The building was far larger than the Library of Beginnings. A plain rectangular building with monotonous rows of windows. What had it originally been used for?

The supply depot in F Zone had been a library, but the building in D Zone gave no clue to its former purpose. What was obvious, however, was that it was protected much more tightly than F Zone.

The entire building was surrounded by a transparent dome.

So that’s the Breath.

I drove the battered military vehicle to the spot Ami indicated. Beyond the dome, a massive iron wall surrounded the building.

I stopped the vehicle in front of the steel gate.

Ami, seated in the passenger seat, stretched out her hand and picked up something like a radio from the dashboard.

A locked female voice flowed from the radio.

[Royal.]

“Jeep.”

It must have been the passphrase. Clang! A heavy sound rang out beyond the broken windshield. The iron gate began to move slowly.

The gate slid open to the side with a deep groan. Behind me, I could hear the seniors preparing to disembark.

Metallic clicks of firearms. Shuffling of stances being readjusted.

The iron gate opened completely, revealing the building’s front entrance.

But the shield outside the gate was still intact?

“You’ve never seen the Breath open, right?”

Ami spoke casually.

“Look. Even I find it strange every time I see it.”

A massive sound followed.

A peculiar sound — like a soap bubble popping, or a balloon inflating in a rush. Like a computer booting, or the hum of a magnetic field.

As my ears rang and I widened my eyes, a small Core appeared, opening in the shape of a door.

Just like the round portal Yun had shown me beneath his house.

I turned the wheel and drove the vehicle inside the iron gate.

“Park it near the entrance.”

Green gave the order.

Following his instructions, I pulled up parallel to the left of the gate. Parallel parking — that memory came back to me. Ah. In my head, the voice of that two-tone-haired scientist (scientist, I suppose) echoed again.

“Once you get used to parallel parking, it’s easy.”

But this was no time to dwell on fleeting fragments of memory.

I jumped down from the driver’s seat with the seniors who poured out of the car. The vehicle was a wreck — its rear soaked in blood, the front windshield half gone.

No one cared.

Leaving the keys inside, I snatched up the duffel bag I had tossed earlier and followed after the seniors.

Someone was slowly walking out from the building’s main entrance.

Ami called out in a bright voice.

“Sylvia!”

Ah, that silver-haired senior.

The first person I had faced when going outside the Core. One of those with Jason Trevain at the time. We hadn’t exchanged names then.

She hadn’t seemed the type to want introductions anyway.

So she was the one who had spoken the passphrase over the radio? We stopped in front of the silver-haired Badger with the cold impression. Silently, I observed the female senior with her pale features.

A sniper rifle strapped ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) cross-body. Skin as pallid as Yehyeon’s. Bright sky-blue eyes. Long, faint eyelashes.

Her expression was as icy as my own mentor’s.

“No abnormalities.”

Sylvia spoke in a locked voice, meeting Green’s eyes.

“Present personnel: Sylvia Kip. Bobby Winter. Leeho Chang.”

“Good.”

So Leeho was here too.

Then that Bobby must be the blond senior I had seen before? Swallowing my curiosity, I followed the others inside the building.

A new space opened before me.

Though the gate and the Breath looked modern, the building itself was crude. Time was etched everywhere. The air was strangely musty. Gravel and cracked flooring crunched beneath our feet in the lobby.

I threw my duffel bag onto the floor beside Walker and Trevain.

“What’s this lineup supposed to be?”

Leeho’s voice came from inside.

“What, are we expanding territory or something?”

“Leeho-Leeho.”

Aki’s reply came.

Leeho was the same as ever — still tired-looking, still dressed in drab activewear.

Ami let out her characteristic laugh at Aki’s words.

“‘Leeho-Leeho,’ she said.”

“Hey, I told you not to call me that in front of seniors. ...But seriously, what is this? This lineup only shows up during Core expansion.”

“Yehyeon’s orders.”

“I told you that bastard’s gone senile.”

Green answered roughly. Beside him, Trevain sneered.

“It’s time for a change anyway, huh? He’s been gorging himself long enough. Don’t you agree, Richard?”

With a sullen look, I watched Trevain rattle off slanders about Yehyeon, while the others ignored him, setting down their belongings and moving deeper inside.

Knowing nothing, I imitated the seniors as best I could. I set down the essentials, laid my outer combat jacket atop the duffel bag, and kept my weapon in hand as I followed them inward.

And then I realized what the building had once been.

It was a museum.

***

Once you reached D Zone, returning into the Core wasn’t easy.

That was Ami’s explanation. That was why supply lines became even more vital past D Zone. It was routine work for Badgers: moving goods from the depot in F Zone to E Zone, to D Zone.

But we hadn’t brought back a single box.

Apparently, Yehyeon had rejected even Richard Green’s suggestion to load up supplies while we were at it...

“Potatoes.”

“Yes, sir.”

I placed peeled potatoes into Walker’s massive hands. With a plop, they fell into a giant metal pot. Mechanically, I stood over the steaming pot, peeling potato after potato.

“Cut the onions too.”

“Yes, sir.”

Quickly, I peeled the onions.

We were cooking. Walker and I, both wearing aprons (Walker’s looked ready to burst at any moment), were busy at the stove.

Up to D Zone, it was possible to live somewhat humanely thanks to safe points. From C Zone onward, it turned into pure survival camping. Once a safe point was properly established in C Zone, it would be reclassified as part of D Zone.

Which meant this was the last place with electricity and running water.

But there was no one to clean or cook for us. Inevitably, the menial work fell to the youngest.

I slid the chopped onions toward the pot.

“Smells good.”

A voice behind me made me jump.

I turned quickly — it was the short-haired senior leaning in.

“Curry?”

“Yes, sir. I’ll have it ready soon.”

“Want some help?”

Aki turned her head, locking eyes with me.

“I’ve got nothing to do.”

“No, it’s fine. I’ll be done soon.”

“Really? All right.”

She agreed, but she didn’t leave.

Instead, she stood there watching me for a long time. I pretended not to notice — with a fixed smile on my face — and kept my hands moving.

Walker didn’t even glance at us, calmly stirring the curry. Aki grabbed the onions I’d sliced and poured them into the pot, her eyes narrowing as she studied me.

The smell was good.

Only after the onions were gone did Aki bring up the real question.

“What were you doing before you came here?”

Of course. I’d been expecting this one.

“Sorry if I’m too direct, but... are you from the underworld? Your weak regeneration, the way you avoided getting a license — it all fits. Plus, I heard you took all your classes online.”

“Uh...”

“Not true?”

Get out of it. Slip through again, Hildebert Taleb!

I answered quickly while peeling carrots.

“What exactly do you mean by ‘underworld’...?”

“You know. Fixers, mafia, drug dealers. Where illegal body enhancements and anti-aging surgeries happen.”

“Ah. I had no ties with anything like that.”

At least, past me didn’t.

I believed it. The Hildebert Taleb whose past I couldn’t remember. I believed it.

I cut the peeled carrots evenly and smiled brightly.

“I was just a shut-in with no social skills.”

“Really?”

Aki blinked once.

Then she stared at me hard and apologized.

“I see. Sorry. That was too blunt.”

She shoved her hands into her windbreaker pockets.

“There are quite a few who end up with odd side effects from illegal surgeries. That’s why I asked. Don’t misunderstand — I don’t look down on the underworld.”

“It’s fine.”

“With illegal surgeries, no one comes out looking that healthy.”

Walker cut in with his rough voice.

His sharp, piercing eyes rolled toward me.

“Besides, this kid looks like he’s got nothing to do with that world.”

Is that so?

I sighed inwardly in relief. If even someone from the underworld said so, then it must be true. I looked at the huge man with hope and gratitude.

Rugged features, deep eye sockets, cropped black hair, corded arms. Nothing about William Walker fit with the red apron tied around him.

I quickly placed the chopped carrots into Walker’s hand as he crooked a finger.

The bubbling sound of boiling curry filled the air pleasantly. Watching the rising bubbles, my thoughts wandered.

Ricardo and Ro’s words from the first day came back.

Did you get some illegal surgery or what?

I watched Walker stir the curry with a giant ladle, then broke the silence.

“There must be people who go through with illegal body enhancement surgeries even knowing about the severe side effects.”

“Plenty. It’s a social problem on the news every other day.”

“Ah. True, if you think about it...”

“Only idiots who can’t think long-term do it.”

“You say that because you never needed body enhancements, Will.”

A youthful voice chimed in.

I turned quickly, glad for the distraction. Ami had opened the silver kitchen door and stepped inside.

She looked freshly washed.

Apparently, everyone was taking time in their own quarters to clean up. I beamed at her as she approached us.

Ami met my eyes with her mischievous gaze. She grinned wide, then blurted out:

“Hilde, you know what?”

“Yes?”

“Will got tricked by the Personnel Director into becoming a Black Badger.”

...What?

What the hell was that supposed to mean?

As I stood there dumbfounded, Ami’s mischievous grin widened.

“One of Director Ju’s legendary achievements. Recruiting William Walker. He sweet-talked him into joining the Black Badgers. Will was the first and last one the Director personally went after.”

“Ah, I remember. Everyone was saying an incredible rookie had arrived.”

“Bullshit.”

Thwack! William Walker threw a rag.

But Ami’s mischievous grin remained. She clearly had no intention of changing the subject.

...For some reason, Choi Yun came to mind.

In any case, the story was too interesting, so I perked up my ears as the salt and light of our lives continued her tale.

“The Director was desperate at the time.”

“Ah. Was there a shortage of manpower?”

“No, not that. Back then Yehyeon was furious with him, demanding he step down.”

Ami shared the juiciest part.

“He even said the famous line: ‘Ju, all you ever do is create scandals!’”