Chapter 575
Chapter 575
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 575
Chapter Title: Ancient Mystery
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I stood up from my seat and smacked the head of Bruno, who was snoring away in his sleep.
"Gah! Wh-what the hell?!"
"Some flies are swarming in, so I woke you up."
"Flies?"
I pointed at the window with my thumb. Three red fighter planes were flying toward us menacingly.
Bruno rushed to the window in a panic. His face hardened with gravity.
"Alcheri... I expected them to interfere, but I didn't think they'd come at us right from the start."
Alcheri.
It was the name of the organization that could be called this world's villains. A group that discarded all morality and sought to exploit the ancient mystery solely for their own gain.
"Bruno, has the info leaked? Could there be a traitor...?"
Amy glanced at me suspiciously, wondering if I'd sold us out to Alcheri. It was understandable, in a way. She still hadn't fully accepted me as a comrade.
"It's not him. If he'd betrayed us and leaked to Alcheri, he wouldn't have come to us in the first place. Amy, it's more likely there's a traitor among your staff. Protecting Eugene is protecting us. Don't insult him."
"...Sorry, Eugene."
Amy apologized sincerely.
"I told you to speak casually. Ah, but I'll accept the apology. Aren't we being a bit too relaxed right now?"
Alcheri's fighter planes were already closing in right beside us. They were armed, too. If they attacked or pretended to crash into us, we'd be done for without a chance to move.
"We won't die. If they wanted to blow up the plane, they'd have done it already. They're after your map, Amy. They won't destroy the plane, but if we're captured, the end is obvious. Mac!"
"Got it. What do you want me to do?"
Mac spoke leisurely. Even in this dire situation, he didn't panic. You could feel the weight of a veteran's experience.
"We'll have to parachute out. Shake them off for a bit at a suitable spot, even if just temporarily. If we head into the jungle, even they won't be able to follow."
Mac moved busily as he spoke, tossing parachute packs to me and Amy. As I strapped on my pack, I glanced at Amy. Tension was plain on her face.
"Ladies and gentlemen, things are about to get a little rough from here on out—hope you don't mind!"
It wasn't just a little rough. The plane spun 360 degrees, even tilting sideways. Any amusement park ride would pale in comparison.
"Ngh..."
Amy lost her balance and nearly fell. I reached out and grabbed her waist. Even through her clothes, I could feel her firm, well-toned abs.
"You okay?"
"...Thanks. Let go."
I released her promptly. She quickly regained her center inside the shaking plane. Her athleticism was impressive enough to earn admiration. For a civilian, anyway.
"Now! Jump!"
Bruno went first, followed by Amy, then me, and Mac last. Since we were being pursued, we couldn't deploy too early. I'd follow Bruno's timing for opening the chute.
BOOM!
A massive explosion roared.
It was the sound of our charter plane smashing into a cliff in a spectacular blaze. I could see Alcheri's fighters faltering in confusion. Well, they'd surely track us soon enough.
We landed in the jungle via parachutes and quickly regrouped.
"If we stay put, Alcheri will hunt us down and kill us. We sent a distress signal, but we can't afford to wait for rescue. We need to move, every second counts."
"I half-expected this. Bruno, things always turn into a spectacle when I'm with you."
"Mac, this is serious. We barely grabbed half our prepared gear during the emergency escape. You gonna keep cracking jokes?"
"Sorry. The mood was sinking, so I thought I'd lighten it up."
"The mood isn't the priority right now. Amy, can I see the map?"
"Here you go, Bruno."
Bruno took the weathered map from Amy and examined it with a solemn gaze. It was more like verification than interpretation. He'd probably decoded it ages ago.
"We can't assume it's the only map. The contents might have leaked to Alcheri. Better take a detour. Let's move."
I let out a small sigh. According to the original movie plot, the gates to three months of hardship were now open.
'There's auto-progression, but if I want to bed Amy, I'll have to make my move.'
I started trekking through the jungle, imagining the stern, resolute woman beneath me, moaning wetly.
???
We wandered the jungle for three days.
I couldn't use my inventory, but thanks to Bruno's thorough preparations, we managed okay. Still, it was tough no matter what. If I hadn't worked out hard before coming here, it would've been even worse.
'Watching it compressed into a two-hour movie doesn't compare to living it.'
The jungle was vast. We walked all day without feeling like we'd made progress. Meals were handled with emergency rations. The real issues were the bugs and beasts.
'Damn these bugs.'
The swarms of mosquitoes attacking at every turn made me want to burn the whole jungle down.
"Grrr..."
A jaguar.
We encountered a jaguar. It kept its distance, wary of us. It wasn't fleeing, so it must've sized us up as prey.
"Oh dear..."
"Bruno, handle it."
"Eugene, why single me out?"
"Didn't you say you've faced wild beasts bare-handed? You're the expert, right?"
"Stepping up to protect us in times like this is your job."
"I'm ex-mercenary, but not great with beasts."
Bang!
A gunshot rang out, and the jaguar tumbled over.
Mine and Bruno's gazes turned to Amy. She coolly holstered her pistol in her thigh holster.
"Don't make a fuss over one animal. Let's move."
Amy declared confidently, and we pressed on.
Bruno took point, and I covered the rear.
I glanced at Amy often. Not because Bruno had told me to prioritize her protection. She was the only woman around. Better to look at her than the guys.
'Her hair would suit her longer.'
Jungle day four.
Trouble hit.
Mac had come down with a fever. Not surprising. He was the weakest physically among us. The past four days of forced march must've been grueling.
"Should I carry him?"
I asked Bruno. I didn't want to piggyback a guy, but it was an emergency. Bruno shook his head.
"We have meds, but we can't afford to exhaust ourselves too. Mac collapsing is my oversight. Should've rested... I was too hasty about Alcheri's pursuit."
We decided to rest.
I approached Amy, who was washing her face by a nearby stream.
"Amy."
"Eugene? Something to say?"
Her demeanor was softer than before. Spending the last few days suffering in the jungle together had brought us closer.
"I'm curious why you're out here personally. As heir to Wilkinson Group, you didn't need to. Could've just handed it all to Bruno and waited in a hotel suite. Why come yourself?"
"...Am I in the way?"
"No. You're doing great. Mac's the one slowing us down right now. I'm just wondering why someone rich and high-status like you is choosing the hard road."
Amy fell silent for a moment, washed her face in the cold stream water, then stood. Her short blonde hair wet, her clean face. I nearly lunged at her on impulse.
"You know I have the map, right?"
"The treasure map Alcheri's after?"
"It was my father's keepsake. He turned down the chairman position to chase the treasure it points to. Then he caught a rare disease and died. Even on his deathbed, he thought more of the treasure than his only daughter. It made me curious. What kind of treasure could be more important than me?"
"That's why you're doing this yourself?"
"Maybe he just loved the adventure itself. I wanted to find out how amazing it must be."
"Enjoying the adventure?"
"...Regretting it a bit now. But why ask? What's your angle?"
"I want to get closer to you. I like you, Amy."
"You like my money, you mean."
"Not interested in your wealth. I could even sign a contract if you want."
"Think you're the first guy to say that? Every man who approaches me pulls that line."
"I'm different. It's you I like, not your money."
"Eugene. We're just business partners. Comrades. Nothing more."
We shall see.
I grinned and followed behind her.
The next day, the meds worked, and Mac shook off his fever. We started moving again.
By evening, rain poured down. It was a deluge— in under three minutes, our clothes and even underwear were soaked through.
'The plane incident too. Still following the original so far. Which means... tonight.'
Knowing what the original plot held, I tensed up more than usual. Thanks to that, I spotted the group tailing us first.
"Bruno, enemies."
"...Enemies?"
"Heading this way. About ten of them, roughly twenty minutes out. Professionally trained. Ex-military, maybe mercenaries."
"Understood. We'll pick up the pace. Hope we can shake them easily... but probably not. Eugene, you haven't forgotten what I said?"
"Prioritize protecting Amy? Got it. Even if you die, I'll make sure she's safe. Don't worry."
"Heh. You sure have a way with words."
We hurried on. Bruno tried looping through the jungle to lose them, but it was futile. The pursuers were pros too. And we were exhausted. Every factor favored them.
"Bruno. Long time no see."
We encountered the pursuers. Not face-to-face—they were ahead, with plenty of trees between us for cover. They were geared like a special forces unit.
"My ass has been itching, and it was you, Ulpang. Still got that vicious mug. Kids'd cry just seeing you."
"Half the scars on my face are your doing. I'd settle that debt, but hand over the map peacefully, and I'll postpone it."
"With eyes like that full of murder, how could I trust you?"
Ulpang grinned. He ordered his men.
"Don't kill if you can help it. They might've hidden the map somewhere in the jungle. Capture them and torture if needed—we need that map. Move..."
Bang!
I pulled the trigger first. The bullet pierced Ulpang's forehead dead center. His men instantly aimed rifles at me and fired in unison. Ducking behind a massive tree, I climbed up in a flash, leaping monkey-like to another tree while attacking them.
With all the cover, I had to get close for clean kills.
'This is getting risky.'
If it got too tough, I'd use Moment right away.
Every time I fired, one enemy dropped. Even in frantic movement, I never missed. Worth the marksmanship training.
Three minutes.
That's how long it took to wipe them all out. Physically, we were evenly matched. But the software? Worlds apart. They couldn't match my experience, and I had Acceleration as a superpower.
'In the original scene, Bruno pulls some stunt to escape, and Ulpang survives... Nah, no interest in following the script like a chump.'
I turned around.
Bruno, Amy, Mac. All staring at me in shock.