Chapter 96: The question
The night had settled completely by the time the three warriors reached their destination.
Hidden deep within a maze of fractured canyons and weathered stone lay the headquarters of the Silver Moon.
It wasn't a fortress.
It wasn't a castle.
From the outside, it looked like nothing more than another abandoned ruin swallowed by time.
Jagged cliffs concealed the entrance, while years of erosion had disguised every trace of human activity. Anyone passing through these wastelands would see only broken earth and hollow rock.
Exactly as intended.
This place did not exist.
Not to the outside world.
The heavy steel doors rumbled open the moment Mirage approached.
Rrrrrrrrrm... Clank!
Cold white lights flickered to life inside the underground passageway, illuminating long corridors lined with reinforced steel and concrete.
The three entered without a word.
Baekho was the first to break formation.
The instant they reached the main chamber, he stumbled toward an old couch tucked against one wall and threw himself onto it.
Thud!
He waved a lazy hand without even opening his eyes.
"...Wake me when something important happens."
A second later...
"...Zzz..."
He was already asleep.
Shogun stared at him in disbelief before letting out a quiet sigh.
"...Unbelievable."
Shaking his head, he walked toward a compact cooking station built into the corner of the room.
With practiced movements, he ignited a small burner.
Click... Fwoosh...
A calm blue flame danced beneath a cooking pan.
"If we're leaving again soon..."
he muttered to himself,
"...we might as well eat first."
Mirage said nothing.
His boots echoed softly through the corridor as he continued deeper into the base.
Tap... Tap... Tap...
Eventually, he stopped before a thick reinforced door.
A security panel rested beside it. He placed his hand against the scanner.
Beep...
Access Granted.
The door slid open.
Shhhhhk...
Inside was a room unlike the rest of the headquarters.
It was almost completely dark. Only a single monitor illuminated the space, its pale glow reflecting across Mirage's weary face.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and entered a lengthy authorization sequence.
Beep... Beep... Beep...
The monitor flickered violently.
Static consumed the screen.
Bzzzzzt...
Distorted lines danced across the display.
Then...A figure appeared or rather...The outline of one.
Everything about the individual remained hidden beneath layers of digital interference.
No face, no clothing, no identifiable features, only darkness and a voice.
"...Report."
It was calm, cold, and completely devoid of emotion.
No greeting, no concern, only the mission.
Mirage straightened instinctively. His injuries no longer mattered. His exhaustion disappeared behind discipline.
"The mission..."
He paused briefly.
"...was unsuccessful."
Silence answered him.
A heavy silence that somehow felt more dangerous than shouting ever could.
Finally—
"...Explain."
Mirage didn't hesitate.
"We encountered resistance."
He spoke evenly.
"There were variables we hadn't anticipated."
Another pause.
"...Strong variables."
The distortion around the mysterious figure seemed to shift.
"...You failed?"
Those two words were enough to lower the room's temperature.
Mirage remained composed.
"We were delayed."
The moment those words left his mouth...The voice exploded.
"Delayed?!"
The monitor crackled violently.
BZZZZZT!
"Do you have any idea what was at stake?"
The distorted image flickered uncontrollably, as though even the equipment struggled to contain the anger flowing through the transmission.
For the first time in years...Mirage felt genuine pressure. Not from an enemy, not from a battlefield, but from the unseen figure beyond the screen.
After several long seconds, the Boss spoke again.
His voice had returned to its usual calm, which somehow made it even more frightening.
"Answer one question."
Mirage nodded.
"...Yes, Boss."
"...Did you retrieve the samples?"
Mirage didn't look away from the screen.
"...Yes."
A brief silence followed.
Then he continued.
"Shogun successfully secured every ICU patient."
"They're being preserved."
A pause.
"...Inside his cubes."
Silence.
Long enough for Mirage to wonder if the transmission had ended.
Then...
"...Good."
One word, nothing more, yet that single word changed the entire atmosphere.
The pressure eased.
Barely.
"The mission's failure..."
The Boss spoke slowly.
"...is tolerable."
Mirage quietly released a breath he hadn't realized he was holding.
"Your next objective is simple."
The hidden figure leaned slightly forward.
"Bring the samples to me."
"Immediately."
Mirage bowed his head.
"Understood."
Another brief silence settled between them.
Then the Boss asked,
"Who interfered?"
Mirage answered without hesitation.
"A group."
"They appeared unexpectedly."
He paused.
"Their leader is someone named..."
"...Daito."
The monitor remained completely still.
No reaction, no curiosity, nothing.
"...Irrelevant."
Mirage frowned almost imperceptibly.
He continued.
"The individual who personally stopped us..."
"...was a Savage."
"His name is Wei-Wan."
This time, the Boss gave a slight response.
"...Never heard of him."
He folded his hands together beneath the darkness concealing his face.
"Which means one of two things."
"He's either new..."
"...or dangerous."
Mirage remained silent.
"I want everything."
The Boss's voice sharpened.
"Names."
"Abilities."
"Combat patterns."
"Psychological tendencies."
"Weaknesses."
"Everything."
Mirage nodded once.
"We'll gather intelligence after the delivery."
"...Correct."
The hidden figure leaned back again.
"The samples come first."
His voice became absolute.
"Nothing else matters."
Mirage hesitated only for a moment.
"...Boss."
Silence.
"...May I ask something?"
The room became still.
"You may."
Mirage chose his words carefully.
"...What are the ICU patients for?"
The instant the question left his mouth...He regretted it.
The screen froze.
Not from malfunction but from intent.
Even the static disappeared.
"...You're asking questions..."
The Boss's voice returned.
Lower than before and sharper than before.
"...that do not concern you."
Mirage lowered his gaze.
"...Understood."
A long pause followed.
Then.....
"Do not repeat that mistake."
Without another word...The transmission ended.
Bzzzzzt...
The screen went black.
Mirage remained standing in the darkness for several seconds. His reflection stared back at him from the lifeless monitor.
Eventually...He turned and left the room.
Back in the main chamber, the smell of freshly cooked food drifted through the air.
Shogun had already finished preparing a simple meal.
Baekho remained exactly where Mirage had left him.
Fast asleep.
His soft snores echoed through the room.
"...Zzz..."
Mirage approached.
"We leave soon."
Shogun looked up.
"New orders?"
Mirage nodded.
"Delivery."
Shogun sighed knowingly.
"I figured."
He glanced toward the sleeping Baekho.
"We should let him rest for another hour."
Mirage looked toward the massive steel doors leading outside.
His expression remained unreadable.
"...No."
"We don't delay again."
Shogun understood immediately.
Whatever had frightened Mirage during that conversation...
It wasn't the enemy.
It was the man giving the orders.
* * *
Far away...
Hidden beneath layers of reinforced steel and advanced machinery...
A solitary figure sat alone.
The room surrounding him was unlike anything within the Silver Moon's headquarters.
Rows of transparent containment chambers lined the walls.
Inside them floated strange biological specimens suspended in glowing blue fluid.
Machines pulsed rhythmically.
Hummm...
Soft lights blinked across countless monitors displaying streams of encrypted data.
The figure slowly leaned back in his chair.
His hands folded together.
"...The samples are secured."
A quiet breath escaped him.
"...Excellent."
His gaze shifted toward the deepest corner of the chamber.
Something stood there.
Hidden completely beneath darkness, watching and waiting.
A slow smile spread across his face.
"...Now..."
His voice carried unmistakable anticipation.
"...Only one piece remains."
The overhead lights flickered.
Flick... Flick...
The smile widened.
"And when the final piece is complete..."
He slowly rose from his chair.
"...I will ascend."
Silence filled the laboratory.
Then came the final words, quiet and certain.
"...To the Supreme Authority."
The lights dimmed once more.
Darkness swallowed the room.
But the silence no longer felt empty.
It felt...Patient.
Like the world itself was unknowingly counting down to something catastrophic.
To be continued...