Loved by the War Machine

93 – Epilogue: Central Factory 001 (1)

When I lift my face and get up, there’s always an alleyway behind me.

Once I stretch my body, there’s only a heavy feeling.

“Hmph.”

“If you’re up, get ready. We need to move.”

Now, the boy who has just turned twenty looks at the hairy man who passed him by, tosses a word to himself, and then finishes stretching before getting up.

The sky sinks into darkness.

The street is desolate.

And cameras are scattered everywhere.

“Alright, the disguise.”

“This isn’t a disguise, it’s, ugh, it smells…”

“Endure it. Fooling the central network isn’t an easy task.”

From the spots tainted with a sour smell as if soaked in vinegar to the debris that shouldn’t be touched, as if there’s too much malice and filth prepared in advance, the black-haired boy with a frown looks at the filthy cloth and takes a step back.

A deep breath was necessary.

It’s the magic technique that submerges cold sweat, nightmares, and bad memories.

“——— Why’s that guy like that? Did he eat something wrong?”

Sharp words that couldn’t be understood for a moment pierced the ears and then transformed into familiar language.

Though even then, the feeling didn’t soften.

Even stiff words and hands with calloused skin could feel soft.

In other words, it wasn’t the language that was the problem.

“Give me some time. The kid isn’t used to these kinds of things.”

“——— If things go south because of that guy, I’ll just ditch him. Figure it out yourself!”

It was always like this.

Even if their skin color was the same, ‘continentals’ always treated the boy roughly since he started working, as if saying that even though the exteriors matched, the insides were different.

Only the man with white skin and blue eyes…

“I understand. Those Tonho guys are naturally like that. It doesn’t mean Mirsis is better, though.”

With rough hands, similar to his father’s, the man patted the boy’s back, offering only a faint consolation.

Similar feeling to his father.

But the heavier, parched voice was nothing like his father’s, making the boy feel melancholic.

“But do I really have to wear this?”

The cloak smelled.

It would have been better if it were black, why did it have to be ominously brown?

The boy couldn’t dismiss that question.

“——— Damn it, put it on quickly or not, make up your mind. Can’t you do it quickly?!”

“…I’ll talk and come back. But it’s better to wear it. If the cameras recognize us, especially you, it won’t end well.”

Of course, chaos would ensue if the cameras recognized us.

Even if the streets looked clean now, if there was even a slightly hostile object or appearance, the ‘modified’ transport would immediately swoop down…

And the armed droids hanging around would come down, raining bullets.

“I’ll give it a try. Ugh, but really…”

“Come on, just endure a little. After all, we’ll have to undress once we get inside the building.”

Upon hearing that, the boy nodded his head and glanced at the continentals looking at him with disdain.

Whatever the source of their dissatisfaction, his crumpled face did not lend itself to kind words.

Between himself, the Caucasian man, and the oddly silent horse…

“…”

If it weren’t for someone observing from afar, they wouldn’t have made it this far, breaking through the city’s security.

Although discontent brewed, he wasn’t naive enough to express it blatantly.

Through the device attached to his ear, he ignored the harsh curses filtering in today’s, lifting the cloth with effort.

He had never seen such a thing, even in a trash can, draped over someone who always wore pristine clothes…

“Ugh.”

If entering the building required it, he willingly adorned it on his body.

There was something he needed to find.

***

“Sigh.”

“—Spread your legs, don’t chatter. No suspicious actions whatsoever.”

“I feel like not talking will make us more suspicious, though…”

“I said shut your mouth, didn’t I?!”

Were continentals always this foul-tempered?

Or had sensitivity heightened due to the circumstances?

Thinking so, the boy took a breath through his mouth.

Tenhu Group Construction.

Now, not only in Incheon but also in various business fields, companies are losing their ‘innovativeness.’

A company that used to compete over Mircease and new products has recently lost its momentum and was stumbling.

And the boy could easily guess the reason.

“——— Go into the central building and take everything you need. We don’t have much time, so don’t dilly-dally -“

“Relax, Captain Wang. The boy cooperated, didn’t he? Considering he came dressed like that without military formalities…”

“Anyway, you all should be ashamed. Acting so recklessly, can’t you properly respond to external threats with your own strength? If it weren’t for Tenhu, the peninsula folks would have been eaten up by the Westerners long ago!”

The one who illegally entered the city spoke like that, lowering his head even more towards the approaching camera, silencing his voice.

What followed next was so small that the translator couldn’t catch it…

The sharp and sinister pronunciation made the boy easily speculate that it was a curse.

“Do they not know that the ones who need to be most careful are those who carry weapons on their bodies?”

As the boy chuckled softly and mumbled, a hand reached out from behind, patting his back.

What should have been silvery was tainted with a murky darkness.

“…Just endure a bit.”

The woman, who hadn’t spoken much, finally opened her mouth.

A somewhat husky voice. However, a mask covering her face concealed her age.

The boy glanced at her for a moment.

“By the way, are you a machine too, sister?”

“No.”

As soon as the thrown question was severed with a single stroke, the conversation came to an abrupt end.

The increasing number of drones as they moved was also a reason.

– Zip.

The man at the forefront fluttered his coat and extended his hand.

Then he waved his arm to the left.

With that, the various groups stopped in their tracks, each finding their place –

“You, come with me and take a look around.

The rest of the group will enter the building one by one.”

As the leaders opened the locked door and entered, the others dispersed as a signal.

The boy, too, turned on his heels, led by the hand that grasped him, and faced a towering spire before him.

“… How about taking a triple-decker bus ride while we’re at it?”

“No time.”

Another conversation cut short.

But as the boy with black hair steadily distanced himself from the building, he attempted to speak again.

Until the dirty cloth lodged between his lips.

“Ugh?!”

“Quiet. You know what happens if your voice is recognized…

You should know by now.”

The spot on the tip of his tongue touched by the stain became soaked with saliva.

And then, the stagnant scent came back to life.

At that moment, the foul smell that was more sour than anything else began to spread wildly.

Right at that moment, the brain that recognized the scent wanted to scream.

“This damn world…!”

A man who had come out of an alley holding a bottle screamed into the darkness in his own voice.

At the same time, the machines floating in the sky turned their heads in unison.

“I’m not afraid, I’m not scared!

These damn tin cans, who do they think they are, blabbering about…”

Reflected in the boy’s black eyes were five drones.

One of them swiftly descended and blocked the man’s path.

“This is a message from Incheon Metropolitan City.

Drinking and causing disturbances in public places can harm citizens. We recommend going home.”

“What the hell. I’ll do what I want, who are you to -“

A blue light flashed towards the man’s face.

And then, the color of the scanner changed to yellow.

“Identity confirmed: Gang Min-chan, member of the organized crime group Family.

We have confirmed your past record of robbery, murder, property damage, and destruction of public facilities.”

“Yeah, f*ck you. Are you scared? Are you scared, you damn tin can heads, huh, bastards…”

Before the man could finish speaking, the siren on top of the drone began to wail.

And then, the buildings, cars, buses… everything around started to darken their windows or close their curtains without a word.

“Hyungnim! What are you doing?! Hyungnim!”

“You brat, what are you up to? If you don’t want to end up like this, scram!”

The sound of metal colliding between buildings echoed briefly, soon replaced by the sound of footsteps receding as they splashed through water, resonating through the quiet city.

A flickering light made a few turns.

A white spotlight illuminating the alley.

“…Vae.”

“Quiet.”

Trying to shake off the harsh taste in his mouth, the boy spat out saliva, only to have fingers touch his lips.

Then, a woman wearing a mask, pressing down on his shoulders.

They could quickly disappear into the shadows of the building.

Avoiding the eyes of spreading drones.

“Confirmed: Gang Minchan, affiliated with the violent organization ‘Yu Inwon Family.’ Cease resistance immediately and comply with instructions.”

“You’re not gonna talk to these tin-headed idiots?! Call someone, these bastards!”

The sound of metal against metal reverberated, audible even in a house with closed curtains or from a distance.

Followed by the sound of electricity flowing through metal.

“Warning again. Cease resistance and comply with instructions.”

“I’m not f*cking scared, am I? Cowards, afraid of a damn bullet, making me hide like a pathetic rat in the sewer -“

A weapon pointed ominously towards the man.

The yellow-stained scanner turned red.

“If you do not comply with the third warning, we will open fire.”

“Shoot, shoot at them. Just s-“

The sound of two gunshots echoed through the sky.

“…the smell of burning flesh. Ugh.”

“It must be the smell of burning flesh. Why would they burn precious meat?”

“They say there’s no difference in taste…”

The boy’s complaint was soon interrupted by the small machines that started scattering around.

Some between buildings,

Some high up in the sky,

And the humanoid ‘units’ with two propellers trapped inside the largest circular frame began to board the airship.

“That seems like a new model.”

“Well, the ones on the outskirts and the outside are different in arrangement.”

The boy’s voice responded to the doubtful remark.

With furrowed brows under the glow of the mask’s light, he pointed with his finger to the tallest tower.

“It keeps spinning without a break. Over there.”

The buildings, reinforced with numerous cables and metal plates, had not a single glass window.

Only the red lights along the edges were brightly lit, just to show the outline.

Just 20 years ago, someone would have commuted from there and worked hard for their success.

“I used to work at the Incheon branch of Mirsis.”

“Now it’s Central Factory 001.”

However, now it had transformed into a massive production facility where only machines went in and out.

Towering spires that obscured the sky, where stars faintly shone.

That was where the boy and his companions were headed.