Chapter 218

– Maintain the crossfire position! No matter how flashy the movements are, do not disrupt the lines of fire! The armor isn’t thick, so even if you hit roughly, the stopping power is sufficient!! –

“…You talk so freely.”

Tudad—!

As the tail tentacle of the hunting dog slightly crossed the corner’s edge, a barrage of bullets was fired almost simultaneously, leaving scorch marks on the wall and floor as they ricocheted.

The Exatech side has now deployed most of the engineers for facility repairs, focusing on hindering the expansion of my territory, so only a small squad of droids, controlled by specialized operators, keeps circling to obstruct Leonar’s advance.

If resistance is fierce, it’s easy to bypass through another corridor, and if the defensive line is strong, we can simply cut through with the overwhelming mobility of the hunting dogs from the flank or rear to encircle and annihilate them.

We’ve advanced this way before, and while the troops may be a bit more intensely depleted in the process, there hasn’t been any issue with safety.

However, this time, breaking through by any means other than conventional methods is impossible, so the troops are occupying a remote checkpoint.

And soon, it seems they’ve successfully identified the identity and purpose of our intruder, as they are now holding back with the first capsule storage we need to verify behind them.

“…How dare they.”

Did they feel annoyed at the diminishment of their research achievements? Or is it that they are frustrated to be stuck just before their desired objective?

It was difficult to determine which of the two it was, but I stopped Leonar, who was anxiously fiddling with his personal weapon as if he were ready to charge in personally at any moment.

“Um… I am maintaining the network lockdown, so could you calm down a bit?”

“I know that well. I have no doubts about your skills. But time is not our ally, is it? The way they’re blocking us feels off, as if they were simply waiting for us… Even if biological samples are important, they shouldn’t fundamentally include this in the list of major protective facilities.”

Even if there is a clear purpose to control the intruders.

While cannons excitedly thump against the building walls and a fierce power struggle unfolds in the communication network, it doesn’t make sense that they still have the mental bandwidth to allocate droids to such a frozen storage facility unless it is truly a pivotal core facility.

And I somewhat agree with this.

Since we are doing something akin to a special operation, trying to maintain the atmosphere and increase immersion, a simulation world resembling the operations room they were holed up in during their police days is now shaking as it is attacked.

In these circumstances, prioritizing a morgue over other valuable assets or data? As Leonar said, it felt wrong.

Whirr…! Crash!!

A couple of drones, perched on the back of a hunting dog to conserve battery, suddenly extended their bodies to try for a lucky shot or to disrupt the line of fire, but were instantly shot down.

Even if it was still humans controlling them, both sides had a seriously high degree of accuracy and hit rate in this mechanical vs. mechanical battle.

Is this what they mean by a critical hit from just a graze? Ugh.

“…There’s no other choice. I’ll force my way through, even if it’s a bit reckless. First, I need to confirm my position.”

“Really…?”

“Of course. If necessary, I’ll junk all the equipment I brought with me. I’ll snap the necks of those cocky operators holed up…!”

With a growl, Leonar declared he would break through head-on, rising from his kneeling position and straightening up. The hunting dogs, sprawled out in a waiting state throughout the corridor, also finished sharpening their claws and were ready to sprint.

Yet, even though they’re technically former colleagues, perhaps due to the psychological resistance to killing them, whether due to the potential follow-up actions to take afterward, he felt a burden when it came to the indiscriminate killing of MegaCorp employees.

Although the original policy was to charge through like a gale but avoid an unnecessary war of attrition… sensing the suspicious movement of the enemies that had so openly limited our options, he decided to abandon courtesy—though factually, we’ve deviated from politeness purely based on the damages we’ve inflicted so far.

…No, even if I put it convincingly, isn’t it just the fact that he’s relying solely on the reality that his body is made of high-strength alloy and is going to charge into a hail of armor-piercing rounds?

If he were to accidentally break the test tube containing his brain, this guy would really be dead.

“Sometimes it’s better to die than to live without conviction.”

“Is it okay to inflate personal obsessions as conviction…?”

“…Ahem!”

Despite the somewhat rude remark, Leonar found it hard to say anything in response, his awkward cough wrapping up the conversation.

Ugh… Well, I’ve already shown off the skill to seize Exatech’s defense system while sitting in the office corner of the storage, so a few more efforts won’t turn the world upside down.

Honestly, it’s unrealistic to guarantee a 100 percent success in achieving the target given the bad vibes, but at the very least, I have to help Leonar get out safely.

“…Hey, Leonar? I haven’t fully taken control of the facility yet, but is there any way to induce them to exchange signals beyond just moving joints or pulling triggers? If possible, I can try to solve it.”

“Indeed, understood.”

It’s a bit difficult to pinpoint it through the single hunting dog’s viewpoint.

However, the relationship between the operator and the droid is, essentially, the same as that between the user and the terminal. Even in a fleeting moment, if there’s an unusually noticeable exchange of information, means to catch it do exist.

It’s not here, but it’s possible in a deeper space.

Plop……!

“Pff…!?”

Instead of droplets, codes and a disorganized array of unfulfilled characters scattered into the air.

Though I dove headfirst toward the ground, holding my breath as if going underwater, why does it feel like I’m raising my curled body at the moment I exhale the breath I’ve been holding?

This abyss dive, which replaces consciousness with electrical signals, is undoubtedly a terrifying technique that cannot be explained by ordinary logic. I must avoid using it haphazardly… but there’s nothing else that can be done at this moment.

I sent the data clumps that were trying to cling to my body down into the depths of the network, raising my arms to grasp at the void.

I looked up toward the ceiling.

What I saw were countless entangled spider web networks of Neo Haven.

What I was searching for was the communication network of the Exatech research facility I ruthlessly carved out just before the operation commenced.

Like a child playfully spinning a globe by tapping it, when I tightened my fist, the celestial bodies in this world moved accordingly, presenting the desired menu before the customers.

Crack.

As I dug deeper into the electronic world, a throbbing sensation returned to my mind, which had been briefly relaxed.

Much stronger than before.

“Uwaah…!!”

Every storage device has a capacity limit. No matter how advanced technology becomes, it cannot transcend physical constraints. Similarly, my abilities are bound by the limits of my brain.

Isn’t there an illegal way to increase my intelligence stats instead of those implants!? Seriously, if the available memory could be doubled—it would significantly broaden my range of action!

I dissected the microcosm known as the research facility’s network within my grasp.

Compared to the entire capital, it was merely a single cell, yet a dazzling explosion and expansion took place, releasing information strands that felt infinitely vast… but I didn’t panic.

“Alright. I concede. I sincerely hope to be treated politely.”

– What the hell, now that!? –

In the corner of my hazy vision, a shared screen displayed Leonar acting nonchalant as if he had lost his wits, declaring his surrender alongside the shocked enemy troops.

…I’ve never ordered my opponent to be so thoroughly humiliated, but what does it matter?

The goal was to find the urgent communications created to report to the higher-ups with identifiable voices while controlling the droids, so this fits perfectly.

Moving carelessly while the predator is surveying the field seems just like saying “Please come and eat me~,” doesn’t it?

Huh? No? Then forget it. Still, it’s a fact that our group has consistently been a nuisance to them during this time…

“Hand it all over and get lost.”

Whump—!!

Breaking through the membrane known as the communication network, my hand grasped the information entity that was actively emitting signals.

Retrieving the squirming resistance that was unaware of what was coming felt akin to catching a fish snagged on a fishing hook… or grasping a pulsing heart.

Ah, wait a minute. Thinking about it that way feels a bit gross. Ugh.

“……”

It’s kind of funny to say this after causing such a ruckus, but honestly, I don’t exactly know what I’ve caught.

I turned the electronic world upside down with the single-minded determination to thoroughly neutralize the operator controlling the droids, but what kind of consequences will the destruction of actions even the slightest of which converted into code bring?

I paused when I saw the enemy’s muzzle pointing at Sir Léonard’s brain, situated in his chest.

That means I’ve decided to stop delving deep into the issue. It seemed like nothing more than idle thoughts since I’m in a safe location.

People tend to have different kinds of thoughts bloom when they’re full and satisfied. There’s no room for mercy toward the enemy, and when in a dominant position, it’s easy to become overwhelmingly thoughtful, and that’s problematic.

Krazz—k!

As I tightened my grip, the little kernel shattered with a degree of emptiness.

What a pity. When the pilot became absent, I hastily seized control over the crumbling droid squad that was about to fall apart before they sank to the depths.

And as I quickly commanded them, the posture I instinctively took… felt oddly like the stance of heralding “Attention!”

No, I need to reveal that it’s me inside. Avoiding that unsettling sensation, not only did I hurriedly deactivate the abyss dive, but also suddenly tens of droids were activating simultaneously, leaving me with no time to sort through any of it… Ugh!

“I don’t know what happened inside, but… that’s astonishing. If such a thing is possible, the headquarters might reconsider mechanization fundamentally.”

“……..Don’t talk now. I feel like I’m really going to puke.”

Despite the overly embarrassing praise.

As soon as Leonar confirmed that the neutralization was complete, he moved to unlock the storage door and entered.

Judging by the fact that he opened the lock in less than 10 seconds after connecting the access terminal to the entry panel, this man is definitely a hacker far beyond the standard level.

Hmmm, should I just hand over the droid control completely? Considering how calm he looks, he seems to be more relaxed than I am.

In any case, I’ve cleared one hurdle.

If I’m in this storage, I can take the loot and escape before the enemies come to their senses, ending it there. Even if I’m somewhere else, the computers inside can show the location, so I can break through the shortest route.

Even if I want to settle the chaos, considering the excellent risk level of the turrets I’m holding, it should have rightfully reduced the attention I could give to this side….

However, that was a judgment that might reflect badly on ignoring the dynamics of a company that tries to fundamentally eradicate any emerging problem.

I found myself reflecting on what could be described as a lax decision.

“…Anastasia. I’ll assist you as well, so can you focus more on taking control of the facility? The system is officially responding that it ‘does not hold’ my body, presumably due to her meddling.”

“Um… I could manage if it’s not too much trouble. Did you recover the surveillance drone I had launched for safety on the disposal site?”

“…? There’s no way I would have. Why are you suddenly asking such a thing?”

Well, it just disconnected, and the screen went dark, didn’t it? …Uh??