ch13

“……Ugh. Ptooey!!”

I spat out the blood that seemed to have mixed in my mouth and massaged my shoulder, which was numb from the recoil.

After eliminating all the immediate threats, the state of the ruined store and… my almost equally ruined body came into view. I hadn’t even allowed a physical attack, but my lower abdomen was strangely burning from being rubbed a little. My upper body was complaining of fatigue despite the minimized gun recoil. Damp bloodstains.

“Just you wait, seriously…!!”

There’s no way the transplant would fail due to compatibility or side effects. I straightened my disheveled clothes, resolving to invest generously in modifications and upgrades as soon as I had enough Credits.

So, now all that’s left are… two corpses.

I felt it when I was scraping together the scattered guns from the lab, but since there’s no function to show a list of belongings all at once like in a game, or to neatly put them into a virtual inventory, even recovering loot is a chore. And to top it off, the bullets that hit might have smashed useful items.

Tear…!!

With my pathetic strength, it’s hard to flip the bodies over or strip them, so I just pulled out the steak knife stuck in the big guy’s neck, tore open his pockets, and cut off his coat.

……If the cutting power of mere dining utensils is this much. How dangerous are the weapons used by close-combat build characters like Samurai or Juggernauts…?

I hope… I don’t have to experience something like that firsthand.

Clatter….

“What the hell…?!”

While sorting through the junk based on Cyberware analysis. Something that looked like it would explode really well fell out of the ripped inner pocket and rolled onto the floor.

[ M85 Frag Grenade. Black Dragon Corp. ]

Even in a future world two hundred years from now, a green fragmentation grenade that still looks terrifying popped out.

He had some kind of construction equipment modified into a gun, but why the hell does he have a genuine Black Dragon Corp. explosive? If I had misfired, we would have all gone to the afterlife together…!

For now, considering my body’s stamina and durability… frankly, I felt like my arm would tire out before I ran out of ammo, so I carefully kept the grenade in case of an emergency.

I made sure the store door was securely closed so the two dead guys’ bodies wouldn’t be noticeable, and then I slipped outside.

I didn’t want to attract unnecessary attention, so I hadn’t wandered around the settlement much since getting a job at the shop… but I knew the location of the restaurant that the mechanic grandpa often frequented.

Shuffle… Shuffle….

I cautiously moved forward, keeping an eye on my surroundings.

Gunshots echoed incessantly in the distance. As if representing the chaotic situation of the settlement, there wasn’t a single soul on the streets. If there was, it was either an insect-type creature that had literally adapted to this wasteland, or….

“This shi…… so heavy…… huh?”

Thud—!!

“……Having a field day, aren’t you.”

…Some lawless bastards who were even worse than bugs.

I shot down a black figure who was struggling to drag out a bundle, having swept all the household goods into it like he was some kind of dark Santa Claus. I was feeling uneasy because I could end a life with a simple finger movement, so I was grateful that he made it so easy to identify him.

I approached the guy who had fallen backward and nudged his head with my foot.

After confirming that the sticky life fluid was slowly seeping into the sand, I hurried on my way again.

If this situation keeps repeating, even a kid who only knows how to shoulder a gun and click the trigger could defeat the enemies.

But… the store I was aiming for seemed to be not far from the source of the gunshots.

Rattle!! Rattle Rattle—!!

Bang! Rat-tat-tat…!!

As the distance closed, I felt a cold sweat from the intense atmosphere of the battlefield.

Was it because I was afraid of death? That was partly true. But on the other hand… even though I’ve spent countless days and nights in this world. Every night that passes, I still expect to open my eyes in the morning, or after meeting my end, and see the familiar ceiling of my room.

They say that when you dream of being a butterfly, you don’t remember being human, right?

Then… what am I truly afraid of?

That I’ll mess everything up by acting presumptuously. Or, conversely, by not acting.

The signal from the parallel world that I briefly connected with in the lab’s operating room didn’t easily come again.

In the end, all I can do is hope that my actions now will lead to a slightly more positive outcome—a happy ending.

“You bi…tch…!! Got you……!!”

“%^&^&…!!”

“?!”

Mixed in with the gunshots, I heard a rough voice, and I quickly leaned against the wall and hid.

It was the opposite side of the battlefield… no, it was one of the houses I had just passed. My back was almost in danger.

“What kind of house has a double floor installed?! I almost left without seeing such a beauty’s face…!!”

“Get your hands off my mom, you… you pig…!!”

“Mary…! Mom’s okay, so…. Okay? Just stay still…?”

“Ugh…….”

From inside the house I cautiously approached, I heard a rather infuriating conversation.

It’s an easy situation to judge. It’s just that the specific outline of the enemy I have to deal with isn’t visible yet.

The sound of fabric brushing against skin, the sound of something falling to the floor. And….

“Mom…! Mom!!”

Slap…!!

Thud…!

“Damn, that’s so distracting!”

“!! Don’t touch the kid…!!”

Even the sound of a small child running and then being hit and falling.

……A guy who’s about to die is crossing the line?

I erased all the miscellaneous information displayed on my retina, cleared my vision as much as possible, and peeked into the house with the loaded rifle muzzle.

The dirty butt of a large figure busy pulling down his pants was the first thing I saw. I made eye contact with a cute little freckled girl whose eyes were brimming with tears, as if she was about to burst into tears any second.

In case the kid might draw attention in the wrong way, I raised my index finger to my lips to gesture for her to be quiet and winked one eye at the same time.

“Wow…….”

In an instant, the moisture disappeared from the child’s eyes, and her eyes sparkled. ……She’s a little tyke with a spirit as strong as her cute looks.

More than that… if the enemy was just this one stupid bastard, I should have moved sooner. If I had, there would have been no reason for the kid to get hit, or for her mom to pretend to offer herself….

“!!”

“……?”

Over the shoulder of the crouching figure, I made eye contact with the red-haired woman who was taking off her clothes.

The expression on her face was more urgent than relieved. Her head turns to the left, to my right. Before I could even understand that signal, a black hand reached out from the wall right next to the doorway and grabbed the rifle muzzle. It forcibly pulls it away…!

“Shi…!!”

The same gang member is doing that shit, saying he’s going to breed, and there was a bastard who was silently watching that scene without saying a word?!

Overwhelmed by the overwhelming difference in strength, I helplessly lost my rifle. The outlaw, confident that he had gained the upper hand, leaned out with a pistol aimed.

“I knew there would be some kind of vigilante left……?”

……I’m really glad I made Anastasia a little shorter. And I’m even more glad that I’m a Neo Haven addict…!

Click!

The muzzle of the guy who was expecting a robust adult was aimed at empty air. On the other hand, I, like any FPS gamer, instinctively. If weapon number 1 doesn’t work, then weapon number 2, I pulled out my Peace Maker pistol, my secondary weapon. That small decision and time difference decided the match.

Bang!!

The fired bullet pierced his chin, passed through his head, and lodged in the ceiling. It was such a sure fatal wound that there was no need to deliberately fire in bursts, and his dead body collapsed.

“Ugh……?”

The large figure, stiffened awkwardly by his companion who had fallen with a loud crash, finally turned around.

…I’m really sorry for having a huge negative impact on the emotional education of a growing child, but first, let’s finish the situation…?

The trigger is pulled firmly.

The fired pistol bullets mercilessly lodged in the upper body of the burly pig. There was no time to aim for the head. I almost died from being careless 5 seconds ago, if I do it again, I’m not human.

“Hoo…… Hah!”

I released the breath I didn’t even know I was holding.

“Thank you… thank you…!!”

“Sister!! Are you like ‘a hawk hiding its claws,’ like our dad? Huh?!”

The child’s mother picked up the fallen child and hugged her, bowing repeatedly with words of gratitude. But she still doesn’t let her guard down… the saying that mothers are strong comes to mind.

Besides, the little lady is… isn’t she too mentally strong? I’m a little troubled that she’s calling me sister, but there’s no suitable alternative….

“……You’re a smart little girl. But, you should take care of your mother first in situations like this…?”

“Ah?! Mom!! I’m sorry……!!”

With a wry smile, she patted her thoughtless daughter’s back as well.

But… a hawk hiding its claws…?

I’ve heard that expression recently, and a lot. There aren’t that many people in Neo Haven who use such old-fashioned expressions.

“…….”

My wandering gaze found a family photo in the ruined house.

It’s a common photo of a young daughter and her parents, but…. The father’s appearance was too familiar.

A scar across his face, a dignified impression. Even the bearing that would look good in a tuxedo.

Why is Mr. Schneider, who should be running a bar in Emerald City, in a place like this…?