Chapter 95
The night in Akbaran grew deeper.
Iskan and I were keeping watch over Bao Zakanan’s house.
His residence was a penthouse in a luxury apartment. The penthouse on the 52nd floor was so large that it occupied an entire floor, but even that was merely a place for Bao Zakanan to come and go from work. It was a testament to his status and wealth.
We were positioned at the top of a skyscraper, high enough to look down even on Bao Zakanan’s penthouse. The spot where I stood was a passage that had been temporarily used during construction and then abandoned.
The passage was so narrow that only one or two people could barely pass through. The floor was made of metal grating, creaking with every step, and the railing, with its half-loosened screws, was so flimsy that leaning on it felt outright dangerous.
And, of all times, it had to start pouring rain.
Swoooosh!
The weather was miserable.
There were likely few citizens of Akbaran who liked rain. Rain was harmful to prosthetics and machinery. Akbaran’s rain, in particular, was thick with foreign substances, making it even murkier. If left uncleaned, it would leave behind black stains.
‘Lukewarm rain.’
I watched as the black rain trickled down my shoulder. The condition of the rainwater was even worse today.
Unrefined chemicals and microscopic metals were heavily mixed into it. Dust wasn’t even worth mentioning as a contaminant.
“Akbaran has changed a lot. Luka, do you know why the upper and lower districts were divided?”
Iskan gazed wistfully down at the city.
The building we were on was the tallest in the area. If the weather had been clear, we would have been able to see all the way to Akbaran’s outer boundary.
“To ensure the safety of those idiotic nobles from the vermin below?”
Iskan was an Irregular from the lower district. He would laugh at such a remark. After spending a few days with him, I had gotten a rough grasp of his personality. And, sure enough—
“Haha, that’s not wrong. But the biggest reason is to leave room for chaos. The Empire has an overly refined system, like a machine that doesn’t tolerate errors. But true innovation—the kind that changes an era—can only be born from unpredictable chaos. The Empire integrates Irregulars who emerge from that chaos into high society, fostering change instead of stagnation.”
It was a complicated explanation, but it struck a chord.
After all, I—a mere Irregular—had entered the Empire’s high society, stirring up countless changes and incidents in the process.
‘The Empire is not perfect. But imperfection alone is not a reason to bring it down.’
Kinuan’s words came to mind.
“If something is perfect, then there’s no need for change, is there?”
I spoke while staring at the window of Bao Zakanan’s residence. There was still movement inside.
“No matter how sophisticated a machine is, no matter how flawless a society or system appears… with time, it all becomes outdated and imperfect. In a way, change is the word closest to perfection.”
“Hm, I didn’t realize you were a philosopher.”
“When you live for around eighty years, you end up learning things whether you want to or not. To those ancient geezers who live for centuries, I must seem young… but for a human, eighty is never a short time. More than enough to understand the ways of the world. Ah, and you should eat something now.”
As he said that, Iskan took out a candy no bigger than a fingernail and popped it into his mouth. It was a compact ration infused with the nutrients necessary for the brain. With just a single piece, he could last an entire day.
There were various energy sources for full-body prosthetics. By default, they were equipped with artificial digestive systems that converted caloric intake into power. In daily life, the energy stored in their internal batteries from regular food intake was usually enough, eliminating the need for external charging.
However, the fastest method was still direct external power charging.
Iskan had likely charged his full-body prosthetics before the mission. As long as his brain received sufficient nutrients, he could keep going for weeks, even a month without issue.
But I was not a full-body prosthetic. Only my limbs were cybernetic—my essential organs for survival were still biological.
Rustle.
I unwrapped my compact ration. No matter how convenient military rations were, meals still required designated times. Digestion was necessary, which meant energy absorption was slower.
While I ate, Iskan continued watching over Bao Zakanan’s residence in my stead. For the first time in a while, I felt the inferiority of having a biological body. It was an emotion I hadn’t noticed when I was with other cadets.
“Luka, even we, who have replaced our entire bodies with prosthetics, still keep our complex and cumbersome digestive systems. Realistically, we could install an alternative energy source in their place, which would be far more efficient. But humans need the act of eating. No matter how much we replace our bodies with machines, in the end, our brains remain human. You don’t need to be embarrassed about eating.”
Iskan spoke as if he had read my mind. And I understood why he was saying this.
“So, you were once embarrassed about it too, weren’t you, senior?”
“The majority of the emotions and thoughts you experience—I’ve already been through them.”
“But before we are human, we must become soldiers. For a soldier, the simpler the energy supply process, the better.”
“This is why the young are amusing. But those who talked like that were always the first to be devoured by the Legion.”
Iskan spoke while keeping his gaze fixed on Bao Zakanan’s residence.
The longer and more frequently one operated a Legion, the more the mind deteriorated. Among the Imperial Guard, it was an open secret.
‘Devoured by the Legion.’
I had heard the same words from Hemillas. Grace’s words also came to mind.
Crunch, crunch.
I hastily chewed through the ration bar, faster than usual. I had a feeling my stomach would feel unsettled later.
“You’re gonna choke eating like that, you brat.”
Iskan chuckled.
“Excuse me, but may I ask you something?”
“Well, not like I’ve got anything better to do. Looks like this is going to be a dull night anyway.”
“Do you know a member of the Imperial Guard named Rowzen?”
At first, Iskan tilted his head in thought. But soon, his eyes lit up as if he had recalled something.
“Ah, Rowzen, Rowzen. Yeah, I remember now. That guy was an Irregular too, just like you and me. That’s why I remember him. But how do you know about Rowzen?”
“Someone I know was curious about his whereabouts. If it’s not classified information, I’d like to let them know.”
Grace had helped me in many ways.
“Well, he’s dead. He was too diligent for his own good—he was never the type to last long. To survive in the Imperial Guard, you need to have some tenacity, like you. Sometimes, you need to carry the kind of venom that makes your superiors wonder if you’d stab them in the back.”
“I didn’t realize insubordination was encouraged in the Imperial Guard.”
“It’s simple—any officer incompetent enough to be taken down by their subordinates has no place here. That’s one of the strengths of the Imperial Guard. Unlike other units, no one gets promoted just because of their family name.”
I agreed. It had been the same in the Imperial Guard training program. No matter how prestigious one’s family was, if they failed to meet the standards, they wouldn’t last.
‘So Rowzen is dead.’
I should let Grace know. Regardless of whether he was alive or not, she would want to hear about him.
“…Enough chatter, Luka. Get ready. Bao Zakanan is on the move.”
Iskan’s eyes gleamed as if they were absorbing the surrounding light.
999
Bao Zakanan was finally making a move.
From a distance, a Black-class taxi was approaching the rooftop landing pad. At first, it was difficult to make out, as it blended seamlessly into the rain-soaked night sky.
Iskan noticed the Black-class taxi before I did. He pulled out several rods from inside his coat and swiftly assembled them. Judging by the shape, it was a sniper rifle.
Click, clack.
After assembling the rifle, Iskan checked it over before loading a tracking round. His hands moved with incredible speed—it took him less than ten seconds from assembly to loading. It would have taken me at least thirty.
Whirr.
Iskan used his own arm as a stabilizing rest and shouldered the rifle. He angled the barrel slightly downward, locking onto the Black-class taxi. At a glance, he seemed perfectly still, but in reality, he was making the tiniest micro-adjustments to his aim.
Psh—shoot!
A faint gunshot cut through the rain-filled night.
Beep.
A notification sounded from Iskan’s terminal. The tracker had successfully latched onto the Black-class taxi and was functioning properly.
‘The security on a Black-class taxi must be top-tier, but…’
We were using tracking equipment from the Imperial Guard. No matter how notorious these taxis were, they were still run by private firms. There was no way they could detect or counteract our tech.
The Black-class taxi, oblivious to the tracker, continued its descent onto the rooftop landing pad.
Vroooom.
Iskan’s eyes gleamed as he watched the rooftop. His pupils expanded, nearly swallowing up the whites of his eyes.
I could barely make out Bao Zakanan’s silhouette. He boarded the Black-class taxi.
“We’re moving too.”
Without hesitation, Iskan leapt off the building’s rain-slicked exterior. He slowed his descent by grabbing onto protruding structures along the way.
“…Tch.”
Damn senior. He jumped so naturally, like it was the most obvious thing to do. I had no choice but to follow.
Gripping the railing, I hurled myself down. The scenery around me shifted rapidly. It felt like free-falling.
‘This is insane.’
Honestly, if I were alone, I would never have taken such a reckless approach. And, as I mentioned before, it was raining!
One slip, one misstep, and I’d be dead just like that. My biological parts were fragile—getting impaled by a stray piece of rebar would be instant death.
Iskan, who had jumped first, gradually slowed himself before landing lightly on his feet.
Thud!
I barely managed to land, immediately clutching my knees as a sharp jolt of impact shot up to my skull.
I straightened up and looked down at the footprints left on the ground. Despite being much lighter, my landing had been noisier. It was clear how much more experienced Iskan was at handling his prosthetic body.
How much more refining would it take for me to catch up to them?
Deep down, I had gained confidence in my abilities after my fight with Rick Silva Núñez. I had started to believe I could take on most Imperial Guards and win.
But thinking back, I had specifically prepared for my battle against Rick Silva Núñez. I had chosen my equipment with him in mind and even ran simulation drills. That’s why I had been able to hold my ground.
‘If I were to fight another Imperial Guard, I could win—if my combat style countered theirs and luck was on my side.’
But the odds of losing were higher. Even just from his landing alone, it was clear that Iskan was on a different level.
“You managed to keep up.”
Iskan smirked as he looked at me. He must have found this very amusing.
“I don’t like losing.”
“I could tell that just from looking at your face. Anyway, we’ll be tracking on foot without a vehicle. You’ve mastered Adaptive Three-Dimensional Maneuvering, right?”
“I ranked second in the class.”
At the time, Ilay had taken first place.
“Good. Let’s get started.”
Iskan took off, as if testing me. He leapt off walls, ascending to a low-rise rooftop. Then, he began high-speed movement between buildings.
Adaptive Three-Dimensional Maneuvering was a movement technique designed for navigating dense urban environments, jungles, and rocky terrain—places filled with irregular obstacles.
It wasn’t just about traversing rough terrain but about utilizing structures and the environment to move even faster than on flat ground. That was why an enhanced nervous system, like that of the Imperial Guard, was essential.
Swish!
I followed Iskan, leaping between buildings as we cut across the Upper District.
“Just follow the route I carve out, Luka. With this rain, it’ll be tough for you.”
Iskan spoke as he landed in front of a building.
Adaptive Three-Dimensional Maneuvering required analyzing the terrain in real time to find the optimal route. That’s why it was most efficient for the person with the best pathfinding ability to take the lead while the others followed.
Simply following someone wasn’t difficult. Even an ordinary person without a strengthened nervous system could manage it as long as they had the physical ability.
‘It’ll be tough for you.’
That phrase lingered in my mind. I’d be lying if I said it didn’t sting. But this was a mission. It wasn’t the time to let my competitive streak take over.
“I’ll watch carefully and follow.”
My words were obedient, but my bad habit was kicking in.
…Watching Iskan look down on me from above, I wanted to show him what I was capable of.