He learned several things immediately.
First, and probably most important, A-Class Planet didn't mean there wouldn't be above-A-Class threats. If there were S-Classes, there was no telling if they would just be at the tip of the S-Class, or well beyond.
Second, surviving being an option meant that most here probably had no ability to kill ten A-Classes in a three-year time limit.
Third, if killing an S-Class was an option, that probably meant that some here might have the strength to do that within a three-year time limit. In fact, they might have the strength to do that right now.
Zarek doubted that was the case—at least the worst-case scenario, that is. If there was someone who had the strength to kill an S-Class right now, there was at most a handful of them. But there were good odds that this killing-an-S-Class thing was a pie in the sky.
Equating the death of ten A-Classes to the death of one S-Class was like trying to equate unrefined crude oil to a pile of polished gold.
An S-Class could kill thousands of A-Classes with hardly much effort. How could you ever equate the two? It was asinine.
'…Which means that there might be a trick to this or a hidden reward of some sort for accomplishing the impossible… Maybe both…'
This was the fourth thing that Zarek realized.
Whoever set up these rules was leaving a clue of some sort; something that would make killing an S-Class far more manageable might be hidden on the planet somewhere.
But as Zarek's thoughts churned, he kept flickering back to that three-year time limit.
That showed the sort of scale he was dealing with here. With that sort of timeline, finishing everything in a year was probably considered to be quite quick.
When he left Priya, he thought he would be gone for a month at worst. And that was already the worst-case scenario in his mind.
This, though…
Zarek took a breath and closed his eyes. He only took a moment.
When his eyes opened once again, they already carried a fierce light in them.
The good thing about Atom Link was that distance didn't matter to quantum physics. He could be on one end of the universe while Priya was on the other, yet communication would be just as easy. A change to one end of their linked devices would immediately cause a change in the other without the slightest lag.
This was the most broken aspect of Atom Link, and it was the real reason Zarek didn't plan on doing anything overly reckless right now. If he died doing something too foolish, there would be no erasing it this time. His top priority was surviving, even if it took the entire three years.
After arranging his thoughts, Zarek calmed considerably, all the muscles in his body instantly reaching a state of limber flexibility.
And then his smile returned, and he raised a bracelet to his mouth, not bothering to hide his words.
"Hey, babe. Your man's gotten into a little bit of a pickle."
…
Priya stood on a building's roof, her emotions still brewing. It felt as though the anger in her chest wouldn't go anywhere until she found the target she wanted to vent it all on.
It was then Zarek's voice reached her.
Originally, she planned to ignore it, but when she heard the words, her eyes flickered. What happened?
Luckily, Zarek knew exactly how to deal with his girlfriend when she was angry, so he didn't force her to speak. Instead, he spoke of his situation quite clearly.
'Three years?'
Priya felt her heart clench. She was angry, but she didn't want to not see Zarek for three years. That was too long.
"…That's too long…" she said softly.
If she wasn't angry, she probably wouldn't have said these words out loud. She knew what kind of effect it would have on Zarek, and she didn't want him recklessly rushing to get something done that he didn't have the strength to.
However, they slipped out before she had a chance to register what she was saying.
"Ai ai, captain. In that case, give me a good eight months. Your man will be right by your side in a flash, I promise."
Priya felt her heart constrict again.
"Zarek Ashborn, don't you dare do something so reckless. I was just speaking nonsense. Three years isn't that long, you've been right next to me for the last thirteen years, I was getting tired of you anyway. I need a break!"
"Yes, ma'am! I understand! I'll be there in six months, then. What nonsense. Do you think I haven't seen all those internet forums about what girls mean when they're 'taking a break'? Remember, I can see everything you do. Don't you dare go cheating on me!"
"Zarek!" Priya sounded genuinely offended and enraged all at once. "Say something like that again and I'll break up with you right here and right now! Don't insult me like that ever!"
"Yes, yes. My pretty girlfriend has spoken. I can't believe I said something so crude. How could I? I should punish myself by lowering the time aga—"
"No! NO! Six months is fine, six months is fine!"
Priya hurried to stop Zarek again before he did something ridiculous like say one month.
If it was anyone else, she would probably think they were just blowing hot air. But she knew Zarek too well.
He never said anything he didn't mean… unless he was lying. But the problem was that he never lied to her. In fact, he was probably almost too honest with her.
This damned idiot. Why did she need to know what happened in a last life? Why couldn't he just lie like a normal man?
"Just… just come back alive," she finally said.
…
Zarek grinned, a fire lighting in his eyes.
He took center stage in the hall, countless eyes from all sorts of people locking onto him. And yet, he didn't care in the slightest.
"Alive? That was a given, babe. I've never met something that can kill me when my girl is out there waiting."