Chapter 78 - Emerging Figures
D'Andre couldn't fall asleep easily.
He tossed and turned for a long time, as if something was bothering him.
Whenever he closed his eyes, thoughts kept layering over the darkness, forcing him to stay awake instead.
And then came the familiar sight.
A ceiling tangled with sallow, corroded pipes.
His gaze followed the sound of water trickling through them, trailing down the walls until it reached the small office below.
Even with the window open, the musty smell never left.
Poor insulation made it unbearably hot in summer and freezing in winter.
No matter how hard he scrubbed, the accumulated grime refused to come off.
In one corner of the office sat a worn-out android, which creaked as it turned its head.
"Boss, you're still up?"
"Hooker."
"Yes, Boss. Want some water?"
"…Yeah."
After confirming D'Andre's nod, the android—Hooker—stood up.
He walked over to a short fridge that barely reached his waist, retrieved a water bottle, and twisted the cap open as he approached.
"Here you go."
"..."
D'Andre stared intently at the android handing him the bottle with perfect posture.
The thing had no synthetic skin to cover its steel face.
It was nothing like those high-end bartender androids that were indistinguishable from humans, equipped with cutting-edge technology.
That difference had always nagged at him.
"…I'm sorry."
Murmuring his apology, D'Andre took the bottle and moistened his parched throat.
"What are you sorry for?"
"…I don't know, you bastard."
D'Andre grumbled for no reason and crushed the empty bottle.
Then, gazing out at the neon-lit cityscape, he asked,
"How long has it been since we came here?"
"2,668 days, 11 hours, 40 minutes, and 24 seconds."
"…Over seven years already? Damn, time flies."
D'Andre swept his gaze across the office as if seeing it anew.
A memory surfaced—the moment he first swung this door open.
'Alright! We're making history here!'
He'd scrimped and saved, taking on any job, no matter how dangerous or dirty, just to afford this space.
[Linker D'Andre]
Beyond the office desk, he could still see himself proudly placing his nameplate down.
"…Hooker, do you still think I can make it as a Linker?"
"Of course! I, Hooker, have never doubted you, Boss! You always said it, didn't you? That you'd prove to this damned city that even a third-rate nobody can succeed!"
"You little punk… Your memory's too damn good for your own good."
D'Andre chuckled and sat up from the bed.
As he reached for the jacket hanging on the coat rack, Hooker asked,
"Where are you going?"
"Sector 41. The tunnels."
"Huh? Why there all of a sudden…?"
"I don't like how the info's already leaking. I bet those hyenas are staking the place out. After all that effort, if something goes south now… My biggest operation could be ruined."
"But Boss, you only provided the intel this time, didn't you? It wasn't your op—"
"It's my operation."
"…?"
Hooker tilted his head in confusion.
By then, D'Andre had already reached the office door. Gripping the handle, he turned his head slightly.
"The safe return of the solo operatives. That's my operation."
And so, now—
***
Enter the grenade-launching Linker, hell-bent on protecting his own!
"You sons of bitches—!"
The moment his throws landed, he unleashed a storm of rifle fire—
And on top of that, Jin's spell came alive.
Now at the second tier, his mental imagery had deepened considerably.
Naturally, this also meant the constellation representing Zahad, shaped like a lightning bolt, had been unlocked.
Among the countless spells forcefully etched into his mind, he cast one truly befitting of large-scale devastation.
Fwooosh!
A purple raptor took flight.
The Thunder God Bird.
A mythical beast symbolizing Zahad, known for scattering lightning with each flap of its wings.
Its piercing gaze locked onto its prey.
"What the hell is that?!"
"Shit! Run for it!"
Sensing that something had gone horribly wrong, the treasure hunters scattered in panic.
But before they could escape—
The thunderbird dove toward the ground like a lightning strike, releasing a condensed explosion of electrical energy.
Those caught in its wake crumpled like fallen leaves.
Not a single scream escaped them.
Their hearts had simply ceased to function under the overwhelming voltage.
"Holy shit."
"That's… Zahad?"
The sheer destructive force left everyone speechless.
But the most stunned of all was Jin himself.
"…Oh."
His eyes widened in pure amazement.
The spell's power was one thing, but more than that—he was captivated by the form of the thunderbird itself.
It looked absolutely stunning.
If only it didn't consume so much mana…
…Was that too much to ask?
While he mused over it, the battle had already concluded.
D'Andre came sprinting over, frantically checking Jin for injuries.
"You hurt anywhere?!"
"No."
"Knew it!"
Beaming, D'Andre grabbed Jin's shoulders and shook him excitedly, making Jin's head bob up and down like a roly-poly toy.
"You know you leveled up as a solo, right? You're already at level 4!"
"Oh."
Jin had already heard, but he feigned surprise, pursing his lips into an 'O' shape and letting out a whistle.
Seeing how genuinely happy D'Andre was, he figured he might as well play along.
"Let's have a celebration party later. Hmm, hold on—"
D'Andre approached the fallen Maximo.
Then, they exchanged a few words, the content of which was—
"What the hell were you thinking, coming all the way here? Were you trying to get yourself killed?"
"Well, it helped, didn't it? So how about extending your contract?"
"..."
D'Andre's activity didn't stop there—
With a devastating grin that bared his chrome teeth, he approached the remaining two.
"Natasha, right? Your mission success rate is over 92%. Our office could really use someone as responsible as you. Here's my card. If you're interested..."
"Hey, friend. Are you a mercenary? Which group? Freelancer? Oh, that's great. From now on, you and I—wait, why are you stuttering so much?"
As D'Andre continued his confident recruitment pitch, Natasha burst into laughter.
Meanwhile, Jin and Maximo, having locked eyes, simply shrugged at each other.
That was when they finally felt the tension dissipate.
***
"Ugh."
Jin collapsed onto the pillow, his face sinking into it with a thud.
The cheap pillowcase reeked from not being washed in time, but even that felt oddly comforting.
Maybe it was because he had been trapped in a damp underground space with no sunlight for almost three days.
Suddenly, even this cheap, unmanned motel felt like a five-star hotel.
As he lay there idly for a while, a thought crossed Jin's mind.
D'Andre really came through for us.
Thanks to Linker, who volunteered to drive them back, the group had made it to downtown late at night.
And D'Andre?
He'd certainly made an impression.
He even managed to secure a verbal contract with a mercenary, his grin practically splitting his face in two.
Honestly, it wasn't a bad deal for the mercenary either.
After all, their entire team had been wiped out, their mind was a mess, and yet here was someone willing to look out for them like family—where else would they find such an opportunity?
Besides, their shooting skills were solid.
If they could keep their mental state in check, they could end up in a mutually beneficial relationship.
Jin, who had been drifting toward sleep, suddenly snapped himself awake.
Not yet.
There was still something he had to check.
So he closed his eyes intentionally.
His eyelids slowly lowered, darkening his vision, and soon, countless stars began to twinkle, forming a flowing galaxy.
As he entered his inner world, he turned his head.
His gaze traveled across nebulae, taking in various constellations.
A clenched fist, a tree, a bolt of lightning.
Each represented a different force: [Superhuman], [Mana], [Zahad].
But that wasn't why Jin had come here.
Moving his eyes a little further—
There it was.
A new constellation.
[White Flame]
A star burning like a fire, radiating a presence on par with [Jahad].
Though it was unexpected.
Jin had assumed the new addition would be named Solard.
Well, the name didn't matter.
What mattered was that the flame, which had until now been merely warm, had finally gained a distinct symbolic identity.
And then he confirmed that [White Flame] was not a constellation that gained experience but instead advanced through mastery.
That was when—
"…?"
In a remote corner of the night sky, in a place rarely noticed, Jin spotted something lurking ominously.
A deep crimson glow,
A grotesque sigil shaped like an inverted cross with bat-like wings.
[True Blood]
The familiar name made Jin's eyes narrow sharply.
"You son of a—!"
His fist shot up instinctively, and the constellation flickered as if shrinking away.
But Jin was just as startled.
Did I... turn into a vampire?
With urgency, he focused his gaze to examine the details.
[Ability unavailable / Reason: Human]
[Passive conversion in progress...]
[Upon completion, it will be integrated into an existing constellation]
Jin's ashen-gray eyes darted back and forth, scanning the floating words.
And then, he let out a sigh of relief.
So I'm still human, huh?
Keeping his thoughts simple, he immediately withdrew from his inner world.
There was no need to open his eyes.
Because he fell asleep just like that.
***
Jin had one thing to celebrate this time.
His terminal was still intact.
The fragile device, which had died on him countless times before, had somehow survived this ordeal.
So the first thing he did was reach out to his contacts.
"You're a day late. But close enough. I'm just glad you're safe, Jin."
First, he reported his survival to Khalifa.
Then, he had a phone conversation with Po.
"…A vampire, you say?"
The bartender, who was already deeply invested in the Age of Light and Roses, bombarded Jin with an unusually enthusiastic barrage of questions about vampires, to the point that Jin was momentarily taken aback.
If it hadn't been for a customer arriving and requesting an enector, Jin would have been stuck in an impromptu Q&A session for hours.
"By the way, about the contract you requested earlier—I've secured a few properties. Not sure if any will be to your liking, but I'll send you the details. Take a look and get back to me."
"Oh, got it."
After reviewing the list of potential residences Po had sent, Jin quickly made a decision.
***
A large warehouse located in South Downtown.
It seemed like the perfect solution to his parking woes, and as a bonus, it was just a three-minute walk from Rumpumpumpum.
[This one will do.]
Jin, never one to overthink such matters, replied without hesitation.
After that, his next commitment was a long-overdue meal with the siblings, Jacky and Jenny.
Just how many times had they postponed this dinner?
A debt to be settled?
Whatever the case, Jin stopped by Rumpumpumpum first to ensure he'd enjoy a good meal.
When he saw the newly repaired second floor, he beamed like a child.
And then, a heartfelt reunion with the old speaker followed.
"It's been a while, man!"
As I hugged him out of excitement, he greeted me back warmly with an old song.
Later, as the siblings arrived on time and we were laughing while devouring a mountain of food, the news played on the newly mounted wall TV.
[With the war in Mute Town coming to an end, reports suggest that corporations secretly supporting TB are now cutting ties…]
[The airborne fortress Apophis is set to pass over the vicinity of Lost City for the first time in 25 years.]
Some reports naturally caught my eye, while others didn't.
Depending on my interest, my gaze flickered on and off the screen.
Then, a piece of news aired that seemed to grab the siblings' attention more than mine.
"…Family Rotation? Has it been that long already?"
"Oh, you're right. I wonder who'll win this time."
As they chatted, I chewed on a sausage and asked,
"What's Family Rotation?"
"Think of it as a purist festival hosted by the Seven Great Houses. The next generation of leaders compete to prove their superiority."
Hearing Jenny's explanation, I chuckled.
That's basically a cyberpunk version of a martial arts tournament.
Seriously, they come up with the weirdest things.
That was the extent of my interest in the event.
I was much more interested in catching up with the two of them.
There were way more stories we hadn't shared than the food piled on the table.
Before we knew it, we had talked for so long that darkness had completely settled outside.
Considering the state of downtown's security, it was getting too late.
So I casually wedged myself between the two, draped my arms over their shoulders, and announced,
"A Level 4 Solo escort, just for you guys. Free of charge."
"Yes, yes. Much obliged. I'm overwhelmed with gratitude."
"What's with that reaction?"
Just more banter.
We bickered as we walked, and soon, we arrived at our destination.
Once I safely saw them off, I gave them a little shove and waved.
"Get inside."
"It's late. Just stay the night."
I simply smiled at Jecky and shook my head before turning away.
Sniffing as the chilly night air bit at my nose, I retraced my steps when suddenly, the device in my chest pocket buzzed.
"Hello?"
[Jin?]
"Yeah, it's me."
Then, Natasha's voice continued through the device.
[Are you busy right now?]
"Not really. Why?"
[I was wondering if you'd like to grab a drink.]
"Now? I thought we were meeting tomorrow?"
[That's with Maximo and D'Andre. I'm talking about just the two of us meeting now.]
I scratched my cheek at her response.
"Yeah? But, uh… I'm not really in the mood for drinks…"
[Not interested?]
I still had room for snacks, but I wasn't exactly the type to indulge in alcohol.
As I idly wandered down the boulevard, my thoughts ran deeper.
The silence stretched long enough to turn awkward.
Just before that happened, I furrowed my brow and spoke.
"Ah, screw it. Let's do it! Where are we meeting?"
The moment I made up my mind, her voice brightened slightly.
But—
"..."
I didn't hear the rest of what Natasha said.
From the thick darkness where the streetlights didn't reach, figures silently emerged, surrounding me before I even realized it.
"…Hold on."
Lowering the device from my ear, I glanced around.
Their eyes crackled with faint sparks of electricity.