"Perhaps it's not exactly a divine weapon." Ralph said, pulling up another on-site excavation image. "We dug along the ruins, nearly reaching the planet's core. You can't imagine how magnificent it was—walls and floors all made of crystals condensed under high pressure, like countless cold swords and spears piercing every corner of the space. That's where we discovered the ruins of an artificial crystal temple. In the center of the hall stood an enormous crystal pillar, and the item stolen from us was retrieved from there."
He displayed a hand-drawn sketch. "This black object emits a powerful energy field, but before we could identify it, the laboratory was attacked. We still don't know if it's the cause of the murder... or if someone else is responsible."
Arthur stared at the image, saying nothing.
No matter how clearly Ralph spoke, his words felt like muffled background noise. He tried to focus, but an intuition deep inside warned him—stay away from this case. Once again, Arthur hesitated, refusing to respond.
"Arthur," Blair took a deep breath, "we already know who stole it. Retrieving it wouldn't be difficult. But the news leak has tied our hands—especially with Congress focusing on our unauthorized laboratory. Provoking them further now would be unwise. That's why we're pinning our hopes on you."
"If that's the case, why did you show up here so brazenly and invite me away in broad daylight? Aren't you afraid of being interrogated when you get back?"
Ralph seized the opportunity to speak, sitting up straight. "Our official purpose here is to meet with the administrators—it's a public itinerary, so they have no right to question us. As for you..." He raised an eyebrow at Arthur, "you're just visiting an old friend. What's wrong with that?"
Arthur shot him a disdainful look.
Sure, they'd secretly assigned him jobs in the past, but that didn't make these two his friends. Well, maybe they seemed like it sometimes—Ralph occasionally sent gifts even when there was no job involved.
"Who did you track down?" Arthur asked.
"Ha, there's the Arthur I know!" Ralph grinned, pulling up their investigation findings immediately. "Based on the gravitational field traces at the scene, all evidence points to Saya. We're ninety-nine percent certain it's him."
"Salome?" Arthur frowned, surprised by Ralph's answer. He paused for a moment before asking, "Don't tell me you're using this as an excuse to get rid of him?"
"That won't be necessary, because he..."
Ralph's words were cut off by Blair's light cough. Arthur watched as they exchanged glances, a helpless smile tugging at his lips—one that left a small dimple on his cheek.
"Spare me!" Arthur said. "If you're going to signal each other next time, at least be subtler."
"My apologies." Ralph twisted his neck awkwardly. "While he's harassed the Reno Sector repeatedly, those incidents aren't enough to justify using force to eliminate him."
"What about the spy in your ranks? They'll stab you in the back—and then I'll be the one falling into the trap."
"We're still investigating, which is why we came to meet you privately." Ralph said seriously. "All you need to do is infiltrate Saya and retrieve that item for us. This mission is far simpler than your previous ones, and right now, we can only rely on you."
"Simpler?"
Arthur narrowed his eyes, recalling their earlier exchange. He knew things were never as easy as they claimed—the real truth was hidden behind those glances.
"With your resources, why not send a mercenary fleet?" he gestured to the map on the table. "Saya isn't some trivial place. You of all people should know it's Salome's headquarters!"
"We're well aware." Ralph frowned. "But there's no one more suitable than you. While Saya isn't part of any sector, you must know the power behind him. It's no exaggeration to call Salome Aurelio's mercenary leader. And you know Aurelio is the Sector Commander of Eyelo. To prevent this situation from spiraling out of control, we need someone we can trust implicitly."
"Why worry about the Eyelo Sector?" Arthur shrugged. "From what I've heard, Aurelio's relationship with his superiors is strained. They'd probably turn a blind eye, wouldn't they?"
Ralph exchanged another glance with Blair, who nodded in approval before Ralph spoke. "We can't take that chance. We're currently negotiating a commercial zone cooperation agreement with Eyelo. You can imagine how much chaos a mercenary fleet would cause. One wrong move, and Aurelio could twist the truth in their council—ruining the agreement and possibly triggering a war between federal sectors."
"All we need is to get that item back. No one needs to get hurt—especially Salome! Killing him would serve no purpose. We hope you understand our predicament."
Seeing Arthur fall silent, Blair continued to gaze at him sincerely. He knew there was nothing more he could do until Arthur gave his answer—but he couldn't contain himself any longer.
"Yes, Arthur." His eyes filled with urgency. "I'm begging you to assist with this mission. Please."
Blair's plea worked. Arthur's gaze drifted between the two men before he sighed, lowering his head. After a long pause, he looked up, a helpless smile playing on his lips. "Do I have a choice?"
"Ha! I knew you'd agree!"
Ralph's face lit up with delight, pulling a transparent card from the console behind him—proof he'd been prepared all along. He slid the card toward Arthur.
"Meet your assistant at this location." He said. "He's extremely experienced. I'm sure you two will work well together."
"Assistant?" Arthur looked shocked, his brows furrowing instantly. "I don't need an assistant for this kind of mission."
"I think he'll be a great help!" Ralph insisted. "I've prepared everything you'll need. Also, because the target is sensitive, you need to be prepared—if you fail, we won't acknowledge your involvement or provide any support."
"What else is new?" Arthur glared at him, grabbing the card and placing his hand on the door handle.
"Oh, one more thing I think you should know." Ralph pressed a button on the table, sliding his tablet toward Arthur. "Hurry up and return her calls—I've got countless intercept records piling up here!"
Arthur exchanged one final glance with the two men before pulling open the door without a word. The vehicle had stopped on a connecting road near the landing pad—privileges only someone of their status could afford. As he opened the door, artificial sunlight poured in harshly. Having been cooped up in the dim car for so long, his eyes stung fiercely, almost unable to open.
He stared up at the artificial sun, never imagining it could feel so scorching and blinding.
"Experiment 1024. Ecological signs normal, all vital signs stable. Preparing to implant the 'Seed'."
The researchers adjusted the shadowless lamps—just like that day, the harsh light made Arthur's eyes water. The clumsy assistant turned to grab other equipment, accidentally knocking over a vial of liquid next to the instruments.
"Hey, watch it!"
The researcher on the right snapped at him. After wiping up the spreading liquid, he pointed to the control panel on the wall beside Arthur's bed.
"Go press the record icon on that panel," he said. "I don't want to lose any data on this valuable test subject because of your carelessness!"
Arthur watched as the researcher on the left rolled the equipment cart over, putting on thick gloves before drawing liquid from the test tube. The substance seemed thick yet wriggled as if alive—jet black at first, but turning grayish-black the moment it entered the syringe.
Asking "What are you going to do?" would be too cliché. Besides, with the rubber ball gag in his mouth, Arthur couldn't make a sound. But anyone listening to their conversation would know the "Seed" they spoke of was nothing good—especially since the disaster in the laboratory across the way was likely its fault.
Just as they finished their preparations, crisp footsteps echoed down the corridor. The two researchers exchanged glances, pausing their work to look toward the door.
"Don't say anything unnecessary later." The left researcher glared at the others. "Just do your jobs."
A man in a black cloak entered, flanked by armed guards. The researchers bowed to him—clearly, he was one of the "higher-ups" they'd mentioned.
Arthur felt a surge of suspicion as he watched the man walk. Even beneath the heavy cloak, he recognized the familiar mannerisms. It made his blood boil—he'd wasted his sympathy on the wrong people.
"Are you ready?" The man asked.
"Yes, sir. If successful, we can deliver..." The right researcher trailed off as the man's fierce gaze bore into him.
He circled behind the researcher, patted him on the shoulder, and whispered a threatening warning in his ear.
"Your purpose is to solve puzzles, not run your mouth. If you fail again this time, you'll be the one lying on that table."
The crisp sound of his footsteps stood out sharply against the silence. He approached Arthur, tapping him lightly on the cheek. Though his face was hidden, Arthur would have recognized that aura anywhere—the faint scent lingering on his fingers, the slight tremor in his touch, the muffled timbre of his voice.
Every clue confirmed Arthur's suspicion—he was right.
Before leaving, the man glanced back at Arthur, his eyes cold and indifferent.
"Oh, and one more thing!" He said. "I don't mind telling you—thank you for helping us uncover something far more interesting this time."
Uncover what?
Arthur wondered silently, confused by the "us" in his words.
Who am I helping? Is he working for Salome?
No—"he" had killed several of Salome's men!
Or Ralph? But why would he do this? A self-directed play?
Ralph and Blair instantly became Arthur's prime suspects. The two had been evasive when briefing him on the mission—they were incredibly suspicious!
Damn it! Arthur cursed silently countless times. If I find out they're playing me, they'll regret it once I escape!