Chapter 225

Q. The person who hit you on the back of the head seems to be very angry; is this something you did?

A. Yes, but I honestly have no idea why they’re so angry~

‘…What the hell?’

Did I really hear that correctly? Since it’s a space where consciousness and the unconscious are mixed, there’s also a possibility that emotions were so raw during the transmission that the expression became distorted.

Why do nations that live in geographically isolated places or have unique histories sometimes have cultures that are disconnected from ‘normal’?

Even the high-tech leading company Exatech may have had compatibility issues while trying to create a path for me, known as an enema, so if I just keep an open mind and show some consideration, it’s understandable…

……Can I understand this!?

No matter how much the head of the research institute said they wouldn’t kill me right away,

given the situation, I know it’s more reasonable to focus my remaining thoughts on grasping roughly where I am confined and whether there’s a chance to escape…

But it’s unfair for a thing that resembles a nine-headed snake to jump out from a thicket I poked to secure a safe zone.

The best I could have heard from the party involved was something like “that selfish bitch.” or the barely interpretable phrase, Une chienne… something like that for a curse. And maybe a splendid death threat that expresses a desire to kill!

Even with the common reference of Leonar given, how am I supposed to have a comfortable conversation with a crazed psychopath who assumes themselves to be a unilateral lover!? No, isn’t being in such an ambiguous position even riskier??

“We really… I worked hard to make sure I could have surgery on my birthday! I went bankrupt trying to forge a pre-agreement video by combining his employee ID, security certificate, and his usual voice and face data to surprise him with a gift!

This self-centered good wife hasn’t even been able to whisper a romantic love word but has already been on the run from home for years! Sure, I’ve been receiving the missed displays of affection through his body, but… If Mr. Gibson hadn’t said that each of us needs our own time, I would have found him much sooner…!”

“…I see…?”

Seemingly confident that unless she intentionally doesn’t wake me, I wouldn’t have any means to resist or cause any special issues, Electra’s mouth flapped more freely.

If I were to point it out, an endless list of illegal and suspicious words would come out, yet with a certain ecstatic expression on her face, I threw a vacant empathy of my emptying mind as bait at her.

For a moment, I began to feel embarrassed for suspecting there might be something hidden that Leonar hadn’t completely said… You are almost certainly innocent; maybe.

Slithering.

As my calmness wavered at the unfathomable madness’s concept, it seemed that even the scenery of the mental world, previously under control, began to shake. It shouldn’t be like this just because I was simply overwhelmed by the situation, considering it was neither a technical malfunction nor an assault.

But isn’t anger one of the hottest emotions that easily erodes with the passage of time? On the contrary, carrying on long with affection that should inherently be noble and positive like this…

…Ah, somehow it feels like I’ve had a similarly disgusting and horrific precedent in the past.

“So, unless the little one isn’t inciting weird impulses, what change of heart has the bad man who left his newlywed bride for two long years caused to suddenly mess up the facility like this? …What!? Could it be that he was preparing a gift too!!?”

“…He did lead it based on a wildly blind purpose.”

Judging that it was no longer a matter I should be involved in, I threw out a soulless response while thinking it was indeed a tremendous amount of selfishness and convenient thinking.

Of course, for someone fervent about the world, for an Exatech believer, a life of a steel superhuman free from aging, disease, and all kinds of suffering could be the goal of life.

But doesn’t the fact that they didn’t even imagine that the structure of the relationship that was established by imposing that without consent would completely collapse explain everything?

A personality disorder that often ignores or infringes on others’ rights across various aspects is referred to as Psychopathy.

In the case of Ms. Electra, who was capable enough to ascend to the position of head of the research institute early on, it seems she must have overshadowed the feelings of betrayal and fear that Leonar felt with her efforts and desires that went into her actions. Conversely, she desperately believed that the other party didn’t truly understand her.

Before I knew it, aside from the original purpose of interrogating me about Leonar, she appeared to be fantasizing about a practically impossible rosy future—striking a twisted smile that revealed her fangs.

I no longer want to be emotionally entangled. I’m tired and overwhelmed; if she has that sort of personality, she might change her stance at any moment and rush at me with a knife, claiming I was standing next to her husband. …How unfair.

I hope that even if we meet again after a long time, Leonar’s resolve for revenge remains unchanged… as I sank my consciousness down in thought.

Electra likely isn’t someone with supernatural powers.

Therefore, to project her form into someone else’s mind like this, she must be connected to me with the help of an implant equipped with at least specific functions or a complex large-scale computing device. If I can grasp that much, perhaps I can escape my restraints and break free…!

Crackle—!!

It’s as if I’m racing up an escalator moving in the same direction at double speed.

Based on a hypothesis where the probability of missing is significantly low, this time I’m exploring the neural network over there. The sensation of my self, which was confined in a cramped space, finally recovering the sovereignty of the area like usual is refreshingly invigorating.

Where exactly is this? I was told I’m an experimental subject, so is it some laboratory-like space?

If so, there should be a control computer or central system present, but since I can’t see them or know what type they are, my attempts to find them have been futile.

“…Wait, how can there be such distinct brainwaves in an unawakened state…?”

Suddenly cutting her words, Electra resumed her observation, looking at me as if she had been caught up in a fantasy.

The connection is bidirectional. Just as I felt discomfort when she dared to cross my boundary, she must have also detected my signal with some sort of observational equipment on her side.

“……You’ve been awake all along, haven’t you?”

“!!”

‘That sly woman…’ Hearing her mutter ominously sent chills down my spine… This is unlike any horror movie!

Reach it, reach it, reach it… Please reach it quickly.

Using the devices that Electra manipulated unconsciously as stepping stones, I finally unfolded the program list of the core terminal I found and checked for items related to safety or locking mechanisms, discovering the devices linked to me… found!

With a light *ping* sound, the surgical restraints binding my limbs slipped away.

The bright white ceiling and dazzling lights that I hadn’t seen in a while tortured my eyes, but,

as I finally wanted to remove the bothersome electrode plates that had been stuck to my forehead and cheeks since the reality triangle returned,

‘…Huh?’

“……”

Someone who familiarized themselves with the opera mask and monitor head cautiously grabbed my arm that was about to move and stopped me.

Huh… What could it be? How did Leonar manage to infiltrate all the way here safely? No, what on earth is going on?

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

‘C’est dégoûtant à écouter. Really… just listening to it is disgusting.’

Still, calling him an old friend. He felt embarrassed that he had hoped that a serious conversation could serve as a slight relaxation to the source of their conflict…

For now, pretending to earnestly comply with the peace treaty, he followed behind Gibson, who came out to meet him on purpose, crossing the research building corridor. At this moment, he was grateful for having selected a mask that made it difficult to recognize emotional expression as an avatar.

Originally, it would be typical to reconstruct and output his original face in 3D holography, but until he regains his physical body, he chose a model determined to live like a ghost.

If that were the case, by now, the impulse to shoot a bullet into the back of Gibson’s head would undoubtedly have been revealed.

“You should be grateful that your partner is good enough to get a few billion won worth of surgery for free and even handle aftercare without letting the head office find out. Isn’t it enough to repeat that unwanted modifications are a personal execution?”

“Do you think I’m some kind of toy…!? I have free will too, and that was a choice in an area Electra shouldn’t dare to infringe upon. Don’t try to deny that so easily.”

“Goodness, you who like to be so principled and nitpick turned out to have jumped into the underworld and bombed your previous workplace into shambles? I’m really…”

“……”

While he mentally pressed him until there were no choices left, Leonar’s monitor refresh rate momentarily faltered as he seized onto the trailing words.

In fact, he had somewhat expected this. The risk borne on pure friendship was too great.

He just never imagined from the beginning that he would keep in touch and conspire with Electra, let alone initially expect a greater cost from himself after everything was over.

Even the vaguely complicated reason behind her acting as a double agent amplified Leonar’s irritation.

He had extracted all sorts of workplace conveniences and results from her, using the only communication channel as a shield.

“Think about it! You’ve been at the bottom for a while; you must know? If you just have enough credits, there are people outside who will come at you with blades. If you obtain a hyper high-spec body that you can sustain on the company’s funds for a lifetime, what is there to complain about?

Damn it, do you want to keep whining about ‘what about your choices’ and ‘what about your free will’!? I might have to spend my whole life living with these stupid goggles shoved on my face without money to eat and die?”

“……Gibson.”

A low call.

Sensing the tense atmosphere, Gibson suddenly closed his mouth after a while of energetically chatting and tapping his fingers at his eyes, quickly finishing his remarks with, “So you better consider yourself lucky. If I could have taken your place, I would have tidied it up sooner.”

He thought he handled it with witty banter, but Leonar’s sensors might have captured his ugly inferiority complex starkly.

It would have been nice if he had realized that earlier… He had been too preoccupied with standard work and personal research, leaving him too insensitive and not properly observing his surroundings.

Without a doubt. Even though conversation is the most certain extension of communication, it could turn out to be a series of echoes that are more hollow than expected.

Just because you’re exchanging words doesn’t mean you can truly understand each other. Unless the common sense and ideas underlying each are genuinely crossed, it’s no different from shouting at a wall.

……Or not? If he had screamed at a wall, it might have relieved his feelings, but this was rotting inside in real time, so it may even be worse.

He sighed inwardly, marveling at how all his past connections could turn out to be this trash.

Not getting a single penny while relying on a connection brushed past him under the excuse of uncertain remuneration, he was grateful for someone who had put their life on the line to strive to the end when it came down to one mere mercenary.

“H…”

Right, if you lose one thing, you gain another. In this case, rather than two adverse connections, you could say he gained a corresponding good friendship.

Relatively easily. In this case, since you can consolidate all the immediate assignments, he considers himself quite fortunate.

“I’ve truly endured all that hardship to create this position. If I had known this would happen, I should have just left the problem of that hacker girl to her disposal instead of messing around by getting a transfer from Kidong.”

“…That’s right. If I can sort out her issues, I can move freely too.”

All he had to do was burn all the old outdated things as repeatedly pointed out and value the new things he had obtained.

Though he was quite displeased, he would honestly have a conversation with Electra.

He would seriously consider the request to reinstate himself. But first, he needed to find out how to deal with the related parties in advance.

In terms of Leonar’s common sense and standards, Gibson did not choke on the ridiculous compromise as he faithfully led him to a brainwave mixing room deep within the research building.

Swoosh!

As the sliding door for air blockage opened smoothly with a hissing sound, there sat Electra, loudly wearing an oddly-shaped helmet in the operating surgeon’s seat.

In the capsule prepared to keep the patient in a state of unconsciousness for a long time, Anastasia lay soundly asleep.

Having confirmed that the assistant was safe, they had crossed the relatively easy first hurdle.

Now the next step is… to escape, even if it means combining all means available to completely annihilate this place.