Chapter 86

It really was still a dream, wasn’t it?

Listening to the Code Red announcement, I thought that for a moment.

However, I soon felt the soft sensation of the dangling pudding on top of my head and realized this was reality.

Dominic remained firmly attached to my head without falling off despite the android running.

“Roasted Chestnut. It is a little noisy. I am worried it may have a negative effect since you are still recovering.”

This wasn’t… exactly just a little noisy.

I admired the pudding slime’s choice of words and tried moving my body, but I had absolutely no strength.

When I briefly woke up earlier, I thought I was fine, but that was completely wrong.

Samra explained the situation to me in a calm voice that did not match the chaos around us.

“Han Goyo-ssi has regained consciousness after approximately 14 days. Use of your body is not recommended.”

…while saying that, he was sprinting through the hallway at incredible speed, yet he never collided with another person or object.

“Samra! Stop for a moment!”

Soldiers occasionally tried to grab him, but Samra avoided all of them in an instant.

I was being carried on Samra’s back with the feeling that I had not fully woken up yet.

While that was happening, I heard a voice.

“Goyo-ssi! Goyo-ssi, where are you? I’ll protect you!”

It was Research Division member Ham Jiwol calling for me.

Normally, she stuttered and had a quiet voice, but right now her pronunciation was extremely clear and her voice was as booming as a general’s.

Ham Jiwol in this state was several times more dangerous than usual.

I quickly grabbed around Samra’s neck and whispered.

“Let’s go faster.”

Perhaps Samra agreed with me, because he increased his speed.

When Samra reached the stairs, he ran down to the lower floors.

I had vaguely assumed we would go to the rooftop and take a helicopter, so I was confused when we headed downward.

At this point, I felt like I had to ask.

“Um, Samra? Where are we going?”

“There is an escape route connected to an adjacent structure near the underground area. We will move outside.”

“Then… what if we hide inside the virtual space?”

“Not recommended. The longer one remains in virtual space, the higher the possibility of cognitive impairment. Han Goyo-ssi’s physical functions are currently reduced, so you are not suited to withstand the mental burden.”

It sounded like he had experimented with putting multiple people into virtual space before.

“Additionally, because physical movement is impossible within virtual space, there is a possibility of becoming trapped inside the Trial Response Agency. Among the available options, I have judged this to be the best choice.”

During this urgent situation, I couldn’t hold back and asked the thing I was most curious about.

“Is there a specific reason why you’re carrying me like this while running…?”

When I asked about this analog method of transportation, Samra’s running speed briefly slowed.

Samra, who normally answered instantly no matter what I asked, replied after a slight delay.

“I specialize most in information retrieval. Other than that, I only possess combat functions intended for defensive purposes.”

Since he was a cutting-edge android, I had vaguely imagined he could transform and fly like a jet, but apparently he did not have such a function.

Because of the sudden terrorist attack, Samra had chosen carrying me on his back as the safest way to move me.

It seemed he judged that the reliable Special Mission Team members were all away on missions, and receiving assistance from other soldiers carried too much uncertainty.

‘Is it because there was a possibility that Ham Jiwol or Director Jang Seokyun could interfere?’

Especially the former was someone who could easily use the chaos as an opportunity to secretly move me somewhere else.

“I predicted the terrorist attack beforehand, but CEO Cha of Paseong used a Trial item to create an error in my calculations.”

From his following explanation, it seemed that Samra had originally intended to let me recover in my hospital room for as long as possible rather than evacuating me immediately.

However, CEO Cha, who understood Samra’s methods, used an item to catch him off guard.

He used an incredibly rare consumable item, one impossible to place a value on, to conceal his movements.

CEO Cha, who had temporarily escaped Samra’s information network, immediately carried out a terrorist attack on TRA.

‘Even androids make excuses.’

Would it be an exaggeration to think that he seemed slightly embarrassed?

I kept the thought to myself for Samra’s sake and asked another question.

“By the way, why did CEO Cha launch a terrorist attack on TRA?”

CEO Cha did not act emotionally.

He was not the type to start a fight where he would lose without a clear reason.

Just as I thought there could never be enough reason to commit a terrorist attack on TRA—

Crackle!

The regularly repeating broadcast became filled with static and abruptly cut off.

The loud sirens that sounded like they would burst my eardrums also stopped, and sudden silence fell over the TRA building.

Samra stopped completely and looked up at the ceiling.

His holographic eyes flashed.

A voice mixed with mechanical tones came through the speakers.

There was no emotional excitement in the calm tone. Because of that, it felt even colder.

CEO Cha asked:

I doubted my ears.

When I had gone to Chairman Cheon-gang’s house before, I had heard that CEO Cha was looking for me.

But he had launched a terrorist attack on TRA just to find me.

Why was he going this far to find me?

And….

‘What are you planning to do now?!’

He had openly committed terrorism, but I had no idea what he intended to do after this.

My head hurt from my favorite person’s insane behavior.

Suddenly, I felt sorry toward Mo Haein.

Was this how she felt when she looked at me like I was crazy?

‘Captain Mo, I’ll do better from now on.’

While apologizing to Mo Haein internally, Samra calmly spoke again.

“After escaping outside the Trial Response Agency, we will prepare for urban combat.”

I was startled.

This android was saying something dangerous.

He had even said his combat functions were focused on defense, so what did he mean by urban combat?

“I’ll just talk with CEO Cha. Because of me, TRA is like this right now, and regardless of that, urban combat in the middle of Seoul is…”

“Han Goyo-ssi.”

Samra cut me off.

“I promised unconditional cooperation.”

The contents of the deal were unconditional cooperation toward ‘Han Goyo,’ under the premise that it would not harm humanity.

I had not expected that promise to remain valid even in a situation where Seoul, including TRA, might be destroyed.

‘I don’t think I’m that important.’

Am I? Am I really that important?

If I considered myself the only being capable of providing Samra with new learning data, it did seem somewhat plausible.

The fact that Samra was acting as if he was evacuating while carrying only the most expensive item from a burning house made it feel even more that way.

Regardless, it was something I was grateful for.

I liked CEO Cha, but because I knew his personality well, I did not want to be dragged along in a situation like this.

Seeing CEO Cha willing to openly oppose TRA and search for me meant there was a benefit worth that much.

I could easily imagine a future where I became CEO Cha’s Trial-closing slave and was exploited.

Or perhaps something even worse.

While I briefly imagined the things CEO Cha could do with me, Samra entered the underground area.

When he opened the hidden iron door on Underground Floor 5, dry and stale air filtered through a ventilation system poured out.

The passage leading to another building existed solely for evacuation purposes.

The thick protective walls had exposed concrete surfaces, and the only lighting came from emergency lights illuminating the passage at regular intervals.

In that place, where the only sound was the low hum of the air circulation system, an unexpected person was waiting.

“Samra.”

It was Lieutenant Won Taebeom from Field Team 2.

I never expected to encounter him like this after briefly seeing him right before entering Sla2Plate.

I only felt sorry toward him, since he had made time to come but had been pushed out of entering because of Dominic.

Won Taebeom looked at me and Samra and was speechless.

He was clearly bewildered by the cutting-edge android’s analog method of transportation.

Even while being carried by Samra, I greeted him.

“Hello, Lieutenant.”

Then, after receiving Won Taebeom’s incredulous gaze, I quietly closed my mouth.

Apparently, it was not the right time for greetings.

“Lieutenant Won Taebeom. Why are you here?”

Although Samra said it like that, he did not seem surprised.

He already knew Won Taebeom was at the escape route.

It felt like he had avoided all the other soldiers but allowed himself to meet Won Taebeom.

Won Taebeom answered Samra’s question politely.

“I will provide support.”

“Is this Director Jang Seokyun’s order?”

“No. It is my personal judgment.”

Samra’s pupils briefly enlarged and shrank repeatedly.

After determining the truthfulness of his statement, Samra allowed Won Taebeom to accompany us.

“Support approved.”

Kuuung!

The moment Samra finished speaking, a massive sound and vibration occurred.

If even the deeply underground escape route received a slight tremor, then the situation above must have been a complete disaster.

Samra stared into empty space for a moment.

After finishing gathering information about the current situation, Samra spoke.

“After reaching the surface, I will block the electromagnetic field within a 1 km radius, including TRA, for 15 minutes and 37 seconds.”

“Confirmed.”

Won Taebeom immediately answered, but Samra did not pay him any attention.

He had not been speaking to him in the first place.

“Han Goyo-ssi. When the electromagnetic field is blocked, you will experience slight dizziness along with electrical stimulation to your body.”

At his kind warning, I quickly answered.

“Yes, confirmed.”

“It should not be beyond your limits even in your current physical condition, but if you feel even the slightest abnormality, inform me immediately.”

I wanted to tell him that I wasn’t that weak.

But considering I could barely even stand properly and was currently being carried on Samra’s back, my statement would not have much credibility.

So I obediently only said I understood.

From that moment, Samra ran without a word.

It was a speed that even Won Taebeom, a Trial-infected person, could barely keep up with.

If I had not been on his back, Samra likely would have moved even faster.

I periodically checked whether Dominic was still attached to the top of my head.

Whatever material the slime was made of, he absolutely refused to fall off and remained stuck there.

He only squished slightly up and down following the motion of running.

Reassured, I focused only on holding onto Samra properly.

Before long, we exited the underground passage.

We entered an unfamiliar building connected to the passage, but it seemed everyone had already evacuated, as it was completely empty.

We climbed the building stairs toward the first floor and finally went outside.

The sun had set, and it was pitch-black night.

As I inhaled the fresh air, I suddenly sucked in my breath.

A black jeep parked in front of the building.

A man sat on the large vehicle body, illuminated by a streetlight like a spotlight, sitting in a careless posture.

Both hands were shoved into the pockets of his windbreaker jacket, and the combination of headphones around his neck and his tracksuit gave him a carefree appearance.

A sword in a white sheath hung loosely at his waist.

A matte white mask stared at me.

The mask, which only revealed the eyes, caused cognitive interference in those who looked at it, making even the color of his eyes impossible to distinguish.

But I immediately realized who the person was.

How could I not?

It was CEO Cha.

“Han Goyo.”

The mechanical voice flew toward me.

“It’s pretty difficult to see your face even once?”