Chapter 89
Now You Finally Look This Way
***
Dominique Jordan.
He was a man who had once been Fernandez’s colleague. Not long ago, I had also entrusted him with a request regarding a device extraction case.
“Do you know him?”
“Yes.”
“We should administer first aid first.”
Im Sol approached Dominique and pulled a dical kit from her thigh. Rummaging through the pouch, she took out a hemostatic agent and inserted it into Dominique’s abdon.
Pusshik.
Protein gel instantly welled up from the wound, and the bleeding stopped in an instant.
Not long after, Dominique regained consciousness.
“Baek Ga-on?”
“Yes, it’s .”
“How fascinating. I never imagined we would et in a place like this.”
Though he was inwardly pleased to see an unexpected acquaintance, Dominique concealed his smile and turned his head away.
“What happened to my subordinates?”
“If those bodies rolling over there are your subordinates, then I’ll offer my condolences first.”
After confirming the horrific scene spread out behind Ga-on, Dominique squeezed his eyes shut.
“So, it ca to this in the end.”
“What exactly happened?”
As far as I knew, Dominique was the Sheriff in charge of the eastern part of District 39. Of course, he occasionally operated in other districts for work, but it was extrely unusual for him to co all the way to another colony.
Even more so if that place was in ruins.
“This is originally classified, but I suppose I can tell you. After all, the investigation progressed thanks to you discovering the Pier Gang’s base.”
“Progress?”
“Not long ago, we managed to obtain a clue about where the ones orchestrating the device extractions were located.”
It was a na I was familiar with as well.
“RYS Company.”
“You already knew?”
“Who do you think handed over that information?”
They were the organization that had distributed the real Baek Ga-on’s device and the force that had recruited the Pier Gang. They were people I had ignored until now, as tracking them down alone had proven difficult.
Yet hearing them ntioned here naturally piqued my interest.
“So anyway, you’re saying the location of that ghost company is here?”
“At first, I wasn’t sure either. But judging by the fact that we were attacked the mont we began tracking them, it seems we stepped on their tail properly.”
“For sothing you were prepared for, you seem to have been taken down rather easily.”
A Sheriff had set out accompanied by investigators and inspectors. Their armant might not compare to the Mars Defense Force, but it still surpassed ordinary standards.
Yet the dead were all mbers of the Public Enforcent Corps.
“They already knew we would appear.”
“So there’s an accomplice within the Public Enforcent Corps.”
The Pier Gang had also once been protected by a high-ranking official of the Public Enforcent Corps. There was nothing new about it.
“There’s no need to go as far as the Corps. Even after hearing the na RYS Company, does nothing co to mind?”
“Well.”
Ga-on tilted his head.
Im Sol, an outsider, could not keep up with the pace of the conversation, but she seed to grasp at least one thing.
“Are you referring to the initials of Ryungyeong (RyooungYoung)?”
“Hey, that easily—”
“That’s right.”
As if he had been waiting for it, Dmitri nodded in agreent, and Ga-on was shocked. It was a criminal organization, and since it contained the letters RY, it might be natural to think of the Four Great Underworld factions—
“Is it okay for it to be that straightforward?”
“Why wouldn’t it be? It’s a ghost company anyway.”
There was virtually nothing that could be investigated based on the na alone. That was especially true when there were thousands, even hundreds of millions, of identical company nas across the network. Dominique had been able to reach the truth only because he had secured a solid lead in the Pier Gang.
“Then what about the remaining S? Does it indicate the nineteenth rank?”
“I can’t be certain, but that’s what we presu. They’re probably using the alphabet as a ans to indicate hierarchy.”
Even within Ryungyeong, it likely ant they intended to impose distinctions.
That was typical of the Triads, so there was nothing worth pointing out.
“A choice befitting lunatics obsessed with hierarchy.”
Having said that, Ga-on fell into a low murmur as a sudden thought crossed his mind. Co to think of it, there was another ghost company he had encountered besides RYS Company.
RYQ Company.
It was a terrorist organization that had operated in the shadows to overthrow Hyphen Colony.
If the information Dominique had gathered was correct, RYQ Company was the seventeenth ghost company under Ryungyeong, ranking higher than RYS Company.
That much could be inferred from the fact that it had unleashed the Black Shower.
Which ant—
‘Just how reckless must the plans of those further up the chain be?’
Whatever the case, it was undoubtedly beyond imagination.
Through the testimony of the rookie mafia, Whitney, I was already well aware that the ta-humans and Ryungyeong were in a cooperative relationship.
Perhaps their recklessly radical business expansion had been made possible by that very support.
Well—
‘This isn’t sothing to worry about right now.’
It was only natural to deal with what could be handled first.
“So, did you request reinforcents? After going through this chaos, that should co first, shouldn’t it?”
“It was denied.”
No matter how absolute the authority wielded by the Public Enforcent Corps might be, it was limited to their respective autonomous district.
There was originally a different force suited for disputes between colonies.
“Calling the Mars Defense Force isn’t an option, is it?”
Ryungyeong had even infiltrated the Public Enforcent Corps. There was no reason to think the Mars Defense Force would be any different.
Glancing up at the building, Dominique spoke.
“It seems you have business there, so let ask you a favor.”
“Are you sure about that? My price has risen quite a bit since the last ti you saw .”
“It’s better than letting evidence slip away before my eyes.”
Just like when we first t, his obsession with results was no joke. He was a different type altogether from Fernandez, who simply desired the straightforward implentation of justice.
“Under normal circumstances, we would negotiate thoroughly, but the situation is urgent. Let’s do it next ti.”
As Ga-on rose from his seat and prepared to leave, Im Sol followed right behind him without hesitation.
“I’ll go with you as well.”
“No, Miss One-Day. I will only accept your kindness. Stay here.”
Judging by how Dmitri and several mbers of the Public Enforcent Corps had been subdued without a single injury, the opponent was expected to be formidable. If a battle broke out, I would not have the leeway to look after her.
Above all—
“I don’t want to see Dmitri, whom we barely saved, get robbed by the Outriders.”
***
Entering the building alone, I looked around.
From the outside, it had appeared to be a shabby structure. The floor had sunk and tilted halfway, and cracks were rampant throughout.
However, the interior showed clear signs of maintenance. It was evidence that people regularly ca and went.
It was no surprise. It would not be an exaggeration to say that all the information handled by RYS Company was stored within.
Passing the information desk and entering the lobby lounge, I halted at the presence of sothing out of place.
Soone was standing beyond the corridor, where not a ray of sunlight reached.
“You must not co in.”
Before I could even feign intimidation, the girl approached and spoke in a deeply cowering posture.
Glossy hair and neat children’s clothing.
No matter how one looked at her, she did not belong in a place like this.
Her age alone made that clear.
When I remained silent, the girl issued the warning once more.
“You must not co in.”
“Why?”
“Because you must not co in.”
Her claim was unreasonable in every respect, so I walked past her and proceeded inside.
“Uh, Lord Gideon said you mustn’t. Lord Gideon said you mustn’t. Lord Gideon said you mustn’t.”
The mont the girl repeated the sa words like a broken radio, her eyes turned dull.
While staring at without moving an inch, her face split open from side to side, revealing a concealed gun barrel.
The instant I turned around and the girl controlled the recoil occurred almost simultaneously.
Bang!
It was a sudden ambush, but I avoided the bullet simply by tilting my head back. Passing her indifferently had been nothing more than a bluff.
I had no doubt she would strike first the mont I showed my back.
As proof, Qiongqi, drawn from my arms, had already completed its warm-up.
Thud! Boom!
A streak of light etched itself through the air, and at the sa ti, the girl’s arm dropped with a dull thud.
Despite the severe damage, the girl showed no sign of screaming and resud firing indifferently. Upon closer inspection, the missing section was composed of steel and rubber.
‘An unlocked android?’
Indeed, unlike the Seed Colony, Hyphen Colony was a lawless zone. With public authority rendered ineffective, it was not strange for a killing machine to be deployed.
Still, one could call it a matter of vile taste.
The creator’s intent—to land at least one blow—was unmistakably evident.
Hair deliberately stripped of vivid color. A young girl with a timid personality. And even a pretty appearance.
It was rely a choice that revealed a highly tactical aspect, intended to delay the opponent’s judgnt.
Even Ga-on, who had concluded that sothing was suspicious, had no choice but to hesitate, considering the slightest possibility.
“Please die.”
Unfortunately, there was a ti limit to hiding behind the wall and observing the situation. The girl who had been keeping him in check from afar had already closed in to within arm’s reach.
High-speed mobility that fully utilized her small fra.
It was the result of her acting the mont she realized that Qiongqi was not a firearm suited for rapid fire.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Ha! Ha! Ha!”
The barrage of bullets was chillingly accurate, but not enough to deceive Ga-on’s eyes.
Perhaps realizing this as well, the girl quickly switched her armant.
From long range to close combat.
Her forearm split open, and a long blade suddenly protruded.
The girl did not know it, but swordsmanship was Ga-on’s specialty.
Catching the thrusting blade with just two fingers and snapping it, Ga-on seized the girl by the collar and slamd her to the ground.
Thud.
Then he stomped on the girl as she tried to rise. The mont the rotation that began in his leg transferred to her, a spiral pattern was engraved on her chest, and a chilling rupture echoed through the area.
It was an application of the False Rotation Axis.
“It hurts. I want you to stop.”
Even under an impact that would have killed a grown man, the girl rely whimpered. It was likely thanks to the Slots forcibly embedded within her to enhance her combat capabilities.
Though wearing an expression of disgust, Ga-on did not stop.
Crack.
It took only an instant for the shattered girl’s chest to touch her back.
“It hurts, it hurts! I said it hurts!”
Though the girl cried sorrowfully, Ga-on did not waver. Calmly and ticulously, he broke her down—just enough so that she could still walk.
Staggering to her feet, the girl sniffled.
“Sniff, I’m going to tell on you. Just you wait.”
“Alright, alright. You should hurry and go find your parents.”
Ga-on had spared the girl instead of finishing her off in order to follow her.
In an ergency, she would return to her master according to her programd commands.
As expected, like a bluebird in flight, the girl headed straight to Basent Level 5.
She stopped in front of the control room.
Upon entering, a peculiar sight caught his eye.
“Lord Gideon, Lord Gideon. Please scold that person.”
As if deeply aggrieved, the girl clutched the trouser hem of the man, Gideon, and tearfully recounted everything that had happened to her in minute detail.
But amusingly, Gideon did not even spare a glance at the damaged girl and simply continued his work.
At a glance, Ga-on realized that he was no ordinary opponent. There were as many as six thick cables attached to Gideon’s back.
Moreover, countless streams of information appeared and disappeared across the monitors occupying one wall, yet there was not the slightest sign of lag.
It ant he possessed a full-body prosthesis—or had undergone cybernetics surgery equivalent to one.
“What excellent taste you have, stationing such a young child as your guard.”
Gideon, who had shown no reaction even after hearing the girl’s words, frowned and turned his head.
eting his gaze, Ga-on smiled.
“Now you finally look this way.”
User Comments
0 comments from readers