David felt as though he had just woken from a nightmare.
Only that nightmare had been far too real, so real that he had truly believed he had lived through every second of it.
The black clinic. Selling his kidney. Being bullied. The announcement of his mother's death.
One disaster after another had wrapped around him like flesh-eating ghosts and refused to let go.
And yet the moment he opened his eyes again, everything had changed completely.
A clean, spotless hospital room.
A gentle, caring mother.
It all felt like the most beautiful illusion, fragile enough to shatter at a touch.
David could hardly believe it.
He only dared to carefully reach out and touch his mother's tear-streaked cheek, afraid that even the slightest force would burst this dreamlike bubble.
But the warmth beneath his fingers told him the truth.
This was real.
His mother had come back.
She had really come back.
Gloria knew very well why the two of them had survived the crash and been reunited safely.
It was all because of Kai.
"We're at a Trauma Team medical center now."
"The staff told me Mr. Kai arranged for us to recover here."
"He was probably the one those Animals were trying to hit on the highway."
At Gloria's reminder, David instantly recalled the scene as if he had been shocked by electricity.
Back then, he had been trapped inside the burning wreck of the car. In the final moment before he blacked out, he had sensed someone approaching him.
That blurry figure must have been Mr. Kai.
At that same moment, Kai was still on his way to the office, having just finished the life simulation for David.
For David, the simulated life had truly felt like two full days of lived experience.
For Kai, however, only a very short time had passed.
Judging from the result, the life simulation had worked.
The truth was that even before the crash happened, Kai had already noticed the Animals coming after him.
At first, he had intended to shake off the pursuit by speeding away.
He had not expected the Animals to use the overtaking angle to launch an all-out attack.
So Kai had immediately decided to strike back.
He slid into the driver's seat and switched the vehicle from autopilot to manual mode.
The moment his hands touched the wheel, all the instincts from countless high-speed death rides came flooding back.
With absurd driving skill, he dodged the incoming RPG round and then flipped the Animals SUV behind him, wiping out the gangsters trying to kill him with almost ridiculous ease.
Afterward, Kai got out to inspect the crash site.
That was when he spotted the woman lying in the flames and the boy trapped in the wreck, barely clinging to life.
To his surprise, the system informed him that changing the boy's life could earn him Life Points.
[David Martinez] (Simulate? Yes/No)
The name sounded strangely familiar to Kai.
He seemed to remember seeing it as the name of a drink at the Afterlife.
He had not expected the boy in front of him to become a legendary figure in the future.
Which meant that David Martinez's life was standing at a crossroads right now, one that would split into two completely different directions.
And which path he would take would now be up to Kai.
"A legend shouldn't end like this."
"Kid."
"Let me see what kind of future your legend holds."
As a Trauma Team Platinum member, Kai paid the emergency rescue fees for both Gloria and David on the spot.
He had Trauma Team pull David out of the wrecked vehicle, then personally carried the red-haired woman out of the flames and sent both of them into the Trauma Team AV.
Once the mother and son had been taken care of, Kai still had to continue on to the office.
There was no guarantee the rest of his trip would be free of further plots or attacks, so for safety, he called a Delamain and continued on toward Arasaka.
Inside the Delamain, Kai chose to launch his first life simulation on the unconscious David.
He selected confirm on the system panel.
[Simulation Target: David Martinez]
[Simulation Starting Point: After the car crash]
[Simulation Notice: Life simulation is based on the known people and events connected to the target. Please treat the results with caution.]
"So that's what the notice means. David's simulation is built on the currently known conditions and circumstances. Anything not yet encountered or understood doesn't get included."
"In other words, the more variables I know, the more accurate the simulation becomes."
"It's like old age. Once a person's social circle is fixed, their career fixed, their mindset fixed, their class position fixed, then the shape of their future becomes obvious."
"At least for David right now, if no miracle changes his fate, then his future should be exactly the same as the simulated one."
The moment Kai confirmed the simulation, the unconscious David began a new life.
And everything David experienced in that dark simulated future unfolded before Kai's eyes.
David lived through two days of subjective time in the simulation, while only a few minutes passed on Kai's end.
"What a stubborn kid."
"With that kind of will, becoming a legend is only a matter of time."
When the simulation ended, the corresponding rewards were delivered immediately.
[Life Points: 3]
[Fusion Ability: Unyielding Tenacity (Common)]
"So I gained two Life Points, plus a physical talent: Unyielding Tenacity."
"Unyielding Tenacity boosts full-body endurance and tolerance."
"In the simulation, David really did show exceptional natural talent in physical resilience."
Kai spent one Life Point on the Unyielding Tenacity talent.
[Life Points: 2]
[Fusion Ability: Unyielding Tenacity (Uncommon)]
Instantly, Kai felt a strange surge of vitality flood through his entire body.
His physical and mental fatigue both eased noticeably.
He could not describe the change in exact terms, but he could clearly feel that he had become harder to wear down.
As for the actual effect, that would have to wait until later to be tested.
Riding in the Delamain, Kai arrived at the corporate plaza in City Center.
After adjusting his suit slightly and putting on the portable comm unit, he got out and strode straight into Arasaka Tower, where he stopped for identity verification and scanning at the entrance.
[Employee Name: Kai]
[Employee ID: NC770416]
[Employee Rank: M9]
[Department Position: Deputy Director, Counterintel Division]
Once the information was confirmed, the Arasaka security staff quickly bowed in respect.
Kai walked past them without pause, crossed the lobby, and headed straight for the main elevator.
Along the way, several men and women in expensive suits took the initiative to greet him.
"Hey, Kai, haven't seen you in a while. Out on assignment?"
"Long time no see, Kai. How've you been? Free this weekend for golf? I just bought a new villa in North Oak and had a huge section of lawn put in."
"Kai, why are you ignoring me the second you get back? You weren't this cold the last time we met at the coast estate. Got time tonight?"
Kai understood perfectly well that all of them were only interested in his position as Deputy Director of Counterintel.
That was why his attitude at the company had always been the same.
No comment.
His cold demeanor had earned him more than a little criticism, but Kai had not cared in his previous life, and he cared even less now.
Especially now, when he was already furious.
The internal power struggle had clearly crossed the line.
Susan had actually hired gang members to ambush him.
That meant she was already desperate to have him killed as soon as possible.
At that moment, the elevator stopped on the first floor.
Kai stepped inside without hesitation.
Two Arasaka employees who had also been waiting for the elevator chose to wait for the next one instead.
Kai paid no attention to what they thought or how they acted.
He simply selected the thirty-third floor.
Arasaka Counterintel.
(End of Chapter)
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