I sat in the passenger seat of a dark-colored jeep.
The heavy rumble of the engine filled the cabin while Riven remained focused on the wheel without saying a single word since we had left The Whisperer's headquarters.
The silence actually made it easier for me to think.
"Reina."
"I'm here."
"Map the location of The Whisperer's headquarters."
"At least the route we're taking right now."
Reina's eyes immediately emitted a faint glow.
"Understood."
Several holographic lines appeared at the corner of my vision.
She began marking every turn we passed.
"The headquarters is located in the northeastern corner of Firmament."
"I've already begun mapping the underground route we used earlier."
"If we ever have to return on our own, at least we won't be completely lost."
I nodded slowly.
"Good."
I looked back out the window.
The old, partially collapsed buildings gradually gave way to cracked concrete roads. Occasionally, the jeep passed through narrow alleyways before emerging onto wider streets again.
I memorized everything.
A right turn.
A short tunnel.
A collapsed building with a fallen iron smokestack.
An old communications tower.
I didn't know when this information would become useful.
But remembering the route was always better than regretting it later.
Beside me, Riven remained silent.
His hands never left the steering wheel.
His eyes stayed fixed ahead as though the road was the only thing that mattered.
Eventually, I broke the silence.
"Riven."
"..."
The man merely glanced at me.
"Are vehicles commonly used by veteran scavengers?"
"Yeah."
His answer was brief.
"Faster."
"Safer."
"That's all."
Then he fell silent again.
I let out a quiet sigh.
"He's really not much of a talker."
Reina chuckled inside my head.
"At least he answers."
I couldn't help smiling faintly.
The jeep continued through the streets of Firmament.
I noticed how smooth the suspension felt despite the damaged roads.
"By the way, Reina."
"Hm?"
"If there are vehicles like this..."
"Wouldn't hunting in Sector F-02 or even F-05 become much more efficient?"
Reina answered immediately.
"Of course."
"A vehicle lets you travel faster, carry more equipment, and makes evacuation much easier."
"Then why doesn't everyone use one?"
"Because they're expensive."
I turned toward her.
"How expensive?"
"The price of a jeep like this..."
Reina paused briefly, as if verifying the data.
"...is over one hundred thousand nexbits."
I froze.
"...What?"
"Yeah."
"More than one hundred thousand."
I stared at the jeep's dashboard for several seconds.
Then I looked at Riven.
Then back at the jeep.
"..."
"The bounty on my head..."
"...is actually worth less than a car."
Reina giggled.
"Well, that's just how it is."
"But with one hundred thousand nexbits..."
"A scavenger could buy top-tier combat equipment."
"Weapons."
"Armor."
"Gadgets."
"That's still an enormous amount of money."
I kept staring at the road ahead.
"Even so..."
"The price on my head..."
"...is still lower than a car."
"Arche."
"Hm?"
"I think you're focusing on the wrong thing."
"Maybe."
"But it still feels weird."
Reina simply sighed.
Meanwhile, the jeep continued forward without interruption.
I returned my attention to the road.
An intersection.
A high-rise with half its structure collapsed.
A concrete bridge cracked down the middle.
An old road sign that was almost impossible to read.
I committed everything to memory.
Quietly, Reina added new markers to her holographic map each time we passed another landmark.
"I've saved this route."
"If we have to escape later, I can guide you along the fastest path."
"Good."
I leaned back in my seat.
Although I looked relaxed, my mind never stopped working.
The route to The Whisperer's headquarters.
The roads leading out of the city center.
The locations of buildings that could serve as cover.
All of it might prove useful later.
I had no intention of placing complete trust in The Whisperer.
The same went for Riven.
After all, we only shared the same objective...
For now.
After that, there was no guarantee we'd still be on the same side.
I glanced at Riven once more.
He continued driving calmly.
His expression never changed.
It was impossible to tell what he was thinking.
I turned my gaze back to the window.
The jeep continued leaving central Firmament behind.
Buildings became increasingly sparse.
Ruins became more common.
And in the distance...
The silhouette of the city's outskirts slowly came into view, a sign that our destination was no longer far away.
Yet somehow, the journey to Green Serpent's headquarters was far more peaceful than I'd expected.
There was no ambush.
No bounty hunters chasing our jeep.
Even the scavengers we passed only glanced at us briefly before returning to whatever they had been doing.
I let out a quiet sigh of relief.
"Looks like I worried too much."
Reina smiled faintly.
"Not necessarily."
"They might not recognize you."
"Or they simply don't expect you to come out of The Whisperer's headquarters."
"That's true."
I looked out the window again.
The farther we traveled from central Firmament, the more the scenery changed.
Old warehouses gave way to broader roads.
In the distance, wild trees had begun growing among the ruins.
Then...
I saw it.
A massive building standing alone in the distance.
Its white walls remained pristine.
Its roof stood tall.
The front grounds were even enclosed by an iron fence surrounding the entire estate.
If I didn't know where I was, I would've assumed it belonged to a noble family.
Riven suddenly lifted one hand from the wheel and pointed ahead.
"That's our destination."
I narrowed my eyes.
"That's..."
"Green Serpent's headquarters?"
"Yeah."
I honestly hadn't expected it.
"The headquarters of an organization that preys on rookies..."
"...is that luxurious."
Riven kept his eyes on the road.
"Of course."
"They live off rookies."
"They hunt new scavengers."
"Loot their equipment."
"And sell everything."
"They've been running that business for a long time."
"It's only natural they'd have plenty of money."
I looked back at the mansion.
For some reason...
It made me sick.
How much blood from rookie scavengers had been turned into a mansion like that?
I didn't even want to imagine it.
But something else quickly caught my attention.
The closer we got to the mansion...
The busier the roads became.
I saw dozens of scavengers heading in the same direction.
Some carried rifles.
Others wore little more than basic gear.
There were even several other vehicles driving toward the mansion.
I frowned.
"Riven."
"Why are so many people heading there?"
Before he could answer—
BOOOM!!
A massive explosion shook the air.
I instinctively looked forward.
A thick column of black smoke rose from one side of the mansion.
A second explosion followed only seconds later.
The smoke grew even denser.
"What...?!"
"What's happening over there?"
Riven immediately pressed the accelerator harder.
The jeep's engine roared.
Its speed increased dramatically.
"Ah."
"Looks like they moved sooner than I expected."
I turned toward him.
"Who?"
Riven answered briefly.
"The rookies."
"They've begun assaulting Green Serpent's headquarters."
I froze.
"...Huh?"
"The rookies?"
"Why?"
Riven remained calm even as the jeep accelerated.
"You aren't Green Serpent's only victim."
"Other rookies have lost friends."
"Lost family."
"Lost everything they owned."
"They've had enough."
"They've probably been planning this for a long time."
I looked back toward the mansion.
Smoke continued pouring into the sky.
Even from this distance, I could already hear gunfire echoing through the air.
I tightened my grip on my backpack strap.
"Then..."
"What about my mission?"
Riven answered without hesitation.
"It doesn't change."
"I'll still escort you inside."
"Avoid unnecessary fights."
"Go straight for Garrick."
I thought for several seconds.
"In that case..."
"Wouldn't it be easier if I joined the rookies in the assault?"
"We go in together."
"Then kill Garrick."
Riven immediately shook his head.
"No."
"They have numbers."
"But I don't believe they can break through Green Serpent's defenses."
"Even if they manage to..."
"It'll take too long."
"And before they reach the inner mansion..."
"Garrick will already be gone."
I slowly nodded.
"...Good point."
Inside my head, Reina spoke up as well.
"I actually think this situation works in our favor."
"Hm?"
"Most of Green Serpent's members will be outside holding back the rookies."
"Which means the defenses inside the mansion will be weaker."
"The perfect opportunity to kill Garrick."
I looked once more at the towering plume of smoke.
"Then..."
"Do you think Karen planned all of this too?"
Reina remained silent for a moment before answering.
"...Most likely."
"She's an expert at reading situations."
"Even if she wasn't the one who started this..."
"I'm certain she anticipated something like this happening."
The jeep continued speeding forward.
The sound of gunfire grew louder with every passing second.
Reina continued.
"The important thing right now isn't who planned it."
"It's taking advantage of the opportunity."
"Arche."
"If you don't reach Garrick now..."
"You may never get another chance like this."
I took a deep breath.
Then tightened the strap of my backpack.
"In that case..."
"Let's finish everything today."