Chapter 132
Chapter 132
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Translator: uly
Chapter: 132
Chapter Title: Meeting Jin
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He carefully scraped away at the meteor's surface, taking great pains to ensure the signal generator wouldn't malfunction, then set the device down.
After securing it in place, he tested the equipment several times to confirm it was working properly.
"...Phew, good. It's running fine."
The surveyor stretched his back, installation complete.
That's when something slammed into his exoskeleton suit.
"U-Uwaaah!!"
The outer armor shattered in an instant.
The creature fused with his body as it crashed into the meteor, flinging the surveyor free from the exoskeleton due to the impact.
Even so, the fact that the monster kept attacking the suit instead of pursuing him could only be called good luck.
"Urgh..."
-Delta 1. Delta 1. Report your status.
His squad leader's voice snapped him out of his daze.
Realizing he'd been attacked, the surveyor gritted his teeth against the pain and scanned the area where he'd installed the signal generator.
"An... alien...?"
His eyes widened.
It was a form he'd never seen before, but it unmistakably had the traits of an alien.
"No way! Why are there aliens here? No, no—this isn't the time. HQ! HQ...?"
His report cut off mid-sentence as he tried to radio in.
At the spot where the first alien had appeared, new ones began emerging behind it.
Too many to count with the naked eye.
But it wasn't just that location.
"...Oh my God."
Widening his view, he saw dust-like specks pouring from distant meteors.
All of them aliens.
Realizing a report would be pointless, the surveyor fired his thrusters and turned toward the scout ship. The ship detected the aliens but remained unresponsive for a while, activating its meager defenses.
Then, deeming it futile, it began prepping for departure.
'This... this won't work...!'
The few kilometers to the ship felt impossibly far.
Even at full thrust, the distance only grew.
Then, a blinding beam lanced out and struck the scout ship.
Light flashed.
The attack had come from one of the smaller meteors at a distance.
The ship weathered the first hit but couldn't withstand the barrage that followed, its barrier shattering.
Soon, aliens swarmed over it, burrowing inside.
"...Haha."
The surveyor let out a hollow, self-mocking laugh, resigned to his fate.
Maybe it was a relief he hadn't made it aboard—though what an absurd thought.
Without the ship, escape from this remote edge of space was impossible anyway. All it did was buy him a little more time.
One of the aliens flew at him then.
Judging by the fragments of his exoskeleton embedded in its flesh, it was the same one that had hit him first.
The surveyor quietly drew his utility hand drill and aimed it at his own head.
"Pfft, damn it all."
As the alien lunged, the drill whirred to life.
*
On the outskirts of a city under reconstruction.
Plain prefab blocks, stacked without regard for aesthetics, formed the structure.
No recreation areas or playgrounds, but it had the merits of being sturdy and cheap.
The materials could withstand attacks from Grade 1 or 2 danger-level aliens for quite some time, and the layout required breaching multiple layers of walls to get inside.
This building was a shelter for children, built through CSPA's efforts.
Founded under the academy principal's leadership, CSPA aided orphans, pregnant women, and the elderly displaced by aliens.
As such, the place brimmed with children's laughter.
Even amid war, the kids dashed about the blocks carefree, their play drawing involuntary smiles.
"Nice, isn't it?"
"Why didn't you come sooner?"
"You know how busy I've been."
The principal and I walked side by side, surveying our surroundings.
It had been a full year since I'd left the academy.
Recently, my cohort had received official superhuman certifications and begun our second year.
Of the 950 graduates, about 850 were still active.
The other 100 had retired due to death or irrecoverable injuries.
It seemed like a lot at first glance, but it wasn't actually that high a rate.
Compared to other cohorts, which had nearly double the dropouts, ours was exceptionally good. "I know, I know. With all the news about your group, my ears were ringing."
"Haha..."
"No cohort caused as much trouble as Leonard's back at the academy, and it looks like you're keeping it up out in the field."
The principal joked, chuckling as he watched the laughing, chattering children.
His face softened in a rare, gentle expression.
"What do you think after looking around?"
"It's nice. But also a bit stifling."
My gaze drifted to a shadowed corner.
Not all the kids here were laughing and playing.
Some had lost parents and siblings in the chaos.
Seeing them huddled motionless in the gloom was heartbreaking. "Poor kids."
"Any way to help them?"
"It's hard to care for them with just material aid. It's frustrating that this is the best we can do."
"You're already doing your utmost. Stepping up like this despite the shortages deserves praise."
The principal shook his head bitterly at my words.
I knew full well it wasn't much comfort.
No matter how hard he tried, could he bring back the dead parents, siblings, or friends?
Unless he was God, he couldn't take responsibility for that too.
'Even this much is impressive.'
CSPA was sheltering 30 million refugees.
An astonishing number for a single organization.
Even before I'd donated shares from the Salmon Research Institute to help—when they were at 20 million—I could imagine the burden on the principal. "Ah, there he is."
The principal's voice rose then.
His eyes fixed on a boy sitting at the edge of the third-floor block.
He looked barely middle-school age, his face still boyish.
Yet his expression and aura felt far beyond his years. "...Ugh, he's here again."
The boy scowled at the principal like he'd spotted something unpleasant.
Then he stood, glanced at me once, and bolted away. "...Hohoho."
The principal burst into good-natured laughter at the boy's antics.
But I barely registered it.
'There he is.'
I'd finally come face-to-face.
The protagonist of the original story.
The one who'd shoved me into this world.
I'd imagined countless times what it'd feel like to see his face.
Would he recognize me?
If so, how should I handle it?
'I was half-planning to flick his forehead in anger...'
But the protagonist clearly didn't know me.
His attitude toward the principal matched the original setting too.
Despite my interventions twisting the plot, his circumstances seemed unchanged.
"Come to see Jin?"
"Oh, Suri. How've you been?"
Someone called out from the side.
A girl with vivid pink hair.
The shade was strongest at the center, fading outward in a mystical gradient that made it impossible to miss.
Her upturned eyes suggested a strong personality, and her sharp features made her cute now, with real beauty potential ahead.
Her name was Woo Suri.
Jin's childhood friend and one of the original story's heroines.
'She looks exactly like I imagined.'
I marveled inwardly as the principal chatted with Suri.
The same fluttering excitement I'd felt first meeting Roze in this world.
My emotions leaped unpredictably, leaving me lightheaded.
"Could you call him over for me?"
"He's in a bad mood right now. He won't listen to me either."
"...Hmm, what to do."
The principal glanced at me, looking troubled.
I'd come here because, during a routine comms check, he'd mentioned some standout kids and I'd expressed interest in meeting them.
Of course, I'd realized he meant the original story's two leads.
I already knew Jin was here.
Still, I didn't want to miss a natural chance to meet, so I'd tagged along.
"Should I go find him?"
"Who's the big bro?"
Suri's eyes sparkled as she asked.
Her blinking, wide-eyed curiosity was so adorable I wanted to pinch her cheeks. "Hi. I'm Leonard."
"Huh? You look familiar. Are you a superhuman?"
"Huh? How'd you know?"
"It is you! I've seen you on TV. Wow, so cool."
Suri peered at my face from every angle, gasping in awe.
'I guess I've gotten famous.'
My name had been all over the place as captain of the independent fleet.
Even after the peak of Faraday's siege, I'd led several key ops to success.
Still, this was my first direct civilian reaction. Being the center of attention felt oddly unfamiliar.
"You're so handsome, bro. Are those horns real? Can I touch them?"
"...Suri?"
"Right, can you sign this? Heehee."
The principal called out as she stole my attention, but when she ignored him, he deflated and shot me a sidelong glare.
I brushed it off like always and reached into my pocket.
"Better than a signature—how about this?"
In my palm, I offered Suri a sleek black wrist-mounted panel.
To put it simply, it was this era's smartphone.
It monitored biometric rhythms for health checks, detected diseases, handled comms— an essential all-in-one.
"Wow!"
Suri snatched it and jumped for joy.
At her age, she knew how to use one.
She'd also notice this was a premium model, hard to find on the market, unlike standard ones.
"Just press it to your wrist. It's not registered yet, so anyone can use it."
"...Oh."
Suri paused as she moved to strap it on. "Bro, got another one?"
"For that boy from earlier?"
"...Yeah!"
"I'll give it to him myself. Can you tell me where he went?"
Suri hesitated, then pointed and said,
"Up there, the highest spot. Jin loves climbing that. Guess he's not scared of heights."
"Thanks, Suri."
I followed her gesture.
That area housed the radar and other facilities.
Positioned as high as possible for optimal function, and Jin had scaled the tallest one.
"Principal. I'll be right back."
"Go or don't, your call."
"Excuse me...?"
"Ah, go on already. I'll hang out with our Suri a bit longer." I waved to Suri and headed for Jin's spot.
The stacked blocks were fine, but beyond that, no safety features—impossible for civilians.
Jin's quick climb proved he wasn't ordinary.
I crept up stealthily.
But just before I reached the top, Jin turned and met my eyes.
His vibe still didn't match his age.
"...Hey?"
I blurted out an awkward greeting.
Face-to-face, I couldn't find the right words.
Jin held my gaze for a moment, then patted the spot beside him.
"Come up. No need to strain down there."
"...Uh, thanks?"
The space was tight.
Our shoulders touched as we faced forward.
The city's open vista sprawled before us.
"Prime seats, huh."
"Only I know about this spot. And Pink."
"You mean Suri? She didn't seem thrilled."
"She can't make it up here alone. That's probably why."
I figured it was because they couldn't come together.
Suri had been into Jin since back then.
"You came with that old geezer, right?"