Chapter 169
"It will take three to four days for the drug to completely leave his system. We’re administering the antidote continuously, but..."
Gabriel’s attending physician explained to . He was dressed as neatly as his expensive dical fees warranted, pointing at the monitor and chart.
"There’s nothing to fully recover. As long as he can talk, that’s enough."
"That will take three to four days."
"I see."
I accepted it without argunt. No matter how much I questioned the expert’s opinion, it wouldn’t speed up Gabriel’s recovery.
’Even back in that drug den, Gabriel’s mind was already clouded. He wasn’t in any state to have a conversation.’
There was no point in rushing. And I wasn’t the sentintal type to stay by Gabriel’s side until he woke up.
Leaving the hospital, I returned to Jafa Corporation’s headquarters. By my side was the young Crawler, Boyan.
Seeing the scale of Jafa Corporation, Boyan looked up at the building, seemingly overwheld by its size.
"Uh, am I going to be staying with you from now on, Luka?"
"? With you? Don’t make laugh. There should be at least one spare room in this building. As long as you have a roof over your head and food to eat, my job is done. Whether you study or do anything else, that’s on you."
I hadn’t brought Boyan along with any particular plan in mind. Taking care of myself was already hard enough—this was an unnecessary burden.
’But if he had stayed in the slums with Regor... he wouldn’t have ended up well.’
Regor knew that too, which was why he had entrusted Boyan to without hesitation. He understood that he wouldn’t survive long in Border City. He was a straightforward man—too stubborn to be cunning.
’No matter how well you fight, violence alone won’t keep you alive. To survive, you need both strength and strategy.’
The strongest people I had seen were always like that. They were all exceptional warriors, honed in both intellect and combat.
Lost in thought, I made my way to Jafa’s office. Around his desk, holograms hovered like thick clouds—he was busy working.
"Hoho, just wait a mont."
Jafa glanced at and Boyan. His gaze lingered briefly on Boyan before his slit pupils narrowed slightly.
"If you want to eat, eat. Don’t hesitate."
I spoke to Boyan, who was eyeing the venom-flavored candy. After hesitating, he unwrapped one and popped it into his mouth.
"...It tastes strange and fascinating. And my tongue feels slightly tingly."
Seed like an unusual flavor.
I sat on the sofa and waited for Jafa to finish his work. Soon, he gestured, making the holograms vanish all at once.
"Luka, you really went all out."
Jafa remarked in a scolding tone.
"I had no choice. I had to save lives first."
"It would be wise not to accumulate too much ’karma.’ I know you’re an exceptional soldier, Luka. But... you’re not the strongest warrior. Violence accumulates karma, and in the end, it leads to destruction. At the very least, try to build up only as much as you can handle until you find Kinuan. After that, it’s none of my concern. Hoho. And..."
Jafa turned his gaze to Boyan, silently demanding an explanation.
I hesitated for a mont before nudging Boyan’s shoulder with my elbow.
"Explain your situation yourself, Boyan. Use that sharp tongue of yours to convince a sponsor. If Jafa doesn’t help you, it’ll be hard to get an education. The only thing I can teach you is how to fight."
Startled, Boyan swallowed the candy he had been holding in his mouth. After hesitating, he finally spoke.
He stamred at first, but soon, he beca fluent in recounting his story. Jafa, seemingly intrigued, watched him closely.
"...That’s all."
Boyan finished. For the first ti, I heard the full story instead of just making guesses.
’Regor and Boyan had been hunted by warriors sent by their tribe. To protect Boyan, Regor killed several of his own people and fled to hide in Border City.’
It seed they had gone through an even rougher journey to get here than I had imagined.
"This might sound a bit racist... but is he really a Crawler?"
"He’s not wearing a mask, if that’s what you’re wondering."
I pinched Boyan’s cheek and tugged. He let out a short whimper.
"You’ve managed to survive well until now. You must have endured because your father was an outstanding warrior. And you said you want to beco a bureaucrat for the Federation?"
Boyan nodded. Jafa flicked his forked tongue out and smiled.
I already knew the outco. Jafa would take Boyan in without hesitation. Not because he was so kind of saint.
’Gabriel, Boyan.’
There were already two people in Border City who relied on my support. The more responsibilities I had, the more ties I ford, making it harder to leave abruptly—or betray anyone. That’s how a "community" was built.
Sponsoring one student was nothing for Jafa’s wealth. But putting in his debt? That was another matter.
’A small investnt to put in his debt—Jafa is getting a bargain out of this.’
Even though he had already made up his mind, he deliberately took his ti, acting as if he were carefully weighing his decision. Every gesture scread businessman.
"Luka, I never expected you to help a complete stranger. Quite an unexpected side of you."
"Did you think I was so heartless psycho? I do feel pity, you know."
"And yet, the sa man who feels pity once had Anguis Regina on her knees... Well, whatever. I’ll go ahead and register Boyan in Jafa Corporation’s scholarship program."
Jafa grumbled as he opened a hologram. The ceiling of the office parted, and a drone descended.
*Whirr.*
The drone scanned Boyan with a grid-patterned laser.
*Clunk.*
Before long, an employee from Jafa Corporation arrived to take Boyan away. Boyan glanced at with a slightly uneasy expression before following the staff mber out.
Now, only Jafa and I remained in the office.
"Do you still have sothing to say?"
Jafa, still seated, tapped his nails together with a faint clicking sound. I stood up from my seat.
"Just so we’re clear—if Boyan or Gabriel ever becos a burden to , I won’t hesitate to abandon them. And if you ever try to use their safety as leverage to get sothing out of ... well, that would be the ’karma’ that ends your life."
"When asking soone to look after an acquaintance, it’s called a request, not a threat."
"What I just said *was* a request. When I threaten soone, I start by breaking a limb first."
"Imperial-style requests are quite intense. I’ll keep that in mind."
* * *
I had ti to spare while waiting for Gabriel to recover. In the anti, I looked into his background. His records weren’t particularly classified, so it wasn’t difficult.
’Giselle went missing seven years ago. At the ti, Gabriel was in charge of her security.’
Gabriel failed to protect Giselle. Afterward, instead of returning to Akbaran, he remained in Border City.
Here, he led a wrecked life. For so reason, it was as if he had completely given up on himself, indulging in pleasure until he finally ended up in one of the lowest pits— a drug den.
I knew Gabriel. He had the perfect personality for a lowlife. Impulsive, impatient, reckless. Always chasing imdiate gratification.
But he wasn’t the type to fall this far. He had a sense of duty toward his work and relationships. He had his own moral standards—his own lines he wouldn’t cross.
That’s why... I don’t dislike Gabriel.
If anything, I actually like the guy.
It seed that Gabriel had actually left his gang life behind and was living a decent life. G&G Cybernetics had even sent him to a professional security company for specialized training. He already had the instincts for combat and the ability to handle work, so if he had the will, he would have been well-suited for it.
The turning point that shattered Gabriel’s steady life was Giselle’s disappearance.
“...Guilt.”
That was the emotion that led to his downfall. A guilt so heavy it crushed him.
’The guilt of failing to protect Giselle.’
There were probably multiple reasons behind that guilt. One of them was likely loyalty to —because that’s the kind of person Gabriel was.
*Beep.*
I pressed my fingers firmly against my brow, then turned off the floating hologram by tapping the table. As the hologram vanished, the room darkened.
’The void is rciless.’
I couldn’t even begin to imagine what had happened in those twelve years. My ti in Akbaran, getting to know people, had barely lasted four years.
’Three tis that span.’
I had no idea what kind of lives they had lived in all that ti.
I sat quietly in the dark, letting my thoughts sink deeper. Like a slow, heavy movent from the depths of the abyss, I allowed myself to be dragged down, heavy and somber, to the very bottom.
There were no sparks flickering in my consciousness. Not even embers remained—only a cold, endless darkness. I was awake and alive, yet I felt like a dead man. They say life and death are two sides of the sa coin, but right now, even that boundary was nonexistent to .
...It wouldn’t be so bad to die like this.
The thought surfaced countless tis. It wasn’t cynicism, just sheer exhaustion.
This wasn’t right.
Rember the past. The person I used to be, never able to stay still for even a mont. Constantly changing, always moving forward...
’Maybe I burned too much of myself back then.’
That, too, was a defeatist thought. Even as I remained wary of my own lethargy, it was hard to suppress the lancholy that seeped in.
*Click, click.*
I heard footsteps beyond the door. Soone was approaching my room. Judging by the sound, it wasn’t Jafa or En. Not Lapis, and certainly not Boyan.
*Hiss.*
The door opened. I hadn’t bothered locking it, but the visit was still rude. Then again, I had done my fair share of inconsiderate things, so I wasn’t in a position to complain about manners.
“You seem to have recovered already. Border City’s dical technology must be sothing else. Or maybe you just threw a pile of money at the problem?”
I spoke while leaning back against the sofa.
The visitor was Anguis Regina. She was wearing a thick coat, with her hat pulled low over her face.
*Creak.*
Anguis Regina didn’t respond. Instead, she raised a pistol and aid it at my leg.
"My legs are prosthetics. If you want revenge, don’t bother with them—shoot in the body or the head instead. No need to hesitate. There’s always interest on payback."
I pointed alternately at my heart and forehead as I spoke.
Anguis Regina bit her lower lip. Her fingers trembled slightly.
’She’s never shot anyone before.’
It was probably her first ti being shot, too.
There was no need to tense up or focus. Anguis Regina wouldn’t pull the trigger. She wanted sothing from .
’She must be connected to Kinuan sohow.’
That’s why she had tested as soon as the new “detective” arrived. She wanted to see if I was truly capable of tracking Kinuan.
"There’s no such thing as certainty in this world. Are you so sure I won’t shoot you?"
"If my judgnt is wrong, then I die. Anguis Regina, have you ever staked your life on a fight? In battle, a mistake in judgnt ans death. Perfect predictions don’t exist. Entrusting your life to uncertain decisions is just part of everyday life."
"This isn’t a combat situation."
"Life is a struggle at every mont. So either shoot or get lost. I have no interest in you. Go dance and sing sowhere—that’s your job, isn’t it?"
Anguis Regina lowered the pistol and tucked it back into her coat.
See? You can’t do it.
I swallowed the words before they left my mouth. There was no point in provoking her. Whether her intentions were good or bad, I had no desire to get further entangled with her.
"Do you even know what ti it is?"
"Of course. 14:21."
I answered without looking at a clock.
"It’s dayti. Living in darkness in broad daylight isn’t good for your ntal health."
Anguis Regina closed the door behind her and walked over to the window.
*Swish.*
Without asking, she yanked the curtains wide open. The sudden flood of light made my eyes sting. Then, she adjusted the room’s lighting.
With the combination of natural and artificial light properly balanced, the room’s atmosphere transford. I had never realized my room could look this nice. Jafa had given a damn good one.
"I told you to shoot or get out. I didn’t invite you in."
I spoke irritably.
"I have no reason to follow your orders. Don’t like what I’m doing? Then shoot like last ti."
Anguis Regina sat down on the sofa across from . Leaning her elbow on the armrest, she rested her chin on her hand.
"You think I can’t do it?"
"You wouldn’t want Jafa to cut off his support, would you? Do you think he’ll let it slide twice?"
"What, are you Jafa’s lover or sothing? Cross-species relationships? Is that what you ant when you said you liked snake-like n?"
Even at my insult, Anguis Regina just scoffed.
"That’s hilarious. Later, take a mont to reflect on just how stupid that sounded."
She opened the cabinet beside the sofa and pulled out a bottle of alcohol. I hadn’t even realized there was liquor in there. She seed quite familiar with this room.
"You used to live here?"
"Not just here. I also stayed in the room you wrecked. I’ve slept with every ‘detective’ that’s co through so far."
I glanced at the bottle she placed on the table. Another product from Jafa Corporation.
Inside the bottle, a whole snake was subrged in the alcohol. The label depicted a snake rearing up on its tail, its skin covered in raised veins. I didn’t need to read the text to know what it symbolized.
"It’s snake wine. Supposedly good for stamina. I don’t know what they put in it, but from experience, it seems to work."
Anguis Regina held up two glasses in one hand, shaking them slightly. A sultry, insincere smile curved on her lips.
She was a difficult woman. Like a snake, she looked ready to coil around .
A crisis of chastity had arrived, suddenly and without warning.
"Unfortunately... I like n."
"That’s the funniest joke I’ve heard all year."
Anguis Regina’s smirk deepened.
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