Chapter 79

“Gasp—!”

Haspun regained consciousness, spitting out filthy river water that rivaled the Ganges.

Amon clicked his tongue as he watched the axe-wielder come to.

“Does this even look human to you?”

They had left him in the river for hours to be sure, but Haspun was still alive and kicking. His vitality was nothing short of miraculous.

As soon as Haspun came to, he assessed his situation. He was in an unfamiliar room, his limbs disassembled, leaving only his head and torso restrained.

“So that’s what’s under the mask. I thought you’d have a more troubled face, but you’re surprisingly decent-looking.”

Even in his current state, the axe-wielder laughed it off.

He spoke to Amon.

“But are you sure about this?”

“About what?”

“By the time I entered a vegetative state, headquarters would’ve sent people, right? Are you sure about this, Hero of Justice?”

Haspun flashed a confident smile.

He still had no idea what Amon had done to him.

From what he remembered, he fell into the water, and as Amon chanted some incantation, his vision went dark, and he lost consciousness.

He had no idea what kind of ability it was. In a world filled with implants, procedures, and magic, it was impossible to know everything.

But Haspun had a way to counter this.

In case his life was ever in danger—whether from bleeding, drowning, or freezing—a device would put his brain into a vegetative state.

A brain in a vegetative state could theoretically last up to 72 hours. By then, headquarters would send someone to fix him.

This was how Haspun had experienced countless deaths and returned to the battlefield. And he had no doubt it would be the same this time.

Haspun looked at Amon with unwavering confidence.

But Amon’s expression was utterly indifferent. He simply crossed his arms and stared at Haspun’s limbless torso.

Just as Haspun was about to dismiss it as bravado, the woman he hadn’t paid attention to until now spoke up.

“Go ahead and send them. I doubt that company has the guts to do anything.”

Turning his gaze, he saw a black-haired, red-eyed office lady.

Haspun finally took notice of her.

“Who are you, miss?”

“You don’t have to call me that.”

Cash was icy toward any man other than Amon. Of course, even if Haspun hadn’t known Amon, he would’ve been met with the same coldness.

Haspun’s very appearance was repulsive.

The drill-like horns on his head, the mask still clinging to his groin—what even was that? His disassembled state made him even more grotesque.

Though she was visibly repulsed, Cash held back and asked Haspun.

“Which company do you work for?”

“Hey, miss? I asked first.”

“Call me Director, not miss. That answers your question, so now it’s your turn.”

“Ha… Strong women aren’t popular with men, you know…”

Cash’s shoulders twitched slightly at Haspun’s words. She glanced at Amon.

“Why are you looking at me?”

“Just wondering if you think the same as that muscle pig.”

“Being compared to a pervert like that hurts. I’m all about gender equality.”

“Good. That’s all I needed.”

Cash turned her gaze back to Haspun.

“So, what’s your answer to my question?”

“Why should I tell you?”

Despite his appearance, Haspun seemed to have some loyalty as he refused to answer.

But Cash didn’t care.

“Then just listen. Haspun MacTyle, Security Chief of Miller Pharmaceuticals.”

What Cash was about to do wasn’t an interrogation. It was merely a confirmation of what she already knew.

“Sent by the company because the supply of test subjects for the new drug project was cut off.”

Haspun clenched his mouth shut.

But his tightly sealed lips couldn’t hide anything from Cash’s eyes. She continued to extract information from him.

Amon watched from the side, recalling what Cash had said before Haspun woke up.

“The future isn’t invincible.”

Whenever she talked about the future, she always emphasized one thing.

Even if she could see countless futures and parallel worlds, those timelines wouldn’t exist unless she acted on them.

This applied to her opponents as well.

If the other party remained silent, lied, or had the ability to perfectly conceal themselves in all futures, her ability could be countered.

Coincidentally, Haspun wasn’t that kind of person. That’s why this method was possible.

“Originally, it was the External Intelligence Department’s job, but you used your authority to get out of it because you wanted to fight, right?”

Cash’s confirmation continued.

She verified every piece of information from Haspun.

Haspun’s tightly sealed lips only opened when Cash mentioned the pharmaceutical company’s secrets.

“The drug you’re testing is a vaccine, right? A new influenza vaccine? Ah, so you plan to release the virus in Europe and conduct selective treatment. That would definitely boost stock prices and let you buy factory land cheaply.”

“Who are you, miss?”

“I told you, I’m the Director.”

With only his neck able to move, Haspun could only tell that he was in some kind of laboratory.

The only thing he could infer from the conversation was that this place belonged to a Megacorp.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t make sense that headquarters hadn’t rescued him yet.

Haspun made one last desperate attempt at bravado.

“Are you sure about this, Director? This could turn into a corporate war.”

“It’s fine. Your name has already disappeared from the site.”

“You’re lying.”

“Believe it or not, it’s the truth. Do you really think your value is worth your headquarters risking a war?”

But even that was within Cash’s grasp.

The pharmaceutical company had long since cut ties with the axe-wielder. The moment his position shifted to Cash’s company, they had cleanly abandoned him.

“Ugh.”

Haspun couldn’t refute her words.

Deep down, he knew it too.

If this place really was a Megacorp, there was no reason for the company to rescue him.

Sure, the secrets the Security Chief knew were important, but were they worth starting a corporate war? Probably not.

It wasn’t that the Security Chief’s value was that low, but rather that the weight of the term “corporate war” was that high.

If the Security Chief had been the Chairman’s spouse or if the Chairman had a strong sense of loyalty, they might have risked it.

But Haspun didn’t fall into either category.

In other words, he had already been discarded.

Haspun immediately gave up on negotiating with the backing of headquarters.

All that was left was to offer his own body as a bargaining chip.

“Then how about hiring me? I may have lost to that guy, but I’m confident my skills aren’t something to be ashamed of.”

At his proposal, Cash’s eyes turned cold.

Haspun couldn’t understand the sudden change in her demeanor.

He thought it was a reasonable offer, so why?

As he pondered this, Cash spoke.

“There’s something called the banality of evil.”

“?”

“Ah, you probably wouldn’t understand even if I explained it. To put it simply, whether you cooperated with your company or not, you’re still evil.”

“What are you talking about? Miss, I know what I’m doing isn’t honorable. But what can I do?”

– Everyone lives like this.

Amon’s shoulder twitched. His hand moved toward the sword at his waist.

At that moment, Cash stopped Amon’s hand. She kept her gaze on Haspun and continued.

“American Soul.”

“What?”

“That American Soul you keep talking about—what is it?”

Why was this woman bringing that up?

Haspun wondered but decided not to dwell on it.

This woman had been listing facts he’d never told her. There was no point in questioning her now.

Haspun gladly answered her question.

“American Soul! It’s freedom! The freedom to speak my mind without caring about others! The freedom to use any means necessary to achieve what I want!”

It was hard to believe this was the same person who had kept his mouth shut earlier. Haspun delivered a fluent speech.

After all, it had nothing to do with security, and it was part of his ideology—the freedom to spread his beliefs.

Amon, listening, silently refuted in his mind.

‘That’s not freedom; that’s indulgence.’

But he didn’t say it out loud.

He didn’t want to waste energy arguing with an idiot.

Meanwhile, Cash asked instead.

“Isn’t it contradictory to talk about freedom while infringing on others’ freedom?”

“No no no.”

Haspun pouted his lips and shook his head side to side.

It was an incredibly annoying sight.

“Freedom is something you have to fight for and protect. If the freedom of the strong and the weak clash, of course, the stronger one’s freedom takes precedence, right?”

“I see.”

Cash nodded.

“Then when people were sacrificed at Miller Pharmaceuticals, you supported that, right?”

“Exactly! That’s the American way—”

As Haspun spoke, Cash’s finger twitched.

The spear standing beside her flew up and pierced through Haspun’s open mouth.

Thud!

Chunks of flesh splattered everywhere. The upper part of Haspun’s head, above the jaw, was cleanly gone.

‘Holy crap.’

Amon almost let out a curse at the shocking scene.

Looking at Haspun’s headless body, Cash said to Amon,

“No need to dirty your hands. He wasn’t worth it.”

Her eyes softened as she looked at Amon.

“I’ll head up to the office first. Come up in the afternoon.”

Amon stared blankly at Cash.

As she boarded the elevator to the surface, Cash said to Amon,

“And that injury on your arm—don’t hide it just because you have regeneration. If it gets worse, Sonia won’t let it slide. Get it treated before coming to the office.”

With that, she closed the elevator doors.

*

Cash, who had returned to the office ahead of Amon, immediately began processing the information obtained from the underground into the company’s “profit.”

Pharmaceutical company <Miller> had cut ties with Haspun.

While it was a wise choice for the company, it was a foolish move when dealing with Rekhetio.

If they were going to face her, they should’ve planted a bomb in Haspun’s brain.

Cash immediately contacted Miller.

“I’ve obtained some interesting information.”

She began relaying the pharmaceutical company’s plans she had extracted from Haspun.

As if anticipating this outcome after Haspun’s capture, Miller quickly proposed a deal.

“You want me to stay silent?”

They tried to buy her off with money. If that didn’t work, they were open to other conditions.

But that wasn’t what Cash wanted.

‘I have to do what the two of them can’t.’

The Amon Cash knew was an individual with formidable combat skills. Sonia also possessed strength and potential far beyond what Cash could match.

Though it was frustrating, Cash had her limits when standing alongside them on the battlefield.

So, she chose a different approach.

Cash decided to become the nest. That thought hadn’t changed.

‘I have to support their dreams in my own way.’

And the current phone call was part of that approach.

“Stop the experiment you’re planning in France.”

Preventing tragedy.

The two might pretend they’re not heroes, but they wouldn’t stand by when faced with tragedy.

The kind of people often called fools in this world.

But Cash liked those fools.

If they weren’t like that, they wouldn’t have helped her, and Cash had already been influenced by them.

That’s why Cash wanted to prevent tragedy in her own way.

“Is this a threat? No. Let me reiterate, this is a deal. Stop the experiment. In return, our company will help you acquire factory land at a low price.”

[…I’ll discuss it with the Chairman.]

The man on the other end of the line was hesitant about accepting the deal.

But that was enough.

Logically, there was no reason for the pharmaceutical company to refuse Cash’s offer.

Not out of humanitarian reasons, but because there was no need to use such a dangerous method as a virus.

In fact, in the future Cash had seen, the pharmaceutical company had accepted the deal, so Cash was satisfied as she ended the call.

After hanging up, she checked the time.

One hour until Amon arrived.

She immediately fixed her makeup and changed her clothes.

The outfit she always changed into when meeting Amon alone.

As she changed, she thought about Amon’s arm.

‘Every time I send him out, he comes back injured…’

Suddenly, the word “protection” popped into Cash’s mind.

If a bluebird keeps getting injured outside, isn’t it natural for someone who loves it to provide a cage?

Of course, Cash loved the free bluebird. That’s why she chose to be the nest.

But even if it’s a cage, as long as it’s a safe place, wouldn’t it be okay to open the door only when necessary…

‘No, what am I thinking?’

She caught herself drifting off and finished her makeup.

She threw off her suit coat and deliberately left her chest exposed.

Finally, she put on a dress that emphasized her proud thighs…

‘Right.’

She slightly lowered her panty line to make it visible through the slit. It could be hidden, but she knew Amon’s eyes would drift there.

Some might call her a pervert, but who cares? Only one person would see it anyway.

She checked her appearance and prepared to welcome Amon.

Then, five minutes before the scheduled time, Cash received a text.

<Sonia finished early today, so she's coming with me. Is that okay?>

Cash was startled by the message.

She barely caught her phone before dropping it and quickly replied.

<Sure.>

<I'll be right up.>

After sending the reply, Cash hurriedly fixed her clothes.

Five minutes later.

Cash, now in a plain office look, greeted the two.

“Uh… you’re here?”

Hiding her cold sweat, she welcomed them.

Beside Amon, who greeted her warmly,

Sonia looked at Cash’s makeup with a meaningful gaze.

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