Leave The Monster Alone

When they reached the base, Liam greeted them with a tense face and they instantly knew things were not fully right currently. The tense air was too heavy to ignore and it pressed on them from every side.聽

"What did you do?" Liam asked and no one knew how to answer him. What did they do indeed? Even they were not sure how to answer this question right now. There were many answers but every single one of them sounded wrong to Mark. So indeed, what happened recently? Where didn't things go this wrong?

Mark did not try to justify himself to Liam because there was nothing left to justify at all. Their whole party consisted of divine beasts and even a human could feel the pressure it was emitting at their surroundings by just being present there at that moment. Liam had a right to be alert in this situation.聽

Mark did dabble in the thought of hiding the situation for the time being but then stopped himself before he could go through it at all. He had been quiet for a long time now and this would not do. He needed to inform the other because he was the only one who could help them out in this situation.聽

Liam had been the one who had given Mark his system, he had been the one who started this all for Mark. He was the root of all changes, so he needed to know. With En no longer there, Liam had to be the one to carry on the torch from their side. Mark needed to tell him the truth ASAP.聽

And he did.聽

Mark had no idea how to start it all but once he started, the words came easy. The small alarm inside his brain blazed to life and gave him a headache but it was too late. He had already started his wording after.聽

By the time he reached the end, Liam already had a grave expression on his face. He did not look happy but he did not look particularly shocked as well. He looked, resigned, more than anything and it was something that surprised Mark.

"I expected something like this to happen but not to you. The system is a delicate thing and no matter how much we secure it, it is always at high risk" Liam sounded bitter about this fact and Mark understood his frustration.聽

Had he been the one to hear this whole operation, he would have felt the anger and rage over this discovery as well. It was overwhelming to think just how dependent he had become on his system. He had used it for a lot of things after all and he had even followed its command on occasion.聽

"Let's a miracle that things didn't end up even worsening" Yun voiced the thought Mark had been thinking but Lima shot that thought down in an instant.聽

"A system is a machine and it is pre-programmed. It can be altered but not changed in its courses. I don't even think that person realised he had one of our systems under control. He likely only noticed once you messaged him about it" Which was a good point. Mark did not remember even a single instance where the system had led him astray.聽

It had only helped throughout the whole condition, even till the end.聽

"We need to have this looked further into. The final fight is fast approaching and we need to make preparations. Since things have changed, we cannot count on the rebellion any longer to help us even" Which was another good point.聽

"Wait. Didn't that person always harper about his 'god' and being the chosen one? What if he was talking about the 'virus guy' this whole time?" Alan brought up this point and Mark had almost forgotten about it till now. Zeno had always said that, hadn't he?聽

"That person? Can you specify whom you are talking about? Just so we can all get to the same wavelength" Mark could see that Liam had already drawn a conclusion but he still waited for Alan to confirm his suspicions. It was a bold move on his part, but one Mark appreciated.

"We are talking about Zeno, the current leader of the rebellion. He cannot be sure how he would react once the situation comes but I can try talking to him" Mark was the only one who could talk to the other since he was the only one who knew him.

Alan did know the other as well but those were brief meetings. He was not sure how well the teen would fare against the resistance leader without any backup. So it was just better if Mark made it his own business.

"If you think it is alright then do that. I will ask the headquarters to start tracking your system code and to look more into it. Avoid using it as much as possible" Liam warned and Mark needed in understanding.

The situation had turned delicate now and they all had to avoid the casualties at all costs.

"There was something else as well. We need a safe room where no one could enter without permission" Luna made this request and Mark remembered what it was for. In all honesty, he had forgotten that it had been a pressing matter as well but Luna remembered at least.

"A safe room? I can provide you with one but I need a reason to do so" Liam did not pose a problem for them. At least, not for now but this was not a place to discuss this thing. Mark made a quick motion to point it out and Liam understood the implications.

"Follow me. There is one place where no one, not even the 'virus guy' can hear in on us. And we also need another name for him than the 'virus guy' because it is distasteful" Yun let out a mall giggle at that, genuinely finding this conversation amusing.

Liam took them deeper into the base and then scanned his hand on a door. There was no indication of a sound but it opened up in front of them. The darkness behind it was the only telling point of the door and its existence before it closed behind them.

The lights blazed to life inside the new area and it turned out to be a small room. It was bare except the large screen to the front wall of it and Mark could only look on in awe of the beauty that was the computer powering it up.

Mark was not good with technology but even he could appreciate how powerful this computer was. The energy coming out of it was even familiar and it took him a few seconds to recognise it as the core he had seen when he first came to the base. This computer had that core inside it.聽

"The higher-ups secured this place for us. We can talk as we want inside here. I assume you have something you wanted to tell me which you did not want getting out yet" the yet was emphasised since they could not hide any information forever.

"We have the white tiger's core. I hope you know which one I am talking about. Luna here agreed to take it into himself for the time being. We cannot allow the core's news to escape till he had gotten used to it" Luna would be too vulnerable while he was processing the core.聽

"Not to mention the likely encounter he would have with the 'virus guy'. Can you ask your higher-ups to block this one encounter? Luna could be our trump card, the hidden ace who could lead us to victory" Liam did not need to ask why it was Luna who was being considered as the hidden weapon.聽

If the other had a question, they did not voice it and hence it all can end for now.聽

Mark finally made his way to his assigned room, Kuro in toe. He felt bad for her, for how she had been caged into a single form and made to fight by his side.聽

"I won't blame you if you want to leave now. The final battle is not going to be a wash for anyone and you have a right to life" Kuro had grown, from a small kitten to a bigger one. Mark had a feeling that if she chose to transform she would easily be in her teens and he felt bad for her.聽

She could not enjoy her life how she wanted her to.聽

Her small head rested at his chest, her chest rumbling in pleasure as she snuggled against his chest and he felt a fondness for her. She was here to stay, wasn't she? She had been here from the start and she was not going anywhere even at Mark's lowest point.. But if things got difficult, if her life ended up in danger against his own, he would save her. He owned her this much at least