The flow of air shifted.Within it I could feel a swirl of emotions—admiration, hostility, fear.That turbulent mixture made the air feel somewhat stifling.It was, after all, still an atmosphere I wasn’t used to.Perhaps sensing that, Mother spoke softly without even glancing around.“The operation’s right around the corner. Everyone, disperse and continue your assigned tasks.”At her words, the murmuring around us died down almost instantly.“Kyle.”“…”“The operation will begin tomorrow afternoon. Can you prepare without issue?”“That’s rather soon.”“The groundwork is already complete. Once we deploy personnel, we can begin immediately.”Mother’s voice grew a shade gentler once the eavesdroppers were gone.“It’s best we leave it at that, don’t you think?”“I’d appreciate that.”“Even so, I must admit, I’m surprised.”“About what?”“You’ve already exceeded my expectations more than once.”“Would I have volunteered to face the Behemoth if I couldn’t even handle a mere unit commander?”“I knew you’d outclass that boy Khan—but I didn’t expect it to be by this much.”“Khan… didn’t show his full strength.”“Neither did you, did you?”Mother gave a faint smile and flicked her gaze toward the stragglers.The few who remained scattered at once.Her gaze then landed on a young man standing off to the side.For a moment, she seemed at a loss for words.After a short silence, her tone carried a hint of bitterness.“It must’ve been quite a shock for him too.”“Mm.”Following her gaze, I saw Yung standing there, dazed and vacant.The greatest shadow looming over him was surely [King].He’d served under King—a figure who was nothing short of a symbol to everyone beneath his command.What must Yung have felt, seeing that same King lose so helplessly?Did he now harbor resentment toward me—like the other commanders did?Or did he perhaps feel admiration instead?I couldn’t tell.It wasn’t something I can easily guessed.But the thought didn’t last long.“Once this is over, could you take that boy with you?”The unexpected request caught me off guard.“You mean Yung?”“Yes.”“Why?”“Because he wishes it.”“For that reason alone?”“Hmm…”Mother fell silent for a moment, then let out a faint smile.“When a great cat is raised among dogs, it comes to believe it’s one of them—it learns to act like them, to think like them.”“You’re saying Yung is like that?”“I just want him to realize—he doesn’t have to keep forcing himself into clothes that don’t fit.”I caught the flicker of a complicated emotion on her face.But it didn’t matter much.“Once decided, it can’t be undone.”“Then you’ll accept?”“If that’s what he truly wants.”If he wished it, I would take him.Even so, I had to be cautious.The Ark was, outwardly, a collective bound under one cause.Even if individuals held different views, all were tied together by a single greater purpose.So the real question was whether Yung could accept that.And if he could overcome all those obstacles…Then I’d absolutely take him.Because I had the confidence to carry him all the way to the edge of the chessboard.* * *“Graaak!”Xenon cried out cheerfully from my shoulder.I gave the creature a light pat before examining the [Air Walker] strapped to my legs.“Hmm.”The Air Walker was a rather unique piece of military equipment—it expelled compressed gas from nozzles near the soles,essentially allowing its wearer to perform bursts of propulsion—almost like bringing the art of light-footed movement into reality.The key question was whether I could actually handle it properly.If I could, I might theoretically match the Behemoth’s speed—at least to a degree.Kicking lightly into the air, I timed the activation—Kwaaa!The Air Walker vented compressed air into the sky.“Hmm. So that’s roughly how it works.”Timing was everything.It wasn’t a device for continuous flight—more like something that let you leap once more in midair.The problem was keeping your balance amid those bursts of propulsion.Even if the name meant “Air Walker,”stepping on air and stepping on the ground were—literally—worlds apart.It would take a lot of practice to get used to it.But—There isn’t much time left.The battle with the Behemoth was fast approaching.Mother had already declared that the operation would begin tomorrow,with preparations starting today.She meant to strike before the Behemoth could recover.That meant I had to master the Air Walker today.But at this rate, I’m not getting anywhere.Was there a workaround?Some kind of trick, perhaps?Still, the device wasn’t something # Nоvеlight # you could just master in a day or two.Should I give up?The operation was too close to waste time fixating on the Air Walker.Then, suddenly—an idea struck me.“…Hmm.”I turned toward a dagger lying nearby.“What if… I activate my hypersense?”Getting used to it normally might be impossible—but if I activated my hypersense, maybe things would change.Not a bad idea, all things considered.I picked up a training dagger.[‘Legendary Swordsman’ activated.][‘Hypersense’ activated.]My senses expanded—the world shifted into a detached, third-person view.Touch, sight, smell, hearing…and an indescribable extra sense all fused together.This might actually work.With my perception widened, I stepped onto the air again—KWAOOOOOM!“…!?”Though I was stepping on nothing, my lower body moved smoothly.Activating the Air Walker once more, I found it easy—effortless—to keep balance.So that was it.The answer had been close all along.Even with hypersense, mastering the Air Walker still took time.I could now sprint through the air—but the goal was to use it effectively in combat.It wasn’t enough to simply operate it—I needed to deploy it precisely when and where it mattered most.How long did I practice for?“Huff… huff…”By the time my body was drenched in sweat,the sun was already dipping below the horizon.I was breathing heavily.[Status: Severe Fatigue]Even though I believed I was pacing myself, I had still driven my stamina to its absolute limit.I hadn’t swung my sword or fought anyone, yet I was completely drained.Xenon, bored of watching, squawked a few times—“Graaak!”—but tossed me a water bottle at just the right moment.“Haa… thanks.”Kraaa! Kraa!The cool water soothed my overheated body.Sitting down, palms on the ground, I assessed myself.Was that enough?Hard to say.Still—This should be usable in combat now.That was my conclusion.I’d just barely finished before the Air Walker’s energy ran out—and the hypersense training had drastically shortened the learning curve.Just as I was catching my breath—“You’ve been at it for quite a while, huh?”A bald, bronze-skinned man approached from afar.“Already done?”It was Michael Wok.“‘Already’? It took forever! I’m the best there is in this field, you know.”The faint tension in the air rekindled my focus.So…had he really done it?Had he truly completed the plasma blade?The thought made my pulse quicken,though I hid it—because if I expected too much, disappointment would sting all the more.I muttered something trivial to steady myself.“Hmm. So that’s how it is.”“What?”Michael’s forehead veins twitched—he clearly didn’t like my tone.But claiming mastery was meaningless while Gale was still alive.“Are you really saying you’ve surpassed the man who made that weapon?”“…I’m right below that monster of an old man.And he’s probably not even alive anymore.”“I see.”Michael handed me Zero with a curt gesture.No need to tell him that Gale was, in fact, still alive.Regardless, Zero had changed somewhat.“Hmm…”The most obvious difference was the addition of a proper scabbard.Before, it had been crudely wrapped in leather and cloth—now it had a sleek black sheath that fit it perfectly.“I’ve managed to implement the plasma blade.Can’t say it’s perfect, but it works.”“You actually did it…”Emotion surged through me as he spoke the words.The moment I heard “plasma blade implemented,”a rush of excitement hit like an explosion.Even though I'm trying to suppress it, I couldn’t quite hide the smile tugging at my lips.[‘Actor’ activated.]“How does it work?”“There’s a mechanism near the hilt. Activate it, and it’ll run—but there’s one major issue.”“The lack of a reactor?”“That’s one of them.”He took something from his coat.“This is a single-use power source to replace it.”A black leather belt—with five batteries attached.“Connect a charged battery to the slot on the blade’s spine,and you can operate the plasma mode—for about one minute.”“And the other problem?”“You’ll have to endure the blade’s heat yourself.”“I see…”That didn’t concern me.I had [Gamma].Without it, I’d at least need a nano-suit—both together would be ideal, but that was a luxury for another time.Speaking of which, Mother should have one.I recalled the [Endless Nano Suit] she possessed—a one-of-a-kind model crafted for her alone,the pinnacle of all exosuits.It would be a lie to say I didn’t covet it.But taking it from her wasn’t an option.Putting the thought aside, I offered my thanks.“Truly—thank you.”A wide smile spread across Michael’s face.“I gained plenty myself, so I’d call this a win-win.”“You planning to try plasma gear yourself now?”“Not yet. But someday—it’ll be possible.”With that, he took a swig from his hip flask.“Ahh—worth every drop. Even got a ‘thank you’ out of this prickly Ark leader.”“Whatever people think of me, I’m not that rude.”“Well, people rarely know themselves, so I’ll let it slide.”“…”I didn’t know what to say to that.Truth be told, I wasn’t exactly well-liked here.“Oh, and just so you know—don’t go testing the plasma blade for fun.”“I’ll keep that in mind.”Of course, I had no intention of obeying that warning.For this upcoming mission, the plasma blade was essential.At last, I was one step closer to wielding it.Finally.The coming battle with the Behemoth was now winnable.No—we would definitely bring it down.“Hmm… even your smile looks menacing.”Michael took a step back, grimacing, as if unnerved by the sight.

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