Chapter 111 – Aerial Fortress Apophis
Setting aside the ominous-sounding name for now, Jin first checked if his eyes were deceiving him.
He rubbed them vigorously, as if wiping fogged-up lenses with his finger.
Then, he looked at the status window again.
Right? 33,000 XP.
Not 3,300.
Jin tightly shut his eyes.
Why does the experience from the status window feel like hush money?
It was as if the hardships he endured were being converted into numbers, adorned with a white camellia, wrapped in a sleek black box, and handed over as a reward dictated by the system.
Jin let out a deep sigh from the depths of his core.
Whether the sorrow in his voice carried through or not, the colonel's voice followed from the other end of the communicator.
[What will you do?]
"Do I have to answer right now?"
[I can wait until tomorrow.]
"Alright, I'll get back to you."
After hanging up, he felt as if he had just been tricked in broad daylight.
Still in a daze, Jin sat down absentmindedly with a bewildered expression, which two Linkers observed with equal confusion.
"What's wrong?"
Khalifa asked.
She had been deep in discussion with D'Andre, devising simulations for tracking down the drug kingpin and what to do afterward.
It was only natural that she didn't immediately grasp what Jin was saying next.
"You guys know Apophis? It's an aerial fortress."
"…Apophis?"
Khalifa tilted her head, unable to understand how the situation had shifted from "assassinating a drug lord" to "aerial fortress."
"Why an aerial fortress? It's not like Andrei is hiding there."
D'Andre asked, shifting in his seat and pulling his chair closer to Jin.
It was a natural reaction born from curiosity, but since it came from a deep-voiced, hulking Black man, it carried the same weight that made third-rate thugs call him "boss" in hushed tones.
A charisma that came from sheer presence.
Though, D'Andre was genuinely just curious.
"You remember the colonel I mentioned before? The one who agreed to escort Elina last time? Anyway, I got a call from him—"
Jin had barely started explaining when the briefing room door opened.
A solo and Po stepped inside.
"Good luck."
The gentlemanly voice trailed behind as the solo mercenary was leaving the store.
Upon spotting Jin, he gave a surprised nod before bowing slightly, while Jin paused his explanation to wave back.
Of course, Jin had no idea who he was.
But Jin wasn't the type to act arrogant just because his level had gone up.
The solo mercenary, surprised by the friendly gesture, clenched his fist with renewed determination and left the store.
Today, Anekdote was unusually empty.
With Po now joining them, the four-person group centered around Jin as he recounted his conversation with the colonel.
And now—
"Oh?"
Po's expression turned intrigued.
He poured cola into Jin's empty glass, the bubbling fizz accompanying his next words.
"The colonel seems to have taken quite a liking to you. A collaboration, huh?"
"Collaboration, my ass. He's just trying to rope me into enlisting. No matter how many times I refuse, he keeps at it."
"Well, it's because you're a good man, Jin."
Po replied nonchalantly.
Looking back, Jin had been well-liked in the military, thanks to his easygoing personality and natural leadership.
Even soldiers from other units would greet him warmly as they passed by.
He was a star within his division.
Even so, he had firmly rejected the offer to become a career NCO (now termed "contracted noncommissioned officer").
No matter what, there had to be limits.
Right?
What nonsense—me, a career NCO?
And so, Jin had buried his military life in the frozen soil of Cheorwon after completing his 21 months of service.
"Investigating an aerial fortress… That's quite the request."
Khalifa muttered, adding a question at the end.
"So, what exactly is an aerial fortress?"
"It's literally a massive structure that flies in the sky. More precisely, it's the final ark built by the dwarves a thousand years ago."
"…Final ark?"
Jin raised an eyebrow.
Hearing the word "ark" brought to mind an old man with the surname Noah.
A man who lived in an era when humanity had become corrupt, their actions filling the land with stench.
Alone in his righteousness, he received divine warning of the impending destruction of mankind.
Were there dwarves with a similar fate?
Jin pondered the thought with an open mind when—
"It's the single largest remnant of the long-extinct dwarves. Like a celestial body in orbit, it crosses the skies above the city every 84 years. To put it bluntly, it's a once-in-a-lifetime event to see it."
D'Andre spoke, his face oddly excited.
"Its mere existence is living history."
Po added concisely.
Hearing the explanation, Jin blinked.
"So, you're saying there's been a massive flying structure in the sky for over a thousand years? Is that even possible?"
Infinite energy?
Perpetual motion?
That stuff directly violates the laws of thermodynamics.
As long as this universe abides by physics, such things should belong to the realm of fantasy.
Could the dwarves really have surpassed that?
Jin was startled for a moment, but Po's next words suggested otherwise.
"Ancient texts mention that it was powered by a dragon's heart, but that hasn't been confirmed."
"Dragon heart or perpetual motion… Both sound ridiculous."
Jin barely swallowed those words, then chugged his cola in one go.
After slamming the empty glass on the table, he spoke.
"Phew. So, Apophis must've crossed over the city at least ten times by now. Did the government send investigation teams every time?"
"Not every time. There were technical difficulties, and during times of political turmoil, there wasn't enough leeway. Of course, we can't say with certainty that our information is entirely accurate. That's something we need to verify."
Khalifa's explanation made Jin fold his arms.
What should he do?
The dwarven race…
Their name resurfaced in his mind from time to time.
From what he gathered, they were a species that perished alongside the fairies due to the absence of gods—now regarded as lost technology incarnate.
It was a chance to hop onto a masterpiece(?) crafted by legendary figures.
If he missed this opportunity, he'd have to wait a whole 84 years.
Was this how someone living on Uranus would feel on Black Friday?
It wasn't that he absolutely had to buy it, but the psychological pressure of knowing he'd never see a price like this again in his lifetime…
Ah.
He wanted to make an impulse purchase.
He really, really wanted to.
As Jin's leg trembled slightly, unwittingly succumbing to the commercial trap, D'Andre spoke up.
"I'd like to help in some way, but… there's no precedent for an operation like this. In the end, Jin, your decision is probably the most important."
Then, he started twitching the corner of his lips.
For the record, D'Andre had no intention of making permanent use of the 'one-time contract' he had with Jin.
As a solo player who found it sufficient just to shine from the highest point of his squad, the thought of investigating Apophis and returning from this mission had him grinning uncontrollably, knowing his fame would likely soar even higher.
But it wasn't just about fame for D'Andre.
The moment he heard that an Apostle had appeared during the tournament, he had raged, screaming, "I'm going to save Jin!" to the point where Hooker and Greg had to desperately restrain him.
Anyway.
No matter what anyone said, everyone—including Khalifa and Po—acknowledged that the final decision rested with Jin, leading to a lengthy period of contemplation.
And at last, Jin reached his conclusion!
"Screw it. Let's do it!"
"Whoa!"
D'Andre instinctively threw his hands up in excitement but quickly lowered them upon catching the wary gazes of the two others.
Meanwhile, Jin took out his terminal and called the Colonel.
"Hello? Yeah, it's me—"
***
A reclaimed wasteland in the downtown area.
Unless scavengers were gathered around burning drums, scheming up yet another petty plan to stir up trouble in the city, this was a place where people rarely set foot.
A single transport ship descended onto this desolate land.
Whoosh!
Gusts of wind sent scattered debris flying, creating a cacophony of noise.
The first thing that stood out was a symbol—a clenched fist encircled by a hammer.
As the door marked with that emblem hissed open, releasing a burst of compressed air—
A figure leaped out, moving so swiftly that it could almost be called simultaneous with the door's opening.
"...!"
Her silver-gray hair whipped around as she quickly scanned her surroundings.
Then, her light-green eyes locked onto a man standing a short distance away from the transport.
A brief moment of eye contact.
And before she even realized it, Elina was already running.
As if she were chasing after the emotions that had raced ahead of her, her strides were utterly unreserved.
"Jin—!"
She shouted with joy and leaped straight into his arms.
Jin lightly patted her back, noting how much brighter she seemed since he last saw her.
"It's been a while."
"Fifty-eight days. Have you been well? Ah, I saw you in the tournament! If it weren't for that Apostle, you would have definitely won. It was such a shame! Oh, by the way, did you use the hotel card I gave you? The annual fees for ten years are already covered, so you don't have to worry about—"
Elina's rapid-fire words left Jin responding with a dazed, "Uh… uh…," as he tilted his head back to look at Q, who was trudging toward them.
Wait.
Why wasn't she letting go?
Her long legs locked tightly around his waist, while her arms wrapped firmly around his neck.
It was an embrace that brought to mind the nickname of a certain welterweight fighter—a man who had climbed to world rank six despite hailing from a combat-sport-barren homeland, even if people called him 'boring' along the way.
"Enough."
Had it not been for Q's deadpan voice, Elina's reverse body triangle might never have released on its own.
As Jin finally caught his breath, he spoke.
"It's been a while for you, too."
"Get in. We'll talk on the way."
Q, as always, spoke curtly, nodding toward the transport.
Jin wasn't particularly keen on holding conversations amidst the trash-strewn landscape, so he promptly boarded the transport as it prepared for takeoff.
And there, he was met with a familiar face.
"You're here?"
The Colonel, sprawled in his seat without even bothering to fasten his belt, waved a bottle of alcohol in greeting.
"Huh? Didn't think you'd come in person."
"I told you, didn't I? I'm personally overseeing Elina's probation. That brat was so insistent on seeing you that I figured I'd let her have her way this once."
"I-I never said that."
Elina fidgeted as Q, tapping commands into the touchscreen as if playing a keyboard, turned his head.
"Strap in. We're taking off."
The moment those words left his mouth, the engines roared to life, unleashing flames toward the ground.
Jin hurried to find an empty seat and fastened his belt.
"So, where are we going?"
"We're leaving the city limits. The operation headquarters is there."
"Wait, what?"
Jin's eyes widened.
Outside the city?
He hadn't expected that.
"To prepare for contingencies, we plan to approach Apophis before it passes over the city."
Elina, now seated beside him, explained.
"It'll take about three hours. Plenty of time to talk, right?"
"Keep it professional, Elina. This isn't a field trip."
Q's stern voice cut in as he continued issuing various commands to the transport's AI.
Watching the Colonel swig from his bottle and Elina chatter away, Jin couldn't help but wonder—if Q weren't around, would the Lawbringers even function properly?
"Well, you made up your mind pretty fast. Hic—I thought you'd take longer to decide."
"You said it's an opportunity that comes once every 84 years. I figured I'd regret it if I passed it up."
"Fair enough."
The Colonel nodded and fished a chocolate bar out of his pocket, tossing it over.
As Jin caught it and peeled off the wrapper, he asked,
"So, aren't you going to explain anything? I agreed to this, but I still don't know anything about the mission details or the payment."
That was exactly what Khalifa had said.
And as a bonus, she had also nagged, "What are you thinking, accepting without even asking the basics?"
Meanwhile, the colonel continued speaking.
"The commission fee is set at thirty million. Your price has gone up quite a bit since I last saw you."
Gasp.
Jin inhaled sharply at the unexpected amount.
Ha, twenty thousand hot dogs!
Fifteen thousand plates of meatball spaghetti!
Ten thousand fried chickens!
Rumpumpumpum!
As thunder roared in his mind, imagining the most valuable things he could do with thirty million, KWA-RUNG! KWA-RUNG! KWA-RUNG!
Jin trembled involuntarily, even without needing experience points.
Meanwhile, Elina subtly clasped his pinky finger.
"O-Okay. Then, w-what about a rough plan? A plan?"
Jin forced himself to ask, despite his tongue twisting.
In response, the colonel swirled his bottle and spoke.
"To put it simply, we'll slow down Apophis. Then, we'll climb on top of it."
"Uh… huh?"
For a moment, Jin's mind snapped back to reality.
That was how absurd the colonel's plan sounded.
"Slow it down?"
"Yeah."
"Is that even possible?"
At the string of questions, the colonel grinned.
A smile that suggested he had expected this reaction.
Then, through his damp lips, he spoke the next words.
"It is. An Omega-class Psyker will be joining us."