TN: And we're back! sorry for the week long hiatus, it was not intentional since I had to get my right leg in a cast after tripping 3 floors down a stairwell (like an idiot ://) and be unable to use my PC setup upstairs BUT I should be OK now.
Anyways, Thanks for Arcanic Madness, WeissAkumu and WolfWTF for becoming as Supporters!,
===BREAK===
The cleanup afterward was fairly simple.
It was nothing to fire a tranquilizer round into each of the Tarkov soldiers hiding inside the shredded tank—torn apart like a sheet of paper. And when the Rose Line Defense Forces arrived just in time, the Tarkov soldiers fled without even looking back.
"Thanks to you, Carl Marcus, we were able to secure quite a few witnesses related to this attack. It's because you spared them."
"Is that so? Good to hear."
Just as she said, the Tarkov soldiers who had hidden their identities withdrew, but that didn't mean they took all those I'd knocked out with tranquilizers.
Many soldiers were still left here, and Carmen seemed intent on presenting them in the Line Court as key witnesses to the recent Sentinel Protect raid.
"Do you think that will work?"
"Of course, their testimony won't directly threaten Tarkov, but it should apply some pressure. More importantly, this incident could now escalate into a dispute with the Rose Line."
"True."
No matter how much Tarkov coveted the Machine Cult's technology, they couldn't afford to be greedier than this.
Even if Tarkov was a mega military-industrial corporation backed by both the White Line and Red Line, they couldn't afford to make an enemy of the Rose Line.
"So, what now?"
"I'll stay with the Rose Line for now. While I'm here, the others won't be able to move hastily either."
"You think the Rose Line can be trusted?"
The intent behind the question was clear.
Even if I had a friendly relationship with the Tripathi family, the real power behind the Rose Line, they were ultimately no different from the rest of the Ark.
People who sought power, and craved influence.
The Rose Line housed the most soldiers and factions in the Ark, and by extension, it attracted many forces interested in the Machine Cult's technology.
Just as Carmen had said, it was far from a safe haven.
'So then, as expected…'
Still, what was Carmen's reason for choosing to stay in the Rose Line?
It was obvious.
"You plan to leave it to me."
"Because I know you will."
Carmen knew.
What my goals were, and what I was willing to do to achieve them.
Put nicely, it was cooperation—put harshly, it was exploitation.
"I'm not denying it. But I don't intend to be used so easily."
"If it's a deal, I'll take it."
Quick, as expected.
"There's something that's been bothering me since earlier."
A peculiar glove on Carmen's hand caught my eye.
I was sure she wasn't wearing that glove just a while ago.
'And it looks completely different from any Machine Cult equipment I know.'
It was likely one of the Machine Cult's advanced creations, possibly an outcome of the butterfly effect from Silk Road or other factors.
"What is that?"
I remembered.
The moment Carmen appeared at Sentinel Protect's entrance, and the tank crumpled like paper.
Of course, it could've been dismissed as a miracle performed by someone with a high enough ether affinity, but the problem was that it wasn't caused by ether at all.
"You really do have a keen eye."
Carmen gave a soft smile.
Still an unbelievable expression, one that didn't seem of this world—but this wasn't the time to be enchanted by it.
"That glove—is it the source of that power?"
"Yes, that's right. Among ourselves, we call it a gravity glove. It's still in testing, but as you saw, it's extremely versatile."
"A gravity glove, huh…"
The name was certainly intuitive.
Just hearing it made it easy to guess what it could do.
"Fine, I'll take it."
"It's not an easy device to use, you know? It may look simple, but it works through a rather complicated mechanism."
"I'm sure it could be fitted with some sort of auto algorithm."
"Haha, I really can't beat you."
Carmen nodded.
"Alright. Let's do it your way. Then, shall we call this a deal?"
"Yes."
Despite its clear value, Carmen readily agreed to the trade.
No, it was only natural, in a way.
There was no chance it was a coincidence that Carmen had revealed the gravity glove's power to me during the attack.
Anyone who saw such a device would covet it—not just me.
And yet, she showed me this top-tier Machine Cult tech, which should've been tightly guarded, for a clear reason.
'She probably figured that if one glove could secure the protection of the Rose Line, it'd be well worth the price.'
Perhaps her goal was to win my favor.
Well, in any case, since I needed to move the Tripathi family to protect the Machine Cult's technology, it wasn't a loss for me.
If anything, you could say it was just a minor gift exchanged between parties with mutual interests.
"Here you go. It has automatic size adjustment, so you don't need to worry about the fit."
"Impressive."
Just as Carmen said, when I brought the gravity glove close to my hand, it automatically scanned my hand and adjusted its size.
[Modifying user settings...]
[Modification complete.]
Truly, the essence of Machine Cult technology.
Even after wearing the gravity glove, it felt as natural as my bare hand—with no sense of foreignness.
[Authenticating user...]
[User: Carl Marcus]
[Authentication complete.]
Carmen must have already completed the user transfer before handing the glove over to me.
Unlikely as it was, even if the glove fell into someone else's hands, it couldn't be used without authorization.
It was a fairly common ID authentication system among Ark-made weapons, but since this one was made by the Machine Cult, its security level was on a whole different scale.
'Now then…'
I checked the gravity glove.
───────────────
[Gravity Glove TYPE-07] [★★★★★★★★★★(10 Stars)]
─ The pinnacle of mechanical engineering created by the Machine Cult, considered to be about a century ahead of Ark tech.
─ Extremely difficult to handle, but comes equipped with a support AI.
─ Capable of manipulating gravity.
"View Details"
───────────────
As expected of the Machine Cult's work—even if this was just a prototype, it had been rated a whopping 10 stars.
Considering that the default Zeus-444 Railgun was also rated at 10 stars, this was quite the feat.
'It just shows how powerful the gravity glove really is.'
With the basic check complete, I immediately aimed the glove at the ground to test it.
Kwa-ddeu-deuk!
The concrete floor collapsed instantly the moment I pointed the glove's palm down.
"..."
Even I hadn't meant to unleash that much force, so I couldn't help being a little surprised.
"It'll be tricky at first. But the support AI will gradually learn your movements. Eventually, you'll be able to do a lot with just a simple gesture."
Apparently, I wouldn't need any special training—the support AI would handle everything as long as I kept using it.
It was a relief for me, since the complexity of it had honestly caught me off guard.
"Got it."
"Then, I trust you'll take care of things with the Rose Line."
"You don't need to worry. I don't want anything happening to the Machine Cult either."
It wouldn't take too long.
Once the Machine Cult's technology was legally released to the world and finally protected under law, the Cult would become another major power within the Ark's corporate ecosystem.
There would no longer be any need to rely on the Tripathi family or the Rose Line for protection.
"Leaving now?"
"Yeah. I've still got Machine Cult matters to handle."
"Come by from time to time. Since it's a prototype, there'll be plenty of adjustments needed."
She meant the gravity glove.
Even someone like Maybell Pilgrim wouldn't be able to handle a piece of work infused with the essence of the Machine Cult.
Naturally, any repairs or upgrades would have to be done by the Cult.
"Indeed."
But that wasn't the only reason Carmen wanted me to come back.
Whatever the reason, just the fact that I would continue visiting the Machine Cult meant I'd be maintaining a connection with them.
"Understood."
I'd received a handsome reward from this whole affair, but it wasn't over yet.
In fact, you could say this was where things truly began.
'Time to get going.'
It was time to head to the Tripathi household.
* * *
I made my way to the Tripathi residence and, for the first time in a long while, met Gulshan Tripathi, head of the family.
This issue was simply too significant to be left solely in Ganesha Tripathi's hands.
"You came quicker than I expected."
"You knew I would?"
"Wouldn't it be stranger not to know, after such a commotion in my own front yard? Ho ho."
Gulshan Tripathi chuckled warmly.
"You're here about the Machine Cult, aren't you?"
Clearly not one to dance around words, Gulshan got straight to the point.
I appreciated that kind of directness, so I did the same.
"Yes. I'd like you to ensure their safety for the time being."
"And why should I do that?"
Gulshan Tripathi's gaze sharpened.
"All I have to do is reach out, and they'd be mine in an instant. It wouldn't be hard—they're already within my grasp."
It sounded bombastic, but he wasn't wrong.
The Tripathi family.
A giant clan that practically ruled the Rose Line.
No matter how powerful the Machine Cult was, they couldn't escape the Tripathi family's reach within the Rose Line.
"It's for the sake of the Ark."
"Of course. But can you say for sure that it's in the interest of the Rose Line?"
While the Rose Line was part of the Ark, the Ark's benefit didn't always translate to the Rose Line's.
Gulshan Tripathi was testing me from that perspective.
"In the end, it will be."
"Oh? And what do you mean by that?"
"There's not much to gain from ruins."
Gulshan Tripathi let out a booming laugh.
"You're no fun to tease. Let's stop the jokes here. As you say, I'll do it. You needn't worry about the Machine Cult."
"You're giving up more easily than I expected."
"I just realized it wasn't efficient. I'm not stupid enough to lose something truly important over some soon-to-be-public tech."
I didn't ask what the truly important thing was.
I didn't need to.
"The White Line has their eyes on you. Or rather, they've been watching you for a while—but the atmosphere's different now."
===BREAK===
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