066
I moved after confirming the information about money laundering sent by Heilas.
There were many ruins on the outskirts of Akbaran. There were many reasons for the ruins. Some were abandoned because development plans had been canceled, and others were abandoned because bad lawbreakers, driven out by gangs, were running rampant like rats.
The place where I was standing was also one of the abandoned ruins. The residents of the lower districts did not even come near here. It was a lawless area without even the minimum order due to the gangs.
‘The ground has become unstable due to excessive development.’
I saw the ground rising up in a bumpy manner. There were also places that were sunken in as I walked. In severe cases, the ground sank so deeply that I couldn’t see the bottom.
As soon as the ground became unstable, the companies involved in the development withdrew. Since then, this place has been a ruin.
Originally, it was intended to be developed as an office district, so high-rise buildings were densely packed together. As I went further in, I saw many buildings that were still under construction. Only the rusty frames were exposed, leaving a desolate impression.
“Around here?”
I walked along, guided by the retinal display.
Traces of the splendid buildings show the past glory here and there. It was a promising office district until the ground instability was confirmed. Several companies declared that they would move their headquarters here.
“Hey, listen up.”
An old woman with a hunched back and dressed in shabby clothes blocked my path. I looked at her and then looked around. I saw vagrants and outlaws moving through the shadows like rats.
“What happened?”
I asked, tilting my head obliquely.
“I don’t know what, what you’re looking for… … No, I’ll help you with guidance. As long as there’s a, an appropriate reward, y, compensation… … .”
The old woman came to me as she spoke, her dirty hands trying to grab my arm as if they were hanging on.
Kwajik!
I kicked the old woman. It wasn’t because I had some kind of noble pride. Don’t touch me with your dirty hands! It wasn’t even a symbol of that kind.
Because the old woman’s true intentions were obvious. A murder weapon was hidden in that pitifully bent back.
Knock knock, knock!
Four mechanical arms, like spider legs, sprouted from the old woman’s back as she flew away. She used the mechanical arms to hang on the railing of the building.
“Kick, kick… … .”
The old woman let out an ominous laugh and disappeared along the outside wall of the building.
‘I kicked it with the intention of making it half-crippled… … .’
I couldn’t hide my discomfort. It felt like I was kicking the air. With that level of reflexes, I would have done a lot of illegal modifications. It would have eaten away at my life and soul.
When the surprise attack failed, many of the eyes that had been staring at me disappeared. This was because they knew that I was not an easy guest. Those who were looking for easy prey would lose interest in me.
Thud, thud.
I continued walking, following the guidance of the retinal display.
‘The final destination of the money that has flowed away.’
Before this place became a ruin, there was a security company office here.
According to Heilas’ investigation, the company where the laundered funds were collected was Dedronin.
‘Premium security company for VIPs who require confidentiality.’
Here’s how to describe Dedronin: They didn’t take credit. Instead, they received intangible assets, such as valuable antiques, art, and sometimes information. That made it impossible to track the money.
‘VIPs who demand confidentiality would prefer untraceable forms of payment.’
The shell companies connected to the arena traded credits into untraceable assets and then made sporadic transactions with Dedronin. Sometimes they even paid indirectly through other companies. It would have been difficult to know the flow of events if you weren’t a high-ranking official of the Empire.
‘So Nikolaos also wanted to investigate further.’
As the whole story came to light, a suspicious smell began to linger.
Towering.
The arrows on the retina display disappeared, indicating that we had reached our destination.
I frowned deeply. I wondered if this was right.
Wheeeeeeeeee-.
The surrounding air was being sucked underground.
Looking down, I saw a huge cavern created by the collapse of the ground. It must have been at least a hundred meters in diameter. High-rise buildings that had broken off from the impact had sunk down with it.
Beep, beep.
I picked up the terminal and turned the map guidance back on.
I double checked and this is the right place, damn it.
I swore and stared down below. There were stacks of broken high-rise buildings, like toys. Somewhere over there was Dedronin’s office.
I looked down with a heavy heart and then jumped down.
* * *
Chul-chul.
The underground floor was filled with stagnant rainwater that had not evaporated. I walked around, checking the collapsed building.
I stood in front of a building covered in moss and mold. The building I was looking for had collapsed diagonally. The main entrance was a dented mess.
Chorus.
I went inside through the broken window.
Naturally, the building’s electricity had been cut off. The interior was still in the chaos it had been in when it collapsed. Disheveled household items were piled in the corners of the slanted walls.
‘The aftermath of the accident wasn’t even properly dealt with.’
There were also several corpses. There were also corpses with sharp iron bars sticking out from the back of their heads to their mouths. After a long time, the bones and iron bars were intertwined as if they had been one from the beginning.
A raccoon as big as my arm was hanging from the end of the rebar. The raccoon reacted to my movement and hurried into my skull. It was quite a creepy sight. My head started tickling for no reason.
‘Dedronin’s office is on the 9th floor.’
I found the sign hanging on the wall. Fortunately, it was undamaged, except for a bit of dust.
The collapsed building was tilted diagonally, so the balance was strange. I walked down the hallway, consciously compensating for my senses.
Step, step.
The stairs were broken in the middle. I climbed the wall and got to the next floor.
The building was broken and bent at the 7th floor section. As a result, the hallway was tilted so badly that it looked like a slide. If you lost your balance, you would slide down and fall through the window.
I walked forward, mindful of my footing. Soon I saw a sign indicating the 9th floor. The slope was even steeper here, so the hallway became a wall, and the wall became a hallway. The door was above my head. Everything was tangled, but there was a strange regularity to it, so it was like a geometric maze.
‘I feel like I’m going to get motion sickness even if I just stand still.’
Our brains prefer stable symmetry. I do the same. The strangely twisted space felt stuffy and unpleasant. The structure itself, which was out of sync with my intuition, disturbed my senses.
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I looked through the doors attached to the ceiling to find Dedronin’s office. After passing through five doors, I saw a sign with a few letters missing. I roughly pieced together the blank letters and it said Dedronin.
Kwajik!
I jumped lightly, grabbed the door hanging from the ceiling, and ripped it open. The clutter that had been piled up against the door fell down, and a thick cloud of dust that seemed to have accumulated for a dozen years poured down.
Even though I’m a person who uses my body a lot, I wouldn’t want to inhale that whole thing.
I took the filter mask out of my pocket and put it on. The mask opened to fit the contour of my chin and then stuck to me.
When you wear a filter mask, your sense of smell becomes useless. It also affects your sense of combat, so I don’t wear it unless absolutely necessary.
Knock, knock.
I stared at the pile of clutter, dusting off the gray dust from my shoulders and hair. Data chips and documents were scattered here and there.
Daughter.
I packed only the items that would be helpful for the investigation and put them in my fanny pack.
Knock!
After rummaging through the clutter, I reached up to the ceiling and entered the upside-down office.
OMG.
My right prosthetic eye glowed, expanding the wavelength of visible light. With my vision clear, I looked around the interior. It was a typical office scene in the Akbaran business district.
‘If there was an organization behind the assassination of Nicholas… … they would not have left any traces that could lead to a trace.’
The investigation into Dedronin’s office was a desperate attempt. Unless you made a big mistake, there won’t be much evidence.
However, the enemy that interferes with my investigation is thorough. So… … I will want to cut off the tail and completely erase the traces.
OMG.
I drew my sword. The Crucis, which matched the ruins, shone brightly in the darkness.
Before I came here, I had prepared myself. I had plenty of rest and had my body tuned up to optimal condition at the guard maintenance shop.
… … Today I am in perfect condition.
Click.
I put my hand on my chin and took off my filter mask. The stale air scratched my bronchial tubes and crawled into my lungs. It felt like I had smoked dozens of cigarettes at once.
“after…….”
I opened my mouth and tasted the air with my tongue.
The pungent taste of energy particles was mixed in with the dust, as if cloaked in obscurity. The particles were so minute that they would go unnoticed unless you had extremely sensitive senses.
‘The surest way to stop the investigation is to kill me.’
I didn’t come here to investigate Dedronin’s office.
‘If I come here alone, enemies will appear.’
Given the circumstances so far, it was almost certain. Since they had killed Nikolaos, there was no reason not to target me.
Ssuk.
I looked up and saw a window that had been empty just a moment ago.
But now someone was sitting on the windowsill. Even I could only feel the faintest presence.
“It’s nice to see you again, Luca.”
I knew who he was just by hearing his voice. His attire was the same sealed full-body combat suit as before. His red eyes were glazed over and looked down at me.
His name is Rick Silva Nunez, the Empire’s most wanted fugitive. AKA Rick Kaiser.
The man who broke my neck and rendered Felix helpless was up there.
I called for the guards’ support, but the signal didn’t reach the pit of ruins. Or maybe there was some kind of jamming signal nearby without me knowing.
You can’t expect any outside support. You have to get through it on your own.
Kiiing.
I took out the shock pistol ‘Ruina’. The preheating and energy bonding had already been completed. The blue light of energy particles was shining along the circuit from the barrel.
My personal weapon was prepared to face Rick Kaiser. Since my defeat, I have simulated a fight with him several times on my own.
There is no need to converse with subversive reactionaries.
Too- Woong!
I pulled the trigger.
Kwajangchang!
The energy-charged bullet exploded at the point of impact. The shock energy spread in all directions, engulfing the surrounding area in a circle. The walls and windows caught in the blast were charred and turned into shrapnel.
But Rick was already gone. This was expected. I made a big turn with my left foot as the pivot and swung Crucis backward.
Whirl!
Rick, who had approached my back, stepped back. He couldn’t even avoid it completely. The chest area of his combat uniform was ripped apart as if it was being torn apart by the tip of the sword.
I straightened my posture, turning Crucis out of my grasp. Then I extended Ruina in my left hand so that Rick was at a diagonal angle.
Rick said, his chest clenched in disbelief.
“… … You are a genius in battle. I didn’t know you could grow this much in such a short period of time.”
It’s the enemy’s compliment. But it feels good.
And I thought I would be happier if he died by my hand.
