Part 66: Update LXIII - Featuring: Hackerman

Update LXIII - Featuring: Hackerman

Music: The Daily Grind


Alright, time to- and I cannot repeat this enough-



Help two preteens run 5000 years into the future because one of their dads won't let them go out.

Maya: Can you... come with us to Eden, Unit 13?

*nods*

Yuta: Alright! We'll wait for you in front of the Portal!







Maya: Thank you again for today.

*nods*





Music: Kazan - Drowning in Petals, The Future




Yuta: Look! A Lucier and a land human are walking together like friends!

Maya: This is where we're going to start our new lives...!

Yuta: Maya, let's take a look down that street, too! We're gonna go on ahead and look for that old man Noyle's house, Unit 13!











Noyle: I see. I can't turn down a request from Jil. Ho ho ho! Eloping at such a young age? What amorous children! I'll be rooting for you.

Maya: Thank you so much!

Yuta: Can we borrow a house, then? We really wanna live here!

Noyle: Hm, it won't be for free. Do you have any money?

Maya: I have some jewels...

Noyle: Hmmm, these won't do. Nobody will be interested in buying gems as small as these.

Yuta: Our allowances combined only adds up to 20 Az... But I can work hard! I'll make all the money you want if you can introduce me to a job!

Noyle: Now, now. Hold your horses. I said I would help you, didn't I? You can stay at my house for now... That is, as long as you help my wife with chores. And, rent and food will be free. Well?

Yuta: Free...? For real!?

Maya: Please, mister!



Holy shit the first person to even mention this.



Maya: ...Let's write letters, Yuta!





Maya: I'm finished, too.

Noyle: Well, Unit 13... Could you take these to their parents?

*nods*





~

Yuta: I haven't written anything in a really long time, so my hand hurts a little bit...

~

Maya: Eden... It's an amazing place. I'm sure my papa would change his mind if he could see it here...





Music: The Daily Grind




I'm sure their parents haven't panicked too hard from their kids vanishing into thin air with zero warning or anything!



Yuta's Mother: Do you know him? His name is Yuta.

*gestures*

Yuta's Mother: He... eloped!? That idiot! Making a move on the daughter of a noble...!?

Wow I suddenly understand why they ran.



Yuta's Mother: There are letters here from both of them, so I should go get Maya's parents first. I'll be right back!





Yuta's Father: C'mon, let's just read the letters before we jump to conclusions.

Maya's Father: I believe apologies are due first and foremost. Your son stole our daughter Maya away from us!

Yuta's Father: D-Don't put the blame on us! They only got upset because you kept butting into their romance!

Maya's Father: It is only natural for a parent to step into the relationships of their child. Especially given Maya's age. She does not yet know how to discern between good and bad.

Yuta's Father: What!? Are you trying to say that my son's a bad kid!?

Maya's Father: Not at all. But given their difference in social status—





Let's just read the letters.

Yuta's Mother: T—That's right!

~

You two are the real children here.

Maya's Mother: I wholeheartedly agree! At a time like this, parents must act like mature adults, not toddlers! Please, hurry and read the letters!

Yuta's Mother: Yes, of course!

~~

Yuta's Mother: First is Yuta's letter...

Yuta's Letter: Mom, Dad... I'm gonna marry Maya. And I'm gonna work hard to make sure we can live a happy life. Mr. Maya's Dad... This is my fault, so please don't get mad at Maya. I'll make her happy, and I swear I'll protect her for the rest of my life.

Maya's Mother: Next is Maya's letter...

Maya's Letter: Mother, Father... I am sorry for doing this so suddenly. But it's not fault. I brought up the idea of eloping. We can't go back to Atlantis, so I don't think social status matters anymore. To Yuta's mom and dad... Please be friends with my parents. By the way, this place is very nice. I hope all four of you can come visit someday.

Maya's Father: ...

Yuta's Father: ...



Maya's Father: It seems I owe you an apology... I am well and truly sorry for insulting your son.

Yuta's Father: Don't worry about it! You can never know what a kid's gonna do.

Yuta's Mother: Besides, if they're really able to think for themselves like this... I think we should be praising them.

Maya's Mother: ...That is true. We should praise them first, then scold them relentlessly.



Are you going to go get them?

Both give the same result.

Maya's Father: Indeed, the four of us should go... together.

Yuta's Father: Yeah, that sounds good.

Yuta's Mother: I wonder what Eden's like... *giggle* I'm a bit excited.

Maya's Mother: Unit 13, our children caused you a great deal of trouble. This is a small token of our gratitude.

You obtained 3,000 Az!

You obtained Silver Water x3.

You obtained SP Up 500 x3.

Maya's Mother: Thank you... Thank you so much for everything...!



Three down, three to go.



Let's take a moment to go grab Aiden's EX Skill.







Keep the computer off.





Like Yoritomo's thing for Dual Blade EX, Agent's EX is just a set of incredibly easy choices that resets the sequence if you fail a step.

~

Turn the computer on.



Insert a virus.



Enter using a security backdoor.



Crack the executable.



Access the database.



System Message: The monitor now reads: Go to the lounge.



But unlike Yoritomo, this one comes in two parts.



There's a new face in the Skylounge.







What does that mean...?

Man In Black: ...



Again, messing up restarts the sequence.

~

Tera, dika, megithule...

Man In Black: So that is your choice...





Man In Black: ...





System Message: It appears to be a satellite access key. You used the access key to think of an extraordinary new skill!





Up next is Julietta's quest.



You're here for the NGM matter, no? The details are written here. Please keep this on the down low!



System Message: The instructions read as follows: Take the timid mouse from her hospital bed and bring her to the time disc. Password: 0305 1123 0418



If you haven't figured it out yet, 'NGM' clearly stands for Nagumo.





*gestures*

Y—You want me to go with you? Do you think it's OK to leave without permission...?

*nods*

Well... Alright! Let's go!



Well that's the timid mouse, but where's the time disc?



Not even the Quest menu can help us now.



You might think a time disc is a clock, but it actually means the Portal.





Enter the password.

System Message: Please enter the first string.



3035

System Message: Authentication Failed.

As you might expect, this restarts the sequence.

~

0305

System Message: Authentication Successful. Please enter the second string.



1123

System Message: Authentication Successful. Please enter the third string.



0418

System Message: Authentication Successful.







System Message: Transfer commencing. Three, two, one...

What!?





Music: Tokyo - Cascading Ordeals


...The Tokyo Underground?







Music: Re:Vanishment (code：VFD Ver)




I'm sorry, Mio. Have you been well?

Mhm! Everyone's been so helpful to me. Oh, let me introduce you, grandpa. This is Opal. Opal is... my best friend.

I see... It seems you've done a fine job taking care of Mio. I'm Mikio Nagumo, Mio's grandfather.



What are you doing here?

Tomari... This meeting is all thanks to him. Though I hear he calls himself Julietta nowadays.

Mr. Julietta set this up...?

~

So why are we here...?

Hehehe! That Tomari sent you off without explaining things at all, didn't he?

Tomari... Do you mean...

Yes, I hear he calls himself Julietta nowadays. This meeting is all thanks to him.

~~

About 15 years ago, I met Tomari at an ISDF research facility in San Jose, California. The talent flowing from within him was clear even then.

So... you and Mr. Julietta know each other...

After that, my contact with Tomari has been pretty sparse... But he suddenly got in touch with me just the other day. In doing so, he told me he would let me meet up with Mio without anyone knowing. He's always been quite keen... He most likely obtained information about... this.





Does that mean... you have the cure?

No. Dragon Sickness is a strong disease. A cure would be near impossible. Having said that, if you take this serum, its progress will slow to a crawl.



And just like that, the looming deadline of having to kill the Seventh Dragon before Mio's illness kills her goes out the window.

That is, unless things get drastically worse... Here, I made it for you. Please, take it.

Th-This is amazing! We can save everyone now!

...

Grandpa...?

This serum was made by refining True Dragon specimens. It cannot be produced on a large scale.

No...



It's still incredible.

No... This can't possibly be a good thing...

~

I want you to live, Mio.

Opal... Thank you, but...

~~



I... I've learned from Unit 13... I know now that if I want to protect someone, I just have to be stronger. I can't put myself down... That's why... I'm trying my hardest to be stronger, and to be useful. The people of the world are suffering... I can't just choose something that would only help me when I know how much pain humanity is in.

...



I'm glad you were able to express your opinion in such a clear manner, though.

Grandpa...?

Yoritomo told me you've been doing a great job as the navigator for Unit 13.

...

Listen, Mio. We know now that mere medicine or surgery won't help against Dragon Sickness. The only way to destroy it completely is to defeat the True Dragons. What's more, Unit 13 is our only hope in defeating them. Your mission is to guide Unit 13, which means... It would be quite a problem if you were suddenly too sick to help. Don't you agree?

Even Professor Nagumo knows Unit 13 are the only ones that can do the job. Poor Yuma.

... Is it OK if I think about it a little more?

That's fine by me. But promise me that you won't take your life for granted. Those who don't value their own lives will never be able to protect the lives of others.

I understand.

Good. Well then, I must be going. There's one more thing I've been asked to take care of.

Something else?

Yes, another very important matter. Don't worry, I'll be finished with it soon.

OK... Good luck, grandpa. Try not to neglect your health while you're working.

Hehehe! I'll try. Give my thanks to Tomari! I leave Mio in your hands, Unit 13!

*nods*



Music: The Daily Grind


*shakes head*

Oh, we should figure out a way to repay Mr. Julietta too!

*nods*

*giggle* Opal... See you later!



Now to check in with Julietta.







Mission complete.

My, you really got into the whole spy act. Wasn't it fun?

~

You could've warned us...

*giggle* Don't say that. You had fun, didn't you?

~~

Supervision over at ISDF is quite strict, and it should be obvious why. If the existence of that serum was made public, people would be clamoring over it. I thought it would only be right that the first person to use it would be Mio...

*nods*

*sigh* I wish I could've met up with the professor, too... He taught me the ABCs of life in the real world back when I was but a young little pup. Yet now, we seem to be headed down completely opposite roads. Honestly, I'm a little embarrassed to face him... Well, enough with the chit chat! Here's your reward for a job well done!

You obtained 8,000 Az!

You obtained Prince Bracer x1.

The Prince Bracer is a smaller King Bracer, with a 30% chance of resisting any ailment.

Now then, hurry along. I still have a ton of work left. Enjoy the rest of your day off!



Four down, two to go.

Next time: You know what's better than one reused final dun-Kirino what the fuck did you do?