episode_0022

A ceiling covered the sky above the Nexus Block, which ascended to the upper city, where an 8K blue sky, the maximum resolution recognizable by the human eye, was being reproduced, and the four surrounding districts.

Looking up at what seemed like a wide-open, clear, and bright sky, but was ultimately just a video, I chewed on the filter of the cigarette in my mouth before spitting it out.

The completely burnt-out cigarette butt fell onto the rooftop of the commercial building and remained there until someone cleaned it.

[“Brake release complete. I’ve set the hyperloop not to stop at any stations for the next seven stops.”]

“Confirmed.”

[“This is dangerous, are you really okay? Just because you’ve become like a kid, your brain hasn’t become a kid’s, has it?”]

“Screw you, Jay Q. I’m fine.”

In the distance, the Hyperloop, a ground train, sped through a tube crisscrossing between towering buildings and skyscrapers, rushing at a tremendous speed as if its brakes had failed.

[Calculation result. It will pass approximately 8 meters from this building in precisely 17 seconds.]

“Alright. Finally, it’s my turn.”

I leisurely stretched and loosened my body, then gave a command to the AI in my head.

And at the 14-second mark, I kicked off the building’s rooftop and soared through the sky of Eclipse Point.

[EP Hyperloop Maintenance Hatch #1,184 opened.]

The overwhelming processing power of the cyberdeck and the strong AI’s data infiltration capability ripped open the tube’s maintenance hatch in that short moment, and the vacuum inside the tube, along with the surrounding fluid, sucked in my body, which was flying through the sky.

Carried into the tube by the torrent of fluid in the blink of an eye, I could see the front of the Hyperloop approaching me at incredible speed, thanks to my enhanced kinetic vision.

I don’t have speedware, but I can mimic something similar now.

My vision slowly showed that impossible-to-react-to speed slowing down, even if only slightly. Of course, this was also thanks to the vacuum inside the tube being broken, which slowed down the speed.

I seized the opportunity, leaped from my spot, and plunged towards the front window.

The 3cm thick reinforced bulletproof glass was struck by an organic mass with the weight of one person, traveling at 666 km/h, and, without displaying any defensive capabilities, allowed its penetration.

“Aaaaargh!!”

Of course, doing such a reckless act made my body hurt like hell.

[Injuries confirmed in arms and legs. We do not recommend such self-harm to Jwabudong.]

Ignoring the mechanical voice in my head that pretended to be concerned, I, who had broken through the automatic cockpit door and reached the passenger section, raised my body amidst the screams of the Hyperloop passengers.

*Snap* My broken bones automatically shifted back into place and mended.

I had only seen this in performance advertisements for bioware with regeneration functions, but strangely, high-performance nanoware did similar things for my entire body.

“Infiltration complete.”

[“The target is in car 3. Once you secure him, a vehicle will be waiting, so break through the left door and jump out.”]

“Okay.”

I passed through the passengers who had gathered conveniently at the edge of the train car, gave a decent-looking woman’s backside a playful smack, and headed towards car 3, as Jay Q had instructed.

“Intruder, stop your actions immediately and surrender! Otherwise…”

Of course, even if the passengers didn’t block my path, the security guards wouldn’t just leave me alone.

[Playing AR combat prediction simulation.]

The combat results, calculated by the supercomputer and overlaid on my vision.

If I move my body to the left to dodge, the bullet from the security guard’s specialized revolver will pierce my liver.

Confirming the results, I swung my smash grenade.

Only a single grenade was loaded inside my arm, and naturally, having no intention of becoming a heinous killer, I hadn’t loaded lethal rounds.

As I swung my fist, with a click, it flew out – a flash-bang.

*Flash!* A deafening roar that felt like it would tear eardrums, and a blinding flash that felt like it would melt retinas, engulfed Hyperloop Car 2, robbing the security guards and passengers of their sight and hearing.

“Ughhh!! A, a flash-bang!!!”

“Aaaaaah!! My ears, my ears!”

“My eyes feel like they’re melting!!!”

People plunged into a world of utter silence, yet screaming, creating a chaotic space that was difficult for anyone who could hear to bear, but I simply plugged my ears with my fingers and lightly ran to the door connecting to Car 3.

The Hyperloop’s speed was tremendous even with the vacuum broken, and it had already passed three out of seven stations, so I had to move quickly.

*Bang!* The door, which seemed unwilling to reveal its interior through civilized means due to its primitive security measures, I opened using an even more civilized method.

The aluminum alloy door dented with the first kick.

After a few more introductions with the sole of my boot, the lock ripped off and fell.

Inside, just like Car 2, dozens of passengers were teeming, trembling from the sudden commotion.

‘Ayakashi, open the exit and the hatch that will arrive in 10 seconds in advance.’

[Confirmed.]

*Clank* The exit opened, and I scanned the passengers’ physical data to identify the target.

Sitting in row 7 was a scholarly-looking man, unusually wearing glasses with lenses for vision correction instead of ocular implants.

Perhaps thinking I meant him harm, he tried to escape, but I nudged the passengers blocking my way, advanced, grabbed the man by the collar, and pulled him along.

“L-let me go!”

“Target secured.”

[EP Hyperloop Maintenance Hatch #1,327 opened.]

[“Rooftop opened, jump!”]

I jumped straight through the open exit without even looking.

If my timing wasn’t precise, I would have either smashed into the tube wall and become a burst synthetic tomato or gotten stuck in the gap and become a shredded tomato, but this was a crazy stunt I pulled, trusting the capabilities of the AI system in my head.

“Aaaaaaaaaah!!!”

The scholarly-looking man, dragged along into this insane stunt, foamed at the mouth as if he were about to faint, but in the next moment, he and I exited the tube and were plummeting through the air above the street, feeling the acceleration of gravity.

And immediately below, on the road, I saw a familiar vehicle speeding wildly.

Its rooftop was open, and impact-absorbing pads were laid inside, with everyone clearing to the corners.

[Fall detected. Combining fluid dynamics simulator with falling technique data. Initiating action support.]

Before my eyes, as I flailed my limbs in the air while falling, a guide appeared as if instructing me to fall exactly like that.

Following it, I tucked the scholarly-looking man under my arm and, just before impact, rotated my body in mid-air to orient my legs downwards.

*Crash!* Even with the impact-absorbing pads and reinforced suspension absorbing some of the shock, the vehicle body shook violently.

[Damage confirmed to leg joints, ligaments, and ankle cartilage.]

“Ughhh!!!”

Feeling the sharp pain rising from my legs, I looked at Blake, who flashed teeth as stark white as plastic rice and gave a thumbs up, at Jay Q, who was laughing maniacally while speeding down the road, and at Raleigh, who was trying not to look at my face, then gave a refreshing smile.

“Mission complete.”

***

Seeing the newly credited 10,000 credits in my account, I grinned gleefully.

“Haha! When I first saw you turn into a kid, I wondered what would happen, but these days you’re flying! How much did you dump into upgrades, anyway?”

After finishing the mission, Jay Q put an arm around my shoulder, pretending to be close, at the company dinner where we gathered at a pub to drink and relax.

Well, I did kick ass today.

The cyberware I’ve had implanted so far is exactly four: subcutaneous armor plating, combat optics, a smash grenade, and a cyberdeck.

Considering that this much is nothing among mercenaries, the nanoware that elevates my physical performance to the level of proper cyberware, and the strong AI that serves as both a real-time combat prediction simulator and action support are largely responsible.

As a mercenary, two treasures that can’t be compared to mere hundreds of thousands or millions of credits!

‘Though I can’t boast about this and have to vaguely hide it.’

It’s been about a month since I finished the work at Rossboard and got a cohabitant… no, a cohabiting AI in my head.

During that time, having appropriately created a new identity, I’ve been gaining experience as a mercenary, handling the jobs Luna brings.

Item retrieval, item delivery, person abduction, person protection, field investigation, combat… Luna doesn’t come along like in the first mission, but I’m managing well enough, and it feels good to see credits steadily accumulating in my account.

*Gulp gulp gulp gulp* The synthetic beer, chilled by the rapid cooling device and flowing down my esophagus, cooled my body that felt like it would steam to death from the abnormal temperature.

“Ughhh..! My head feels like it’s going to burst..!”

“Puhaha! Your taste buds have become childish too!”

“What does brain freeze have to do with that? Asshole.”

*Pshhh—* …

As we were boisterously enjoying our company dinner at the pub, we heard chatter from the next table.

Both were men who appeared to be mercenaries, each carrying a gun concealed within their clothes, although it wasn’t unusual for mercenaries to gather in such pubs; what caught our attention was their conversation.

The mercenary profession lives and dies by rumors.

More precisely, they are so fixated on information that concerns their lives that they can’t help but listen even to unverified rumors.

And the reason such a bustling pub is a hot spot for mercenaries is that some believe secret rumors will be buried amidst the noisy backdrop of this space.

… … … …

The four of us, as if by prior arrangement, fell silent, pretending to drink, as we heard whispers from the next table.

Drinking is a good excuse.

Because it’s natural not to be able to talk when you’re pouring bitter alcohol down your throat.

-“Do you know a Bram Stoker?”

-“Ah, the peculiar-eating criminal said to be operating in Tony Bonnie?”

-“Everyone living in Tony Bonnie calls him Count Bram Stoker… but yes, they call him that too.”

Bram Stoker, huh.

Could they be talking about Bram Stoker, the author of Dracula?

I gulped down the cold beer that had just given me a brain freeze and listened intently to their conversation.

-“Is it because he has monomolecular fangs implanted in his neck? Even a mercenary with external armor implanted in his neck was found with two clean holes and all his blood drained.”

-“Isn’t he just a criminal with a peculiar modus operandi, nothing particularly special?”

-“That’s the thing. There’s a rumor that the disappearances happening in Tony Bonnie are actually Count Bram Stoker’s doing.”

“An individual, not even a group, committing mass serial kidnappings? That’s ridiculous.”

Jay Q crunched on chlorella chips seasoned with sodium chloride, as if his mood was spoiled, and Raleigh, though I don’t know what he was thinking, set down his beer glass.

-“Is there any evidence?”

-“There’s a rumor that the disappeared people suddenly reappear at night. Hiding among the neon lights, becoming another Bram Stoker, luring in more victims!”

-“Hmph, just another urban legend to add to the overflowing ones in Eclipse Point.”

-“Well… you could think that, but my cousin who works at the EPSB told me they’re about to put a big bounty on Count Bram Stoker. How much was it… 300,000?”

At the mention of 300,000, the four of us, without needing anyone to go first, exchanged glances.

‘Should we take that job next?’

‘It’s not a bad judgment. Oni-Chan.’

‘Deal.’

*Pshhh—* …

Thus, by unanimous decision, we decided to head to Tony Bonnie.