Chapter 136
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 135
Chapter Title: How to Survive in Fusion Punk
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Clang!
The door he'd slammed open with his body swung wide.
Straight ahead.
A Manticore parked in front of the streetlamp.
Its matte khaki body was something something.
Its heavy, futuristic design stood out something something.
No time to get lost in the weeds.
Jin, who had swung onto the driver's seat, shouted immediately.
"Location!"
No reply came.
The call had already cut off.
Tsking his tongue, Jin donned his helmet and turned the ignition.
Vroooom!
The moment the roaring engine note hit and the Manticore pulled onto the road, [Kalifa] appeared in the upper right of his helmet visor.
The voice came the instant he accepted the call.
"Head to West Downtown. It's the only spot there with a dedicated AV platform. Unless Wonder's laid-back enough to park an AV on an undeveloped lot, that's your only option right now."
I'll send the address.
With that curt follow-up, the line went dead.
Had she overheard Jin and Silvia's call?
Kalifa had slipped seamlessly into work mode.
The next moment.
Her message synced to the navigation, and a red line marked the path ahead on the visor display.
Jin wrenched the handlebars left.
Then, yanking the throttle with his right hand while releasing the clutch with his left—
Vroooom!
Pivoting on his left foot planted firm against the ground, the Manticore whipped around in a tight half-turn.
"What the fu—?!"
The driver waiting at the light behind him jumped in shock at the flawless accel turn.
Completing its on-the-spot U-turn, the Manticore surged forward, crossing the median.
Vreeeeaaaam!!
A cacophony of horns blared in its wake like screams.
But Jin didn't look back—instead, he gunned the throttle harder.
Illegal U-turn followed by median hopping.
Back home, that would've meant more than just a ticket.
But this was Downtown, after all.
No upstanding citizens dialing 911.
The LCPD was a joke that didn't even exist anyway.
He just grimaced at the noisy horns.
"Fucking assholes..." he snarled under his breath.
Shaking off even that irritated glance, the Manticore rocketed to its destination in no time.
And so, to West Downtown.
Screeech!!
Leaving long skid marks on the pavement, the Manticore halted.
Jin dismounted, hanging his helmet on the handlebars.
The moment he did...
...
Bang...
A faint gunshot whispered past his ears.
Jin bolted toward the sound.
A wide-open lot came into view.
The unmanned AV platform sat at its center.
Hacked, maybe?
The security turrets hung limp, heads drooped.
And there, a familiar face lay collapsed.
It was Silvia.
Bent over, cradling someone.
Blood burst from her gore-soaked back.
Her shuddering body came with another shot.
Bang—!
Jin's eyes snapped into motion.
Sniper fire from an unknown position—but it wasn't impossible to pinpoint.
Calculate the gap between impact (crack) and gunshot (thump).
That's the crack-thump method.
With trained hearing added, gauging direction and distance was within reach—
Found it.
Instinct guiding him, Jin's eyes widened.
Far off, at the lot's edge.
Beyond the hazy heat shimmer, something glinted in the light.
The sniper's scope.
Toward that deadly eye, Jin blinked.
Not in one go—chaining blinks.
Once, twice, thrice, four times!
At the end of the flashes.
His instep rocketed up, kicking the sniper rifle aside.
Bang!
The delayed shot punched into the distant ground instead of Silvia, thudding harmlessly.
By then, Jin had recovered, his foot smashing into the sniper's face.
Crack!
A sound no neck should make echoed as the sniper flopped face-down, head snapped back.
Even in death, his shocked face seemed oblivious to what hit him.
"Alpha. What happened?"
An unfamiliar man's voice emanated from the bone-conduction earpiece on the dead sniper.
"Respond."
Obviously, no response.
What could a broken-necked corpse say?
"...Goddamn it."
Had he caught on?
The transmission ended in a curse and static.
Already, Jin had scooped up the fallen sniper rifle and blinked his vision clear.
There—thugs charging toward the ragdoll Silvia.
The most standout rushed with a blade flicking out from his forearm.
Jin pulled the trigger mid-blink.
"...?!"
The assassin flinched at the sudden intruder flashing before him.
Splat!
His head exploded like a watermelon, oil-mixed blood spraying.
His tumbling body suddenly split in two.
Beyond the cleaved corpse.
A masked man with a katana swung wide.
Blade aimed at Jin's throat.
Jin leaned back to dodge, firing.
Bang!
But the masked foe ducked early, the bullet whizzing overhead as he burrowed into Jin's guard.
The shrieking edge targeted vitals.
But each time—clang clang clang.
The rifle, masterfully angled, blocked every lethal strike.
Doubt flickered in the masked man's eyes.
Then, cold metal kissed his forehead.
And—
Bang—!!
The bullet scrambled his skull, bursting out the back—and embedding in the chest of another swordsman rushing to help.
.338 Lapua Magnum.
Standard military body armor couldn't stop it even at 1,000 meters. One shot, two kills.
Just like that.
Two down with one bullet.
As the swordsmen crumpled, spewing fountains of blood.
Only three masked foes left, exchanging quick glances.
They split into two groups naturally, kicking off without a word.
Whoosh!
Two at Jin head-on, one toward Silvia.
No chatter, perfect formation—these weren't street punks.
Pro-trained moves, for sure.
So Jin tossed the sniper rifle aside.
Crackle!
Lightning-wrapped body accelerating.
The pair aiming to exploit the opening froze.
They hadn't expected self-electrocution.
One finally recognized him, muttering in shock.
"...Jin Evernight? Thunder...?"
And that was his last word.
Crunch!
Dull impact as the fist sank into his cheek.
Skin crumpling, shock rippling across his face.
Body launched like a dump truck hit, tumbling across the ground before going limp. For good.
"...! Damn it!"
The remaining masked man belatedly yanked a smoke grenade-like canister from his coat, but too late.
Grab.
Interlocked hands clamped his nape.
No room to resist.
Superhuman strength drooped his head.
Then, filling his vision—kaboom!
Jin's signature.
Clinch to face knee, igniting.
Face caving mask-first, head whipping back.
Splurt!
Trailing an arc of blood, Jin spun toward the last foe.
And saw.
Head twisted 180 degrees—
Staring right at him.
Pale hands gripping that head.
The next instant.
With a twisted neck like a corkscrew, the masked man flopped down, revealing Silvia staggering beyond.
"Cli...ent..."
Her dying rasp as she tilted backward.
Jin stomped the ground.
Instantly at her side, propping her up.
Crazy.
His palm supporting her back soaked through instantly.
Blood pouring like a faucet.
Did she tank the bullet with her body?
Jin's brow furrowed. First time seeing someone pull that stunt besides himself.
"Hey. You okay? Hey, hey!"
Her fluttering eyelids struggled open at his shouts.
"I-I'm fine. I'm tough. Heh, so... there, our team lead... team lead..."
Only then did Jin's gaze hit Wonder, sprawled on the ground.
Face-down, unmoving.
Blood pooled around him in a circle.
"Oh, shit."
Jin eased Silvia down gently.
Flipping Wonder over in the puddle to check.
Shoulder riddled with holes.
Grave wound, but not the head. Lucky.
Still, barely not instant death.
Riiip—
Jin tore his own sleeve for an impromptu bandage, wrapping Wonder's shoulder tight.
His face already ashen—probably pointless, but Jin wasn't into watching an acquaintance die.
Meanwhile, Wonder started convulsing.
As Jin sparked hellfire and hoisted the bloodied pair under his arms—
Weee-ooo-weee-ooo!!
A siren pierced his ears out of nowhere.
Unfamiliar yet nostalgic in Downtown, Jin snapped his head up like a meerkat.
Right after, a semi-bonnet Porter screeched to a halt before the platform.
Thud—the driver's door flew open, someone dropping out.
"Load 'em up quick!"
A curly-haired middle-aged woman gesturing sharply.
Mamma, the healer Jin had relied on multiple times.
"Whoa. Kalifa."
Jin murmured his linker's name unwittingly.
Beep-beep-beep.
The vital monitor tracing cold beeps.
Screen filled with waveforms in different colors bouncing endlessly.
Green lines, red numbers.
Flashing warning lights intermittently.
All screaming something, but to Jin, just cryptic noise.
He'd collapsed on beds like that plenty, but watching someone else? First time.
"They gonna be okay?"
Mamma, eyeing the monitor, replied to Jin's question.
"Like hell. Not everyone's got your psycho body."
She wheeled the IV stand over, jabbing a fresh needle into unconscious Wonder's arm.
"Lost too much blood. If he were a purist, he'd be toast."
The clear tube reddened soon after.
The blood pack Jin glanced at read "Packed Red Blood Cells (PRBC)".
"Internal blood pump worked fine, so he pulled through—for now. Gotta watch him."
Jin turned to Wonder at her words.
Internal blood pump, huh.
Implant obvious from the name.
Even Wonder, looking purist, had his countermeasures for this brutal world.
Made sense—no way that blood loss was just luck.
"What about her?"
Jin's eyes shifted to Silvia.
Drained pale, red-soaked sheets, arms strung with IV bags like Wonder.
Mamma shrugged at the sight.
"She'll be fine."
"Huh?"
"Don't act surprised. You clocked it ages ago—that kid's a cyborg."
Jin nodded.
Her freak strength: shattering the door just thrashing around.
No normal sales rep twists necks barehanded. Especially after getting swiss-cheesed.
"Muscles tougher than a beastman's. Not super regen—bullets don't even pierce deep enough to hit organs. Like armor plating inside."
"What?"
Jin gawked anew at Silvia, another red truth dawning.
Tough for real, huh.
Arm-wrestle when she wakes?
...He mused.
Then slowly opened his mouth.
"Who were they? The ones gunning for her."
"You asking me?"
"Who else? Just you and me, lady."
Mamma shook her head.
Sighing in disbelief, then spoke.
"Corpos make enemies everywhere. Defense contractor? Overflowing grudges. They probably don't even know who sicced these guys."
That's when.
"I... kn... ow..."
Faint voice yanked Jin and Mamma's gazes.
At its end, Silvia struggled upright.
"Board of directors... targeted team lead for sure. They saw him... as a thorn..."
"Board of directors?"
Jin furrowed his brow.
Her company's board?
Why?
...Purge?!
Why though?
As he tilted his head side to side in confusion.
"Hoo."
Steadying her breath, Silvia spoke again.
"Client... mind a favor? Help me find someone. Please?"
"Suddenly? Who?"
To Jin's question, Silvia's face hardened resolute.
"Ruger. Brof Ruger."
With that, the status window blanked his vision.
Find the Missing R
Help Silvia locate the missing R&D chief engineer,
Brof Ruger.
🎁 Reward: Your choice will impact the world.
Eh? Huh? What? Hmm?
Jin blinked.
So.
After staring at the window awhile, he slowly shifted his gaze to Silvia.
The next moment.
A somewhat vacant voice slipped out.
"I think I know where this guy's at?"