Black Badger

It would have been nice if the others could have come along too.

The problem was that the wealthy were absurdly strict about access to this Core.

The annual membership fee alone was a base of 800 million.

You had to pay 800 million just to gain the right to enter the Core, or so they said....

‘You and Samuel are exceptions since you’re visiting under Black Badger authority.’

That was what Yehyeon said as he assigned us the business trip dates.

‘Make sure you find the doctor from the rumors and get examined. While you’re at it, check on the Badger stationed there and the condition of the core devices.’

According to my superior, there was exactly one Badger currently stationed in Core 15.

He said the guy was lazing around. Core 15 was the only Core where not a single Creature incident had been reported in nearly ten years.

A Core countless Badgers dreamed of being assigned to.

It would have been nice if Yun could come along too.

Unfortunately, Yun was tied down.

My mentor had barely been able to go home lately.

‘I should’ve killed Lee Seunghyun before things got like this.’

Lying almost flat in a lab chair with a book covering his face, my mentor moved the book aside and muttered.

‘You’re going to Core 15?’

‘Yes. They say it’s considered a dream resort, so I’m kind of looking forward to it.’

I’d stopped by the research wing to learn how to use the core device inspection equipment, and while I was there, I reported in—and bragged a little.

My mentor sat up straight in his chair and snorted.

Clicking the mouse beside me as I held the inspection device, he said,

‘Don’t get your hopes up. From the moment you set foot there, you’re going to be looked down on.’

‘What?’

Even though I’m going as a Black Badger?

When I made a face saying I didn’t understand, Yun chuckled.

‘They say 800 million, but that place is famous for filtering visitors using all kinds of criteria.’

‘They’re that picky?’

‘The worst kind of snobs. I’ve never been there myself, but Choi Hyunyoung went there on vacation once and came back after being disrespected in every possible way.’

President Choi Hyunyoung?

Wasn’t she the head of one of the top conglomerate affiliates in Center Core?

As my mouth fell open, Yun added flatly,

‘They only want old, prestigious families.’

‘But Aitek is a well-known chaebol.’

‘Until the First War broke out, it was just a company with some name recognition in Korea.’

Yun spoke as if it were someone else’s business, then rolled his pitch-black eyes and looked up at me.

‘You get what I’m saying, right? You’ve seen plenty of people like that.’

I understood.

To put it bluntly, they judged everything—lineage, money, reputation.

People who judged others by their clothes, speech, names, and in extreme cases, even race would be crawling all over the place. Act even a little “common,” and they’d look you up and down.

People who wanted to play aristocrat more than anyone else on an Earth without a caste system.

From the moment I heard Yun’s explanation, all my expectations for the trip evaporated.

Even now, standing in Core 15, I didn’t feel happy.

Samuel didn’t know any of this, but....

“Even the portal zone isn’t ordinary,” the doctor muttered.

We had just arrived at Portal Zone 15. Core 15 had a human-use portal—whose per-use fee was astronomically expensive—installed, so there was no need to take a plane.

The portal zone was extravagant.

A pure white goddess statue caught the eye.

A waterfall installed behind the statue produced a refreshing sound, and lush green grass shimmered beautifully behind the falling water.

The ceiling was high. Circular in shape but narrowing as it rose, it was carved with cherubs. The angels formed a ring together, gazing up at the sky.

Soft classical music harmonized with the sound of water.

A faint bergamot scent tickled the nose.

A portal zone staff member smiled thinly.

“You’re the Badgers.”

I sensed subtle condescension.

If there hadn’t been a team that arrived just before us, I might not have noticed.

“This way, please.”

The team ahead was guided personally by a staff member.

But the staff who greeted us didn’t look like they had any intention of approaching us. In fact, after giving directions, they left as if we no longer existed.

Meanwhile, those who had arrived earlier glanced back at us with odd smiles.

With hearing sharper than a human’s, I picked up their murmured conversation: ‘They sent Badgers again,’ ‘What use are Badgers in a zone without Creatures,’ ‘They probably want to see this place too,’ ‘If they weren’t Badgers, they’d never get to come here in their lives.’

Why are they always this textbook?

It was so childish I couldn’t even get angry....

Thankfully, Samuel didn’t seem to hear their blatant mockery.

Or maybe he chose not to hear it. Either way, after asking, “So we just go that way?” he strode out of the portal zone.

I followed, heading toward the Core processing area, passing by the snickering people.

After completing the procedures, we went to the area where our rental car was waiting.

As we walked across the polished marble floor, the doctor kept checking on my condition.

“How’s your body?”

“Perfectly fine.”

“If anything feels off, tell me immediately.”

He wore a look that clearly didn’t trust my answer.

“My ultimate goal is to cure you completely. So please cooperate, will you?”

The rental car we’d booked a day earlier was waiting for us, fully fueled.

“Wow. Bringing this model in was worth it,” the rental company employee said, breaking into a wide smile the moment he saw us.

“I prepared it just in case, for customers with unique tastes. I’m so happy I actually got to see this model go out while I’m working.”

Understanding the subtext of his words, I pulled up the corner of my mouth.

What we’d requested was a very ordinary car. A family vehicle commonly driven by households with one or two children.

In other words, not an expensive car.

Unlike what the people who paid 800 million to come here would choose....

“We heard Badgers were coming, so we even did a condition check in advance. For once, I’d like to praise my own foresight.”

He said it with so little malice that it was hard to get angry.

We let out small sighs and drove off.

The lodging Samuel and I would be staying at was near the shopping center in the middle of the island.

There were several rooms there kept vacant under Black Badger authority.

Otherwise, it would’ve been too expensive to stay.

Yes. Astonishingly, even after paying 800 million just to enter, you had to pay again to stay at the island’s hotels.

Of course, most visitors owned their own villas on the island, so they didn’t complain....

“Doctor. There’s something I want to tell you.”

An open road.

Beside the coastal road, the sea glittered blue with reflected sunlight. The ordinary car that had pleased the employee glided smoothly along the road. Samuel was driving. The doctor had adamantly refused to let me sit in the driver’s seat.

Thanks to that, sprawled in the passenger seat, I broke the silence.

Samuel replied casually.

“Yeah? What is it. Feeling worse?”

“No.”

“Then?”

He asked without taking his eyes off the road.

“What is it?”

I began talking.

I condensed it far more than what I’d told the TF team, but I conveyed the core points.

I was actually from another world. I’d split from my kin over differences in opinion. I’d sided with those who agreed with me and stood with humanity, joining the First War—then lost consciousness on the battlefield before it ended.

Everything after that was a story he already knew.

After explaining, I waited for his response.

I knew, of course, that he’d already heard it. Still, I wanted to explain it directly myself.

If I didn’t say it now, I felt like I’d miss the chance....

The doctor lightly patted my shoulder.

“I’d heard bits and pieces, but hearing it in detail—it’s even more unbelievable. You’ve been through a lot.”

Then his hand returned to the steering wheel.

I stared at him.

“That’s it?”

“Huh?”

“You can get angry. Or irritated.”

Samuel snorted.

“Why would I get irritated at you?”

“You went through the war.”

“You said you were against it.”

“Um. Yes. In simple terms.”

The doctor waved his hand as if that ended the discussion.

“Then that’s it. Story over.”

Is it?

Strictly speaking, it was all over.

But it felt like he was saying there was something else that mattered more.

Before I could question it, the doctor spoke.

“Do you know who the ‘legendary doctor’ Yehyeon mentioned is?”

“No. I just heard it was a highly skilled doctor who retired.”

“That’s right. We’re looking for a doctor who was active even before the First War broke out.”

That was a really long time ago.

If they hadn’t received age suspension, they’d be quite old by now. Though the odds were much higher that they had. For Yehyeon to call someone a legendary doctor, after all.

Legendary doctor. Even hearing it again, it was an awfully blunt, straightforward title.

It wasn’t like a creature from some game....

“Do you know LUCA?”

Samuel abruptly changed the subject.

A person’s name?

“Is that a Black Badger?”

“No. Ah—. It’s short for Last Universal Common Ancestor. Around four billion years ago, it’s believed that a common ancestor from which all life branched appeared. From there came the first prokaryotes, then eukaryotes.”

Why are we suddenly talking biology?

“I heard there were people who ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) took that term and used it as a name. Ever heard rumors about that?”

“Uh... so you’re saying there were people called LUCA, named after that biological term?”

“That’s what I heard.”

The doctor made a sound indicating I’d understood correctly.

“Rumor has it, that’s what they called the very first humans to receive enhanced bodies.”

What now?

I let out a hollow laugh and turned my head toward the sea.

That was one hell of a bomb to drop.

Staring at the blue ocean, I thought for a moment.

First of all.... This was the first time I’d heard that term.

But that alone didn’t prove the rumor false. Humans hadn’t told us everything.

Especially since I knew next to nothing about ‘enhanced bodies.’ Eve had researched age suspension, not enhanced bodies. Enhanced bodies and age suspension weren’t the same thing. The bear-like strength the Badgers boasted about was a different matter from immortality.

We hadn’t known until halfway through that humans were even researching things like that.

I was curious where Samuel had heard such rumors, but Samuel Han also knew Lee Seunghyun—Yehyeon’s biological father—and Jaeyeon, Colton’s subordinate.

It wouldn’t be surprising if he knew far more than expected.

Meaning the rumor might have credibility.

“They say that doctor examined those LUCAs.”

So that’s how it connected.

“I heard he’s quite old now. According to rumors, the moment the war broke out, he retired and holed up on this island. No idea how accurate that is. But since he was the first to witness the peculiarities of enhanced bodies, I figured he might know something. That’s why I brought you along. Nothing to lose—might as well try finding him.”

“Yes.”

If the rumor was true, we might already be acquainted.

If he’d examined the first enhanced-body subjects, he would’ve known a great deal about us. Back then, very few people even knew we existed.

If we met, would he recognize my face...?

I pondered briefly, but there was no way to know.

Still, it was an intriguing rumor.

“Where did you hear all this? I can’t get a sense of how much you actually know.”

“Well, I pick up bits and pieces. I’ve been playing soldier since the First War, after all.”

Samuel replied casually.

At this point, I don’t think I’d even be surprised if he said he’d met an Elder....

“I heard this around the time the First War ended.”

For the first time, the doctor’s voice dropped slightly.

“It was a rumor passed on by soldiers who aren’t around anymore.”

I see.

To verify the rumor, we’d have to find the doctor ourselves.

We had plenty of time.

Thinking it was worth a try, I spent the drive to the hotel sifting through old memories.

***

“How much did you say this was?”

Several hours later.

I found myself in a situation that made me forget all about enhanced bodies and LUCA.

A statue shattered to pieces.

Something I’d broken by accident after staggering from a sudden wave of dizziness.

Clutching the broken fragment, I asked in a trembling voice,

“Ten billion?”