Negative popped the candy from his mouth. His expression turned serious.
"Now then, Morrin. Tell me exactly what you plan to do with your new man...
...the one you call Subject Zero."
Morrin went silent, her flirtiness and teasing not shaken under his gaze, knowing he was serious.
"Honestly..."
Morrin spoke as the other two listened silently.
"At first, I thought it'd be bad for us, y'know? If Heaven officials get access to that immortal body, who knows how strong their creations become later."
Negative nodded.
"And...?" he asked.
"My plan right now is to get him on our side. I'm sure once he realizes Heaven can't possibly listen or answer his questions—no matter what he does—"
"...Fair, yet still... how are you planning to get him on our side?"
Morrin smiled, crossing her arms.
"I use my body of course."
Negative's face fell into ironic silence.
"Absurd as usual."
"Hey, that works 99% of the time!"
Negative fixed his glasses and bit his candy, looking calm once again.
"Alright, alright... so where is he? Sure you know, if you know all that?"
Morrin shrugged.
"Well... I don't know..."
"..."
"Hey, don't give me the silent treatment!"
"..."
"Alright jeez, fine! I know someone who at least knows what he looks like."
"Well fine, but who?"
Morrin giggled and pointed her finger at Iris, who looked confused the moment she was singled out.
"Excuse me...?" Iris asked Morrin.
But Morrin just giggled.
"Remember how I teased you about someone you bumped into?"
Iris' eyebrows twitched—a hint of nervousness and anger in her eyes.
"What are you trying to say? That's none of your business who I bump into."
Morrin leaned closer to Iris.
"Come on, don't be so ignorant—you blushed!"
"I feel I should give my powers a try on you—" Iris snapped.
"Calm down, butterfly it's not time for blood," Negative intervened before Iris reached for Morrin's throat.
Turning to Morrin, he asked again.
"Morrin, stop making riddles, will ya?"
Morrin shrugged again but got serious.
"I'm saying, the person she bumped into got same smell... exactly like the contracts and ancient items we found grinding through Layer Zero."
"You sure?"
"On YOUR soul."
"Fair." Negative responded deadpan.
---
[Zyrlovia]
Evan and sumei walked side by side under flickering signs and cracked neon clouds. The further they got from the central Veins, the stranger the architecture became—jutting archways made from broken-down server racks, rusted graffiti-bombs that still glowed with nanolumens, and vending machines repurposed into shrines for broken AI.
Evan's coat flapped softly behind him, his hand half-buried in his pocket.
"Was this coat necessary?"
"Grandpa, you're lucky I had a friend who can help—with illegal stuff. You could at least dress modestly."
"Did you tell that person we're coming?"
"Not really, but he doesn't have any other friend than me."
"..."
"We're here."
They finally reached a dazzling spire: CELESTINE LUX TOWER—a high-rise full of celebrities, model streams, and illegal gene-laundering spas.
Evan stopped, brow arching. "Wait, this is where your contact lives?"
Sumei grinned.
Then walked right past the tower.
To a leaning, scorched two-story building literally glued to its side like a tumor of poverty.
"This," she said, "is where real deals happen."
Evan looked from the gilded tower to the crooked home with a shattered satellite dish resting on its roof like a broken halo.
"Uhh... I have no words right now."
They stepped up to the door, which was more rust than metal.
Sumei knocked rhythmically.
"It's me! Come on, open up!"
A voice inside replied with feminine monotone.
"Passphrase."
Sumei blinked. "Uhh… 'The ducks fly backwards on Tuesday'?"
Click. The door opened, followed by a normal gate already unlocked.
"Let's go. Mana is waiting."
They entered a cramped, tech-crammed living room. Holograms flickered over half-assembled drone parts, CPUs blinked from the walls, and six different AI eyes tracked them from makeshift mounts.
In the center of the chaos stood a girl wrapped in a blanket. No shirt. Neon shorts. Wires trailed from her temples. Her name appeared on a hovering tag above her head: MANA
She turned.
Saw Evan.
Paused.
Evan, a gentleman, turned around, exit and calmly closed the door behind him.
Then gently, politely, but firmly—
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHH!!!"
From inside, Evan could hear her yelling at Sumei.
"Why didn't you tell me you're bringing a guy to my place?! A tall, long-haired guy who looks like he can split me in half!"
"Calm down, Grandpa's not gonna kill you!"
"That's not a grandpa, Sumei!! He even saw me naked while I was installing core threads into my cortex?! My dignity—su!! That's not how a girl and guy meet!"
Eventually, peace was restored.
Sumei explained the situation: the fight club of history, the need to sneak in.
Mana, now in a crop top (nothing much changed from evan's perspective), still looked flustered.
"So... you want my help getting into that illegal playground?"
"Yes." Evan spoke firmly.
"And what do I get if I agree with you?"
"Come on, Mana, you're like a big sister to me. Can't you help us?" Sumei chimed in, trying to convince her.
"That's still dangerous. I owe that place a lot of IPs to begin with, so even if I help, only you can go."
"How much?" Evan asked firmly.
Mana leaned back, finding the question hilarious.
"Why you wanna know? It's not like you can cover my—"
Evan transferred 70,000,000 IPs to her profile.
Mana paused. Blinked. Then, gently, politely, but firmly—
"EEEEEEEEEEEHHHHHHHHH—!?!"
"Mister, are you some kind of god of wealth in disguise?!"
"No."
"Are you buying me then?!"
"No."
"Then are you planning to prostituting me?!??"
"That's worse. And no. But you get more if you lead us there."
"Say less! This hacker-slash-programmer-slash-assistance-slash-servant is all yours, sir!"
"Just Evan is fine. Let's go—lead the way."
---
Underground Black Market: THE DEPTH CIRCUIT
The corridor stretched long and narrow—like a vein carved into the underbelly of the city.
Neon graffiti covered the walls: portraits of cyborg Napoleons, cloned gladiators, and one disturbing mural of Einstein dual-wielding photon blades.
They passed under arched servers still humming from forgotten warzones until they reached a broken LED gate.
Sumei was astonished by the sheer number of gadgets and people.
"Incredible... I knew officials were wary of this place, but it's beyond what I heard."
"Of course. You find everything here—from weapons to robots to dolls. Even limbs—gross and astonishing at the same time."
A terminal flickered:
WELCOME TO THE FIGHT CLUB OF HISTORY
The three of them approached, and Mana asked for registration.
"Excuse me~"
"Oh look who's here. You've yet to pay us 20,000 IPs, y'know that?" The manager, Duskin Mose, looked at her with disdain.
"I do, and I will. But first, I'd like to ask about the registration for that VR. Any seats available?"
"Even if there were, I'd likely kick your fat ass before giving you a single pass, bitch! Why don't you sell yourself to us instead huh?" He responds mockingly.
"Rude, are you~ hmm?" Mana keeps a patient expression.
Then the manager suddenly got a message—30,000 IPs transferred. He turned, stunned.
"So you finally turned into a responsible adult, huh?"
"You can have those other 10,000 IPs as a gift. Now give me the pass."
"Well... the thing is, registration for today just closed. There's only one VVIP pass left. But you can't have it."
"Hmm? Why's that?" Mana asked, confused.
"Because only those who beat G.O.R. 67V can have access to it."
"Huh? You can't be serious! That 10ft tungsten gorilla? Don't you guys use it for security and moving crates?"
"Of course not. But it's business, after all. Sorry to disappoint."
No IPs, no respect. Mana returned to her group, clearly pissed.
"Guess we can't then, huh?" Sumei asked in an annoyed tone, arms crossed like she'd been denied a snack.
"No, sadly. Unless your 'grandpa' has a plan to fight a gorilla." Mana replied sarcastically.
While they were discussing what to do, a drone flew overhead, moving from place to place, and landed in a chamber where G.O.R. 67V was charging while a mechanic packing his stuff.
Suddenly, its eyes lit up.
A loud roar echoed, catching Evan's attention.
He turned toward the voice—just in time to see a man crash through a wall. His limb twisted, his body snapped like a twig. Dead.
"Do tell me—is this normal here?" Evan asked, expression still calm.
"Well... not really, but I think we should leave before it—" Mana's voice cut off by another roar.
"I didn't know robots could scream so reluctantly."
"Is that really the time to joke?!"
"Am I funny?"
The gorilla's speed was ridiculous. In the blink of an eye, it stood behind Sumei, who was inspecting weapons like a toddler in a toy store. Calm.
Just as the robot spun its arm, Sumei vanished.
Even Mana was shocked.
She turned to Evan—but he was already gone. She looked up. He was hanging from a pipe, Sumei in his arm.
How did he move so fast?
Why was Sumei so calm?
Why was that robot—which usually guarded the market—now attacking?
Evan jumped across rooftops and landed beside Mana. He put Sumei down.
"You shouldn't rely on me so much. I'm still a stranger. What if I didn't save you?"
"I smelled it, Grandpa. You were gonna save me. I just wanted you to look badass."
"You really are a brat. Is this a fictional story to you?"
"Plot armour grandpa."
He sighs
"How should I deal with this brat?"
"Quit complaining, Grandpa—that gorilla's coming toward you."
Mana, still baffled, turned around. The market looked like a destroyed movie set.
"Stay behind, both of you." Evan calmly advised.
He stepped forward.
Mana whispered to Sumei, still stunned.
"H-Hey Su, what is this guy? He moved like lightning. He's going to fight that gorilla? Is he insane?"
Sumei didn't answer immediately.
"It's not easy, you see... I caught a scent. One that neutralized the robot's scent, so it was reassuring."
"What are you saying?"
"This might be weird... but that robot... it's not running on codes or commands but it has a soul inside it right now."
"Huh?!"
Then—an a small earthquake.
All eyes turned to the fight.
Evan dodged a blow that could crush a man into pulp. His expression remained calm.
"I always wondered—if AI ever take over humanity, is this step one?" He dodged another swing. "Guess you don't like talking, huh? I thought we could be friends. That's too bad."
He stepped back. So did the gorilla.
Something wasn't right—it was acting on instinct... like a real animal.
Then Evan moved—not stepped. Flashed.
CLEAVE.
His fingers, like tiger claws, tore through G.O.R. 67V's metallic hide. Calm. Experienced.
He didn't stop. His fingers ripped metal off its back, its legs.
Mana and Sumei were shocked.
"Am I dreaming, Su?" Mana asked.
"That was my question."
"You saved a goddamn monster..."
"But he's got grandpa energy."
"You think of him as a grandpa?! I'd die to have him as a bodyguard-slash-leg opener— i-i mean nevermind!!"
"Weirdo." Sumei comments deadpan.
Evan dismantled one arm. But the gorilla caught him in a crushing grip.
"GRR—"
Evan struggled. Brute force overwhelmed speed—until he saw it.
A glowing core.
With no hesitation by creating a gap with his legs he slammed his fist inside and crushed it.
The gorilla shut down.
G.O.R. 67V was defeated.
The club owner—a slime-slicked man in a blinking suit—approached.
"Here's your... pass. Please. Just take it—and thanks for saving my market."
Evan accepted it wordlessly.
Sumei rushed to him.
"GRANDPA, ARE YOU OKAY? I DIDN'T KNOW YOU USED ATE STEEL IN YOUR TIME!"
"I'm fine. It wasn't that hard." He reassured her—even though he wasn't fine. The robot's grip had cracked a few bones, barely healed by his regeneration. But deep down... he felt it. That wasn't a machine he killed. It was someone.
"I just didn't expect to fight like it's actually gonna die. Are your AI really that advanced?"
"No. That was a weird incident." Mana replied, still shaken.
At the terminal, a hologram flickered with time periods.
Evan scanned:
1950s Noir
3000AD Martian Rebellion
Viking Long Nights
"Can you find the year 2018?" Evan asked.
His head beside Mana as she scrolled—flustered.
"A-alright... 2018... r-right..."
As she approached the 2000 timeline... she froze.
Evan noticed.
"What's wrong?"
"Well, this might be strange but..."
She hesitated.
"...Time data from 2000 to 2100 is not available here."