By Zephyria 
―……On May 7th, [Year], Goryeo City establishes a higher education institution to promote the development and future of the emerging city. Thus, the Goryeo Advanced Institute of Science and Technology Research was born, where promising talents from all over the city gather and, since its founding, have been researching and improving energy and security issues faced by modern humanity from various perspectives without ever turning off the lights…….
The history hall was a space that was both interesting and boring, as expected. Photos of founders striking poses, construction sites, videos of the first students and researchers, and moments of noteworthy achievements were all on display.
It was, in a word, a place where the research institute displayed the data it wanted to remember and be proud of in an easy-to-view manner. Explanations of various competitions and inventions recognized on a global scale were also lined up along the way.
Mu-hae’s listless feet stopped in front of an explanation of a Comfort zone heating system that improved energy efficiency. Among the developers’ videos was a face that was all too familiar.
It was clearly Director Gil, albeit looking excessively young and cheerful…….
“It’s from 47 years ago. That’s a really long time.”
No. No, it wasn’t. Thanks to Joo-oh’s timely interjection, he avoided a huge misunderstanding. 47 years ago. Director Gil’s age was probably around that.
But seeing such a similar face, there was a possibility that he was a family member. Director Gil was from Central, so perhaps a relative from a generation above… or maybe his father.
Director Gil had never once mentioned his family. The past that he had painstakingly pieced together was all related to the Return flight.
But even without asking separately, Mu-hae had already guessed his situation. If there was no assistance until the person became like that, it was practically the same as being disowned.
The dried tea leaves he kept preciously, and Director Gil’s refrigerator, which only contained Beast Meat, needlessly confused him. The traces of the Return flight had been erased from the city, but the scars of that day still remained deeply in the lives of those involved.
“He’s got a nasty look on his face.”
As the recorded dates approached the present, the appearance of the researchers in the videos and photos became almost identical to their current selves.
Seeing an old man cutting a ribbon at a commemorative event about 10 years ago, Mu-hae clicked his tongue and grumbled for no reason.
“That’s the Mayor. I’ve never seen him before.”
Indeed. The real power behind the city was practically a unicorn to ordinary citizens.
Mayors and Councilors, they certainly heard they existed, but it was safe to say that they never showed their faces or stood out.
“This seems like a dead end.”
He didn’t expect the figure of West Wind, who only existed under a pseudonym, to be left here.
Still, he had secretly hoped to find something. It seemed he had diligently studied the history of the research institute, which he wasn’t particularly curious about.
“Still, I saw the Mayor’s face.”
“I don’t know what good that does, though.”
Mu-hae calmed Joo-oh, who was getting excited over something so trivial, and quietly left the building.
“…You should wear glasses next time.”
Mu-hae, who had been lingering near the building with the lecture rooms, sighed and turned back around, feeling a lingering regret.
He wondered why the people passing by kept glancing this way, but Joo-oh’s appearance was too conspicuous.
He couldn’t put a mask on him and cover him with a hat in a place like this. It felt like he might unfortunately be remembered by someone.
“Okay. But the same kind as Jin Mu-hae’s.”
“That would be even weirder.”
He wasn’t sure if he could hide this face with just glasses, but it would be better than nothing.
“Judging from the records left in the library, West Wind was Kang Ju-seo for at least a few years.”
On the way back, Joo-oh whispered in a small voice on the train.
Mu-hae was inwardly surprised at this reasonable guess. It felt awkward and unfamiliar that a head full of nothing but food could come up with a proper thought, but he was also a little proud.
It seemed that wandering around Central while working as a cleaner had stimulated Joo-oh’s dormant mind.
Since then, he had been making more sense. He was now so good at arguing back that it was hard to counter, and the phenomenon of blankly mumbling to recall words while speaking had also decreased a lot.
However, the frequency of waking up abruptly from sleep had also increased. Mu-hae often woke up in the early morning because the thing in his arms was trembling.
Joo-oh never told him what he was dreaming about, but if it was a memory from the past, it wouldn’t have been a good one.
Even if he vaguely regarded him as an Experiment, Mu-hae, who was ignorant of what kind of experiment it was and how it was conducted, didn’t even know the basics.
He could only imagine Joo-oh floating in antifreeze with strange tubes dangling from him, like an experimental animal in a movie.
“Still nothing coming to mind?”
At the sudden question, Joo-oh stared blankly at Mu-hae. His smiling expression hadn’t changed, but somehow the atmosphere felt heavy.
“Yeah. But I’m still Joo-oh.”
“I already know that.”
“I live in Goryeo City, and I’m with Jin Mu-hae.”
He was saying he didn’t know anything. But his attitude that that was enough didn’t seem particularly gloomy.
“I liked that Jin Mu-hae went to the research institute today.”
He hadn’t gained anything from going there, but he must have just liked exploring an unfamiliar place.
His excited face was still vivid in his mind, so Mu-hae nodded without any particular criticism.
“Two nights, three days?”
“Yeah. We’re going back to Buckta. We can’t refuse Company work.”
Mu-hae gestured to the study while packing his bag. It was a signal for him to hurry up and pack his things too.
He had been so distracted by the terrorist and West Wind that he had forgotten to inform him of the Company’s request schedule.
Even with something that could be upsetting, Joo-oh didn’t seem to mind. Well, since when had he been reporting to him and receiving requests?
The Blue Energy coming from the Buckta area was still strong, but the recent ecological changes were so rapid that exploration schedules kept popping up.
Mu-hae had suddenly accepted what he had been passing on all along last month. It was because he was starting to get curious about things in that area.
‘It was also Buckta where Dmitri’s body was found.’
He had now roughly grasped the story surrounding Dmitri’s death. However, one thing he still couldn’t understand was why Dmitri had hurriedly flown to Buckta without even cleaning up the shelter where he had been staying.
It was highly possible that the NPS had lured him, but there might have been something that important in Buckta. If he wanted to know how far that damn cult was involved in the Return flight’s research, he would have to visit that area again someday.
“Well. This is reality, after all.”
Joo-oh, who had been muttering something out of the blue next to him, quickly ran into the room. From the rustling sound, he was clearly packing food.
He was starting to think that buying him snacks in Bay City might have been a mistake. Since that day, food had been coming out of everywhere, like meat skewers.
He had even pulled out a snack from inside his sleeve, which didn’t even have pockets, and he thought he was performing magic.
As his snack-hiding skills increased, he didn’t know if he was taking care of a colleague or raising an assassin.
Whirr- Psh!
A small aircraft for long distances landed quietly in the vacant lot. Jin Mu-hae finished his preparations and stepped onto the grassy field.
Beep- Beep- Beep-.
The radar, which had not yet detected any living creatures, was emitting a faint search signal.
Fortunately, there seemed to be no changes in the safety map that the Company had recently updated. Since even Beasts weren’t approaching, there was no risk of engaging in combat as soon as they arrived.
“Are we doing the same thing as last time?”
“Yeah. Photograph the Crystal Zone and report any changes from before.”
In the process, they would naturally pass by the place where Dmitri had died. Even if the Company had rummaged through the broken plane to find anything useful or find out its origin, there was no way they would have bothered to clean up the scattered human bones.
The possibility of finding them in the first place wasn’t high, but…….
“It’s from here.”
“Okay!”
Whoooong-.
The bike provided by the Company emitted a quiet engine sound and sped towards its destination.
Throughout the ride along the cracked road, Joo-oh hummed and fiddled with his side.
“Everything is getting mixed up little by little, and it’s happening faster.”
He whispered along the way, but Mu-hae didn’t hear him because it was drowned out by the wind.
In fact, even that voice was a little rhythmic, so even if he had heard it, he would have thought it was just the lyrics of a song he didn’t know.
After moving for a long time and parking the bike, and then walking for a long time again, the first Crystal Zone revealed itself.
The trees were even more overgrown than when he had come before, but it didn’t seem like the Beasts’ or Aberrant’s routes had changed.
“Move. I’m not filming you.”
18%
34%
61%
…
While waiting for the progress bar to slowly fill up, Mu-hae’s mind was entirely focused on the path between the second and third locations.
Even if the Company searched the wrecked aircraft for useful items or to find out its origin, they wouldn’t have bothered to clean up the wreckage itself.
The same went for mercenaries. Doing unprofitable things in dangerous areas was only for those related to the accident.
But if that place was clean, how should he take it?
He couldn’t gauge how much he should be careful and how to respond.
“Are we sleeping in the plane today?”
“Yeah. If you make a lot of noise, I’ll just gag you and tie you up.”
Joo-oh giggled at the empty threat and rubbed his head against Mu-hae’s shoulder.
Being next to a guy who had no sense of crisis made him feel like the ominous feeling was subsiding a little.