Ch.43Apartment (2)

The enemies won’t arrive for a while yet.

Let’s think about how to prepare the prey before then.

I’m currently in Apartment 3 in Complex C.

It’s a corridor-style apartment with hallways on each floor, and each floor has 6 units, so a total of 6 households can reside there.

The apartment has 6 floors in total, excluding the basement which houses necessary facilities like generators and communal laundry. There’s no elevator, and movement is only possible via stairs at both ends of the corridor.

‘They’ll probably check the structure before coming in.’

Even if they don’t, it won’t be a big problem since they have androids. They can just input the apartment data into the androids.

‘But androids have weaknesses too.’

Androids are very smart, but they lack autonomous thinking ability because they move according to predetermined programs.

For example, if you order an android to guard a building, it can easily eliminate approaching people or enemies attacking from a distance.

However, they can’t properly respond to irregular attacks like someone planting a bomb in the basement or bombing from the air.

In fact, when I damaged the pirate ship’s cooler by dissolving it with acidic blood, the android didn’t recognize it as an attack.

What compensates for androids’ limited thinking ability is other humans. The enemies will surely deploy a mix of androids and armored police officers.

‘In Megacorp, balancing Hulk mutants, humans, and androids was the measure of skill.’

The reason Megacorp is considered a consistently powerful faction in the game is because of its flexible play style. You can modify your own genes to play rampantly like Cult, or utilize the “employment” trait to command numerous troops like Outspacer.

‘Since this isn’t a space fortress, there won’t be Hulk mutants, so it’ll be a human-android combination.’

The issue is their armament.

I’ve confirmed that androids are recently armed with Gauss rifles.

Assuming police carry similar weapons, they’ll likely come with Gauss rifles and reinforced suits.

‘Since this is a wealthy city, they’ll probably wear mid-level reinforced suits or better.’

If I were on Earth or Mars, I’d have to fight elite troops equipped with plasma weapons and high-grade reinforced suits as standard equipment, but this place doesn’t have such advanced armaments.

‘Still, it won’t be easy.’

Laser weapons can’t harm me, but Gauss rifles are a different story.

Thanks to my physical enhancement type, I can defend against tungsten ammunition, the main bullet of Gauss rifles.

However, the true value of Gauss rifles lies in their ability to change ammunition to match various enemies. Special bullets with enhanced penetration power can certainly pierce my outer skin.

‘I need to end this quickly before the enemies realize.’

While I was calculating with my auxiliary organs where to target the enemies in the apartment, No. 26 and Adhigh Orr caught my eye.

‘Come to think of it, they’re predators too.’

Both Sea Demon and Gallergorn are high-risk NPCs. One is treated as a mini-boss, and the other is nicknamed the dragon of space.

Though both are still young, they shouldn’t have much trouble hunting police.

‘No. 26 has grown recently, so using psychic power shouldn’t be too difficult. And Adhigh Orr is a Gallergorn, so there won’t be major issues as long as it’s not attacked.’

Both can easily kill enemies with weak superpowers if they can accurately target vital points. I can teach them where to aim.

[Zzzzz zzzzzzz (Come here, you two)]

I called them over.

–

Night fell on the space city as it always did.

While a black curtain decorated with starlight descended upon the entire city, only the residential district escaped its domain.

Unlike usual, the residential district was filled with man-made lights as if it were an entertainment district.

Warning lights mounted on armed trucks, headlights attached to reinforcement suits worn by police officers. Various electronic devices emitted dazzling lights that drove away the darkness.

It wasn’t just the light that was noisy.

The residential complex was filled with sounds more familiar to entertainment districts than residential areas: police radio chatter, the heavy footsteps of armed androids, and police car sirens.

“Hey William! Have you lost your mind?”

The Harbor District Security Chief shouted at William. William, who had been quietly checking his reinforcement suit, looked at him with indifferent eyes.

“What’s the matter?”

“Why did you call armed police just to catch one broker’s underling? Don’t you know this makes things bigger?”

William knew well that the Harbor District Security Chief was as greedy as his fat belly suggested. He also knew that no small amount of credits offered by Broker S were mixed in with that bulging fat.

“Besides, searching the Material Storage Team who has nothing to do with this! This is clearly overstepping your authority!”

William, who had left the apartment earlier that day, immediately forwarded all the information he had gathered about Broker S to his superiors. Not to the Harbor District Security Team, but higher up, to the Planetary General Security Team.

Thanks to this, the Material Storage Team was thrown into chaos by the sudden arrival of police officers. Broker S, or rather Sander, was urgently arrested, and those connected to him were also imprisoned one after another.

Sander from the Material Storage Team showed signs of mental disturbance, perhaps shocked by his arrest, and was currently unconscious.

William, having finished checking his reinforcement suit, checked the special bullets for his Gauss rifle and said:

“How did you know about that?”

“What?”

“None of us reported that fact to the Harbor District Security Team, so how did you know the Material Storage Team was searched?”

“That, well…”

“And there’s something you’re mistaken about, Chief. The person colluding with S, or Sander, isn’t just an underling.”

“What?”

“That person killed the military-trained bodyguard protecting Sander.”

“What? I didn’t hear about that!”

“Of course you didn’t. I reported it directly to the Planetary General Security Team just now. They took the matter seriously and responded to my request for support.”

“What?! Do you realize what you’ve done? This is insubordination!”

“Insubordination?”

At those words, William grabbed his superior’s collar. He bared his teeth like a wolf and growled.

“Did you think the higher-ups wouldn’t know about your collusion with the broker? You’re finished now.”

“Hii, hiik!”

William no longer wanted to talk with his former superior. Leaving the pale-faced man behind, he approached the armed police officers who were being briefed.

The personnel entering the apartment consisted of 12 police officers in reinforcement suits and 6 combat androids. Each police officer had a number from 101 to 112 on their chest, and the androids had the letter M and a number engraved on their heads.

An android with M01 engraved on it greeted William.

“I’m William, Detective Team Leader from the Harbor District Security Team. Nice to meet you.”

“Nice to meet you, Detective Team Leader William. I’m android M01 from the Planetary General Security Team. Although I’m an android, not human, I’m currently leading this operation, so please follow my instructions.”

“Understood.”

After a brief introduction, M01 continued explaining the operation to the police officers.

The objective was to arrest the organization member trading with Sander and collect evidence.

Everyone knew what the organization member looked like from photos taken before he interacted with Sander and a composite sketch shared with both police and androids.

Information about survivors in Apartment 3 had also been shared.

As William prepared to enter with the other officers, M01 called him.

“You don’t know, Detective Team Leader.”

“Know what?”

“The higher-ups have issued new reinforcement suits to the armed police officers. They’re upgraded in every aspect, and the effects of the built-in medicines and enhancers have also been strengthened.”

“That’s good news.”

“Additionally, small psychic shields have been built into the existing equipment. Please press the purple button.”

When William pressed the button on his terminal, a translucent oval shield popped out from his left arm.

“It’s a psychic equipment made by House Garmelda in collaboration with Cult. They sent it a few days ago to celebrate the new council.”

“Thank you.”

That ended the conversation.

All that remained was to enter.

‘Things will go well.’

The enemies surely wouldn’t expect the police to be armed with new equipment.

Moreover, the armed police of the Planetary General Security Team were as experienced in combat as soldiers. On top of that, they had the support of combat androids. It was a game they couldn’t lose even if they wanted to.

“We’re going in. Masks on.”

With those words, all police officers put on the masks attached to their reinforcement suits.

“We’ll search the first floor corridor first.”

Following M01’s instructions, police and androids began searching the first floor corridor. Most units were empty, but not all, so several residents were captured by androids and dragged outside.

“First floor clear. Moving to the second floor. Just in case, we’ll leave three personnel on each floor.”

Just as they were about to start searching the second floor, static came through the communicator.

“Ch, chzzt, here… ugh, chzzt”

“M06?”

“What’s happening?”

“We’ve lost contact with one android.”

“Which location?”

“Room 105 on the first floor. M04 and No. 111 on standby on the first floor, please check immediately.”

“No. 111. Will check.”

“M04. Will check.”

M01 gave instructions calmly without panicking. Shortly after, a radio message came from M04.

“M04 reporting. M06’s power unit has been destroyed.”

“Can you identify the attack method?”

“M04. Only confirmed it was destroyed by strong physical force. Detailed analysis needed.”

William felt something strange about this.

The first floor had been thoroughly searched by 13 people including himself and 6 robots. There shouldn’t have been space for an enemy to hide.

“Please contact us again if you find anything unusual. We will resume the search.”

“No. 111. Understood.”

“M04. Confirmed.”

Just as they were about to resume the search, No. 101, who was standing at the front, suddenly stopped in place.

“No. 101?”

“……”

He was trembling as if his body was forcibly fixed in midair. Then his neck slowly began to turn.

Seeing that familiar sight, William shouted:

“Damn! Psychic atta—!”

Before he could finish, No. 101’s neck rotated 360 degrees with a snap. The police officer with a completely broken neck collapsed on the floor like a broken doll.

“Ambush!”

“All armed police activate psychic shields. Androids, secure the perimeter…”

“Aaaaargh!”

A scream came from behind.

William quickly turned his head to see the feet of police officer No. 112 hanging in midair. Something unidentified was crawling down the apartment’s outer wall and dragging the officer away.

“Open fire!”

“Open fire!”

The police and androids who saw this began firing furiously. But the creature ignored them and disappeared, dragging the officer away.

William and the armed police quickly pressed against the corridor wall and looked up, but all they could see was pitch-black darkness.

“The person dragged away is No. 112!”

“I’ll check. No. 112, please respond.”

“Chzzt, aaaagh, chzzzzzt, agh, chzzzzzzzt”

Hearing the pain-filled screams mixed with static, William gritted his teeth. M01, machine-like, repeated the same words without emotion.

“No. 112, please respond if you’re alive.”

“Chzzzzzzzt”

“I’ll check one last time. No. 112. Please respond if you’re alive.”

“Chzzt, I’m on the fourth floor. It dragged me here.”

“Fourth floor. Confirmed.”

When the response finally came, all the police officers sighed in relief. Of course, everyone understood that No. 112’s life was hanging by a thread, but it was better than being dead.

“We’ll divide into two groups. Numbers 102 through 105, Team Leader, myself, and M02 will search the second floor. The rest will proceed to search the fourth floor.”

In less than 30 minutes after entering, one police officer and one android had been taken down, and another officer’s life was in danger.

Thanks to M01, who gave commands to the police without wavering despite the difficult situation, the atmosphere didn’t deteriorate.

But unlike the other officers, William couldn’t shake off an inexplicable anxiety.

Was it perhaps a mistake to bring only police officers here?

Such thoughts crept into a corner of his mind.

It wasn’t because he was a coward.

When No. 112 was being dragged away, he clearly saw it.

The arm grabbing the police officer had four limbs.