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I too may have had some aversion to murder at first.
But I forgot when that disappeared. If you recognized them as enemies, you could kill them without hesitation.
Is it because of his innate aggressiveness, or is it because of the training and strengthening treatments he received as a cadet? We already know the answer. It’s both.
The past is the past. It doesn’t matter what I was like in the past.
The current me is a combat machine. A human optimized for fighting. If I take just one more step from here, I will truly become a ‘machine’.
Ta-Ang!
As soon as I pulled the trigger, the gangster who had just come up the stairs fell down. If I just roughly aimed at the head, the bullet flew right between the eyebrows.
The auto-tracking pistol was very convenient. I could concentrate on evasion and maneuvering without worrying about aiming.
It was the perfect thing for me, who wanted to reduce the load on my brain more than anything else.
‘In retrospect, it was wise not to change to a prosthesis.’
Cybernetic prosthetics put a strain on the nervous system in every part of the body, but high-performance prosthetics are particularly severe.
But the biological eye is not that good. I was missing a lot of visual information. Even the assistance of the retinal display could not make up for it.
The gangsters came out into the hallway and pulled their triggers without thinking. Suppressive fire poured down the hallway.
Toodoodoodoo!
I took cover around the corner of the wall and waited for the hail of bullets to die down.
Since I didn’t have a doctor’s note, I couldn’t even remember the basic information about the gang’s guns, ammunition, and companies. In the past, I would have figured out this information just by looking at it.
… … As the amount of visual information decreased, the resolution of the world also decreased. In order to observe detailed information, we had to focus as if we were enlarging and correcting a blurry image.
‘Everything has its pros and cons.’
As the amount of visual information to be processed decreased, the brain’s endurance increased. Even though information processing was faster due to the secretion of battle hormones, my head felt lighter than before.
Creak.
I just stuck my gun out and waited for a moment. The gun’s built-in automatic tracking system identified the enemy and calculated the trajectory.
Beep.
A ready sign appeared on my retina display. The gun’s muzzle moved slightly as it recognized the enemy and adjusted its aim.
Bang! Bang!
I lightly pulled the trigger repeatedly. The bullets from the auto-tracking pistol had rear wings, causing their trajectories to curve.
The bullets traveled in a beautiful trajectory and struck the gangsters’ heads. Now they must have figured out what kind of weapon I’m using.
“fu*k! What, what is it!”
“Automatic tracking? What the hell is this!”
The rest of the gang was confused. The automatic tracking pistol was an extremely expensive piece of electronic equipment. It was a luxury item that only the wealthy could afford.
‘The bullet speed is slow and aiming takes a long time.’
Considering its price, it had many fatal flaws. It was a weapon that could not be used against superhumans with enhanced reflexes.
The gangsters who checked my weapon hid under the stairs and continued to chatter without coming up.
“Hey! Don’t worry about the outside and just focus on the treatment.”
I shouted into the operating room.
‘Damn it, Gabriel. What the hell are you doing to make me suffer?’
Thinking about Gabriel made me angry. I wanted to wake him up and slap him right away.
“Let’s call the ‘cleaner.’ They’ll take care of it.”
The word “janitor” came up in the gang’s conversation.
No matter who comes, I have to defend this place until Gabriel’s treatment is finished. The stiff standoff continued for a while.
The remaining three gangsters did not run away.
‘There’s nothing we can do. It might get tricky as support piles up, so let’s reduce the number.’
I stepped out of cover.
OMG.
I expanded my range of senses. I perceived my surroundings as if drawing a circle.
As the speed of thought increased and the density of cognition became thicker, time became sticky like honey.
The gang shouted at me as I approached. Their voices came out slowly.
The gangsters just pointed their guns and shot indiscriminately.
Swish.
I looked at the gangsters’ arms and gun barrels and estimated the firing line. As long as I didn’t get in that line, I wouldn’t have to worry about bullet holes.
Thud, thud.
I tilted my head. A flying bullet grazed my ear and lodged in the wall.
I continued down the stairs, and the gangsters pulled their triggers. Every time, the bullets missed me and hit the wall.
“Did you dodge?”
It’s been a long time since I’ve heard such shock. I also found their ordinary reactions refreshing.
Creak.
I walked over as if I was taking a stroll and struck the jaw of a nearby gangster with the butt of my pistol. His jaw broke and his broken front teeth popped out. One man taken out.
“Hey, chew!”
Another gangster next to me bravely aimed his gun at my temple. I slightly extended my front paw and struck the guy’s hand and gun.
Ugh!
The hand that touched my toes was torn apart. Before I could scream, I reached out and grabbed the bastard’s hair.
Kwajik!
I grabbed the bastard by the hair and slammed his face against the wall. Two taken out. Only one left.
“Ugh, ah, aaaahhhh!”
The remaining gang dropped their weapons and ran to escape through the windows.
Creak.
I picked up my auto-tracking pistol and aimed it at the gangster. If I just pulled the trigger, a hole would be blown in the back of his head.
Swish.
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I put the gun down without pulling the trigger. This was not the fight I wanted.
‘It’s bland.’
They weren’t enough to satisfy me. It may sound crazy, but… … I needed a formidable opponent who would threaten my life.
My body, which had finally warmed up, was aching from the dissatisfaction of my desires.
I’m going crazy. The weak stimulation only makes me crave more. It feels like the threads in my head are getting tangled. I feel like I want to put a revolver with only one bullet in it to my head and shoot it.
I remembered the days when I walked on blades with my heart out. I missed the harsh missions the Empire and the Royal Guard had given me.
Stop thinking crazy thoughts. I can control myself.
Damn it.
I turned around and climbed the stairs. I had to go to the operating room and check on Gabriel.
Swish.
A tinnitus like the dawn breeze suddenly spread through my ears. My spine felt cold.
“under…….”
I let out a short laugh.
Archie’s Victima’s intuition is sending me a warning.
It’s a feeling so happy that it almost brings tears to my eyes. I don’t know exactly why, but I feel like my life is in danger. Something is targeting me.
Analysis and understanding can come later. Now is the time to trust your gut instinct and move forward. In a fierce battle situation where even time is being sharply cut, reason and rationality are one beat behind.
Kkwaddudduk!
The steps I was stepping on collapsed, and a rough hand shot out. Wild yellow eyes were looking at me from below.
fault!
I jumped up before the stairs completely collapsed and planted my feet on the ceiling. I dug my fingers into the ceiling to steady myself before gravity could pull me down.
I was stuck to the ceiling and looked down. I could see the enemy’s identity between the broken floor and the stairs. It seemed to be the ‘janitor’ that the gangsters had mentioned.
‘Alien race.’
There was a strange alien. Its outstretched arms were covered in hair and its claws were sharp and curved.
The alien that broke the concrete with its bare hands looked like a carnivore feline. It had the eyes of a ferocious hunter looking at me.
It was large and broad. It seemed to be four times larger than me. Underneath the fur, its body seemed to be made of muscle all over, and its savagery was further accentuated by the lightweight combat suit that only covered its vital points.
‘Crawler.’
I muttered the name of a feline alien race. A warrior race like the Equsians. If the Equsians were cold steel, the Crawlers were hot rock.
“Kurururuk… … .”
The crawler’s low cry reached my ears. The smell of the wildness stimulated my five senses.
I am human. Humanity has feared wild beasts since ancient times. This was the realm of instinct. Regardless of the height of power, I felt frozen.
‘That’s interesting.’
I would be laughing. My fingers were wiggling.
Guns and knives.
What should I choose?
No, that’s fine.
Crack.
I clenched my fist and went down.
* * *
A back-and-forth fight ensued. I fought back, blocking his attacks with my arms and legs.
Honestly, it was quite enjoyable. Every time the shock seeped into my bones, the world seemed to shine brightly. I really felt alive.
But perhaps it was my arrogance that I didn’t use a weapon. The crawler withstood the output of the prosthetic arms and legs that could easily shatter concrete with its bare body.
It seemed like it was a fairly strong creature even among crawlers.
But… … I am not just a strong human. I am an elite soldier from the Accresia Empire, one of the ruling nations of the planet Novas.
No matter how hard they try, a back alley cleaner is still just a gangster.
Creak, creak.
I rubbed the back of my neck and shoulders and turned my arms. My muscles were sore and numb from the vibration of the prosthetic hand that was at full output. My joints were aching.
“Thanks, it was quite enjoyable.”
I nodded my head as I said that. I don’t know if he understood me.
The crawler sat against the cracked wall. The wounded creature’s breathing was unusually thin for its size. It fought on, even though it must have broken bones and torn muscles with each punch and kick.
Eventually, the crawler stopped after sustaining serious injuries that left him physically unable to move. His life force was gone. If it were another species, his injuries would have killed him long ago.
‘Durability is really amazing.’
I touched my side. The crawler’s claws had only scratched at my skin, tearing my coat and clothes apart. I put my fingers into the gaping wound and felt warm intestines at my fingertips.
“hmm.”
I went up to the operating room where Gabriel and the medical team were.
“Oh, how, to, live… … .”
The medical team looked at me with wide eyes. The roar of the crawler was quite loud. The people in the building must have heard me and the crawler fighting.
“How’s the guy?”
I said, rummaging through the medicine cabinet. I saw an injector containing liquid bandages.
Chomp!
I gently pushed the injection port into the wound on my side and injected the liquid bandage. The white liquid hardened, blocking the inside and outside of the wound.
“Well, it seems like you’ve gotten through the crisis without any problems. However, since it’s symptomatic treatment, you never know when it might get worse, so you should go to a hospital with better facilities for a more thorough examination… … .”
The medical staff blurted out the obvious. His legs were shaking in fear.
I threw down the liquid bandage injector and took a deep breath. After fighting the crawler, my ferocious impulses had subsided considerably.
I stood beside Gabriel as he lay there. I could feel him stabilizing.
Gabriel’s complexion had improved. A soft color had returned to his face. Syringes of drugs and electric shock devices were placed around the operating table.
“Hey, wake up. I don’t want to carry you around for a long time. I think flies will swarm you.”
I reached out and slapped Gabriel on the cheek. Gabriel’s eyebrows didn’t even flinch.
“Huh, gasp! Eek!”
The medical staff were startled and ran away to the corner. It wasn’t because of me.
“Kurrrrrr… … .”
I turned my gaze and stared at the door.
There stood the crawler that had been half dead to me. It was barely holding on by leaning against the wall, but it was still surprisingly sturdy.
“What? You want to do more?”
I said, frowning. Crawler shook his head.
“Krrrrr.”
He nodded toward the hallway as if to tell me to follow him. It seemed like he was offering me shelter. My intuition was probably right.
“I have to take my ‘friend’ too.”
I nodded at Gabriel.
“Crunch.”
The crawler came and picked up Gabriel. When I picked up Gabriel, his feet dragged on the floor. However, when the crawler carried him, he looked pretty good.
As we walked out of the hospital, two of the gangsters who had come out to provide support were watching us from behind cover.
“Karrrrrrr!”
The crawler was openly hostile to the gang. The gangsters were confused and started swearing at the crawler.
“You, you’re a janitor!”
“On the topic of janitors… … .”
The gangsters only swore at him and didn’t dare to attack him.
The crawler in front of me can withstand my attacks. It can’t be stopped by any decent firearm.
“If you go inside, there will be injured comrades. Even if you live in a back alley, you have to take care of your friends.”
I pointed to the hospital building and gave them an excuse to avoid the fight. The two gangsters took a look and slowly entered the hospital building.
