I'll do what I can do to Freedom

Linggis chewed the last bite of his meal, then placed the empty plate on the small table beside him. With a calm movement, he opened one of the drawers in his desk and took out a small USB drive, old and scratched in several places. He plugged it into one of the PC's ports, and the monitor displayed a data transfer window that began running.

Elyssia watched Linggis' actions closely. "What are you doing now?" she asked, her tone cautious.

"Giving you something more useful than this conversation," Linggis replied briefly without looking up. His eyes remained fixed on the monitor, monitoring the data transfer that was progressing rapidly.

Sola, now reclining on the sofa, glanced at the USB drive. "So, you've decided to help us? What's in that USB?"

Linggis didn't answer immediately. Once the transfer was complete, he carefully removed the USB drive, then turned toward them. "This data is the result of my work over the past nine years. The demons' movement patterns, their strategies, potential attack points, and possible sources of their power. Everything I've discovered is in here."

He spun the USB drive in his fingers for a moment before placing it on the table, pushing it toward Elyssia. "Take it. Your hunter analysis team should be smart enough to read and make use of this data. My job here is done. I'm exhausted."

Elyssia took the USB cautiously, staring at it for a moment before tucking it into the pocket of her robe. "Why are you handing this over to us? With this much information, you could've used it to negotiate."

Linggis shrugged. "Negotiate for what? My bank account is still frozen. I have no home, no future. If this data can save the world, great. If not, at least I tried. All I want now is to live a quiet life as a civilian. No disturbances, no threats."

Sola watched Linggis with a curious expression.

["Is he wearing a mask and pretending to be clueless? Or is he just humble?"]

"You really don't want to go back to being a hunter? With data like this, you could reclaim your honor."

Linggis scoffed, his tone cynical. "Honor? Don't be ridiculous. The hunter system is dead to me. When they decided I was better off dead than alive, I knew it was all bullshit. So no, I don't care about 'honor.' The only thing I care about is my own survival."

The young girl, who had been listening intently, finally spoke up. "But… doesn't this mean you still care? If you didn't, you wouldn't have gathered all this data."

Linggis stared at the girl sharply but said nothing for several seconds. Finally, he let out a long sigh. "Maybe. But that doesn't mean I want to return to your world. Just take this data, use it well, and don't come looking for me again. I wasn't even collecting this data alone—it was just for survival."

Elyssia nodded slowly, as if understanding his decision. "Alright. We'll respect your wishes. But remember, this world still needs people like you, even if you don't believe in its system anymore."

Linggis only shrugged and turned back to his monitor, as if the conversation was already over for him. "If you're done, you know the way out. Don't forget to close the door on your way out."

Elyssia and her team exchanged glances before standing up. The young girl seemed like she wanted to say something else but hesitated. Sola gently touched her shoulder, signaling her not to push the conversation further.

"Thank you, Linggis," Elyssia said before they left, her voice sincere.

But Linggis didn't reply. He remained silent, focused on his monitor, as their footsteps gradually faded away, leaving the underground room in silence once more.

4o