A blonde woman in her early twenties, trembling with fear as she eyed me warily. She was Karin, Rosa's twin sister.
Her white clothes were soiled with dirt, as if she'd been through some ordeal. Her face was gaunt, likely from days without food.
I stared at Karin, too stunned to speak. Without lowering her guard, she emerged from the canned food pile with stiff steps.
"How do you know Rosa? And you came to save me?"
"Hngk, hk, hk."
It was Karin.
My throat tightened, choking my words. I wiped my tears with my sleeve and nodded vigorously at her.
It's really her. She's alive.
I trudged toward her. Karin's fearful expression intensified as I approached. I couldn't help but pull her into a tight embrace.
"Oof! Breath! I can't breathe!"
Ah, right - I'd forgotten I was wearing X. I hastily released her.
"Ugh, w-who are you to do this? Are you really here to save me?"
She should recognize me, but seemed to have no memory. I considered staying silent, but decided clearing misunderstandings now was better.
"A few days ago, you came to Miranda - no, Duran's room, right?"
Karin's eyes widened. Her face turned deathly pale as she remembered me - the one who'd mistreated her. She trembled like a cornered animal, covering her face with her hands.
Though a defensive reflex, she looked adorably like a frightened baby hedgehog to me.
I hurriedly apologized to prevent further fear.
"I'm truly sorry about that! There was a misunderstanding with Duran, so I took it out on you who seemed close to him. Nothing I say can earn forgiveness, but to atone, I came to save you - to help your sister Rosa."
I waved both hands pleadingly. Karin peeked at me between her fingers.
Her wariness showed no sign of fading. Yet she didn't try to run. She seemed to realize I was her only hope of escape.
I extended my hand.
"You don't have to forgive me. I'll take you to your sister. Let's go."
Karin approached hesitantly, eyeing me with suspicion, then placed her small, delicate hand in mine.
"O-okay. You're rescuing me from here, right? I'll trust you. Please take me to Rosa quickly."
Karin bowed her head, swallowed hard, and met my gaze with tear-filled eyes - her expression solemn with resolve.
"If this is all lies and you plan to kill me... make it painless. And never touch my sister. If you do... I'll haunt you from beyond the grave."
Hah.
I stared in surprise - her threat was unbearably cute. I raised my hand toward her head. She squeezed her eyes shut, bracing for pain. Instead, I tousled her golden hair playfully, then gently embraced her.
I could feel her trembling like a small animal.
Karin looked up at me with anxious eyes. I found myself unconsciously leaning closer, our lips nearing.
"Wh-what are you doing..."
Chu.
Our lips met briefly. Sweet cherry flavor. Her cheeks flushed crimson before she buried her face deep in my chest.
I wanted to strip her right then and pleasure her, but we were deep in enemy territory. Today, this would suffice.
Suppressing burning desire, I led Karin outside. The elevated warehouse offered a full view of the factory - corpses of Sras' men I'd killed littered the grounds. Above floated an airship.
An airship? Were they still fighting up there?
Holding Karin, I ascended 30 meters. As the ground receded, she squealed "Eeek! Scary!" and clung tightly. My eyes drifted to her ample chest pressed against X's armor. I gulped audibly.
No. Focus.
"X! Locate Sras, Rick, and Todd."
After multiple scans, X finally detected them in the airship.
[Targets found inside airship. One appears deceased, the other two sustained life-threatening injuries.]
Todd must be dead. To inflict such damage while dying himself - he'd exceeded expectations.
Part of me wanted to finish them off, but risking counterattack wasn't worth it. I wouldn't turn this escape into another crisis.
Turning from the retreating airship, I headed to the hall where women were held. Thankfully, thirty young women remained unharmed in cages.
I addressed them kindly:
"Step back if you don't want to get hurt."
They retreated inside. Once sufficiently distant, I cut the bars with my Hardcore Saw.
Bwoooom- Clang! Clang! Clank! Clankclank!
As the bars vanished, they cheered and rushed out. Some tried embracing me, but Karin pushed them away, pouting inexplicably.
While freeing them and playing with Karin's flushed cheeks, something suddenly struck me.
"Ah! The Gelder!!"
I remembered the Gelder sacks from the Forgotten Space warehouse. Leaving Karin in the hall, I raced back.
...
"Ah... Gelder..."
Only scattered coins remained. The mountain of sacks had vanished - likely aboard the distant airship.
"Goddammit, should've known."
Trudging back, I recalled X's explanation about the Forgotten Space. Retrieving it from my pouch, I asked:
"You said this can go in your socket?"
[Equipping this treasure will grant Inventory convenience function and special skill 'Forgotten Space'.]
"Do it now."
Inventory - essential for item management. Absolutely necessary.
The Forgotten Space was absorbed into X's forehead. A bag icon appeared on-screen.
[Inventory function activated.]
[Skill 'Forgotten Space' added.]
Strangely, Forgotten Space was classified as a Passive Skill, unusable at will. Its description showed unreadable characters.
Meh. Doesn't matter. Inventory's what counts.
Opening it revealed a white plaster-like mass - likely their stash. Visualizing retrieval made it materialize.
It required both hands to hold, weighing over 30kg.
"X, what is this?"
[Near 100% purity Axion Shard. Enough for 10,000+ uses.]
"Axion? The drug? I've only used cheap under-30% stuff, but this is pure?"
[Correct.]
Thump-thump. My heart raced excitedly.
"H-how much can I sell this for?"
[Estimated value: 100 million Gelder.]
"Heeeeeeeeeck-!"
My heart pounded wildly. This thing in my hands was worth 100 million Gelder?! Considering the 100:1 exchange rate from my past life's currency, that's 10 billion won.
My lips curled upward involuntarily.
"I'm rich now."
Chuckling uncontrollably, I returned to Karin. She eyed me warily - differently than before.
"Wh-why are you laughing like that?"
"Heheh, since when was I laughing? Heehee."
Uncontainable. With this Axion Shard, my happy ending is guaranteed. 100 million could hire top doctors to restore my male body, or let me live lavishly as a woman forever.
Now I understood why Sras' crew desperately wanted the Forgotten Space back.
"You fucking idiots~! Kekekekeke!!"
I laughed uproariously, flipping off the vanished airship. Karin watched nervously before tentatively asking:
"When... when are we going home?"
"Let's go. We should."
Rosa must be desperately waiting. Time to reunite them.
Securing Karin's waist, I soared into the night sky. She shut her eyes tight and pressed close. I kissed her trembling cheek - her shaking seemed to lessen slightly.
Throughout the Woven flight, I kept kissing her cheeks. Partly to ease her tension, but mostly because her flushed cheeks were irresistible. She didn't seem to mind, leaning her cheek toward me occasionally.
A most enjoyable flight.
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