Chapter 221

The gunfire and explosions began to ring out crazily.

The ground shook as if an earthquake had struck, exposing the already chaotic state of Leonar’s business to physical depreciation.

As the infected masses and allies began to slowly drop like a heavy burden, it seemed like they had now really identified them as “infected,” with the unaffected pulling back abruptly and indiscriminately showering bullets.

Isn’t this scene a clear demonstration of Exatech’s advantages and disadvantages? Their machine-centric troops come with hacking risks, but since they aren’t real comrades inside, they can be discarded if necessary.

“…Ah, I really have to get out of here now.”

Having observed up to that point, I cut off the visual feed and rubbed my throbbing forehead with one hand.

With the other hand, I clutched my trembling knees like a quaking aspen and barely managed to get my body up.

The reason I chose the expression “falling” instead of fleeing is simple.

Even though this unrest was slipping out of my control, the ambiguous standoff on Leonar’s side remained as it was… So, I needed to find a place to hide my body and keep working hard behind the scenes. Tsk.

At least for me, my body and possessions were practically all I had, so it was a good thing. If I were another hacker, losing my base and equipment would mean immediate operational failure.

Lucky for you, Leonar!

“Ugh…!”

But, where on earth should I go to disappear right now?

The warehouse’s main entrance was impossible due to the chaos. The hole in the office… If I squeaked out there, it would be extremely problematic if I got spotted. Ah, there’s a small door back there.

I whipped my exhausted legs like a whip.

My ears were ringing with the violent explosions from ongoing external skirmishes, my overloaded head ached from all the connected devices, and I was slowly getting hungry as if I wasn’t even aware of it.

Anyway, the situation was so critical that it can be described as a complete mess. Thud.

“…Damn it.”

As I accidentally dropped the calorie candy I was taking from my pocket and bent down to pick it up, it might have been a kind of fated coincidence.

Whoosh—! Crackle!!

“What!?”

Not even a scream could escape me.

As I bent over for just a moment, a huge metal object swept through the position my upper body had occupied just moments before. Wouldn’t it be more natural for me to stop breathing in shock?

I did learn one thing. If your senses are dulled from using your ability too much, it can be hard to detect enemies approaching right behind you. …I must remember that.

There I was, fallen and staring dazedly at the mechanical arm stuck in the maintenance bay and then at the face of the one who swung it.

– Huh… These useless maintenance squad idiots. I specifically told them to capture at least one alive to check their memories! But they’re completely distracted elsewhere… –

“I was smart to borrow one of my Droids,” or “Controlling the satellite communication network is way too slow and problematic!”

I wasn’t sure who was repeatedly muttering these incomprehensible phrases, but judging from their appearance and the fierce first encounter, it was safe to say they were almost certainly not on our side.

“Damn, they say you don’t even mess with dogs while eating, but how many times has this happened already…!?”

– Wait! Where do you think this little hacker is running off to…! –

Taking advantage of the opponent’s focused demeanor, I promptly got up and dashed back toward the office.

It seemed like they were struggling to manipulate their body, as they couldn’t pull their arm out from the crumpled metal.

The path through the back door was being blocked by that damn thing.

In fact, if I had known their movements would be that unnatural, it would have made more sense to charge them rather than retreat… Oh, let’s talk about results later.

Either way, even if I had hurriedly sent electrical signals without a proper command, it wouldn’t have had much effect.

I had just seen thirty Droids caught up in the dogfight near the warehouse, and it was surprising that devices were still maintaining the encirclement.

Now that I think about it, it seemed the squad leader mentioned something about the outer team’s movements earlier.

Well, the MegaCorp employees aren’t fools, and it’s only natural to rebalance personnel to complete existing objectives, even if unexpected situations arise. Those annoyingly diligent bastards.

– Hey, there! Isn’t there nowhere left to run? That Leonar guy… no, if you can tell me about the contract you have with the client and how he pulled off this stunt, I won’t kill you… –

Thud… thud!

“Phew… Hoo!”

I forced my disheveled breathing back under control.

I was irritated by the combination of the opponent’s ramblings and the sounds of Droids moving inside, which piled on the stress, but I barely held it together.

For a moment, I considered summoning the infected army that was fiercely resisting outside, but suppressing a zombie situation at the start is definitely the best approach. Trying to force them to come help me now while they’re still small wouldn’t improve the situation.

Even if I managed to pry this one off, I would only be exposed to thicker and sturdier encirclement. After all, Droids could keep being replenished.

I had planned to turn that into an advantage for myself, but of course, I got struck at my most vulnerable moment.

Yeah… My weakness is direct combat, after all.

This is why I had been so careful until now, and I felt resentful toward the fool who had vacated their position somewhere. If they just appeared dramatically right now, I would totally acknowledge them.

Zero… I thought I was safe since they were performing rear support duties for Exatech, but my luck seems to be particularly bad. So please come back quickly, okay?

Ziiip….

As I pulled down the zipper of the jacket I was wearing, a chilly breeze brushed against my exposed skin, sending a shiver up my spine, but I tried to ignore it and tied the removed coat around my waist.

Why was I suddenly lowering my defenses?

Unlike the somewhat impromptu idea of a proliferating virus, I had thought of a contingency plan for fighting mechanical enemies with overwhelming specs in this way.

If I could hack from a distance without knowing their faces, it would be ideal.

However, in a surprise situation like this where there was no time or leisure, there was no guarantee that if I rashly reached out, I could win safely. If I died, everything would be over.

Unless I was diving into a sea of networks, my ability triggered by direct contact with my hands wasn’t…

In reality… I imagined it that way, thinking it was the most natural state, but originally the trait could have been anywhere on the skin.

In fact—although it’s not really real!—in Neo Haven, characters with that trait could cause malfunctions in prisons even while tied up, leading to an escape. I believed I could do the same now and had practiced a bit.

To put it bluntly. Anastasia, who has abysmal close combat capabilities, shouldn’t have any reason to charge me like I have some secret weapon first, right?

If I can win just by concentrating to make contact, it would be better to sharpen my thorns and wait patiently!

– …I was wondering if you had the guts to pick a fight with Exatech, but did you suddenly lose your mind? Why are you revealing that flimsy body out of nowhere? No, there’s no need to waste time answering each other. If you’re out of your mind, then just capturing you would be the way to go. –

‘You bastard… though I don’t know who you are, I’ll definitely find you later.’

“Go ahead and do as you please.”

Creeeak… as I crossed the threshold.

Following the operator, who was spouting nonsense, the Droid entered the office.

With the barrel aimed at me, I remained calm. I slowly raised my hands near my head to indicate that I had no intention of violently resisting, hiding my trembling lips from the verbal attack.

If they thought I had surrendered and let down their guard, that would be great. Even if the outer layer was insulated, once we got close enough, it would be advantageous for me.

Now that my disoriented focus from the surprise rear assault had somewhat returned, I just needed to disable this one and use it as a shield to escape.

While it felt somewhat cheap and humiliating, I took this intentionally low posture under the calculation that I would benefit regardless of how things went.

I believed there were no significant flaws logically. Even if my awkward acting led to them discerning my false surrender, I expected this appearance to call for leniency in many aspects.

– …Holding your head high is quite arrogant. –

However, that plan crumbled brutally in front of the painful truth I had ignored due to only meeting dignified people who built mutual respect until now.

There exists a pinnacle of foolishness in the world.

Among the higher-ups at MegaCorp, those with vaguely high positions are sometimes more incompetent and insane than the outlaws roaming the desert.

Whoosh…!!

The mere act of me holding my head up to meet their eyes was enough reason for another heavy iron mass to be hurled at me.

You would swing that at someone who came out to surrender as requested? Really? Even if I had a relatively nimble body that could stumble even against a Houndroid, do you know how much output a combat-purpose Droid possesses?

This guy is completely insane…!!!!

“!!”

My eyes widened.

In my head, dozens of arcane thoughts were demanding my heart to pump as if it would explode at any moment. Yet, as my vision slowed down, it appeared to be flashing like a carousel, threatening to make me vomit.

Commands about obeying me or guiding me to safety didn’t even pass through my mind. No, I couldn’t.

Instead, the only urgent thought that arose was instinctual rejection. Struggling at the edge of a cliff, with the simple and desperate premise of survival.

Stop, you bastard—!!

A bolt of lightning erupted from my forearm, drawn from the force of the energy supplement it had been fueled on.

I had not yet made direct contact. But the insulating layer nestled between the raised, hair stand on end skin and the overly close alloy arm, cutting through the air, was undoubtedly a bolt of lightning.

Crackle!!

From the arm to the shoulder, from the shoulder to the center. Even though that operator was still fine, it had clearly struck the Droid’s heart and brain.

I barely survived. Although there was no escaping that my face was shown to that human, as long as I could get out safely, that was above the critical point, and I could finally feel relieved.

……Really?

If this was merely a game happening beyond a monitor, I would have escaped unscathed. If my proactive response allowed it to happen in reality, this backlash might have been an unavoidable aspect of the brutal reality.

“…Huh?”

This is impossible.

I gave the command to stop, so it does. It’s only natural that there’s no means to resist my abilities.

However, even if the bastard swung his heavy object with all his might, would it really stop just like that? Of course, there would be a delay in transmitting that signal to the central nervous system.

What about momentum? Even when a person decides to swing their arm and tries to stop, by the end, it might still sway, and if a joint can’t control the movement, wouldn’t it slightly cross the boundary?

That meant even the incredibly superior Exatech elite Droid found no way to prevent the shock transferred to the object that had already struck.

Bang! Crash!

It collided and fell.

The very fact of falling is a conjecture. I could only conclude where my body ended up based on the loosened constraints, as my distorted and flipped vision and hazy consciousness flowed away.

Compared to the original strength, it was definitely a light hit.

However, the minor issue of being unable to endure that lightness was my downfall.

…Ah, if I had known this would happen, I should have tied the coat around my head instead of my waist. At least that would have reduced bleeding… No, perhaps it would still have been hard to endure.

Initially, I felt fear as my whole body ached and my face burned with heat; now, that warmth and pain felt achingly far away, sending shivers through me.

‘…Damn it.’

First came regret for having acted foolishly, followed by the frustration of having missed countless opportunities to win, and lastly, a surge of realistic concern rose.

‘I really can’t pass out like this… More support troops should be coming… Sigh.’

Thus, I fell into an abyss of unconsciousness, where the certainty of awakening was unclear.