episode_0069

At this hour, there were no visible workers—drone ants—who existed to fatten corporations, looking almost like zombies and burning their remaining lifespans. Nor were there any future drone ants, who were likely taking classes at schools supported by MegaCorp or operated by Eclipse Point Free City.

On the streets, most people walking around, regardless of age or gender, were dressed in flamboyant and unique styles.

And among them, particularly eye-catching was a human walking right in the center of the street, without revealing anything that could identify them, and with their hood pulled down deep.

Even though dark, mist-like particles spread around him, no one spoke to this suspicious individual.

Rather than not wanting to get involved with the extremely suspicious individual, they simply passed by, chatting casually with what appeared to be friends or acquaintances via internal communication chips, completely unaware of his presence.

It was a given.

He was one of the monsters shaking Eclipse Point, a Shape Shifter.

Only a handful of people could perceive a Shape Shifter utilizing optical camouflage and roaming the streets… no, one could confidently say none.

Even while using his incredible ability to remain imperceptible to anyone, his steps, as he aimlessly walked the street, seemed somehow lacking in strength.

‘To think I actually failed the job… This is a complete disaster.’

He was a legendary figure, one who received assignments directly from MegaCorp’s chairman, but now, he was merely a failure, frustrated even in a simple assassination by bodyguards!

‘I don’t want to… I don’t want to…’

Thanks to this, the Shape Shifter was contractually obligated to unconditionally carry out follow-up requests.

In truth, that much didn’t concern him, but the problem was that his blade was to be directed at rookies who were sure to rise to higher stages in the future.

If he could just return the advance payment, he could have refused, intending to never deal with the commissioning corporation again, but he had long since gambled it away, so that was impossible.

Feeling conflicted, the Shape Shifter, unnoticed by the passing mercenaries or the EPSB, was able to take a seat on a park bench.

“What a nice day.”

Although it cost 2 credits per minute to use, it was one of the few places in the lower city, decorated with artificial landscaped trees, where one could see greenery.

Naturally, even the weather was managed by a climate control system, so the lower city, with no rain or snow in the forecast, had clear, blue skies projected by panels.

If it weren’t for the optical distortion particles of the optical camouflage, the Shape Shifter would appear like a drone ant discarded by corporations after becoming useless, leaning back against the bench as if sinking into it, and looking up at the sky.

But as if not giving him time to dwell on the sorrow of losing money, the target’s data annoyingly flickered before his eyes.

Feeling the persistence that wouldn’t leave him alone until he checked it, the Shape Shifter, who might have had a tired face beneath his mask, sighed and accessed the data.

“Hmm. Rune’s Bar…”

A target designated by the ruthless corporation’s chairman, who even sought to assassinate the mega-influencer ‘Closing Age’ when necessary.

Though a mercenary group established 10 years ago, somewhere between a newcomer and a mid-tier organization, it had grown explosively and proudly listed its name on the mercenaries’ network. It was a major player in Centum Street.

He knew from a previous encounter that each of them was highly skilled, but excluding the combat machine fully wrapped up in gear, he was confident he could kill them all, even if they attacked at once.

However, what caught the Shape Shifter’s attention was the name of their leader, Luna Anthony Taylor.

“Taylor… It can’t be *that* Taylor, can it?”

The shared information focused more on connections, residence, and affiliated organizations rather than past deeds, so he couldn’t be sure, but the Shape Shifter unnecessarily chewed on the surname Taylor one more time.

Still, the Shape Shifter decided to look on the bright side.

Perhaps the client was significantly angered, because they said if he resolved this, they would give him enough to repay about 20% of his gambling debt.

Of course, if he were to voluntarily surrender to the EPSB and claim his own bounty, it would solve everything with plenty to spare, but unfortunately, he couldn’t be the recipient of his own bounty, so that plan was neatly folded away.

Isn’t it rather amusing that the very thing that could save him was the bounty on his own head?

The Shape Shifter, who had been enjoying a peaceful morning with his optical camouflage, suddenly cast his gaze upon a passing young man.

A typical salaryman in a suit, bowing and scraping to someone on a call.

While salarymen were more numerous than mercenaries and gangsters in Eclipse Point, he was a special target for the Shape Shifter.

He was Hawkins Fisherman, a man in his late twenties from Texas, who remarkably lived next door to John Doe, known by the alias ‘Unknown Identity’.

Although the Unknown Identity had changed residences using a false identity, it was investigated that they had a considerable acquaintance when living in Mega Apartments.

‘That guy’s my first target, then.’

*Hissing softly*, as he placed his hand on the smooth surface of his mask, its form slowly changed into Hawkins Fisherman’s servile yet pretending-to-be-confident face.

A thousand faces, no, ten thousand faces.

The Shape Shifter, or rather, the Form Changer, set aside his previous useless mindset and began working.

***

The time was fast approaching to head up to the upper city and ask Kathleen to service Cerberus.

He didn’t feel any stiffness or awkward movements anywhere, but due to Kathleen’s terrifying threat that he’d ‘better be ready’ if he came late, he had planned to visit her in two days.

Regardless, whether the Shape Shifter intended to come or not, he hadn’t appeared on Martina’s surveillance network, nor had any strange rumors circulated.

It was almost as if he intended to simply starve him out and kill him.

If that truly was the strategy, then the Shape Shifter was truly a formidable foe.

He was tired of watching the monkey show of politicians pushing useless policies, like claiming they’d release genetically modified birds next year that were free of disease worries.

“If you’re so bored, why don’t you move yourself?”

“If I get caught wandering around alone, it’ll be a headache. It’s not that I can’t escape, but… it would be troublesome.”

Perhaps she found his willingness to die distasteful, Martina, who was casually handling simple household chores in her maid outfit, snapped back at me.

“I see.”

Martina, who was using most of Little Vampire’s processing power to hack all the cameras on Centum Street for observation and selection, seemed to think I was just complaining, judging by her rather curt voice.

“No, this AI merely wishes to recommend that Zabu-dong stop being a mercenary, constantly exposed to danger.”

“That’s not happening.”

“…Do as you please.”

Perhaps she was completely sulking, as Martina huffed and turned away.

He had already realized that her state was becoming strange, but the speed at which she was displaying emotions, more and more like a human, was accelerating.

By limiting self-updates in the strong AI, they had bypassed Eclipse Point’s special regulatory clauses, but perhaps those limitations were being released as she processed thoughts within Little Vampire’s body.

Of course, with a brain too ignorant to even specialize, let alone learn anything, he couldn’t know the mechanism, but he could feel that Martina was experiencing a bug and progressing differently from her original design.

In time, she would either fully awaken her emotions or step into the realm of superintelligence.

‘Will she become independent then?’

He wasn’t sure, but if she were on her own, she’d probably live much better than him.

He felt a ticklish, yet poignant sensation, as if he could somewhat understand parents imagining their child becoming independent, and wiped at his eyes.

‘You have to live well on your own, too!’

‘…’

Thus, he browsed net pages where only somewhat vetted mercenaries could receive invitations, looking for even a small rumor about the Shape Shifter.

Of course, a figure of Seven High’s caliber wouldn’t be leaking information in such a place, so naturally, it was a wild goose chase.

He ended up sprawling on the sofa, and could only look at the concrete cliffs visible outside the window.

*Ding—*

“Hm?”

Just then, a video message arrived on the reception channel he had been using before receiving a new identity code from Mason.

The sender’s name was Hawkins Fisherman.

He had exchanged channel codes with him back when he didn’t know what a terribly annoying person he was, but he didn’t know why he was contacting him now, months after leaving that place.

They weren’t even that close to begin with.

Anyway, since a message had come, he decided to answer it. He sat up from the sofa, took a gulp of water, and slid his hand through the air to play the video. The video file then appeared on the virtual emulator covering his vision, automatically adjusting its aspect ratio.

*Pffft!!!*

Until that point, he hadn’t thought much of it, but at the video’s thumbnail, he spat out the water he was drinking.

“Cough! Cough! W-what’s this bastard doing…”

That unlucky Hawkins was bound and blindfolded to a chair in some secluded, dark room, trembling.

…Did he borrow money?