Chapter 166: Frozen Gear (1)
Chapter 166: Frozen Gear (1)
Crunch. Crunch.
A place blanketed in pure, untainted white snow, dyeing everything in its path.
The two of us were walking through it.
Thump. Thump. Thump.
Actually, that’s not quite right.
Given our posture, it would be more accurate to say we were sprinting.
It was a long-distance movement technique where only the legs are moved rapidly to maintain synchronization with one's surroundings. If I had to categorize it, the foundational skill was close to a Martial Artist’s form, but since many Heroes of the past had it implanted into their brains after modification, it could just as easily be called a minor trick.
Of course, as a product of modification—a blend of martial forms, magic, espers, and various nonsensical techniques—the number of people capable of using it had dwindled significantly. Still, it was a convenient skill once mastered.
To put it bluntly, it was just an enhanced version of a forced march, but its advantages were clear.
While much slower than my full-out sprint, it was a method that purely increased speed. This meant that even when accelerating, I wouldn't end up obliterating the terrain around me. But the greatest advantage was…
That we could hold a conversation while moving.
“So, what the hell am I supposed to do with this?”
Having run out of things to talk about, I pulled an object I had been ignoring from my coat and held it up.
It was a palm-sized item consisting of a single golden star and a red ribbon. In a way, it was incredibly simple, yet its value was beyond measure.
“I wonder the same thing. Why did they give us these?”
The Librarian, who also seemed to want to ignore it, warped space to pull out his own medal.
To be precise, it was the Soviet Hero of Peace Medal.
Established after the world became distorted, it was an honor held by fewer than a hundred recipients in total. And yet, here we were in this absurd situation, both of us holding these bizarre things.
I never imagined in my life that I’d receive something like this from the Soviet Union. They should have just given it to their own national Hero, Mishika Misha.
“Sigh.”
As if reflecting my complicated feelings, my breath hit the frigid Siberian air and scattered into fine frost. The medal was about as useless as that frost.
Sure, it was nice to receive, but…
Since I’d been granted a Hero title, I’d probably get a pension from the Soviet government, be treated as an equal to their own Heroes no matter where I went, and get free access to most public facilities.
…I could probably get a decent price for this on an auction site, too.
Of course, I had enough of a conscience not to actually do that.
“Let’s look on the bright side. Didn’t the Soviets give them to us because they want to establish a friendly relationship?”
Friendly relationship, my ass. In this Siberian cold, no less.
“It’s not a friendly relationship; it’s hush money. If they actually wanted to be friends, our faces would be all over the TV and we’d be taking photos shaking hands with the General Secretary.”
We wouldn't have been stuck in a KGB basement having a staring contest with some high-ranking official who just tossed the medals at us.
Ah, right. There was no non-disclosure agreement.
It was just that the words they left us with were so damn annoying.
“What was it again? ‘Don’t you have that in your prison?’ They were basically telling me to feed the memories of this incident to that thing.”
“You were planning on feeding it anyway, weren’t you?”
Well, yeah. But it’s one thing if I decide to do it on my own, and quite another to hear it from some bigwig. It makes my blood boil for no reason.
Ugh. Fine.
I should just be the bigger person. I’ve always been the one to endure, so what’s a little more?
“Fine, fine. The Soviets claim they’ve changed, so I guess I’ll trust them this once.”
The reason I was able to hold back in that mess was because those people, who always held their heads so high, actually bowed to me.
‘Thank you for stopping the coup, Crimson★Hammer.’
Though the makeshift award ceremony was dominated by deception, coldness, and formality…
There was no deception in that final sentence they uttered.
“Even though Lee Ha-ram didn't actually do anything,” the Librarian teased.
“Hey! I was the one who suppressed them at the very beginning!”
“Do you honestly think I would have lost to those two? I could handle those bastards even if they attacked in units of a thousand.”
“You never know. Who’s to say they didn't have some hidden power?”
Ever since the world turned into this mess, I’ve reached a point where almost nothing surprises me. I mean, you get a little stagnant water and suddenly some nonsensical monster is being summoned out of it.
At this point, I feel like I wouldn't even be flustered if I woke up to find everyone had turned into Otherworldly beings and Baek Si-hyun was busy beating them all to death.
“Even if they had hidden powers, I can’t imagine myself losing to them.”
Honestly, I felt the same way.
However, to win an argument, one must know how to stick to their guns.
“Hey, you never know what’ll happen in this world. I actually lost to some kids once during Mobilization Training.”
Granted, there were a lot of them, but kids are still kids.
“Hmm. That is an interesting topic. Let’s talk about that, then.”
Sure, why not?
This endless snowy plain was boring as hell, anyway.
“Now… first of all…”
*
As the faint light of the sun moved along the horizon, beginning to create a white night…
As we crossed The Sea by treading on the thin ice…
And as the cold, icy ocean began to appear more frequently than the snow-covered grass…
“It’s over there.”
The Librarian, who had fallen silent after we ran out of things to talk about, finally spoke.
Reacting to his words, I looked toward where he was gazing.
An isolated island, still shrouded in thin ice even as winter was beginning to end.
“It’s smaller than I expected for a base belonging to people hostile to you.”
The island floating on The Sea was quite small. Even considering the distance, the fact that I could take in the entire island in one glance meant its area was remarkably tiny.
“Haha. I thought the same when I first saw it, but…”
Perhaps he found my question amusing. The Librarian gave a truly joyful laugh before continuing.
“As for the reality of that island… I’ll leave that as a pleasant surprise for when we enter.”
“You usually blabber on about things I don’t even ask for.”
“When have I ever done that?”
Sure you haven't, Mr. Great Encyclopedia Britannica.
How does he remember everything else perfectly but ‘forget’ this kind of conversation every single time? It’s happened so often that I’m starting to suspect he actually remembers and just enjoys my reaction.
Though I suppose I’m just as bad for reacting the same way every time.
“Just checking, but this is a Containment Zone, right?”
“Yes.”
Hmm.
Then it really is too small.
I knew about other people’s Containment Zones. There was one guy sealed in the Heart beneath the Management Bureau, and others like Oxymoron who were subjected to special processing. Some were even dealt with along with their entire bases to ensure they could never escape.
Regardless, it was one of the ways to keep certain Heroes in a state of 'maintenance' without officially retiring them.
Considering how many Heroes chose not to retire, Containment Zones were scattered all over the place. And every single one of them was subject to the strictest no-entry orders.
Since those orders were among the most powerful established after the world’s distortion, their strictness was beyond imagination. Ships couldn't sail nearby, and even planes or satellites were prohibited from entering the airspace above them if possible.
While typical restricted areas were guarded by the Management Bureau’s Defense Force, some Containment Zones didn't even have that.
Areas that exerted a negative influence on their surroundings even while sealed, areas so dangerous that their very location was top secret, or areas where the seal could accidentally be broken.
Grade 5 Classified Areas.
The island we were heading toward was one of them. A Containment Zone the Librarian had created to maintain himself.
However, even though I had been present when several Containment Zones were created, this was my first time seeing this one with my own eyes.
Since the Librarian belonged to the American branch, there were few opportunities for us to meet while I was with the East Eurasian division. We only became close after he was dispatched to the Korea branch.
However, there was one thing I knew.
The entity imprisoned there…
Was dangerous enough to plunge the entire state of Massachusetts into ruin.
And the reason the Librarian ended up in his current state was because of their modifications.
Recalling that made me feel a bit sorry for him, so I tilted my head back to look at my friend.
“Do you have something to say? Or perhaps a question?”
“Just because.”
Splash.
Perhaps because my emotions wavered, the ice beneath me shattered under the sudden force, and one of my feet submerged into the water.
“Are you alright?”
“I just slipped. Don’t worry about it.”
I immediately regained my posture and sprinted forward again. I wanted to show my worried friend that nothing was wrong.
“This is why I told you to just hitch a ride on me.”
“Ha! Do I look crazy? I’m going on ahead!”
Spitting out those words, I sprinted toward our destination at full power.
Splash. Splash.
“Wait, hold on a sec—”
Perhaps it was because I had sacrificed technique for raw power to increase my speed. The Librarian’s voice was swallowed by the rising pillars of water.
But my sprint didn't stop.
Me, cling to a guy’s body?
Even if you’re wearing armor and blasting boosters, I’m not doing that unless it’s a life-or-death situation.
Rejecting the Librarian’s kindness, I continued the train of thought I’d started a moment ago.
About the Librarian’s past.
And the Librarian’s enemies.
What must it feel like to have your entire family killed, only to have parts made from them implanted into your own body?
What must it feel like to be controlled by them and forced to kill your own friends?
What must it feel like to have sympathized with them and lived among them, even for a short while?
What must it feel like to fight with the very power they gave you, even after regaining your freedom, just to stand against them?
How much resolve does it take to carry that hated power forever for the sake of a greater cause?
He was a guy who always laughed cheerfully, but he never told me about that part of his past. Whenever the subject came up, he would always brush it off with a forced smile.
That was how much their existence weighed on the Librarian.
So, what about the current situation?
How must he feel, going back to see the very beings he never wants to see again?
How must he feel, returning to them to obtain something, knowing full well that everything he is could fall apart?
And yet, despite carrying all that, he left every decision to his friend.
The Librarian.
What could he be thinking?
Splash. Splash. Roooooar.
The massive sound of an exhaust note mixed with the splashing water. He must be chasing after me.
“Wait… hold on…”
The Librarian was shouting something from behind.
But I couldn't stop my pace. My emotions were already heightened.
Thump.
One step.
Thump.
One heartbeat.
As I recalled the Librarian’s past—the things I had only seen in records…
My limiter began to release at an uncontrollable speed.
Bubble.
Bubbles began to rise.
Black bubbles.
From somewhere within my body.
What is this emotion…?
CRASH—!
A collision so powerful it was shocking rang in my ears.
The source was… me.
It hurts.
Every other thought was erased. Only that one remained in my head.
Then, my body began to collapse. Toward the cold seawater.
What… did I hit…?
Perhaps because I had accelerated to such an extreme speed.
I wiped my bleeding nose and lifted my head to look straight ahead.
But I saw nothing.
There was only empty space before my eyes.
…What?
Dumbfounded, I flailed in the icy sea for about three seconds to stay afloat.
“That’s why I told you to wait!”
“Oh, you got here fast.”
Blasting his boosters, the Librarian flew down beside me.
“Sigh. First, let’s get you up.”
“Sorry. I’ll take you up on that.”
So it ended up like this.
My clothes were soaked from being submerged, and I’d even sustained a minor injury. I had no choice but to cling to the Librarian.
“And what’s with the nosebleed? Did you hit it head-first?”
Ah. So it was a collision.
As I thought that, I was scooped up like a soggy teddy bear and placed on the shoulder guard of his Silver Armor.
“But what did I hit?” I asked from my perch.
“Ah, that. It’s nothing much. Just an undetectable barrier…”
The Librarian shrugged as he gave the answer, as if it were no big deal.
And thanks to that…
Splash.
I fell back into the icy sea.