It was six years ago. That was the year when Spacystro had been invading Earth for 15 years.
At that time, hyper-humans were still being periodically replaced, and I, who was part of Team 3, only thought of them as a problem for the Earth Defense Union Seoul Headquarters.
One day, like any other, I continued my routine life and repeated battles. I heard news about the youngest hyper-human appearing in Germany.
Now, having investigated hyper-humans, I know the situation back then to some extent. But at that time, I wasn’t particularly interested in hyper-humans, so I dismissed it after hearing just their codename and age.
‘Baido.’ The youngest hyper-human to join the active roster, aged 14 at the time. There was much debate about sending a student into battle, but the Earth Defense Union kept deploying Baido to the field.
I thought it was unrelated to me since it happened in Germany, and indeed, Baido’s activities had no connection to me.
Now, things have changed. One discovery from investigating hyper-humans was that replacements became practically nonexistent before and after Baido’s appearance.
Although records show that replacements had already been decreasing before Baido, the noticeable change occurred after his emergence.
Hyper-humans awaken their abilities through experiments before puberty. I suspect Baido’s experiments were pivotal in fully understanding this process.
Of course, it was just speculation for me, lacking data, but it was a plausible theory.
Many hyper-humans who started their activities earlier than Baido are still active today without replacement. Prominent among them are Blue and Yellow, along with Hayang and SuA.
They began their activities earlier than Baido and have continued to compete without issues. This suggests they likely found ways to maintain their powers, which became established around the time Baido appeared.
The information I had on Baido was limited. Essentially, it was not much about Baido himself but rather the changes observed around his appearance.
In conclusion, all I knew about Baido was that such an entity existed.
However, Klugger unexpectedly asked about Baido when I asked him to decode a cipher.
“Why?”
I questioned why Klugger asked about Baido. I heard a sigh from Klugger over the phone.
“I’ll explain now. Listen carefully.”
This indicated he had found something. I focused intently on Klugger’s voice, waiting for his explanation.
“While searching for data, I accidentally came across records from six years ago. There, I found records about Baido.”
It was strange from the start. It meant records about Baido, who was active in Germany six years ago, were left at the Seoul headquarters.
“You know each hyper-human has a unique identification code, right?”
Each hyper-human in the Earth Defense Union files had a unique code, not just nicknames like ‘Red,’ ‘Pink,’ or ‘Green.’ Seeing this made me feel uneasy, as if they were treated like products.
“Yeah, I know.”
“Both Baido and Gainesboro share the same identification code.”
“What?”
It felt like time had stopped. I couldn’t immediately grasp what Klugger said, needing a moment to process.
“But Gainesboro wasn’t active back then, right?”
Team Guerrilla didn’t exist at that time, so naturally, Gainesboro wasn’t affiliated with the Seoul branch. Gainesboro officially appeared in the Seoul branch about four years ago, around the time Team HunterKiller began operations.
“There are no records of Gainesboro from six years ago. Yet, there’s a record of Baido, who was active in Germany six years ago, and his identification code matches Gainesboro’s.”
“Does this mean Baido and Gainesboro are the same person?”
“I can’t be sure. All we have is the record. But given they share the same code, it’s reasonable to assume they’re the same person.”
Klugger wasn’t done yet. After mentioning the shared codes, I sensed he had more to say.
“So, I used the identification codes to find all the data.”
“Yeah.”
“When you align the dates with the recorded data, there’s a regular pattern in the numbers.”
“What do you think caused this pattern?”
“Probably, every number calculated was used as a code. While I don’t know if all codes were used, the pattern remained consistent.”
“Hold on.”
I resumed moving my hands, trying to decipher the unidentified transmission by inputting decoded codes into encrypted files, but I couldn’t break the code.
I tried entering the identification codes of all hyper-humans affiliated with the Seoul branch, including Gainesboro.
“Keep going.”
“The pattern remained until the last record of Gainesboro.”
Gainesboro was no longer in Seoul, but his identification code remained, and time continued to pass. I cross-referenced Klugger’s identification codes with the dates of the unidentified transmissions, inputting them one by one into the encrypted file.
“It worked.”
“Yeah.”
Klugger’s voice was unusually calm. He must have already calculated everything and was looking at the screen I was seeing.
The classified file contained activity logs of hyper-humans from various countries and the status of research facilities located in those countries. Specific locations weren’t revealed, but there was a clue to identify the facility’s location.
“Check the fourth item.”
“I’m looking.”
Multiple entries about radio stations were listed, and one caught my attention.
‘Current Status of Namyangju Radio Station’
Without delay, I launched satellite images to check the map of Namyangju.
“Are there any potential locations for a radio station within the country?”
“Luckily, there aren’t many.”
Klugger, who had already pinpointed the location, sent me the place he found.
‘As expected, doing a good job.’
Impressed by his work efficiency, I examined the provided data. It was an operating warehouse, and nothing else was visible in the photos.
“Why here?”
“It’s close to a power plant.”
While it seemed like a simple reason, it was enough.
“Alright.”
Throughout the investigation, I hadn’t reported many incidents involving my girlfriends, considering them personal matters.
But now, the time had come to report properly, and I couldn’t help feeling nervous.
Discussing the investigation would inevitably involve my girlfriends. If I were punished for not reporting earlier, I wouldn’t have a defense.
Still, I found valuable information that could lead to a raid on the warehouse and uncover the radio station. This provided a legitimate reason for Spacystro to search for threatening elements outside the regulations.
“Hey.”
While thinking about how to report, Klugger called me in a low voice.
“Got anything to hide?”
Without waiting for a response, Klugger continued. His question made me feel a greater tension than the one I felt in preparing to report.
Klugger knew something. I couldn’t tell exactly what, but knowing something, Klugger was suspicious of me.
When explaining the hacking, I omitted many details. Both Klugger and Theo didn’t ask about the omitted parts, thinking they weren’t significant at the time.
But now, those omissions were crucial. The fact that I was dating all members of Team HunterKiller.
“Yeah, there is.”
Even though I spoke, my voice didn’t tremble, nor did I feel tense. I spoke calmly but showed no intention of revealing what I was hiding.
“Alright. Let me ask one more thing. Has your reason for fighting changed?”
After losing my parents, I have never changed the reason I fight. Leaving mother, I’ve invaded countless planets.
And now, I continue to fight to protect what I hold dear. At times, I felt powerless, but now I have my girlfriends.
Though Klugger doesn’t know what’s important to me, he understands I have something to protect.
“I’ll report it tomorrow.”
Writing the report isn’t difficult. Reporting immediately is possible, but there are people more important than the headquarters who need to hear this first.
After finishing the call with Klugger, I backed up the data to my laptop, packed it, and stood up.
“Leaving?”
Luche emerged from her room after changing out of her combat suit into everyday clothes. We met eyes, and she approached me.
“Yes. I need to go home for something.”
“About the investigation?”
Luche, who knew I was investigating hyper-humans, seemed to notice my change in demeanor, indicating she sensed I had found something.
“Yes. I’ll report it tomorrow.”
“…Alright.”
I saluted Luche and turned my back to her. My heart felt heavy.
If Luche knew about everything and reported it, could she avoid punishment? Would she be punished alongside me due to her direct supervision?
I didn’t want her to suffer consequences because of my actions.
“Senior.”
I turned my head at the voice calling me near the elevator.
Luche, who had followed me, was standing at the end of the corridor. She approached me, stopping right in front of me and lifting her heels, gently holding my cheeks with both hands.
“!”
Before I could react, Luche kissed me. Her warm, soft lips lingered briefly before she blushed, pulled away, and smiled faintly at me.
“Don’t worry. I always trust you, so there’s no need to be anxious.”
Her words lightened the heavy burden in my heart.
Luche had always supported me and continued to do so even after knowing my situation.
Like Klugger, who trusted me despite the secrets, Luche also believed in me.
“Thanks.”
A smile appeared on my rigid face. There was no need to worry.
I had found a clue, and as long as I continued doing what I could, I would be fine.
Unlike the carefree days, I had much to lose, but conversely, I had much to protect. Those I needed to protect believed in me, and in turn, protected me.
With determination, I boarded the elevator.
After A got off the elevator, Luche, who remained, blushed and smiled.
“Senior.”
She felt proud of herself for summoning the courage to call him, harboring feelings deep in her heart.
Seeing A find unsettling information, Luche resolved to prepare for tomorrow.
The next day, at the Spacystro Seoul Branch Headquarters.
The entire headquarters was bustling. A had arrived, accompanied by someone familiar yet unfamiliar to everyone.
Red of Team HunterKiller walked confidently down the Spacystro headquarters corridor without any sign of intimidation, and she boldly opened the conference room door.
