*

The commotion from the previous night continued into the next day.

The two wealthy father and son who were considered the leaders of New Delvier had died together.

And by someone else's hand, at that.

While several prime suspects had emerged, the authorities were in disarray. When the tiger disappeared from the mountain, the jackals came out, snarling and pointing fingers at each other as the culprit.

And there wasn't even any blood relative who could take control of the situation.

The remaining heirs were running wild too, seeing this as their opportunity.

New Delvier was steadily fracturing. Attempts to split up the corporation had already begun. Soon, it would become too small to even be called a megacorp.

There clearly wouldn't be any threatening moves for a while. Perhaps the truth would never be known.

But Shin remained vigilant. No matter how careful one is, traces always remain. Especially in places one might not expect.

So now—

'Time to abandon my identity as Shin.'

The revenge was complete. Though fundamental issues remained, there were no good solutions at present. All he could do was keep it in mind and plan for the future.

Being immortal meant opportunities would surely come eventually.

Suddenly, his reflection in the mirror caught his eye.

His appearance had changed with the flow of time. He could barely remember what his original form looked like anymore. But there was no need to try hard to recall it. He just needed to regenerate the bones and flesh that had been carved away.

The swollen, forgotten past rises to the surface.

As the imperfectly healed wounds regenerate, his features begin to take shape.

Neither Shin's nor Yang Hu's features, but his original ones.

After writhing in pain for a while, Shin let out a sigh as the intense pain subsided.

The face in the mirror was somehow both unfamiliar and familiar.

Perhaps because it had been so long—

"Have I become more handsome?"

After making this frivolous comment, Shin went outside.

*

The columbarium located on the outskirts of Dome No.3 was bustling with visitors from early morning. Following the crowd, Shin walked to the spot he had investigated.

A columbarium tucked away in a corner of the first floor.

As his gaze moved from top to bottom, Shin found the name he was looking for near the center.

[The late Thomas Russell]

The ashes would be contained in the pearl-like beautiful urn. As evidence that the human called Thomas had lived an intense life.

"How ironic."

In the end, those who should have lived died, and those who should have died lived on. Though unintentional, it had always been this way.

After placing a pair of lilies in front of the urn, Shin blinked. Someone had already been here – the interior was filled with beautiful flower buds of various colors.

He wasn't the only one mourning Thomas's death. Finding some comfort in this fact, Shin spoke again.

"I've repaid what needed to be repaid. Though it's a shame I couldn't receive the gift you prepared. Well, I suppose it's shameless of me to even express such sentiments."

As Shin smiled wryly, a deep voice reached his ears.

"I see there was already a visitor."

Hair neatly combed back from his forehead. And thick-rimmed glasses.

He had the appearance of someone who had clearly received a high level of education.

But what caught Shin's attention more than that was the middle-aged man's appearance. It was enough to remind him of someone's younger days.

"Thomas?"

"So you did know my father?"

Thomas's son.

Zenon Russell.

If his calculations were correct, he would be forty by now.

Having only met him a few times when he was young, it wasn't surprising that he didn't recognize him immediately.

"It's been a while. I didn't recognize you. You used to look like Thomas, but now everything about you is different."

As this stranger approached him familiarly, Zenon tilted his head.

"It's Yang Hu."

Only after hearing the name did Zenon's eyes widen as he whispered.

"Then, that...?"

"Yes."

"I knew we would meet someday, but I didn't expect it to be like this. Still, thank you. From what I can see, you seem to have rushed here after hearing about my father."

"Ah, so that's what you think."

Officially, Thomas had died due to an electrical short circuit in an old building. But that accident wasn't natural – it was man-made.

Should he hide the truth, or should he be honest with him?

There was no need to deliberate.

Zenon had the right to know.

"Actually, it's different. Thomas's death was partly my fault too."

"What do you mean?"

Where should he begin explaining this?

Though he felt at a loss, Shin decided to start from the beginning.

*

Even after hearing the circumstances, Zenon remained calm. A self-deprecating smile on his lips was all he showed. He even guided Shin to his workplace.

"Don't worry and come in. We're closed today anyway."

"I heard from Thomas that you became a personal physician to some wealthy person."

Perhaps that's why.

Though it was a private clinic, its scale was considerable. Not only was security thorough, but the latest equipment was also always on standby.

"I happened to get connected with the chairman of 'Omega.' Though I don't treat him directly, I became his granddaughter's personal physician."

Now Shin understood why those who killed Thomas had left Zenon alone.

'Omega.'

It was one of the top megacorps in Dome No.3. Their main field was electronics overall. They were a true monster of a different class that New Delvier wouldn't dare to challenge.

Even New Delvier would want to avoid harming someone under the protection of such people.

"So why did you bring me here? Your success is certainly worth congratulating, but my visiting this place won't do you any good."

"I'll explain that shortly."

As if saying to follow him, Zenon's steps were unwavering. He stopped at a storage room that only authorized personnel could enter.

As soon as they entered, a cold chill seeped into their skin.

"This is what I wanted to show you."

Inside a sealed container was a flat, round device that looked like a button.

It was a device Shin was familiar with.

An intelligent terminal that operates using bioelectricity generated from the nervous system, commonly known as a Device.

And the gift Thomas had wanted to give—

"So you were keeping it."

Since his son happened to be a capable doctor, from Thomas's perspective, he must have been the optimal choice.

"How did you get this?"

"I got it from Mars."

Mars.

That land, still being pioneered, was exceptional in many ways. For better or worse.

A blind spot in control, you might say.

It was true that it was more precarious than the perfectly managed Earth. Certainly, there was no better place to obtain a Device.

When Shin thought that far, he felt his breath stop.

"Don't tell me that family trip to Mars was...?"

"Yes, it was a cover."

He felt so deflated he couldn't even sigh properly. He could feel Thomas's determination to repay his debt no matter what.

"That fool."

Things like identity meant nothing to Shin. They were just shells to be changed when the time came.

But he couldn't take his eyes off the Device. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it Thomas's final legacy.

"Let's go out first, I'll perform the procedure."

Seeing Zenon's indifferent attitude from earlier, Shin couldn't help but ask.

"Don't you resent me?"

"I heard from my father. That you're the benefactor who saved his life when he was young. That makes you my benefactor as well."

Zenon looked at Shin and adjusted his glasses.

"And this isn't for your sake, Yang Hu. If father were alive, he would have wanted this more than anyone. I'm just fulfilling my deceased father's wish."

For some reason, Zenon's voice sounded gloomy as he turned his back.

But Shin couldn't say anything in front of him.

*

The surgery that followed was successful.

Since Zenon was already an accomplished doctor, and Shin had a body that wouldn't die even if killed, failure was impossible.

"Recovery will take a week. There's no major wound, but it takes that long for the Device to connect with the nervous system. Until then, please avoid strenuous exercise."

"No, it's fine."

When Shin removed the patch from his neck, Zenon tried to stop him with a gasp—

"There's no scar?"

No matter how minor the procedure, they had inserted a foreign object. Dealing with the aftermath should have been inevitable.

"How is this possible?"

"That's just how my body is."

If that's what he says about himself, there was nothing to argue about.

Shaking his head as if giving up, Zenon listened as Shin asked,

"Anything else I should know?"

"I've accessed the database and changed your face, iris, fingerprints, and voice patterns to match Yang Hu's."

"What about age?"

"I recorded it as 22 years old."

"That works."

"And I processed it as if you entered Dome No.3 last month. The reason for visit is backpacking."

Since his father had been an extraordinary diver, Zenon had picked up quite a bit through observation. The same went for replacing information connected to the Device. Moreover, Thomas had laid the groundwork. All Zenon had done was input appropriate records.

However—

"I couldn't change the genetic information. No matter how primitive Mars's environment is, that's separately managed by the Seed Colony."

"I wasn't expecting that anyway. Devices aren't meant to be used by others in the first place."

"The genetic information is set based on the implanted Device."

Having spent a long time as a fixer, Shin knew exactly what Zenon was trying to say.

"So I should avoid any situation where I might be examined?"

"Yes, comparative analysis would reveal that you're a different person."

"As long as I don't commit any crimes, it should be fine."

While he might be a worn-out fixer on Earth, on Mars he was like a newborn baby. A completely blank canvas, you might say. It would be impossible to track him down.

"Anyway, thank you. Thanks to you, things should work out well."

"Don't mention it."

Rising from his seat, Shin opened a nearby notebook and scribbled down a name.

"Here."

"What's this?"

[BecomingGodoftheNewWorld #0001]

It was an mysterious nickname. Or rather, it seemed familiar. It followed the format commonly used in games.

"You know 'Lost Saga'?"

"Yes, I do."

Lost Saga, the worldwide mega-hit.

Even as a doctor, he couldn't help but know about it.

Even for Zenon, who had devoted his life to medicine, it was such a famous game that he could feel its impact indirectly.

If there was a point of interest, it was that the developer was based on Mars, not Earth.

"If you ever need to request something from me, send a message there. I'll solve problems that can't be resolved through legal means. Even if it means killing the head of a megacorp."

Meeting Zenon's eyes, Shin declared,

"For you specifically, I'll do one job free of charge."

Zenon seemed to finally grasp the weight of those words. The commotion outside was all because of the man before him.

A big shot he would never have met if not for his connection to Thomas.

Before him, Zenon nodded.

"I understand."