Which line is the strongest?
A question every child of Ark has probably asked at least once.
However, when that question came not from a child but from the Defense Commander of the Blue Line, its meaning changed completely.
Treason.
Even in Ark, treason is a grave sin.
No—regardless of the country, the price of treason is always horrific.
And yet, Brigadier General Victor casually spoke words that could easily be seen as treasonous.
Even I hadn't expected him to say that.
"…That's an interesting question."
"Aren't you curious? If the Red Line, enjoying peace at the rear, clashed with the Rose Line, protecting Ark at the front, who would win?"
At first glance, it sounded like he was asserting that the Rose Line would surely win.
Of course, I thought differently.
"The Red Line would win."
"Oh? And why do you think that?"
"If the Rose Line could've won, they would've done so already."
Victor's eyes narrowed.
"That's an interesting perspective. But maybe the Rose Line just values Ark's peace more. As the frontline of Ark, the Rose Line is essentially its shield. That level of dedication wouldn't be surprising."
"They've bled just as much. And yet they still can't oppose the White Line or the Red Line. Isn't it fair to say they must have a reason?"
"Haha! So, what you're saying, Carl Marcus, is that the Rose Line can't go against the Red Line because they lack the strength?"
"Yes."
"An intriguing thought. Very intriguing…"
Victor chuckled and then stood up.
"I should get going."
"Didn't you have business here?"
"Oh, that just finished a little while ago."
I already knew he wasn't one for pretense, but now he was openly admitting he came just to see me.
"See you next time, Carl Marcus."
"Not that I want to."
"You will."
With that confident farewell, Victor laughed heartily and left the guest reception room.
A very brief encounter.
But the conversation in that brief moment was anything but shallow.
"Carl Marcus."
No sooner had Victor left than a researcher stepped into the reception room, as if they had been waiting outside.
"The director has returned."
A perfectly timed arrival, almost suspiciously so.
Whether Maybell Pilgrim had just come back or had waited for Victor to finish was unclear, but it didn't really matter.
"Brigadier General Victor…"
There wasn't much need to wonder why he had come to see me.
Möbius.
Before recruiting me into that secret faction, he must've come to evaluate me.
"No reason to antagonize Möbius. For all its flaws, it's still a group I can use."
Möbius's goals were nearly delusional, certainly not easily achieved within the current Ark.
And yet, their power and influence were real—making them useful.
"If I ever have to face off against other secret factions like the Shadow Order, Möbius could prove useful."
Möbius.
I hadn't fully made up my mind about them, but I was at least willing to play the part, for now.
Victor moving in person only confirmed their value.
"But that's for later…"
Right now, I had to meet Maybell Pilgrim.
"This way."
Following the researcher's guidance, I got on the elevator and pressed the button for Maybell's floor—already knowing where it was.
Once it arrived, I walked toward her lab with familiar steps.
"You're here."
"You're not easy to find."
"Haha… yeah. Is it that thing on your shoulder?"
Maybell pointed to the Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle slung over mine.
"That's right. But there's something else I want you to look at first."
"Oh? What is it?"
"This."
I took off the Z-74 Jetpack on my back and showed it to her.
For the first time, Maybell's calm expression cracked.
"…It's built to withstand most impacts. What happened?"
"I was attacked by a Grade-2 Named Monster."
"A Grade-2 Named Monster?"
"Yeah."
"Hmm… So, you're saying the current Z-74 Jetpack can't handle attacks from those. That's useful information."
I felt like a guinea pig, but I couldn't complain—that was the whole reason I got this thing from her in the first place.
"I was planning to improve the durability anyway. Especially since in mid-air combat, one hit could mean death from a fall."
"I'll leave it to you."
"Please wait here for a moment. Oh, shall I take that too while I'm at it?"
"No, let's do one thing at a time. I have a specific request for that one."
"I see. Then wait here a bit."
Maybell turned to her workbench, and I wandered her lab, curious about the tech inside.
'Hmm… as expected, there's been little progress on the AI turret tech.'
Just watching her process gave me a rough idea of Ark's current technological level.
Not because I'm some weapons expert—but because I've seen scenes like this too many times before.
'Well, it's not a priority anyway.'
AI turrets would be nice, but not urgent—not especially when Ark had suffered less damage than expected.
'But with Ark having more power left over than expected, that could lead to new problems.'
The fact that Möbius was now active was proof enough of that.
If there wasn't spare strength, they wouldn't be able to move. But now they were stirring.
'Oh, right. I should check that too.'
I checked my ID account to see if payment for the last wave had been deposited.
'There it is.'
Judging by the amount, Ark must've valued my efforts quite highly this time.
Enough to upgrade the Ark-34.
'Then it's time for the upgrade.'
I wandered Maybell's lab a bit more.
Eventually, the loud banging from the workbench stopped.
Creeeeak…
The door slowly opened.
Maybell emerged, holding the Z-74 Jetpack in her hands.
"All done."
I received the Z-74 Jetpack from Maybell Pilgrim.
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[Z-74 Jetpack MK.II] [★★★★★★(+★)(7-Star)]
— A new jetpack developed by Ark.
— Personally crafted by Maybell Pilgrim, a leading authority in specialized weapon engineering.
— Capable of high-speed flight.
— Durability has been significantly enhanced.
— Incorporates Level 3 protective technology.
"View Details"
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"Not bad."
"Is that all you have to say? Do you know what kind of structural methods I had to use to apply Level 3 shielding in that frame—"
"I'll hear it later."
If I started listening now, I had a feeling I wouldn't get to upgrade the Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle today.
"Then... can I hear what you mentioned earlier?"
"When you upgrade the Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle, I want you to use this."
Then I took the Thunderstruck Branch out from my coat.
I had been saving it just for this moment.
"This is... what exactly?"
"You'll know once you look."
"...Just give me a moment."
Maybell Pilgrim took the Thunderstruck Branch from me and headed over to her workbench, immediately examining it with every measuring tool she had.
"Ohhhhh..."
"...No way."
"Wait—could it really be...?"
Maybell Pilgrim let out an endless string of exclamations as she analyzed the branch.
From where I stood, the scene was actually kind of amusing.
["...Master, she's kinda weird."]
'I noticed.'
Even a living ghost thought her behavior was bizarre, so her research obsession had to be real.
Or to put it another way, the Thunderstruck Branch was that remarkable.
"This... What even is this? How is a twig generating such an intense magnetic field...?"
"Think you can do it?"
"J-just a moment! If I use this properly, I could come up with something groundbreaking..."
"I'm leaving it to you."
"A-are you really okay with letting me use this? Something like this could definitely be used for other purposes..."
"No, I want it used here."
If I ever ended up using a weapon stronger than the Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle, then the Thunderstruck Branch wouldn't even matter anymore.
This was the best time to use it.
And more importantly, I had to get it over with so I could feed the remains to Janus and fulfill my secondary objective.
"Oh, and whatever's left—give it back to me."
"Of course! Just a moment!"
Maybell Pilgrim hurried over to her workstation with unusually light steps.
[" Master."]
'What?'
[" Why are you trembling?"]
'Trembling? Me?'
[" Yes. You're sweating cold sweat."]
'...'
Truthfully, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous.
The Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle wasn't flimsy like the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher, but still—handling something like the Thunderstruck Branch was nerve-wracking.
'...Come to think of it, my [Beginner's Luck] buff wore off.'
Was it just a feeling?
An anxious premonition crept over me.
Thud!
Clang! Clang!
The noises from beyond Maybell Pilgrim's workstation weren't normal.
I had a terrible feeling I'd soon hear a crack or a snap.
Snap—
["Master?"]
'...It's nothing.'
I almost opened the lab door right then.
And I knew exactly what kind of disaster might unfold if I barged in while the upgrade was still happening.
"Whew..."
Who knew how long I waited.
Finally, the door to the workstation opened, and Maybell Pilgrim stepped out.
Zap, crackle—
Was it just my imagination?
When Maybell Pilgrim walked out and opened the door, my body felt a jolt—like static electricity.
'No way...'
I looked toward the thing she held in her hands.
"Success."
Without a word, I snatched the Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle from her hands.
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[Ark-34 Automatic Conversion Rifle Mk.II] [★★★★★★(+★★)(8-Star)]
— An Automatic Conversion rifle from Ark.
— Can switch between assault rifle, anti-materiel sniper rifle, shotgun, lightning rifle, and railgun modes.
— A limited production weapon created only for a select few.
— Using the Thunderstruck Branch, its overall power and durability have been enhanced, and the bullets are now imbued with the power of thunder.
"View Details"
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'This is...'
Something incredible had been born.