Chapter 127
Living in the comfortable upper districts, there was something people often forgot.
Beneath Akbaran, lava flowed. Geothermal power was one of Akbaran's core energy sources.
The lukewarm air unique to the lower districts was entirely due to geothermal heat. At least the surface was habitable. Even if it was called a lower district, it was still above ground—not underground.
However, the deep zones beneath the city were practically hell. The air was so hot and stifling that the ventilation shafts installed throughout the tunnels felt useless. It was like my lungs were being cooked. More than anything, the air quality wasn’t just poor—it was lethally toxic.
"This is exactly the kind of place where full-body prosthetics are most necessary."
Kinuan spoke as he walked through the underground passage. I was beside him.
Sssss.
My breath was long and narrow, constrained by the heavy filter attached to my helmet.
In contrast, Kinuan, who had a full-body prosthetic, walked through the tunnel with ease. In extreme environments like this, I could feel the absolute necessity of full-body prosthetics.
‘Even back when I went into the sewers with Hemillas and Paigon, I was the only one who suffered.’
Back in those sewers, I was the only one who vomited because I still had biological organs. There were limits to what sheer willpower and training could endure.
Calling this a "deep zone" barely made sense. It wasn’t a residential area. No one lived here. The only things down here were the geothermal generators that powered the city and the maintenance tunnels and facilities supporting them.
In any case, deep zones were places most imperial citizens never had a reason to visit. As critical national infrastructure, geothermal power plants weren’t freely accessible to just anyone.
Whirr, clank.
The security cameras in the tunnel shut down one by one as we passed, their heads drooping lifelessly. It was because of Kinuan’s Overseer authority.
"……Unless you’re just trying to make me suffer for no reason, you must have a good reason for taking this route."
I voiced my complaint. Honestly, I felt like I was going insane. My clothes were already soaked with sweat.
"It's because the matter is that confidential. It’s better if we don’t draw attention. Even I'm getting a bit hot."
Kinuan opened a section of his forearm. He injected coolant into his prosthetic system. As it circulated through his artificial body, it would quickly dissipate the heat.
I, on the other hand, felt like I was about to be steamed alive. I wanted to inject that coolant straight into my veins. Well, only in thought. If I actually did it, I'd die instantly.
Instead, I took out a water bottle and connected it to the intake tube on my helmet. The cool water brought some relief. My tongue moved smoothly again.
"There are groups attempting to manipulate and distort public opinion in the lower districts these days."
I shifted the topic as I spoke. Even during the Enrico incident, agitators had latched on. The moment I tried to capture one of them alive, his bomb collar activated. That meant a rather terrifying force was backing them.
"There are plenty of factions in the Empire that manipulate public opinion. The group we're about to meet is one of them."
Kinuan spoke as he opened a door leading into a side passage. His back was completely exposed and defenseless.
'Could I kill Kinuan right now?'
The scorching deep zone was an extremely unfavorable battlefield for someone like me, who still had a biological body. I wouldn't be able to fight at even half my full strength. If I failed to ambush him here, I’d be the one left helpless.
"Luka, if you want to achieve your goal, it's time to start moving."
Kinuan spoke without looking back. He was referring to the ousting of Hemillas.
"I'm working on it."
"Very soon, whether it's the military or the imperial family, a decision will be made. Honestly, in such a short time, it's nearly impossible for you to remove Hemillas and take control of the Custoria family. The only path left for you is to cooperate with the imperial family and dismantle the Custoria family from within."
A harsh reality. Even if I wanted to deny it, it was closing in fast.
...My stomach churned. The heat made the nausea worse.
Kinuan pressed on, cornering me with his words.
"If you want to walk the path of an Overseer, it's time to make your choice. You don't have much time. Neither do I."
To me, his words sounded like a threat.
Clank.
After walking for a while, Kinuan opened the next door.
Whooosh.
The difference in temperature caused the air to rush past us. At last, we had reached a passage connected to the outside.
"Luka, from this point on, the group we're meeting is Nemesis."
One of the Empire's most notorious terrorist organizations. I wasn’t even surprised. They were among the factions I had anticipated.
'Kinuan's point of contact.'
This was the very moment of collusion that Hemillas had been desperately searching for. If it had been the old me, I would have been filled with the urge to run straight to Hemillas and report it.
"Is this by order of His Majesty?"
This collusion must have been sanctioned by the Emperor. Kinuan nodded.
"Just another routine event during a storm season. That's why I'm bringing you along. In the future, even if I'm not here, you'll have to handle similar matters."
It felt like a handover. A predecessor teaching his successor the ropes before stepping down.
If our duties had been more ordinary, I might have even found this moment moving.
We passed through the deep zone and emerged onto the surface. Before long, we began to see abandoned ruins scattered around. At some point, we had reached the outskirts of Akbaran.
Swish.
Kinuan rummaged through the ruins and uncovered a tarp. Beneath it lay a rusted-out vehicle, reduced to little more than a skeletal frame.
At first glance, it looked like a wreck, but upon closer inspection, the engine and parts were intact. Even the rust was merely a disguise.
"Head to the preset coordinates. It should take about an hour."
Kinuan settled into the passenger seat. I tossed my helmet onto the backseat and jumped into the driver’s seat. Since the vehicle was open, a simple leap was enough to get in.
Screeeech!
The tires spun fiercely as the vehicle tore through the ruins. Before long, we left even the remnants of the ruins behind and entered the wasteland.
Kinuan sat with his arms crossed, eyes closed. His presence was eerily quiet, as if he were asleep.
'Just how strong is Kinuan in combat right now?'
I had promised Ivan that I would kill Kinuan. Today could be my chance.
As if sensing my intent to kill, Kinuan opened his eyes slightly. His heavy lips parted.
"Luka, the struggles and confusion you're going through—I’ve already walked that path. Trust me. The path of an Overseer is the best one for you."
Depending on how one looked at it, his words could carry many meanings.
"Even if my methods differ from your intentions, in the end, I will become an Overseer."
"Hm. Do your best. For the record, I became an Overseer by killing my predecessor."
Kinuan said it casually, as if it were an offhand remark. But I nearly slammed the brakes. It was such an explosive statement that my vision almost spun.
"This is the first time I’ve heard about your predecessor."
I barely managed to suppress my shaking and continued the conversation.
"It's nothing special. It's a common story anywhere in the Empire. The better a full-body prosthetic is maintained, the longer its lifespan. It's not unusual for a son to be unable to wait for his father’s retirement."
I felt like I was going insane. My heart pounded violently in my chest. This time, his words sounded like they could be about the current Emperor and Ivan.
"I don't know why you killed your predecessor, Instructor, but I doubt it was a noble tale."
"My situation was different from yours. I wasn’t so much a successor as I was a backup plan. There was only a ten-year age gap between me and my predecessor. Unless he died suddenly, it would have been difficult for me to become the next Overseer. The more likely outcome was that I’d be thrown into missions even Overseers avoided and be 'used up' instead."
"…So it was less of a betrayal and more of a survival necessity."
"Either way, even if you were to target me, it wouldn’t be an unfamiliar situation for me."
I almost reached for Crucis beside me. My mind was in utter turmoil.
'Should I settle this here and now?'
A simple plan immediately came to mind—jerk the steering wheel to flip the car, and in that split second, use Crucis to sever Kinuan’s neck.
'But he wouldn’t fall for such a shallow trick.'
I kept driving calmly. Nothing had happened yet.
I stared at the vehicle’s radar screen. The outdated display showed neither terrain nor obstacles—only the distance and direction to our destination.
What awaited me at the coordinates might not be Nemesis, but an executioner.
"You're overthinking things right now. The more unnecessary thoughts you pile on, the slower your decisions become. The more you have to protect, the more situations you try to avoid, the more inefficient your thinking becomes. Instead of taking the fastest path to the answer, you start going in circles. You can’t do this, you can’t do that—so you hesitate."
Kinuan’s words were dangerously sweet. It felt as if they were clearing the fog in my mind.
'Protecting the Custoria family.'
I discarded that premise. The answer became strikingly clear.
Report Ivan’s deviation to His Majesty... and act as the imperial family’s agent within Custoria and the military.
In this tangled web, the true dominant forces were undoubtedly the Emperor and Kinuan. Even Agatha had said that Custoria could never win against the imperial family.
"Some say that impurities make a person stronger."
I forced out the words, as if rejecting temptation. Kinuan let out a small, mocking laugh.
"That’s utter nonsense. Whoever told you that—think about it. Aren't they the very ones who shackled you with those so-called impurities? Who benefits the most from you carrying those burdens? That person is the one forcing duty and responsibility onto you while demanding sacrifice and loss."
It felt like someone had struck my skull with a hammer.
That had always been one of my deepest concerns.
'That I’m growing weaker.'
Back when I had no family, no house to belong to, I was razor-sharp. I only had to protect myself. I wouldn’t have suffered like this, agonizing over everything.
'Hemillas Custoria.'
...It was Hemillas who strapped the weight of family onto my back. He was also the one who preached about humanity and the value of those so-called impurities.
I felt sick.
I wanted to be wrong.
'Acting head of the family.'
A symbol of trust in me. Deep down, I had been happy about it. It meant he believed in me that much. That’s why I had worked even harder—to protect the Custoria family, no matter what…
I wanted to deny it. But the inferential thinking of Akies Victima wasn’t something I could control at will. My thoughts followed the clues Kinuan had laid out, branching further and further. That was exactly what he had intended.
My brow and nose felt hot, throbbing as if blood were pooling there.
"I’ll say it again—I've already experienced the confusion and struggles you're going through. During this storm season, the imperial family will launch a large-scale purge. Many key figures in the military will die. Handle it wisely, young Overseer."
Kinuan even revealed a critical piece of the plan to me.
Beep, beep.
The alert sounds on the radar screen grew more rapid. We were nearing our destination. Thanks to that, I was able to shift my train of thought.
'A person?'
I squinted in the direction of our destination. A figure stood atop a distant hill, still too far away to be more than a speck.
Kinuan stepped out of the vehicle first.
"From here, we walk. Ah, cover your face. If they recognize you, they’ll shoot first and ask questions later."
I put on the helmet I had tossed into the backseat. After killing Rick, I was as good as a sworn enemy and wanted fugitive to Nemesis.
As we neared the hill, a heavily armed man stood waiting, holding a rifle. He had wrapped his face in cloth up to his eyes, suited for the harsh wasteland climate. Drones and heavy weaponry were strapped to his waist and back. He looked like a seasoned soldier.
"Who’s this?"
The man scanned me before turning to Kinuan.
"A comrade who shares our cause. I can’t reveal his identity yet."
"You and we have worked together for a long time... but this is difficult. You’re asking us to trust someone whose identity is unknown?"
"What will you do if you don’t?"
Kinuan remained still as he spoke. The man frowned before touching his ear, communicating with someone over comms.
"…Understood. Let’s begin the information exchange."
Kinuan pulled out a terminal. As its lens opened, a holographic map of the upper districts appeared.
"For Rick."
"For Rick."
As if rehearsed, Kinuan and the man paid tribute to Rick.
On the holographic map, routes leading from the lower districts into the upper districts were drawn. Each route was marked with detailed dates and times.
As I stared at the map, I noticed something off.
'There’s no escape route.'
There were paths leading into the upper districts, but none leading out. The plan itself didn’t account for anyone making it out alive.
"How many can you mobilize?"
Kinuan asked casually.
"Around a hundred who can actually fight."
"I see."
They were preparing for the terrorist attacks they would carry out during the storm season. Detailed plans were being exchanged at a rapid pace.
I committed each part of their plan to memory. According to Kinuan’s arrangements, Nemesis would target the nobles designated by the imperial family.
The fragments of chaos were gradually coming together. The outline of the picture was beginning to emerge.
…How many pieces in this picture could I place or shift? And whose plan would ultimately complete the image?