Chapter 114: The Ones Who Never Gave Up
"Wait, Captain Trigger is fine?!"
I nearly stood up so quickly that my chair scraped against the floor.
Abbyrose blinked at my reaction.
"Of course he is," she replied. "Like I said, he was the one who saved me. He even instructed me to come and find you because waiting wasn't an option anymore."
She tilted her head.
"You've been gone for a while now, Ryze. Everyone was worried."
For a moment, I couldn't say anything.
Captain Trigger was alive.
After everything that had happened at the Resistance HQ, after hearing that an unknown player had destroyed our home, that was the first piece of good news I had received.
I hadn't realized how tightly I had been holding my breath until I finally let it out.
"Thank goodness…"
I leaned back in my chair, covering my face with one hand.
At least he was safe.
At least someone from my old team was still out there.
Then SK, who had remained quiet throughout the conversation, finally spoke.
"Hmm. Captain Trigger…"
Volt turned toward her.
"You know him?"
"Not personally," SK answered. "Well, not really. I met him during the Train Incident. He was the leader of the Resistance squad that attacked the train."
She paused, her expression becoming slightly distant.
"Unfortunately, that's also when I first met Ryze."
I immediately looked up.
"Unfortunately?!"
SK ignored me.
"And shortly after that, I met Sir Blaze."
Blaze, who had been quietly listening from the bed, glanced in our direction.
"Ah. Those were interesting days."
"Interesting?" I repeated. "You call nearly falling into the Void interesting?"
"Didn't we survive?"
"That's not the point!"
SK crossed her arms.
"Anyway, I remember Captain Trigger's voice. He was shouting orders to his squad while they were trying to stop the train and rescue the hostages."
Her gaze shifted toward the window.
"I remember how stubbornly they kept fighting. Even after things went wrong, they refused to abandon their mission."
I knew exactly what she meant.
The memories came back to me one after another.
The train.
The mercenaries.
The kidnapped players from Countless Star.
And the woman in white armor who had stood between the Resistance and the people they were trying to rescue.
SK, the Reaper.
Back then, she had been our enemy.
She had fought against us to protect the mercenaries responsible for the kidnapping, carrying out the Empire's orders without hesitation.
And then everything had fallen apart.
I remembered dragging her along with me as we fell into the Void, leaving our comrades behind without knowing whether we would ever return.
I remembered the Resistance soldiers refusing to give up on me.
Even when I disappeared.
Even when they had no idea where I had gone.
They kept searching.
They kept fighting.
And somewhere during that time, Captain Trigger had shouted something I could still remember as clearly as if it had happened yesterday.
Damn it, Ryze! You better come back alive!
My chest tightened.
I had been so focused on surviving the Void that I hadn't properly considered what everyone else had gone through while I was missing.
They had continued searching for me.
They hadn't given up.
And now, even after the destruction of the headquarters, Captain Trigger had still found a way to send someone to bring me home.
I turned toward Abbyrose.
"So… how is the captain doing?"
Abbyrose's expression softened.
"Well…"
She hesitated, as if trying to decide how to explain it.
"Things became a little difficult after you disappeared. The Resistance spent a lot of time trying to find you, but we couldn't establish contact with you or determine where you had gone."
I lowered my eyes.
"But we're all fine now," she continued. "At least, we were doing fine before the attack."
Her voice became quieter.
"Then, a while ago, we received an update from the Spy Unit stationed at the capital."
Volt raised his head.
Abbyrose turned toward him.
"They reported a sighting of Ryze. They confirmed that she was alive."
Volt blinked.
"Wait. The report from the capital?"
"Yes. It was your unit, wasn't it?"
Volt gave a small nod.
"That's right."
Abbyrose smiled faintly.
"You have no idea what that report did to the Resistance. The entire mood at HQ changed almost immediately. Everyone had been worried about Ryze for so long, and suddenly we had confirmation that she was alive."
She looked at me.
"Captain Trigger was especially relieved. He immediately ordered us to establish contact and find a way to bring you back."
I didn't know what to say.
For a brief moment, I almost smiled.
They had been waiting for me.
Even after all this time, even after everything that had happened, they still considered me one of their own.
Volt leaned back and looked at me.
"Can't believe you're taking this so well."
I turned toward him.
"What do you mean?"
"I mean, you just found out that your headquarters was destroyed, but you're smiling because Captain Trigger is alive."
"I am not smiling!"
"You almost were."
"That's different!"
I looked away, embarrassed.
"Well, the most important thing is that everyone is safe. We can worry about everything else later."
I paused.
"Besides, we have a more immediate problem."
Volt sighed.
"Let me guess. Escaping Helios Reach?"
"Exactly."
I pointed toward the window.
The Imperial patrols were still moving through the streets below. Their routes changed every hour, and we had yet to find a reliable opening.
Even if we managed to slip past the soldiers, we still had to reach our supplies and vehicle outside the city.
And we had no idea how many reinforcements the Empire might send.
"We need to get out before the situation becomes worse," I said. "The longer we stay here, the more likely they are to discover our exact location."
SK nodded.
"Agreed. We should assume the Empire is already searching for us."
"Wonderful," Volt muttered. "Another reason to hate this city."
Blaze remained quiet.
He was sitting on the edge of the bed, watching us discuss our options.
Then Abbyrose suddenly stood.
"Actually, I might have an idea."
We all turned toward her.
I raised an eyebrow.
"What kind of idea?"
She smiled.
"Why don't I create a distraction?"
For a moment, nobody answered.
Then Volt slowly lowered his head into his hands.
"Of course. Why didn't I think of that?"
SK gave Abbyrose a skeptical look.
"Explain."
Abbyrose walked toward the window and carefully looked down at the patrols.
"If teleportation and stealth aren't options, then we need to create an opening. Something that draws the soldiers away from the route we intend to take."
She turned back toward us.
"I can make enough noise to attract their attention. While they're busy dealing with me, the rest of you can slip through the gaps in their formation."
I stared at her.
"You want to distract an entire group of Imperial soldiers by yourself?"
"Not the entire city," she replied. "Just enough of them to give you a chance."
"That's still dangerous," SK said immediately.
Abbyrose placed her hands on her hips.
"I can handle a few soldiers."
"Those aren't ordinary guards," SK countered. "Helios Reach is a major trade hub. Experienced players and high-level fighters regularly pass through this city. Some of them have probably joined the Imperial patrols because of the lockdown."
She stepped closer to Abbyrose.
"You could be surrounded before you even realize what is happening."
Abbyrose's smile faded slightly, but she didn't back down.
"I understand the risk."
"Understanding the risk doesn't make it a good plan."
"Then what do you suggest?" Abbyrose asked. "We can't stay here forever. If the Empire discovers us, we'll have to fight our way out anyway."
SK fell silent.
That was the problem.
Every option carried a risk.
We couldn't teleport out. We couldn't simply walk past the patrols. Sneaking through the city was nearly impossible, and waiting for the lockdown to end could give the Empire time to bring in reinforcements.
If we wanted to escape, we needed an opening.
And Abbyrose was offering to create one.
I looked at Blaze.
He had been listening without interrupting, his expression as calm as ever.
"Well," he said, "why don't you give it a try?"
Everyone turned toward him.
SK frowned.
"Sir Blaze, are you seriously suggesting we let her do this?"
"I'm suggesting we hear her plan before deciding whether it's a good idea."
He glanced at Abbyrose.
"If she has a way to draw the patrols away without getting herself surrounded, we should at least consider it."
Abbyrose nodded gratefully.
"Thank you."
Blaze raised a hand.
"Don't thank me yet. I haven't agreed to anything."
"Still, it's better than everyone immediately telling me no."
I sighed.
"Can we please come up with a plan that doesn't involve someone getting themselves captured?"
"That's the goal," Blaze replied.
"I'm glad we're on the same page."
I looked toward the window again.
The city streets were still crawling with Imperial soldiers. Somewhere beyond the walls, our vehicle and supplies waited for us. Somewhere else, the surviving members of the Resistance were gathering in BattleNet, hoping to rebuild what they had lost.
And somewhere in the New World, the player responsible for destroying our headquarters remained unidentified.
We had too many problems and too little time.
I turned back toward Abbyrose.
"All right. Tell us exactly what you have in mind."
Her expression grew serious.
She walked back to the table and leaned over the map Volt had spread across it.
"I've been watching the patrols since I entered the city," she began. "There's a section near the eastern gate where the soldiers change formation more frequently than they do elsewhere. If I can draw their attention there, even for a few minutes, you might be able to reach the outer streets."
Volt studied the map.
"And how do you intend to draw their attention?"
Abbyrose smiled.
"Leave that part to me."
SK immediately shook her head.
"No. We need to know what you're planning before we can judge whether it will work."
Abbyrose opened her mouth to answer.
Then a distant horn sounded outside.
All of us turned toward the window.
The soldiers below abruptly stopped moving.
A moment later, an Imperial officer emerged from the street corner and began shouting orders. The patrols changed formation, with several squads moving toward the eastern side of the city.
Volt's expression darkened.
"What now?"
SK moved closer to the window.
"They're changing their positions."
I watched the soldiers reorganize below.
Then I noticed something else.
One of the patrols had begun moving toward our inn.
My stomach tightened.
"Guys…"
Blaze rose from the bed.
His faint smile disappeared.
"Looks like we might not have as much time as we thought."
Abbyrose looked at the approaching soldiers, then back at us.
Her hands slowly curled into fists.
"Then we'll have to move sooner than planned."
I grabbed my rifle.
Whatever plan she had, we needed to decide quickly.
Because the Empire was coming.
And this time, they might not be content to simply keep us trapped.
End of Chapter 114