Chapter 35

Sabrina’s explanation contained only the crucial points, delivered succinctly.

The fact that Nemesis had kidnapped Raine and planned large-scale human experimentation, and that David had initiated the terrorist attack to save her.

The blackout and dispersal of sleeping gas were measures to minimize potential victims caught in the chaos. The remaining task was for David, who had rushed to the VIP banquet hall, to rescue Raine.

Having heard the entire story, Raven stroked his chin and instinctively nodded.

“Hmm… So that was the situation. Hexahemia Syndrome, huh?”

“Do you know much about the illness Raine has?”

“It’s a disease some people are aware of—a rare condition where blood reacts with magical energy. So, this is what Nemesis has been scheming?”

Raven acknowledged there wasn’t significant logical inconsistency in Sabrina’s claims.

While planning large-scale human experiments to create Hexahemia serum was hard to accept as rational, it wasn’t uncommon for lunatics to pull off such stunts in this city.

If Hexahemia serum could be supplied stably, allowing interspecies prosthetics to dominate the market completely, the economic value generated would undoubtedly be staggering.

But still, this was merely the one-sided claim of the terrorists.

Whether or not to trust the content was a separate issue from its logical consistency.

“Part-timer. Do you believe this girl’s words and intend to help her?”

“N-no! It’s not a lie! It’s the truth!”

Sabrina, wrongfully accused, reacted with heated indignation.

But Raven was a cold-hearted adult who valued solid evidence over emotional appeals.

Even though the fight with Lexi had been unavoidable due to the urgency of the situation.

To gain his assistance here, they needed to persuade him convincingly.

Could they really do it?

“Hmm… There isn’t any visible evidence. I can’t exactly say, ‘I read it in the original work.’ Not that I can talk anyway.”

In the original work, things somehow worked out.

But now, faced with this situation, it was unclear what could serve as evidence.

Besides, from the middle part onward, the existence of the original work became meaningless amidst the chaos.

So, while I was racking my brain on how to expose Nemesis’ plot, suddenly, a strange woman’s voice echoed from the entrance of the corridor.

“Hey! What are you doing there! This area is off-limits unless you’re authorized!”

Her shrill voice, filled with hysteria, naturally turned our heads toward the source.

There stood a high-strung woman wearing red glasses.

She looked familiar. Though I forgot her name, she was definitely the lead researcher in charge of the Hexahemia human experiment plan—the one who ordered Raine’s kidnapping.

Why was she here? Shouldn’t she be at the VIP banquet hall?

Confused by this sudden appearance of evidence, I soon realized it hadn’t been long since the blackout occurred.

“Aha, so before the blackout, she must have been managing staff downstairs. This is… quite lucky.”

I urgently tugged on Raven’s collar to make him face me, then pointed at the woman, gesturing that we absolutely had to catch her.

Searching her belongings now would surely yield something meaningful. This was a certainty.

“Guards! What are you guards doing?! Weirdos messing around in our area! Kill them all… Gahhhk!”

Whoosh! Thud!

The pistol Raven casually threw spun through the air and lodged perfectly into the researcher’s forehead.

Perhaps she didn’t exercise much, as she showed no sign of noticing the flying gun until it hit her. Was her reflex slower than a sloth’s?

Swoosh. The researcher rolled her eyes back and collapsed on the spot.

Raven, having just thrown away his beloved pistol, scratched his head and muttered in disbelief.

“Was this the right move…?”

“…!”

“Don’t worry.”

“I can see that myself, man.”

I clenched both fists and nodded reassuringly at Raven, who sighed deeply.

Then, rushing to the fallen researcher, I rummaged through her belongings and found a suspicious-looking data chip.

A hunch hit me. This was it, 100%!

“This… Let’s check the contents.”

Raven inserted the data chip into his terminal.

An overwhelming amount of information flooded his device, causing it to stutter.

How much data could possibly fit onto such a tiny chip?

As Raven carefully read through the contents, a frown naturally formed on his brow.

“This is…”

“What does it say?”

“It looks like presentation material prepared for VIPs. Everything you mentioned about the large-scale human experiment is detailed here. This is… too damning to brush off.”

See? I told you it wasn’t a lie. Why do you keep doubting me and making things difficult?

Shrugging as obnoxiously as possible, I acted like I was blaming his skepticism.

Annoyed, Raven grabbed my head with his palm and pushed down firmly.

Ow! That’ll stunt my growth!

“Hmm, an interesting thought just came to mind.”

“Interesting thought?”

“Yeah, this data. We’ll send it exactly as it is to a journalist I know without omitting a single word. Where else can you find such sensational content these days? Something like, ‘Nemesis, the hidden darkness of the prosthetic enterprise for interspecies beings: illegal large-scale bio-experiments?’ Whatever. An article with a title like that will explode in views instantly. Nemesis will get shredded from all sides.”

With that, Raven immediately sent a message via his terminal.

The journalist he knew… Hmm, certainly someone with influence. A notorious paparazzo in the entertainment industry.

Still, even notorious paparazzi become useful when handled correctly if they’re well-known figures.

What followed was predictable.

The Dragon Mayor, nearly having a meltdown over the Nexus Project slipping through his fingers, would react first to the article, ordering an investigation.

The police, who had rushed to apprehend the terrorists, would detain the Nemesis personnel present at the scene, shifting from victims to suspects, and thoroughly examine whether the plans were real.

Of course, the large-scale human experimentation scheme, which was supposed to rake in massive profits, would naturally come to light. Amidst the chaos, David, the mastermind behind the terrorism, would escape with Raine.

Huh? But won’t the police eventually catch them if they chase relentlessly?

No worries. The magnanimous Dragon Mayor, after calculating the incident’s details and the scale of the terrorist damage, would wisely order their release. Besides, thanks to the relatively mild methods of the blackout and sleeping gas, there were no casualties. And our generous Dragon Mayor would surely compensate everyone—even if he had to open his own wallet—who could argue with that?

“Phew… It’s over. Somehow, we managed to wrap things up. When I saw David and Lexi earlier, I thought my heart was going to leap out of my chest.”

Relief washed over me, bringing a wave of fatigue.

Thinking that everything would unfold smoothly without further interference, the exhaustion I had forgotten amid the tension finally caught up with me.

Come to think of it, I hadn’t eaten all day while running around.

After work today, I absolutely had to binge on steak sandwiches. Double the meat, no questions asked.

Rubbing my starving belly and glancing around, I suddenly felt something amiss.

Wait, where did Alice go? Only Raven was here.

“…?”

“Huh? Looking for Alice?”

“…!”

“She probably drank the sleeping gas and is peacefully asleep somewhere. She should wake up soon.”

Ah, she drank the sleeping gas.

Chuckling at Alice’s prolonged absence, I suddenly turned to Raven with a question.

“Wait… Are you reading minds?”

Why did he seem to know what I was thinking just by looking at me?

“I’m not reading your mind. I just have good observational skills. You’re too easy to read; your thoughts are written all over your face.”

“…!!”

“Why, did I guess right again?”

Scary! That’s scarier than if he actually could read minds!

Shivering, I recoiled at Raven’s absurd ability.

But wait, am I really that easy to read? My mask hides my expressions…

Falling into despair over my pitiful poker face, Raven suddenly placed a hand on my head. His clumsy attempt at comfort made my heart ache twice as much.

Grrrr…

Just then, a faint tremor shook the building.

An instinctive sense that something ominous had occurred.

“This is…”

“Could it be, big brother?”

We exchanged urgent glances and hurried out of the corridor.

Reaching a large window overlooking the outside, I spotted two figures flying in the distance.

“That’s, that idiot brother and Sister Raine…!”

“Oh, what a picturesque scene.”

“…!”

A blood-soaked man clutching a dress-clad woman as they soared through the air.

At first glance, it was a scene straight out of a painting.

Perhaps it was the shattered glass fragments sparkling in the sunlight around them.

It almost felt like the world was blessing them.

Leaning against the window, I watched the sight and recalled the dialogue between those two above the blue sky, thanks to memories from the original work.

“You fool, you didn’t need to push yourself so hard and bleed like that for someone like me…”

“Raine is precious to me. Thanks to you, I became fully David, even though my name might fade away.”

“Pfft, that’s not because of me. That’s something David achieved through his own hard work. I didn’t do much.”

“And… I’m sorry I couldn’t keep my promise to make you happy.”

“Fool, what are you talking about? You already did. Right now, I’m happier than ever…”

Yes, childhood friends should find happiness—it’s the perfect flavor.

Feeling as though my struggles had finally paid off, I quietly watched David and Raine land safely and disappear into the distance.

They’d struggle for about three more days, but afterward, it would be smooth sailing. I hoped they wouldn’t worry too much.

And so, the Nemesis terrorist incident concluded with a dazzling climax.

Indeed, rolling forward or backward, a happy ending is always best. A smile naturally escaped me.

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