HEO 102

Red Eagle perched on a branch across the way. Wolf bent at the waist and took a deep breath.

Every muscle in his body tensed. He exhaled.

The world transformed into a single line. The trees turned into rust-brown streaks, whizzing past Wolf’s side. The ground felt like ice. He reached the end of the trail in four breaths. It felt as though the end of the path had suddenly loomed close. He made it back in exactly four breaths as well. The moment he stopped, muddy water splashed from the ground.

His heartbeat was as calm as if he were walking on flat ground. He wasn’t even out of breath. Even though he’d actually run a distance that would melt half a candle’s length.

Wolf looked up. The white parrot didn’t move a muscle on the branch. One wing was half-raised, one leg was awkwardly lifted, and his beak was wide open.

Wolf chuckled.

“Well, Your Highness? Could you see it with your own eyes? I mean, me running.”

“Well…”

His tiny beak opened and closed. Then, the white parrot soared into the air. His small body spun in the air.

“That’s impossible! It can’t be! Wolf, you were faster than a war chariot! How could this be–uh, since when–!”

“Since yesterday.”

“Since yesterday?! How did you get this power…!”

“Shh.”

Wolf put a finger to his lips. Red Eagle quickly closed his beak and perched on Wolf’s shoulder.

For a moment, the surroundings fell silent. Wolf opened his mouth.

“Hey.”

〔What.〕

“How does my speed just now compare to Silver’s?”

〔Roughly equal.〕

“What’s my current combat output?”

〔Request acknowledged. Measuring…….〕

〔Measurement failed.〕

〔Combat output exceeds 100 Kalden. Upper limit reached.〕

Wolf’s heart pounded. Fuck!

“One more thing. Silver’s face, which one is real?”

〔The higher-quality one.〕

“So I wasn’t hallucinating? Hypothermia or delirium….”

〔Correction. Your vital signs have been normal for the past 52 hours and 27 minutes. No signs of fever or hypothermia.〕

〔The Thunder individual disrupted your perception. His methodology matches that of suggestive implantation.〕

〔Summary. Your perception was accurate.〕

Wolf’s jaw clenched. That bastard deceived him without batting an eye!

If his mother, White Deer, had witnessed the scene, she would have called it an “architecturally perfect lie.” A precise, step-by-step escalation. From “You’re seeing things” to “You’re delusional.” From “Hypothermia” to “If you’re hypothermic, you’ve got no right to tell me what to do.” And finally, “You’re… King Bronze-Billed Hawk…?”

It was all a deliberate and meticulously calculated hypnotic maneuver.

If a mother repeatedly says, “The sky is purple,” a snotty-nosed kid will naturally paint the sky purple when drawing.

“What happened to that face? Is Silver a wizard?”

〔It is a technology of the insect-type external device carried by the Thunder individual. He disguises himself by superimposing an illusion over his face.〕

〔The illusion disappeared when the external device broke yesterday.〕

〔The illusion has been reactivated as the external device’s self-repair function restored its basic functions.〕

“That mantis fairy…”

〔It is presumed that the external device cast the illusion at the Thunder individual’s request. At the very least, it is certain that a mutual agreement was reached between the two.〕

〔The external device’s auxiliary functions are limited. Depending on lighting or angle conditions, the illusion may fail intermittently. The brief glimpse you observed last night while nursing the fever was likely caused by an angle issue.〕

There was no need to think long about why Silver had asked the mantis fairy to disguise his face. Such a face would be extremely inconvenient for a life on the run.

To think I felt sorry for the bastard without having a clue about any of this…

Wolf exhaled slowly. At least he knew one thing. Silver wasn’t a gloomy beast. Rather, he was a mischievous [Read on]beast, and the most talented liar Wolf had ever encountered.

All settled. I’ll definitely repay you later.

“Now, onto another story. Take a look at this.”

Wolf picked up a stone from the ground. He wrapped his fingers around the fist-sized rock and clenched it tightly. Crack–a crack spread across the surface. Immediately, there was a popping sound, and shards flew in all directions. A thick cloud of sand and dust scattered through his fingers.

“Aaaargh! Wolf!”

Red Eagle, who had leapt into the air, landed back on Wolf’s shoulder with his feathers bristling.

“What do you think?”

Wolf brushed his hands off and laughed.

“Wasn’t Thunder’s top-tier combat output rated at 700 Kalden? This should be more than enough to count as 700 Kalden, right?”

〔Calculating…〕.

〔The type of stone you compressed is natural stone. It requires approximately 20 to 60 times the compressive force of an average adult male.〕

〔Thunder’s top-tier combat output is recorded at 700 to 800 [stolen content]Kalden. That’s 17.5 to 20 times the combat output of an average male in the top tier.〕

〔Conclusion. Your current combat output is estimated to be equal to or greater than that of a top-tier Thunder individual. At least 700 Kalden or more.〕

Wow! Awesome!

“I think I’m a Thunder. I have to be a Thunder. Definitely.”

〔Misjudgment. You are not a Thunder.〕

The reply came before the dust had even settled. Wolf snorted.

“I am a Thunder. Whether you admit it or not, that’s the truth.”

〔You have no mole on your side. Statistically, all Thunder individuals possess a mole on their side.〕

“There could be exceptions.”

〔Statistically impossible. Side mole…….〕

“Stop harping on that damn mole! I said there are exceptions—exceptions! That’s what the word means!”

〔You are more likely to be a Type 1 male variant than Thunder.〕

Wolf paused.

“Type 1? What’s that?”

〔One of the classifications of variants within the Stoll human population.〕

〔Colloquially known as ‘Ash’ among the Stoll people.〕

〔Key characteristics: Asexual phenotype during adolescence. Complete absence of standard physiological indicators through puberty and beyond.〕

〔Combat output during adolescence approaches 100 Kalden.〕

〔Full manifestation begins around the age of twenty. Periodic fever episodes accompanied by extreme pain occur for about a year. Rapid physical development occurs during this period.〕

A chill ran through Wolf’s entire body. Flea was now reciting his growth records verbatim.

〔Immediately after manifestation is complete, combat output surges. Records show figures on par with, or occasionally surpassing, those of a Thunder.〕

〔If all of the above conditions are met, you are definitely a Type 1 male variant.〕

〔However……〕

As always, Flea’s tone was emotionless. That voice, which sounded like the mutterings of a bureaucrat steeped in boredom, with each syllable that arrived, the strength drained from Wolf’s legs like an ebbing tide.

It felt as though ripples were surging in his ears. Even against all the logic he had built up himself to understand a growth period that was so markedly different from his peers.

His ears were ringing. The ground beneath his feet felt unreal. It felt as though it would shatter like a pane of glass at any moment, sending his entire body plummeting into darkness.

It’s a lie.

It’s a lie.

Flea fell silent. Wolf remained motionless, staring only at the other side. He could see nothing. It felt as though the world had turned its back on him, leaving him alone.

“Wolf. Wolf.”

A stinging sensation on his cheek brought him back to his senses. Red Eagle was pecking at Wolf’s cheek with his black beak.

“What’s wrong? What did Flea say? You look so tense.”

“Your Highness, I….”

The words came out too quickly. Wolf hurriedly swallowed the next words before they could escape his throat. Read on He might only have a year left to live. He couldn’t possibly tell Red Eagle something like that.

He couldn’t break down. At least not in front of him.

The small white parrot, trapped with a human soul inside, had no one to rely on but Wolf. To Red Eagle, Wolf was a foster brother, a lighthouse, and a sail. On his map, there was only one continent named Wolf.

Wolf tried to force a smile. It was harder than breaking a rock with his bare hands.

“I’m disappointed. Flea says I’m not a Thunder.”

“So what if you’re not a Thunder! You’re already strong! …But wait, are Thunders real? It wasn’t just an old tale told by drunk old men? Explain it to me, Wolf!”

“It’ll take a while to explain everything. Come back tonight and I’ll tell you all about it. Right now, I have to go do the menial tasks the senior pirates dumped on me.”

“Yes, yes! I’ll wait! Come back soon, my hero!”

Red Eagle flapped his wings and shouted. Wolf kept smiling until the very end. It felt like he was fighting alone against a gale on a pitch-black sea. He waved to the white parrot and turned away. Keeping his back straight, he walked down the slope with his usual stride.