06:20 a.m, March 14, N.F 113

"33...34...35!"

Kim Dokja finally couldn't continue anymore, laid himself flat on the floor. His chest heaved rapidly with heavy panting. Nurse Anne kneeled beside him, her pastel braid fell over her shoulder as she furrowed her delicate eyebrows in confusion:

"I don't get it. With this level of practice, your rounds should have increased, not decreased steadily like this. This shouldn't be happening..."

After that 'leaving the MBCC' incident, his life had gone back to how it used to be, including his workload. So naturally, his training schedule also resumed. Although he still occasionally skipped a day or two, his health steadily recovered, until four months ago, when it slowly declined again.

At first, it wasn't obvious. Kim Dokja just felt tired a bit faster and the number of rounds decreased by a few units. His regular medical checkup also couldn't point out the reason, so he didn't think about it much. But after 2 months, the signs could no longer be ignored, with data clearly showing that his physical condition was deteriorating.

So it ended up like this, with Iron set up a whole set of health monitoring facilities in the training room, while Anne herself supervised Kim Dokja's morning exercises.

A bit further away, Dr. Iron observed the numbers on the monitoring devices. Her stern expression showed that she obliviously didn't like what she saw:

"Did he skip any training?"

"Not under my watch. Kelvin and Harry also reported that he has been eating on time too."

"Hm...Aside from steadily decreasing, all his stats were normal. This isn't the problem with physical anymore. Meet me at my clinic again after breakfast, I'll check again."

Kim Dokja had regained some strength, so he sat up and said:

"Not today, I have a field mission."

"They send you out in this state?"

Dr. Iron's eyes didn't seem satisfied at all, but he could only shrug his shoulders:

"What can I do? Even you couldn't prove that I'm sick, then those guys definitely won't let me rest easily."

Today's breakfast included Kelvin's ice cream as dessert, so Kim Dokja was really looking forward to it. When she had free time, Kelvin would occasionally work part-time in MBCC's cafeteria. The ice cream she made was extremely popular with both the staff and Sinners, so these days, the cafeteria was often very crowded.

As he waited in line, a memorial program was broadcasting on the TV screen:

"...Since N.F. 33, the Keylan Square has borne witness to the establishment, development, and prosperity of the West District, and to its subsequent bankruptcy, decline, and decadence into a lawless zone ruling by the mafia gangs - Syndicate. After a lapse of thirteen years, the city council was ready to reopen talks in the West District. The Legion gang's leader - Zoya, was to participate in the negotiation as the representative of the West District. The venue for the occasion was the former Keylan Exhibition Hall at the center of the square.

It was a closed-door negotiation. Burns, director of the city council and former chief of the Public Security Bureau, attended in person. The whole community was waiting with bated breath for the outcome of the negotiation."

That time, the whole thing wasn't a negotiation, but an execution. Burns used that as an excuse to separate Zoya from her people and came up with a shoddy plan to make people think the Legion sabotaged the 'negotiation'. All was to kill her and cover his track in selling Mania weapons. Needless to say, he couldn't touch a single hair of hers.

Zoya should have returned safe and sound, if 'that man' didn't appear.

"Then, at 10:42 a.m of the same day, a large-scale Mania crisis broke out in Keylan Square. Three days later, the M-value elevated to Black Ring level, resulting in the fourth Black Ring incident, code name BR-004. "

Thanks to his 'effort', Zoya corrupted into Ground Zero and turned the whole Keylan Square into a Black Ring.

As one of the Mania Catastrophes appeared after The Perishing Star struck the planet, Black Ring was an area that caused widespread and severe mental contamination. After the first Black Ring - BR-000, every Black Ring formed after was accompanied by a powerful Sinner went maniac. The Sinner was said to be Ground Zero of that Black Ring, and seemed able to control it.

Knowing how powerful Zoya was, Kim Dokja didn't need to think to know how dangerous her Black Ring would be, which even in the pre-formation stage, was already able to distort space-time and gravity. As a direct involvement, it was his job to stop BR-004.

"After a week-long, the end of the Black Ring crisis in the square was confirmed at 19:20, August 27, N.F. 112. Ground Zero was cleared, all Ring activities ceased and the city entered a 2-week Blue Rain purification period. The commander-in-chief went to pay his respect to the war dead and awarded them First Class Hero Medals. The disbandment of the Legion was confirmed shortly after and some of its members were taken into custody for questioning."

"The BR-004 shook the city to its core. Large-scale protests broke out in the West District, making all West District Order Management Regulation suspended and DisCity reclaimed the right to govern the West District. The subject of corruption and even treason within official institutions has risen to the forefront of discussion. Paradeisos launched an accountability inquiry thoroughly investigating relevant departments such as the City Council, the Public Security Bureau, and the FAC..."

Oh, this part was still mentioned? Kim Dokja leisurely thought.

Kim Dokja could remember clearly how furious Yoo Sang-ah was when he was taken away to the FAC. In complete contrast to her usual elegant appearance, her anger made even the FAC Guards cowered. The words she said before the door closed behind him were still clearly imprinted in his memory.

"The Chief did not commit treason! He was the one who destroyed the Black Ring! Your suspicions are baseless! You can't do this to him!---"

If there were only a few people in DisCity he dared to trust, his adjutant was definitely one of them.

Without waiting for him to react, a familiar guard raised his hand to change the channel amid cheers from some Sinners, while some others grumbled about the nonsense. If he wasn't mistaken, that guard's name was...Harry?

Sensing their worried glance over this way, he pretended to be still on his phone.

After safely securing his part, he pulled the phone out to take a picture and send it as evidence.

Since that fateful trip, Yoo Joonghyuk and he had been frequently exchanging messages. Sometimes they exchange information, sometimes they simply chat about casual things like the weather. Lately, most of the messages were to remind him to eat and sleep on time. At first, Kim Dokja could ignore them, but Yoo Joonghyuk seemed to have found a way to send food pictures as a way to tell him: "Hungry? Go eat yourself."

And gradually, he also developed the same habit.

Aside from being a trustworthy ally, Yoo Joonghyuk was a great friend. Lee Sookyung's disdainful expression from their last meeting jumped into his thought, when he mentioned that they still kept in touch regularly. She still refused to tell him why she disliked Yoo Joonghyuk. No matter whether as 'mother' or 'Langley', she was as elusive as ever.

Unknown to him, Han Sooyoung was also wearing the same expression as she watched Yoo Joonghyuk texting on his phone. She had failed miserably in taking Kim Dokja's number, so only when Yoo Joonghyuk shared information would she know what the situation was like on Kim Dokja's side, while the rest she had to hear from The Garden members' reports.

At first, she teased Yoo Joonghyuk a lot, both out of bitterness and anticipation, but after a month of only them exchanging formal messages, she couldn't hold it anymore:

"The fuck are you doing? Where is your assertiveness? If it was me then he would already be on my bed now!"

"Don't think everyone is as shameless as you."

"...Are you seriously talking about shame to me now?"

If the one with nearly a decade of unrequited love was her, she would definitely make him her husband instantly the moment they reunited. But again, if it was her then she probably couldn't keep such a pathetic love that long.

Han Sooyoung let out a dramatic sigh. Before her blood pressure increased again, she returned her attention to the monitor in front of them. On the screen was a dark and obscure office, a detailed scale model of a complex sitting on the table in the middle of the room. The weak white-yellow light from the single ceiling light turned it into a patchy mass of light and shadow. The range was very limited, so the two couldn't see the entire room. The shrill cry of a crow rang out, then transitioned into a voice:

"Caw...Caw... News from the ruins of the BR-004. A good one, a bad one, and a hard-to-define one. Which one would you like to hear first, my dear friend? Caw... Alright, I'll start with my favorite, the good one. Blue treasures are coming out of the remains of BR-004 after six months. Not much, but they're there. You're right, friend. Dark clouds have silver linings. And Syndicate has never lost hope.

The bad news is that the filth came out of nowhere still exists. Strange things are happening in the dead ring, and a calamity simmers its comeback. Some soldiers stationed were wounded, so the big wing sent in a 'big gun' to investigate in secret."

Yoo Joonghyuk furrowed his thick eyebrows at the word. It shouldn't be...

"And the last and most important news. Here it is..."

The crow stopped for a moment, as if to create a dramatic effect. Unfortunately, the other in the room had no intention of responding to it at all. A moment later, it continued:

"The secret investigator is a hidden shepherd with Mania shackles from a secret institution. It's the one who led the Legion into the trap, controlled the Sinners, and tore the Black Ring - Their hero... will come back to Syndicate today. You have been waiting for this for a long time, right? What do you want me to do? And what will you do?"

It didn't talk to them, but the two who had been listening to them in silence felt like so. Kim Dokja's ability to attract dangerous people as well as his ability to stir things up was still as strong as ever. Han Sooyoung smirked:

"I guess it's time to meet our Reader again."