Chapter 293 ·Turning point(56)

Turning 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󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄂point(56)

After Licorice's program was applied to the automated process sector designed by Nadia, the progress of the work picked up speed.

The Beta Series sorted the materials coming in from outside and sent them to the processing chamber, then moved the refined parts from there into the automatic process sector.

Damage to the engine had even affected the generator, so until the main ship system was restored, it was impossible to operate the facilities properly. Licorice was doing her best, but since the fundamental issue was a lack of power, even her skills couldn't fix things in a short time.

So until then, we gathered as much power as possible just to keep the conveyor belt running. The clangs of hard metal being struck, the slicing of cutting lasers, the thunk of processed materials being set down, and the hum of repaired or newly created drones taking off filled the interior.

As time passed, the number of repaired drones increased. They were immediately put to work on emergency repairs for the Albatross. The state of the ship's floor was so poor it was nearly detached, so we needed to reconstruct the warped inner frame and repair the outer armor simultaneously.

The commotion, which started in the storage bay, gradually spread throughout the ship. After a few cycles, shuttles entered the storage bay, bringing supplies from the forward base. The same procedures repeated again.

But that didn't last; by nightfall, the automatic process sector, which had seemed as if it would operate nonstop, finally shut down due to lack of power.

The news that Kyle would return soon brought some relief, and while the generator wasn't completely dead, so it wasn't a full shutdown, the situation itself was tense enough to make everyone anxious. Still, we'd managed to prevent the most urgent crisis, which was something to be thankful for.

The few remaining Beta Series moved from sorting materials to assisting the repair drones, and to save every bit of power, most of the lights in the storage bay were turned off.

And so, in the storage bay, which should have been deserted and silent with no ongoing work, there was the creaking sound of bolts being tightened.

With both the Beta Series and repair drones gone to other sectors, who was left alone in the storage bay? Nadia.

She connected the power loader parts left by the last shuttle to the repair platform. Nadia was working on the broken power loader, a small flashlight clamped in her mouth due to poor lighting.

If Carry hadn't stayed behind to help Nadia, she would have been busy switching the flashlight and tools between her hands.

"Haaa..."

Nadia let out a sigh heavy with fatigue, and with the hand holding her spanner, she wiped her forehead. The soot on her hand smeared across her brow.

"Carry, bring me part 13, will you? It should be in a box on the floor."

「( っ•‌ᜊ•‌ )う」

Normally, Carry would have zipped over to get it as soon as Nadia asked, but not today. Carry seemed to be discouraging her, as if asking if she hadn't done enough already.

Nadia understood why Carry was worried, but shook her head.

"I just need to finish the power loader arms and the weapon hanger. I won't have a chance to even look at the power loader tomorrow, so I want to do as much as I can now."

「(⑉ㆆ ̯ㆆ⑉)」

Carry looked dissatisfied, but only for a moment. Then, as if giving in, Carry decided to help after all—realizing that Nadia wouldn't change her mind. If it was going to happen, Carry figured the best option was to help quickly so she could rest sooner.

"And get tool number 5 for me, too."

「( ⩌⌯⩌)」

Though grumbling, Carry did as asked, and after handing over the tool, turned on his headlight so Nadia wouldn't have to hold the flashlight in her mouth.

Once again, the storage bay was filled with the sound of metal being struck. Suddenly, there were the quick, clicking steps of someone approaching. It was Licorice. Seeing Nadia still working late into the night, she let out a small sigh.

Nadia, ears perking at the presence, kept her eyes on the parts she was assembling and spoke.

"You're still up? I figured you'd be messing with Hyun-woo while he sleeps like a log. Watching the video I sent you."

"I was. But when I saw someone was still in the storage bay, I came to check. It's late—shouldn't you get some rest?"

"... Just a little bit more."

Nadia glanced sideways at Licorice, who leaned against the wall. Nadia's hands didn't stop moving.

"Most things can look after themselves now, right? It's not like anyone will notice if you slack... Well, maybe the power loader repairs will be obvious. But you don't have to finish it now. Work's only going to get more intense from here, so I told you to pace yourself."

"I know. But this is all I can do to feel at ease. It's the only thing I know how to do."

"You woof-woof..."

Licorice frowned. Nadia spoke without looking at her.

"I'm not like you. I can handle machines a bit, but I'm not the only one who can do this."

"So, you're not just pushing yourself—you're overworking?"

"I have to fill the gaps somehow. I told you, I'm different from you. Different from everyone else, too."

Nadia's voice, at first listen, sounded calm, just stating facts. But Licorice sensed the emotions behind it.

"You're feeling impatient. Like you're not enough help."

"..."

Nadia flinched as Licorice stated it bluntly. Hiding her expression in the shadows, she stared at her hands, her gloves tattered, and the small hands inside just as worn.

"... I don't think I'm no help at all. I'm sure my presence does something, even if it's small. But it's not at the level I want."

"I doubt Hyun-woo cares about that. In fact, I'm sure he doesn't, and you know that, too."

That was true. Nadia thought so as well. The reason she acted like this was because of her own feelings of inadequacy.

Licorice had superb hacking skills and possibly supernatural power. Roxy had piloting skills that approached the divine, and Kyle had the deep expertise of an engineer.

Carrot contained a vast well of knowledge. Eric could read the battle and lead under pressure. And Celestia owned Myosotis.

But what about her? Nadia was skilled at piloting robots, but couldn't match Roxy. She had some circuit control skills, but didn't match Licorice. She'd picked up engineering from watching over shoulders, but Kyle was in a different league.

She didn't have abundant knowledge or extraordinary battle sense. She didn't even have any significant influence or allies.

The Reformist group she once belonged to was now an enemy. She was lucky if she didn't cause trouble.

Her spectrum was wide and shallow. Trying to surpass specialists in their own fields when she hadn't mastered a single one wasn't just greed—it was overreaching. It was dismissive and almost disrespectful to all they had built.

But what could she do? Even understanding all this, she didn't feel content—her shortcomings only became more obvious, and her stubbornness grew. Nadia clenched her blistered, fatigued hands.

The late hour and the darkness sometimes made people more honest. Usually, she'd snap at Licorice to mind her own business, but tonight, Nadia let her guard down.

"... The only thing I can see is Hyun-woo's back."

Licorice, whom Nadia expected to just wave her away, lifted her head, a bit of surprise flickering in her eyes.

"You don't mean all the time; you're talking about during combat, right?"

"... Yes."

Ever since the disaster struck Titan, she couldn't keep up with Hyun-woo in battle. At least, until halfway through, she managed to keep up with her improved power loader, but now she couldn't even stay close. The only view left for Nadia was Hyun-woo's back as he pulled farther ahead.

"The gap's getting too big. I'm supposed to be Hyun-woo's partner, but I can't keep up. I even want to at least stand by his side, but I can't because I'm not skilled enough."

Until the seizure of Albatross at the military base Keter, they'd been on the same level. But at some point, Nadia realized she couldn't fight alongside Hyun-woo anymore.

"So, since you can't keep up in battle, you're compensating like this."

"Something like that. At least I don't want there to be anything lacking on my end. I can't allow myself to be a burden if I can't even help."

She worked nonstop, but Nadia was used to such hard labor. So much so she barely registered it as a problem. Ironically, her hellish past actually helped prepare her for this. At least, that's what Nadia thought.

"You know Hyun-woo wouldn't like to see you like this. He knows about your past, too."

"I know. This is just... my own selfishness. And this isn't even hard work for me. I've been through much worse. Anyway, it's different now. I'm doing this by my own choice."

Both body and mind had been worn down during her time locked in that tiny room, just as they were now. The direction, however, was different. She could stop anytime she wanted, and when she was hungry, she could eat as much as she wanted.

Even if the food was just emergency rations, the important thing was that she had the choice.

Nadia recalled the moment she first met Hyun-woo. It was no exaggeration to say she owed her life to him. No—it was the plain truth.

At first, being rescued by a stranger was bewildering. She felt something, but didn't know what, and it just confused her.

Looking back, she realized it was happiness. She simply hadn't recognized how it felt to be cared for, to receive attention, to be treated like a person.

Remembering all the things she'd seen and heard with Hyun-woo, she caught traces of nostalgia. It was different from desperately struggling when everything fell apart; it was warm and settling, what people call a sense of nostalgia.

Sometimes, nostalgia makes you powerless with longing, but sometimes it gives you energy to stand and keep going. For Nadia, it was the latter. That fateful start had become precious beyond words.

She once believed you should let your emotions flow—never hold them. In the past, she wanted to let them go but couldn't, so she regarded feelings as a burden.

That changed. Now, there were feelings she wanted to hold onto, feelings she didn't want to let go.

"You know, I care about Hyun-woo. I don't like that others do, too, but..."

She shot Licorice a glare. Licorice, not entirely innocent herself, coughed awkwardly and looked away.

"Well, as long as you're good for Hyun-woo and he likes you, I won't get in the way. I'll always watch him from wherever he is. It's enough for me if he looks back at me once in a while."

Emotion wasn't just a color to fill an empty canvas. Sadness could be covered up, and joy could be overcast with longing. The axis of that for Nadia was always Hyun-woo.

By becoming attached, she was collared anew. But it was voluntary. Her range was limited, but that in itself brought a sense of freedom.

She had put on the leash, handed over control, but she was running of her own will, not being dragged.

She wasn't doing all this to get Hyun-woo to notice her. Sure, if he understood and gave her love, she'd be delighted, but that wasn't her purpose.

"Hyun-woo's smile—that's what happiness is for me. I want to protect that happiness."

Nadia smiled bashfully, her face streaked with soot. The smile was so pure and bright that Licorice swallowed the words she'd meant to say: "If Hyun-woo saw you acting like this, he wouldn't like it."

Instead, Licorice just smiled and said,

"I'll help you."

"... You will?"

All thoughts of asking for a pat on her tail or a brushing as thanks disappeared from Nadia's face, replaced by suspicion.

"What's that look for?"

"... Just saying, I don't have anything more to offer you."

"I'm not asking for anything."

"But before, you only acted after I gave you something from my collection."

Nadia's expression implied, "Then why did you want an automated process program?"

Licorice maintained her composure.

"I would have done it anyway. I was just playing around. After two years, you still don't know me."

"... Now I understand why Hyun-woo says you're annoying sometimes."

"What? Tell me what he said. Now. When did he say that?"

"... No! I'm not telling!"

"Fine, don't. Since you let it slip, I'll just ask Hyun-woo."

"Don't bully Hyun-woo!"

Nadia half-growled, wielding her spanner. Licorice ignored her. When she strode closer, Nadia gasped and ducked behind Carry.

"Hiding your head won't do any good. Your tail is so bushy it's sticking out."

At that, Nadia tried to curl her tail away, but the end of her white tail soon peeked out again, even as she wrapped it around her waist.

"Enough joking. Tell me what you want me to do. As you know, I'm different now—and if I use my power, I can sometimes imbue things with a bit of mystery."

"... Are you sure it's okay?"

Nadia's question wasn't if it was possible—it was concern for Licorice's condition.

"Who do you think made Alpha and the Beta Series? I'm fine. No, I'm more than fine. I'm good at upgrades, you know."

Even knowing that, Licorice just shrugged and changed the subject.

"I want to add more posture-thrusters, but with the current power loader's system, if I add any more, the control becomes impossible. Up to now, I've expanded the basic system with Carry's circuits, but even that's at its limit."

"Sounds like you need a whole new control system. The optimization isn't perfect, either. The reason you've managed so far must be because of the bio-circuit, right?"

"Yes. Since it's directly connected, controlling it feels almost like moving my own body."

"Hmmm..."

Licorice got on the lift attached to the repair platform and raised herself to Nadia's level, but she inspected Nadia—not the power loader. Nadia stiffened, flustered.

"W-what is it?"

"The bio-circuit in your heart. Haven't you noticed you can handle heavier loads now than before?"

"Um... have I? I don't know. I haven't had the time or peace of mind to think about things like that. But now that you mention it, maybe I have."

Nadia felt at her chest. When she overdid it, the bio-circuit merged to her heart would ache, unable to tolerate the burden, but lately the pain had been less common. It hadn't disappeared altogether, but the chaotic situation made her slow to notice.

Licorice looked at Nadia—and specifically, the bio-circuit inside her—thoughtfully. After mastering Lobelia's power, Licorice saw the world in a different way.

Wavelengths, or energy—a world totally unlike human sight. Through this sense, Licorice recognized the special wavelengths given off by bio-circuits. As soon as she recognized it, memories of Lobelia's knowledge surfaced.

A seed. In an environment where nothing should be able to grow, a seed was preparing to sprout. That knowledge whispered: this seed was a crystallization of hope.

A mystery required a story. But not just any story; it wasn't enough for a simple tale. Awakenings of mysteries needed several complex conditions to align.

In this sense, Nadia's story was incomplete. In such an extreme environment—actually, precisely because it was extreme—an error had arisen. This kind of sprouting almost shouldn't happen. But it did. It was Titan's caprice.

'Was it thanks to that robot?'

Licorice looked at Carry, who cocked his head as if to meet her gaze. It hadn't been long since she realized Carry wasn't an ordinary transport robot. She could see them—the many connecting threads.

'Or maybe it's thanks to that sprout.'

Mother—or rather, the Invasion Tree, Ulkazir—the anchor of doom—and yet, the sprout was something entirely different. Still nameless, it was serving as a sail, not an anchor.

This flow, as opposed to stagnation, was enough to bring about unprecedented happenings. That power was now centered on Lee Hyun-woo, radiating outward to influence those around him.

So not just Nadia, but others would show similar traits if they survived and made it to Earth—they'd become strong enough to overwhelm most enemies.

Either way, there was nothing more she needed to do. Licorice thought silently. Even without interference, the seed would eventually sprout. Meddling might even make it fail. Letting things flow as they would was the best option.

"Woof-woof, you're doing well."

"... Why all of a sudden? Besides, I keep telling you, I'm a fox."

"Yeah, right."

"Jeez... You're impossible."

Licorice snorted at Nadia's annoyed face. Nadia was doing just fine. Realizing that, Licorice felt, uncharacteristically, a little relief in her heart—because the worry was less, even if someday it disappeared. Whether her or something else.

"So, what about my bio-circuit?"

"Nothing you need to worry about now. You'll find out eventually. Maybe Carrot will notice first."

"You mean I won't figure it out myself? Then you can just tell me now."

"I prefer the process over the result."

"... You know there are two ways to make someone really angry? You just used the first one."

"And you're about to use the second one by making me repeat myself. Focus on fixing the power loader. I meant it about helping you."

Inside the storage bay, various lights mingled: Nadia's flashlight, Carry's headlights, Licorice's hologram. The blend of lights, which might have seemed awkward or mismatched, turned out to be surprisingly pleasant.

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