Chapter 108
Chapter 108
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 108
Chapter Title: Black Letter (3)
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⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Neofront Cybercity, Auxiliary Request: Can Opener in Progress "Hey, Fixer. Got an urgent job. Some idiot rich bastard got unlucky and ran into gangsters near Paradise—they're chomping at him." "He's in a special bulletproof vehicle, but it flipped over real nice, turning him into a can without an opener. They can't break in, but he can't get out either. The SOS is blaring on the public request channel, but who knows what he was thinking wandering around without bodyguards." "Anyway, thanks to that dumb rich prick, we've got a chance to make some cash. You're the closest one right now. Go drag his ass out. Let's see what we can squeeze him for saving his sorry life." Rico eventually handed over the contact info and address for the older sister she'd been close with back in Paradise.
But she seemed oddly sulky, her voice curt right up to the end.
"...Hmph."
I scratched my cheek as I stared at the disconnected terminal. Looked like I'd rubbed her the wrong way somehow.
'Gonna have to smooth things over with her later.'
And so, we finally arrived at our destination: the western outskirts district.
The three major mafia factions in the outskirts that our church had clashed with before.
Salvatore Family, Black Tiger Gang, and Velvet Circle.
This area was under Velvet Circle control.
Centered around their boss, Madam Isadora, they were the mafia group running Paradise—a massive entertainment district aggregating every sleazy, decadent business that couldn't set up shop in the city center.
"......"
We stepped out of the vehicle upon arriving in the western outskirts and surveyed our surroundings.
At first glance, it looked no different from any ordinary suburban residential area.
Esty remarked thoughtfully.
"Is this Paradise? It's... more desolate than I imagined."
I shook my head.
"No. The real thing is below this street."
That was how it worked in the original game too. Unless Paradise had moved recently, the location should still be the same.
"First, we need to find the entrance to the underground."
At my words, Esty scanned the area with her signature golden eyes gleaming.
She soon pointed to one spot.
"This way."
We discovered an old elevator cleverly hidden deep in an alley.
As we stepped inside, the elevator—which worked surprisingly well despite its worn exterior—began descending into deeper darkness with a creaking groan.
How far down did we go?
With a jolt, the doors slid open.
And before our eyes unfolded a scene utterly divorced from the surface world.
A massive underground street teeming with 24-hour restaurants, nightclubs, bars, and brothels.
Neon signs flooded every direction with garish lights, while flashy billboards played uncensored, interactive porn videos featuring explicit scenes without restraint.
The entire tangled underworld was one giant red-light district.
"This is..."
The western outskirts' mafia, Velvet Circle's crown jewel: Paradise, the largest pleasure den outside the city.
I swallowed dryly and checked the address Rico had given me before cautiously stepping forward.
"......."
Obscene sights everywhere I looked.
Nearly naked men and women filled the shop fronts and streets alike.
Touts laughing or gesturing to lure in passersby.
"First customer of the day gets an extra whatever! No losing deal, handsome. Come on in, yeah?"
"No rule says only guys get to have fun. Tonight, big sis picks. Those hot studs over there? All for us ladies!"
It was impossible to know where to rest my eyes.
But despite the pervasive decadent atmosphere blanketing the streets, actual public safety didn't seem that bad.
'No vagrants or homeless like you'd usually see in the outskirts, and the streets themselves are surprisingly clean.'
Probably thanks to the black-suited Velvet Circle guards patrolling constantly.
There was a sense of order amid the chaos, unexpectedly.
But the pedestrians hardly noticed, too entranced by the district's signature glamour.
The scene before us now was a perfect example.
Under the red lights hanging from every shop, prostitutes and rent boys stood nearly nude like products on display.
Just looking made my own face burn with embarrassment at how provocative it all was.
Honestly... I had no idea where to direct my gaze.
'This is way... more intense than in the original game...'
Truth be told, I'd visited Paradise once in the game, so I hadn't thought much of coming here. But I never imagined it'd be like this in reality.
In the original, those prostitutes were just background NPCs swaying with similar animations.
Probably due to the developers' tech limits or censorship restrictions.
But the real Paradise was decadently incomparable.
Far more embarrassingly vivid than I'd anticipated.
Then, a sultry voice drifted into my ears from somewhere.
"Tonight, let me melt away all the tension built up in your heart."
I glanced toward the sound and saw a nude beauty projected on a massive hologram billboard.
As if detecting the gaze of passersby, she locked eyes with precise tracking and flashed a seductive smile.
"......"
I found myself staring blankly at that moment—until sudden darkness engulfed my vision.
"Ack!"
Not figuratively—my sight was literally blocked out of nowhere, leaving me flustered.
A soft voice reassured me.
"Lady Eve."
I flailed briefly in confusion before sensing a familiar presence and asking.
"...Esty?"
My hand brushed her palm covering my eyes.
Esty spoke to my startled self.
"Please, do not take in such impure sights."
"Huh?"
It caught me so off guard I was speechless—an utterly unexpected move.
'Sure, it's a bit embarrassing...'
But this level of explicitness—openness, rather—felt kinda novel, in a way.
The variously modified bodies were intriguing, like being a tourist in another country.
Honestly, part of me wanted to keep looking...
But blocking my view entirely like this?
I had to protest.
"Hey, it's hard to walk if I can't see."
Esty replied without a moment's hesitation.
"Then shall I carry you?"
"What? No, no! I'm fine!"
I refused in panic.
My legs worked perfectly fine—why would a grown adult get carried?
"Just... I'm okay, so let go."
"No."
No matter how much I protested, Esty remained steadfast.
She showed no intention of releasing her grip.
"Argh...!"
I even struggled half-seriously, but I couldn't break free from her strength.
'What the heck...'
Exhausted, I had no choice but to let her lead me blindly, eyes still covered.
Her supporting touch was so gentle and polite it wasn't uncomfortable—just baffling.
I wasn't some innocent teen girl, and even if I were, it wouldn't make sense.
This was Omega Detroit, city of freedom and indulgence.
Kids here accessed all sorts of illegal porn unrestricted and knew everything early on.
Yet here I was, far more adult than that, getting barred from even looking.
What kind of ridiculous treatment was this?
"Do we really have to go like this...?"
"Please bear with it just a little longer."
And so, stumbling along blindly under Esty's guidance for a bit.
With my sight cut off, my other senses sharpened. Touts' voices from shops pierced my ears.
"Hey, bro? Come vent your stress here!"
"Our girls don't smell like metal. How 'bout it?"
Some even directed interest our way.
"Hey, those pretty ladies over there, wanna join us... Eek!"
"Look, misses, come enjoy our handsome, hung studs... Ah, got it! Sorry!"
It was weird. The touts' voices cut off mid-pitch, turning to panicked apologies.
Unable to see, I had no clue what was happening and cautiously asked.
"Um, Esty...?"
She answered firmly.
"No issue."
Her tone made it clear she wasn't uncovering my eyes anytime soon.
Esty quickly changed the subject.
"By the way, Lady Eve, if I may ask... why come to a place like this yourself? I can't fathom any connection to this incident."
Her deflection was obvious, but I'd already yielded to her stubbornness, so I answered honestly.
I gave a suitably edited version of what I'd learned from the game.
"Because it's a spot Prosper Wellness CEO Klaus Adler visits often."
"This... outskirts pleasure district?"
"Yeah, definitely."
According to the game, he sometimes came without even bodyguards.
'Why, though?'
I didn't know the reason, but if he still did it now, it was a golden chance to target the head without all-out war with a massive faction.
Even if he'd learned from past incidents and now traveled with a huge escort, same deal.
The sole reason I'd hesitated on full war with Prosper Wellness was simple: fighting them hunkered down in their territory meant unavoidable losses on our side too.
'But if he steps out of his cage on his own two feet, that's a different story.'
No matter how many pieces remained on the board, capturing the king ends the game.
Of course, I wasn't pinning huge hopes on such shaky intel.
What I'd seen in the game was all backstory—things could've changed by now.
But if the only solutions to our current mess were years of lawsuit limbo or sacrificial war...
It was worth digging into any alternative.
'You never know.'
Esty, who'd heard my explanation, sounded skeptical.
"This place looks more ordinary than expected. Hard to imagine a megacorp head visiting in person."
"Yeah, exactly. This isn't the real Paradise."
The underground street we walked was, as evident, a cheap pleasure strip rife with touts.
"This is just the shell. The real deal's even deeper underground."
A mafia-exclusive social club indulging humanity's darkest desires.
But strict membership meant no casual access.
'Using the church name might've just raised alarms.'
That's why I'd gone to Rico.
As we chatted, we arrived at the address she'd given.
Esty finally released her hand from my eyes.
"Haa..."
I let out a sigh and shot her a mildly resentful glare.
But her expression didn't shift, as if she'd merely done her duty.
It was almost infuriating.
'What does she even think I am...? She wasn't this bad before...'
Anyway. Shaking off the thought, I eyed the building ahead.
Just an ordinary shop, no different from the rest.
Avenue place with a simple red neon sign reading 'Red Rose.'
I straightened my posture briefly before heading inside, where a woman greeted us.
"Oh, customers... or not?"
I explained briefly.
"Yeah, hi. Rico sent us..."
"Ah, right! Got the call. Come on in. This way."
She was a captivating black-haired beauty.
Her outfit was a scandalously revealing dress that left nowhere safe to look.
Heavy makeup made her look ready to start business any second.
But upon recognizing her face, I couldn't help but be startled.
'That's...'
She matched the original game's appearance perfectly—immediately recognizable.
This was the pleasure district's owner and Velvet Circle's boss herself: Madam Isadora.
The unexpected mafia head smiled alluringly with red lips and asked.
"So... what business brings you down to this cesspool in person, Saintess?"