I Merged with a Forbidden SSS-Rank Nanosuit After Being Abandoned-Chapter 76 - A Simple Answer

Koru stood still at the center of the platform, glancing around, confused.

"What’s C-rank?" he muttered, tilting his head.

The staff member slowly descended from the control post, holding the same mercenary card that Zion had.

"Congratulations," he said, smiling politely as he handed the card to Koru. "You are also the first Verdant Sentinel to ever visit this location."

"Really?" Koru said, accepting the strange card.

"Of course," the staff member laughed. "Your race is pretty rare and secluded, after all."

Koru didn’t respond, unsure what to even say.

That was when Zion finally approached the platform.

"Good job, Koru," he said, nodding once with a neutral expression.

"Thanks!" Koru said, his face lighting up as he scratched his head.

The staff member cleared his throat and gestured toward the exit.

"May I ask," he started, "are you planning to stay here for a few days by chance?"

Koru’s expression went blank. He quickly glanced at Zion, unsure what was going to happen next.

"Yes," Zion answered. "I’m planning to rest here for a few days before leaving again."

The staff member’s smile grew larger.

"Well then, if you’ll follow me," he said, already turning, "your accommodations have been prepared."

Zion raised an eyebrow, cautious of whatever the Mercenary Guild was trying to pull.

"It’s standard procedure," the man replied calmly. "A group with your stature has special reserved rooms."

Koru nodded slowly, stroking his chin.

"Right," he muttered, like he understood what was going on.

Zion glanced at Koru with narrowed eyes before turning back to the staff member.

"Lead the way," he said, his expression neutral.

The staff member’s smile stiffened slightly, but he gestured for them to follow as he walked to the door.

They left the testing room and entered the corridor, the noise from all the mercenaries instantly filling their ears.

As they walked, the other mercenaries stopped, staring at Koru with strange expressions.

Koru didn’t let the stares get to him anymore, though.

"Is everything here this big?" he asked, glancing around in awe instead.

Zion nodded once, his focus elsewhere.

"The Mercenary Guild is one of the largest organizations in the universe," the staff member explained as they walked. "It’s only fitting that it’s this large; otherwise, we’d be looked down upon."

"Ahh," Koru let out, nodding slowly.

Eventually, after using the elevator to go several dozen floors up, they stopped in a broad corridor.

"These are your rooms," the staff member said, gesturing to the two doors on opposite sides of the corridor. "Room service and basic necessities are included."

Both Koru and Zion nodded, thanking the staff member before he turned away.

Zion showed Koru how to unlock the door, simply swiping his card against the recognition pad in the wall.

And finally, he stepped into his own room, greeted by the pure silence inside.

Zion stood still for several seconds, staring blankly at the room in front of him.

As he stood there, another unpleasant memory resurfaced in his mind.

His parents’ faces flashed in front of his eyes again and again, constantly reminding him of what had happened.

’Was bringing Koru here really the right decision?’ he asked himself, only spiraling further down from there. ’Can I even trust him? What if he betrays me too? Or worse, what if he dies because of me?’

He’d seen all the stares, noticed the strange mood of the mercenaries as he walked around. It wouldn’t surprise him at all if someone tried to kill or kidnap Koru for some kind of research lab.

’We are pretty similar in that way,’ Zion thought, closing his eyes. ’Neither of us will ever really be able to fit in.’

Koru was a completely different race, one that humans generally liked staying away from. And Zion couldn’t trust anyone either, since the slightest leak would endanger his life and his revenge.

[That’s right, Host,] Uriel said suddenly. [But look at the past few days. Has Koru done anything wrong?]

Zion didn’t answer immediately.

He replayed the moments in his head—Koru’s blunt honesty, his lack of hesitation, and the constant interest he showed in everything around him.

"...No," Zion admitted quietly. "Not that I remember."

[Then why are you hesitating?] Uriel asked. [You cannot get your revenge if you assume betrayal before it exists.]

Zion clenched his jaw.

"Easy for you to say," he muttered. "If he betrays me, we both die."

Uriel went silent for a moment.

[That risk will always be there,] it finally said. [We could also get recognized in any place at any time. And we’d die the same way.]

Before Zion could respond, Uriel continued.

[Avoiding every risk has its own costs,] it said, its voice growing colder. [Every connection you avoid limits your growth, and every ally you reject will make your revenge take longer.]

Silence fell between them.

Zion digested Uriel’s words slowly, a difficult expression appearing on his face.

It wasn’t like he didn’t understand what Uriel meant... it was just difficult to accept and process after everything he’d gone through.

"If something like last time happens..." he said, staring at the floor. "I don’t know what I’d do..."

[If someone does betray you in the future,] Uriel interrupted, its voice calm. [Isn’t the answer pretty simple?]

Zion looked up, confused.

"What do you mean?"

[Just be strong enough to kill them when the time comes.]

He froze, the words lingering in his mind.

Not because they were some kind of shocking revelation, but because they were surprisingly simple.

Slowly, his expression changed, a hint of realization appearing in his eyes.

Finally, he spoke again.

"That’s it," he mumbled, staring ahead. "If I’m strong enough... then nothing else matters."

He exhaled slowly, his shoulders stiff rather than relaxed.

The doubt in his mind didn’t disappear. Instead, it was pushed aside.

Zion remained where he stood, eyes unfocused as the decision settled in.

He didn’t think about it any further. The conclusion had been reached, and for now, that was enough to keep him moving.

"Have the rewards from the Mercenary Guild already come through?" he asked, his eyes focused again.

[Unfortunately not,] Uriel replied, its voice back to its cheerful self.

"That’s fine," Zion said, nodding slowly. "We’ll only leave this planet after I purchase the resources for a D-rank breakthrough."