Nikke, something’s seriously wrong with this evacuation point! Chapter 102 102: Good Luck to You

After entering the sewers, Charon imdiately activated his Styx Vision.

After using it once before, he had already realized that although its main purpose was to detect corpses, the black-and-white field of vision unexpectedly also worked as a kind of night vision.

At the very least, it was far more useful than relying on bare eyes alone.

This was one of the extra uses he had discovered for the item.

What he didn't expect, however, was that after only turning two corners, he found a drone floating ahead of him, seemingly waiting there for a long ti already.

[I knew you'd co this way.]

Abe's voice ca from the speaker.

"Mom!"

Charon imdiately opened with a killing move.

[If you keep calling that, I'm not helping you anymore, you bastard!]

Abe cursed angrily, though her tone quickly softened again.

[After you left, the city imdiately went into lockdown. I more or less figured out what happened. Right now both I and the little one are under house restriction, so this is the only way I can help you.]

"By the way, Professor Abe… I knew you were amazing, but I never realized you were this amazing."

[Idiot. Have you ever seen a researcher brag about themselves before reaching the peak?]

"I'm curious–does soone like you even believe a 'peak' truly exists?"

[Of course not. There's only ever the next peak. The path of scientific research has no end.]

"Then I really lucked out. Never thought the only scientist I knew personally would turn out to be humanity's strongest. Sigh… Andrew–Andersen–that brat is definitely gonna envy ."

[Please stop disgusting already…]

She sounded exhausted.

[Anyway, from now on, just follow my directions. The route you picked was correct. There really is a passage here leading directly outside the city… though you'll have to endure a little filth.]

Charon forced himself not to think too deeply about what exactly "filth" ant and simply nodded firmly.

[The governnt dogs have deployed a huge number of people to surround you. So starting now, you go wherever I tell you to go.]

"Got it, m– Professor Abe."

[I'm too tired to even complain anymore. But sa as before–stop randomly claiming relatives!]

Whenever he interacted with Abe, Charon always felt completely at ease.

He genuinely loved bickering with this woman, and in reality she had helped him far too many tis already. Maybe soday in the future, when she died, he might even take her dog tags for himself.

…Well, better ask for her opinion first.

Oswald's n were extrely well-trained. Charon could barely hear any footsteps at all. He deliberately masked his own footsteps while moving and often encountered situations where he had to turn back and choose another path, but every single ti he managed to get through safely.

Of course, there was always the option of killing his way out, but Charon unexpectedly had a pretty favorable impression of Oswald. Under these circumstances, he wanted to avoid unnecessary bloodshed as much as possible.

"Besides the sewers, there really isn't any other way out?" Charon asked quietly.

[The surface is full of military police and surveillance caras. If you go up there, you'll have no choice but to force your way through.]

"Alright then."

[Listen carefully. The only weak point is an old rainwater drainage outlet. The valve rusted shut a long ti ago and nobody maintains it anymore. With your abilities, getting out through there shouldn't be difficult.]

The entire journey was eerily quiet.

Aside from Abe's directions, Charon could hear almost nothing except his own breathing. It was so quiet that it made him doubt whether there was even any encirclent at all.

But Charon trusted Abe absolutely. He didn't question her a single ti.

Eventually, they arrived in front of a mountain of garbage, giving off a nauseating stench.

[This is the place. There's an iron door behind the garbage pile. The tunnel behind it leads directly to a river outside the suburbs.]

At this point, Charon had no ti to care how disgusting the trash was. He stepped straight into it, felt around until he found the iron door, then pulled out a crowbar.

Although it was just an ordinary crowbar without any special abilities, in his eyes a rusted iron door was nothing more than a target with a fragile health bar.

Ten seconds later, a sharp crack rang out–the lock had been pried apart.

Accompanied by the groaning sounds of years of neglect, the iron door slowly opened.

But just before stepping through, Charon suddenly stopped.

[Soone's coming," Abe's voice warned. "Stop standing there and go.]

"No. There's only one person coming."

In Charon's vision, there was nobody else beside that person.

After all… there was only one health bar.

Deep within the dark tunnel, a spark of fire lit up.

Oswald lit himself a cigarette.

"Want one?"

He slowly walked up to Charon and offered him the cigarette pack.

"No thanks. I don't smoke," Charon declined politely.

Oswald didn't insist. He put the cigarettes away, leaned against the wall, and took a deep drag, completely ignoring the terrible stench nearby.

"People in our line of work can't keep their sanity without sothing like this. Sorry for the ugly sight."

"How did you know I'd leave through here?"

"Professor Abe isn't the only one who knows about this exit. Everyone else assud you couldn't pry open the lock barehanded. But my instincts told you could."

Oswald shrugged.

"Looks like I bet correctly."

"But that also exposed you to ."

"Yeah. So what?"

Oswald smiled sincerely.

"If you wanted to take a hostage, I'm hardly the best option."

And he was right.

The best hostages would've been the noodle stall owner or the little girl.

"You really think you understand that well?" Charon asked.

"I don't need to. A person's character reveals itself in everything they do. The things you've done, the traces you leave behind–they all expose what kind of person you are."

Oswald looked at him calmly.

"That's also why I'm willing to talk to you at this distance."

"If you know that much, then why keep chasing ? Wouldn't it be better to just let leave?"

Oswald narrowed his eyes slightly.

"This is my job. Now, last chance. Surrender peacefully. I don't want to use force against you."

The atmosphere between them instantly beca tense.

After staring at each other for a while, Charon suddenly laughed.

"Before that… let's talk."

"Fine."

Oswald was perfectly happy to cooperate.

After all, buying ti was his specialty.

"How much do you know about the lee unit?"

"I don't concern myself with matters outside my duties. That kind of thing tends to negatively affect my work."

"Then sorry, but just because you said that, there's no way I'm letting you escape that 'negative influence.'"

And so Charon dumped everything on him–the entire series of hardships the lee unit had suffered, all at once, whether Oswald wanted to hear it or not.

As it turned out, Charon had judged him correctly.

Oswald's expression twisted in pain.

Even if it was only the slightest change between his brows… it was enough.

"This is the order you're protecting. Using the flesh and blood of your own people to fill the stomachs of those bastards at the top."

Charon stared straight at him.

"So what do you want to be? A hero protecting justice… or an accomplice to evil?"

Oswald offered no rebuttal.

How could he not understand?

To the people in power, many things were rely "necessary evils."

But what about him?

As the frontline enforcer, what exactly could he do?

Just as conflict filled his expression and Charon was preparing to press even harder, Oswald suddenly received a ssage.

He glanced at it.

The visible tension in his face imdiately relaxed.

At the exact mont Oswald struggled the most internally, he had received a piece of news allowing him to temporarily escape making a choice.

[…The rain today is too heavy. Visibility is obstructed. The target has been lost.]

Oswald looked at Charon.

All that remained in his expression was exhaustion after relief.

"Go. Before I change my mind."

"But if you lied to …"

"No matter where you are, I'll personally arrest you myself."

"Then we'll see whether you're capable of that," Charon said with a grin.

"Oh, right."

Oswald suddenly added:

"This matter has been handed over to the Goddess Squad. Good luck to you from here on."

…?

Charon: what can I say?