◈ Episode 196

There was silence in the forest for a while.

The search team members all had a look of confusion on their faces. However, since they couldn't just sit there and do nothing forever, Kim Lee-hyun was the first to speak.

"Leila, what's bothering you?"

"Oh, it's okay. I'm fine."

"Thank you," Leila said, pulling away. She staggered for a moment, perhaps feeling a little dizzy. But she quickly regained her composure.

"What just happened…?"

"We're the ones who want to ask. If you don't know, no one else will."

"I just… unconsciously. I just felt like I could do something, that I had to do it. I was just naturally drawn to it."

The rambling explanation perfectly captured Leila's confusion. There was no intention to try to muddle things through. She said the same thing to the professor in the game.

There was no one here who could clearly explain the phenomenon that had just occurred. Not only Leila, who was involved, but even Kim Yi-hyun could not fully understand it.

'The game story itself is unfriendly.'

They just throw out bait and don't really take it back. This is not only the case with Polaris, but also with most mobile games. This is due to the game company's circumstances where they have to add various things in addition to the main episode.

By giving a few clues, we can only make inferences.

Even after the final chapter, there are still parts that have not been clearly revealed.

For example, Leila is currently the only person who can directly engage with the rift, but it is not explained how this is possible.

I can only guess.

It is widely assumed that this is the ability of the 'Prime Parasite' that Leila inherited. Markus Dresner also tried to change his body by implanting the same factor.

It's a consistent argument, as his death caused a rift.

'One way or another, it's clear that Leila is the key character in the second half.'

Rather, the professor, who is a player, increasingly feels like a mere 'character'. This is because he regains memories of the past that are unrelated to the user's actions.

On the other hand, Leila is full of typical protagonist settings.

A special birth, a unique goodness and even an unbending conviction.

The protagonist of the story Polaris is undoubtedly Leila.

'This should be enough for a test drive.'

Closing of cracks and cleaning up of contamination.

It has been confirmed that 'Leila', who was set as the savior of the continent, is functioning normally.

'There was also unexpected income.'

Kim Lee-hyun looked back. In the direction where he had parked his car.

Even if you overcome an unexpected crisis, it will eventually become a blessing in disguise.

'Now let's get that out of the way.'

He has a knack for catching fools.

* * *

Accommodation in a nearby village.

"You woke up early."

It wasn't a sarcastic remark, but a genuine admiration. Irene came to her senses in just half a day. She raised her upper body and began to look around the room with blank eyes.

First of all, the suspicious group surrounding him.

Next, I look down at my body that has been given emergency treatment.

Soon his face turned as red as a tomato.

"You perverts! What have you done to me!"

"Rice, pervert? I think there's a misunderstanding…."

"Ugh! My whole body hurts. You're just treating me roughly, right? Like a scene from a dirty movie! You're forcing me to sleep and teasing me!"

He frowned deeply, as if he was really in pain. He hugged his body and had tears in his eyes, so if an uninformed third party saw him, they would have mistaken him for someone else.

"Oh, um. You look okay?"

"This is not okay at all! You are defiling the body and mind of a pure woman, you shameless bastard!"

There was no trace of the eyes that were as cold as ice. There was only a persecution complex. It seemed like he had been through some embarrassing incident in his head.

Even the kind-hearted Leila seems to be having trouble reacting. Asterike is looking at her like she's a crazy bitch, and Carmen is looking this way.

It was an unspoken signal saying, 'Shouldn't you have hit me a little harder?'

As a true fan of Kim Lee Hyun, it was an unfair thing to do.

'After all, a monster is a monster.'

Irene is a stereotypical martial artist. She is not a dependable woman, but rather the type who runs around here and there. As befitting her personality, she has a lot of lines and her voice is loud.

Even if you look at his appearance, there are many cases where you put him back in after putting him in as an adjutant for about three days. He can be summarized as a troublemaker with a combination of excessive activity and natural health.

Well, in the past, in the past.

"You're really slow at understanding the situation."

Irene shut her mouth at the cold voice.

He opens his eyes wide and stares at Kim Lee-hyun.

"Or is it just shameless? I'm sure you can guess it."

"Wh, I don't know what you're talking about…."

"When we were ambushed in the forest."

Kim Lee-hyun said firmly.

"You were already armed. And I just had the owner of this inn verify your identity. I even secured testimony that he saw you leaving with a sword."

Following the serious tone, Irene retraced her journey. Her memories were as hazy as water mist. The last scene that came to mind was in the forest. She was slaughtering monsters and parasites.

Then, the film suddenly cut off.

That alone made the situation clear.

Irene's complexion began to turn pale.

It didn't end there.

"Don't even think about evading the truth. There's still footage recorded by the body camera. If you think I'm lying, I can show you how to verify it yourself. Feel free to ask me anytime."

"That's what you say, Irene."

My eyes met with the Pecatum woman's cold smile.

I thought I had seen that face somewhere, and sure enough, it was an old acquaintance.

"Car, Carmen Mobile…? Why are you here?"

"That's what I wanted to ask. You left a note and disappeared from the palace, so I wondered where you were and what you were doing, but I didn't know we would meet like this. You seem so energetic that I wondered if I was worried for nothing."

Irene doesn't act coy in front of others. Those associated with Albatross know the free-spirited nature of this captain. She herself is aware of her reputation.

I have no intention of fixing it.

If you try to create a solid image, you'll only end up with heavy feet. The difficult problems will be solved by Anima, the vice-captain. He thought it was good because he could also help when force was needed.

But there is a limit to free-spiritedness.

There is a 'line' that can be quietly buried.

This one is clearly out of line.

"Hey, you guys. No, you guys…?"

"I am Kim Lee-hyun, the representative of Dustborne Corporation. We are elite agents of CellbroLogics Lab. We have friendly relations with the royal family of Bastitera."

Kim Lee-hyun glanced at Carmen.

"I never thought I would be threatened out of the blue by someone who was a royal guest. And that was during official duties. I don't think this is something that should be passed over as an incident. What do you think?"

"I have nothing to say."

This is a serious point, not a pre-arranged performance. An attack that occurred while carrying out a request that Ainoa had personally requested. However, the other party is said to be a guest who has received royal guarantee.

It is a very important matter that directly affects the country's trust.

Irene's eyes trembled involuntarily as she realized the seriousness of the situation.

"Please be advised that Dustborne will be filing a formal complaint with Albatross."

"Protest… you say?"

"Yeah. I don't think I can communicate well with you, so I'll have to call the vice-captain first."

"Ouch! I, I was wrong! Please, just that!"

He got up out of bed in a hurry and grabbed his trouser leg. Cold sweat was dripping down his forehead. Although he looked healthy on the outside, it seemed that his physical condition was not normal.

It's sad, but there is no agreement.

'You have to tear it off when you can.'

To be honest, there are some scratches.

As soon as I opened my eyes, he started talking about perverts and such, and I started to feel embarrassed.

"Then let's head back now. I think I should report to Ainoa-sama first about the strange phenomenon in the forest and Irene-sama's case."

The original goal, the prince, is nowhere to be found, but it is not something that can be done with just one drink. In the first place, I never thought I would find it right away. In the end, it is a task that requires pouring in time.

"Irene, you should come with me too. Please don't make things any worse."

No veto power was given.

"All right…."

Irene, who was feeling down, lowered her head like a sinner. Looking down at her crown, Kim Yi-hyun suddenly thought of Anima. A young man with youth, charisma, and humanity.

'Why did I have to have such a loser as my superior?'

It can't be anything other than a strange fate.

* * *

The search team returned straight to the capital.

Prior to reporting, they underwent intensive disinfection. No team member exceeded the standard level of contamination, but there were fluctuations. Except for Leila and Kim I-hyeon, all rose slightly.

'I didn't know I would be okay.'

It was safe to say that he was immune to external contamination. As long as he didn't directly inject contaminants into his body, he wouldn't mutate. It was a more fraudulent talent than I thought.

In any case, the other personnel needed to rest for a while. Kim Yi-hyeon was also not in a position to resume the search right away. He had other things to deal with.

"They said they came running as soon as they heard the news."

"Is there a way for members to communicate remotely?"

"Albatrosses are a pretty old group. They probably have a secret or two."

Ainoa shook her head.

"Irene seems to be a shut-in in her room. It's really strange. When I stayed here before, she couldn't sit still for even a moment, but now she's fucking, no, excuse me."

He coughs loudly and then corrects himself.

"It looks like you've developed manners since something big happened."

"It must be hard to even clean up."

"That's what I'm saying."

Kim Yi-hyeon didn't necessarily blame Ainoa. He did give Carmen a piece of advice, but it was simply meant to be a warning. There's no reason for Bastitera to feel sorry.

'How could he have expected that?'

He even confronted the leader of the Albatross who had disappeared and got into a fight. Kim Yi-hyun also had no idea that Irene would be in Basteterra.

'But I don't really have any questions about why I'm here.'

He is a nobleman whose hobby is to go on adventures while hiding his identity. Since he is free, he can go anywhere. In the game, however, he ends up being caught by the professor.

Anyway, it's on hold until the albatross arrives.

There are more urgent matters to discuss right now.

"So, Kushan, what do you think?"

"If we're talking hypotheses, I guess we can come up with a few."

Kushan said as he watched the body cam footage.

"The existence of otherworldly entities has been observed before. Elixirs whose composition does not match any substance on the continent, and parasites in particular. We have always wondered how they came here."

"That's what you call a passageway."

"Yes, but as far as I know, this is the first time it has been observed with the naked eye. It may be evidence that the boundary between the continent and the other world is rapidly collapsing due to the catastrophe."

A wrinkle formed between Ainoa's eyebrows.

"Does that mean that this kind of thing will happen again in the future?"

"What happens once is sure to happen again."

In the midst of the serious atmosphere, Kim Lee-hyun opened his mouth.

"It's not something that should only be viewed negatively."

"Yes. If there is hope, there is."

The three of them turned their gaze to the screen without saying who would be the first. The video was shot in poor quality. There, Leila's back was visible, and a bright blue light was emitting a strong presence.

"...Who on earth is Leila?"

Ainoa has always wondered how such a young and fragile girl could represent the lab as much as the director. Now, she even has mysterious abilities.

He will never be an ordinary human being.

"I'm sorry, but that's not something I can tell you about."

"You can't hide it forever."

"Even if I reveal it, it won't be through my mouth."

"Is that so?"

So I ended up accepting it. In the first place, Ainoa didn't completely trust Rap. The only people she trusted were Kim Yi-hyun and Dustbone.

'I wonder what this person is thinking.'

I once again felt the urge to look inside Kim Yi-hyeon's head. Just how far along is the planning? What kind of appearance would I, Bastet, have in the blueprint drawn by Kim Yi-hyeon?

'They say knowledge is power.'

It was a proverb that particularly hit home when I met Kim Lee-hyun.

* * *

That evening.

There was a guest in the room where Kim Lee-hyun was staying.

"Mr. Hyun, is this a good time for you?"

Leila's attitude was clearly different from usual. Her characteristic awkward smile and her comfortable atmosphere were nowhere to be found. A small sense of fear was seen between the seriousness and tension.

"Come in."

It was obvious what the matter was.