Chapter 119

Boom!
The stopped car accelerated rapidly and began to break away from the line. It was a striking sight in the midst of the unexpected battle. For a moment, the battlefield was quiet.
“That son of a bitch…!”
Ekidna scowled as she muttered a curse word.
As Kim saw it, Ekidna had guessed his treachery, which was easy to predict given his demeanor.
Kim always took the position of a ‘collaborator’. He never acted as a member of Nuova Aera. The infiltration of Kabarati alone was a prime example.
He’s been doing what he wants, not what’s best for the organization, not what’s best for his boss. So far, it had served Ekidna well, but the day of reckoning was fast approaching.
The problem was timing.
Echidna will shackle Kim first, or Kim will escape first. It’s a close call, but a monster surprise ruins the plan.
“Did I guess this too…?
No, you don’t.
Ekidna shook her head to clear her thoughts. Even if she really had been playing in his palm the whole time, it wouldn’t change anything.
She came to Naraka. Simpler than you think.
It’s clear that he would have benefited from Kim Yi Hyun. It’s unpleasant to realize that I missed it right in front of my eyes, but it’s a small thing once you’ve captured Naraka. It doesn’t make much difference in the grand scheme of things.
The difference should be minimal.
“Ahhhhhh!”
“God damn it. Help me…!”
“Shoot! Don’t let them get any closer!”
A tearing scream. Gore popping and gunfire.
“Ha, ha, ha.”
I’m out of breath. Fear takes over.
I can’t bring myself to step out of the car I’ve pulled over for cover. No matter how much I tried to deny it, I could feel the uneasiness in the empty seats of two people, no, just one.
Maybe I was relying on him, and I wanted to force myself to have him. Maybe I wanted to put my worries aside and build a different kind of relationship.
“─Ekidna-sama!”
Bam!
A strong grip on my shoulder jolted me awake. Before I knew it, Antonio was in front of me. His hard, reprimanding gaze shot straight ahead.
“Sah, you’re alive.”
“Yes. They left without killing anyone.”
“…What is that.”
Ekidna clenched her fists. She was acting like a mafioso. She should have made the right choice, the one that was in keeping with the organization’s code.
Regret washed over me.
“Just in case, if we ever meet again….”
Could it be different then?
“…….”
Her wavering gaze stabilized. In its place was determination, and she glared at her foe, feeling the raw iron in her hands. Those who stood between man and monster.
“Antonio, take straight cover.”
We need to survive to look forward to the next.
* * *
I shook off my pursuers the hard way.
No human being can run side-by-side with a car in an environment with no obstacles or curves… but at least not the guys a while ago.
That’s why they destroyed transportation first. It was a cliché of the Hassashin. It is surprising that we were so alert and unaware of the attack.
Getting out was predictably simple.
“Do you think it was for the best?”
“What.”
“I think you get it, so why are you asking?”
A straightforward question that asks you not to flinch.
Kim made eye contact with Edwin in the rearview mirror. As always, she was expressionless, so it was hard to read what was going through her head.
But you get the idea.
He is testing. What kind of human being Kim Yi Hyun is, with what kind of beliefs and lifestyle. Whether it’s okay for her to leave the Legion and trust herself.
Kim’s choices are the same as they were at Asterike. She may not be as hard on herself now as she was then. There was no reason for her to wear a mask and be a candy-ass.
“Yeah. It was for the best.”
“Why?”
“Because it’s a losing battle.”
“New, old.”
This is the title of the event in which Echidna appears. Always looking for a challenge, she leaves Timorta. After working with Rap to take over Kabarati, she challenges Naraka.
Then, as before, they are attacked by Hassashin. Nuova Era is destroyed. The gang is wiped out, and only Ekidna is miraculously spared thanks to Antonio’s sacrifice.
Alone, Ekidna is not welcome in Kabarati. After wandering the desert for a while, the characters in the rap have long since moved on. She is treated like an object, and eventually assassinated.
“I guess they know who they are.”
“Somewhat.”
It was undoubtedly Hassasin who made or broke her fate.
“It’s absurd.
A group of mono-mutant races like the No-Face. They share two characteristics. The first is that they have the ability to share thoughts in a kind of telepathy.
The second is appetizing.
“They’re omnivores, they’ll eat anything, man or beast.”
“What? Weren’t you maniacal when you put the monster in your mouth?”
“It can’t be anything but mania. You see, they all had abnormal bodies.”
They should be raging like animals, but at least they have some sense.
It’s the ability to share thinking. It’s the “network” of people you’re connected to that keeps you strong. It’s like a tree branch that can break easily when it’s alone, but when it’s in a group, it can’t even bend.
Every once in a while, someone comes along who’s completely insane, but it’s just a matter of kicking them out. That’s what they’ve been doing all their lives. Chewing up and swallowing, literally, the clueless, over-the-top Naraka idiots.
“I still don’t get it, is he that much of a challenge even for you?”
“You’re free to think what you want of me, but I’m not that great.”
It was a no-brainer.
Each member of the Hassassin has outrageous specs. On par with a 5-star agent specializing in close range. They boast stats that would make a ranged agent like Chelsea look like a business card.
Eleven strong contenders.
Even with Edwin, the odds are hopeless. They’ll have to be wary of reinforcements and settle for a short fight, which is not possible with the way they’ve been organized.
Helixivir would be a different story. When I weighed the risks and rewards, it was not a wise choice. The value of Echidna was not that great.
Among other things.
By the time he pulled the gun, the relationship was already broken. It wasn’t really a matter of blame. If Ekidna hadn’t moved, Kim would have pulled the gun first.
Kim muttered in bitterness.
“What a crappy world.”
Garbage game. They put unplayable stages in events.
NO─8.
This is a defeat event that you’ve experienced a few times in the past. You may be able to clear it if you try again, but the first time is set up to fail.
If there’s one more point to make.
For this stage only, Kim didn’t mess with the planned flow; he went into the stage without making any changes. What this means.
Abandoning Nuova Era was the professor’s choice in the game.
“What would I do if I were a professor today?
You never know.
* * *
It’s not too early to relax.
We crossed the desert, taking turns along the way. A straight path would have led to ambushes. It was better to take your time and move carefully.
‘It’s a good thing there are so many ruins.
If it had been nothing but desolation, I would have gotten lost long ago. Luckily, Naraka is littered with ruins that serve as signposts. All I had to do was rely on my memory to guide me.
Alas, those are the Baruni ruins.
In the past, Naraka was a thriving land far beyond what it is today, with five cities connected by a central city called Mauria.
What was once called the City of Gold is now a desolate ruin. It’s a shame.
It was a line assigned to an old scholar.
The professors visit Naraka again years after the “New Things, Old Things” event. This is due to some news that has arrived at the lab.
It was about a massive disaster in Naraka.
‘They’ll all die, too, but that’s a long way off at this point.
A journey to investigate the catastrophe and explore its ruins. With the help of a scholar familiar with Banzar’s history, you’ll move about Naraka in relative safety.
It’s not an old event, so I remember it well.
In modern times, they say, there is no law and no morality. Banzar used to have order. The reign of the Murat dynasty ushered in a golden age.
It is said that he could predict the future and easily defeat powerful enemies with his spell-encrusted sphere.
Some of it remains in the Baruni ruins. Whether the witchcraft is true or a vain delusion is unknown, but otherwise there would be smoke in the chimneys, and it would not be mere junk.
The vehicle has arrived at the Baruni Ruins.
Wind-sculpted stone pillars lined the sides. An arched gate welcomed me inside. The city’s reputation as a golden city was not for nothing, for it was so generous to thieves.
“You’ve come to the right place.”
“It’s in the literature. It’s been a famous neighborhood for a long time.”
I gave Edwin the benefit of the doubt. It was hard to convince him, but there was no other way to explain it.
“Found.
A temple sits at the center of the ruins.
Surrounding it are statues of animals. It was an elaborate structure that looked like it could come to life at a moment’s notice and chase away intruders.
But it wasn’t intimidating. The broken, weathered statue was no match for a toothless tiger.
If I were to call them threats, they’d be those.
“Tsk. Persistent assholes.”
A shadow emerged from behind a pillar at the far end of the path we had just traveled.
“Three.”
“I think these are different pursuers than the ones from earlier.”
“I guess so. I thought I was being careful, but there must have been eyes watching.”
Apparently, one of the sergeants specializes in reconnaissance. It makes sense that he would bring a nearby colleague to relay information in real time.
It was impossible for anyone but the brightest of eyes to recognize Hagiya Nuova Era’s intrusion so quickly.
“I haven’t heard anything from here, what are you going to do?”
“I have a purpose in that temple. I don’t want it to collapse after a big fight inside.”
“Then I guess we’ll just have to fight it out.”
“You.”
Edwin blinked at the sound of the words, and soon the equipment was rolling into the back seat.
“You’re not the only one testing.”
A blade that Kim carried, and a shield that he didn’t know where it came from.
“I need to see your handiwork.”
“…….”
“What are you doing without?”
I stare at him, and he rolls his eyes and urges me on.
“If you do this and they crash the car. You and I are both dead, do you understand?”
“What guarantees do you have that you won’t run off alone?”
“You’re not wrong. Let’s do this.”
The car slowed down and drove into the temple.
Instead of going deeper, they stopped at a spot close to the entrance. Next, Kim exited the car before Edwin.
“Is that it?”
Edwin sighed. At least he didn’t have to worry about Kim running off alone.
If you have a second car, just block the entrance. Even if there is a hidden exit inside, it’s not easy to speed through it. As soon as you hear the engine, give chase and you’ll catch up.
Conversely, it means that Edwin can’t run away either.
“You’re a terrible human being, you.”
“Thanks for the compliment, but you better get out of here before they get here.”
He grabbed his sword and shield without much ado.
* * *
The core of the temple.
As an open site, there was plenty of evidence of grave robbers. Chests resting on small platforms were left wide open, and in some cases the chests themselves were missing.
‘You’re being frugal with your money.
Gold and silver treasures were nowhere to be found. Only fragments of walls and tombstones inscribed with unintelligible characters, or worse, seemingly worthless trash, lay about.
Just like everywhere else in Polaris.
Buried among the garbage is a jade stone.
Kim cleared away the debris in the corner. Underneath lay a black awl. It was about 50 centimeters long. An unusual object, but nothing more than junk compared to the treasures that were already there.
My jaw dropped when I found it.
“Ha, I finally got it.”
This was the moment I realized my second purpose for coming to Banjar.