Silent footsteps.Yet the atmosphere in the hall changed in an instant.“Mother.”“You’ve arrived, Mother.”“...Mother.”A strange sight.All these extraordinary individuals bowed their heads toward a woman who looked young and unassuming.Setting aside the background, the black-haired woman sat at the head seat, her expression colorless and unreadable.Her first words were flat, almost lifeless.“Survivors.”“All thirty android units deployed in the operation are incapacitated.”“Of the one hundred fifty personnel sent to track behemoth underwater: fifty-five dead, thirty severely wounded, twenty-three lightly injured.”“……”A devastating loss.The woman was silent for a while.Those gathered couldn’t hide the despair on their faces.“We... have no excuse.”“Do you think this is only your fault?”The woman took out a cigarette.The match hissed; flame flickered.Lighting it, she exhaled smoke with a frown.“And the man?”“He’s alive. His recovery speed is abnormally fast—we don’t believe he’s an ordinary human.”“Mother, the vehicle he was riding... it was—”“One of the items he had stolen.”The woman’s voice sank as if lost in thought.Even after a long silence, no one dared speak.Not even a breath could be heard.That silence itself reflected her authority.“I want to hear your opinions.”“May I speak first?”It was Rudolf Hoffmann who stepped forward.The woman nodded.“As I mentioned, he already knew who I was. That means he knows who we are. It’s likely he came here for us.We should speak with him once he wakes up before deciding anything further.”“Next.”“Mother.”“Yes, Pieta.”The white-haired girl named Pieta spoke softly, her gaze steady.“We need the items he possesses.”“Which ones?”“The reactor.”“Hm.”“Forget the hover bike—what matters is the mainframe that can still be restored, the suit capable of generating plasma, and the top-tier reactor. All of them are things we need.”“And your proposal?”“Kill him.”It was a radical statement, yet the hall didn’t stir.If anything, a few even nodded in agreement.The woman smiled faintly.“And after that?”“We bury it quietly. As if nothing happened.”“Wouldn’t that make all our efforts to keep him alive meaningless?”“That’s...”The woman’s question hinted at her own line of thought.Pieta lowered her eyes, unable to respond.Then the eldest-looking man, with a rough, intimidating face, spoke cautiously.“Mother, Pieta isn’t wrong.”“Oh?”“The entrance to the quarantine zone was sealed by the one who stole the hover bike. If that’s him, he could be an enemy.”“That’s possible.”A hint of agreement.But the man said nothing more.He knew she alone would make the decision.And as if to prove it, she continued in a calm, unhurried tone.“I’m sure you all have some idea of who he might be.”“Yes.”“Yes, Mother.”“Most likely someone connected to the Ark Division.”They all shared the same vague suspicion—that the man was from the Ark Unit.But what came next was unexpected.“He’s probably the commander of the Ark Division.”“……?!”“Mother, are you saying the Ark’s leader came here?”“It’s only a conjecture—but one I hold with high certainty.”“Why would he…?”“That’s what we’ll find out.”For some reason, her eyes gleamed with savage light.***It was an old dream.As dreams go, nothing was clear.A crimson light.A roar too loud to endure.A shaking body.Then, a city reduced to ashes.An unspeakable scene—so horrific that the mind couldn’t even guess what had happened.A wasteland.The whole world was a ruin.And through that wasteland, people began to arrive.First hundreds.Then thousands.At their head—someone wrapped head to toe in bandages.Their eyes—glowed, unbearably bright.Why?He couldn’t tell.Only pain followed.A pain far too real for any dream.***“Cough—!!”“My god, what is this guy…?”“He’s beyond human!”Murmurs filled the air, making it harder to think.But one question burned in his mind.“The Behemoth—what happened to it?”“Wait, put that aside for now!”“Did you kill it? Did you secure its body?”“What the hell kind of recovery strength was that?!”Behemoth.Did they kill it?That was all that mattered.He had to know.That chance—they couldn’t have wasted it.Just as panic began to creep in—“Lie back down a little longer.”A familiar voice brushed his ear.“You’re...?”“We injected a nano-factor. Your wounds will heal soon enough—though it seems your body barely needs it.”“Na...no factor?”[Nano-Factor]A top-tier healing serum capable of restoring even near-dead patients.They used that on him?No wonder—the shoulder and wrist that had been pulp now moved freely.“If you want to thank us, save it. We owe you some gratitude too.”No.That wasn’t what mattered.“The Behemoth—is it dead?”“Behemoth... So you already knew what that was.”“It must die. If it survives—cough—!!”A sudden movement sent blood spilling from his mouth.Still, his gaze locked on the middle-aged man before him, who stayed calm.“We lost it.”“Damn it…”“We’ll hunt it down next time.”“There won’t be a next time.”“...What?”“It’s already at the threshold of its third-stage evolution.It won’t show itself again until it’s fully recovered.”He knew.The moment it leapt into the river, they’d lost any means to catch it.Even underwater, Behemoth moved at impossible speeds.Once submerged, the hunt was effectively over.Still…He’d hoped—Because the ones chasing it were likely from the Liberation Union.If it was Mother herself… there might still be hope.If he had fought a little harder—been a little more careful—Could he have ended it?Pointless thoughts.But he couldn’t help it.“No… we’ll catch it.”“How can you be so sure?”“Before it fell into the river, Mother fired a bullet—a tracker round.”“……?!”“She knew one shot wouldn’t kill it. Each fragment acts as a beacon. It can’t escape our sight.”“Wait.”A tracker?She used one even in that chaos?So it was Mother.If she really attached a tracker—and the Liberation Union was now hunting the wounded Behemoth—‘It’s possible.’More than possible.No—if Mother and I joined forces, we could definitely bring it down.As the tension drained, pain crept back into his stiffened body.“Kh...!”“You still need rest,” said the man.The calm in his voice eased the air.“Where am I?”“You mean you didn’t come here on purpose?”“……”That look—he already knew.He knew who I was.I’d forgotten—these weren’t simple people.But silence wouldn’t help either.“Liberation Union.”At that, the man grinned.“Correct. I’m Rudolf Hoffmann, commander of the Union’s 2nd Division. Pleasure to meet you—man from Ark.”Now that he thought of it, there was something else he’d forgotten.He sprang upright.“My glasses…”“Eh?”“The glasses I was wearing—where are they?”“Oh, those…”+[Wayless Custom Glasses][Low Vision][Hawk’s Eye]‘Master Key. Zero. Gamma… Atomic Reactor. Black Wing. Mother Computer. Xenon.’The Master Key was still on his finger.Gamma, within sight.The problem—Zero and the rest.He needed to assess the situation.‘This place...’Underground.A massive shelter packed with survivors.How much time had passed?Things had gotten messy.He’d only intended to locate Mother.Now, to recover his gear, he’d have to convince these people.And the one who could answer him stood right before him.“Hoffmann.”“Hmm?”Rudolf Hoffmann.Title: [Bruiser].The name fit—his rough nature, his straightforwardness.Maybe that’s why his next words were tinged with a dry smile.“Your gear? She didn’t seem particularly interested. Still, what matters is Mother’s decision.”“……”‘So I’m on her radar.’He’d asked where his possessions were.The answer: it depended on Mother’s will.Everything decided by her.Apparently, she didn’t care much for them—but who could know?Reading Mother’s mind was never easy.A headache waiting to happen.“Rest a bit longer. When you’re ready, we’ll go see Mother.”“Mother wants to see me?”“Of course.”He could guess why.She must have sensed his affiliation.The hover bike.The Black Wing.The military-grade weapons and advanced gear—things no mere individual could possess.That was why Rudolf had called him the man from Ark.And since he’d fought Behemoth alone—he couldn’t help but draw her attention.A man who battled a monster like that with only a blade.More than enough to intrigue her.But if they met, confrontation would be inevitable.And she’d likely deduce his true identity with ease.Dangerous—yet potentially the strongest ally he could gain.Even Rudolf Hoffmann himself was stronger than most of the Ark Division’s current officers.If avoiding her was impossible—‘Then I’ll settle it now.’The Transhumans.The grand operation set for the coming winter.At least he held one advantage.He knew her.But she didn’t know him.He’d use that difference.‘The Liberation Union is essential.’Opposing them would be a terrible choice.Experience had taught him that much.He knew how to deal with her.How to persuade her.How she thought, and what decisions she’d make under pressure.That knowledge—would be his greatest weapon.He glanced around.Even at a glance, the massive underground settlement told the story.The eastern region above was already in ruins—but down here, Mother had built a thriving refuge.Thousands—perhaps tens of thousands.And she ruled them all with flawless control.Her power was beyond anything an ordinary survivor could even imagine.

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