to the abandoned building used as the arena, I heard about Barbie's love life.
She liked tough types of men.
Seeing my face not understanding what that meant, she explained.
"If I had to pick from the Badgers, it'd be Jason or Senior Ricardo."
"Ah."
Jason Tvein and Ricardo Sordira.
I looked at Ricardo's back as he walked a few steps ahead, guiding the way.
Tvein and Ricardo....
"In other words, you only look at the hardware and ignore the software...."
"Hilde~...."
Before I could finish my careless remark, Ricardo's voice came.
"Seems you've adapted to organizational life now~?"