Master leaned back, arms behind his head, gaze drifting toward the ceiling. "Okay. Sad talk over. Serious talk now."
Just like that, the mood flipped.
"So, about the kid. Rona. Ya wanted to know about her parents, ay?"
I nodded, adjusting my posture. Master scratched at his tangled beard.
"Oof. That's one tough cookie, I'm tellin' ya."
I leaned in. "So you do know something."
Master tilted his head, as if weighing how much he wanted to say. "Well, ya. But it's complicated. Still, let's keep it simple for now."
His fingers traced a pattern on the floor absentmindedly as he continued, voice low.
"First: her parents were highly accomplished scientists in Eden. Specialized in genetic modification. The real elite-type folks. Second: they got kidnapped—forced to create a device that could alter or even create new genes in humans. And third…"
He paused.
"During the experiment, something happened. And they fled back to Eden. Been hiding there ever since."
I frowned, something not sitting right. "Hold on. Point three's got a major gap. What happened in the lab? Didn't Scorpion chase them? How'd they even escape?"
Master coughed into his fist, clearly caught.
"Ermm… well… One question at a time!" he barked. I jumped a little and nodded quickly.
"Fifteen years ago. December. Rona's parents escaped… carrying a child."
Wait—
"You mean… they kidnapped her? From her real parents?"
Master clicked his tongue and waved a hand dismissively. "That's the normal assumption, sure. But think, stud. What's Rona's parents' specialty?"
"…Genetic modification. Wait. No. You don't mean—Rona's a GMO?! Like… entirely lab-made?"
"I never said that. Now pipe down and let me finish."
I quieted, and Master picked up the thread again.
"They ran with the child. Scorpion gave chase, thinking they'd stolen a weapon—one they had engineered. But when they caught up and found only a baby, they let 'em go. See, the project was already done. The gene-altering device completed. The scientists were expendable."
I raised my hand, and Master sighed.
"What now, stud?"
"They didn't… kill them?"
"Nope. Grand Master's orders were to release 'em. Thought they were no threat. But… turns out the scientists did steal something. A weapon. One that could create and destroy life."
My ears twitched. "What? That sounds like something outta a sci-fi film."
"It is. And it ain't. What they stole wasn't the full thing—it was the core. Without it, the weapon's useless. I presume they hid the core… inside Rona."
My stomach dropped.
"…Huh?"
I raised my hand again, hesitant this time.
"How can they just put a weapon core inside someone? She's not… hollow. She has organs, you know."
Master smirked like he'd been waiting for that one.
"That's the thing. After Scorpion dug through the lab logs, they found something… unnatural. Rona's parents secretly developed a vessel. Something that could house the core without combusting. The Scorpions didn't know how it could be done. So they tracked Rona's parents again, but no trace could be found."
His eyes gleamed.
"So, tell me, stud. Where do you think the core is?"
Wasn't that what I was gonna ask…?
I took a breath. "The heart."
Master let out a booming laugh. "Thought the same thing, stud!"
Wait…
"You mean… you don't know?"
Master shrugged. "If you're that curious, crack her open and find out."
I reeled back in horror. "That's inhumane."
"She isn't human," Master replied, tone low.
"…It's all speculation," I mumbled, averting my gaze.
"Time's almost up. Any farewell questions?"
I opened my mouth. "Yeah, I was wondering—"
"Nope. No time for questions. Master's giving ya a bonus instead."
I crossed my arms. "Can't you just answer then give me the bonus?"
Master clicked his tongue. "Stud. Stud. Stud. You know me better than that. I don't give free info."
"But it's our farewell! Can't you be a little less stingy?"
Master picked his nose and flicked it casually. "No."
I groaned.
"Anyways, here's the bonus. Beware of the Third Son."
I blinked. "Huh? What Third Son? That's all you're giving me? That's beyond cheapskate!"
Master scratched his head. "Didn't I tell ya about the three sons?"
"NOPE!" I clenched my fists.
"…Oops. Tee hee~ Guess you'll have to figure that one out yourself. Can't keep spoon-feeding ya forever. That's no way to grow up."
He stuck his tongue out.
"Master!" I shouted.
Zit. Zit.
A static noise buzzed in my ear. My head jerked toward it.
…Huh? That sound—?
"Time's up. Gotta go, ciao~ Good luck, stud."
He waved me off like a dad going out for groceries he'd never return from.
"MASTER?!"
And just like Mr. James in the first game, he faded out—phased from reality as if he were never there.
I blinked.
My body felt heavy.
The dungeon ceiling spun above me. I was lying down—still in my sleeping position.
…I'm back. That old geezer…
I sat up, groggy.
BAM!
"AAHH!"
My forehead collided with another, and a shriek rang out.
Isaac collapsed to the floor, eyes rolled back.
Rona and Ronald, who had been sitting beside me, screamed and fell over like dominoes.
I rubbed my head. "Huh…? Oops. Didn't see Isaac there."
Ronald scrambled over to check my head, while Rona slapped Isaac's face.
When he didn't respond, she clenched her fist—and punched him straight in the gut.
I grabbed Ronald's sleeve and pointed.
"Rona! Don't! You'll kill him!" he shouted, dragging her back.
Isaac foamed at the mouth. I winced.
Okay… my head definitely didn't knock him out that bad. But that punch… yeah, that's on her.
While Ronald dealt with Rona, I picked Isaac up and shook him like a stuffed animal.
"Hey! Shorty! Wake up! I got something important to tell you!"
Eventually, his eyes fluttered open.
"Eh… Huh? Where…? Ugh. My head hurts."
"That's what happens when you drink too much, shorty. Lay off the booze next time."
Rona and Ronald blinked at me.
Isaac, however, roared to life.
"I don't drink, you imbecile! And what's your skull made of?! Rocks?! No, steel! That's it—your head's a weapon!"
I didn't argue. Instead, I pulled all three of them into a hug.
"Anyway, most important thing is—you guys are safe."
Isaac struggled in my grip like a worm on a hook. "LET. GO."
Eventually, I released them. Isaac muttered through shallow breaths, "All that sloth does is sleep and hug. How annoying…"
I pretended not to hear.
"I had the weirdest dream."
Ronald perked up. "What, like a dinosaur chased you?"
I shook my head. "Nah. That'd be too normal."
"Too—what?! How is that normal?!"
"Rona dreams of eating dinosaurs," Rona added cheerfully. "They taste like chicken!"
We all inched away from her.
I cleared my throat. "Right after the third game, we all passed out. When I woke up, I was in a lab. Looked high-tech. But I was tied down. I heard people talking—some lab coats—planning something, but I couldn't make it out."
Isaac's brow furrowed. "A lab, huh…"
"Yeah. A woman came in. Told me we've been in a virtual trial this entire time."
Ronald's eyes sparkled. "A kind lady!"
"...She tried to kill me."
"Oh."
Ronald nearly choked. "A-Are you okay?!"
"Yup! No worries."
I looked at Isaac. He was still thinking.
"What is it?"
"I knew those mystical creatures didn't exist," he muttered darkly.
"You're still on that? Move on already."
Then I remembered something crucial.
"Oh, right. That lady also said… there's a tracker and a bomb in our brains."
"WHAAAAT?!"
Ronald clutched his head. "Where?! Where is it?!"
Isaac adjusted his glasses. "If we're in a virtual space, the bombs are probably in our real bodies. Cracking open our heads here wouldn't help."
Ronald deflated like a popped balloon.
Rona patted his head. "It's okay! Rona's here!"
Ronald looked at her like she was glowing.
Rona's an angel…!
Isaac sighed. "Fools. They're all fools."