Chapter 214

I racked my memory.

After passing through the event cutscene following the encounter, along with the diverse dialogue choices, the health point bar displayed prominently in the center of the screen, accompanied by a grand battle background music. And the imposing title written there, along with the lines spewed forth like a roar.

‘How dare you drag that filthy body into my personal space…! I shall shatter you into pieces and turn you into a research specimen—!!”

I compared the mad Sir Léonard (The Lunatic) attempting to persuade me directly before my eyes to a cornered Log Agent.

Even considering the fact that there’s no room for reason in a life-or-death battle, and that one can freely change the tone produced from a mechanized vocal cord.

It was hard to believe that the voice filled with malice and the calm explanation of the request being delivered to me at that moment shared the same owner.

“Hm… Do you have any other questions? I can only share detailed operations with you if you agree to go in the same boat, but regarding the outer details, I think it’s okay to reveal them to you since you’ve graciously listened to my awkward past.”

“……”

Worried that my interest might suddenly tip the scale towards rejection, Léonard, who had only been pressing me, momentarily stepped back.

If you’re struggling to smile, try pulling a bit.

Indeed, isn’t he rational and logical to the point it’s hard to hate him? No, just having a conversation alone brings such an unexpected comfort.

Sigh, it’s not just that he’s been through similar experiences. You aren’t actually from the 21st century either, are you?! Of course, not.

Where the heck have you been until now, showing up before us… Ah, so he’s one of the Black Market executives. He wouldn’t be wandering around like this unless he had a special purpose.

Thinking about why someone who claims to be a researcher was so obviously cooperating with unpleasant bureaucratic tasks that he didn’t want to do, it’s likely he realized, like I did, that a link to power is somewhat essential for personal safety if he’s gone through such experiences.

“……Then let me ask a few things. What are you going to do if I refuse? Are you just going to bring in another prospective hacker to proceed?”

I glanced at the date displayed on the cyberware.

Counting back from the performance test when I met him, today is already several months later.

From just the way he spoke, it sounded as if he had carelessly picked up rumors from somewhere and been fumbling around… even if I drop out, it might not matter….

“There aren’t many personnel. The time is also limited. If you refuse, it will have to be me alone. No, I’ll have to push a bit harder on my informant who shared internal news from the research institute.”

“…You mean you barely have any other team members?”

With a loud impact!

I briefly nodded, then shot a glare at Léonard, who was carelessly babbling madly. However, he only returned an answer that misunderstood the implication behind my question.

“Although I did escape in a shabby manner. I still have a friend who can feed me internal news.”

‘What are you so proudly talking about?!’

Was it a suitable joke to lighten the mood? Or a fabricated bravado? I didn’t think it was either.

He maintained a facade of calmness on the outside, but it might be more accurate to say that his impatience subtly revealed itself, suggesting there’s no option to delay or postpone the operation any longer.

Or perhaps… it might even sound plausible to say that all his nerves were entirely absorbed in an uncertain future, filled with hopeful possibilities.

“Then, what’s the special reason for rushing?”

“I don’t know what the rationale is, but I hear they’ll soon be moving my body to the storage facility of headquarters. If it goes to that location, it won’t be just a minor incident from an independent research institute. Unless I confess, it means I’ll never get to look in the mirror again.”

If we can strike now and finish it quickly, it is still feasible as a small-scale skirmish; however, delaying any longer will unrealistically force us to antagonize Exatech as a whole, so we need to act swiftly.

Even if it’s a sensible judgment, it’s careless to say that only a handful of individuals are responsible for executing it.

Overall, it’s too reckless. He seems deliberately avoiding discussing the possibility of failure or things going awry, which adds an ominous feeling.

Above all, the image of a railway rushing toward a cliff keeps surfacing in my mind, and my restless heart wouldn’t settle down.

What if… this is an incident that originally occurred in history as well?

If, as my instincts suggest, this ambitious reclamation offensive fails, and in reaction, Léonard plunges into a swamp of endless revenge and despair, wouldn’t that serve as an ideal background for the birth of a mad villain…?

After spending about a year that way, losing connections and being treated as a nuisance in the market, scraping by with a stroke of bad luck… how harsh could fate possibly be?

In that light, the signs of failure loom close. The shadow of death seems far too obvious, making it impossible to know what advice to offer.

Of course, Léonard is looking for direct assistance rather than just advice! But what if meddling in such matters leads to the scenario getting derailed… ugh….

“……Ha.”

I exhaled the breath that had been caught somewhere through slightly parted lips and closed them.

Having succeeded in expelling the entangled confusion with a sigh… a somewhat refreshing feeling.

Slap…!

In a sudden burst of impulse, I struck my own cheek with the palm of my hand, feeling the surprise radiating from him as he sat across from me, but the boost in morale was worth it, so I didn’t mind.

What confusion did I organize? Suddenly, I became aware that I was continuously looking for excuses to reject.

Just a while ago, I reflected on whether I had overly calculated my responses when facing the original characters, and yet here I was almost about to come at everything with the same messed-up mindset.

It’s truly despicable to be superficial and cautious when placed in front of someone genuinely revealing their weaknesses. Even a three-year-old would see it as bad behavior.

Is it the protagonist who will eventually face him? Not me? Well then, it’s not my concern at the moment.

Is there someone in this world who can hold hands with me, who is just contemplating leaving because I’m destined to die someday? Is there really?

Did Schneider’s family back in the day get overlooked because they were powerless women, and now Léonard is being disregarded because he’s a modified human? Considering a fight against a corporation, the absolute power difference is probably greater on this side, right? I could easily be labeled a discriminatory person from the 23rd century.

Ugh. In such a hopeless scenario, if I don’t step up to share the rare pain of a comrade, who will offer support?

It’s truly absurd that Exatech, boasting practically unbeatable balance against characters built for extreme hacking, expects me to simply participate.

Léonard should be grateful that my wallet isn’t tight enough to be overly concerned about compensation – though, we haven’t reached an agreement yet!

…Not that I plan on flaunting it, though!

“So, to summarize easily. While it may be difficult to offer substantial success fees or incentives, I plan to accommodate as much as possible, and since they’re not exactly above board, we’ll attack in a way that looks more like a spontaneous terror or accident. Lastly, I have a mole to keep tabs on the enemy despite the lack of actual teammates… Is that right?”

“……I apologize for the various shortcomings. You heard correctly.”

“Do you see my skills as sufficient?”

While it’s nice to receive high praise in a situation where alternatives are lacking, I was curious about where the confidence came from regarding the probability of success simply based on existence.

He let out a shallow chuckle, as if to say what a foolish joke that was, then nonchalantly replied.

“I haven’t had any grudges, but my drastically altered appearance is not just for show. It’s hard to explain the principles behind the incredible techniques you used back in the test area, but isn’t it more rude not to trust the detected readings and displayed abilities from the sensors?”

“Ugh…!”

At the point of deciding to lower my head and plead.

I was perplexed how such shameless words, free of any seed of suspicion or discord, would come right out.

Truly, it seems that all the people around here have corrupted institutions related to shame or embarrassment.

Or perhaps they know that speaking earnestly from their own perspective creates a great impression.

Sigh… How could this self-proclaimed heavy user of Neo Haven reject the plea?

Given that he took the trouble to approach me and ask like this, I guess my role now would be to ensure that the fire stirred up by Léonard doesn’t spread to the wrong places.

“Alright, I’ll join in. Just tell me how unfavorable the gap is, and exactly what needs to be done.”

“……Thank you for making such a tough decision.”

In a way, the moment I became more interested in his personal story filled with relatable aspects might be the conclusion that was inevitable, but that was strictly from my perspective.

Having declared multiple times that I was in a hurry, it seems Léonard appreciated my immediate response, bowing formally as he grasped my hand and shook it lightly up and down.

Here’s a mercenary willing to work without even demanding a fair price. Yes.

Isn’t this why networking is so scary? It’s actually impossible to outright refuse!

“Combat will be kept to a minimum. We’ll focus on neutralizing through facility hacking first, and then the infiltration unit will follow a basic strategy of a pinpoint breakthrough, getting in and out quickly. Despite being an independent facility, there’s already over a hundred security technicians and even more turrets and combat droids, so it’s risky if we drag it out.”

With a rumble… a vibrating sensation filled the air as the holographic schematic was projected onto the table by the projector attached to Léonard’s droid.

The overall layout of the facility, wiring diagrams, turret positions, and troop standby locations. Compared to the dreadnoughts stationed in the hangar, the symbol marking us is just a tiny triangle.

…Seeing it like this really feels hopeless.

“Alright up to there. …But is it really correct to call it an ‘infiltration unit’ when it’s only the two of us?”

“Ah, there may have been a misunderstanding in the expression. Let me clarify. To be precise, I will deploy all 50 of my prepared combat droids and 200 drones to the front lines, while you merely help with monitoring the situation from a rear base and assist with equipment that drifts out of my control.”

“I see… with 50 droids and 200 drones, managing them all individually is going to be hard. Hmm… wait a second, how many did you say!?”

“The total of limbs is merely 250. However, since safety is also a concern, there will undoubtedly be gaps in defenses that my main operator’s processing power cannot sufficiently cover. Thus, didn’t I request you as a sub-operator? Additionally, I’ll have to leave some measures for reverse hacking to you as well.”

“Huh…?”

‘Just 250’?! How much is that all together!?

Even though it’s a small-scale suppression operation… the combined forces deployed during the recent round-up at Rendezvous Casino were less than a quarter of that!

I’ll have to see what kind of firepower they’re equipped with, but even if we consider only medium setups, they’re preparing a force capable of turning an entire sector into a firestorm. Why is he only bringing this up now?

Seeing him scratch his chin as if lamenting a lack of budget.

Ah, since Léonard is originally affiliated with Exatech, his mindset is naturally calibrated to the scale of a megacorp…

…So, Mr. Léonard? If you had mentioned such favorable detailed conditions first, you probably wouldn’t have had to go through the trouble of finding me to come all the way here; you could have found a suitable hacker much sooner.

“Then I look forward to your support. The operation day is the day after tomorrow; I’ll send you off like today, so if there’s anything else you need apart from the equipment here at this base, feel free to bring it by then.”

“Ugh… I see. It seems there won’t even be time for a reconnaissance mission.”

Even though the tight schedule caused stress.

At least this time, I wouldn’t have to jump headfirst into the enemy lines, crammed at someone’s flank.

With the reassurance that I would only have to fight diligently in the virtual world, I sent him, who had returned to his door-to-door sales robot mode, out of the house.

It would be a job I hadn’t expected, but I had a hunch it could turn into a request worth more than I had anticipated.

– …. –

Usually, I would have been filled with significant doubt about Zero being particularly quiet, when he would have been warning me about various risks and diligently presenting his analysis results.

If I had sensed Léonard’s consideration to actively take responsibility for our safety or knew what ridiculous thoughts might have crossed his mind because he was up against Exatech, I would have at least mentally prepared myself for it.

…No, I would have definitely stopped it outright. Knowing that, he must have gone ahead with it on his own.