Chapter 6

A broken scanner, coolant dripping onto the floor, limbs and gloves gradually being torn apart.

This is the injury that the Tin Can sustained for not backing down and fighting the hunting dogs at the front lines, killing one Tracker in the process.

If this were a human, it would be equivalent to eye loss, severe hemorrhaging, and upper limb amputation. Despite being a critical patient that should go directly to the emergency room, it stubbornly insisted.

– Absolutely not. Instead, I would rather restore the elevator with the remaining power… –

“Does this sound like a request?! Or do I need to cut off the retreat with all my remaining power for you to understand?!”

Wiiing…!

Drrrrrr—!!

“Damn…!!”

It seemed to be aiming for a big explosion. The burned Tracker was bombarded with concentrated fire aimed at the connection point of Goliath’s flamethrower, which was removed using the turret.

[ Remaining power: 15% ]

– But…! –

“But where is the ‘but’ right now!!”

As the gunfire poured down and rockets exploded, the Trackers were busy hiding, but now they seemed to notice the weakened firepower, calmly controlling Goliath while destroying the remaining turrets.

Kwazik!! Kwaduk! Kwaang—!

Except for the occasional muttering, I wondered how they managed to coordinate so well without any separate communication. Thinking back, they could communicate using the implants embedded in their brains through a dedicated closed circuit.

Tears welled up in indignation.

Is it because the Trackers are too strong? Not at all.

These bastards were actually weaker than expected. In games, Trackers that appear early on are weaker, but there was a more fundamental difference. They are not properly modified ultimate humans. Not yet.

The truly complete Enema Corporation Trackers are madmen who even sell their emotions to the corporation.

Faster and stronger, that is a given. They should not only have ramped up their physical abilities foolishly like these others, but they should also be designed to fulfill their given missions under any circumstances. These bastards only look similar, lacking crucial functionalities. The proof is that when their subordinates died, there was no attempt at hacking the system, which had been a concern before.

I… I am so useless that this situation has become unfavorable.

Bang!! Bang! Kaboom!!

– Remaining 85mm rocket ammunition for Goliath: 6 rounds. Miss Anastasia…! The value of humans and machines is not equal…! Please make a cold judgment…!!

“You know it well…! You are a hundred times more precious than those bastards!!”

Emotions. Emotions are the problem. If the mission has failed, it is only natural to run away, but watching the foolish, stubborn Droid breaking down over the monitor, I simply could not prioritize my own safety.

……Wait a minute. Wait a second, there has been no hacking attempt, and the enemies have emotions…?

I manipulated the camera to confirm the burned Tracker. Unlike another one slowly working on the turret from outside, it seemed all its nerves were directed towards Goliath and the Tin Can. If that’s the case… could it be…!!

“Tin Can! Hold onto that bastard right in front of you…!! I’m going to exit from the control room now!”

– …Good luck. Miss Anastasia. –

Did he think I had chosen to escape? He gave a farewell as if it were his own choice.

Sorry, but I never said I was going to the elevator.

Wiiing…

“Hmm…?”

The Tracker appeared confused when it saw the external turrets being slumped, having recovered power. Since it was maneuvering using cyberware from outside the control room, precise control was impossible now… but it wasn’t needed.

Clunk…!

While continually monitoring the outside situation, I drew my issued Peacemaker automatic pistol from its holster and sprinted toward the laboratory’s main entrance. One eye on the camera screen, the other on the hallway, it was extremely dizzying.

I’m not particularly proud… but anyway, most Korean men have military service experience. I may not know the precise way to handle a pistol, but aiming and making a warning shot should be easy…!

Bang! Thud!! Bang bang!!

“!! Contact! Laboratory main entrance! Suspected modified humans or intruders…!”

“Huh! The so-called Enema Trackers are not all that incredible!!”

– !! Miss Anastasia?! –

Feet, knees, shoulders, head. I aimed to capture attention, but almost like a marksman, I formed a tight grouping of shots. I then immediately dropped the control wall intentionally slowly and counterattacked into the inside of the laboratory.

[ Control wall descent initiated ]

[ Remaining power: 14% ]

“!! This damn, tiny girl…!”

After all the chatter, finally, an enemy that was not a robot revealed itself. How would the Tracker react upon seeing me fire only a few shots with a handgun and begin to flee? Especially as the only escape route slowly disappeared…?

Come on in. The high-class modified human capable of dodging explosive rounds is struggling against a girl like this, isn’t there a blow to your pride?

And so. Even the one pretending to be calm could not resist my temptation in the end.

Bang—!!

The floor before the main entrance blew apart as the Tracker closed the distance, almost flying. It might believe it had excellently timed its entrance into the laboratory. But now you’re to play with me inside, you idiot…!

Shraaaak……!

Sparks fizzed between the combat armor and the ground as only one responding Tracker slid in. The camera caught the Tin Can, having exhausted all its ammunition, climbing onto Goliath and engaging in close combat with the remaining Tracker.

Just hold on a little longer…!

[ Control wall descent initiated ]

[ Remaining power: 13%… 12%… 11%…. ]

“Ha! If you keep running like that, do you think I would get so frustrated that I’d die alone!!”

“Haah… Haah…!”

I wanted to retort, but, in a body with bottom-tier physical abilities, my breathing had already gotten heavy, and I had no choice but to endure. I kept lowering the wall just enough for the Tracker to barely manage to slip through. Thanks to this, the Tracker kept rolling through the hallway and sliding without closing the distance, so for now, this was a success.

From the main entrance to here, I’ve already dropped four walls. The bastard is now way too late to return to assist its comrades. It didn’t even seem to have the intention to do so…!

“! You damn…!”

Bang!!

[ Remaining power: 8% ]

The last wall before the control room fell rapidly, separating the enemy from me.

If I could see the damage of the Tracker and the health of the walls like in a game, calculating the remaining time would be much easier, but… it was hard to expect such things in reality.

“Haah… Haah…! Huh…!!”

Thud….

If that bastard breaks through the wall, I need to position myself clearly. I leaned my exhausted body against the control panel and collapsed.

My breath was rising to my chin and continually interrupting my concentration.

Both the Tin Can and my body. The only things that can respond to my words perfectly are indeed the implants and cyberware.

“This &*^*)^& bitch!! %@^##…!!”

Wow… how angry must it be to be heard cursing after breaking through the wall?

Bang!! Rat-a-tat-tat—!!

Thud thud!! Thud!!

“Huuaah…”

As the control wall crumpled entertainingly one last time, I steadied my breath and heroically closed my eyes.

The mind follows the body. This has been my ultimate conclusion ever since I awakened in the test tube and was continually led by my body.

Until now, that simply meant helplessness, curling up, screaming, tears filling my eyes, or freezing like a fool. But now, this is a prime opportunity to bring out the strengths of this body.

A skill called Abyss Dive exists in Neo Haven.

It’s not exactly an exclusive skill that only players can use, but one of the advanced hacking techniques that frequently appears in the main story. It matched Anastasia’s profile well, making it one I often utilized.

While typical net hackers hack by looking at a monitor and typing on a keyboard, or engaging in endless calculations with the codes displayed on the retinas through their implants, Abyss Dive requires the hacker’s consciousness itself to be converted into an electrical signal and infiltrate, needing the best brains and best compatibility.

…Of course, in the game, that hacking process was replaced with a somewhat complicated and cumbersome mini-game…

During the story, a top-notch hacker from Emerald City said that since the consciousness leaves the body, one is completely defenseless while in Abyss Dive. In fact, if the connection is cut before the consciousness returns, the hacker becomes a vegetable.

To be honest… that is terrifying. No matter how much the characteristics ensure that I won’t become a vegetable due to losing the connection, this ahead is a completely unknown world.

There is no crazy person in the world who chooses suicide because they don’t want to die. However… for some inexplicable whim of the gods, if it involves someone else’s life, then humans are granted courage to overcome the fear and move forward.

“…Initiating consciousness transmission. Executing Abyss Dive protocol…!!”

[ Receiving signal… ]

[ Remaining power: 7% ]

And so, I ultimately cast myself into the world’s deepest and darkest electronic sea.