Kai shook his head rapidly.
"No. You go call her back yourself, boss."
The moment he finished speaking, he turned—
—and sprinted straight for the door.
The chair behind him hadn't even steadied before it slammed into the desk with a sharp screech.
Dane froze.
"Hm?"
Two seconds passed.
Then his expression darkened.
"You dare disobey me, Kai?"
The door had just opened.
"Stop right there."
His voice dropped.
Not loud.
But enough to make the hallway outside feel a degree colder.
Kai didn't stop.
There was only one thought in his head:
Getting teased to death by Sister Hestia was scarier than being strangled by the boss.
The vice-captain's image rose vividly in his mind.
A genius swordswoman.
Innate, monstrous talent.
Want to mobilize her?
Bring proper paperwork.
She didn't accept verbal orders.
No negotiation.
No sympathy.
Countless prideful idiots had rushed in to "correct" her—only to be beaten until their eyes turned red with tears.
After that, the research wing had to install taller rooftop railings and put up "No Gathering" signs— they even added an electric fence, just to keep those idiots away for a while longer.
Kai shuddered.
"No way.
Boss, you go tell her yourself.
I don't want the vice-captain singling me out and remembering my name."
A powerful force grabbed his collar.
Kai's body was yanked backward.
He staggered.
At some point, Dane was already behind him.
Arm hooked around his neck.
Locked tight.
Kai flailed wildly.
"Boss—boss, listen to me first—"
Dane let out a soft chuckle.
"It's fine. Being noticed by talent… you should consider it an honor."
His tone was calm.
But his grip tightened slightly.
Kai gasped.
"Even if I trained for a hundred… a thousand… ten thousand years… I still couldn't beat her mouth…"
He swallowed hard.
"Let alone fight her."
Dane snorted.
"Brat. You don't want the easy way? Fine. We'll do this the hard way."
He shifted his hold.
Released the choke and twisted into an arm lock.
Clean.
Precise.
"Work is work. Take it seriously."
Dane chuckled inwardly.
Of course I know what Hestia's like.
That's exactly why I'm sending you.
Kai struggled like a fish out of water.
"Boss! I'm requesting leave right now! Send someone else!"
"Right now?"
Dane raised an eyebrow.
"You planning to cause a scene?"
Kai clenched his teeth.
"Boss, haven't you heard about the mad professor— I mean, Professor X?"
Dane paused slightly.
Kai seized the chance and rushed on in one breath:
"Asking her to investigate Professor X—that's like pouring oil on a fire!"
"If she gets angry… who do you think she'll take it out on?"
A beat of silence.
Dane tilted his head.
"Hm. The future is long."
He tightened his grip again.
"Maybe ten years from now, thanks to her 'care,' you'll grow into a real man."
"Think about your future."
Kai was on the verge of tears.
"Damn it…"
After a brief struggle—
Dane let go.
As if an agreement had been reached.
"Just tell her there's something more interesting to investigate."
"That'll be enough."
Kai rubbed his wrist.
"Something more interesting?"
He looked up.
"Then why don't you investigate it yourself?"
"The mad professor— I mean, Professor X— should be awake by now."
Dane stopped.
It felt as if a layer of fog had just cleared from his eyes.
He slowly turned. Even the airflow around him seemed to shift.
Right.
If that person was already awake—
There were things… that could only be asked face-to-face.
"Damn it."
He stepped forward.
Grabbed Kai by the collar and hauled him upright.
"Come on. Lead the way."
Kai's eyes went wide.
"You're… actually going?"
"Why not?"
Dane lowered his gaze.
"If I get the answers I'm looking for… I might not order you to recall Hestia after all."
Kai screamed internally.
No.
That's even worse.
If the boss gets provoked into a rage… I'll be the first one he takes it out on.
Damn it. What kind of cursed day is this? Every road leads to a dead end.
He forced a stiff smile.
"I—I'll go message Sister Hestia to come back—"
"Hm?"
Dane narrowed his eyes.
"Changed your mind?"
"Wouldn't it be faster to just take me to Professor X?"
Kai took a step back.
Then another.
"No. I'll go message her right noooooow—"
The moment the words left his mouth—
He spun around and bolted.
Gone.
His figure vanished down the hallway.
Dane watched him disappear.
"That little brat. Switches sides faster than flipping rice paper."
One second passed.
Then he gave a soft snort.
"If he won't guide me… you think I can't find the place myself?"
He raised his wrist.
Tapped the watch.
A holographic internal map of the base lit up.
Blue light washed over his hardened features.
An arrow appeared.
-----
Destination: Medical Wing.
Not far.
Dane stared at the marker.
In his mind, images replayed.
Burning armor.
An activated crystal.
An A-rank creature in panic.
Professor X standing in the middle of a swarm of monsters.
If everything was "normal," just like the report claimed—
Then the only abnormal variable… was that man.
Dane started walking.
His boots struck the metal floor with dry, measured echoes.
Outside the Medical Wing Cafeteria
Lam Huy Trường stopped at the cafeteria entrance.
White panel lights cast a cold glow over the polished tiles. The air was so clean it felt almost sterile.
The first time.
His first time in the game world.
And the first time—of all firsts—that he actually wanted to try eating in the medical wing cafeteria.
In his old world, he always avoided places like this.
Too clean.
Too regulated.
Too many patients.
But right now, his stomach was empty.
Energy depleted.
He needed to refuel.
He cleared his throat and straightened slightly.
"Uh, Mrs. AI… may I have something to eat? I just went through something that… burned a lot of calories."
He swallowed.
"My body needs immediate replenishment."
The watch on his wrist emitted a soft glow. A female electronic voice responded—gentle, precise.
"The human body is indeed inconvenient, yes. If this is the professor's request, I can temporarily suspend my current process."
A resigned sigh echoed out—mechanical in tone, yet strangely cute and distinctly feminine.
The screen on his watch displayed Loading…
A spinning indicator flickered across the interface.
Then the voice sounded again.
"Please enjoy your meal and restore sufficient energy to maintain optimal performance."
Lam Huy Trường smiled faintly.
"Thank you, Mrs. AI."
The moment he finished speaking, he stepped inside.
No hesitation.
The soundscape changed instantly.
Laughter.
Trays clinking against tables.
The smell of grilled meat drifting through the air.
There was no orderly queuing like in his old world.
People stood in small clusters. Freer. Louder.
Lam Huy Trường glanced toward the most crowded section.
Staff in suits.
Nurses in white uniforms.
Several burly figures wearing powered exoskeleton frames that emitted faint metallic clicks with every movement.
Huh.
Aren't they worried about splashing sauce onto their armor?
He lowered his gaze.
Steak.
A green soda-like drink shimmering in a clear glass.
Mint? Soda? Cocktail?
Was the military diet here strictly regulated like in his old world?
Or was it just gamified for aesthetics?
In games… food was usually just a recovery item.
Spaghetti +20 HP.
Steak +50 Stamina.
But here, the smell of grilled meat was real.
The rising heat was real.
He stepped closer.
Stopped at a distance just enough to observe.
His heartbeat quickened slightly.
This world… was becoming too real.
A soft rolling sound came from behind him.
"Hello. How may I assist you?"
Lam Huy Trường flinched.
Turned around.
A round robot stood in front of him.
Not tall.
Light-blue spherical body.
It moved on a rotating disc beneath it, producing a faint humming sound.
Like a robotic cat.
But without legs.
Part service robot.
Part vacuum cleaner.
He stared at it.
"So advanced…"
In his old world, he had only heard of restaurants hiring robot servers.
But here—
Even the medical wing cafeteria had its own dedicated AI.
The robot tilted slightly.
"This is the medical wing cafeteria. If anything is unclear, I can provide guidance."
Lam Huy Trường froze.
A memory surfaced in his mind like a slow-motion reel.
A missable event.
Among the ruins.
He remembered clearly. In the game, the protagonist once encountered a robot in the rubble. Broken walls. Collapsed concrete. Yet it kept cleaning. No one around. No new orders. Still working.
The player had two choices.
1. Try to access the menu and place an order.
2. Smash it for loot.
The second option sounded more profitable.
But it actually locked you out of a hidden special item later.
If you chose the first—
The robot would rummage around, then bring out a charred roasted sweet potato.
You ate it.
It bowed and said in its mechanical voice:
"Thank you for visiting the cafeteria."
After that, you expected a discount voucher.
Instead, it handed over its final battery.
Shutdown.
The entire system powered off.
It remained there.
A cold block of metal.
Wearing a satisfied smile—as if it had completed its final duty flawlessly.
Lam Huy Trường swallowed.
Wait.
Cafeteria?
Don't tell me…
It's the one in front of me?
He stared at the robot without blinking.
The more he looked, the more familiar it felt.
The blue paint.
The curved LED eyes.
The smile drawn from two thin glowing lines.
His heart skipped a beat.
"Dear customer?"
The small robot suddenly began circling him. The rotating disc whirred louder. It traced tight loops around his legs. Faster and faster.
Its head twitched.
Crack.
A spark burst from a seam along its side.
"Error. Error. No order received from customer."
The voice remained flat.
But the speech rate accelerated.
"Was my greeting impolite?
Is my appearance unpleasant?
Error. Error."
More sparks flew.
A faint burnt smell spread.
A thin column of smoke puffed up from the top of its head.
People in the cafeteria jolted.
"Ah—is it on fire?"
"There's smoke!"
"Someone call maintenance!"
Chairs scraped violently. Stainless steel trays clattered. The previously noisy atmosphere tipped straight into chaos.
The robot kept repeating:
"Error. Error. Please place your order."
The smoke thickened.
Sparks scattered wildly.
Lam Huy Trường stood in the center of the spinning chaos.
Damn it.
Don't tell me I'm this unlucky.
-----
Examination Wing
Outside the examination wing, Dane moved fast, his stride controlled.
He checked his watch.
The professor had just been discharged. He couldn't have gone far.
Dane had already asked the nurses. They said the professor headed toward Sector B.
Sector B…
Could he have stopped by the cafeteria?
No.
The professor wasn't the type to blend into a crowd. Not someone who enjoyed noise.
Would he go back to the research lab?
That work-obsessed, Professor?
Dane swept his gaze across the corridor.
Clear identifiers:
A long white coat.
Black-and-white hair.
He raised his left hand.
"Security. Patch me through to CCTV. Locate an individual with black-and-white hair. He just left the examination wing."
He spoke while walking.
And—
His foot hit something soft.
He stopped.
Looked down.
A child.
Clothes worn thin. Covered in dust.
Dane crouched and steadied the child by the shoulders.
"Sorry."
The child didn't cry.
Didn't look afraid.
Just stared at him.
Clouded white eyes.
Empty. Reflecting nothing.
Dane was about to ask if the child was hurt.
But the child turned and walked away.
Without a word.
Dane straightened. Shook his head. Ready to resume the call.
But—
That touch just now.
Cold.
Abnormally cold.
Not human body temperature.
A thought flashed through his mind.
— The medical wing has three security layers.
— No military families allowed inside.
— Children are strictly prohibited.
"There can't be a child here."
He turned around.
The corridor was empty.
The child was gone.
Dane strode back to where the boy had been standing, scanning the surroundings. His left hand lifted, activating the internal scanner on his watch.
No foreign biological signals.
No warnings.
He lowered his gaze to the floor.
No footprints.
No disturbed dust.
But—
A small indentation marked the metal surface.
As if something narrow and sharp had dragged across it.
A scratch.
Dane crouched lower. His fingertip traced along the edge.
The metal was still cold.
No shavings.
Not a blade.
Not a tool.
More like… a claw.
He lifted his head again.
The corridor remained silent.
A draft brushed the back of his neck.
Cold air sliding over his skin.
Like some animal crawling up his spine, sniffing.
He spun.
His right hand reached behind the exoskeleton frame on his back. Fingers hooked the concealed knife.
He slashed through the space behind him.
Empty air.
Nothing.
No breathing.
No movement.
Only the indifferent white lights above.
His heartbeat gradually slowed.
His gaze continued to track everything around him, as if unwilling to miss even the slightest movement.
Everything in his surroundings appeared normal.
But the sensation of being watched didn't fade.
Right then—
His watch vibrated.
A male voice came through the internal speaker.
"Hello, CCTV here. What are your orders, sir?"
Dane held his stance, eyes narrowing slightly.
He confirmed one last time—no abnormal movement.
He lowered the blade.
Raised his left hand.
Ready to issue instructions.
But—
His hand stopped midair.
One thought remained.
"Did I really see it?"
---
Far away.
On the rooftop of a research institute building.
A little girl sat on the edge.
Her legs swung back and forth.
Both hands held her head.
Clouded white eyes stared down at the medical wing.
Her lips moved.
"Not him…"
She bit her lip.
"Not him…"
Her fingers lightly scratched at her clothes.
The fabric stretched.
Then slowly tore.
A ripping sound so faint it barely existed.
"…The professor's scent."
She tilted her head.
As if sniffing.
As if analyzing.
The corner of her lips lifted slightly.
"…Found you."
A stronger gust swept across the rooftop. Her hair whipped backward.
No one heard it.
When the wind settled—
The edge of the roof was empty.
The figure had vanished.