Chapter 300 ·Turning point (63)

Turning 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󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄁󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄀󠄁󠄀󠄂point (63)

"Sit over here."

Carrot pointed to an empty chair. As I walked over, I quickly scanned the lab. There was a distinct atmosphere that lingered in a place where the lights had been left on for a long time.

Samples in glass containers, monitors constantly displaying extracted data, heaps of small parts in one corner, and a glass board covered with quick, scribbled notes whenever something came to mind.

It wasn't strange for Carrot, who practically lived here, to give off a sense of familiarity, but I found it odd that I got the same feeling from Licorice.

'It's not like she just showed up early, is it?'

Had she been here the whole time since the work in the storage bay was finished? The cup of coffee—which was clearly Licorice's—had less than half left. The lipstick mark had dried, and there was no steam rising, so quite some time must have passed since she got it.

As I sat down, Licorice scooted her chair closer to mine.

"Did you enjoy looking at Milicorp's toys?"

"Toys?"

"They're toys. Like my Boom-boomy."

Boom-boomy. It had been a while since I'd heard that childish nickname. Licorice was the only one who ever called the multi-legged tanks that.

According to Licorice, the Minotaur was just one of Milicorp's reasonably priced mass-market products and sold well, but in terms of performance, it was only a low-rank line.

She'd added that since propulsion systems had become standard tech, anything with legs—specifically, legs as the primary means of movement—was technically a dated model.

'True enough.'

No matter how many weapons it had, and how much firepower it could bring to bear, it was only usable on the ground—so an armed shuttle would be more versatile. It was basically a transition from orbital tanks, to walking tanks, and then to armed shuttles.

Depending on the modules, an armed shuttle could easily outperform a tank. Even so, walking models hadn't been entirely phased out because they were still useful. The power loader was a good example.

"So, how were they?"

"They were a bit worn, but not bad. I think we can use everything we brought back."

"Good. The ones they smuggled in were probably for a short-term skirmish, so I'm sure Woof-woof was thrilled. After all, there are multiple pods mounted, each holding several dozen miniature missiles."

"She wasn't just pleased—she was ecstatic. She's even making plans to break one down and transfer the weapons to her power loader."

I shook my head, picturing Nadia's excited antics.

"Typical Woof-woof."

"I always tell you, she's a fox!"

"But I just don't like the sound of 'Foxy,' so Woof-woof it is."

"Seriously, you're so stubborn..."

As I looked exasperated, Licorice let out a snort of laughter. While Carrot went to get something, I asked quietly,

"When did you get here? Did you need some time to talk beforehand?"

"Hm? Oh, right. We had a quick chat."

I was curious what they'd talked about, but judging by her evasive reply, she had no intention of telling me. I wanted to ask again, but I couldn't—Carrot was already approaching.

"Here, attach this to your upper body. It's a sensor designed to detect psionic energy flowing within."

Carrot handed me the device. It looked well-made, but not factory standard. The design was unfamiliar.

"Did you make this yourself, Carrot?"

"Oh? Was it that obvious?"

Carrot laughed heartily.

"It's not that. It just looked interesting, so I asked."

"With the gear we currently have, we can't properly detect psionic energy. So I made a few upgrades."

"Ah, I see."

As I nodded and reached out for the device, Licorice stood up.

"I'll help you."

She took the measurement device from Carrot for me. As she did, their eyes met for a moment. Was it just my imagination? Something uncomfortable flickered across Carrot's eyes, then vanished.

'What was that?'

It wasn't the look you give someone you dislike. In fact, there was none of that at all. It lasted only a split second, but the feeling was surprisingly complex—almost closer to pity. Had Carrot learned about Licorice's situation by now?

'But he couldn't have known until now.'

I was certain I hadn't imagined it. There must be some other reason, probably connected to the conversation they'd had before I arrived.

"Take off your shirt so I can attach this."

"... Licorice."

As I hesitated and called her name, Licorice tilted her head.

"What? Need a gown? You don't need one, you know. It's only us here."

"It's not that— ... Never mind. Just the shirt, right?"

With a small sigh, I set my doubts aside. It would be rude to keep dragging things out, and besides, I'd decided to trust Licorice—her wish to go to Earth with us wasn't a lie. Maybe I was just being paranoid.

"Yeah, just your shirt."

"Alright."

Since I'd come straight here before bed, my clothes were light. I quickly slipped off my shirt.

"Where do I put it?"

"......."

"Licorice?"

"......."

"Licorice!"

"Huh? Oh—right. Hold still. I'll do it for you."

Startled by my repeated calls, Licorice cleared her throat and snapped back to attention. She attached the adhesive sensors all over my torso.

"Done."

"That was quick."

"It's not complicated."

"You're not attaching any to yourself?"

"I only need to monitor you. Unless... what? You want to see it?"

Licorice grabbed the edge of her own shirt and pretended to lift it. She had always been a bit shameless, but lately it was getting bolder, so I quickly shook my head. At my urgency, Licorice snickered.

"Carrot, you can start the measurement now."

"Got it. Now, both of you, try drawing up energy as if you're using your supernatural power. Not too much—just enough for the device to detect is plenty."

My body had all but fully healed, so I followed Carrot's instructions without much trouble. Soon, the crimson energy Licorice summoned flowed into me. I began to feel a tingling in my chest.

It was like a breath of fresh air. An indescribable sense of liberation sharpened my senses. Maybe it was because I felt comfortable here, but ironically I also felt a little drowsy.

It wasn't quite the feeling of falling asleep—it was more like relaxing my guard. In a combat situation, it would have been the opposite, with my nerves on edge.

"Is this enough?"

"Perfect. Keep it up until I say you can stop. It won't be long."

Carrot checked the data readout on his terminal. For now, there was nothing for Licorice or me to do but continue channeling energy.

Maybe that's why Licorice started staring at me, scrutinizing every inch of me and making me feel oddly self-conscious.

"What is it?"

"Nothing. Just... you've got a lot of scars. Even with your crazy healing and biocell treatments, why do so many remain?"

"None of the scars are from ordinary mutants like ghouls. All the scars left are either from bud or Cystus. They just didn't heal back to normal. I guess they're not ordinary scars."

"The irony—after all their desperate scrambling about the new era, the only mark they left was on your body."

Licorice traced the scar that ran from my shoulder down my chest, her fingertip barely brushing it and giving me goosebumps.

She frowned, running her hand over the biggest scar.

"It's not a good look. Can't you remove them?"

"Not as things stand. I think they're marks left from absorbing strength. Or maybe because I didn't do so properly."

"So there's a chance they'll heal over time."

"It's just my guess. I think that's how it'll go."

As Licorice and I talked, Carrot announced that the data collection and analysis were finished.

"Alright. You can relax now. But keep those sensors on for a while longer—the data mapping isn't finished yet."

Carrot expanded a holographic screen filled with data so it spread throughout the lab. I was honestly surprised how much he'd managed to gather in such a short time.

I had no idea what I was looking at, so I waited quietly for Carrot to explain. Licorice, it seemed, already understood—she looked as though the basics were now clear.

"As you know, psionic energy is the base energy used to manifest supernatural power, or what we call mystery. And that psionic energy is generated from the core in your heart."

Carrot pulled up one of the many holographic screens and enlarged it. Displayed was a 3D rendering of what was probably my heart.

"The core. At first, I thought it was simply a mass of energy, but yours is different from the usual concept of a core. Licorice told me that, Lee Hyun-woo, you're united with a relic from the group known as Pilgrim."

"Yes. That's what I was told as well."

"Can you perceive the form of that relic?"

"No—I just have a sense that there's a lump there."

Ever since I learned the truth from Lobelia, I had tried many times to figure out what sort of form or nature the relic in my heart had.

But it was always a failure. All I could tell was that this relic was connected to Sprout and that, depending on my will, it released stored energy.

Just as Carrot had said, I used to think the core was just a formless mass of condensed energy. It was so seamlessly a part of my body that I couldn't imagine it being anything else.

"Then let me explain with an example."

Carrot manipulated the screen and projected a floating hologram—a crystal worked to look like a gemstone, reminiscent of the Blue Crystal.

"This is your current core. It holds a lot of power, but the surface is firmly sealed. Even so, you can wield supernatural power at a high level. Oddly, though, that isn't the power of the core. Your enhanced ability comes from the fragments you absorbed defeating mutants."

"So... that means I'm barely using the core at all? But for something I barely use, I kept feeling like it was overheating or about to shatter whenever I pushed my limits."

It wasn't just ordinary pain—if that agony hit suddenly, I'd be close to passing out. It wasn't just phantom pain, I was sure. If I ignored the warnings and kept pushing, my core could surely shatter.

"It's precisely because you're barely using it. Not just the core—let me correct that. The hologram I'm showing is a core, but it's not just a core. Strictly speaking, it's the relic. The relic hasn't been properly activated. My theory is you were able to manifest supernatural power because you became aware of its existence. But the relic itself remains dormant. In that state, you forcibly draw more power, and that's where immense resistance arises."

"Then, what about my feeling that psionic energy is coming from the core?"

"That was one of my main questions as well. After further analysis, I came to this conclusion. There is both the location of the relic, and a true core that absorbs and emits psionic energy. In other words, there are two crystal bodies superimposed in the same space."

"So the relic is partially in a phase space. When I draw psionic energy from the true core, the resistance comes from the relic sitting in between, which, in turn, overheats under the flow of energy from outside because it's still dormant."

Licorice spoke as she leaned back in her chair. She shifted her gaze, looking past me to where the relic was supposedly located.

"Even if you opened up the chest surgically, I doubt you'd find either the relic or the true core. The former exists, but you can't pinpoint it; the latter is little more than a lump of intangible energy."

"As things stand, that's my view as well. The question is, what substance is the relic made of, and what kind of technology created it to allow the use of phase space, something modern science can't replicate? If we make it to Earth, we might learn more, but here, there's only so much our facilities can do."

Both Carrot and Licorice made troubled noises, and I wiped nervous sweat from my brow and absentmindedly touched my chest. Cutting open my heart—what a terrifying thought. And to say that right in front of the person involved.

Feeling like their gazes toward me had gotten uncomfortable, I hurried to change the topic.

"What about the red energy Licorice uses? Why does that affect me?"

"That's what I was about to get to. Lee Hyun-woo, you're more impatient than you look."

"..."

I was at a loss for words. Hard not to be, when he'd been the one making me anxious.

"Look, as I said, this is the relic's current state. That's what it looks like when you're emitting psionic energy."

The crystal, just floating before, now burned red as Carrot spoke. It represented being heated by resistance.

"And this is what happens when it comes into contact with the red energy Licorice has learned to use."

A stream of red energy approached the relic, and suddenly cracks appeared. I flinched and stared.

But then I realized the relic wasn't shattering—it was more like tightly locked seams were opening. Blue light even seeped through the emerging gaps.

"... Is it about to open?"

"Yes. It's showing signs of activation—at least, that's what the data suggests. The red energy applies external stimulation to the relic. The sense of liberation you felt came from the resistance in the channel dropping."

Carrot added that the blue light was just for show—it was actually colorless.

"That's... a good thing, right?"

"In terms of immediate change, yes. But if we look for potential problems..."

Carrot trailed off. But I understood what he was trying to say—he had a lot of concerns.

The relic said to have been used by Lobelia when constructing me, the relic of the Pilgrims. That it was dormant might not mean it was simply locked.

There could be some other reason, and most importantly, the change might not be limited to just me. The red energy causing external stimulation was coming from Licorice.

I suddenly wondered whether even this conversation was something Lobelia had set up. After how she'd treated all of us like puppets.

"We have to consider every factor. The relic's dormancy might be to protect your body."

"My body?"

"Exactly. Your physical body. If the relic activates, the resistance drops or vanishes, and then the channel opens up wide—the flow itself skyrockets. Your body might not be able to handle that output, no matter how tough you are. Everything has a limit—especially when it comes to your more vulnerable internal systems."

Carrot warned that even the channel itself might collapse. It's not just that resistance drops; with the relic entering an active state, no one knows what kind of power or amount an open relic could unleash.

"I hope you understand why I can't make a hasty decision. I don't even know what this relic really is. Orca gave me access to Archive's massive data base, but even that couldn't help me analyze the relic inside you."

"I understand. I appreciate all your help already. If I'd been alone, I wouldn't have known any of this."

"Thank you for saying so."

Carrot nodded. As he gently removed the sensors still attached to my chest, he checked the time.

"Time's flown. Now that most of your questions are answered, you should get going. You still need some rest."

"Uh, but..."

The obvious dismissal had me standing up almost unconsciously, glancing at Licorice. I'd only learned about my core and the relic, but we hadn't really talked about her mystery.

"Hurry up. I'll follow soon."

"... You're not coming with me?"

"There's still the engine problem to discuss. Carrot has a lot of technical knowledge—I'd like to get his input."

"Ah..."

With even Licorice staying, I had no choice. Both of them looked exhausted anyway, so I felt bad insisting. In the end, I nodded and got to my feet.

"I'll wait for you."

"Just go ahea—no, never mind. Okay, wait for me."

Licorice waved her hand. The gesture shooed me out, and I turned to leave the lab.

***

"He seems to have figured quite a bit out already. Are you really okay just letting him go like this?"

Carrot said as he looked at the door Lee Hyun-woo had exited through. Licorice shrugged.

"I expected he'd notice—he's not a total idiot. But he won't ask me directly. He's too considerate for that."

It wasn't because he was uncomfortable with the subject—he just trusted her. Part of it was probably knowing she wouldn't give a straight answer anyway.

"So, how was the analysis? Usable in the field?"

"I confirmed a significant increase in psionic output. If the relic's activation can be limited and controlled, Lee Hyun-woo should be able to handle the increased output and power. But..."

Carrot paused for a moment before continuing.

"But you can't endure the process. Unlike the mystery you can wield, your body has plenty of limitations. If the circuit overloads from resistance again, you'll be wracked with high fever like last time. Even with stimulants, there's a hard limit for you."

"..."

"And your power won't replenish. It's consumable, as you well know. Red energy overheats your circuit, but it's also what keeps you moving. Once you're out, who knows what'll happen?"

"It's good enough. I just need to make it out of here."

Licorice dismissed his serious warning lightly.

"I know. Just make me the device I asked for before. I'd do it myself if I had the time, but I'm already running in ten directions at once."

"It's not difficult—not for me. But... huuu... Are you sure you won't regret this?"

"That's exactly why I'm doing it—to avoid regrets. I know myself the best; I'd rather act than sit back in fear and let things end badly. What about you, Carrot? Aren't you pushing yourself hard already?"

Licorice's gaze fell on the miniature shield generator in the corner. The device, containing Carrot's nano robots, was practically tied to his life.

This time, Carrot brushed off the concern.

"I wouldn't regret dying if it meant helping you all. I've already lived long enough. A human grows old, and everyone's time comes. By that logic, my time's past. But I can't die irresponsibly. My life's not just about me anymore."

"..."

"But you're young—hell, barely beyond a kid. You haven't even had a chance to truly experience the world. There's a long road still ahead for you."

Carrot continued in a deeply serious tone—as if promising himself.

"So, I'll keep looking for a way."

"You're not trying to stop me anymore? I thought you'd try to the very end."

Licorice sounded a little surprised.

"Would you like me to? I'll tell you again and again—reconsider. This is reckless."

"That's not happening. As long as I have options left, I'll try anything. I'm the captain. I have to prepare for the worst."

"Then why even ask? It's not like you'd listen."

Carrot sighed deeply. Licorice grinned, and soon Carrot dismissed her, too.

"Go rest."

"I was planning to. Not that I can actually rest, but..."

"Mental well-being is important. At least consider disconnecting for a day."

"I'm going—Hyun-woo's waiting."

Licorice stood without replying further. Carrot, obviously, understood what her silence meant in place of denial. His sigh deepened.

Watching Licorice go, Carrot spoke softly.

"I believe there's a solution to every problem. Turning impossibility into possibility—that's humanity's way. It's why we thrive."

"... Yes, exactly. So we dare to dream the impossible."

Licorice hesitated a moment at the door, then turned back.

"... I'm going to catch a star."

With those words, Licorice left the lab. The door slid shut, leaving Carrot alone.

He loosened the tie he always kept tidy. Leaning back, he gazed up at the ceiling.

"Catch a star, huh..."

He could hear the determination in her words. The star was the existence that created her—Lobelia. Licorice was determined to confront her.

He recalled when he'd first met Licorice—the boldness she'd shown had, before he knew it, become a deep resolve.

'She used to seem so childlike, despite her skills.'

Now, she didn't look that way at all. With that thought, Carrot tightened his loosened tie. It still wasn't time to stop.

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