The top floor of the Weyris headquarters was stark.
A plain, gray space devoid of any common decorations.
Though I had seen this sight hundreds, if not thousands, of times before, it felt unfamiliar—perhaps because it was now a clean space, free of corpses and blood.
Or maybe it was because of the men in black suits standing in formation around me.
Or perhaps it was the presence of the perfectly intact security androids that felt out of place.
At the center of it all, a young man with glasses walked forward steadily before taking his seat on the edge of a hospital bed.
“Come closer.”
‘So this is Gael Weyris…’
Gael Weyris, not as a mutant, but as a human.
His appearance left a strong impression.
Despite his youthful voice, the exhaustion and metallic rasp in his tone made him sound no different from an old man.
“I overheard your conversation. Quite an interesting story you were telling.”
Gael Weyris hesitated briefly.
With a slightly trembling hand, he poured coffee from the pot beside the bed.
“Eavesdropping isn’t a hobby of mine, but I was in a bit of a hurry.”
“I understand completely.”
To put it in medieval terms, Gael Weyris was no different from the king ruling over this city.
Given that context, even his awkward excuse felt strangely humble.
But beyond that thought—
How should I answer him?
No, before that—
Even if I gave an answer that pleased him, would he really hand over the Master Key?
‘Unlikely.’
Beyond difficult—it was practically impossible.
The Master Key was the authority to control the city’s major facilities.
In other words, it was the crown of King Gael himself.
The idea of handing that crown to an uninvited guest probably didn’t even exist in Gael’s mind.
But I couldn’t back down.
To survive, his Master Key was essential.
So I wouldn’t reveal it—
The fact that I needed the Master Key.
“I thought you might be curious.”
“Extremely.”
Gael, who looked like a young man, smirked as he handed me the coffee.
And the moment I took it—
His expression darkened further.
“It should taste good.”
A sudden gesture of goodwill toward an uninvited guest.
The drink wasn’t bad for steadying my nerves.
Gulp.
Then, as if he had been waiting for it, a faint chuckle escaped him.
“You drank it without hesitation.”
“……”
“So, can I assume this condition isn’t contagious?”
I couldn’t help but flinch.
Because I felt like I had just witnessed something cunning.
And instinctively—
I realized this question was also a leading one.
But I admitted it plainly.
“Yes.”
For now.
“The fact that you answered so easily suggests you have some concrete information about this condition.”
With just a few simple questions, he had deduced a lot.
This wasn’t going to be easy.
I could feel it clearly now.
Just who I was dealing with.
“Does it bother you?”
“Not at all.”
“Did you already know the answer before I asked?”
“No.”
“You’re a terrible liar.”
The young man smirked again.
“Please understand—I’ve lived a long time and experienced many things. Trusting people… isn’t that simple.”
His friendly smile felt like a mask Gael Weyris was wearing.
With Gael’s monologue, a brief silence fell.
Time seemed to crawl.
Fortunately, the silence didn’t last long.
“I’d like to hear your thoughts on why this happened.”
When I heard the question—
My gaze unconsciously drifted to the clock on the wall.
The hands now pointed to 1:30.
“In a hurry?”
Despite the situation, I couldn’t help but hesitate before answering.
And what responded to that hesitation was the system.
Ding!
[Encounter Triggered]
[Uninvited Guest]
[You have entered the top floor of the Weyris headquarters. Obtaining what you desire here won’t be easy.]
[(Subdue)]
[(Persuade)]
[(Deceive)]
[(Give up and engage in small talk) Stress Level –10]
None of the choices felt easy—this was a main encounter, a branching point.
Second Encounter.
The options were: Seize, Persuade, Deceive, Give Up.
Under normal circumstances, seizing the Master Key would’ve felt like the simplest solution.
Unfortunately, that no longer seemed feasible.
Not because of some moral dilemma.
But because of what was right in front of me.
The androids stationed around us.
‘The androids that should’ve been destroyed by mutants are still perfectly intact.’
Four combat androids stood near Gael Weyris, staring blankly into space.
These were the androids deployed to protect the head of Weyris.
I had a rough idea of their capabilities.
When looting the Weyris headquarters, the wreckage of these androids was always a top priority.
Even their shattered, tattered components could upgrade standard androids by several tiers—they were that powerful.
Because of that, the human agents now seemed like minor obstacles.
In my current state, a single one of those units was likely stronger than all the security personnel combined.
And right now, the agents were unarmed.
Even if you searched the mutants they became in the game, no firearms would appear.
Once, I had actually admired that detail.
Because it was an extremely realistic touch.
No corporation would station armed humans around their CEO inside their own headquarters.
The moment an agent turned their gun, a former ally would become the greatest threat.
That’s why the Weyris security team in the game didn’t carry firearms.
It was details like that which amplified the realism.
Androids, however, were different.
Machines don’t betray.
The moment I tried to take the Master Key, the androids would draw their weapons and gladly turn me into Swiss cheese.
Fighting them bare-handed was suicide—nothing more, nothing less.
At the very least, I’d need some equipment to stand a chance.
But beyond that—
Even if I could subdue the androids, Gael had to survive.
And it’d be best to remain on friendly terms with him.
Because, according to the setting, Gael Weyris wasn’t just some corporate executive.
He was the king who had designed this city from the ground up—the most brilliant engineer in the entire world.
Creating combat androids like these was just a hobby for someone of his caliber.
Even if only half of his lore was accurate, he was a monster among monsters, someone most named survivors couldn’t even compare to.
So I had no choice but to return to square one.
‘He asked for my thoughts on why this happened.’
I tried to gauge what answer Gael wanted from that question.
‘Gael Weyris is dying. He must know it himself… What Gael wants is survival.’
Survival.
It was only after I blurted out that I knew how to alleviate the symptoms that Gael revealed himself.
But now, knowing that Gael wouldn’t willingly hand over the Master Key—
I had no choice but to find a way to save Gael and secure the Master Key at the same time.
‘First, I need to deal with the security personnel.’
The wisdom of a veteran whispered to me.
Now wasn’t the time for leisurely persuasion.
It was time to deceive.
A rough plan began to form in my mind.
“I’ve been researching this phenomenon for a long time.”
“Which organization are you with? Pommel? Gears? Or if it’s related to NH-03, then maybe Bizen Pharmaceuticals?”
“I wasn’t affiliated with any. There wasn’t exactly a place that would take in someone researching something like this.”
“Heh, that’s unfortunate. So what drove you to such arduous research… A sense of duty, perhaps?”
“Yes. While NH-03 is undeniably a milestone for humanity, I believed its side effects needed to be addressed.”
I took a deep breath.
“However… You probably won’t believe me even if I tell you.”
“I’ll be the judge of that.”
“Then, before that, could you dismiss the security personnel?”
A moment of silence.
Gael gave an awkward smile, as if troubled.
“Heh, do you have a good reason for that?”
I couldn’t back down. This was one of the tasks I had to resolve.
For multiple reasons.
“Because it’s necessary. You have the androids, after all.”
“I see. Very well.”
After a brief moment of consideration, he waved his hand dismissively.
It was a show of confidence in the androids he had created.
Bergo, one of the androids, swept a sharp gaze over me before bowing to Gael.
“We’ll step out for now.”
‘First condition—complete.’
Of course, it went without saying…
The security personnel wouldn’t help me obtain Gael’s Master Key in the slightest.
They were nothing but obstacles.
And if I wanted to save Gael Weyris, there was only one way.
To exploit a loophole.
And in this situation, only one person could be saved through that loophole.
So if I shared it with the agents—who were destined to become mutants—things could get complicated.
If only one person could survive, their actions would be unpredictable.
Had I been lost in thought for too long?
Gael was silently waiting, wiping his glasses on his sleeve.
I kept my explanation short and simple.
There was no need to drag it out.
“Megaflare—a massive solar flare caused an unprecedented geomagnetic storm when it collided with Earth’s magnetic field.”
“Hmm.”
“As a result, an electromagnetic pulse spread across a wide radius, but an unexpected variable occurred. Along with it, an unexplained, unique waveform was generated.”
This was information now etched into my mind.
“When that waveform comes into contact with humans injected with NH-03, it causes problems. Like the symptoms you’re experiencing now.”
My gaze naturally drifted to Gael Weyris’ body.
His hands, still trembling despite his composed act.
The bloodshot whites of his eyes.
The sweat dripping unnoticed.
All of it was undeniable proof.
“You knew about this in advance through your research?”
“While studying lab mice injected with NH-03, I happened to observe an extremely rare symptom in one subject.”
“And that rare symptom matched what I’m experiencing now?”
“Yes.”
“Hah.”
Gael suddenly let out a hollow laugh.
As if he found the current situation amusing.
“You must know how this condition ends, then.”
“Yes.”
“Will you tell me?”
I sensed the weight behind the question.
Right now, Gael might’ve felt like a death row prisoner standing before the guillotine.
But my answer was blunt and dry.
“Mutation.”
The moment I answered, an odd glint flashed in Gael’s eyes.
“You become a mutant—one with indiscriminate aggression.”
“Heh…”
Yet he remained composed, organizing his thoughts.
He even seemed relaxed.
The silence didn’t feel too long.
“What’s your name?”
The unexpected question made my response a beat late.
“…Kyle Han.”
“Kyle… Whether that’s your real name or not, it doesn’t matter now.”
The smile had already vanished from Gael’s face.
All that remained was an inscrutable expression.
“Kyle, if I become a mutant… does that mean I die?”
“Biologically, I can’t say for certain, but… you’ll lose your sense of self. Yes, think of it like becoming a zombie.”
“Losing my sense of self is no different from death.”
His voice, uncharacteristically shaky.
A brief change, but one that felt significant.
“I didn’t take NH-03 because I wanted to be young again. It was because I wanted to live.”
“……”
“If what you’re saying is true, then I’ll deeply regret that choice.”
“Do you believe me?”
Gael shook his head.
“Not to that extent. No—more accurately, I don’t want to believe it.”
But his next words revealed his true thoughts.
“However, I’m in no position to ignore even a 1% chance. I have too many responsibilities to gamble recklessly.”
‘He hasn’t fully accepted it yet.’
“So let’s talk about the core issue.”
“……?”
“Kyle.”
“Yes.”
“Let’s remain friends.”
He stared at me with a deadly serious expression.
“No more lies. Give me a proper explanation. If you do, we can stay friends.”
“Did it seem that way?”
“Why did you come to me? For what purpose? I already saw what happened at the entrance. You’re no ordinary researcher.”
Gael’s sharp gaze pierced through me, his stubbornness making it feel like he could see right through everything.
But—
Since I had already decided to deceive him—
My answer was set in stone.
“To save you.”
“To save me?”
“Because this won’t end with just the mutants.”
“Now that’s an interesting topic.”
“……If humans injected with NH-03 become mutants, it won’t stop there. Those attacked by mutants have a high chance of becoming infected. And if that happens……”
“Wait, you said this condition wasn’t contagious earlier……”
“It isn’t contagious yet. Besides, you haven’t mixed saliva with me or bitten me.”
“Are you seriously suggesting some kind of zombie virus will manifest?”
“Something like that.”
Gael’s expression blanked, as if lost in thought.
My gaze instinctively shifted to the clock again.
“As long as you’re alive, humanity can be rebuilt.”
The words that followed were half-sincere.
“…That’s quite the flattering statement.”
