42 – God of Logic

Chapter 42 – God of Logic

The battlefield had fallen eerily silent.

All the Fighter-level hunters—including Kai, Moon, and the rest who hadn't yet returned to the base—stood frozen, their mouths slightly agape, eyes wide in disbelief.

That white-haired guy…

He had just taken down that fox essence creature—in less than a minute—as if it were nothing more than a stray puppy.

Among the stunned spectators, Isu's body moved on instinct. His legs carried him at full speed toward the collapsed Taejin, panic etched deep into his features. All the chaos, all the astonishment, all the battle-noise seemed to vanish from his mind—there was only one thing he saw now: his brother's unmoving body. Isu dropped to his knees beside him, his trembling hands reaching out to check his pulse, his breaths coming fast and shallow. For a moment, his mind feared the worst.

But the true silence fell the moment he emerged.

The mysterious white-haired figure—the man who had ended the beast in seconds—stepped out from his mechanical exosuit, the metal limbs pulling back and folding like a blooming flower.

His appearance was nothing short of surreal… and unnerving.

His skin was pale—so pale it almost looked artificial under the sky's glow—as if untouched by sunlight or time. His long, silvery-white hair flowed like strands of moonlight caught in a gentle breeze, framing his angular, expressionless face. But what unsettled everyone wasn't just his ghostly beauty. It was the smile he wore—a lopsided, mocking grin that radiated confidence, calculation… and danger.

He wore no shirt. His torso was bare, revealing a lean, sculpted frame that looked more like a forged weapon than a human body. Scars laced faintly across his ribs and collarbone—memories of battles long past. His lower half was clad in a simple pair of black tactical jeans, worn and torn at the edges, as if he rarely cared for aesthetics.

Then something strange happened.

The mechanical suit behind him—once a armor of wires and steel—suddenly dismantled itself, its parts twisting midair into four distinct black cubes, each humming with a soft energy pulse. Without a command, the cubes shot forward with surgical precision, hovering over the injured—Taejin, Layla, Thomas, and the unconscious Rejected Winter.

As if guided by an unseen AI, the cubes deployed protective energy barriers around each of them, forming cocoon-like domes that hovered and shimmered in place.

Gasps rippled through the crowd again—but no one dared speak.

This wasn't just strength.

This was mastery—of both battle and technology.

Just then, Isu approached him, bowed deeply, and greeted the man with clear respect.

The man didn't stop smiling. With a lazy, sarcastic tone, he waved a hand and said:

> "arrer arrerrr… What's with all the formality? You're Taejin's brother, aren't you? Don't worry, I'll fix him completely."

Isu bowed once again and spoke quietly:

> "Thank you… Senior Drew."

At that moment, James, Ruby, and Minji approached Drew as well.

Moon and Kai exchanged a glance—instinctively sensing something—and followed them.

The rest of the surviving hunters had neither the courage nor the reason to stay. They quietly activated the temporary teleporter, heading back to the base.

James was the first to approach Drew, who stood casually beside Isu, his posture relaxed, as if what had just transpired was nothing more than a warm-up.

Drew turned slightly at the sound of footsteps, and his sharp grey eyes landed on James. For a heartbeat, those calculating eyes scanned James's face—then softened, glinting with a nostalgic amusement.

A crooked smirk tugged at the corner of his lips as he chuckled, voice laced with familiarity and teasing arrogance.

> "James? Damn, you've grown. Weren't you the same brat who used to run around here naked, screaming about space monsters or something?"

James froze mid-step, visibly flustered. His cheeks turned a faint shade of pink, and he let out an awkward, dry laugh, scratching the back of his head.

> "A-Ah… that was a long time ago, Drew…"

A few chuckles bubbled up in the background, but Moon and Kai, who had followed closely behind, didn't react—only exchanging a brief glance as if silently acknowledging the awkwardness without getting involved.

Drew's attention shifted again, eyes catching two more familiar faces—Ruby and Minji—walking up behind James.

A bit of surprise crossed his face, quickly replaced with pleasant recognition. His smirk widened.

> "Oh-ho… Ruby, Minji! You two were here too?

So, how was your little adventure in the Shifting Expanse? Did it live up to the hype?"

He paused, briefly eyeing the damage around them.

> "Too bad you didn't join the fight earlier. Who knows? You might've gotten to show off a little."

His tone was light, casual, but there was something calculated in it—as if he was testing their reactions.

Ruby smiled politely, while Minji gave a small bow of acknowledgment, but both of them seemed slightly guarded.

Drew, as always, read people like open books—but whether he approved or judged, was still unclear.

He gave them both a brief nod, almost as if genuinely pleased to see them.

Then, his eyes shifted.

Behind James stood two silent figures—one dressed in black, the other in white.

> "And who are these two?" he asked, pointing subtly at Moon and Kai.

James turned back with a smile.

> "Oh, right! These are my friends—Kai and Moon."

Drew paused.

His casual demeanor faded—just slightly—as his gaze landed on the two unfamiliar figures standing behind James.

First, his sharp grey eyes locked onto Moon.

There was something unsettling about the way he looked—not rude or aggressive, but piercing, dissecting. Drew's stare was quiet yet intense, as though peeling away layers of flesh and thought just to see what lay beneath.

Moon's vibrant green eyes met his stare without flinching. Calm. Steady. Almost defiant.

The air between them felt heavier than it should've.

Then Drew's eyes slid to the side—toward Kai.

His gaze softened a little, analyzing the boy's composed face and cool blue eyes—the kind of eyes that didn't reveal much, yet missed nothing. Drew tilted his head slightly, as if trying to match something in his memory… or intuition.

For a few long seconds, nothing was said.

Something flickered across Drew's face. Not surprise. Not hostility. But something unreadable—a spark of recognition, curiosity… or perhaps warning.

But just as quickly, it vanished.

He exhaled lightly, posture returning to relaxed.

> "Alright," he said smoothly, turning away. "I'm heading out. They need medical attention."

No fanfare. No explanation.

Just that cryptic silence trailing behind him—one that made Moon and Kai both feel like they'd been measured… and noted.

---

As he began to walk away, Kai leaned toward Minji and asked,

> "Who was that guy?"

Minji blinked, as if surprised he didn't already know.

> "That's Drew. He's a genius."

Kai tilted his head slightly. "Hmm?"

Then Kai furrowed his brows slightly, still processing everything he'd just seen.

> "Wait…" he muttered, voice low. "How was he using tech outside the base? I thought the Expanse interferes with all external devices."

James turned to him, eyes lighting up as if he'd been waiting for that question.

> "Exactly!" he said, gesturing with both hands. "That's what makes him Drew. He's not just some overpowered warrior—he's a freaking pioneer."

He leaned in slightly, his voice dropping a bit in awe.

> "He's the first person to figure out how to make machines work outside the base's protective core in the Shifting Expanse.

Moon's eyes narrowed with interest. Even Kai tilted his head, his analytical mind running through the possibilities.

James continued, clearly impressed.

> "He designed those suits himself—micro-reactive tech that adapts to the Expanse's unstable physics.

The way those armor cubes moved? They're coded to respond to neural patterns and spiritual energy fluctuations. Like… what even is that?"

He shook his head, still in disbelief.

> "That's why people call him… the God of Logic."

There was a silence after that.

Even Kai had no immediate comeback.

Because for the first time in a long time, both he and Moon realized—

They had just crossed paths with someone who didn't break the rules…

He rewrote them.

Kai's eyes widened slightly. "Damn… I didn't know he was that brilliant."

Most people had no clue how difficult that was—but to anyone with technical knowledge, what Drew had done was like defying the laws of nature.

Even Moon looked a little impressed.

---

Ruby, still thinking deeply, finally spoke up.

> "Let's head back to the base for now. We need some rest."

Moon and Kai both nodded.

Without a word, Kai pulled out two black masks from his storage ring—one for himself and one for Moon.

Moon didn't ask. He just put it on.

James and Minji looked confused.

> "Uh… what's with the masks?" James asked.

Ruby's eyes narrowed slightly—she was still watching Kai carefully.

Kai turned to face them, expression unreadable.

> "There are… certain people in the base who don't want us around.

We don't want unnecessary drama. I'll explain everything later."

His voice was calm, but serious.

And for the first time in a long while, none of them argued.

---

To be continued…