Fortune Cookie (11)
- Ted? Who's Ted?
- He's the one who saved and Nadia.
Ted—the mid-rank worker I had t at the tram control center. If I hadn't t him, or if he hadn't cooperated, I might not even be here right now.
Even though we only worked together to survive, the help he gave still remained vivid in my mory.
Licorice, having just heard that it was Ted who helped us reach the central tower just before the residential area collapsed, clicked her tongue quietly.
- So you're saying that person turned into a ghoul and is moving around now?
- ... Yes. Probably.
- Hyun-woo, judge this rationally. I trust you're not saying you can't kill him because you know him.
- That's not it.
It's not that. Even so, it'd be impossible not to have a bitter taste in my mouth. I couldn't help but grip my hands tighter. "Bbuddeuk"—the sound echoed as my gloves rubbed together.
After blinking a few tis, I looked through the binoculars again, only to confirm once more that the ghoul with a black spike through its torso was indeed Ted.
Ted had lost one arm in the pureblood supremacist's bombing, but the ghoul I saw now had both arms intact. It showed that only one side—the arm that had been blown off with the suit—had regenerated anew.
"......"
I cursed under my breath. Resentnt bubbled up inside toward the pureblood supremacists who had caused this tragedy. Why, for what reason, did they do sothing like this?
Was it because he died from the black spike shot out by the monster tram, and ended up wandering this area ever since?
Did Ted fall off the tram in this area? No, this wasn't the place. He had fallen sowhere between Zone B and C, but it wasn't here.
How far did these insane monster bastards go—?
- Hyun-woo. Focus and listen to .
Licorice's voice pierced like a spear. Her cold, rational tone snapped back to my senses.
In that instant, the blurring edges of my mind sharpened once more. The boiling heat inside cooled in a flash. Realizing the state I had been in only made it worse.
- This isn't like you. You should take a mont to refresh.
- ... You're right. I must have been a little startled.
I pressed my face into a mound of snow to cool myself off. The sharp cold cut through , scolding . What had I learned over the past three years?
Gradually, my racing heart cald down. When blue crystal ore was nearby, it was imperative to keep my mind as stable as possible. Otherwise, the resonance of the ore could worm its way into unstable spots in my psyche and do harm—just like now.
That's exactly why refreshing myself was so important. Soone just fine a mont ago—or who seed fine—could suddenly snap and do sothing crazy.
Settling my mind, I took a slow deep breath and tapped my bracelet.
- I'm glad you're here. I nearly did sothing stupid.
I ant it. Once the effects of the blue crystal started to take over, it was almost impossible to get out of its influence alone. Even if overcoming it depended on my own willpower, it didn't an I should ignore my comrades. Knowing I wasn't alone was comforting.
- ... R-really? I'm glad I could help. If you've co to your senses, think about what to do next.
- Yes.
I slowly surveyed the surroundings. With the blizzard swirling as a basic backdrop, I only focused on the distinctive features.
Wrecked buildings pierced by sothing, tram tracks snapped in places, ghouls wandering in the distance. And the partition walls isolating each zone.
It looked like, before the residential area's managent system went completely down, so security protocol had triggered: a huge wall stood at the border to Zone B.
The wall wasn't in perfect shape, but a blood-red pond had ford at its base. In short, crossing into Zone B ant I'd have to cross that pond.
'... Nadia.'
This couldn't be the only place like this. What I was seeing was no more than a small part. The communication having been cut likely ant she was moving through a blue crystal field.
- There's no way to cross using the tram tracks. Every segnt is broken. And the gaps are too wide to jump.
- Can you go around? Structurally, there should be an evacuation gate even if the partitions are up. Look for Wall 6.
- One mont.
I swept the scenery from left to right with my binoculars. For easy managent, each partition was numbered on its surface. Even with ice clinging to them, the numbers were so big you could identify them even without binoculars.
I checked Wall 6, just like Licorice said. It was covered in organic tissue. Living flesh spread out like veins, making the wall look alive. The bluish shimring in places made frown.
- That path is blocked. The area around it too. I don't think there's any way to take the long way around.
And even if I tried, there's no guarantee that detour route would be passable. If most of the residential area zones were in this state, it would be hopeless no matter where I went.
- Then that leaves only breaking through the front... Do you think you can do it? I feel guilty pushing this all on you, but as you're the one on the scene, I have no choice but to trust your judgnt more.
- Hmm...
Breaking through an area with dozens—possibly hundreds—of ghouls. It was easy enough to put into words, but actually carrying it out was a whole different matter.
Even one ghoul was tough to handle unless I took care of it quickly, so how was I supposed to cross an area full of these monsters with unnatural strength and regeneration?
No matter how I thought about it, I had to conclude it was impossible in this state. There was just no way.
- Even I can't do it unard. Unless I had a vehicle or sothing.
- ... Of course. Most things are linked to the residential area system, so even if it exists, you can't use—Wait a second. A vehicle? A vehicle...
Licorice trailed off, as if a thought suddenly occurred to her. I kept quiet so she could focus. If it was Licorice, maybe she'd find a solution.
After a while, Licorice asked in a sly tone. Now that I saw it, I wasn't the only one hoping for a breakthrough.
- Hyun-woo, have you ever done BALL?
- BALL? Why are you asking that... Well, I've tried it once or twice for fun, but that's all.
BALL. It was a kind of lottery event run by SSTC. People under SSTC sovereignty could buy tickets with randomly assigned numbers using their credits, and winners would be announced every two weeks.
The official reason was to provide encouragent for those worn out by hard labor, but in reality, it was more of a sche to rake in credits from those blinded by dreams of getting rich quick—or at least, that's what I thought. And it wasn't just because I'd never won a thing.
You didn't get a cut of the credits spent; all you could get were random equipnt items as prizes. It just didn't add up to pour credits in chasing first place.
That much was clear even to fools, but the catch was that the prizes themselves were often new or unexpectedly valuable, so plenty of people were lured in. I too had been tempted and bought tickets, only to waste my credits.
Thanks to folks like , BALL had beco a pretty hot event. Of course, that was all before the residential area collapsed. SSTC wasn't around to hand out prizes, nor were there any stores left to sell the tickets—it was aningless now.
Or so I thought. Licorice's next words made my brow furrow.
- There's a BALL prize pickup nearby.
- In Sector C? Why's that here?
- The winner lived in Sector C. It got held up there while being routed through a store for delivery. Well, with the situation now, it's abandoned. The prize container can't be opened unless you're the winner, so it should still be there.
- How did you—ah.
A stupid question. When it ca to Titan and SSTC residential areas, there was hardly anything Licorice, the broker, didn't know.
- Anyway, so?
She wouldn't have brought up BALL prizes for nothing. She must have thought there was sothing there that could help us.
I trusted that and waited for her reply. And then, doubting my ears, I asked again,
- Hyun-woo, do you know how to ride a bike?
- Huh?
- A bike. The latest hover bike, it's crazy fast. The battery hasn't been installed, but we've got Alpha's core so that's not a problem, and I have the authority so that's not an issue either.
- So you want to cross that area with a hover bike?
- Right. Quick on the uptake.
"......"
Quick on the uptake, my foot. I still wasn't sure I understood her.
I was lost for words. Wasn't the latest BALL prize a new security robot? She said that was this ti, and the hover bike was from last ti.
- That's insane.
- So you're not going to do it?
- I'll do it right away.
- Good. Then get moving. I'll guide you.
***
A storefront in the ruined streets of Sector C. Inside, a blue glow started to leak outward until the glass shattered outward in a burst, scattering shards everywhere. Beyond the burst glass and silence, a hover bike revealed itself.
The design was sleek overall, with propulsion units mounted on both sides instead of conventional wheels for outdoor activity—and, of course, an amateur rider.
- I know it's late to be asking, but you do know how to ride a hover bike, right? Suddenly I'm getting nervous.
"This is my first ti! When would I have ever ridden sothing like this? The only thing I've piloted was Carry—and even that crashed!"
- ... What? That's dangerous then!
Licorice's worried voice ca over as the bike's holographic display popped up. Remaining power: 21%. It was ant to be single-use; not much energy was left in Alpha's core, so we couldn't charge the bike fully.
The power was insufficient, and I had no driving experience—but that was fine. I wasn't planning to ride it for life anyway, and bikes like this usually had their own assistance systems.
I tapped at the holographic panel to turn on the support system, but sothing was wrong. No matter how hard I looked, nothing showed up. Normally, those systems appeared the mont the engine was started.
- That one's not even calibrated! It's a bare shell!
"You tell that now?!"
- I just rembered! I thought you'd ridden at least once! You're the one who shot out so suddenly!
"Well, too late now! Confidence is everything!"
- Hyun-woo, you little...!
Ignoring Licorice's shout of disbelief, I leaned forward. I'd already started; there was no turning back now.
I shifted the gear. The discs inside the propulsors spun, leaving blue trails in the air. The sharp lines of the city around warped as if soone pulled them.
There wasn't a roar of engines, but the speed was so fast I could feel my body lag behind. The bike began to cut through the ruined city streets.
【Power remaining: 20%】
"What?! Already down 1%?!"
- Going fast isn't always best! Watch your speed!
Whether it was the velocity of the hover bike or the drain on the battery, both were shockingly fast. Ghouls tossing corpses into the blood pond barely had ti to blink before I was upon them.
【... Kruk?】
The ghouls wandering the frozen city seed dumbfounded for a mont at the hover bike racing past. But only briefly—once they realized the blue glow pouring from its engines was different from theirs, their faces twisted into demonic rage.
【Kiiieeeeeh!】
【Kyaaaaak!】
【Hiaaaa—!】
Spurred on by the howls of their own kind, the ghouls lunged and chased after . And the ghoul who had once been Ted was also shrieking as he pursued .
At the very front of the pack.
-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】
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