Chapter 196

The forest was silent for a while.
The search team’s faces were all panicked. But they couldn’t just sit on their hands forever, so Kim spoke up.
“Leila, what’s bothering you?”
“Oh, that’s okay, I’m fine.”
Thank you,” Leila said, pulling herself away. She staggered for a moment, feeling mildly dizzy. She quickly regained her composure.
“What just happened…?”
“We’re the ones who want to ask. If you don’t know, no one else will.”
“I just… it was subconscious, because I felt like I could do something, that I should do something. It was just like I was drawn to it, I just did it.”
The lack of explanation summed up Leila’s confusion. She wasn’t trying to be coy. She says the same thing to the professor in the game.
There was no one here who could clearly explain what had just happened. Not even Kim, let alone Leila, could fully understand it.
“I want it because the game’s story is unkind.
They’re just throwing bits and pieces out there, but they’re not really getting them back. It’s not just Polaris, but mobile games in general. Game companies have to add things to the main episode.
It just throws out a few clues to make an inference.
Even after the final chapter, there are still some unanswered questions.
For example, Leila is currently the only person who can be directly involved in the rift. But it doesn’t explain how that’s possible.
We can only guess.
It is widely speculated that Leila inherited the power of the Primordial Parasite. Markus Dresner also sought to alter his physical body by implanting the same factor.
His death caused the rift, so it makes sense.
“Whatever the case, it’s clear that Leila is a key character in the second half.
In fact, the player, the professor, becomes more and more like a character. This is because you’ll regain memories from the past that have nothing to do with your actions.
Leila, on the other hand, is overflowing with archetypal protagonist tropes.
A special birth, a unique goodness, and even an unyielding conviction.
In the story of Polaris, Leila is undoubtedly the heroine.
“This should be good enough for a trial run.
Closure of cracks. And decontamination.
We confirmed that Leila, set as the Savior of the Continent, is working properly.
‘There was also unexpected income.
Kim looked back. In the direction of where she’d parked the car.
It’s a good thing you’ve gotten through a crisis.
“Now I’m going to get that out of the way.
He’s a master of the art.
* * *
Accommodations in nearby towns.
“You’re up early.”
He was not sarcastic, but genuinely admiring. Irene woke up after only half a day. She pushed herself upright and began to look around the room with dazed eyes.
The first thing you’ll notice is a suspicious group surrounding you.
Next, I look down at my first-aided body.
My face turned as red as a tomato.
“Perverts, what have you done to me!”
“Rice, perverted? I think you have a misunderstanding….”
“Ewww, my whole body hurts. You’ve just been rough with me, haven’t you? Just like that scene in the dirty movie, you know, the one where you force me to sleep and harass me!”
I grimace as if it really hurts. I hug myself and burst into tears, which an unsuspecting third party would surely mistake for tears.
“Ah, well. Well, you seem to be doing okay, huh?”
“It’s not okay at all, you unscrupulous man, defiling a chaste woman’s body and mind!”
There was no trace of his icy gaze. There’s only paranoia and a hint of resentment. It’s as if he’s suffered some kind of embarrassing bowel movement in his head.
Even the nice Leila is having trouble responding. Asterique is looking at her like she’s a crazy bitch, and Carmen is glaring at her.
It was an unspoken signal that said, “You should have hit him harder.
As a sincere fan, it was a bitter pill to swallow.
“A monster is a monster is a monster.
Irene is a stereotypical no-nonsense character, the kind of person who’s all over the place, not the kind of person who’s a nice guy. She has a lot of lines and a loud voice.
It’s not uncommon for cold-weather users to put them out for three days before putting them back in. In short, it’s a troublesome combination of over-active and naturally healthy.
Well, that’s in the past.
“I’m really slow to see what’s going on.”
Irene’s jaw dropped at the chill in his voice.
He stares at Kim with wide eyes.
“Or am I being shameless, I’m sure you can guess yourself.”
“Moo, I don’t know what you’re talking about….”
“When we were attacked in the woods.”
Kim said firmly.
“You were already armed, and your identity was confirmed by the owner of this inn a short time ago. He even testified that he saw you leave with a sword.”
Hearing the solemn tones, Irene retraced her steps. The memory was as foggy as water. The last scene she remembered was in the forest. Slaughtering monsters and parasites.
And then the film just stopped.
That was enough for me to know what was going on.
Irene’s complexion began to turn white.
It didn’t end there.
“Don’t even think about walking away. I’ve got footage from my body cam, and if you think I’m lying, feel free to ask for it.”
“That’s what you say, Irene.”
I locked eyes with a smiling Pekatum woman.
I thought I recognized the face, but it was a sphere.
“Ka, Carmen Mobile…? Why are you here?”
“That’s what I want to ask you, because you disappeared from Wangsheng with just a note, and I didn’t know where you were doing, and I didn’t expect to see you like this, and you were so spry that I wondered if I was worried for nothing.”
Irene is not shy in public. Those with ties to the Albatross know the free-spirited nature of the High Priestess, and she is conscious of her reputation.
I don’t feel like fixing it.
Creating a good image will only make your feet heavy. Anima, the deputy leader, solves difficult problems. She thinks it’s good because when force is needed, she’s also helpful.
However, there are degrees of freedom.
There is a “line” that can be quietly buried.
This one clearly crossed the line.
“Hey, you guys… I mean, you guys…?”
“I’m Yi Hyun Kim, president of Dustborn Corporation. These are elite agents of the Cellbrox Labs. We have friendly relations with the royal family of Bastitera.”
Kim glanced at Carmen.
“I never thought I’d be threatened by a royal guest, much less on official business. I don’t think it’s anything to write home about, but what do you think?”
“I have no comment.”
It’s a serious point, not a rehearsed performance. Ainoa was attacked while fulfilling a favor she had requested, but the other party was a royally vouched-for guest.
It’s a matter of national confidence.
Irene’s eyes widened as she realized the gravity of the situation.
“Dustborn will be filing a formal complaint against Albatross, so mark my words.”
“Protest…?”
“Okay. I’ll have to call the assistant manager, since I don’t think I’ll be able to get through to you.”
“Pfft, I’m wrong, please, not that one!”
Panting, you rise from the futon and grab your crotch. Sweat beads up on his forehead. Even though he looks like he’s in good shape, he’s not.
Unfortunately, there is no consensus.
“Tear it off while you can.
To tell you the truth, there are some scratches.
I woke up to a bunch of people calling me a pervert or something.
“I should probably get back to work, but I think I’ll report the anomaly in the forest, as well as Irene’s case, to Ainoa first.”
The prince, who was the original target, has been reduced, but he can’t be given away on the first drink. I didn’t expect to find it right away. In the end, it’s a time-consuming process.
“I’m going to need you to come with me, Irene, and please don’t make this any bigger than it has to be.”
No veto was given.
“Okay….”
Irene’s head drooped like a sinner. Looking down at the crown of her head, Kim suddenly remembered Anima. A young woman with youth, charisma, and humanity.
“That’s the kind of jerk who should be my boss.
It’s a shameless plug.
* * *
The search team returned to the capital.
High-level disinfection was performed prior to reporting. None of the team members tested over the limit, but there were fluctuations. With the exception of Leila and Yihyun Kim, everyone’s levels rose slightly.
‘I didn’t think I’d be the only one.
It was safe to say that they were immune to contamination from the outside. As long as no contaminants were injected directly into her body, she would not mutate. It was a more deceptive gift than I thought.
Other personnel to the left and right needed to be recovered for a while. Kim wasn’t in a position to resume the search right away, either; he had other things to take care of.
“They’re coming running as soon as they hear the news.”
“Is there a way for members to contact each other remotely?”
“Albatrosses are a pretty old group, so I’m sure they have a secret or two.”
Ainoa shook her head.
“Irene seems to have locked herself in her room. It’s funny, the last time I stayed there, she couldn’t sit still for a second, and now she’s like, fuck, no, excuse me.”
He coughs loudly, then corrects himself.
“You know, when you’re in trouble, you have manners.”
“I’m going to have a hard time catching up.”
“That’s what I’m talking about.”
Kim didn’t blame Ainoa for the old fashioned way. He did give Carmen a point, but it was simply a warning to be careful. Bastitera is not to be blamed.
“How could he have known?
She’s confronted the leader of the missing albatrosses and fought him to the death. Neither Kim nor Irene had expected Irene to be in Bastitera.
“But it also doesn’t make me wonder why I’m here.
He is a man who likes to travel in cloak and dagger. He can be anywhere he wants to be. In the game, he is eventually caught by the professor.
In any case, it’s a hold until the albatross arrives.
For now, we have more pressing matters to discuss.
“So, Kushan, how do you see it?”
“I can come up with some hypotheses.”
Kushan said as he reviewed the bodycam footage.
“The presence of exoplanets had been observed before. Ilixir, and crucially, parasite, whose composition doesn’t match any material on the continent. The question has always been how they got here.”
“You mean the so-called aisle.”
“Yes, but this is probably the first time it’s been observed with the naked eye that I’m aware of, a sign that the boundaries between the continents and other planes are rapidly breaking down due to the cataclysm.”
Ainoa’s brow creased.
“Does that mean this is going to happen in the future?”
“What happens once, always comes next.”
As the mood turned serious, Kim spoke up.
“It’s not all negative.”
“Yes. There’s hope.”
The three of them turned to the screen, not knowing who would speak first. The footage was of grainy quality. It showed the back of Leila’s head, and a blinding blue light.
“Who the hell is ……Laila?”
Ainoa has always wondered how a girl so young and fragile could represent the lab as well as its director, and now she has mysterious powers.
No ordinary human will ever be.
“I’m sorry, that’s not something I can comment on.”
“We can’t just keep it under wraps forever.”
“If they do, it won’t be through my mouth.”
“I see.”
And so she did. Ainoa doesn’t fully trust rap to begin with; her trust is directed toward Kim and Dustborn.
“I don’t know what this guy is thinking.
I had a sudden urge to get inside Kim’s head. I wanted to know where she was at in her design. How she envisioned herself and Bastitera in her blueprints.
“They say knowledge is power.
It’s a maxim that gets under my skin whenever I’m around Kim.
* * *
That evening.
Kim had a visitor in her room.
“Mr. Hyun, do you have a moment?”
Leila’s demeanor was distinctly different than usual. There was no characteristic ah-ha-ha laugh, no easy-going vibe, and no atmosphere that made others feel at ease. There was a hint of fear in her seriousness and nervousness.
“Come in.”
The purpose was obvious.