Cyberpunk All Masters - Episode 21
21. Beware of Snakes
I surveyed the bodies scattered around Go Jin-seong. Six in total. Judging by their gear, they were the riot police who had been waiting outside.
'If we go by the numbers, it’s a full squad... Did they disobey orders and breach first?'
The police didn’t go down without a fight, evident by the number of dead Chungsa-pa mbers riddled with bullet holes.
But this situation was utterly unexpected for .
The police squad’s intervention wasn’t part of the original plot.
According to the original storyline, the dical staff conducting nano-machine research should have been held captive here.
Go Jin-seong should have been deep within the research facility in an area players called the 'Red Room,' not here in the plaza.
But now, no dical staff were in sight. Only Go Jin-seong and the slaughtered police officers remained.
The plot that had remained consistent through seven endings had deviated.
'The narrative has changed?'
Encountering Go Jin-seong was never part of the plan when I accepted the mission.
The Red Room and the sample storage were sowhat apart, and my plan had been to avoid combat with the Fire Snake for a safer extraction. That plan had now been completely upended.
“Go Jin-seong, I know who you are. You’re a high-profile wanted criminal even in Daegu Green Zone.”
Lee Ha-an whispered, sidling up next to . I nodded.
“A real scumbag.”
His nature was apparent from his casual murder of the police. Go Jin-seong’s estimated number of murders stood at around 30. If expanded to include the entire Chungsa-pa, the number of murders likely exceeded 100.
Most of their victims were Green Zone Defense Forces or police officers. Among those killed were two B-rank hunters, perfectly illustrating the ruthless nature of the Fire Snake and Chungsa-pa.
He was a formidable criminal with considerable power, one of the trickiest among the superpowered (Pyrokinesis) individuals.
There was a reason why the official storyline offered players the option to avoid confronting him. Unless they were bounty hunters seeking his head, most players chose the easier path.
'What to do?'
The unexpected situation made my mind race. To reach the sample room, we had to pass through this plaza. I hoped he’d leave quietly, but if not, conflict was inevitable.
Assuming he was out here due to the police breach, I signaled Ha-an to wait and observe.
“Ha, but they’re not listening. I’ve explained the negotiation terms several tis... They just won’t comply?”
Go Jin-seong kicked one of the fallen officers' bodies, muttering to himself.
“They’ve made it impossible for us to leave cleanly.”
He and his gang were now trapped in the hospital.
Despite not typically taking hostages, he had spared the dical staff, knowing that killing them would prompt the police to swarm in.
Chungsa-pa had taken over the hospital as a last resort, driven into a corner by the governnt forces led by Seo Yi-kyung.
“Can’t be helped. This might be ssy.”
Go Jin-seong fiddled with his chanical arm, a green hologram appearing as he connected a call.
“Bring
that dical director or whoever.”
-Yes, sir.
I felt things spiraling out of control. Ordering the dical director’s presence ant he intended to execute the hostage.
The issue was, we needed the director’s card key to access the sample room.
The card key was linked to his biotric data. If he died, the mission would fail. As the situation grew more complicated, it was ti to make a decision.
“Do-jin, what now?”
“We handle it.”
“Now?”
“No, wait a mont.”
As expected, the doors at the far end of the plaza opened, and a mber of the gang, who looked more machine than man with all his tech enhancents, dragged a middle-aged man in a doctor’s coat.
Realizing what his separate summoning ant, the man trembled violently.
“Sorry about this. I was planning to take what I needed and leave, but these cops won’t listen?”
“P-please spare ! I-I’m essential for negotiations!”
“Oh, really?”
The man prostrated himself at Go Jin-seong’s feet, sobbing and begging for rcy, to which Go Jin-seong responded with a derisive laugh.
“Negotiations? Sure, negotiations. But I know what this facility does. Sothing about releasing nano-machines to ss with the city?”
“W-what are you...?”
With a swift kick to the face, Go Jin-seong sent the doctor sprawling.
“So, instead of making pointless offers, why don’t you play along? I could expose everything, and then you and Seo Yi-kyung are screwed.”
“I-I’ve been trying to reach the director, but he’s not answering his phone...!”
With a twisted smile, Go Jin-seong placed his chanical arm on the doctor’s shoulder.
“See, you’re just pawns to them. So let’s see how much your precious director values you. Or maybe I should just kill you and take the sample myself?”
“Please, have rcy! Don’t... don’t do this!”
He lifted the man by his collar. The doctor kicked and struggled, but against the gang leader who could easily overpower ard police, it was a futile effort.
With the operation on the brink of failure, I signaled Ha-an to look up.
“Activate it when I give the signal.”
“The sprinkler system?”
There was no ti to explain. I dashed forward, firing my shotgun into the stomach of a Chungsa-pa mber laughing beside Go Jin-seong.
Bang! Bang!
The mber fell with a gurgling cry, scattering screws and wires from his poorly connected tech enhancents.
Go Jin-seong, however, was not so easily taken off guard. He flung the doctor away and drew his gun, firing back.
Bang, bang! Crack!
Phew!
If I had been a second slower, I’d be down for the count. The bullet narrowly missed, embedding itself in the pillar.
“Who the hell are you? A cop? You move better than the one who just died.”
“Thanks for the complint, but I’m no cop.”
I reloaded my shotgun, the seven-round magazine fully loaded.
“I didn’t want to interrupt your ti with the doctor, but I’ve got business with him too.”
“Ha... You must be from Seo Yi-kyung then?”
I hated sharp-minded individuals like him.
[POWER ACTIVATED]
I activated the impact gauntlet, its distinctive red glow flickering as the familiar chanical sound buzzed in my ears.
“Your move was impressive. But now you’re like a rat in a trap. Kekeke.”
Go Jin-seong’s sneer was unsettling, the hiss in his breath fitting his moniker, “Fire Snake.”
‘He’s definitely aiming at .’
Despite taking cover behind the pillar, I was still at a disadvantage. Dodging Hel-ket’s attacks with so fake-out moves was manageable, but this was different.
He wasn’t a simple-minded mutant. He was a seasoned criminal with flexibility and firepower.
Bullets are not sothing you can see coming and dodge, especially as a “pure organic” being with no tech body enhancents.
“Not coming out? Should I co to you? And you, don’t even think about running. Unless you want a bullet in your head.”
“Yes, sir...!”
At least Go Jin-seong’s focus had shifted from the doctor. I signaled to Ha-an, who was watching anxiously.
‘Rescue him when you can.’
‘Got it.’
We had reached a point where we could communicate with just a glance, thanks to our ti together dealing with various gangs.
With the distractions mostly handled, it was ti to go all out.
“Hey! Are you too scared to co out?”
“Scared? Not at all.”
Clenching my fist, I felt a tingling sensation in my entire arm. Manifesting the borrowed superpower, I pushed it to the limit.
Shockwave.
There was no need to hold back anymore. I had a worthy opponent, one that required my full strength.
“If you don’t co out by the count of three, I’m coming in. One...”
I tightened my core muscles, focusing the compressed shockwave into a single point.
“Two, three!”
Timing my strike with his count, I launched a powerful punch. The resulting shockwave obliterated the pillar and surged towards Go Jin-seong.
“...!!!!”
Boom!
The explosion was deafening, dust and debris filled the air, the open plaza cloaked in a cloud of dirt.
Of course.
I didn’t foolishly assu he was defeated. He wasn’t the kind to go down from a single strike.
“...A superpowered, huh? So, a hunter?”
Erging from the dissipating dust, flas licked at his body as he stepped forward, unscathed.
“Kekeke, it’s been a while since I hunted a superpowered. Especially a hunter.”
Licking the blood from a cut on his cheek, he smirked.
Goddamn snake.
I responded to his provocations with a raised middle finger.
Tonight, I was going to make so delicious snake stew.
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