First Steps
“Angela...?”
I know the name from Soo. Not only did she save the dying Enoch, but she even brought him to a pretty decent clinic. A true benefactor.
“Nice to meet you while you're awake. I'm Angela Meyer.”
“...Enoch here. Thank you for what you did before. As for repayment... I don't have anything on me right now, but I'll make it happen as soon as possible.”
“No need for repayment. I did it because I wanted to. Just protect Soo well as her big brother, and that'll be more than enough.”
Enoch's eyebrow twitched.
“...What did you just say?”
“As her big brother... protect Soo... well...?”
The more Angela spoke, the more Enoch's face crumpled. Like he'd just gotten a love confession from a talking cockroach.
Sensing something off, Angela stared at Enoch before shifting her gaze to Soo.
Her looks were astonishing every time. Up close like this, they were downright violent.
Angela had her own top-tier beauty in Eden, which raised her standards high. But Soo's was something beyond specs entirely. At this point, maybe she should wear a mask or something.
But no time to get lost in appearances now. Angela pressed down on Soo's nose, who was scrutinizing her face intently.
“Soo.”
“Yeah.”
“You two aren't getting along or something?”
“We get along great.”
“What the hell are you even... saying...?”
Soo and Enoch's answers clashed. Enoch ground his teeth. Over their relationship? Or something more fundamental?
Reading minds without permission isn't polite, but...
But protecting a pretty girl like Soo makes it okay, right? Angela blinked, thinking that.
And with that, she had it all. In that split-second moment, she'd read every bit of Enoch's info without missing a thing.
Soo's, though? Impossible. All she had was one line: recently entered via Southpeak. Otherwise, suspiciously clean.
But she knew for sure Enoch wasn't Soo's brother. His little sister had died long ago.
“He's... not your brother?”
“...No.”
“Soo, is that true?”
Soo nodded slowly, watching Enoch's reply and Angela's reaction.
“Soo, did you say he was your brother because you thought I wouldn't help if you said you didn't know him?”
“Yeah.”
“Even though you didn't know Enoch at all?”
“Yeah.”
Angela's lips trembled for a while at Soo's answers before she pulled her into a tighter hug.
“Oh my god... how can you be this sweet...”
Enoch couldn't keep up the cockroach-confession face anymore. She'd done it to save his life—how could he feel disgust?
“Mmph.”
Soo shook her head, pushing out of Angela's embrace. It was cozy like heaven, but no time for that now.
“Angela.”
“Yeah?”
“Here for a job?”
Glancing at Enoch's gear, Angela nodded cautiously.
“Yeah, but... you too, Soo?”
“Yeah. We gotta go in there.”
“You...”
Enoch's eyes bulged. Mercs don't spill job details to outsiders. Lives, rep, and cash on the line. Minimize leaks at all costs. There's even a saying: don't tell your parents the details.
Yet Soo just blurted it out casually. Enoch's blood pressure spiked naturally.
Even if it was Angela, who saved his life, no difference. Especially her—saving people for free? In a one-eyed village, two eyes look suspicious. In this world, unpaid rescues scream red flags.
Angela knew that too. She knew she looked shady to others.
“Soo... you sure it's okay to just say that?”
“It's Angela, so fine.”
“You... trust her?”
Soo nodded without a doubt. She hadn't forgotten how Angela died in the game. Remembered her words that night under the warped moon when she saved Enoch. Her smile was still vivid.
In this world, if she had to trust people, Enoch and Angela were it. Soo could say that confidently.
“...I see.”
Angela chewed her lip a moment, got Enoch's okay, then crouched to meet Soo's eyes.
“Soo.”
“Yeah.”
“My job's hacking Luchen's server.”
“Ours too.”
“Tied to the drug incident, huh.”
“Yeah. Ours involves Chrome Psychos too.”
“Why pick Zailek then?”
“Luchen's hurt a lot of my friends.”
Angela knew Soo had just entered Southpeak recently. Meaning she'd been in the Wasteland till now.
“Wasteland friends?”
“Yeah.”
“My real sister's at Zailek. Not super close, but we take jobs from them now and then.”
“Yeah.”
Soo answered nonchalantly, but Enoch shuddered beside her. A merc taking direct jobs from Zailek? An unknown merc at that... Angela's true nature started clicking in Enoch's head.
“And you still trust me?”
“Yeah.”
“Not just yeahs?”
“Nope.”
Angela gently stroked Soo's head and stood.
“Can't hack twice in a row, so I'll pass the credit to you and Enoch.”
“...What do we need to give you?”
“Nothing really... but you'd feel bad if I took zilch, right, Enoch?”
Angela's eyes glimmered faintly—a sign she was starting the hack.
“Just let me tag along and watch. That's plenty. Oh, not me in person— just my drone.”
She pulled two cables from her wrist and handed one each.
“Internal layout. It's basically an empty shell—surprisingly so. Only two exterior cams working; everything else is dead.”
Enoch plugged his into his neck port and eyed Soo suspiciously.
“Soo, you knew?”
“Yeah.”
Luchen Southpeak Lab 2 looked heavily guarded, but inside? Empty shell. Most corps knew, so they left it alone.
But one thing corps didn't know: deep underground, Luchen's data server hid. Too massive and delicate to move—even in reality, no change.
Irina seemed to know about it.
Even Zailek of the big three didn't know yet. Irina knowing was odd.
Everyone's got their reasons.
Soo didn't dwell. Tip for tat. If Irina trusted, Soo trusted. Not time for suspicion or betrayal yet.
“How the hell... did you know?”
“Magic can do anything.”
Soo replied proudly, plugging her cable into the headset.
Whoosh—like papers scattering—the lab layout bloomed in her mind. Miko had modded her body with nano-computer-like performance, sans implant. Genius wasn't hype.
“Some internal cams, but see the route I marked? Stick to it, less chance of detection.”
Quick explanation done, Angela unplugged.
Vision cleared; Angela's eyes met Soo's, lab's flashy facade behind her.
“Couldn't find the server spot. Definitely here, but security's tight. Still... I believe you two can.”
Seductive smile, and she moved. Steps silent, like a cat at midnight. She beckoned lightly.
“Hacking the guards' eyes and nearby cams. Max... 11 minutes 29 seconds.”
No more needed. Time limit: about 11 minutes.
“Be careful.”
As Angela spoke, the six bulky guards at the door staggered. Cams froze; door slid open automatically.
Whirr—from Angela's palm, a drone lifted. Bigger than Miko's mini, movements shakier. Miko's skills were top-notch, huh.
Soo snatched the drone mid-thought.
“I'll carry it and show you.”
Ignored Angela's reply, chased after Enoch who'd bolted first.
“Soo, you act like you know where the server is.”
“Yeah. Trust me.”
No hesitation in her steps. She'd raided this lab tons in-game, knew the path perfectly. Downloaded data doesn't delete. Seen sights recall anytime. Head-computer magic.
*****
Infiltration was simple, easy, quick, comfy—no words needed.
Just sprint the marked route. No cam worries. Her hack killed power to all cams, inside and out.
Sensors still live, though. Battery-powered independents, no main server link—unhackable.
No issue. Silenced shots fixed it.
Hiding behind a big display rack, Soo whispered.
“Get Enoch a hacking tool too.”
“Planning to turn me Chrome Psycho?”
“Won't happen.”
Enoch ignored her nonsense. Racked a round, aimed at ceiling sensor.
“Style points?”
“...Moonlight can jam on first shot, so visual check.”
“Ooh...”
Soo's admiration, then pop—Enoch fired.
No check; moved on. Confident in his skills.
9:21 left. No rush. No need to run noisy.
Enoch strode fast. Soo ran silent, so she ran. Had to, to keep up...
Enoch's ten steps. Soo's thirteen hops.
They pivoted differently. Soo's flung pebble smashed left sensor. Pop—Enoch's Moonlight nailed right-front.
Before debris hit floor, they moved as one.
76m straight. Past three blocks, two right turns. Next block left, then right.
Enoch's Moonlight spat bullets. Sleeve dagger stabbed a sensor. Soo's pebble flew ahead on wind.
Paths split. One entrance, one exit cams. Could both do entrance, but Enoch smashed exit cams for safety.
Pop pop—that itchy silencer sound, and Soo halted at underground passage.
“Huh.”
Had to stop.
“Rat bastard was here.”
Man with half his body exoskeleton skeleton, size like seven Soos. Mid-game foe guarding the passage.