Chapter 235

“Ugh… I really thought I was going to die.”

With every word I spoke, sighs and groans automatically escaped my lips, fading into the night without leaving a trace.

Was my weak heart finally breaking free from the suppression of a bad situation? That’s one way to look at it, but honestly, it was the first time a day felt this long, no exaggeration.

After anxiously waiting until the appointed time, my roommate suddenly went AWOL.

It seems like they received some proper treatment, but after being knocked out cold by a chunk of metal, they ended up unconscious.

While some were on the brink of exhaustion from fighting on multiple fronts, the enemy leader suddenly committed suicide in tears.

Even at the end, when Leonar personally annihilated the remaining security team and cleared the way to the elevator, upon reaching the ground, I encountered a bizarre figure dressed in a tracksuit adorned with Japanese-style tattoos, nearly making my heart stop.

Who in the world strolls through a battlefield in a cheap gas mask and workout clothes?

Their arms were as thin as twigs, and I felt a chill run down my spine when they grabbed a soldier’s helmet, hoisted it up, and plunged a dagger into the soldier’s nape, all while staring blankly in my direction…

Fortunately, they must have had no business with me, as they vanished before I could call in the droids, but had they not, they could have been a serious threat.

Were they perhaps a mercenary who heard the commotion in the middle of the night hoping to scavenge leftovers?

Or a scavenger collecting things worth money near the outskirts, risking their life in the process?

Or maybe an associate seeking personal revenge against Exatech, or a contractor like me who had received a request?

…Honestly, I don’t really know anymore.

No, seriously! It’s not that I’m bad at interpreting things, but there weren’t enough clues to identify the masked figure I bumped into by chance in this vast Neo Haven.

Now that some time has passed, I’ve relaxed a bit, and according to my understanding, that outfit seemed like something street thugs or gang members might wear, so I have probably seen too much of it… Ugh.

“Ha… I guess I’ll have to keep a close eye on internet surveillance for a while. Since I don’t know their identity, I’ll need to monitor the deep web as well… Ugh, my head hurts.”

For now, there’s really nothing special to do on this commute home aside from moving my legs.

I was on the verge of tears, but after using the other machines as distractions, I managed to create enough chaos and then retrieved a droid that Leonar could temporarily store for me before escaping to a safe house.

After honestly finishing my “overtime” with him, I finally prepared my alibi and returned to the store that serves as a passage to the black market to catch a taxi home.

Huh? What’s “overtime”?

It refers to cleaning up traces that should typically be handled by lower-level technical positions, unless there’s a separate backing for this corporate nonsense.

In this case, both of them had returned from doing the hard work on the frontlines, but I’m the one who said I’d step in despite being told about the poor conditions. I have no complaints.

On the contrary, the parts I might overlook were pointed out clearly by our wanted fugitive and underground security chief, allowing me to learn a lot.

In the end, while I certainly struggled, I gained much more than I lost.

It’s not so much about the robots I entrusted, but more from the perspective of capability—I feel I’ve gotten a bit more skilled from pushing myself to the limit. There’s quite a difference between issuing clear commands and providing intent.

“Oh? It seems like you had quite a tiring day at work?”

“Uh, yeah, I think it was pretty exhausting.”

This time, unlike when I would talk to the residents who surely work at some decent company (not at all), I couldn’t risk letting that show on my face. I awkwardly smiled at the Plaza lobby staff who, while speaking, covered the dark circles under their eyes with their hands.

Ah, I’ve been through things that words can’t even begin to express.

I can’t just unload gory stories that ordinary people wouldn’t want to hear when they inquire out of politeness, so I’ll keep quiet. Yes…

Ding!

Just as I enjoyed the usual coolness with my forehead pressed against the elevator wall for a moment, I heard the sound indicating we had arrived at the pressed floor and stepped out without looking back.

No matter how good the cold felt on my drowsy body, it couldn’t compare to the coziness of home.

Going inside and resting would be the best course of action.

– Anastasia Valentine has been confirmed. How was your outing after three days? –

“…I forgot that useless feature was turned on.”

Grumbling about unnecessary embellishments from the facial recognition device by the front door, I tossed my shoes into a temporarily set box and stepped inside.

Finally, since I was back, I wanted to rest without looking back, but before I collapsed into bed, there was something I needed to remember to do. Something very important.

Unless the cause of the problem or the party responsible is clearly identified, it’s best not to develop a habit of looking externally rather than introspecting on my own shortcomings. I know that well.

However, while I unexpectedly became the breadwinner, I couldn’t just sleep without lamenting about our fool, who had been absent despite announcing they had things to do outside.

This whole experience was too filled with outrageous twists and turns; it would be a shame not to boast a little, right? It’s a miracle that I came back with my limbs intact!

“Zero, you homebody! Where are you? I just got back, do you have any idea what chaos went down today… huh?”

As I kicked something with my foot, it turned out to be packaging material.

Now that I think about it, the scene in the house was a bit… messy.

Packaging materials, protective padding, and empty boxes were scattered all over the floor.

It was strange how Zero, who usually devoted time to cleaning even for the smallest mess, let this go, and I felt an odd chill in the atmosphere.

A chilling silence filled the house, which is always bustling with background noise and the regular mechanical sounds of the carebots.

What’s going on, did they leave in a hurry? They did say there was something they absolutely needed to do, but have they not come back yet?

With an overwhelming sense of eerie stagnation that seemed like it could only exist in Zero’s absence, I moved cautiously along the trail of trash leading to my computer-stuffed hiding place.

“…Hey, Zero? Tin Can…??”

Suppressing the rising anxiety in my heart, I continued searching for them.

Inward, deeper inside.

I made an effort not to notice the scatter of bolts, nuts, and scraps of wires near the door. As much as I turn a blind eye, it wouldn’t change the fact that I had just returned home.

Rationality warned me that if any enemies might be hiding around, I should approach with caution.

However, my emotions urged me to open the door immediately and check what the hell had happened.

I gently pushed the slightly ajar door.

Half hoping that nothing was inside, while the other half hoped that Zero, who had likely been oblivious to my return while tidying up, would show up casually right now.

“Ah…?”

As usual, my dark hideout was in a state of chaos.

The electronics that should have been tightly shut were scattered across the floor, and wires that had been neatly organized were now tangled, casting ominous shadows even in the dim light. Some unfamiliar objects lay in one corner too.

But all these details didn’t quite register at first.

I couldn’t help it. What filled my vision was the final sight of a carebot. In the center, there lay Zero, with its chest and head armor completely torn off. How could I focus on anything else?

“…Why?”

Sitting on the floor, I groped through the brutally torn interior, but there was no sign of electric shock or even a slight warmth—only the coldness that had set in long ago.

Once again.

I ended up scratching my hand all over like back then, but didn’t care.

When, why, who, how, and of all times, now?

Various questions tried to spill from my lips… But strangely, my foolish body, which needed immediate feedback, clouded my vision.

“…”

I quietly embraced Zero’s unmoving head, contrasting with my trembling shoulders, biting my lip.

As if all the malice in the world would be drawn away from us.

★ ☆ ★ ☆ ★

A few hours earlier, right after updating Zero’s software and leaving home.

– ………5. –

Over the recent days, the carebot that had declared itself a loyal butler, having gathered information through close observation, calmly began the countdown.

– 4. –

The target would never move first or leave its position.

But if something special occurred regarding its dear master, it would respond in some way within ten seconds at the latest.

– 3. –

It had learned that unusual visitors or vibrations and sounds exceeding a certain threshold would prompt it to act sharply.

Conversely, even if the foe was virtually flawless, there was now a chance to strike.

– 2. –

When I asked Anastasia if it was alright to pass along issues related to other megacorps, she had expressed some unease but avoided causing a stir, fearing it could make things worse.

So Zero had refrained from excessively monitoring the local Paradise collection unit and no longer considered the potential threat from Haylong that might arise in the future, focusing instead on meeting his master’s expectations.

However, having such a time bomb placed before their private property was absolutely unacceptable.

Even if it disrupted every improvement it had felt was desperately needed and every planned schedule.

– 1. –

“!!”

Clank!

The doors swung open simultaneously on both sides of the hallway.

And a hidden blade, now replaced with a sturdier and sharper custom high-grade version, sprang forth.

The flash to eliminate that obnoxious Enema tracker who had emerged to follow Anastasia down the elevator, accompanied by Leonar’s guide robot, exploded into action.