…What was that?
A woman's voice, trembling with sobs.
But unfortunately, the transmission cut off after that.
["…W-What was that just now? W-Was it a ghost?"]
"…You are the ghost. You."
["Hey, I'm technically a spectral entity, okay? That's different from a ghost."]
"...No one would see it that way."
Setting aside the bizarre fact that a spectral being was afraid of ghosts, I replayed the mysterious voice in my mind.
Just like Esther had said, the odds of it being an actual ghost were zero.
I had never heard of an etheric voice transmitting through a radio channel.
'Still… I feel like I've heard that voice somewhere before…'
Something about it sounded familiar.
But since I had only caught a fleeting glimpse of it, I couldn't quite put my finger on who it belonged to.
'If I had to narrow it down, the frequency range suggests it was from Blue Line, Navy Line, or Violet Line…'
Even if I tried to pinpoint it, there were simply too many possible candidates.
'Well… It's a bit concerning, but it's probably nothing.'
With so little information, there wasn't much I could do right now anyway.
Besides, I had bigger priorities—like the upcoming Wave.
["You're just going to ignore it?"]
"Yes."
["You're seriously ignoring a woman's cries for help? You villain."]
"Not my problem."
["Hmmm. Are you perhaps… trash?"]
"And you are the faithful partner-in-trash."
["…Oh. You're right."]
Ignoring Esther's grumbling, I started preparing to head to Ark.
By now, Ark should have reached a conclusion on recent events.
More importantly—I had something to pick up from them.
'Time to settle the score.'
It was time to collect my reward for this mission.
*
Red-17 Gate.
It was a bit far from my hideout, but I had come here on purpose.
It was always easier to talk when you had familiar faces around.
"You've arrived."
"Yeah."
As usual, Lieutenant Imosha greeted me enthusiastically.
"The matter you discussed last time seems to have gone well. I heard from lieutenant Colonel Banol."
"That so? Good."
As expected, the negotiations with Kronos had gone smoothly.
It made sense.
For Ark, it was far better to hand over a bit of supplies and keep Kronos under control than to leave them unchecked and risk unpredictable variables.
Not to mention, bribing Kronos was cheaper than spending resources to keep them in check.
"And as for your compensation for this mission, the appropriate amount has been deposited into your ID account as credits."
"Oh?"
Now that was welcome news.
It was exactly what I'd been waiting for.
'My credits were running dangerously low… This helps.'
Since I had passed up a huge opportunity to earn more credits in favor of completing this mission, it was only fair that I received a proper reward.
'Let's check it.'
I activated my wrist device and checked my account balance.
And then—
A series of familiar numbers appeared on my screen.
'Not bad.'
Of course, it wasn't an insane amount or anything.
But it was more than enough to upgrade a few weapons for Maybell Pilgrim.
'They were pretty generous this time.'
It wasn't a perfect amount considering the difficulty of the mission, but it was still more than expected.
Now, there was only one thing left to do—
Spend it.
'With the [Rift Space], I might as well invest in high-powered weaponry.'
Most of the heavy firearms I'd purchased so far had been weaker models chosen for their portability.
But now?
I no longer had to worry about that.
The [Rift Space] had completely removed any weight restrictions.
"And… could you call Quartermaster Gedwin for me?"
"Oh, of course. Please wait a moment."
Having someone willing to run errands for me made the trip to Red-17 Gate worthwhile.
And soon enough—
As if he had been waiting in advance, Quartermaster Gedwin appeared quickly.
"Long time no see, Carl Marcus."
"Yeah, it's been a while."
Gedwin's eyes swiftly scanned me up and down.
Then, as always, he shivered slightly before forcing an awkward smile.
"You're still… quite something. I assume you played a big role in the latest Wave, huh?"
"I just did my job."
"…As usual."
Then, Gedwin's expression shifted.
"Do you have something specific in mind?"
"I want the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun."
"...Excuse me?"
Gedwin's face twisted in disbelief.
"Is there a problem?"
"Well… Not exactly, but… Do you have a vehicle? That thing is huge—it's not something you can just carry alone through rough terrain…"
"I'll handle that."
He wasn't wrong.
The NOA-31 was an enormous weapon, far too big for a single person to carry around normally.
So Gedwin's concern was understandable.
"…Alright then. Please wait a moment. I'll need to arrange a transport vehicle for it…"
"Go ahead. Oh, and—add ten rounds each of standard shells, dual-purpose high-explosive shells, armor-piercing incendiary rounds, and dispersed armor-piercing shells."
"Uh… Got it."
Even though the NOA-31 was insanely expensive, I was willing to spend over half my military merit points on it.
It was worth it.
"Please wait here."
"Oh, by the way, I need to step out for a bit. If the delivery arrives before I return, can you hold onto it for me?"
"Of course. Take your time."
With that settled, I headed straight into Ark.
My destination—
The Special Weapons Research Lab.
There was someone I needed to meet.
—
"Welcome."
"I'm here to see the Director."
"Ah, understood. Right this way."
My identity had already been verified, so there were no issues as I stepped into the elevator.
Bzzzt…
Soon, the elevator doors slid open, and I arrived at the floor where Maybell Pilgrim's private laboratory was located.
"Carl Marcus. It's you."
"It's been a while."
"I doubt you came here just for small talk… Do you have something for me?"
"I need your expertise on something."
"Oh? What exactly?"
"I don't have it on me right now."
"…Then?"
"It's too big to carry around. By now, it should be at Red-17 Gate."
"Too big to carry around…? Be specific."
"The NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun."
"…Huh."
Maybell's eyebrows knitted together slightly.
"…You do realize that I'm considered high-class personnel in Ark, right? If you want me to work on something like that, you'll have to pay accordingly. Are you sure about this?"
"I already have something valuable prepared."
"…Do you have that many credits? My service fees are quite steep, you know."
"No. I have something even better."
As I spoke, I subtly shifted my posture, revealing the Z-74 Jetpack strapped to my back.
"You still need data on this, don't you?"
"…Wasn't the Z-74 Jetpack provided to me in exchange for its data?"
"That's true. But wouldn't you also want my personal feedback on it?"
"...Heh. I can't win against you, huh?"
Maybell let out a soft chuckle.
"Alright. Let's go."
"You agreed pretty quickly."
"Well, we're talking about the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun, right? I've been dying to get my hands on one of those. I never get the chance."
That made sense.
Normally, people didn't bother modifying or upgrading something like the NOA-31.
'Most people only upgrade handheld weapons they can use as primary arms.'
Even I wouldn't have spent credits upgrading an NOA-31—if it weren't for the rift space.
A weapon of that size required special conditions to use, and transporting it was a nightmare.
'But that doesn't matter now.'
Arriving at the Red-17 Gate with Maybell Pilgrim, my eyes were immediately drawn to the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun mounted on a massive truck.
"You've arrived."
"Yeah, you secured it well."
"And the person beside you… W-Wait, could it be… Lieutenant Colonel Maybell Pilgrim?"
As Quartermaster Officer Gedwin recognized Maybell Pilgrim, she smiled and greeted him.
"That's right. You're Quartermaster Officer Gedwin, correct?"
"Ah, y-yes! That's me. But what brings you here…?"
"I came at Carl Marcus' request."
"…Excuse me?"
Quartermaster Officer Gedwin blinked, glancing back and forth between me and Maybell Pilgrim.
"No need to be so surprised. You know how he is."
"Ah…"
At Maybell Pilgrim's words, Quartermaster Officer Gedwin nodded as if finally understanding something.
"Then…"
Maybell Pilgrim's gaze slowly swept over the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun.
"It's beautiful."
"You have a good eye."
"This is what I do every day—examining, evaluating, and modifying equipment…"
"What do you think of that one? Can you handle it?"
"Hah… What do you take me for? Of course, I can handle it with ease."
From Maybell Pilgrim's hands, tools suddenly appeared, as if conjured out of thin air.
Since she had already brought her tool bag when leaving the lab, nothing at this point could hinder her hands from getting to work.
"Shall we begin right away?"
"I'd appreciate that."
"Then…"
Maybell Pilgrim stepped toward the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun atop the vehicle.
Without hesitation, her hands moved swiftly.
"What the…!"
Quartermaster Officer Gedwin's expression was instantly painted with shock.
But Maybell Pilgrim paid no mind and continued working without pause.
Ziiiiiing…
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Sparks flew, as if she were welding.
Thunderous clangs echoed, as if she were hammering.
Who knew how much time had passed?
"It's done."
At last, Maybell Pilgrim wiped the sweat from her forehead, signaling the completion of the upgrade.
Unlike the BLT-47 Plasma Launcher she had upgraded before, the NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun was as sturdy as it was massive. Naturally, there was no doubt that the upgrade had been a success.
"Good work."
"Would you like to take a look?"
"Of course."
I immediately checked the results.
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[NOA-31 Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun MK.II [★★★★★★★(+★)(8-Star)]]
— A pinnacle of Ark's engineering, the Anti-Behemoth Gatling Gun.
— Boasting firepower as overwhelming as its enormous size.
— Refined by the hands of renowned weapons engineering expert, Maybell Pilgrim. Its base performance and rate of fire have been significantly enhanced.
"View Details"
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