Chapter 167
Chapter 167
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Translator: Vine
Chapter: 167
Chapter Title: Chapter 10 Lead and Silver Coins (21)
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Ezel had always considered himself one of the most stable and resilient survivors in the wasteland.
Where he lived? The Dome. Specifically, the staff quarters in Sector 40, known as the most survival-friendly zone. No risk of sudden raids or assassinations.
His affiliation? The Dome. More precisely, the Audit Division of Sector 47, which had been making waves lately.
His personal skills? As an Audit Division agent, he’d honed his marksmanship and close-quarters combat to near-expert levels. He was also confident in scouting, tracking, and stealth—better than your average scavenger.
A true veteran. A survival specialist through and through! If he kept living like this, he figured he’d easily outlast the wasteland’s average lifespan of 35 without a worry....
*People change in an instant....*
Staring down the five black gun barrels pointed at him, Ezel shed bloody tears in his mind.
Against these grunts who could finish him off in five minutes if they meant business, his unarmed stroll into the lion’s den felt utterly pathetic.
“Executive Branch affiliate. Researcher Angel Liden, huh.... Right. So the Executive Branch is volunteering to help us out?”
In front of the radio tower’s external security entrance.
Maybe because it was a pre-war building, the security door was littered with devices whose purposes were anyone’s guess. Ezel stood there with his hands raised high.
“Y-Yes! That’s right! Um.... There was a lot of debate in the Executive Branch, but when you think about it, the Audit Division helped secure our research funding. Plus, people were saying folks stuck in labs all day aren’t cut out to run the city.... We had some arguments among ourselves. Heh heh!”
“Some difference of opinion.... Even so, isn’t this too sudden? Why now?!”
“Th-That’s!”
Ezel desperately rummaged through his memory. He had Professor’s excuse list tucked in his pocket, but how was he supposed to pull it out with muzzles jammed in his face?!
*[Eh.... I’ll give it to you since you asked. Just wing it. Nod along appropriately. Shouldn’t be too hard.]*
The note Professor had scribbled one-handed while chambering a round, after Ezel’s desperate plea. He thought he’d memorized it cold before the op, but the moment that cold barrel touched his forehead, his mind went blank as a fresh sheet.
*Not hard my ass! How am I supposed to think straight when one wrong word means death!!!*
Press—
The barrel dug harder into his forehead, hijacking his entire focus. He had to talk. Say something, anything to make an excuse! Open your mouth, move your tongue! Damn it! That guy’s scowling! Hurry!!!
Seeing the guard’s face darken, Ezel racked his brain desperately. All he could think was that he was about to die. No matter how much he pressed the pin signaler implanted under the skin of his palm, there was no sign of Professor’s team.
Tremble, tremble, tremble!
As the mood grew uglier, the other guards nearby started heading their way.
“....This is suspicious. Hey, what’s your real reason for showing up out of nowhere?”
“Th-That, uh.... Um....”
His tongue was frozen solid. The guard’s grip tightened on his rifle. A click-clack echoed in his ear as the safety disengaged. His trained body screamed to lunge and subdue the guard.
*Lunge? Gunshots mean all-out war. Mission fails. Dead. This pathetically? Knock the barrel up and strike the throat. Alarms trigger. Mission fails. Why isn’t the sniper taking the shot? Still a chance? Answer? If I answer! If I—!*
Crunch!
“I-I thought I’d die! I don’t wanna die! That’s why I came!”
The instant the guard’s thumb flicked off the safety, the words swirling in his gut burst out in a frenzy.
*It worked! Words are coming! My tongue’s loose!*
He’d just blurted out he didn’t want to die, but the important thing was his frozen tongue had thawed.
“Ha, what a clown. Hey, who said we’re killing you? I asked why you’re here! Why the sudden attitude change? Give me a reason!”
Ezel’s eyes lit up at the guard’s question. *[When they ask why the sudden attitude change.]* It was straight from the paper. Professor’s nagging from 30 minutes ago echoed perfectly.
*Jeez. Giving a veteran badge to a guy like this. Listen up. They’re not idiots—they’ll probe once or twice. You’re on parallel tracks, then suddenly surrender? Suspicious, right? In that case, put on your most terrified, desperate face and...*
Whoosh!
“Eek!”
“The enforcers! The enforcers are openly trying to kill us all! They’re grabbing guns, talking about purging for justice, cutting out rotten flesh, all to wipe us out and seize power!! I wanna live! I want to live!”
“Okay, okay! Got it, so let go! Damn it, what strength for a researcher.... Jimmy! Come peel this guy off!”
The startled guard panicked as Ezel lunged, tears streaming. He’d dived in like a tackle expecting a shot that never came—turns out the guy really just wanted answers.
Other guards roughly pried Ezel off the flustered one. Seeing their smirks, Ezel sensed he’d cleared the first hurdle.
*[When facing multiple enemies, make yourself look as weak and pathetic as possible to fool their eyes.]*
A line he’d read hundreds of times prepping for the Audit exam. One he’d memorized so well he’d wake up shouting it in his sleep—from ‘Espionage 12-3.’ With it fresh in mind, Ezel knelt on the thrown ground and cried out in raw sincerity.
“The Executive Branch has decided to help the Audit Division! That’s why we’re here! What, civilian techs? The four of us researchers, including me, blow those junk-bot morons out of the water! H-Here! Ollie behind me handled maintenance on cutting-edge gear from the Great War. And Kenis! This guy was an engineer at NASA! I guarantee it—if you let us in, we’ll diagnose and fix everything in a single day!”
Tremble, tremble—
His fingertips shook from excitement and nerves. Was this right? Would they buy this half-baked act? Shouldn’t he just slit the nearest guard’s carotid, grab his gun, and spray while they were off-guard?
It was torture watching them chuckle at his pleas. He could secure the entrance safely right now. If not for the no-kill stealth rule, missing this chance could doom them forever....!
Prickle, prickle—
Then, a sharp sting from the pin signaler in his palm. Morse code: short word.
[GOOD]. Doing well.
*....Ughhh!*
That single signal—proof allies were watching—barely kept Ezel from bolting.
The guards turned back toward Ezel and the researchers. The chance was gone. Now, just the verdict.
“Hey. You four eggheads.”
“Y-Yes?”
Clank!
The guard tossed handcuffs at Ezel’s feet.
“Cuff each other and follow. The boss’ll wanna see you first.”
He grinned, tapping Ezel’s crown with his muzzle.
“You came saying you’re allies. What’s so scary? Huh? First time seeing guns, egghead?”
“H-Ha.... I-I was too tense. Thought you’d kill me, couldn’t hold back....”
“Huh?”
“I-I was scared I’d die! H-Ha! Haha!”
“....Weirdo.”
Shaking his head at Ezel’s babble, the guard headed for the radio tower’s main gate. Ezel staggered after, legs tensed to spring.
Click, click-click-click, click, click!
*[Fuck! Fuck! Help! Fuck! Delayed!]*
His cuffed hands furiously signaled curses nonstop.
****
Crunch!
“Mmm, smack. He’s doing great.”
“Right? That Homo guy looks all sly and sneaky—perfect for this kinda thing.”
“Yeah. Holding it together well, Angel. Rookie suppressing aggression in that spot? Not easy.”
“Means my caliper lecture hit home. Bex, water.”
“Yeah, Pointy-ears is kneeling. Whoa, getting serious?”
While Ezel teetered between heaven and hell against those puny guards.
Professor’s team watched through binoculars from a nearby rooftop.
Gulp gulp—
“Gah! Thought I’d choke.”
“You say that and keep eating?”
“Doctors said if you don’t eat right and overuse your left hand, you could starve to death. It’s fueling up before battle.”
“Ugh, you’re a monster.”
“This.”
Crunch!
The calorie bar he’d chucked hard smacked Ian’s face—er, got slurped into his mouth instead. Talented guy.
“It’s trendy now. Your jaw, the Raptors swapping limbs—I’m just keeping up.”
“Keheheh. Mine doesn’t have your fancy functions though?”
“Sure it does. You only gotta brush half your teeth.”
Fifteen minutes of rooftop banter like that.
Twenty calorie bars down already. No bloat despite scarfing them meant his body had definitely changed.
*[Look on the bright side. Needing calories for strength means we haven’t broken physics like that W guy yet.]*
*So the more inconvenient, the more human?*
*[Exactly.]*
Crunch.
He flexed his massive left hand at Hide’s words. Immense grip strength without squeezing anything, tough gauntlet texture.
It’d been a while since this hand, and it no longer felt alien. He’d even brainstormed combat uses.
Against the Artist Alliance, where they were total underdogs, he planned to use everything he had—including this left arm.
Click. Click-click-click.
“Hm? Bex. What’re you doing?”
“Oh, nothing. Angel seems stressed, so I sent some encouragement.”
“What’s a little thing like that? Not a big deal—just fooling five guards.”
Peering through the binoculars, he saw Ezel dripping cold sweat, toes digging into the ground—like a soldier prepping to charge under fire.
“Oh, right.”
Come to think of it, this was Ezel’s first rodeo. Detailed past unknown, but he’d bunkered with family during the war, orphaned into a Dome orphanage, fresh Audit agent right before meeting them. Wait, he’d stuck it out against Raptors without fleeing, so maybe mid-tier?
“Hm.... Might’ve been a tough gig for a greenhorn.”
“You’re realizing that now, you bastard?”
“No one else could infiltrate. Can’t sneak in with this arm. Same for you or Ian.”
Monster arm. Steel jaw musclebound bulk. Short old-guy face.
Even with ‘suspicious behavior’ tattooed on their foreheads, Ezel looked less sketchy.
No telling what insane defenses lurked in that pre-war HQ knockoff. Stealth was best for now.
Click. Click-click-click. Click.
*[Fuck! Fuck! Help! Fuck! Delayed!]*
“Oho. They’re in. Time to tail. Stick to plan. Memorized infil points? When Ezel hits the vents, secure your zones and move in. Okay?”
“He’s asking for help, and we just proceed?”
“He’s been spamming that. Habit. He’ll be fine if we ignore it.”
Crunch!
As Professor popped the last calorie bar, the team grabbed gear and bags, descending swiftly.
Their prep was done. Now, pray Ezel pulled through.
****
Step. Step. Step. Step.
The radio tower’s interior corridor, reinforced with metal plating everywhere. Built as a war command center—no wonder it looked impervious to casual attacks.
Passing guards chatted up Ezel and the researchers nonstop.
“Well, now that you’re in, glad you came. Old facility—tons of busted crap.”
“Heh heh. You bet! We’re not like those stuck-up enforcer idiots. Show skill, get treated right. Know Passage 13? Sewer’s totally clogged....”
East Dome sectors mostly nuked, base shifted here. Facilities breaking down everywhere. Play nice, life gets easier....
Meant to ease tension, but fell on deaf ears.
Whirr—whine—
Because ultra-futuristic-yet-janky security turrets swiveled relentlessly overhead.
“Uh....”
“Hm? What.”
“Those turrets. They’re safe, right?”
The researchers flinched every time a turret swung their way, huddling low to hear Ezel.
The guard smirked, finally getting why.
“Oh, that’s why? Duh, of course safe! We’re not idiots. See!”
“Wh-What’re you—Eek!”
Whoosh! Whoosh!
Whirr—whirr—
Guard waving his gun overhead to prove safety, turret tracking sharply.
“Wahahaha! Such wimps. No worries, eggheads! Boss’s first move after taking this place? Secure the security systems. Civvie techs swarmed it—fixed in a day. It’s not shooting us now, proof it’s safe, right?”
*No! Wrong, you dumbass! So stop waving that gun! You’ll kill us all, idiot!!!*
Ezel flattened to the floor, screaming internally with every wave.
Non-reflective matte lenses. Triple-fold turret. Gun barrel shielded by wall-grade plating.
If Ezel wasn’t wrong, those were latest-gen 3rd-gen security turrets. Hidden in walls normally, pop out and shred intruders.
Out in the open, reacting that sharply—not just panning side-to-side....
*It’s not recognizing friend or foe—set to alert mode! No clue who jury-rigged it, but one hostile input to the auto-circuit and....*
Doom flashed in his mind. Linked to building security too—one turret flags hostility, they all do.
*This is already a goddamn killzone. These morons using it blind!*
Researchers sprawled like Ezel moaned names—family, Jesus, Buddha. Techs knew exactly how those turrets ticked.
“Our Father in heaven, forgive our sins....”
“Sniff! We’re dead. Not here to help! Amy, Daddy’ll for your birthday this time....”
“Hey, hurry up!”
“L-Legs gave out! Coming now!”
Didn’t wanna move, but acting suspicious meant death too.
*Heard automated security skips key spots like command rooms for hack-proofing. Just get there! Please, God!*
Click, click-click-click-click-click-click-click-click!
*[Help! Danger! Help! Danger! Security! Insane! Help! Help!]*
All Ezel could do: prod the researchers to crawl, mashing his palm like mad.
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