Chapter 22: Ashes of the Dawn, Embers of Vengeance

He thought that everything was the price of arrogance.

The ending where an operation that he was sure would succeed turned into a horrific failure, and as a result, he lost the most precious person… he believed that it was all due to his own greed.

That it was a distorted reaction from rashly trying to change a predetermined story with shallow knowledge…

Seo Jin had no choice but to think that way.

In the original game, the Arcel there never died in vain like this. The only reason that fate could have changed was his own existence.

It was natural to think that a foreign substance that shouldn’t have been in this world had messed up the predetermined cause and effect with the worst result.

So he couldn’t bear it.
The self-reproach that he had lost Arcel because of his mistake. Every moment he thought of her, whom he would never see again, was so painful that he didn’t even want to be alive anymore.

But,

if really, just in case…

those things that he thought were irreversible mistakes,

were a failure with a predetermined result from the start, due to someone’s intention?

A chilling sound flowed from his teeth, which were clenched so hard that the tendons stood out.

Seo Jin stared at the document in front of him, forgetting even to breathe.
It was a clue that there was a conspiracy he didn’t know about in Arcel’s death.
The moment he understood the indirectly listed information, so much blood rushed to his head that he couldn’t even think properly.

Only a burning anger kindled the embers deep within his lungs.

If all of this was true…
If someone’s instigation existed in her death….
Seo Jin had to pay them back without fail.

Whoever the culprit was, he had to kill them by any means.

He belatedly came to his senses after an unknown amount of time had passed.

He was so heated with boiling emotions that he needed to calm down a bit first.

With still trembling hands, Seo Jin barely poured himself a cup of cold water and drank it, then unfolded the crumpled document in his grip again.

He carefully examined the contents once more.

In fact, the information in the document was not complete. There were many words blacked out as if it were a classified document, and there were also unnatural omissions.

But among them, a few relatively clear clues felt as if they were openly inducing his actions, so he also felt quite suspicious.

Intention. Purpose. Whoever sent this, they would eventually have something they wanted from Seo Jin. That’s why even the contents of the document were blatantly implying a specific goal.

There was definitely a perpetrator within the Allied Forces who orchestrated Arcel’s death. But they couldn’t tell him the detailed inside story right now. So-

‘Check it out yourself, is that it?’

Seo Jin coldly snorted.

The intention to induce his actions was so blatant that it felt honest instead.

But in the end, there was no other way. Right now, he had no choice but to follow the clues of the given information. So he decided to play along for a while.

If the person who handed him this document intended to negatively exploit Seo Jin’s feelings for Arcel… he would just make them pay the price.

And if, by any chance, there was actually a conspiracy he didn’t know about in her death…. he would find the culprit no matter what and take revenge.

He was prepared to use any means and methods.

However, one thing,
he was running out of time.

Feeling that he could only move this body for a little longer now, Seo Jin suddenly felt impatient.

‘I can’t be doing this-‘

But one voice that suddenly came to mind in his memory stopped him in his tracks. Seo Jin could no longer move.

『”……Stay by my side until the end. Then I won’t give up and will live. Even after you’re gone, I’ll somehow live on….!”』

The night before.
The promise he had made with Seril.

Seo Jin had clearly pledged to her.
That he would stay with her until the end of his time.

But now…..

In a situation where he couldn’t do that, Seo Jin hesitated for the first time.

This was a personal revenge.
He didn’t want to get her involved.

It would definitely be dangerous.
The contents of the document were information that could put even the upper echelons of the Allied Forces under suspicion. Or even more, a figure he couldn’t even imagine might be involved.

Seo Jin didn’t care. He was going to dig into the details of the matter related to Arcel no matter what. He wouldn’t mind any extreme method.

As someone who had nothing to lose, he was prepared to endure anything.

But Seril was different.
She was a promising officer, and a person with endless possibilities for the future.

There was no need for her to get involved in this dangerous revenge.

Nevertheless, if Seril offered to help him…

‘What should I do?’

Should he dissuade her first?
Or should he accept?

He really couldn’t figure out what the right choice was for each other.

There was a possibility that either way would hurt her.

That’s why Seo Jin…..

“I’m home.”

Seril, who had returned home from work as usual.
Seo Jin’s expression, who was greeting her, was not bright.

Sensing that something was wrong, Seril immediately asked curiously.

“What’s wrong? Is something the matter?”

Seo Jin was still hesitating at this moment.
What would be the right decision. The answer he had been thinking about all along was….

to tell her everything as it was.

After the incident where he had unnecessarily concealed the facts and made her misunderstand, they had promised not to hide anything from each other anymore.

He told her everything as it was, without embellishment.
Seril listened to the story silently for a long time.
Looking at the slightly crumpled document on the table.

A silence lingered as her light brown gaze passed the last page of the document.

A slightly frowning eye. What on earth was she thinking? Just as he was wondering, she suddenly raised her head and looked straight at Seo Jin.

“Even if I tell you it’s dangerous and try to stop you…. you won’t quit, will you?”

Her voice was somewhat calm.

Seo Jin only nodded silently.
And he was going to apologize right away.
That he was sorry that he couldn’t stay with her anymore….

But before that, Seril continued to speak.

“Then, the first target we should investigate… is probably this man?”

“…..?”

“Jack Davidson, currently a retired lieutenant colonel. When he was on active duty, he belonged to Operations Division 1 of the Western Defense Command…. and at the time of the Dawn of Humanity plan, he was an intelligence officer in the Integrated Command… hmm….”

She was looking at the document and already naturally making plans.
A stance of trying to join in on his work as if it were natural.
The way she said it so calmly was somewhat embarrassing to Seo Jin.

“I have a trustworthy colleague working in the intelligence division. If I ask, I can get a more detailed profile. So-“

“Wait, wait a minute. Seril.”

“What is it?”

Seo Jin tried to persuade her once more.

“Seril, you know. This is a personal matter, and it’s a dangerous one. There’s a high possibility that the upper echelons of the Allied Forces are involved, so the deeper we dig, the more dangerous it will become.”

Her light brown eyes stared silently at Seo Jin, who was trying to dissuade her, then blinked slightly.

“…..So?”

“Huh?”

“Are you going to quit because it’s dangerous? You’re not, are you?”

“And if it’s your work, it’s definitely related to me, isn’t it?”

She was saying that so calmly, as if it were so natural.
With a face that didn’t have even a hint of doubt.
In front of her gaze,
Seo Jin was silent for a moment.