NOVEL NEXT Chapter 23
“……It’s really not helpful at all.”
I close all the hundreds… almost a thousand network windows that were open in my view.
In the end, the attempt to upgrade my cyberware, which took the whole day, went completely to waste.
Having surveyed the city’s main network teeming with all sorts of human figures, and checked the carefully selected programs sold on the black market… none of them were as clean and efficient as the makeshift modifications I made on my cyberware while living outside the city.
To get stronger here or prepare for external dangers, I must either undergo additional procedures to change my body itself or swap out external equipment.
…Reason? To be honest, I don’t really know myself.
Maybe the doctor who prepped me with cutting-edge suits, guns, and basic implants provided good cyberware, or maybe it worked well because I referred to Neo Haven’s interface for changes. Or… it could simply be that, since the date is still much earlier than when the original was set, progress is slow…?
Ding…!
I get off the elevator that arrived in the lobby.
Avoiding the gaze of the receptionist, who looks at me strangely, I take a seat next to Omens and Domino, who were waiting on a sofa in a corner of the lobby.
“……? That’s surprising. I thought you’d be late after being harassed by that guy.”
“…Harassed?”
Domino makes a strange gesture with their hand after seeing my bewildered expression.
One hand forms a circle… while other fingers repeatedly go in and out in a mysterious way….
“?! Are you crazy?! I didn’t do anything like that!! I just lent an ear for their complaints…!”
The lewd flow of that natural conversation genuinely startled me.
In a world where moral hazard is the norm among both groups and individuals, I can’t expect everyone I meet to be cultured like grandfathers or Mr. Schneider… but isn’t this a bit too much?
As expected, Omens picked up only the latter part of my statement and responded.
“Complaints…? Hmph! It seems the loose-lipped Daredevil has been chatting, huh? Let me tell you in advance…! Unlike them, I have no special fondness for slums. In fact, I despise them! They’re just insects busy licking their bowls, gratified by the existence of someone lower than themselves…”
“…….”
Trailing off, he kept fiddling with the mask he wore.
This wasn’t a genuine disdain; it seemed the dark environment and experiences he had gone through twisted his emotions into a complex mix of love and hate. As evidence, Domino, who sat opposite him, was also giving a wry smile.
Although he looked like a seasoned warrior, it was quite amusing how sentimental he was, making it hard to believe he and Horatio were mercenaries with one foot in the underworld.
Despite the rude attitude and terrible rumors, he may have discovered a side to the experience that could only be understood by living it……. Wait a minute.
“……Omens? Domino? How old are you two?”
“? I’m 23. And during operations, let’s use our nicknames, Ivory.”
“I’m 22. You can ignore Omens’ grumbling half the time.”
“…Shut it, Nocturne.”
……Damn. In shock, I pressed my eyes firmly.
The fact that kids whose faces look like they’re easily in their 30s or 40s are actually younger than me…? I can’t tell if I should blame the harshness of life or the side effects of drug and cyborg modification procedures.
“…Daredevil? How old are you?”
I asked Horatio, who had come over with a hand flapping, signaling that he wanted to be included in the conversation, as if clutching at straws.
“*Ahem…! The oldest in the team, I am… a grand 24 years old! Ah, and you don’t need to worry because my dear lady is still a lady!”
“……I’m 27, so please just be quiet.”
“Yes!!”
Their startled reactions and expressions did not comfort me at all.
The feeling of the once-reliable mercenary team suddenly looking like green college freshmen or newly transferred recruits was… something no one could understand.
…If from now on, I have to carry out missions being protected by those younger than me… even more so…!!
Vroom…! The huge platform-like elevator moves.
It primarily serves citizens with Yellow or Green status living closer to the surface as they commute to jobs above, but now it was filled with gathered mercenaries and brokers coming to check the scene.
There were many mercenaries whose personalities overflowed like our team, but there were also many armed with unified uniforms and firearms like those special forces seen only in movies.
They merely glanced at each other as if identifying allies, remaining silent until we arrived in the Yellow sector.
Kugh—!
When the elevator stopped, all the suspicious individuals packed inside exited, and I was finally able to gaze properly at the ‘lower neighborhood’ I had only seen from afar.
The purple hues of debauchery that wrapped around the upper buildings were nearly impossible to find.
In its place stood shabby gray concrete buildings. And signs of various sizes and colors crowded the walls.
With the addition of the night’s darkness and various electronic devices and holographic lights, the scenery made me feel as if I were reminded of Seoul’s night view, which I hadn’t seen in far too long. …If only a few red crosses could be added, it would perfectly resemble a workplace.
“Is there a problem, Ivory?”
“…No, none.”
Omens, who had started to show concern for me while speaking bluntly since learning my age back at the hotel, spoke to me as I hesitated to get off the platform.
Well… even if I don’t know about other things, I appreciated the attention he paid to the significantly different pace between us.
“…Damn. They said it was just a routine residential survey… but this is a full-blown war, isn’t it?”
“Hey! Where was it that the police set up a blockade earlier?! They can’t possibly include our home, right?!”
As passersby saw the swarm of mercenaries, they whispered and stepped back. Some alert shop owners even chased their remaining customers away and locked their doors.
Up ahead, I could see combat police setting up a barricade with vehicles and barbed wire, only allowing mercenaries into the operational zone.
Around them, there were many residents pacing nervously, unable to decide what to do. The anxious atmosphere felt fundamentally different from the bleakness I had felt in settlements attacked by lawbreakers.
“!! You made it just in time!”
“…No matter how much dislike I have, I’d never abandon a contract once it’s been confirmed. …Even if it’s for that damn Mega Cop’s request.”
Whether Daredevil groaned or not, the broker waiting for us right at the blockade quickly showed the combat police the employment status and urged them to let us through.
“…Even if you say so, it doesn’t necessarily speed up the process. Now… Horatio, Domino, Omens. And…?”
As the police compared the information they received to our actual appearances, they fixed their gaze on me questioningly.
Somehow… I felt a sense of déjà vu from this scene.
“……I think this is quite a dangerous place for a cyber engineer to be…”
“……?”
What in the world was this unexpected comment? Even as the nearby mercenaries and brokers looked at him with strange expressions, the police continued to stare only at me as they spoke.
“…Please be careful not to find yourself in a dangerous situation inside. …At least two people are concerned about your safety.”
“Uh… thank you…?”
I tilted my head as I walked through the blockade. Beside me, my teammates were dumbfounded as if they had met a kind police officer for the first time.
“Phew…!”
I gather my thoughts as my heart loosened slightly due to the strange police officer.
According to the file, the drug organization Painkiller’s base is presumed to be found in buildings along Brightside Avenue in the Yellow Sector. …For a situation in which the company itself took an interest, the investigation was surprisingly lax.
The operation summary was also a bit lacking.
Neutralization phase, suppression phase, recovery phase. They said they would carry out the mission through three stages to prevent unnecessary asset loss, but… this doubt amplified once we arrived at Brightside Avenue.
[ Arrived at the operation area. The recovery team including the hacker, please wait until the neutralization operation is completed. ]
Damn. …An ominous communication comes in.
Despite the bright name, the buildings here were incredibly dark.
If there weren’t any drug addicts sprawled out on the ground leaning against the walls or punks anxiously glaring at the encircling troops, I might have mistaken this place for an abandoned building, but… that’s not what’s important now.
Wiiiiing…!!
…What was prepared by Paradise wasn’t just the mercenaries.
With a creepy mechanical sound, the mobile turrets from Exatech, which had arrived earlier, begin to activate. Although they were undoubtedly weaker models than those installed at the lab, they were definitely not equipment suitable for deployment in such a place.
Honestly… it’s absurd.
In this society, drug use isn’t illegal. Even those robbers who trembled and held their ground with expressions of disbelief couldn’t be considered criminals involved in illegal organizations unless there was evidence.
Even though the police controlled public access, there was no guarantee that there weren’t any innocent residents inside.
So… there was no way the act of killing everyone here could be proudly called a ‘neutralization operation.’ That’s just too… too…!
[ Neutralization operation commencing. We ask for the citizens’ understanding regarding the noise occurring during the investigative process. ]
“Ah….”
With a sigh, a merciless flash obscured my vision.