*

“I thought you were staying somewhere a bit more respectable.”

“I’m sorry to disappoint. I’m just a freelancer with a modest income. Anyway, what brings you here?”

In response to the question, Sarah spread her arms and slightly lifted the hem of her skirt.

“As of today, I have been assigned exclusively to Mr. Ga-on.”

“To me?”

“And this is the remaining balance you left behind that day (Sol), Mr. Ga-on.”

A significant amount of money was transferred through the device once again.

“It’s not a commission or an advance payment, is it?”

“It’s the remaining amount after disposing of the slots and units of those Mr. Ga-on handled, including Sprinter. Of course, the fees have been deducted.”

“You even provide such services? You’re no less than a broker.”

“Everything is a courtesy from the chairman, so be grateful.”

“Isn’t it that you want to monitor me?”

“Why would we need to monitor Mr. Ga-on?”

“You never miss a word.”

This measure was likely a reminder and warning from Collin not to forget about meta-humans. Regardless of personal feelings, having the backing of a large corporation wasn’t a bad thing.

“Here is my personal contact information. Call me when needed, and I’ll assist as long as time permits.”

Simultaneously, Sarah’s information was received on the device. Just as Ga-on saved her number under [Miss Siri], a stern voice reached his ears.

“And please refrain from contacting me outside of designated working hours. Currently, I only wish to serve Master Dobby.”

“Do you know what an axe disease is?”

“Unfortunately, androids don’t have such functions. It’s all Mr. Ga-on’s misunderstanding.”

“Of course.”

A thought crossed Ga-on’s mind as he spoke.

“Oh, since you’re here, there’s something I’d like to ask.”

“What is it?”

“Do you know how to look at houses?”

*

Zone 2 of Seed Colony was a strategic point where major infrastructure was concentrated.

Not only did all hyperloop lines intersect there, but the headquarters of various megacorps were also located there. It was the most prosperous street on Mars.

Jin Geon, who had set up a secret base in one corner, gazed out the window.

A blue and white sunset was setting in the distance. Unlike the orange hue of Earth. Born after the Third World War,

Jin Geon couldn’t tell which was the true sunset. He only recognized it as an indicator that he was on another planet.

It was then that Eli, a team member standing beside him, spoke.

“Do you think Yang Hu is here, Team Leader?”

It was a thought she had kept in her mind for a long time.

Although she couldn’t present an opposing view to Jin Geon’s decision, she still needed to address it. Jin Geon squinted his eyes and asked quietly.

“Are you defying orders?”

“I’m just worried. Unlike the dome, the support we can receive in the colony is limited.”

The Mars Defense Force was a prime example. It was the only military organization formed during the colonization of Mars.

To avoid repeating past mistakes, humanity recognized them as the only regular army and limited their activities to deploying force only in events that determined Mars’ fate.

They were an independent force that didn’t belong to any colony, but their military budget was funded by both the city government and megacorps, shared between them.

While military authority was with the city government, personnel matters were under the joint operation system of the megacorps.

The colony was the same.

The dome was humanity’s last ark, so the city government, as the descendants of the old powers, could seize power, but Mars was not.

It was an unknown land that no one could claim ownership of.

Moreover, the cost of colonization was astronomical. It was not something the city government could handle alone, making cooperation with megacorps indispensable.

Therefore, a ‘board of directors’ composed of representatives delegated full authority by the city government and the heads of megacorps oversaw the colony’s affairs.

The influence of megacorps rooted in Mars was inevitably stronger than that of the city government on Earth.

The culture and customs created by physical distance.

It was an atmosphere Eli, born and raised in Dome No.1, could never get used to.

“Even if we succeed in tracking Yang Hu, I’m not sure if we can handle it alone.”

To the Emergency Disaster Response Team, Yang Hu was nothing short of a living nightmare.

The infected they captured were usually dealt with in a short time. It was impossible to escape the tightly woven modern society.

No matter how discreetly one moved, every action was bound to be detected. Yet Yang Hu slipped through the surveillance net as if flaunting it.

His skills far surpassed those of special agents produced by the city government.

“Are you saying we might fail?”

“Of course not. We have you, Team Leader.”

Jin Geon. An agent who stood out even among the Emergency Disaster Response Team. His skills were one thing, but his true value lay elsewhere.

“Of course, without thorough preparation, we’ll miss him again this time.”

Unlike Team 3, which had to eliminate Yang Hu, he had no reason to get involved in such matters.

“I’ve already received a promise regarding that matter. If we find a solid clue, the captain will provide full support.”

“Then we can be assured.”

It was then that Eli, who nodded while standing, looked around.

“Come to think of it, I don’t see Hwi Rang.”

The only diver in Team 3. It felt strange not to see the usual shadow.

“He’s resting in a bathtub filled with ice.”

“I see.”

Just like any mechanical device, excessive operation of slots led to overheating.

Especially for divers who often implanted chips in their brains, it was a common occurrence.

Perhaps that's why Hwi Rang didn't enjoy navigating the network. Unless there was a specific command.

"Did you investigate something?"

As Jin Geon nodded, information poured into Eli's device almost simultaneously.

"I've compiled every disturbance and commotion that occurred in Seed Colony after Yang Hu disappeared from Dome No.3."

"Do you expect Yang Hu to be involved in any of these incidents, Team Leader?"

"I don't know, but we might catch a tail."

Yang Hu, who also acted as a fixer known as 'Shin' in Dome No.3.

Even if he obtained a device, the range within which he could utilize his abilities was limited.

Wouldn't he do the same with his next identity? It was a basic inference and a natural logic.

Of course, there was also the option of going into hiding.

Jin Geon found this option more intriguing.

If there was a potential parasite candidate on the passenger list, it would be updated immediately.

"Is there a particular case you've been keeping an eye on, Team Leader?"

"Of course there is."

As Jin Geon tapped the table, a hologram appeared.

The case where Sprinter, Norman Sanders, died while carrying out a commission.

The opponent was revealed to be anonymous, and the industry was abuzz with debates trying to uncover the truth.

“We’ll start with this.”

*

Before the Third World War, Ga-on was an ordinary college student.

Traveling abroad whenever he had the chance.

Looking back now, it was a hobby stemming from a wanderlust.

Becoming a fixer was partly influenced by such a nature.

Perhaps it was a longing for new experiences.

Visiting the Potala Palace after his discharge was for the same reason.

The largest single building in Asia.

The residence of the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhism, provided Ga-on with much inspiration.

But it was only for a moment.

The controlled space meant for display was merely dull.

It was natural for him to move to places other tourists wouldn’t go.

When he was about to lose his way back, Ga-on arrived at the edge of a sheer cliff, where he encountered destiny.

Unlike other monks focused on mental training, an old man in a red robe was engaged in physical training, contrary to his appearance.

Swish.

As the old man’s wooden sword accelerated, a falling leaf was split in two.

Not vertically, but horizontally.

It seemed as if it had split into two separate pieces.

Even succeeding once would allow one to call themselves a master, yet the old man effortlessly split every leaf fluttering in the wind.

To Ga-on, an outsider, it was an indescribable level.

The swordsmanship displayed by the old man had a sense of history.

I want to learn.

Driven by an instinctive urge, Ga-on unknowingly moved forward.

It took many hurdles for Ga-on to communicate with the old man.

Not knowing Tibetan or Chinese, Ga-on had to rely on a smartphone translator.

Yet, the old man gladly imparted his teachings to the foreigner.

Fortunately, Ga-on had the enthusiasm to reciprocate that kindness.

A peculiar coexistence began in an instant.

Without words, one became a master, and the other a disciple, spending each day together.

But the joyful times didn’t last long.

The old man, already showing signs of aging when they met, was visibly deteriorating day by day.

Lifespan and death.

It was a fate that couldn’t be avoided, no matter how high a level one achieved.

One day, the old man invited Ga-on to a mountain far from the Potala Palace.

In a clearing where no one came, there was a massive boulder.

As usual, the old man lifted his wooden sword and shattered the object with a single strike.

Ga-on couldn’t help but widen his eyes.

A boulder that seemed immovable even by several strong men succumbed to the mere skill of an old man.

“I’m sorry for bringing you here and only showing you this.”

The old man, leaving behind a will that Ga-on couldn’t understand at the time, passed away peacefully two days later.

The monks dispatched from the Potala Palace promptly carried the old man away and prepared for the funeral.

Most funerals in Tibet were sky burials, where birds like vultures or crows were entrusted with the body.

From a certain perspective, it was extremely barbaric, but Ga-on stayed to witness the old man’s final moments.

Knowing that the old man had no relatives, it felt like he wasn’t a stranger, despite having only spent about fifteen days together.

When a monk handed him a small sphere the size of a walnut, Ga-on reflexively accepted it.

Although it was an unfamiliar object, Ga-on knew it came from the old man’s body.

The faint warmth lingering on it proved that.

It was an organ not originally found in humans.

It was an inner elixir.

The culmination of the old man’s lifelong training.

Ga-on saw a possibility in it.

A branch of evolution that humanity might have forgotten, being engrossed in science and technology.

The strength that life should have inherently possessed.

Humanity made a great discovery before fully understanding itself.

It chose convenience over struggle.

But I, no, I will―

“Make no mistakes.”