Seoul Cyberpunk Story-Chapter 68: Veritas Correctional Facility

The morning sun began to shine down on the narrow alley where the Black Bio Pizza Burning Duct branch was located.

The glass door gleamed under the sunlight, revealing the inside of the store.

Tony, the branch manager, was wiping the glass behind the counter with a handkerchief, occasionally glancing at the small TV in the corner.

The anchor’s voice echoed softly.

[Another major M&A in Babel’s economic sector. The Babel Corporate Supervisory Office has announced in a statement that, based on Article 3 of the ‘Babel Corporate Restructuring Special Act,’ Skyheaven has been officially acquired by Sakamata Group.]

[With this decision, key commercial districts and several luxury residences in the eastern sector, previously owned by Skyheaven, will now be transferred to Sakamata. Industry insiders predict that this merger will cause significant shifts in the power dynamics of the eastern region.]

Tony stopped wiping and stared at the screen, clicking his tongue softly.

“It’s starting again.”

Despite being named the ‘Babel Corporate Restructuring Special Act,’ it was no different from the land wars of the medieval era.

It was a law designed to give megacorps a legitimate reason to swallow up smaller companies.

“Tony, ‘that order’ still hasn’t come in,” said Nikki, the part-timer, entering with a candy in her mouth as she tied on her apron.

Tony turned off the TV and looked back at Nikki.

“Yeah. It’s been months without a word.”

The special order notification that used to ring several times a day had fallen silent a long time ago.

Ever since the rumor spread that the Pizza Maniac’s house had been blown up.

“Maybe he really died?”

Tony shook his head firmly at Nikki’s words.

“No way. That monster wouldn’t go down that easily.”

There were rumors that the Pizza Maniac had died in Burning Duct, but Tony didn’t believe them.

After all, a mercenary powerful enough to handle megacorp-related problems wouldn’t just die like that.

Ding-dong.

The bell at the front door chimed as a customer entered.

Tony was about to say, “Welcome!” when his mouth stopped.

A woman with red hair was standing in front of the counter.

Though her appearance was tidier than usual, Tony recognized her instantly.

It was Scarlet.

The netwitch who had vanished along with the Pizza Maniac from Burning Duct.

“Black Bio Pizza, Special...? Three boxes to go, please.”

Tony’s eyes lit up.

That menu was so expensive that no one ordered it except the Pizza Maniac.

“Yes! Black Bio Pizza Special, ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) three boxes, got it!”

The moment Tony responded —

Beeeeeeep!

A deafening alarm blared throughout the entire store.

“I knew it... there’s no way he’s dead.”

Nikki was startled and covered her ears, but Tony just grinned in satisfaction.

****

I was now lazing around in the spacious dining area of the space station, which had been renamed Seoul Dino Park.

It had already been months since we started living in the station, but it still didn’t feel familiar.

Well, considering how busy we had been investigating and organizing the station until recently, it was only natural.

Ember, Scarlet, and Aria had gone down to Burning Duct to handle some business, saying it was the first time in a while.

Meanwhile, Victor, Iris, and Daniel had headed to the eastern shopping district to buy furniture and other necessities.

That left just me, The Child, Agu, and the Kiwi Birds.

To stave off boredom, I got up and lunged at Agu.

Agu tried to run away, but with its stubby legs, there was no way it could escape.

Thus began a one-sided wrestling match.

Suplex, Powerbomb, Screwdriver.

I tried every move I’d seen on TV.

“Kkyuheeeng...”

Each time Agu slammed into the ground, it let out a mournful wail, as if it were about to die.

But judging by the words “Blood Vengeance” written across its belly, it seemed to still have some fight left in it.

Whiiiirrrrr.

Just as I was swinging Agu around by its short legs, a notification echoed through the dining area.

It was the “Pizza Demon Summoning Detection System” that Ember had installed.

I didn’t know why she made something like that...

Well, if Ember said it was necessary, then it must serve some kind of purpose.

I tossed the spinning Agu into a corner, checked the designated coordinates, and moved through the shadows.

As I slipped through the cold darkness, the rooftop of a slum building in Babel came into view.

A little girl was kneeling in front of a crudely drawn pizza magic circle on the ground, her hands clasped together.

“Give me pizza!”

I burst out from the shadows and shouted, and the girl flinched and looked up.

Her wide eyes were filled with disbelief as they met mine.

“You... you really came...”

The girl’s expression and words were laced with astonishment.

****

The girl, her hands trembling, led me into her home.

The stairs creaked beneath us, and the paint was peeling off in several places.

Inside, the one-room apartment was small but neatly organized.

“Wait here... just a moment.”

The girl headed to the kitchen.

Looking around, I guessed that two people lived here based on the dishes and furniture.

Though, it seemed like the girl was the only one who actually stayed home.

There was a single plate on the dining table, and only one side of the bed looked slept in.

“Here... eat this.”

The girl cautiously brought out a pizza.

The aroma of cheese wafted through the air, fresh from the oven.

Surprisingly, it was a proper pizza.

I had expected something bizarre, like a mysterious pizza topped with green caterpillars resembling cabbage worms...

But it seemed like she’d managed to scrounge together some quality ingredients despite her circumstances.

Was it a carefully chosen offering for the “Pizza Demon”?

I grabbed a slice and took a bite.

‘!’

It was a taste that completely exceeded my expectations.

The tomato sauce was clean yet rich in flavor, and the cheese was salty but with a distinct, lingering taste.

The balance between the pepperoni and vegetables was also impeccable.

The two Children who had followed me also replicated the pizza and started eating. Then, at the same time, they widened their eyes and looked at each other.

[It’s delicious!]

[Really delicious!]

The red Child walked up to the girl, smeared its hand in coating, and pressed it against the girl’s cheek with a little plop.

A small, red handprint was stamped onto the girl’s cheek like a seal.

‘Is it supposed to mean, “Well done” or something?’

The girl looked bewildered, not understanding what just happened.

After finishing the pizza, I finally got to the main point.

“So, why did you call me?”

The girl’s expression darkened instantly.

The brightness from a moment ago vanished, replaced by a face full of worry and fear.

“Demon... My sister... She went to the hospital... but she hasn’t come back....”

****

Amid the familiar noise and steam smells of Burning Duct, Ember signed the last AR document.

It was the sales contract for the Seoul Office site, a place that once meant everything to her.

Ignoring the slight sting in her nose, she contacted the mercenaries who had once fought alongside her.

‘I guess I’ll have to open another office at some point...’

Now that they had established a shadow fortress in the unlikeliest of places — Seoul Dino Park — their mode of operation would have to change entirely.

Maybe they’d operate out of a new Burning Duct branch within Seoul Dino Park.

“I already miss it a little,” Ember murmured under her breath, her gaze fixed on the now-empty office space.

The warmth that once filled the quiet room, the faint scent of alcohol, the worn texture of the old wooden table — it all felt so vivid, as if she could reach out and touch it.

Time passed. With familiar footsteps, Aria and Scarlet approached.

Scarlet was holding a massive Black Bio Pizza box.

“You’re back already,” Ember was the first to speak.

“Yeah. Just finished sorting through the data we needed to destroy,” Aria answered curtly.

“Look at this! On the way back, I picked up A’s favorite pizza — Black Bio Pizza Special!”

Scarlet, who had stopped by the orphanage, held up the pizza box with a grin still lingering at the corners of her mouth.

Ember looked at the two of them and then, one last time, took in the sight of the space that once meant everything to her.

Then, slowly, she opened her mouth.

“Alright. Let’s go back. Back to our new home.”

No sooner had Ember finished speaking than her AR interface lit up with a blue notification.

<Ember, I need information about the ‘Veritas Correctional Facility.’>

A faint smile appeared at the corners of Ember’s lips.

It was time to get back to work.

****

The rooftop overlooking Veritas Correctional Facility.

Even amidst the darkness of the night, the chaos inside the facility was palpable.

The blaring emergency alarms echoed relentlessly, and sporadic crashes and faint screams echoed from within.

Well, of course it was like that.

Down below, Triceratops were ramming their massive bodies against the outer walls of the correctional facility, and the ominous shadow of the Mosasaurus loomed over the structure like a dark omen.

“I did say making a bigger scene would be better, but... I didn’t think they’d go this far....”

Ember, dressed in her combat suit from her days as a shadow operative for the Nexus Node, looked down at the apocalyptic scene below.

With a deep sigh, she pressed her palm against her forehead.