Don't Touch the Bread
Ting-r-r-ring—!
Just as Scarlet and I were about to dive into the details of overhauling Asura, the comm unit on my wrist suddenly crackled to life.
It was Alexander Valentine.
Scarlet shot me a displeased look, but I simply shrugged and accepted the call.
[Mr. Kang Jinwoo, is this a good time to talk?]
“Yes, Mr. Valentine. I was actually waiting for your call. When will the bounty payment…?”
[Hehe, of course money comes first with you. Of course I’ll pay the agreed amount. But before that, there’s something I need to confirm…]
Valentine’s fox-like cunning was impossible to overlook.
“Confirm what?”
I’d clearly completed the job and wiped out every single member of the Kronos Mercenary Group.
[Of course. Still, I noticed one odd detail. Did you… return to Terminus Station straight after finishing the request?]
His question sounded innocent enough, but the underlying intent was crystal clear.
He was fishing for any sign that I’d lingered longer than necessary in the mining site.
“Is there a problem?”
[Unfortunately, all communication and sensor data from that area has been completely erased for some reason. That’s why I can’t verify your exact return time or route…]
‘Because of the Data Ghost skill.’
[While you were returning, did anything strange happen?]
“I cleared the area of threats and returned immediately.”
[Hmm… It’s just too convenient that all the data vanished right then. Did you ever… go inside the mine?]
Disappointment colored Valentine’s voice, but the suspicion remained.
He was convinced I was hiding something.
“I didn’t enter the mine. Could this have something to do with the job?”
Even though I could see straight through his lies, I played dumb and steered his suspicion elsewhere.
Through the comm, Valentine fell silent.
It was clear he’d been left speechless by my flawless performance.
Or maybe he was still digging for holes in my story.
[…No, no. It’s just… lately there’ve been a lot of scary rumors floating around, so I thought I’d check. Sorry if I worried you for nothing.]
He backed off, but the coldness in his voice was unmistakable.
“No need to apologize. Then the bounty payment… as promised…?”
[Of course. I’ll handle it right away. And Mr. Kang Jinwoo, I’ll contact you again soon.]
“Understood. I’ll be waiting.”
The call ended. Scarlet, who had overheard every word, stared at me with pure disbelief.
“Hey, you… you just lied to that fox, didn’t you? And you did it all so casually.”
“Lie? I only told the truth. I really didn’t enter the mine.”
I shrugged like it was nothing.
Scarlet clicked her tongue at my carefree expression.
“Tsk, getting mixed up with a guy like you just brings nothing but trouble. Anyway, that fox is no ordinary man. You’d better watch your back from now on.”
Her worried scolding lingered as we plunged back into the real work—repairing and upgrading Asura.
Scarlet first fired up the diagnostic system to inspect every damaged section in detail.
Holographic schematics of Asura’s internal structure and damage ratings floated in 3D.
“Hmm… the internal frame damage isn’t as bad as I thought.”
She nodded with a look of surprise.
“The reactor and energy systems show slight overload marks, but the core is intact. With a few parts replaced and the systems recalibrated, it’ll be fixed in no time.”
She quickly mapped the damage and laid out her plan.
“With your help, we can finish this in just a few hours. You know, you’ve got decent hands-on skills.”
“No one matches you, Scarlet.”
Her face flushed at the compliment. She cleared her throat and immediately zeroed in on the internal energy claw blueprint.
“This energy claw… it’s so unique. The conversion efficiency is insane, and the deployment method… it’s completely different from any existing built-in weapon.”
She mimed the motion with her own arms, eyes gleaming as she pictured it unfolding.
“It’d fit perfectly inside.”
“Built-in? That sounds good.”
“Yes! Let’s get started! Jinwoo, stop standing there like an idiot and come help me tear these parts apart!”
Under her command, we moved with military precision.
We stripped the damaged armor and components, then installed the new reinforcements.
Scarlet handled the welding torch with expert skill, straightening the twisted frame. I passed her every tool and part she needed.
After hours of relentless work, she wiped sweat from her forehead and smiled.
“Basic repair and the energy claw installation are done. Now I just need to run a full system diagnostic, check energy flow, and verify every component’s connection. Almost there.”
She plugged the repair terminal into Asura’s main system and began feeding in the complex commands.
The mecha rebooted. Only the soft, rhythmic whir of diagnostic beeps filled the hangar.
“This is gonna take longer than I thought. Full system stabilization and energy claw integration testing might take at least several hours.”
She didn’t look away from the screen.
“Then we’ll just have to wait.”
She dropped onto the sofa with a heavy thud.
Fatigue from the long hours finally caught up with all of us.
“Here, drink this.”
Scarlet pulled two cold packets of chocolate milk from the mini-fridge in the corner and handed me one.
She sat beside me, popped the straw in, and took a sip.
“Hey, Jinwoo. There’s something I’ve been wondering…”
“What is it?”
I took a sip of the sweet, cool milk and looked at her.
“What’s your real goal? Why risk your life on dangerous jobs, and why the obsession with money? Do you just want to build stronger mechs? Or… is there some deeper reason?”
The question came out of nowhere, but her eyes were serious. She was genuinely waiting for my answer.
I thought for a moment. My goal.
It had been vague since I’d fallen into this world, and I still hadn’t fully defined it.
Memories of Galaxy Titans. In that game I’d witnessed countless endings—corporate victories, mercenary wipeouts, humanity’s extinction, endless war. None of them felt like a real happy ending.
But I wasn’t in the game anymore. I was here. In reality.
And this reality was far earlier in the story than the one I remembered.
Maybe… I could change the tragic future. Stop all the suffering and despair I’d known and create a genuine happy ending?
“Who knows…” I gave a wry smile. “There are things I can’t say.”
Even that colossal secret couldn’t be told to anyone.
Scarlet pouted at my answer.
“Men who hide secrets are the worst. Why do you hide so much?”
“You do the same thing.”
I chuckled and pointed at her left forearm.
Scarlet hesitated, eyes dropping. Then she spoke, voice steady.
“When I was young, I don’t even remember how old… my parents just disappeared. No explanation. One day they were gone.”
She gripped the milk packet harder.
“Then I met Kaien. She asked nothing, just… treated me like family. She taught me everything I needed to survive in Terminus Station and let me learn every mechanic trick I loved.”
I stayed quiet for a moment, then asked carefully.
“Scarlet… have you ever wondered if your parents were connected to that mysterious research group that built the Knightfall?”
Her eyes widened.
She stared at me, then let out a long, weary sigh.
“I… had a feeling. You guessed something too?”
“I went through hell looking. Every scrap of information about that research group and anything that might lead to my parents. But… nothing. Nothing at all.”
She covered her face with both hands.
“Maybe I’ll never find them. Maybe it was just my stupid hope, all along.”
The desperation in her voice was raw. She wanted them back so badly it hurt.
“Don’t give up. It’s not over yet. I’ll help you find your parents.”
Scarlet lifted her head, stunned.
“You… you’ll help me…?”
“Yeah. If it’s just me, it’s impossible. But together… who knows? Maybe we’ll finally find a clue.”
I couldn’t tell her about the Data Ghost skill or my game knowledge. But if I used them, I could uncover information she could never reach alone.
Scarlet stared at me for a long time. Then a faint smile curved her lips.
“Thank you, Jinwoo. Thank you… thank you so much.”
We talked until our eyes grew heavy. Then we fell asleep on the workshop floor, side by side.
How much time had passed?
All system diagnostics complete. Every device operating normally. Energy flow optimized, component interconnections in perfect condition. Deployment ready.
We both woke at the same moment.