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“Just because we’re holed up in the Academy doesn’t mean there’s nothing to do.”

Sure, the main characters were stuck training all day, but that didn’t mean I had nothing to do.

I had to keep myself busy. I was running around like a headless chicken, finalizing checks, making adjustments, and negotiating—or more like threatening—everyone.

At least it’s a relief that Portugal, which we’re planning to make our base, has completely fallen into the hands of the Liberators.

Of course, with Heros Company holding their ground, we’re still operating from the shadows, but we’ve managed to win over the public’s support and taken care of various small organizations, so it’s practically ours.

Sure, taking over the Portugal branch might be a bit tough, but it’s not something we can’t handle.

Some of the staff there are already leaning towards our ideology and are secretly passing along information.

This includes the internal layout and the deployment of security forces and all that jazz. Plus, while we’re stirring things up during our takeover, they’ll be causing a ruckus from the inside, so it shouldn’t be that hard to take over the Portugal branch.

The real issue is how to take over the rest of the branches scattered around the globe. That’s exactly why I’m scurrying around like this.

In case you were wondering where I am, I’m in some half-devastated part of Russia as gates open across the land.

To be more specific, I’m in a renovated gulag, which has become the mafia’s headquarters.

If you’re wondering why the mafia chose a gulag on the outskirts instead of somewhere in the city, it’s because there are just too many people.

Not to mention, Russia’s condition isn’t exactly great.

While the capital, Moscow, and some major cities are functioning properly, comparing it to relatively preserved Korea, you can say it’s in pretty dire straits.

It’s better than North Korea, where civilization itself has effectively gone extinct.

But they’ve awkwardly stuck around, so Heros Company didn’t even consider them as a potential area to root themselves in… Is that a kind of misfortune?

“How dare you touch us…! Cough…!”

“I don’t recall saying you could speak unless it’s your boss’s orders.”

I punctured the mouth of the disgruntled member with a tentacle, killing him on the spot.

The mafia boss, mid-negotiation with me, furrowed his brow in rage, but he clearly didn’t have the guts to challenge me.

“So, are you going to join us? Or are we all going to just die here? Oh, by the way, you’ve got exactly three minutes before the poison spreads in your body!”

I casually trimmed my nails, swaying my tail as a taunt. Being the leader of an organization, I expected a stronger reaction.

But the reaction I got wasn’t what I had anticipated.

He trembled, but was it out of anger or fear? And with the bulge in his pants, it was quite a sight…

I was simply confused why I had to bring such low-level folks into our ranks.

As for the organization’s members? They were a mess. Most were armed with outdated AKs from a century ago.

The organization’s leader looked like a coward, as you can see.

Even though I impaled or poisoned everyone who lunged at me, the fact remains that the leader was that easily scared.

I pondered if perhaps the one in charge misjudged the situation.

Can such pathetic beings truly be of great help to the Liberators? Really? No matter how much I follow that person’s intentions, this seems a bit much.

Honestly, if we merely absorb these mediocre folks, won’t it just make it harder to keep the house in order?

On top of that, I’ve been dealing with a fair number of people turning their backs on the organization lately out of fear, so I can’t help but wonder what on earth this person is thinking by wanting to bring in such underlings.

In the past, I would never dare question this person’s intentions, but lately, I’ve been feeling a bit more skeptical.

Trying to grasp their true feelings or read their mind…

Before entering the Academy, I never questioned their motives.

They welcomed my change, claiming they wanted comrades rather than mere followers, but I couldn’t quite tell if this was a good change or not.

Maybe…

“If we team up with you… does that mean we become your slaves?”

“Slaves? What are you talking about? Do you think we view you as some kind of primitive species? You’ll become our comrades. Maybe not on the same level as us, but you’ll be treated like Liberators and supported…”

“I accept!!!”

While trying to explain things, the boss suddenly cut me off and shouted with such force it took me by surprise.

“What?”

The guy who just moments ago insisted he’d rather die than serve under us was now groveling on the floor, tail between his legs, and it was utterly ridiculous.

“I accept!!! I will give up all my subordinates and this very place!!! So please, just let me live!!!”

Despite how absurd it was, the negotiation was incredibly successful.

“Ah… fine. Here, an antidote. We’re a bit busy right now, so we probably won’t have time for you for at least two days. So… If you do anything strange during that time, you’ll be seeing me again.”

After leaving them a warning, I popped a black bead into my mouth and returned to our base.

“Good job, Blanca. So how did the merger go?”

“A resounding success! Turns out the boss was even more pathetic than I thought. But… Boss, can such pitiful folks really help us…?”

Just as I was about to embrace them out of habit, I suddenly remembered I was covered in slime and managed to stop myself.

“That’s a sharp observation, Blanca. They definitely do fall short in many areas. However, does being a Liberator mean we have to engage in combat at all costs?”

“What do you mean by that…?”

That person said they were just going to use these people as laborers, then exploit them as bullet fodder.

“Can you believe that’s the strongest force in Russia, Blanca?”

“You mean those losers?”

Instead of answering, they just smiled kindly and mentioned being happy they had manpower ready, just in case they needed to mobilize cyber troll armies or something.

“It won’t be long now. Soon enough… everyone will know who they truly are…”

Hearing them mutter in satisfaction, I finally decided to ask the question I had been holding back.

“Um, Boss. Just asking, but what led you to set such a goal… or reason, if you will?”

Why would they set such an ambiguous goal?

In some ways, it seemed far more ambiguous than world domination.

If it’s just overly grand in scale, it could be achievable, but this? This was a goal that was impossible to fathom.

“You’ve grown a lot, Blanca. Asking something like that.”

“Uh, I’m not trying to doubt you…!”

Realizing my words could sound like second-guessing, I quickly waved my hands in denial.

“I know. There’s no way you would do that. To be honest, I’m happy! Among the executives, you were the only one who didn’t ask this.”

“Did everyone else already ask it…?”

Had they? I was surprised since I had overheard nothing, leading me to probe for clarity, and they chuckled, saying the others had asked that from the moment they joined.

“Even though we are your benefactors, it felt odd to follow every command without any hint of doubt.”

They had asked that question from the beginning. So that’s why I hadn’t heard their conversations.

They seemed genuinely pleased and shared the reasons behind wanting such a world.

“Well… you know I used to work at Heros Company, right?”

“Yeah. That much I learned from Justitia.”

I was aware they had held a significant position at Heros Company, but not where exactly.

They shyly asked if Justitia had told me, and upon hearing I didn’t know the specifics, immediately regained their composure.

“Right, you wouldn’t know. I was in the Evolution Research Department.”

“The Evolution Research Department?”

Was there even such a thing?

I mean, there are departments even an outsider wouldn’t know about in regular workplaces, but what the heck did that department even do?

Evolution Research Department?

“Yes. It was a department aimed at transforming humans into the next stage… basically, creating a more advanced humanity.”

They nonchalantly mentioned all sorts of biological experiments conducted there.

“Then I suddenly thought, is it right for us to move forward blindly without even knowing what we currently are?”

Reflections without time for soul-searching—what would we truly become after continuing with progress for progress’ sake?

They mentioned that thought really frightened them.

“So, I set that goal. If possible, to stop Heros Company… Even if I fail, let’s at least be sure of who we are.”

It sounded tough to swallow. At least it was hard for me to grasp.

Just because you’re born as a human doesn’t mean you need to grasp human essence, right?

Moreover, if we were to become Human 2.0, wouldn’t all the numerous problems arising from human shortcomings disappear?

People like me wouldn’t have to be born, suffering and oppressed.

Why would they refuse that?

It was challenging for me to understand.

But still, wanting to be a good child, I just admired that person.

 

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