Chapter 53

The day after Amon’s party made a deal with Rekhetio Corporation, Rekhetio began their work. There was something Amon’s party didn’t know: Rekhetio was the natural enemy of the Shonrai Group. They would dig up a corporation’s fatal weakness, pour capital into it, then sue them directly. They would profit from the difference in the plummeting stock price through short selling. This was one of Rekhetio’s methods as an investment company. Using this method, they would crush companies that were too large to be considered mid-sized but too weak in power to be called megacorps, either devouring them themselves or gifting them to friendly megacorps. This earned them the nickname “Megacorp Gatekeepers.” Shonrai, straddling the line between a large corporation and a megacorp, quickly became Rekhetio’s prey.

<Breaking News! Shonrai Group's Blatant Lies! Measures to Forcefully Reclaim Corporate Technology!>

To reiterate, the cyberpunk world isn’t lawless. The law is just applied somewhat unfairly. The law sided with the stronger, more just, and wealthier Rekhetio, and Shonrai was thoroughly hunted down without even putting up a proper fight. The technologies Shonrai held for the <Howling Darkness> dungeon were treated as illegally obtained and confiscated. Shonrai asked for help from other corporations that had profited from <Howling Darkness>, but no one sided with them. They had purchased the technology without knowing the dungeon was a fake created by Shonrai, so their technologies weren’t confiscated. If they sided with Shonrai, they risked being dragged down with them. Thus, the corporations cut ties with Shonrai entirely. All partners, even subcontractors, severed relations with Shonrai. Even Shonrai’s closest partner tried to distance themselves by leading the charge in the lawsuit.

“That traitorous bastard!”

News even spread that a Shonrai executive in charge of external cooperation had carried out a suicide bombing against a partner company. Shonrai was quickly hunted down. Rekhetio’s short selling caused a stock price crash, followed by a massive lawsuit and compensation bomb. Amidst this, all their technology was confiscated, and investigations into the bombing charges began. It was a dead end. Shonrai’s fate was sealed.

“Haha… damn it…”

The vice chairman let out a dry laugh and swallowed a red pill.

The next day.

The lawsuit was briefly delayed due to the suicide of Shonrai Group’s spokesperson, but under the judge’s threat of an automatic loss if they didn’t appear in the U.S. within a week, the chairman dragged his old body from Japan to America. The public could see resignation in the eyes of the Shonrai Group chairman featured in the news.

*

While Shonrai Group was being dismantled and stripped down to fertilizer, Amon…

“How’s it feel, Sonia?”

“Mmm… a bit higher.”

“Here?”

“Yeah.”

*Pat pat*

Amon was massaging Sonia’s shoulders after she got muscle soreness from sparring at the seminary. By the way, Sonia had taken first place in the sparring.

“Feeling better now?”

“Ten more minutes.”

“Gladly.”

Amon applied more pressure, loosening her muscles. Three months had passed since Rekhetio began the Shonrai dismantling show. During that time, Amon’s party hadn’t strayed far from their home. They weren’t the kind of fools who would go dungeon diving or training and end up assassinated like in a horror movie. They always followed the instructions of the bodyguards sent by Rekhetio, staying safe at home. Occasionally, they would go out for groceries, family school runs, or to attend court as witnesses, always accompanied by bodyguards. Unsurprisingly, Shonrai’s assassins would threaten them during these outings, but the bodyguards easily fended off the attacks. Aside from adding a bit of spice to their daily lives, they lived peacefully.

In the midst of this peaceful life, Sonia, who was receiving a massage from Amon, asked a question.

“Amon. How many months left?”

“About one more.”

“So you’re jobless until then?”

“Yep.”

According to the Chairman of Rekhetio, they needed about four months to secure a safety margin. Of course, one month was enough to render Shonrai irrecoverable, but since it was a large corporation, the trial dragged on a bit.

“Four months should be more than enough to completely neutralize Shonrai’s combat power.”

The four months were just the time needed to dismantle Shonrai’s private forces. To fully dismantle or acquire them, an additional two months were needed, according to the chairman. Because of this, Amon couldn’t train for three months and had to endure one more. Sonia asked with concern.

“Don’t you feel regretful?”

“If I said I didn’t, I’d be lying.”

It felt like hitting the brakes during a growth spurt, so it was a bit regretful. But it wasn’t all bad.

“Thinking of it as a period to upgrade the team’s equipment and adapt…”

Washing and adapting Shonrai’s equipment made the three months fly by. Considering it a necessary expense, it didn’t feel too bad. Besides, Amon didn’t just lose during that period.

“Capital is also a growth driver, after all.”

In this world, the financial power to buy equipment was also a factor in growth. And just a week ago, the technology royalties sent by Rekhetio were finally deposited, allowing Amon to purchase the equipment he had been eyeing. So, in a way, it was growth.

“Should arrive this afternoon.”

Originally, Amon wanted to buy Essence, but the Essence he wanted was far beyond his budget, so he bought equipment instead. It took a week to arrive from Germany due to multiple layers of security. Just as they say, speak of the devil, Amon’s phone alarm rang. Amon got up excitedly but calmed himself and first contacted the bodyguards. Just in case the delivery person was an assassin in disguise. Fortunately, the bodyguards confirmed the delivery person was safe. Soon, Amon received the package from a fully black-armored delivery person from the auction house. (He didn’t forget the tip.)

Humming a tune, Amon carried the box of equipment back to the room. Sonia was also curious about the contents.

“What kind of equipment is it?”

“Wait and see. You’ll know when you see it.”

Opening the box, entering the password on the black case, tossing the manual and bubble wrap aside, Amon pulled out…

“A crossbow and a pistol?”

Sonia tilted her head at the unfamiliar combination. In contrast, Amon was as excited as a child with a new toy, checking the items. He inspected the pistol’s chamber, pulled the crossbow’s trigger, and nodded in satisfaction. Then he went into his room, put on a belt, and returned to the living room.

“That belt, Paul made it for you, right?”

“Yep.”

The party Amon had once relied on, Paul’s party, had retired and opened a blacksmith workshop and explorer equipment store. The belt Amon wore was custom-made for him there. Amon holstered the pistol on his hip and attached the crossbow to the opposite side. Both were one-handed, so at a glance, he looked like a cowboy with dual pistols on his hips. Though the sight of him wearing the belt over his underwear was quite comical, Amon smiled contentedly. He practiced quickly drawing the weapons from the belt repeatedly. Watching this, Sonia asked Amon.

“Didn’t you used to throw daggers?”

“Yeah. But this time, I realized I needed a pistol and a crossbow.”

Originally, Amon preferred throwing daggers. They were more powerful and silent. But while dealing with Shonrai Group’s security team, he realized his dagger throwing wasn’t suitable for assassinating helmeted targets. This made assassinating enemies from the rear take too long. So, after the battle, Amon decided to buy a pistol and a crossbow immediately.

“The pistol is for general human targets, the crossbow is for those with thicker leather.”

Amon pulled the crossbow’s trigger twice, and with a *ting!* sound, the string loosened. Amon struggled to pull the string back. If even he, who could arm-wrestle an orc, struggled to pull it, the tension in that small crossbow string was unimaginable.

“This double-barreled crossbow was made by the workshop that made your gun, Sonia. Rumor has it they have some strange entity in their basement. This string is made from that entity’s whiskers.”

After struggling to load the crossbow, Amon also checked the pistol.

“The silencer on this pistol was also made there. They used the entity’s intestines. It only makes a needle-like sound when fired.”

Sonia’s eyes sparkled at Amon’s explanation. Though not your average girl, Sonia also had a bit of a gearhead streak. She showed considerable interest in Amon’s equipment. However, Sonia preferred overwhelming firepower over the finesse of an assassin like Amon, so she knew these weapons didn’t suit her. Amon nodded as he checked the crossbow and magazines, like a soldier preparing for war. Soon, Sonia was convinced as she watched him oiling his daggers and swords in his room.

“Got another target?”

“Yeah. Not today, but in a month. Something I need to handle discreetly, so I’m preparing early.”

“What about me?”

“Well, if you could come along, I’d appreciate it, but…”

“I’ll grab my gun right away.”

“What about your classes?”

“It’s almost break.”

“Thanks.”

“That’s why I’m in school.”

She smiled and immediately began checking her equipment. Even though there was a month left, they had to start early because the custom equipment they used took weeks to repair or restock. The sight of the two sitting side by side, maintaining their weapons and chatting, might have seemed odd, but they didn’t mind. Sonia checked a liquid-filled ampoule and asked.

“Ampoule checked. Silencer checked. Did you investigate the target location?”

“Yeah. Here.”

“Huh… a church?”

“Not a church. Call it a cult headquarters.”

The Sonia who knew Amon wasn’t the type to raid a cult headquarters and shout about holy war. Amon was a practical person. If he were the kind of lunatic who wanted to purify all heretics and blasphemers in this world, he would have nuked the Vatican first. In this world, the streets were filled with such people, but Amon had never once drawn his blade. Yet, if he was moving now…

“Aha. Did they do something to you?”

“Well… if you say they did something, they did… but it’s more like they’re planning something bigger.”

That answer was enough. Sonia didn’t deeply believe in any goddess, but as someone attending seminary and Amon’s lover, she had a bit of faith. Moreover, Amon wasn’t the type to spout baseless intuitions. Sonia trusted Amon’s judgment and prepared for battle. Meanwhile, Amon recalled why he was going to the cult headquarters.

Originally, Amon had no intention of stirring up the cult. Strictly speaking, all the thousands of churches in this world had strayed from their roots, and it wasn’t feasible to destroy them all. So, his conversation with Cash’s brother was just a passing incident. But a few days ago, a call with Cash changed his mind.

[Amon… my dad’s been acting strange lately.]

[A few days ago, I overheard him in his room… he was using the word ‘revelation.’]

[Ah, don’t get me wrong. It’s not like he’s influenced by my brother or anything? But he seems to be blindly believing in the word ‘revelation.’]

Megacorp chairmen aren’t stupid. They are endlessly rational and cold about money and power. For such a chairman to mention ‘revelation’…

‘There’s something.’

Something that must not be overlooked.