Chapter 214: Ch 214: I have a brother?
Rin felt alarm bells ringing inside his head. Both his system and common sense were telling him that this man was a lunatic whom he should not get involved with.
But Rin still felt obligated to be courteous. Despite all these warning signs, he decided to hear the person in front of him out.
The stranger noticed Rin’s curiosity and reached up to remove his mask.
A familiar face looked back at Rin. No, familiar would be the wrong word to use in such a situation because the face looking back at him was 80% similar to his own.
The only differences between them were their height, their muscle mass, and the fact that the stranger’s face was thinner and looked a little more mature.
Still, could a stranger really look this similar to Rin? Was this some new trick that he was not aware of?
"It looks like you are confused by my appearance. I can understand your hesitation to trust me even more now. But there is a reason why I look like you, and the answer lies with the ones who caused this apocalypse."
The stranger spoke softly, and Rin felt even more curious.
He had a feeling that he would get more answers by listening to this stranger. Not only was this stranger powerful in combat, but he had also shown that he could manipulate the system without much effort.
He was someone worth hearing out.
"Shall we start with introductions? I already know who you are, Rin Kalos. Now allow me to introduce myself. I am—"
"Kyle, are you done by now? I’m done with my side. That girl did put up a good fight, but it was not hard to take her down. But honestly, how can she be so much like her mother? Is it because she inherited that cursed blood?... And also... Oh! You’re still not done?"
Another bubbly voice joined them, and Rin noticed a girl skipping toward them with cheerful steps.
She gave off the same sense of danger that Kyle gave him. But unlike Kyle, she was making no effort to hide her powers.
"Why did you come here, Mira? I told you that you should wait for me once you were done. I wanted to talk to Rin alone."
Kyle sounded frustrated but resigned at the same time. It did not look like he was too angry at Mira, but he was trying to sound authoritative.
But Mira did not seem concerned even after being scolded by Kyle.
"Eh, I don’t see what the big deal is. He’s going to work with us sooner or later, right? Then he might as well meet us beforehand."
The bubbly girl spoke before reaching toward Rin and grabbing his hand without warning.
Rin did not even get to say a word before Mira started shaking his hand enthusiastically, making his shoulder hurt.
"Hello, I am Mira. I am here with my companion to recruit you. So, when would you like to leave with us, Rin? Hmm, you don’t need to pack anything since we will provide you with everything. So we should leave now—"
Mira did not even give him time to reply or get used to the situation before she started tugging him toward the exit.
Rin felt confused for a few seconds before he realized what was happening and decided to act.
He pulled his hand out of Mira’s grip and stood firmly in front of the pair.
"I don’t know nor do I care what you both are planning, but I have no intention of going anywhere with you. If you want me to cooperate, then you had better explain to me what is going on here, and fast."
Rin put his foot down to let the pair know that he was not going anywhere.
He knew that he was physically weaker than the two people in front of him, but he had already gauged that they would not hurt him. If that was the case, then this was a chance for him to take advantage of the situation.
"Ugh, do we really have to do this now? I’m dirty and tired. How about we have this talk after we get back home?"
Mira either had no common sense, or she was ignoring everything Rin was saying. Kyle’s sigh told Rin that it was likely the former.
"I am sorry for my companion’s annoying behavior. I understand that you want an explanation, and I am more than happy to give you one. Mira, why don’t you gather everyone else in the meantime? The others must be done with their tasks as well."
Kyle reminded her, and Mira let out a groan.
"Eh, you want me to help the others out? But that’s such a drag! But sure, I’ll tell them that we need to gather up."
Mira looked disappointed, but she did not disobey Kyle’s words.
Looking at them reminded Rin of his relationship with Shelly. However, unlike Shelly, there did not seem to be any obsession in the bond between them, nor did Mira look like she wanted to kill someone... yet.
Both Kyle and Rin watched Mira leave, and Kyle even let out a sigh of relief once they were alone.
"I do apologize for what happened. Mira has no self-control and usually acts on impulse. But she’s a good person at heart."
Rin did not care much for the explanation, but he nodded to show that he understood.
Another silence followed before Kyle decided it was finally time to resume their conversation.
"Since Mira interrupted us, I did not get a chance to tell you who I am and why I am here. So allow me to introduce myself again."
Kyle gave Rin a small bow, but his eyes remained sharp as they looked at him.
"My name is Kyle, and I am the current global Rank #1. But my real identity is Experiment #14, and I was created as a replica of Experiment #00. In other words, I am your copy... but I would prefer it if you called me your younger brother."
A stunned silence followed that confession, and Rin had no idea what he was supposed to think in such a situation, much less say.
He... had a brother?
