Chapter 74: Andromancer (3)
Mage.
A being that embodied the source called mana into magical power and bound it into the surreal phenonon known as magic.
The magic formulas they manifested showed striking differences depending on talent.
The Ice Arrow of a mage who could barely manifest magical power and the Ice Arrow of a mage with outstanding talent were worlds apart in quality.
However, as the level of magic rose, those differences gradually narrowed, because rely completing high-tier spells—each possessing trendous destructive power—already required extraordinary skill.
But.
‘This is Hanging Ice Scenery……?’
A spell ranked fairly high even among cold-type magic combinations.
Iris, who carried countless spells and their combinations entirely in her head, knew very well what level of magic Hanging Ice Scenery was.
An area-of-effect spell that poured down icicles about 15 cm long within a 20 m radius.
There was no doubt that it was a powerful spell, but the destructive force of the magic unfolding before her eyes now had far surpassed the bounds of common sense.
Not 20 m, but a violent gale swept through the entire wide corridor.
Not 15 cm icicles, but elongated projectiles long enough to be called spears plunged downward.
And they were black icicles, frozen with Black Ice—an attribute-awakened mana.
That overwhelming magic pierced straight through the torsos of the androids.
The machines thrashed as they were embedded deep into the floor, like pinned insects.
[Report what just happened, Iris.]
Miller, positioned below, contacted us, having sensed the unusual surge of mana.
But instead of answering, Iris pulled all the charging androids back.
‘Changing strategy?’
Reading the movent, I calmly assessed the situation.
Urgency had crept into the Andromancer’s face, which until just monts ago had looked relatively relaxed.
The androids began gathering around the giant that had now fully revealed itself.
‘It’s huge.’
Though it only had an upper body, it was massive enough that its head nearly brushed the high ceiling of the Mana Reaction Chamber.
When the Andromancer riding on the giant’s shoulder placed a hand on its skin, the thing shoved its right hand deep into the Catacomb entrance.
‘What is he trying to do?’
Was he planning to replace even the right hand with an artifact?
With that thought, I hurriedly replenished my mana through the mana-injector implant.
As fresh mana was fed into my mana circulation system, vitality spread through my body.
〈Master, if you don’t stop it now…….〉
〈I know.〉
Pajijijik……!
I hadn’t fully recovered from the recoil of White Thunder Art yet, but this was an ergency.
There wasn’t even ti to combine it with another spell, so I grasped a single, powerful one.
‘Heaven Strike (天擊).’
A single bolt of lightning that caused a massive explosion at the point of impact.
A force known as divine punishnt descending from the heavens.
‘He blocks projectile-type attacks easily enough.’
But could he block magic unleashed at the speed of lightning?
It wasn’t hard to find out.
I thrust my hand forward, power surging violently within it.
Kwa-gwang……!
With an ear-splitting roar, a white bolt raced down the corridor.
A burning pain tore through my entire arm from the recoil of White Thunder.
That only ant the power was unquestionable.
Sensing the spell, the Andromancer hastily positioned several androids as shields.
But such fragile machines couldn’t possibly block the magic.
The lightning tore the androids apart as it rushed toward its target.
Yet the power of the artifact created by Magnus was no trifling thing.
Kiiiiiiing……!
Once again, Edel’s left hand brought the magic to a halt.
The frozen lightning spat violent sparks in all directions, as if protesting.
But it couldn’t hold out long and soon lost its power, scattering away.
At the sa ti, the artifact lost yet another finger.
“I should have done this from the start.”
Uuung…….
The giant emitted a peculiar resonance as it pulled out its right hand.
A palm gleaming with silver light appeared.
〈Porta’s Silver…….〉
Not the hand itself, but the silver coating on its surface was the artifact—an exceedingly unusual item.
It possessed the ability to exert crushing force over an area equal to the plated surface.
Uuuung……!
The giant rose, lifting its hand high.
Even that alone made it feel as if I were already being pressed down.
‘This is dangerous…….’
It wasn’t just a vague sensation.
It was a premonitory symptom of the power the artifact was about to unleash.
Soon, the giant’s right hand spread wide with a sharp crack, scattering silver fragnts chaotically.
Then it slamd down with all its might onto the ground before it.
‘Ugh……!’
I imdiately reinforced my legs with mana and kicked off the spot.
Boom……!
With a deafening crash, a palm-shaped crater was carved into the place where I had been standing just monts before.
The aftershock made my body stagger.
‘What kind of force is that…….’
Regaining my balance, I looked at the giant.
An Andromancer wielding not one, but two different artifacts.
On top of that, androids with formidable specs were also creeping out of the Catacomb.
〈Ar. That left hand of Andel’s—don’t tell it can even stop a person?〉
〈That much information is……〉
Before Ar could finish speaking, the giant’s left hand turned toward .
‘Damn it……!’
Kiiiiiiing……!
A dreadful noise rang in my ears.
I hastily slamd mana into my body and leapt away, but—
Whether I was caught at the very edge of the artifact’s range, my right foot froze in midair.
〈M-Master……!〉
The rest of my body could move, but my right foot wouldn’t budge, as if it were pinned down by so imnse force.
As I stood there, the giant once again raised its silver-flashing hand.
In that brief instant, tens of thousands of thoughts raced through my head.
Could I endure the weight pressed down by Porta’s Silver?
As far as I knew, the artifact’s maximum output exceeded 1,500 tons.
There was no body in the world that could withstand that.
Then how could I escape?
No matter how much I struggled, I couldn’t move even a toe of my right foot.
That power had already stopped magic of trendous force—trying to break free from it was a foolish idea from the start.
Then what remained was…….
“…….”
Cut it off.
〈Master, what are you thinking—〉
I hurriedly ford a sharp sword out of Black Ice.
There was no ti to hesitate.
The giant’s right hand was already poised to smash down.
Slash……!
The alloy-modified skeletal fra was severed cleanly.
“Guh……!”
A burning pain surged through , but there was no ti to dwell on it.
Leaving my severed right foot behind, I hurled my body away.
At the sa ti, a thunderous impact echoed as the hand struck the ground.
Kuuuung……!
My right foot was crushed beyond recognition.
The force shattered the floor and punched through three more levels below.
‘A sword?’
Faced with the unexpected turn of events, Iris narrowed her eyes.
‘Looks like a multi-position type.’
A Spellcaster who had mastered lee Mage techniques.
It was a combination that was extrely difficult to master, since it required fully learning two completely different combat styles, but once completed, it was a position that boasted outstanding combat ability in proportion to that difficulty.
However, to Iris, who had already fought at quite a high level until now, it wasn’t a particularly unusual opponent.
“That’s so impressive ntal fortitude.”
Along with the Andromancer’s praise, one joint of the giant’s left finger glowed and vanished.
“But how many tis do you think you can endure in that state?”
Blood dripped steadily from the severed wound.
It was a situation where even standing, let alone walking, was difficult.
“Don’t worry. It won’t hurt, at least.”
“…….”
“Being crushed only lasts for an instant.”
The giant once again lifted Edel’s left hand.
And at the sa ti.
‘You think you’re the only one?’
I clenched my molars hard.
‘Artifact.’
I could feel the power in my teeth dropping sharply.
Now it really felt like I only had about one chance left.
I pushed those worries aside for later.
What was the most effective ans of attack I could unleash right now?
Any magic projected head-on had to be considered completely blocked.
I had to aim for an attack from a blind spot sohow, but there was no way to approach.
‘Even if I increase my speed with Leigong, I’ll get caught by that left hand.’
Then there was only one option left.
‘Hide my body.’
I brought my hand toward the mana core near my heart.
Then I released a wide-ranging wave of ice.
‘Black Ice Zone.’
Paaang……!
More precisely, it was a spell derived from it.
Shimring black ice beca a smokescreen, obscuring the surroundings.
‘First, I need to do sothing about my foot…….’
I temporarily froze my ankle with ice to maintain balance.
The wound freezing over and stopping the bleeding was a bonus.
“……?”
At the sudden eruption of the black smokescreen, the Andromancer’s expression stiffened.
“Are you running away?”
He soon regained his composure and issued a command to the giant.
“Sure, well. It was a decent attempt.”
The right hand plated with Porta’s Silver sliced through the air as if fanning it.
An imnse gust roared forth, and in an instant the smokescreen was swept away.
“……?”
But the mage was no longer there.
Clearing the smokescreen near the passage in anticipation of my escape was the wrong answer.
“What the…….”
Instead, I appeared directly behind the giant.
The Black Ice sword in my hand traced a pitch-black straight line toward its left arm.
“You have to pay the price.”
Uuuung……!
One arm was completely severed, and the giant staggered violently.
“That was a pair of shoes I really liked, you know.”
“……!”
Kuoong……!
Edel’s left hand attached to the arm rolled uselessly across the floor.
As the giant lost its balance, the Andromancer riding on its shoulder also wobbled.
My sword seized that opening.
Slash……!
Sothing was definitely cut.
But it felt like cutting tal, not flesh.
“…….”
The Andromancer blocked my slash with a hastily deployed Junk Shield.
A crude shield made by clumping together miscellaneous machines.
‘Tch, if it had been a Spirit-Carrying Sword, I would’ve cut it clean through.’
Swallowing my regret, I gripped the sword again.
At that mont, a filthy hand suddenly burst out from the shield.
‘What the hell is this.’
A grotesque hand made of scrap lunged toward my collar.
Frowning as I looked closer, I saw that even the hastily made shield had an Electrosphere Wraith embedded in it.
[St, sto, op, t, ten, pl, ple, ase.]
A half-remaining head spat out fragnted sounds as it tried to grab , but this was far from enough.
I shifted my body slightly back and swung my sword again.
But at that mont.
“……!”
Suddenly, my body stopped responding.
“Looks like this is your first ti fighting an Andromancer.”
Kiiiiiiing……!
Instead, a spine-chilling sound rang out from the severed arm below.
“You should have pulverized it completely, not just cut it off.”
‘Insane…….’
The artifact was still operating even after being detached……?
No matter how chanical it was, controlling even the severed parts shouldn’t have been possible.
“How many wraiths do you think this giant was made from?”
But if every organ was being controlled separately.
That kind of absurdity beca possible.
“You really gave a hard ti.”
The Andromancer stepped forward from behind the shield.
Perhaps my slash had grazed her face—blood was trickling down beneath one eye.
“You’re the first one to push this far.”
She removed her mask and t my gaze.
A slender face and skin so pale it was almost ghostly.
Her lower jaw was chanical, and she muttered sothing softly.
“Iris.”
“…….”
“The na of the one who will kill you.”
Then she pulled a cyberdeck from her bosom and drew out a long jack.
“And it’s also your master’s na.”
‘Is she…… trying to turn into a wraith…….’
She would forcibly connect to the Electrosphere and then cut off the life of my physical body.
That way, an avatar of the Electrosphere that had lost its place to return to would transform into a wraith, becoming an existence that could never truly die.
But in her movents, I noticed sothing.
‘That ans it’s not an artifact that freezes the entire surrounding space.’
The power of the Seed.
An awakened ability that even I, with the power called ‘Eyes that Perceive,’ couldn’t fully grasp.
Still, if I focused closely enough, I could identify even that.
Just like when I had figured out the ability related to Kaztikan’s clone.
‘If I look just a little more…….’
The Andromancer began approaching slowly.
At that mont, the Electrosphere Spirit in my arms poked its head out.
〈Master……!〉
〈No, Ar, stay still for just a mont…….〉
Suddenly, Ar burst out, swelling its body and pouncing on Iris.
Even at that attack, the Andromancer didn’t flinch.
That was because another Electrosphere Spirit, shaped like a shark, appeared from sowhere and tore into Ar.
〈……!〉
〈Ar……!〉
“Right. You had an Electrosphere Spirit too, didn’t you?”
A land beast and a sea beast tangled together, biting at each other.
Watching that, I realized one more thing.
‘Wait, Ar can move?’
“Don’t worry. I’ll take good care of that spirit.”
Heh heh, letting out a soft laugh, she aid the jack in her hand toward the back of my neck.
‘An ability that stops designated targets within a certain range…….’
My gaze shifted toward my hand, which had completely frozen in place.
As I strained to look at it, sothing faintly began to co into view.
‘That is…….’
Sothing like a shackle, tightly constricting my hand.
Along with it, a certain phrase surfaced from my brother’s mories.
‘Suppressing Ring.’
It was an ability once possessed by Seed, who had been my brother’s comrade.
And the ability I had always considered the most important.
But he had not been called ‘Edel.’
‘The ability manifested through this artifact right now isn’t complete.’
Was it because the arm had been severed?
Or was it the limitation of an artifact rely imitating the real thing?
A way to escape the suppression crushing down on ca to mind.
‘If I change my body’s form through full spiritualization…….’
What this ring restrained was the human body called Diesel.
But if I transcended that bodily shell through spiritualization.
I could definitely escape this situation.
‘But it can’t be half-spiritualization.’
Like Research Director Siena had done, I would have to completely abandon the human body.
Perhaps to the point of never being able to return to my original form.
But such hesitation was a luxury.
“I’ll leave your corpse in the most visible spot in the Catacomb.”
Just as she was about to forcibly summon the water spirit Nereid.
“…….”
Suddenly, Iris’s movents stopped.
‘……?’
What was going on?
It seed to be sothing even she hadn’t anticipated, as confusion spread across her face.
As the two sets of eyes looked at each other in mutual doubt.
A familiar voice drifted up from below.
“Diesel……was it?”
Soon, soone ca into view.
Extending her left hand toward Iris.
It was Kang Da-hee.
Neo-Joseon Cyberpunk
Suppressing Ring
It felt like a dream.
Hearing my mother’s voice again.
-Daughter, you have a power more special than anyone else’s.
I wanted to speak, but no voice ca out.
I wanted to touch her, but my hands wouldn’t move.
-And you have a very important mission.
I knew it wasn’t real.
Even knowing it was nothing more than fragnts of mory.
-My daughter will beco a hero who saves the world.
My mother’s expression, her gestures, her warmth, her breath…….
Everything felt too real.
-Mother already knows. What kind of person my daughter will beco in the future.
I desperately wished it wouldn’t end.
I would have been fine living forever in these mories.
-I’m sorry for leaving you behind with such a heavy burden.
Just being able to look at her like this was enough, so please.
Please, I begged for this mont not to end.
-Mother believes in you.
But at those words.
At her saying she believed in .
-My daughter can do it.
I had to steel myself anew.
-So now, open your eyes.
When I opened my eyes as my mother said.
A power I hadn’t realized until now was clenched in my grasp.
‘I can move…….’
Iris couldn’t believe what had just happened to her.
This power was clearly the binding force emitted by ‘Edel’s Left Hand.’
But how?
‘Don’t tell , that woman……?’
An artifact said to wield Seed’s power—Edel’s Left Hand.
A powerful ring that suppressed all actions.
‘I heard that the one who could wield this power had disappeared from the world…….’
What bound her body was undeniably a power derived from Seed’s ability.
“Diesel……was it?”
The woman called the mage’s na before her.
There was no room to even reason out what was happening.
Those two were obviously on the sa side.
‘I got too careless.’
If only I had a little more ti.
I shouldn’t have let my guard down until the very end.
But it wasn’t over yet.
Iris was soone who had long handled Seed’s power through the artifact known as ‘Adel’s Left Hand.’
‘Fortunately, the power isn’t perfect.’
She couldn’t die like this.
She began preparing, slowly and deliberately.
The only ans of escaping from the Suppressing Ring.
“Kuh…….”
Soon, the restraint binding was released.
At the sa ti, all the fingers of the giant’s left hand lying sprawled on the floor glowed and vanished.
‘Kang Da-hee…….’
Looking down, I saw Kang Da-hee extending her hand, binding the Andromancer.
I ended up owing my life, one way or another.
‘If I had used spiritualization, I could’ve broken free with my own power…….’
But such an extre thod would have carried enormous backlash.
To escape, I would have had to undergo full tamorphosis into a complete spirit, not half-spiritualization.
In the past, the Spirit Mage Siena had even sacrificed her life to achieve that.
‘Anyway, my prediction was right.’
Seed’s ability—the Suppressing Ring.
That overwhelming power once possessed by one of my brother’s comrades also resided in Kang Da-hee.
It was the power to control a ‘ring’ that bound all actions.
‘I didn’t know it functioned like this, though.’
I knew it was powerful, but to think it was strong enough to even stop Lightning-type magic.
It really was the right choice to rank its importance so highly.
‘Did she awaken her own ability while recalling those mories?’
I didn’t know what mory she had revisited.
I could only assu it was sothing about how to wield Seed’s power, given that she could now use it.
“You told to beco a Ghostcatcher.”
Kang Da-hee looked at with a resolute expression.
“And to side with you.”
“Yeah.”
Her expression had completely changed from just monts ago.
That was the face of soone who had made up their mind.
As if she had made one of the most important decisions of her life.
But there was still an enemy we had to deal with.
“We’ll talk details later.”
Kang Da-hee stopping the Andromancer with Seed’s power was practically a declaration of which side she stood on.
I raised my sword toward the immobilized Iris and brought it down without hesitation.
Kang……!
But the Junk Shield nearby threw itself forward to protect its master.
anwhile, below, the androids that had climbed up from the Catacomb began to move.
They stretched out their hands and sward toward Kang Da-hee, who was concentrating.
〈Nereid.〉
〈This place is fine, don’t worry.〉
The water spirit that had been circling Kang Da-hee spread a hemispherical barrier around her.
The rushing machines collided with the raging current and shattered into pieces.
〈Master……!〉
At so point, Ar had also cut off the shark-shaped spirit’s lifeline that had attacked it.
Now all that remained was to deal with the Andromancer herself.
‘Cut and cut and it just doesn’t end…….’
A Junk Shield made by clumping together crude tals.
Its durability was terrible, but the severed fragnts were imdiately used to patch other parts, so its volu never decreased.
It wasn’t completely impossible to pierce through, but since it regenerated endlessly, it was obvious that continuing like this would take a considerable amount of ti.
‘I used a sword to finish this quickly.’
In the end, I began forming magic in my hand.
A spell powerful enough to punch through this kind of scrap in one go.
But before I could even fully manifest the mana.
[Diesel, huh.]
Iris’s voice rang out, blood dripping steadily from the corner of her eye.
[I’ll rember it clearly.]
Soon, her body blurred like black mist.
‘Wraithification…….’
The Andromancer’s final technique, transforming into an Electrosphere Wraith.
Once used, returning to one’s original form was nearly impossible, so it was a move saved for the absolute last mont.
“Ugh……!”
Perhaps because Iris’s restraint was suddenly released, Kang Da-hee, who had been maintaining her power, staggered.
〈Master, get out of there now!〉
Along with Ar’s warning as it fought the androids below, the giant I was standing on began to collapse.
‘…….’
All the surrounding machines fell over like robots with dead batteries.
The wraiths that erged from them then moved sowhere at trendous speed.
‘Toward the Catacomb.’
Like water draining from a bathtub, the pitch-black, tangled wraiths were sucked toward the entrance of the underground tomb.
Iris, who had been right in front of , was no exception.
[You can look forward to next ti.]
Now that she was in a wraith state, no physical attack would work.
It was similar to an unmanifested spirit.
‘Wait…….’
Suddenly, the image of Ar devouring Electrosphere Wraiths ca to mind.
〈Ar!〉
〈I know……!〉
Reading my thoughts, Ar charged toward the Andromancer fleeing into the Catacomb.
The Electrosphere Spirit, transford into an ash-gray beast, opened its jaws wide.
[What……!]
Realizing too late what I was trying to do, Iris’s speed as a wraith increased sharply.
But Ar’s dash was just a little faster.
[Gyaaaah……!]
The spirit took a huge bite.
Could wraiths feel pain?
With a scream, one of Iris’s arms was torn off.
Ar swallowed it in an instant, then opened its mouth wide to take another bite.
But that was as far as it was allowed.
〈If you go any further, it’s dangerous.〉
The rest of Iris’s body had already crossed into the Catacomb’s boundary.
If Ar pushed too far, it might get dragged in as well.
[I will…… I will definitely kill you……!]
Spitting out a threat thick with resentnt, she gradually faded away.
I stared at her coldly.
“You talk too much.”
[You bastard……! You…… I will…… definitely……!]
Iris glared with her eyes wide open until the very end, pouring out words, before finally scattering like dust along with the Catacomb.
“Hoo…….”
There was no ti to even catch my breath.
I turned my body and approached Kang Da-hee.
“Your…… foot…….”
She must have noticed that my ankle had been severed, as she trailed off with a slight look of shock.
But soon, her expression hardened again.
“There’s no ti. Follow closely.”
Perhaps she judged that getting out of here required listening to .
Even without any detailed explanation, she followed without complaint.
Moving quickly down the corridor, we reached our destination, where Heavyskull lay collapsed on the floor.
I first cut off its arms and legs so it couldn’t pull anything funny.
Since it was a full-body prosthetic rather than flesh, blue electrolytic fluid burst out instead of blood, crackling with electric sparks.
Even so, it seed to feel pain, as the skull that had been unconscious ca to.
“Gah……! Y-you……! What are you doing right now…….”
“…….”
“L-let go. Then I’ll definitely…….”
“Be quiet.”
Ignoring its pathetic attempt at negotiation, I examined its body.
‘Seems like this is the main body, at least.’
It would have been extrely troubleso if it had been a spare.
Well, considering it had ford magic combining Electric Field and Blazing Soul, there was no way it was a backup body.
〈Ar. Can you implant a virus?〉
〈That’s not difficult.〉
Ar, who had returned to its original form, hopped out of my arms toward the skull.
Then, with ash-gray sparks, it injected sothing.
“N-no……! Guh……!”
A powerful virus that seized control of the body.
Now it wouldn’t even be able to connect to the Electrosphere at will, let alone move.
‘The rest isn’t necessary.’
Instead of vital organs needed for survival, Heavyskull’s torso was covered in magic implants.
Since they were all artificial organs that could be removed without issue, I grabbed the skull head and brought my blade to its neck.
“…….”
Perhaps it was a bit grotesque even for a chanical body, as Kang Da-hee slightly turned her head away.
“Let’s go.”
Stuffing the thing—now literally a heavy skull—under my arm, I headed for the final destination.
The place where the Space Controller was installed.
At that mont, a massive shout echoed from the floor below.
“You…… you dog-like bastard……!”
The voice of a lee Mage who wielded flas and poison.
〈Mage, one got away.〉
Along with Yuter’s report, a sweltering heat began to rise from beyond the railing.
“What did you…… do to Iris……!”
A short-haired woman roared in fury as she shot up into the air.
At the sa ti, whoosh, spreading flas engulfed the corridor.
“Over here!”
Shouting to Kang Da-hee, I hurriedly smashed the Spatial Disruptor.
Uuuung…….
The vibration emitted by the machine stopped, and the distinctive interference waves spreading around subsided.
“You’re all dead!”
Along with vivid red flas, scorching heat surged forward at terrifying speed.
Behind it, thick green poisonous mist spread.
If that touched us, we would et a miserable death.
But just before the attack reached us.
The space directly in front of rippled.
Jjeoeok……!
A turquoise portal opened.
〈Nereid, Yuter. You two can head back now.〉
After giving the spirits their orders, I looked beyond the portal.
As planned, the opposite side was Podvig’s laboratory.
Beside it, I could see Pinkbit struggling desperately to maintain the portal.
I pushed Kang Da-hee through first, then turned my gaze toward the short-haired woman charging at us.
“Where do you think you’re running off to……!”
She scread with all her might and hurled a Fire Sphere with everything she had.
‘That Andromancer earlier too—ga Corp Agents are pretty emotional, aren’t they.’
Still, there was no chance that such a powerful spell would hit .
It was simply too far away to reach.
‘I’ve got a bad feeling this could get annoying…….’
I muttered as I stepped through the portal.
The mont we crossed over, Pinkbit hurriedly cut the connection.
“Huff……. Huff…….”
The Baekto Tribe Beastman was practically exhausted.
Even though the aftereffects of the Spatial Disruptor hadn’t fully subsided, opening a mid-sized portal twice was no easy task.
“You okay?”
Instead of answering, Pinkbit pulled out a can of Mana Soda from her pocket and gulped it down.
This place was a pre-arranged safe zone.
Only now did I finally take a breather and organize the situation.
‘For now, I achieved everything I wanted.’
I absorbed the Type-19 Spirit Core I had been aiming for.
Because of that, I stacked another mana star and even obtained White Thunder, a Lightning-type attribute awakening.
There were unexpected gains as well.
The contract with the Type-15 lightning spirit that Heavyskull had summoned.
That was an enormous benefit—if I had to compare it, it was on par with acquiring White Thunder.
‘Ar’s growth was another unforeseen result.’
After devouring multiple Electrosphere Wraiths, Ar had clearly grown stronger, even to my senses.
And at the end, it had consud one arm of the wraithified Andromancer, so there was a chance it gained so unusual ability.
‘But…….’
There were losses too.
First of all, I had to cut off my right foot.
If my judgnt had been even a little slower, what I would’ve lost was my life, so it wasn’t a aningless sacrifice.
I had to use the artifact, Kantara’s Sixth Molar.
Now it really felt like I could only use it one more ti at most.
‘Still, I guess Kang Da-hee counts as a gain in her own way.’
An unexpected person who appeared in the middle of the operation.
She had originally been one of the ‘Seeds’ I was keeping an eye on.
But this wasn’t the kind of contact I had wanted.
When I glanced at Kang Da-hee, she looked like she had a lot she wanted to say to .
‘I’ll deal with that later.’
There was sothing I needed to check first.
‘…….’
My gaze eventually shifted toward one corner.
Toward a man lying pitifully on the floor.
‘Matafil…….’
It was ti to face the greatest casualty of this operation, which I had been deliberately avoiding.
Neo-Joseon Cyberpunk
Escape
“How’s Matafil’s condition?”
I asked Pinkbit.
But instead of replying, she roughly crushed the Mana Soda can she had been holding.
Since she clearly didn’t want to talk, I walked over to Matafil myself.
There, I saw his face lying on the ground with his mouth hanging wide open.
‘…….’
He didn’t move at all, as if dead.
Although he was covered with cloth, it was obvious that his entire lower body was gone.
‘So he really is dead…….’
Honestly, it would’ve been stranger if he had survived.
Even if his entire lower body was prosthetic and didn’t matter, the damage to his internal organs had been severe.
As I raised my hand to gently close his unsightly open mouth.
“Grrr……!”
A thunderous snoring sound rang out.
“…….”
At the sound, Pinkbit stomped over and kicked Matafil in the face.
“Guh……! Wh-what the hell?”
“……!”
“What’s wrong with you, Pinkbit? I’m gonna die! This ti I’m really gonna die! Guh……!”
After hearing the explanation, it seed his life was no longer in danger.
Apparently, one of the Barbarian-style cyberware organs that amplified healing hadn’t been destroyed.
“Hahaha! This is all thanks to the water spirit you summoned, Diesel. Since it’s a high-grade spirit, the healing was just insane……. Gack……! Pinkbit, that’s enough already…….”
As I watched Pinkbit kicking him like she was genuinely trying to kill him, a voice suddenly ca from behind .
“Um…….”
When I turned around, I saw Kang Da-hee, looking like she was barely holding back her anxiety.
“So…… what are you planning to do now?”
I could understand how she felt to so extent.
Learning of her sister’s death all of a sudden, her father’s betrayal, and the newly awakened power called Seed.
She had probably experienced a battlefield like that for the first ti in her life just monts ago.
‘It wouldn’t be strange if she panicked.’
And yet she hadn’t broken down and was sohow holding it together.
At least her ntal fortitude passed.
With proper training, she might actually beco a decent Ghostcatcher.
But for now, escaping this place was the priority, so I didn’t have ti to answer her question.
As I was about to roughly reassure her.
I noticed Kang Da-hee’s left hand twitching.
‘Her fingers…….’
Was this the price of using Seed’s power, ‘Suppressing Ring’?
All five fingers had turned pitch-black, as if necrotic.
I casually took hold of her hand.
“…….”
Unlike before, she hurriedly pulled it away.
Her fingers trembled violently.
“Ugh…….”
“Are you okay?”
“……This will recover with ti. More importantly, how are we getting out of here…….”
【The portal’s ready.】
Before Kang Da-hee could even finish speaking, Pinkbit ford another space-type spell.
Soon, the air in front of us rippled.
Jjeoeoeok……!
Space split apart, opening a new passage.
On the other side of the portal stood a woman.
“You really…… succeeded.”
She was the client of this incident, Angelina Shirin.
“Let’s cross over first and talk.”
The secret gate room that Podvig had prepared beneath their research facility.
After confirming the safety on the other side, I stepped through first.
“Gnn…… This is rough without legs…….”
Matafil, flailing his arms as he crossed the space, looked up at Pinkbit with pleading eyes.
But she snorted and ignored him completely.
“Let’s talk details in that office.”
“Yes. Then…… I’ll connect the gate.”
Jjeoeoeok……!
A gate connecting Neo-Asadal to Podvig’s skyscraper opened its maw.
“This way.”
Angelina guided everyone toward the turquoise-glowing gate.
“Hey, wait, let co too…….”
As all the team mbers moved beyond the gate, Matafil busily flailed his arms, trying to follow.
“Uwah……!”
Suddenly, the space below rippled, a small portal ford, and his body was sucked straight down.
The place he landed was Pinkbit’s fluffy back.
Struggling not to fall off, Matafil unknowingly grabbed hold of the rabbit ears tightly.
“Kyaaak……!”
As Pinkbit let out a startled, shrill scream, Matafil chuckled awkwardly and spoke.
“Oh dear. Sorry, sorry. I didn’t an to……. Keugh……!”
The Baekto Tribe Beastman’s elbow slamd rapidly into the cyborg’s face, thud-thud-thud.
Inside Director Angelina’s office.
“Alright, as promised.”
I casually tossed Heavyskull’s head onto the desk.
“…….”
Angelina stared at it with sharp eyes, then reached out her hand.
But.
“First, I have a few demands.”
When I lightly pulled Heavyskull back toward myself, Angelina hesitated briefly, then nodded.
“Please, go ahead.”
The deal with Angelina had originally been simple.
In exchange for capturing Heavyskull alive, she would prepare an escape route from the research facility.
It was a negotiation made possible only because I knew exactly what kind of situation Angelina Shirin was in.
‘She must be cornered too.’
Podvig’s use of orbital weaponry wouldn’t have been Director Angelina’s decision.
From the start, what she wanted from this operation was a covert and clean resolution.
However, Podvig’s side, which wanted to keep Angelina in check, hired a hacker nad Raja to interfere, and Heavyskull—Cheonrang’s spy—intended to use Raja to fabricate justification for war.
‘And then things went sideways when that bastard Raja died.’
What Heavyskull wanted was nothing but a pretext for war.
He discovered that there were factions within Podvig itself that desired war.
Secretly contacting that faction, Heavyskull obtained authorization to use orbital weapons.
And the plan was likely to pin all responsibility for that weapon’s use on the powerless director, Angelina Shirin.
‘So what Angelina needs right now is proof that she didn’t order the orbital strike.’
Since I had personally captured Heavyskull, the very party behind all the under-the-table dealings, there could be no better physical evidence than this.
In fact, this might even be an opportunity for Angelina to strike back.
‘There’s no way I’m giving this up for free.’
With that, I stated my conditions.
“First, this severely injured cyborg here. Restore him completely with prosthetics of his choosing.”
“Understood.”
“Uh……. That’s good for , right?”
Matafil muttered as he scratched his head.
“Second. Get a core and give it to this Trickster here.”
“A core, you say…….”
“A core suitable for the heart of a mana power plant. Pinkbit will explain the details. Is it possible?”
“It will be difficult…… but possible.”
“…….”
Perhaps because the demand was unexpected, Pinkbit also looked at with a curious gaze.
“And third.”
Even the first two demands already required considerable effort.
Yet Angelina listened silently, without raising any objections.
“This woman behind .”
When I pointed my thumb at Kang Da-hee, she flinched in surprise.
“Mark her as deceased.”
“……?”
“Mark her as deceased…… you say?”
“Yes. Her na is Kang Da-hee. She’s one of your Magic Engineering Departnt employees. Record her as having died today, unable to escape the Podvig research facility. As convincingly as possible.”
Kang Da-hee opened her mouth as if to say sothing, but quickly realized my intent and lowered her gaze.
“Needless to say, this must remain absolute confidential information.”
“Understood. Do you have any further demands?”
“That’s all.”
None of the three conditions were directly for my own benefit.
As paynt for handing over Heavyskull, I could have demanded a ransom worth hundreds of millions, but I had no intention of doing so.
“By any chance, could you also get Cheonrang implants? One of my main components is their product.”
“…….”
Matafil, the cyborg gunner, was making a completely shaless request.
Still, if he hadn’t thrown himself in front of , I wouldn’t have been able to properly absorb the Spirit Core.
「When can you provide the core?」
“Within three hours. We’ll deliver it together once Matafil’s cyberware procedure is complete.”
Pinkbit, the Baekto Tribe Beastman, conversed while writing holographic text in midair.
Her role in this operation had been anything but small.
She had handled entry and retreat—the most critical aspects—with unparalleled efficiency.
Thanks to her, I had even gained knowledge about space-type magic.
‘Well, it’s not like I can actually use it.’
Unfortunately, I couldn’t use space-type magic.
Opening portals required an innate sense called ‘mana spatial perception,’ and it seed the body of my brother that I inhabited had absolutely no talent in that regard.
I couldn’t create even a centiter-wide portal, let alone a large one.
‘Anyway, those two more than deserve their reward.’
Having finished my thoughts, I rolled Heavyskull’s head across the desk toward Angelina.
At the sa ti, I tossed over a small chip.
“It’s the virus key. You know how to use it without explaining, right?”
Angelina nodded instead of answering and stood up.
“Then, thank you for your hard work.”
She gave a polite bow.
I accepted it casually, then t the gaze of Heavyskull in her hands.
‘Should I be thankful to this guy?’
Originally, this operation should have ended with just obtaining the Type-19 Spirit Core.
But thanks to Heavyskull, I managed to contract with a Type-15 Lightning Spirit, and Ar even grew stronger.
On top of that, I gained a connection with Kang Da-hee, who possessed Seed’s power.
Looking at the skull staring blankly ahead with unfocused eyes, I gave it a faint smile, then turned and walked outside.
‘Marked as deceased…….’
On the back seat of a motorcycle speeding along a pitch-black road, Kang Da-hee reflected on what had just happened.
She was now a dead person.
At the request of a man nad Jas…… no, Diesel.
She didn’t feel dissatisfied about it.
Just a little confused.
Now that she knew she possessed trendous power, she understood well that living under her forr identity would be dangerous.
‘Suppressing Ring…….’
An ability that could halt everything, including the surreal itself.
She had used such a power on a Cheonrang ga Corp Agent.
Before long, that fact would surely reach the ears of her father, Councilman Kang Leon.
‘That man would try to bind no matter what…….’
Rather than suffering the sa horrific fate her sister had endured, it was far better to beco soone who was officially dead.
‘Then what should I do now…….’
By the ti she ca back to herself, Kang Da-hee was already riding on the motorcycle Diesel was driving.
“Where…… are we going……?”
They were crossing the Han River.
In the pitch-black night, city lights reflected on the water, shimring like an aurora.
She recalled that Diesel lived in the sa apartnt complex as she did.
But this wasn’t the way ho.
“Underground Great Hall.”
“…….”
Underground Great Hall?
What kind of place was that?
As she wondered, Diesel answered as if he had read her mind.
“It’s a facility exclusively for Ghostcatchers.”
“Ah…….”
“You didn’t think you could just go back to your apartnt, did you?”
He was right.
Right now, Kang Da-hee was a dead person.
“Why. Don’t you want to go all of a sudden?”
She couldn’t answer the question.
She didn’t even know what she was feeling anymore.
“I’ve got to deal with my severed foot at the Underground Great Hall too.”
“…….”
“There’s a hotel there as well, so go rest for now.”
“Then, Mr. Diesel…….”
“I’ll be staying at the sa hotel.”
The sa hotel.
Suddenly, Kang Da-hee thought of the Moon Base.
Yuri Ivanov.
An elf with a very kind impression, and the person who had shocked Kang Da-hee.
Back on the Moon, she had stayed in the sa room as Yuri.
“Don’t worry. We won’t be staying in the sa room.”
“That’s…… only natural…….”
“Sounds a little disappointed?”
“W-what are you talking about……!”
“If you say so.”
Just what kind of man was he?
A strange man who barged into her life without warning.
At first, he crushed her pride and made her taste despair.
Then he suddenly appeared, saving her life when she was about to die.
Used that as leverage to exploit her thoroughly.
And now, he had even awakened the power that lay dormant within her.
Kang Da-hee looked down at her left hand.
The fingers that had turned pitch-black were gradually regaining vitality.
She clenched and unclenched her hand a few tis, then lifted her gaze to see Diesel’s back.
‘……It’s broad.’
What would her relationship with this man beco from now on?
And what would beco of her?
She recalled her mother’s words.
-Soone will appear who will guide you.
Was that person this man?
She couldn’t be sure yet.
‘Hoo…….’
With her thoughts tangled, she looked away.
The motorcycle speeding down the empty road gradually picked up speed.
As the surroundings shook violently, Kang Da-hee tightly clutched the hem of the clothes in front of her.
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