Chapter 209

“Did anyone find anything?”

“No. Nothing at all.”

[You’d better stay away from this area. Damn it.]

One hour had passed since the collapse of Honeycomb City.

Ciel, Vladimir, and I were combing through the ruins of where Honeycomb City had once stood, searching for any possible survivors.

But we found nothing.

To anyone unaware, it would’ve been impossible to even imagine that a city of one million people had once existed here. Where the facilities had been, only a massive crater and overturned crust remained.

“Cough! Cough! Keugh!”

Ciel kept coughing relentlessly.

The smoke from the explosion refused to fade. Because of that, even my ocular scanner wasn’t functioning properly, making it difficult to detect any biological reactions.

After wandering around for quite some time, we finally found the remains of a single building. Unlike the others, which had been reduced to dust, this one still had its outer frame somewhat intact.

Clinging to a shred of hope, I peered inside—only to be met with a horrific sight straight out of hell.

“…Horrifying.”

Even the word “disaster” wasn’t enough.

Only human-shaped shadows were burned into the walls—like they’d been thrown against them by the blast and solidified instantly. Because the building had partially acted as a shield, even the individual outlines of fingers remained.

What made it worse was that, judging by their forms, frames, and stature, they were likely children—barely in their teens.

Ciel, who had followed me inside, was visibly shaken. She barely managed to hold back tears and asked me, her voice trembling as though seeking an answer.

“What… was that?”

“…I’m not entirely sure, but probably a satellite weapon.”

Judging by the force of the strike, the angle of the incoming projectile, and the lack of residual radiation, it must have been an orbital bombardment from a satellite.

They’d attach something immensely heavy—like rebar—to a satellite beyond the atmosphere. Then, when needed, they’d drop it onto a target like a missile. The impact alone would unleash destruction comparable to a nuclear strike.

For the record, this weapon had never appeared in the original story.

Neither during the corporate war arc, nor when the protagonist finally brought him down—such a weapon was never described. It must be something unique to this world.

‘Is this… the butterfly effect I caused?’

No. There was no point thinking about that now.

What mattered was that the Stingray Chairman possessed weapons far stronger than in the original—and that he was insane enough to annihilate a million test subjects with a smile on his face.

I sighed and said,

“…Let’s head back.”

“B-but…!”

“With all this chaos, the [Mystics] will be swarming in soon. Once the dust fully settles, it’ll get even more dangerous.”

The odds of finding survivors were slim. After the previous battle, we weren’t in perfect condition either—fighting Mystics now would be reckless.

It was better to return and plan our next move.

“A-all right.”

“Vladimir, you heard that? Let’s go.”

[Wait, Aaron Stingray.]

At that moment, Vladimir rolled in through the building’s entrance, his wheels clanking. His movement seemed oddly awkward—something was stuck in his vacuum intake. Some sort of cord, which he was dragging along behind him.

[Take a look at this.]

Shhhk.

He released the cord from the intake.

So he’s starting to get used to that new body, huh? That thought flickered briefly before I turned my attention to the item Vladimir had brought.

“This is…”

Something we should definitely take back.

Kallia Stingray.

The heiress of the Stingray Family, and the one overseeing the entertainment and arts sectors of the Stingray Group, had been suddenly summoned to her father’s mansion.

‘It must be something my brother did again.’

As always, when the Chairman personally summoned someone, it was never for something trivial.

And since her business divisions had been running smoothly without issue lately, the matter clearly wasn’t corporate—it was family. In other words, something about her brothers.

‘Men… honestly.’

She shook her head in mild exasperation.

It had only been a few months since her two brothers fought each other “to the death,” resulting in Benedict’s exile after his defeat.

And not long after that, Aaron had caused another mess with the “Omega Investment” affair, forcing her to pull strings all across the broadcasting networks to contain the damage.

Just when she thought things might finally calm down—this happened. At this rate, she wanted to bite Aaron’s nose off. Though, of course, she’d never actually do that.

Sigh…

Just before meeting her father, Kallia straightened her tailored suit. She checked her makeup once more, brushed away any dust from her collar, and carefully ensured that no Anti-Rain had splashed on her during the trip before entering the Chairman’s room.

“I greet you, Father.”

“You’re here, Kallia.”

Huh?

The Chairman looked unusually pleased. A normal person wouldn’t have noticed, but Kallia was an expert at reading human emotions.

In truth, among the three siblings, Kallia might have inherited the Stingray Chairman’s most terrifying trait the most—the ability to read others.

Yet his subtle smile made her tilt her head in curiosity. In over twenty years, she had never once seen this man, Drake Stingray, look genuinely pleased.

Of course, unlike ordinary fathers, he wasn’t the type to dote on his daughter more than his sons. In his eyes, Aaron, Benedict, and Kallia were all merely chess pieces—equally expendable.

So that faint smile wasn’t because of her presence—it was for some “other reason.”

A reason far more horrifying than she could’ve imagined.

“Benedict is dead.”

“…What?”

“Aaron killed him.”

Her brother was dead.

Killed by her other brother.

And the Stingray Chairman looked positively delighted as he said it. What kind of father could smile so brightly at the death of his own son?

To survive among the upper class of New Valhalla City, one had to discard ordinary morality and humanity. Kallia knew that well.

But at that moment, she realized that her father had crossed the line of what could still be called “human.”

Her father was a monster.

She barely swallowed the disgust and fear that rose to her throat. Then, with perfect composure, she produced the kind of reaction the Chairman would appreciate—the kind of response a “loving daughter” would give.

“Oh my. I see. I wonder what happened.”

The Chairman, of course, saw through her act. But even knowing it was a performance, he liked it. His smile deepened further as he continued.

“Soon, Kallia.”

“May I ask… what you mean by ‘soon,’ Father?”

“A new kingdom shall be born.”

The Chairman let out a low, rumbling laugh.

“It will be a great kingdom. Greater, higher, and more enduring than any built by heroes before. I shall become the great cornerstone of that kingdom.”

“You won’t be the one leading it, Father?”

“No, I’m nothing but an old man now. These bones will lie beneath the kingdom and turn to dust. So, Kallia.”

“Yes, Father.”

“It’s your turn now.”

His voice was gentle—

but his eyes were anything but. They gleamed sharply, like blades drawn in the dark.

Kallia felt a chill run down her spine.

For a moment, her composure cracked, and her voice trembled.

“M-my turn, Father?”

“I’ve given you plenty of time. Now it’s time to move. You must fulfill your role.”

“I-I don’t understand what you mean.”

“Whether you become the ruler of that great kingdom—or the soil beneath it—depends on you.”

Then, the Stingray Chairman turned his wheelchair toward the window. Through the vast glass pane stretched the pastoral scenery of Elysium—endless green meadows and dense forests.

Within Elysium, the only mansion that boasted such a grand garden belonged to the Chairman himself.

Yet he wasn’t looking at it. Any ordinary person would have been captivated by the breathtaking view, but his eyes were fixed on something far beyond—something invisible to human sight.

“It’s almost time.”

There was a faint weariness in his voice.

“It’s time to break this curse.”

Muttering words as though in a trance, the Chairman turned to face Kallia once more.

“Kallia.”

“Yes, Father?”

“Kill Aaron Stingray… your brother. No matter what it takes. And after that, kill me. Then, the kingdom will be yours.”

Kill the Crown Prince.

It was an imperial command, spoken by the Emperor himself.

There was only one possible response Kallia could give.

“…Understood, Father.”

[Many viewers must have been alarmed by the sudden dust cloud yesterday evening~ But it turns out, it was actually a volcanic eruption! Isn’t volcanic ash incredibly rare here in New Valhalla City, Doctor?]

[Ah, yes, of course. New Valhalla City is built far from the Ring of Fire, within a stable zone, and it’s equipped with extensive disaster-prevention systems. According to our data, the earthquake that occurred yesterday was caused by a volcanic eruption roughly 700 kilometers away from New Valhalla City…]

“So… you’re saying it wasn’t a volcanic eruption, but a satellite weapon fired by the Stingray Chairman?”

“That’s right.”

After returning to New Valhalla City, Ciel, Vladimir, and I met with Miyu. We told her everything that had happened there.

“Recreating the perfect human…?”

After hearing the full story, Miyu was left speechless. Even a genius like her couldn’t help but be horrified by the deranged experiments carried out in Honeycomb City.

“So that’s why both you and Ciel were injured so badly. And that vacuum cleaner—”

[Do not call me a vacuum cleaner!]

“Ah! I-I’m sorry!”

Vladimir snapped, and Miyu flinched, bowing her head apologetically.

Still, since Vladimir currently looked like a robotic vacuum, he was less intimidating.

In fact, Miyu kept sneaking curious glances at him—her eyes gleaming with the urge to take him apart and examine him, driven by scientific fascination. After all, the technology came from an AI built upon her own brainwave data. She looked at him like a tiger eyeing a plump deer.

“Miyu.”

“Y-yes!?”

“He’s still a person, so restrain yourself.”

“O-okay…”

Hit right where it hurt, Miyu pouted.

Vladimir, startled, rolled his wheels away to put distance between them. I never thought I’d be the one saying such a thing to him—but the way he moved was oddly cute.

Anyway.

I turned back to her.

“So, can you fix us?”

“For Mr. Vladimir… about a month should be enough. For Ciel… three days, maybe.”

[A month!? You expect me to live like this for a month!?]

“T-that’s the minimum. We could speed it up, but that risks complications with the new body… shortened lifespan, maybe…”

[Ugh… Fine.]

And so, Vladimir was doomed to live as a robotic vacuum for an entire month. He probably wanted to see Linda and Sasha as soon as possible, but that would be difficult in his current state.

Still, there was no need to worry—both of them were under Militech’s protection as VIP guests.

The real problem would start once Militech found out that the two were Vladimir’s wife and daughter… but that wasn’t my concern.

“What about me?”

“Ah, Mr. Aaron, your case is a little more complicated.”

Miyu trailed off, glancing briefly at Vladimir. Talking about a Lv.6 Module in front of him wasn’t ideal.

Fortunately, Vladimir, though grumbling, took the hint and left the room. Once he was gone, Miyu continued.

“You mentioned a Lv.6 Module, right? I don’t know how you got it, but your current body won’t be able to handle it. The more you use it, the more your lifespan will shorten. Side effects are inevitable.”

“Hmm…”

Stronger, but harder to control. I had expected as much—but hearing it from Miyu directly made the situation more troublesome.

I must have looked grim, because she quickly added, almost defensively,

“S-still, there’s a way…”

“What way?”

“We just need to make a new body fit for Lv.6. If we use that thing you brought back, we can extract its genetic code and modify your body to match the performance of the Lv.6 Module.”

By “that thing,” she meant the piece of flesh Vladimir had found among the ruins—the remains of the artificial human I’d fought.

I’d thought I’d completely destroyed it at the cellular level, but Vladimir had discovered it twitching, attempting to regenerate. Unsure of how to dispose of it, I’d brought it to Miyu.

“Specifically?”

“We’ll purify the DNA from that flesh and implant it into your body. If it works, it’ll fully support the [Mystic] power of the Lv.6 Module. But there’s one problem… it’ll require something… horrifying.”

“Horrifying?”

“…”

Miyu fell silent.

Her reaction made me uneasy. Just how inhumane could this “horrifying act” be for her to hesitate like that?

Nervously, I asked again, more carefully this time, what exactly that “horrifying thing” was.

And after some struggle, as if the mere words were dreadful to say, she finally spoke.

“You’ll have to meet that Dwarf again.”

“…”

…

… …

… ……

… …… That’s it?

“Ow!”

It was the first time I ever flicked Miyu’s forehead.

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