Chapter 187

One week ago.
It was business as usual for the agents at the Cellbrox Labs. While the few ops teams that had been sent out on missions were working themselves to the bone, the inside of the lab was eerily peaceful.
Of course, they didn’t have all the fun. Training is training, but it takes work to maintain the facility. As Kim and Asterique had done before, they came to the rescue.
That day, the probe had an unusual crew.
“Mr. Turkam, you really didn’t have to come with me….”
“Are you uncomfortable?”
“No, I’m sure you’re just taking a break and I’m sorry.”
“Oh, how difficult, let’s just say I went for a walk.”
Turkam took the wheel, with Leila in the passenger seat.
The two alone were a rare combination. Even when Turkam was just getting into rap, Leila was a major figure in the scene. There was a huge gap between them, at least as far as he was concerned.
It’s a sentiment that hasn’t changed much now that he’s a regular agent. For all his habitual grumbling, Turkam had his share of polite opponents, and Leila was one of them.
It’s not like there’s a big story behind it.
“He’s someone to look up to, regardless of age.
Inner strength. The quintessential outward toughness. At the same time, she has a vulnerable side, which is hard to leave alone.
“I don’t have anything to do anyway, so I’ll just stay for a couple more days and then I’ll be on my way.”
“I see, you’ve been here a while this time.”
“I was told to take it easy.”
“Rest is important, are you going to Kilikia again?”
“Yes. I also have something for the team leader.”
His mouth watered as he recalled the recently completed prototype.
“He’s the head of the team, I’m sure he’ll love this…. Honestly, I don’t know.”
“I don’t like it either, because it’s a big risk.”
“Is it still that dangerous?”
“Yeah. No matter how we improve it, we can’t guarantee its safety.”
I sighed, not sure who was first.
“I think he’s got a tightly wound cloud.”
Kim is a solid human being on the outside and inside. She is always prepared for what lies ahead. Nevertheless, crises come at her unexpectedly, and she often has to throw herself into them.
This time, it was “insurance” in the same vein.
“If you’re lucky, you’ll be fine here.
Turkam glanced at the back seat, where a woman lay reclined against the backrest, her eyes closed. It was Nephritis, once called the Saint of Shamalsina.
Despite the harsh torture, Nephritis did not die. But he did lose much. First, his homeland was destroyed, and second, his eyes and innate ability to see were crippled.
I was told that his eyeballs were fine, but when he opened his eyes, he could see the present and future overlapping indiscriminately. The pressure was so intense that he couldn’t last three seconds before fainting.
You’ve effectively gone blind.
“Mr. Nephritis. How are you feeling?”
“Not bad, the breeze is refreshing.”
As Turkam says, the current exploration was more of a walk in the park.
To soothe Nephrite’s spirit in the aftermath.
Not wanting to venture too far, they stopped at a suitable location nearby. While Leila led Nephrite around at a leisurely pace, Turkam kept a wary eye on the surroundings, in case any monsters appeared.
But the problem came in a different form than expected.
“…Unidentified vehicle? Which direction?”
Leila’s radio picked up an urgent message. That’s when things got urgent. By the time Kushan and his elite agents arrived from the lab, an unwelcome visitor had arrived.
One by one, they emerged from eight military vehicles. Black military uniforms with multiple pouches, full-coverage tactical helmets with attached goggles and masks. They were uniformly dressed.
The man in the lead glanced around at the figures in the lap.
“I can’t believe you’re coming to pick me up.”
He slowly removed his helmet. His gaze was fixed on one place.
“You look just like your picture, you haven’t aged a bit.”
The man’s eyes were fixed squarely on Kushan. With just a few words, Kushan realized several things. Where they belonged, what they came to the lab for.
Most importantly, what the lab will look like in the future.
“I am Walter Beyer, Second Executioner of the Shiran Empire. Your unannounced visit must have caused you considerable consternation, but unfortunately we have no reason to pry into your affairs.”
“What does that mean? Why on Xuran….”
“I’m going to tell you straight up.”
Walter drew his gun from his holster.
“Cellbrox Labs has been blamed for the bioterrorist attack on December 31, 2044, which, of course, is a crime against humanity, a felony that violates numerous international laws.”
With him, a group of 40 or so men were ready for battle.
“Ordinarily, we would have to make a formal request to the government of Shalem to extradite you, but Shalem has fallen. Under the circumstances, there is no country better suited to bring you to justice than your own.”
“…….”
“You know why, imperial researcher Heinz Millarck.”
Kushan squeezed his eyes shut.
Through blacked-out vision, scenes from the past came flooding back. Today, he’s the director of the Cellbrox Labs, but he wasn’t always that way. It was an inherited position.
In the past, he had enemies in the Shiran Empire.
“I’d advise you to surrender.”
With a knife to his throat, Kushan realized that the Emperor had been trying to pressure the Legion by putting on an act during the meeting.
“I thought I could always control the lab.
What the current situation is on the continent.
The Legion has fallen, and all groups are scrambling to deal with the Parasite. The Shurans, on the other hand, have been acting as if they could have foreseen the cataclysm.
In other words, the balance of power is out of whack. It will become even more skewed once we get rid of the pesky Celvronics Labs. The more devastated other nations become, the more “relatively” powerful Shiran becomes.
If you consolidate your position and then end the disaster.
The Thousand Year Empire will live to see another millennium of glory.
Kushan was speechless.
“This is frustrating. What’s the point of listening to all this bullshit?”
Rosetta, an elite agent, stepped forward.
“You guys, aren’t you a little short on brains to pull this off?”
Rosetta was openly hostile, and she wasn’t alone. The reason Xuran’s enforcers were able to get away with so much was because there were no other eyes on them.
It was the same for the labs.
“There’s no one here but us, and we can claim that no rude emissaries ever came before. I don’t care if they protest in Shiran, it’s no different than it is now.”
“This certainly doesn’t seem right, and if you’re going to use force, we have no choice but to respond.”
“Yes, we’ve heard of the wraparound allegations, but there is a proper procedure.”
Ghosts and Raila were also included.
The agents raised their weapons and the bailiffs exchanged glances.
A situation that seems to be burning with every passing moment. Kushan is at a crossroads, and with a single word from the man with the power to decide, this place will turn to blood.
It was a heavy decision, but it didn’t take long to make.
“Let …… accompany me.”
“So, Warden?”
“But there’s a catch.”
Kushan glared at Valter with a stony stare.
“It’s just me. Do not approach this place until you have decided what to do with me.”
“That’s not something I can say for sure.”
“So are you going to die here?”
“…Hmm.”
An odd pressure weighed on Walter’s shoulders. He realized that his opponent had taken a step back. There were no orders to exterminate or bring them all back, so he nodded in the end.
“Okay, I’ll take it.”
At Walter’s signal, the enforcers lowered their weapons. Kushan breathed a sigh of relief. He approached Leila before following Walter.
“Director, what are you thinking, this is ridiculous, how can we….”
“Leila, listen carefully.”
He gripped Leila’s shoulder hard. She was like a daughter, even though there was not a drop of blood between them. He felt sorry for her pale face, but there was no time to comfort her.
“There’s no guarantee they’ll keep their word. This place is dangerous now that Shiran has his eye on it.”
“Then there’s no reason for you to follow along.”
“No, the Xuran are big and powerful. The Enforcers are no match for them, and they have only a fraction of the power of the Xuran. But we do not. We can’t afford to lose power.”
In the midst of despair, there’s only one thing: faith.
“Go to the prefecture. Explain your situation and get help. He won’t turn you away.”
Part of me thought it was a bad idea, but another part of me had a gut feeling.
If you know your strings, you might have seen this coming.
And he had one last word.
“……Don’t overdo it.”
With a bitter smile, Kushan strode away.
* * *
“I understand the context.”
After Leila’s explanation, Kim looked around at the noodles. Not everyone from the lab had traveled to Kilikia. It was just the professors and a few people Kim knew.
“What happened to the researchers and other agents?”
“I sent them to Bastitera, where Shiran’s breath is weaker.”
“Good job.”
The professor’s answer made Kim’s head spin. If Shiran were to become an enemy, there is no place safer than Bastitera. It’s not as if they have any influence there, and it’s far away.
“I guess what goes around comes around.
The same thing happened in games.
An episode where the Lab’s main facilities are locked down for a time after entering. Normally, you’d have to split up and take refuge in Ishurad and Floria, where you can unlock it again by building a simple facility.
“But it flows much better.
Unlike in the game, you now have absolute allies in the lab. Dustborn is one, and Ainoa is another. Bastitera has a lab that was used by the Legion, so you can recycle it.
“The question is, how do we rescue Kushan?”
“…Uh, are you helping me?”
“I thought you were here to help me?”
A tone of voice that sounded like he was stating the obvious. Leila felt a tightness in the pit of her stomach, and the professor, Turkham, and Westcreek’s complexions brightened noticeably.
It might antagonize Shiran. It would be an unnecessary risk for Dustborn. But I’m thrilled that he doesn’t seem to mind.
Of course, Kim has had his share of setbacks.
‘It’s me. Rap is like a community of destiny.
If a lab fails, so does the continent. If left unchecked, it’ll get better, but if left to its own devices, it’ll be a major headache. There is a better solution.
There’s a much simpler and less messy way, albeit radical.
“It took you guys a while to get here, so we need to move fast.”
The conclusion was as easy as it was predictable.
“I’m sorry, but I’m calling the shots.”
“Do you have any pointy numbers?”
“What I always do.”
I guess I’ll have to become a terrorist once again.