ch24

Countless faces contort in fear. I wouldn’t be able to make rational decisions in that situation either.

However… even knowing it’s not just unlikely, but almost impossible, they instinctively turn their backs on the threat to their lives and scream.

“!! Those crazy corporate bastards actually fired…!!”

“We need to get inside right now…!!”

Tu-kwa-ka-ka-ka-kak——!!

That was all I could hear. If detonating a grenade at point-blank range had caused tinnitus, this barrage of gunfire, exceeding the audible range, instead created a complete zone of silence.

Crack….

Before the body, directly hit by the fired bullets, could even collapse to the ground, it was swept away by the storm, limbs vanishing.

Even if they made many wrong choices and actions in their lives, things that were definitely people were instantly disintegrated, scattered evenly across the ground and walls.

The sensation in my limbs fades at the horrific and bloody silent movie unfolding before my eyes.

I couldn’t say for sure whether my body was simply frozen by the direct experience of overwhelming violence, or whether I was experiencing cognitive dissonance from the unreal spectacle.

Not that… I’m trying to deny the logic of the survival of the fittest, which is as important as capital.

I, myself, have a history of grinding up Enaama Corp’s forces like this, and even after blowing the heads off outlaws, I might have had trouble sleeping, but I didn’t regret it.

“……”

I secretly checked the faces of my teammates.

They, who would have been no different from clueless young professionals in the 21st century, were silently holding their positions as if they had expected this scene.

But… I couldn’t say they looked happy, even as a joke.

Horatio was busy clenching and unclenching his fists, trying to control himself, and Domino had simply crossed his arms and closed his eyes. Omen… seemed to be constantly adjusting his mask with one hand because of the twitching muscles. …The veins bulging on his head due to anger are frightening.

On the other hand, the other mercenaries were only wary of the turret turning towards them, and didn’t seem to have any particular complaints about the operation.

……Of course, it’s better to kill than to be killed. It might be right to be grateful that Mega Corp launched such a splendid preemptive strike, reducing the number of enemies and lowering the risk. But… does trampling on those who didn’t even pose a risk in the first place really make us safer…?

Krrrrrr…….

As the smoke cleared, the only moving objects were fragments of concrete falling from the cracked building walls. The overheated gun barrel slowly cooled down, and a new communication came in.

[The neutralization of 1st Street, Brightside Avenue is complete. The suppression team is to enter the building and confirm the presence of the illegal drug trafficking organization, Painkiller.]

“……. The operation on 1st Street…?”

As I muttered, the mercenary team, equipped with night vision goggles, stormed into the building in perfect order.

Fortunately, 1st Street was a real abandoned building, and they completed their search and left without much commotion or gunfire… but that also meant there were no targets.

[Thank you for your cooperation, citizens. This investigation team is moving to 2nd Street.]

“…This is really too much…!!”

An inexplicable physiological revulsion forced my true feelings to spill out.

“They’re going to keep pushing like this until they find the Painkiller guys and their boss. …This might be too much stimulation for the ‘nunim’.”

“……The right of the overwhelming victor.”

“I’m happy as long as I can kill that Dusk bastard.”

The three, with a hint of resignation, each added a word.

The wall of reality that blocked the hearts of those who had gained status, strength, and even money enough to live comfortably after fierce competition. This is the terror of Mega Corp.

……But something’s strange. As my thoughts reached that point, a small fire ignited in my heart, which had been about to retreat, thinking there was nothing a mere hacker could do.

“This sucks…!”

Even if it’s just a history of a mere game, completely different from reality. Even if it’s the result of riding the huge wave – the main scenario – I’m the guy who’s broken every existing mega-corporation, the system, hundreds of times over.

Even if my role in Neo Haven Prime isn’t the protagonist, it doesn’t matter at all. I definitely have the ability and knowledge to remove the absurdity facing me, or something close to it…!

“…Hey, you guys said you’re from the slums, right? Then tell me all the places you suspect are the hideouts of those Painkiller guys, even if you don’t know how old the organization is. Especially you, Domino, you seem to have a personal grudge… don’t hide anything.”

“”…….””

The frustrating idiots don’t understand me and are looking at each other.

I quickly added an explanation because I could see the residents of the 2nd Street buildings watching the nervously moving vehicles and mercenaries in the corner of my vision.

“Corporations never do anything that loses them money…! The reason they’re doing this kind of reckless thing is because they’ve calculated that the ammunition and operating costs are cheap compared to the value of the data they’ll get or the cost of investigating the Yellow Sector!”

So… just help me do the right thing, so I can feel better.

Even when facing each other, the distance between people is incredibly far. But the moment you speak your heartfelt sincerity, it becomes surprisingly close.

…My selfish sincerity, more than anyone else’s, was well conveyed.

“…Between 5th and 7th Street. That area seemed to have heavy security, ‘nunim’!”

“Is this… the embrace of an older woman? I saw some suspicious people coming out near 6th Street. …I’m not sure though.”

“That’s enough…!!”

Thwack!!

“Ugh?! Hacker miss!?”

I recklessly snatched the laptop the broker was holding under his arm.

Even though it’s connected to the city’s massive network, I needed a medium to send my consciousness directly there. I need to buy something like a terminal to use when hacking after this is over.

My consciousness floated for a moment, and I stepped into the familiar study.

Kugugung!!

First, I push away the bookshelves that embody the useless data in the laptop with a wave of my hand.

I search the Harvest Planet network for Painkiller, Dusk, and Brightside Avenue, and almost infinite information pours out. The computer’s processing unit screamed that it couldn’t handle such a broad topic… but please finish your job before you die! My head hurts more!!

Finally, I carefully examine the huge vortex of information that has been created.

The sale of the drugs they distribute is handled by underlings divided into strictly compartmentalized cells…? This is meaningless.

Intermittent vibrations detected near 6th Street. It’s a pretty old post, but I don’t know if it’s meaningful.

A photo presumed to be of Painkiller’s boss, Dusk, shrouded in mystery? ……Bingo!

The quality is terrible, but the dark skin and chubby build. The impression of a black nouveau riche from the slums roughly matches the target information provided by Mega Corp.

“?! ‘Nunim’! Your nose is bleeding…!”

“?! Shut up! You’re distracting me!!”

I yelled at Horatio, who was disrupting my accelerated mental state. I didn’t know that external stimuli would be felt so vividly while using hacking skills because I hadn’t had a chance to test it. …Some improvement is needed.

I reach out and grab the images floating in the electronic world at random. The filming area is limited to Brightside Avenue. I don’t know how thorough a criminal he is, but surely a person can’t have never gone outside in their entire life.

I compare, contrast, analyze, and overlap the photos and videos.

………Found you, you bastard.

Tap-tap… Tap!

I leave the study and operate the laptop. I attach all the supporting data and send it to the communication channel so everyone can see it.

…After all, the reward is the same, and I expected that there would be quite a few mercenaries who didn’t want to search buildings and shoot all night… but what I’m trying to persuade isn’t the people on the ground, but the Paradise Corp employees or command who are controlling this operation and the turrets.

…The movement of the turret vehicles and mercenaries heading towards 2nd Street gradually slows down.

If there’s anything more terrible than appealing to emotions in this world, it’s making them realize how inefficient and wasteful of Credits their actions are.

• ……Confirming the intelligence received from the recovery team’s hacker. Police are to narrow the control lines and mercenaries are to perfectly surround Brightside Avenue 5th, 6th, and 7th Streets without any gaps. –

“Haaa…….”

The breath I had been holding bursts out.

“‘Nunim’……!”

“…What are you going to do if you get exhausted before the operation even starts?”

A deep voice, completely different from the businesslike mechanical sound so far, rang in my head, and I almost collapsed on the spot without realizing it. I gave Omen, who gently supported my back with his large hand, a grateful nod.

I roughly wiped my stinging nose with my forearm. …Because of the jacket that doesn’t easily stain, the blood from my nose was smeared messily around my mouth. Annoying.

Filled with spite, I pushed the laptop computer, which probably had its parts lifespan cut short, back into our broker’s chest.

“Ugh?!”

“It would be better to completely destroy this laptop. ……It’s probably full of records from unauthorized intrusions everywhere.”

“……What?”

Whether he frowned at the unplanned additional expense or not.

Whether my younger brothers, who had realized the truth of the world and the power of a first-class hacker, were impressed or not.

Whether the residents were relieved by the army passing by their shabby but precious homes or not.

Heavy weapons… Droids… and most importantly, drugs.

I ruminated on the hidden data, which was a bit brutal to dismiss as a mere criminal organization.

With a bad feeling that it would be a long night, I lifted my head and looked at the sky.

……When will this nosebleed stop?