Ubermensch – Chapter 105

Chapter 105

The time Jeong Ryeogyeong and Mason spent together was sweet and long.

However, even during this period of rest, Mason had much to do.

And the most burdensome task among them was…

“…I’m back.”

Keeping his promise to Deroa.

“Seo Yeonhee. How have you been?”

Seo Yeonhee had shut herself in her room, without even locking the door.

Mason looked around the room.

The food he had bought remained untouched, still in their bags. Only new empty liquor bottles were scattered everywhere.

The curtains were drawn, making the room dark even in broad daylight. Seo Yeonhee, with her unfocused, hazy eyes, was curled up like a wounded animal.

“…”

Seo Yeonhee, always neat and tidy, was now huddled in disheveled hair and a dirty t-shirt. She was immersed in her own world, paying no attention to Mason’s arrival.

Mason opened the curtains and let the room air out. He placed the newly bought food and gathered the empty bottles.

While doing so, he talked about what had happened. The news. The news of the attack teams. The news of Seo Yeonhee’s acquaintances. And trivial things that happened in Mason’s daily life.

Even though he knew his words were not reaching Seo Yeonhee, Mason continued talking as if to himself.

The house was cleaned. Mason wet a towel and roughly wiped Seo Yeonhee’s face.

He left the room with a bag full of empty bottles.

“I’ll come again.”

Seo Yeonhee didn’t respond.

Click.

Even after the door closed.

“…”

Mason moved on.

With a bitter expression.

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After finishing cleaning Seo Yeonhee’s house, Mason headed to the Revengers’ attack team research lab.

Hope, who had awakened, was waiting for him there.

“Raid Leader Mason-nim.”

The researchers were delighted.

Hope had no vocal cords. To communicate with her, one had to be able to converse through telepathy.

Only Mason or Yekaterina could do this.

And Hope had only opened her heart to one person, Mason.

Mason brought a chair and sat opposite the water tank where Hope was.

Hope sent images of affirmation and joy.

One thing Mason had learned about Hope was that she didn’t need to eat. He had tilted his head in wonder when he saw her appearance, as there was no organ that could be called a mouth, but they were truly beings who didn’t require food.

A being that was half animal and half plant, converting light and heat directly into energy.

In other words, these were life forms that could function with only natural light, moderate temperature, and (by their standards) clean air.

‘That’s why she didn’t awaken…’

Because she was deep inside the research lab, she hadn’t received enough light or heat and had remained in hibernation. That was why she only woke up when she was kidnapped by Seo Yeonhee.

‘Perhaps these beings don’t consume a lot of energy.’ The fact that they function with only indirect energy like light and heat meant that they had evolved to require minimal energy for activity.

In other words, they were unlikely to engage in destructive or consumptive behavior.

Compared to humanity, which had developed civilization to consume more energy and resources, this was a civilization that had evolved in a completely different direction.

It was possible that they were a peaceful civilization that pursued coexistence, and that their image had been distorted by the Great Eater, or rather, the World Tree’s destructive terraforming.

As Mason was lost in thought instead of conversing, Hope sent an image of curiosity.

And then, the method of communication.

Humanity, no, most creatures on Earth were born and evolved with auditory and vocal organs.

Therefore, even when exchanging thoughts through telepathy, it took the form of ‘conversation’. They would mentally convert their thoughts into text and then transmit the text.

However, Hope’s species had no auditory or vocal organs.

They had no concept of speaking or listening.

If human telepathy was like chatting, their telepathy was like exchanging image files.

‘How fascinating.’

This was a difference that Mason had never imagined.

Hope was a treasure trove of information and knowledge just by existing.

And then, there was the World Tree’s orb.

The World Tree’s orb. This orb, which was presumed to be a kind of navigator AI, contained a portion of the knowledge possessed by Hope’s civilization.

The World Tree’s orb was made specifically for Hope’s species. Although Mason couldn’t communicate directly with the orb, if Hope acted as an intermediary, he could receive some information.

Therefore, Mason had no choice but to make time.

Mason narrowed the communication gap with Hope through telepathy. Hope became accustomed to Mason’s ‘text’, and Mason became accustomed to Hope’s ‘images’.

Text had a low possibility of misinterpretation but was limited in the amount of information it could convey. Conversely, images could convey a large amount of information but had a higher possibility of misinterpretation.

They had to get used to each other’s communication methods, each with its pros and cons.

After spending a long time like this, the images Hope sent began to blur.

Hope was still a baby. Although Mason didn’t know their growth cycle, she wouldn’t become an adult in just a few days.

Considering that, she needed sufficient rest.

Mason snapped his fingers to call a researcher.

“Did you call for me?”

“She seems tired. Make sure she gets as much sunlight as possible. And you’re taking care of the atmosphere adjustment, right?”

“Yes.”

“What about security?”

“Non-human players sent by Heavenly King Yekaterina-nim are guarding her. Even if the army comes, we’ll be able to get Hope out.”

“Good.”

“What about you, Raid Leader-nim?”

“I’m going to have lunch with Kacha.”

Mason turned on the computer.

“And record the information I shared with Hope.”

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As always, Yekaterina was sitting in her office.

The difference was that instead of wearing her flowing, mystical robes, she had changed into a simple outfit of a sweater and jeans.

‘There’s no need to put on airs anymore.’

The day Yekaterina said that with a hearty laugh, Mason realized that the world had truly changed.

“Kacha.”

“Mason.”

They smiled at each other.

To think they were each other’s pillars of support, what a beautiful relationship!

Red Knight also greeted them respectfully.

“Your Majesty Mason.”

“Hey, how have you been?”

“Thanks to your concern.”

As Mason and Yekaterina took their seats, Red Knight brought out dishes on a silver platter.

Grilled Spam, fried Spam, boiled Spam, and so on.

“…Spam again?”

When Mason looked at the Spam with a dubious expression, Yekaterina gave a wry smile and said,

“During World War II, when even potatoes were scarce and we were eating only turnips every day, finding a Spam supply crate that had been mistakenly dropped felt like a festival. In such a situation, you’d come to like Spam too, Mason.”

“Kacha, you need to get over World War II…”

Mason grumbled but picked up his fork and knife.

As they ate, they talked about various things. From grand topics like international affairs to trivial ones like the well-being of acquaintances or a new cafe that had opened nearby. The conversation was more about the act of talking than conveying information.

After finishing their meal, they walked over to the map with their coffee cups in hand. It was time to discuss the Northern Expedition.

“How’s the situation?”

“About 30% has been cleared. We’re now deploying stations and troops at the same pace as the railway construction.”

The Northern Expedition was meaningful in itself just for the railway construction, but the troops that had been trained during that time also had value. Retaking all of North Korea based on the railway, that was the ultimate goal of the Northern Expedition.

“It’s going smoothly.”

Yekaterina shook her head.

“Not necessarily.”

“What do you mean?”

“The North-North Koreans. Or the South Joseon ethnic group led by Kim Donghwang.”

Yekaterina pointed to the southern part of Jilin Province.

“The 700,000 South Joseon people Kim Donghwang brought with him are causing chaos in the Jilin area. It’s still China’s headache, but… if the land route to Jilin Province is connected, it could become our headache too.”

“We have Jeong Ryeogyeong. Can’t we absorb them?”

“Even when North Korea was still standing, they were a semi-militarized faction. I’m not sure if they’d still value the Mount Paektu bloodline now that North Korea is gone.”

Yekaterina looked at Mason.

“The North Koreans want someone to take care of them, not the Mount Paektu bloodline.”

“Is that so…”

Mason fell into thought.

“…Well, we don’t have to worry too much. China might absorb them in the meantime, or… they might be subjugated.”

“Subjugated?”

“Yes. China is a multi-ethnic country and places great importance on ethnic control. If Kim Donghwang doesn’t assimilate into China and continues to agitate the Joseon people, they might be eliminated by force.”

Mason thought of Jeong Ryeogyeong’s face.

If Kim Donghwang, no, if the South Joseon people were in danger of being subjugated, how would Jeong Ryeogyeong act?

“Do we have any connections in China?”

Yekaterina stared at Mason.

“…Huh? Me?”

“Chong Daolong of the Sweep Brigade is a big shot, ranking within the top 100 of the Communist Party. And since he has independent military authority, his actual influence is likely higher than his ranking. Of course, Chong Daolong is a typical soldier, so he won’t have any decision-making power, but if he acts as a bridge, we might be able to meet with China’s top brass.”

“I see. He’s a big shot…”

“Well, if you want to approach them through diplomatic or political channels, it would be better to ask for Seo Yeonhee’s help.”

“…Seo Yeonhee.”

Mason made a bitter face.

“Will she… be alright?”

“Seo Yeonhee has suffered enough to break, and she actually has broken. No one can say for sure if her wounds will heal…”

Yekaterina looked at Mason.

“I know you’re taking care of her.”

“Do you object?”

“No, it’s the opposite. Please take care of Seo Yeonhee. If possible, please revive her heart.”

“That’s unexpected. I didn’t think you were that close to her.”

“We weren’t close. But…”

Yekaterina made a bitter expression. Looking not at this moment, but at some point in the past, she murmured,

“Everyone has moments when they need someone’s help.”