Chapter 60

With the Security Chief gone, Owen’s followers had almost completely disappeared.

Now, the only one left in the company who followed Owen was his secretary.

As they climbed to the top floor where the Chairman was, the Mute Sniper whistled.

*Whistle~*

[Did we even need this? Honestly, it feels like one director could’ve handled everything.]

Cash shook her head.

“Father can give Owen a hard time, but he can’t take back the Chairman position.”

Of course, if the core personnel, led by the Security Chief, went wild, the damage would be significant.

But while the damage would be significant, it wouldn’t be a decisive blow.

“They were planted there like white elephants from the start.”

“White elephants?”

“You know, the kind of people who are too valuable to give away but too scary to use yourself.”

“Ah, you’re talking about a dilemma.”

“Dilemma?”

“It’s a Chinese proverb.”

“Amon, you’re surprisingly well-versed in Japanese and Chinese culture, huh?”

Amon showed off a Japanese sword he received from the Chairman’s close aide and said,

“Their culture is good at making cold weapons, so I naturally picked it up.”

“That’s true. Anyway, the number of people infected by the virus is small. Taking over the company with just that is impossible. When we first came in, we had to fight directly.”

The virus was deadly, but the company’s strength still remained.

In contrast, the only forces left by the Chairman’s side were a few executives and one director.

Most of the executives were non-combat personnel, so there weren’t many useful fighters.

The former Chairman didn’t have the physical strength to take over this company.

“So, have confidence. If it weren’t for you guys, I wouldn’t have made it this far.”

“It’s also thanks to your courage.”

At Amon’s words, Cash shyly tapped his shoulder.

As he said, in the end, what mattered was Cash’s courage.

The reason the Chairman didn’t activate the virus in the future where Cash and her friends were wiped out was also because of this.

Even if he wanted to help, if Cash decided to run away, helping would be meaningless.

Even if the company fell into chaos due to the virus, if Cash ran away, no one in the company would side with her or remain neutral.

In that state, the company would suffer some critical damage, but they’d still have the strength to wipe out Amon’s party.

In other words, the Chairman’s help would be meaningless.

That’s why, though bitter, the Chairman had to choose Owen’s side for the sake of the family’s prosperity.

As a father, it was cold, but as the family head and former Chairman of the company, it was a rational choice.

In other words, in this worldline, the Chairman chose Cash.

The reason was simple.

“In the end, if you give up, you have no choices left.”

At Cash’s words, her companions affirmed in their own ways.

Having solidified their friendship, they climbed the floors again.

On the way, Cash foresaw the battle with Owen.

“Owen will be handled by me, Amon, and Sonia.”

The Owen Cash knew wasn’t just a desk-bound nerd.

As much as she hated to admit it, Owen’s talent was real.

“That guy has always been smarter than me, and his surgical compatibility is much higher.”

Hundreds of years ago, strength was gained by training a single talented individual over decades.

But in modern society, the measure of strength is determined by how many surgeries one can undergo.

In that sense, Owen was born with a natural physique.

He underwent far better genetic and magical engraving surgeries than Cash, and the side effects were just mild allergies.

“Of course, he’s not at the level of the Security Chief, but he’ll still be quite strong.”

The power of Future Vision is formidable.

Enough for an unarmed Cash to crush armed assassins.

In the end, unless you’re overwhelmingly fast or have overwhelming firepower, the one who knows all the patterns will have the advantage.

Even if Owen’s computer shows an incomplete Future Vision, it’s still undeniably powerful.

“If I say he was a running back in high school, would you get it?”

Her companions nodded at her words.

That alone was enough to gauge Owen’s physical abilities.

American football is a sport filled with monsters who can flip light armored vehicles and leap 4 meters in a single bound if they’re determined.

The fact that Owen was part of that world gave a hint of his physical prowess.

“You guys handle Owen’s secretary.”

The Water Buffalo Beastman Torso, the Mute Sniper Bens, the Ogre Vox, and the Bisexual Mage Hen nodded.

By the way, his secretary was also a high school classmate who played football.

“Status?”

Even though they had just fought downstairs, Amon’s party was in almost perfect condition.

Thanks to farming equipment from the Shonrai Group last time, Amon and his companions’ gear had been significantly upgraded.

In terms of combat power alone, they were at the level of a top-tier corporate special forces unit, and with their experience, they were on par with a Megacorp security team.

It wasn’t just the former Chairman’s help that allowed them to sweep the security team downstairs.

They had at least some skill.

“Shield status is fine.”

[Special ammo is still plentiful.]

“Gunpowder compounds are sufficient.”

“We saved a lot of magic power downstairs.”

Just like before entering a boss room in a dungeon, each gave their report.

Cash naturally looked at Amon and Sonia.

“I’m not dead yet.”

“Bullets and divine power are sufficient.”

At their answers, Cash nodded in satisfaction.

“Let’s go.”

*

They met Owen sooner than expected.

To get to the Chairman’s office, they had to get off the elevator, go through the corridor, and pass through a large atrium.

Owen came out of the Chairman’s office and waited for Amon’s party in the atrium.

With his secretary by his side, he sat in a chair in the middle of the atrium.

As soon as he saw Cash, he muttered with gloomy eyes.

“In the end, Father only loved you.”

Owen lamented.

He resented the father who had planted a virus in the company for 20 years for Cash’s sake.

But Cash denied Owen’s thoughts.

“Father loved you until the end.”

As proof, the former Chairman gave Owen countless opportunities.

When Owen couldn’t awaken the power of Foresight, he kept fueling him, even cutting his own wrist.

– “That can’t be! Please!”

Owen was so shocked that day that he locked himself in his room, but according to Cash’s memory, the former Chairman was taken away due to anemia.

That wasn’t the end.

– “Even if you don’t awaken the power of Foresight, you’re still my son.”

Right after the ritual, the Chairman sincerely told him.

Owen said the Chairman’s love cooled after the ritual, but that was clearly wrong.

After that, the Chairman constantly tried to talk to his son, but it was Owen who refused.

As if refusing to talk at all, Owen fled and became independent.

“You can’t blame Father if you think you’re unworthy of being loved alone.”

“Shut up! What do you know? You’re the only one who felt that way! Father knew I would betray him in the future and didn’t love me!”

“Isn’t it strange? If he didn’t love you, he could’ve just excluded you, but he kept you around until that day came?”

At her pointed remark, Owen’s body flinched.

For a moment, the image of the Chairman’s neck being strangled flashed in Owen’s mind.

The monster who remained calm even while being strangled.

But that monster was stroking Owen’s cheek with sad eyes.

Owen shook his head to shake off the thought.

If that were true…

He’d be too miserable.

“No. You don’t know anything. How Father treated me.”

“I lived under the same roof as you once, too.”

Their gazes clashed in mid-air.

In the tense standoff, Cash was the first to back down.

“Sigh… What does the truth matter now?”

Perception is subjective.

Whether Owen rejected his father first or the Chairman’s love cooled first is unknown,

Whether the Chairman heard the prophecy and his love cooled first or his love cooled and then he heard the prophecy is also unknown,

Whether the mother went mad first and Owen broke or Owen broke first and the mother went mad is also unknown.

In a family that sees the future, causality is as meaningless as it gets.

Owen also gave a bitter smile.

“Just because you see the future doesn’t mean you have the right to choose it.”

The emotions you feel upon seeing a future for the first time change, and those emotions ultimately affect the future.

Prophecy is never a blessing.

But Cash denied Owen’s words.

“No. The right to choose the future belongs to those who don’t give up.”

Owen was a rational person.

Because he was rational, he quickly gave up if the failure rate was high.

The computer, reflecting Owen’s personality, didn’t even show such futures as options.

Because Owen couldn’t choose those futures to begin with.

But the former Chairman and Cash were different.

“Father said it. Future Vision should remain a tool.”

That’s why the Chairman, even knowing an unfortunate future, didn’t give up and tried to do something.

Keeping the Security Chief or the Manager, who were dilemmas, by his side and giving them chances,

Knowing Owen would betray him in the future but not dealing with him.

It was all an attempt to change things, and as a result, only he saw certain options.

Cash was the same.

“It’s not the computer’s problem, it’s yours.”

From Cash’s perspective, the options Owen didn’t see weren’t because the computer was incompetent, but because Owen always compromised for the sake of rationality.

“If the computer really had a problem… why have all your investments succeeded so far?”

Owen knew the answer.

Because he was confident in his investments.

It was the talent his parents always praised.

Compared to now, where he’s clashing with Cash…

“No.”

Owen gritted his teeth.

But Cash’s pursuit continued.

“You know.”

But Owen denied it.

“Do I have an inferiority complex towards you? Nonsense. I’m different from you. I’ve proven myself until now.”

“Right. That’s why I don’t get it. You were smarter than me and had a better physique. So why did you develop an inferiority complex over the power to see the future?”

“So I’m telling you, I don’t feel any inferiority.”

“Right. Sure.”

Cash sighed and adjusted her grip on her spear.

The conversation was over.

To anyone watching, Cash had clearly won the psychological battle.

Owen twitched his eyebrows and drew his spear.

As the two drew their weapons, the companions and the secretary also drew theirs.

When the secretary threw off his coat, his body began to swell.

His upper body transformed into a giant wolf.

“A werewolf surgery, huh.”

The Water Buffalo Tanker muttered.

The companions naturally looked at him.

“What?”

“You didn’t get that kind of surgery?”

“That’s a bit speciesist.”

The Tanker, who claimed he was born a water buffalo.

Amon nodded.

It was a question he didn’t expect much from, so it didn’t matter.

The secretary’s surgery wasn’t just a werewolf surgery.

His right arm, hidden under his suit, was entirely mechanical, and tattoos all over his body emitted a purple light, covering him in a cold aura.

“Feels familiar.”

At Sonia’s muttering, Amon nodded.

It reminded him of the full-armored gorilla he met as a child.

The difference was that the secretary retained his sanity.

Seeing this, the Bisexual Mage checked with Cash.

“Just to be sure, the virus in the secretary…”

“He’s only been with the company for 10 years.”

“No good, then.”

Sighing, the party members who were supposed to handle the secretary lured him to another location.

Owen seemed to want individual battles too, as the secretary obediently followed the companions.

As the secretary and the party members began their battle a short distance away,

Owen also activated his magical engravings.

“Body enhancement, hemostasis, respiratory support, dynamic vision enhancement, nerve support…”

“So, just really fast, strong, and tough. Right?”

“…And I’ll use some magic without incantations.”

“That’s a bit rough.”

This was the true essence of magical engravings.

Allowing specific magic to be cast without incantations.

Warriors only use body enhancement types, but Owen seems to have talent as a mage too.

A warrior’s body and a mage’s mind.

Seeing this, Amon grumbled.

“He should’ve just been satisfied with that talent.”

“My thoughts exactly.”

Sonia also agreed with Amon.

And Cash said, incredulously,

“You guys are at that level too!?”

Amon didn’t say a word.

“Honestly, with Future Vision, you’re in our league too.”

Cash didn’t particularly deny it.

With those words, the three charged at Owen.

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