Chapter 286

I looked at the mirror hanging on the wall.  

‘Damn, what a rough and dreary face. Like someone who’s had the hardest life in the world.’  

A stark and gloomy guy stood there. My eyes were sharp in a way that made it hard for anyone to find me likable.  

‘Still, the Empire’s prosthetic technology really is impressive. Everything’s so seamless.’  

I pulled my lips apart with my fingers to check the state of my teeth.  

The front tooth I had lost on Kashura’s spaceship had been replaced with the Empire’s artificial one. The sensation when chewing was vivid, no different from a real biological tooth.  

Walking backward, I sat down on the medical chair, waiting for someone. My eyes scanned the room—gleaming white metal tiles covered the walls, tightly arranged. A sanitation measure.  

Ssshhh.  

The door opened, and a familiar man looked at me before breaking into a grin.  

“This is unbelievable! Lukaus Custoria! You actually made it back alive—truly astounding. My god, what in the world happened?”  

Jin Gaw, the director, spoke in an exaggerated tone, his white coat fluttering as he strode toward me. With his usual laid-back demeanor, he casually inspected the devices monitoring me.  

I was undergoing a final check-up with Jin Gaw. He was undoubtedly the Empire’s greatest scholar—not only in biology but also in cybernetics and even matters related to the Arcane Civilization.  

“It just ended up this way.”  

I kept my response brief. Jin Gaw wasn’t the type to obsess over unnecessary details. His indifference was probably part of what had helped him survive so long in the Empire.  

‘Jin Gaw might have his odd moments, but in the end, it’s all for the sake of his research.’  

He had no interest in politics or power. As long as he received massive funding for his studies, that was enough for him. That was why the Imperial Court overlooked his many eccentricities.  

“Never thought I’d see you again like this. You really can’t predict a damn thing in this world.”  

Technically, this was our second meeting.  

I had once infiltrated the Deus Ex Machina organization in Border City. That was when I first ran into Jin Gaw. I had blown off his arm with an energy weapon back then.  

But Jin Gaw still didn’t know that I was the one who had done it. There was no need to bring it up right now.  

“I agree, it’s impossible to predict what’s ahead. I never imagined I’d be here either.”  

“Alright, lie down for me. By His Majesty’s command, I need to get you into optimal condition before sending you out. You know as well as anyone—it’s a tremendous honor to have me as both your physician and mechanic.”

“Hmm, I’m so honored I might just pass out.”  

I reclined diagonally on the medical chair.  

“Hah! Who would’ve thought I’d be glad to hear your sarcasm? I must be quite fond of you.”  

Jin Gaw began operating the medical equipment.  

Whirrr—  

Devices descended from the ceiling, scanning me with a grid-pattern laser. Then, an arch-shaped machine shot up from the floor, emitting a deafening noise as it swept over me from head to toe.  

Beep.  

On the monitoring screen, the back of my neck lit up red. It was because of my neck brace.  

“Hmm…”  

Jin Gaw glanced at my neck brace but said nothing. Instead, he changed the subject.  

“…You must have spent a long time outside the Empire. The Bellato Federation, perhaps? No… this prosthetic follows the Tarfa species’ design. The component standards, the nanotechnology…”  

“…It’s a custom prosthetic made by a Tarfa master craftsman. If possible, I’d prefer to keep using it with some repairs.”  

I liked the prosthetic from Lapis Lazuli. As embarrassing as it was to admit, Lazuli-21 was a machine imbued with ‘care.’ In fact, it was a masterpiece.  

Lazuli-21 excelled in ways that couldn’t simply be measured by specs or output. Simply put, it felt smooth and intuitive to use.  

“The Empire’s engineering, though now on a different path, was once influenced by the Tarfa species. Even now, some Tarfa serve the Empire. This won’t be a problem. But what I’m more curious about is—who treated your brain?”  

Jin Gaw adjusted his glasses, lost in thought. I, too, fell silent for a moment.  

‘Lazarus, under NewGen.’  

NewGen was a biotech corporation, and under its umbrella was Lazarus, a facility specializing in extreme treatments.  

I debated whether to tell him or not.  

“La…”  

Before I could finish speaking, Jin Gaw snapped his fingers.  

“Lazarus, wasn’t it?”  

As expected, his knowledge was vast. He pondered briefly before continuing.  

“At the time, there were only two ways to treat you. Neither was possible within the Empire. As you know, the Empire doesn’t invest much in biological restoration or healing. It has no need to. We lag behind in that field.”  

“Well, if treatment had been available in the Empire, someone around me would’ve managed to arrange it somehow.”  

I shrugged.  

“The first method is through the Arcane Civilization and Force abilities. That field produces phenomena that defy our understanding—miracles, even. If they had healed you, it wouldn’t be surprising. But that doesn’t seem to be the case…”

“The organization that treated me was Lazarus.”  

“Right. The Bellato Federation is actively integrating alien technology. An experimental treatment facility like Lazarus, which adopts various new technologies, might have been capable of treating you. Though, the odds wouldn’t have been high. Either way, from the Empire’s perspective, it’s something to be wary of. But you somehow managed to receive treatment. Hmm… I didn’t expect Lazarus’s technology to have advanced this much.”  

“Judging by my condition at the time, what do you estimate the success rate of Lazarus’s treatment to have been?”  

Jin Gaw hesitated before parting his lips.  

“At best? Fifty percent. If I take a more conservative stance—thirty percent.”  

I closed my eyes for a moment before opening them again. Another piece of the puzzle was falling into place.  

“The more technology advances, the higher the success rate.”  

“Especially for organizations like Lazarus. They don’t fear failure, so their progress is faster. At Lazarus, even for the same incurable disease, the treatment cost varies depending on the service level. Sometimes, they even treat people for free. But if you pay less, you’re basically a test subject. Personally, I wouldn’t take their bargain-tier treatment for anything.”  

Jin Gaw chuckled to himself.  

‘Giselle… must have put me in cryogenic sleep to increase the success rate of my treatment.’  

She wouldn’t gamble on my life with such low odds.  

‘Giselle and Barbara predicted that I wouldn’t be revived until ten years from now.’  

Let’s calculate from the Storm Era. Giselle had planned to start my full treatment more than twenty years later.  

Twenty years is a long time. What was impossible back then might become possible in the future.  

‘On the other hand, Kinuan took the gamble with low odds to wake me up. He must have desperately wanted my treatment to succeed.’  

While I was lost in thought, Jin Gaw stroked his chin before clapping his hands.  

Clap!  

He grinned, rubbing his right shoulder.  

“No wonder my right arm started aching the moment I saw you again after so long…”  

Well, I figured Jin Gaw would notice. Even if he wasn’t particularly sensitive to other people, he wouldn’t forget the one who blew off his arm. Especially since my prosthetic design must have looked familiar to him.  

“…I think it’s best if neither of us bring up that topic, Director. The more secrets you share in the Empire, the more dangerous things become.”  

Jin Gaw had realized that the mysterious assailant who appeared in Deus Ex Machina was me. He simply smiled, amused.

“You’ve really grown up. I miss the pure-hearted version of you.”  

“You miss it because it was easier to use and manipulate me back then.”  

I flicked my tongue, lacing my words with barbs.  

“Haha, and that’s why adults are the worst. Alright, I’ve finished analyzing the design.”  

Jin Gaw projected a hologram. A detailed display of my prosthetics and central nervous system appeared before us.  

“Any issues?”  

“No, I’m actually impressed by how seamlessly everything is connected. A factory-made prosthetic, no matter how high-end, will never surpass a craftsman’s work. I imagine there are moments when your limbs feel as light as feathers.”  

“In that case, we’re done—”  

Truthfully, I was impatient. I couldn’t afford to waste even a second. Right this moment, Kinuan was moving toward his goal.  

“But your cybernetic nervous system is misaligned. We need to recalibrate and optimize it now. You must have felt your body growing sluggish. If I’m wrong, go ahead and stand up.”  

…A professional was a professional. Without complaint, I waited.  

Following Jin Gaw’s instructions, I moved my limbs while he conducted the assessment.  

“What about your current retinal display? Are you keeping it? I can replace it with an Imperial model.”  

“I’d rather keep it for now.”  

“A new model just came out. The procedure won’t take more than five minutes. No matter what anyone says, you’re a former Imperial soldier. This one will suit you better.”  

Jin Gaw was unusually insistent. I studied him for a moment before giving a slight nod.  

Ssshhk.  

A faint electrical current surged through my eyes as he dissolved the existing display. The nanomachine-based system melted, running down my cheeks like tears.  

Giiiiiik. Ssshhk.  

Jin Gaw then placed a lens over my cornea. The foreign sensation faded almost instantly, and a message flickered before my eyes.  

- Your neck brace transmits eavesdropped recordings at regular intervals. There’s also an explosive embedded. It’s probably a highly stable compound, but you’d best avoid any serious impact to your neck.  

I blinked. Jin Gaw’s message vanished as if it had never existed. A few strands of data hovered in the corner of my interface before shutting off.  

“Well, that’s it. You’re good to go.”  

“…Thank you, Director.”

Jin Gaw stood up first and opened the door.  

“Good luck, Luka. Hard to believe, but I’m actually quite fond of you.”  

“I know. I’m quite fond of you too, Director.”  

Jin Gaw sent me off with a slightly deeper smile.  

As I walked down the hallway, old memories surfaced. In the past, I had thought of Jin Gaw as an extraordinary person. Well, he was extraordinary.  

‘But he’s not an extraordinary monster.’  

I understood now.  

Jin Gaw was an eccentric, but he was still human. In fact, he was as close to an ordinary person as one could get. If someone who had lived for over a century still had a personality like his, I’d call that normal.  

‘A man who only offers kindness within the limits of what he can handle. A man who sometimes harms others while pursuing his own interests to survive…’  

At his core, Jin Gaw was just an average human being—no different from countless others.  

Survival or otherwise, we all wear masks. We try to appear greater than we are, and sometimes, we pretend to be weak. And then there are those who wear monstrous masks to make themselves seem more terrifying.  

But in the end, beneath the mask, everyone was just human.  

The only one who remained a monster even after taking off his mask was Mushir al-Kashura.  

Now, I intended to remove Kinuan’s mask. Because I believed that, underneath it, he was still human.

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