Fortune Cookie (11)

- Ted? Who's Ted?

- He's the one who saved me and Nadia.

Ted—the mid-rank worker I had met at the tram control center. If I hadn't met 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 memory.

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 times, 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. Resentment bubbled up inside me toward the pureblood supremacists who had caused this tragedy. Why, for what reason, did they do something 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 somewhere between Zone B and C, but it wasn't here.

How far did these insane monster bastards go—?

- Hyun-woo. Focus and listen to me.

Licorice's voice pierced me like a spear. Her cold, rational tone snapped me back to my senses.

In that instant, the blurring edges of my mind sharpened once more. The boiling heat inside me cooled in a flash. Realizing the state I had been in only made it worse.

- This isn't like you. You should take a moment 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 me, scolding me. What had I learned over the past three years?

Gradually, my racing heart calmed 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. Someone just fine a moment ago—or who seemed fine—could suddenly snap and do something crazy.

Settling my mind, I took a slow deep breath and tapped my bracelet.

- I'm glad you're here. I nearly did something stupid.

I meant 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 mean I should ignore my comrades. Knowing I wasn't alone was comforting.

- ... R-really? I'm glad I could help. If you've come 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 something, 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 management system went completely down, some 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 formed at its base. In short, crossing into Zone B meant 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 meant she was moving through a blue crystal field.

- There's no way to cross using the tram tracks. Every segment 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 moment.

I swept the scenery from left to right with my binoculars. For easy management, 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 shimmering in places made me 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 judgment 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 unarmed. Unless I had a vehicle or something.

- ... 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 encouragement for those worn out by hard labor, but in reality, it was more of a scheme 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 equipment 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 me, BALL had become 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 meaningless 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 came 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 something 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 me 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 time, and the hover bike was from last time.

- 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 time! When would I have ever ridden something like this? The only thing I've piloted was Carry—and even that crashed!"

- ... What? That's dangerous then!

Licorice's worried voice came over as the bike's holographic display popped up. Remaining power: 21%. It was meant 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 something was wrong. No matter how hard I looked, nothing showed up. Normally, those systems appeared the moment the engine was started.

- That one's not even calibrated! It's a bare shell!

"You tell me that now?!"

- I just remembered! 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 me warped as if someone 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 time to blink before I was upon them.

【... Kruk?】

The ghouls wandering the frozen city seemed dumbfounded for a moment 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 me. And the ghoul who had once been Ted was also shrieking as he pursued me.

At the very front of the pack.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】

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