Future Knight [EN]: Chapter 26

Future Knight Episode 26

9. The Dragon in a Slump

Having regained his composure, Kang Chan quickly thanked everyone and returned to his battleship.

He needed solitude to fully process the enlightenment he’d gained from his intense battle with Urkantha.

However, the incident with Jaina definitely contributed to his hasty departure.

He felt too embarrassed to face her after that.

Their relationship had been so casually friendly until then.

Kang Chan, inexperienced in such matters, couldn’t handle his emotions and ended up running away.

Back on the battleship, Kang Chan retreated to his quiet room, seeking to internalize his newfound understanding.

However, thoughts of Jaina kept intruding, constantly plaguing him.

Her bold actions, which he had previously dismissed as childish, and the unexpected sensation of her breasts against him… He had always seen her as young, but now he realized he was the immature one.

“Ah! Damn it! Crap!”

Kang Chan, who had been sitting cross-legged, jumped up and bolted from the battleship.

Staying inside felt like the massive ship would be consumed by his burgeoning desires.

Stepping outside, he was met by the fiery red sunset.

The lonely sunset only served to complicate his already tangled thoughts.

“…….”

Kang Chan couldn’t quite decipher his own feelings.

The only certainty was that he missed Jaina terribly.

As he gazed at the sunset, lost in thoughts of Jaina, she was sitting in front of his empty house, legs neatly together, mirroring his sunset contemplation.

‘Ah, I’m going crazy, I’m going crazy. Why did I do that?’

Jaina’s face flushed redder than the setting sun as she replayed the moment Kang Chan’s lips touched hers.

At that moment, Jaina had simply wanted to express her feelings to Kang Chan.

Her heart had grown to love him so deeply, yet he remained oblivious.

Now, because of yesterday’s events, they might never return to their carefree friendship.

She might even lose him as a friend forever.

But she didn’t regret it.

Her longing was far too intense.

‘I don’t want to be seen as a child by him forever.’

She began to change subtly after that day.

* * *

Several days passed, and Kang Chan, having somewhat regained his composure, dedicated himself to training. He managed to integrate the enlightenment he’d gained from the battle with Urkantha to some extent.

He was unknowingly growing stronger as he faced Urkantha countless times in the virtual training space.

Then, one day, Kang Chan decided to check on the Red Rabbit [his personal mech], which he had been neglecting. He headed to the battleship’s hangar.

He had been preoccupied and hadn’t wanted to reveal Zaid’s [the mech’s official name] existence to the others yet, so he’d been putting it off. But the Red Rabbit was like a lifeline to him, the pilot.

‘Please be safe, Red Rabbit.’

A hint of anxiety tinged Kang Chan’s steps.

Soon, Kang Chan reached the entrance of the massive hangar and placed his hand on the hangar’s recognition device. The doors slowly slid open.

The hangar revealed the advanced combat weaponry of Red Mars, the Space Federation’s elite special forces unit, which had been hidden until now.

Nine Sapiens [likely referring to specialized combat suits or drones], along with a small stealth combat ship for assaults, were secured to wall launchers.

And at the far end, the massive Zaid stood in silent magnificence, fixed to its massive launcher.

Zaid.

The pinnacle of current Space Federation defense force mechanic technology, a single unit possessed combat power equivalent to a small space battleship. It was the ultimate armored weapon.

And it was Kang Chan’s beloved weapon, which he had handled like an extension of his own body since he was 16 years old.

As if greeting a brother, Kang Chan stroked the cold metal forefoot of the Zaid with a welcoming expression.

“Nice to see you, Red Rabbit.”

It was a cute name that didn’t quite suit the massive Zaid, known as the pinnacle of mechanics, but it was a nickname Kang Chan had given it out of affection.

Kang Chan deactivated Zaid’s sleep mode and opened the hatch.

The magnificent shoulder armor of Zaid parted, revealing a simple cockpit.

Kang Chan lightly jumped up to the cockpit, which was about 5 meters high even when the mech was crouched. He settled into the pilot’s seat and began to check Zaid’s systems.

Even though Zaid boasted the strongest durability in the universe, a thorough check was necessary after being on a crashed battleship.

But as expected, his worries were unfounded. The mech was so sturdy that he regretted doubting its resilience.

-No problems found.

“That’s my Red Rabbit.”

Kang Chan grinned and affectionately patted the mech’s sensor array.

Leaning back in the cockpit, Kang Chan looked much more relaxed.

He had regained almost all of his former strength.

Now, he could carry out independent operations if he wanted to.

But he had no desire to do so.

He had almost forgotten his mission and just wanted to stay here with Jaina for a long time.

However, he knew that was impossible.

The future that awaited this planet remained unchanged, a fact that weighed heavily on his heart.

It was a sad reality he couldn’t prevent.

‘What should I do now? Why did I come here? I wish I hadn’t come in the first place…….’

As he wrestled with his crumbling convictions, a strange man’s voice echoed in the hangar.

“Wow! What is all this?”

Startled, Kang Chan jumped up and scanned for the intruder.

“Who are you!”

“Hey, how are you? Sorry for suddenly barging in like this.”

The intruder was a strikingly handsome man with emerald hair.

Judging by his rounded ears, he didn’t appear to be an elf.

Kang Chan quickly drew a small electronic pistol from the Red Rabbit’s emergency kit and aimed it at him.

“Who are you? Identify yourself! No one is allowed in here!”

To Kang Chan, this was a secret location that had to remain secure.

An unidentified intruder had breached it, putting him on edge.

The intruder chuckled and waved his hand dismissively.

“Hahaha, identity? I’m just the owner of this land.”

“Don’t be ridiculous! This forest is elven territory!”

“Huh? Since when did this forest become elven territory? Hmm, I should go ask them. Anyway, ugh, my legs. Hey, young man, can I sit down for a moment?”

The young-looking man acted like an old man, making Kang Chan even more suspicious.

“No! Don’t move! If you try anything funny, I won’t let you get away with it.”

“You’ll understand when you get to my age; everything aches.”

Ignoring Kang Chan’s warning, he nonchalantly sat on a nearby crate.

In response, Kang Chan fired a warning shot around him.

With a loud bang, a bullet from the electronic pistol pierced a small hole in the hangar floor.

“That was a warning. If you move again, I’ll blow your head off.”

Kang Chan’s eyes flashed with murderous intent, reminiscent of his days in special forces.

But the intruder seemed unfazed by Kang Chan’s threatening gaze, focusing instead on the bullet hole.

“Oh! Good heavens, such a small cannon with such tremendous power! I can feel the strong power of electricity, but it’s definitely not a weapon that works with magic. How did you make that?”

The intruder, disregarding the warning, went to the bullet hole and began poking at it, clearly fascinated.

Without hesitation, Kang Chan pulled the trigger again, aiming directly at the intruder’s head.

The intruder’s head should have been shattered, turning him into a corpse.

But something unbelievable happened.

“No way! How!”

The warhead, fired by gunpowder and accelerated to Mach 5 by the electronic gun, stopped just short of him and spun in place.

Growing impatient, Kang Chan fired again, but that bullet, too, stopped in mid-air before reaching the intruder and spun around.

The bullets were suspended directly in front of the intruder’s head and chest.

“I, it can’t be.”

The intruder, the young man with emerald hair, picked up one of the warheads and examined it with curious eyes.

“Oh? Is this a piece of metal fired from the small cannon you have? Amazing, very cool! The lethality must be great, right?”

“No, no way… How can you stop bullets…?”

Kang Chan was in disbelief.

He had witnessed many unbelievable superpowers since arriving on this planet, but he had rarely been so astonished.

It wasn’t that the intruder had dodged it.

Nor had he cast any magic.

The intruder was simply standing there, defenseless.

Yet the bullet couldn’t even reach him, stopping in mid-air.

“Hey, can you show me the weapon you have, too?”

Kang Chan felt a strange fear at the intruder’s absurd request, but he suppressed it with anger.

“Don’t be ridiculous!”

Instantly, a micro-machine-made covering enveloped his body, and high-frequency blades sprang from his hands, glowing red.

Kang Chan had activated his combat suit and entered combat mode.

The intruder exclaimed again at the sight of Kang Chan’s suit.

“Oh! That’s also very innovative! It doesn’t feel like the power of magic at all, but how does it move and wrap around the body like that?”

“Go ask that in hell!”

Kang Chan rushed towards him in full power mode as soon as he finished speaking.

But the intruder remained completely relaxed.

Kang Chan, closing the distance, swung the blade with all his might at the intruder’s neck.

But again, it was blocked by an invisible wall, and only sparks flew.

Like the gun, the high-frequency blade couldn’t penetrate the invisible barrier.