Episode 15
Episode 15
Kkiiik——!
The modified truck screeched to a halt, leaving skid marks. Outside the window, the acrid smell of smog and chemicals—typical of an industrial complex—vibrated in the air.
Setrang and Addy stepped lightly onto the ground and continued their conversation.
"I feel this every time we come here, but it's filthy. Or should I say, really filthy?"
"This is actually on the clean side. Sunlight doesn't even reach District 27."
"...Wow. What kind of neighborhood is that?"
Emul followed behind them, mulling over the reward for the request.
'The money is decent, but... the information about Academy City is more important.'
Since Rahul spoke as if there was something hidden, it was only natural to be intrigued.
It might just be bait, but even excluding that reward, there was a lot for Emul to gain.
A mage using a Calculation Auxiliary Device, who is included in the target list. Just stealing magic from him would be a significant achievement.
'And... it's a golden opportunity to observe their combat style up close.'
Emul glanced at the backs of the two mercenaries walking in front.
A young man in a bluish leather jacket and a big guy wearing a thick mustang jacket.
If he continues hunting bounties, he will eventually meet those who use their bodies as weapons.
If he can analyze their patterns, the probability of survival will increase exponentially.
'Lastly.... I also wanted to test the magic I newly created.'
A combination magic he named Sniping. Though, given its power, he couldn't use it indoors.
Kugugugung-.
The sound of the factory door opening broke his idle thoughts.
Unlike the rusty and dilapidated building, this place was filled with the latest machines.
Is camouflage a basic skill for those who live in the shadows?
"I'll go get them. You two stay here."
Addy walked with long strides and rummaged through the cabinets lined up in a row.
Emul, having taken his eyes off him, asked Setrang casually.
"Did you learn that somewhere?"
"What?"
"That movement earlier. It wasn't just agile. And it didn't look like you had any modification surgery."
Setrang, who had been hooked by Emul's acting on the day he first visited the mercenary office.
It wasn't a reckless rush, but closer to a form performed along a set trajectory.
He hadn't realized it right away at the time, but the realization he gained while watching combat videos of mages played a big part.
"I learned it where I used to work. He was a good teacher. Even if he taught me roughly."
"A teacher... could you introduce me?"
Since he couldn't feel any Qi from Setrang either, he had to assume that those who use their bodies as weapons are born with talent in strength or agility.
Since there aren't many of them, that must be why clients pay such expensive request fees.
Emul's raw strength is pathetic, but he can at least boast of the agility honed by pickpocketing.
If he could learn even a light form of self-defense, it would be helpful. That's why he couldn't help but be curious about Setrang's teacher.
At that question, Setrang's gaze wandered into the air for a fleeting moment.
Emul immediately offered a sincere apology.
"...My apologies. I asked something unnecessary."
"It's fine. You didn't know when you asked."
A subdued atmosphere.
In the meantime, Addy approached carrying a large box.
"I didn't know if the sizes would fit, so I just brought everything...."
Finding Emul and Setrang silent, Addy quietly distributed the uniforms.
Buseureok-.
The three mercenaries silently put on the work clothes. Emul, having finished changing first, stood in front of a smooth metal panel.
A sky-blue anti-static suit and a white mask. With the crinkly hat on, he looked exactly like a factory worker.
Does his thin frame bring out the realism? Looking back, he saw the young man who looked dashing in it and the big guy who looked tight in it.
"Khuhat. Zen. That outfit really suits you. You could take it home."
"...Ahem."
Addy was also holding back laughter, but it must mean he agrees with Setrang's words.
It could have been offensive, but Emul nodded instead.
'I don't need to insist on a hood anymore. If I dress neatly, they won't think I'm a mage....'
Wiing-.
As Addy pressed the power button, the machines in the factory began to run.
The plan was simple.
Pretend to be factory workers, wait, and then counter-attack the criminals who raid the place.
After watching the manufacturing process of the illegal drug called Sludge until he could memorize it.
Kkiiiiik——!
The sound of tires friction coming from the gap in the slightly opened factory door.
Dududududu!
Simultaneously with the orderly sound of footsteps.
Kwaang-!
A man who lightly vaulted over the exploded door sprayed bullets from the guns in both hands toward the ceiling.
Drrrrrrr!
It looked like he was shooting in a trance, but it was a strike aimed precisely at the security devices.
In the meantime, one of his colleagues who had entered shouted.
"If you don't want to die, follow instructions. All workers in the factory, go to the corner on the right over there...."
"Puechwihi!!!"
A sneeze so loud it buried the shout.
——It's the start signal.
Setrang rushed in, bending his waist in the same posture he was in when he sneezed. Addy jumped, using the machines as a foothold, and lunged in.
The whole scene flowed urgently, and Emul, who had already pulled out his gun, pulled the trigger without hesitation.
Taang——!
A slug bullet fired through the cables of the security devices that were hanging limply and swaying.
Ttaang-!
A rebounding sound like hitting heavy metal was heard, and soon the debris of the explosion cleared, revealing the robbers.
Just as explained, all of them were wearing strangely shaped gas masks. It must be to make it difficult to identify them.
Addy and Setrang, who had rushed in earlier, were already tying down three of them.
Kagagagak-.
The metallic sound of blades clashing echoed through the factory. Addy, who was crossing over the operating conveyor belt, hurriedly lowered his upper body.
"Wow. People are gonna die!"
Bullets grazed the top of his head narrowly. There was no damage to the machines or the drugs that were the product.
"Um!"
In the midst of that, Setrang threw his body. A fist extended with the sound of wind cutting through the air from his heavy body.
Tteong——.
The man with the black prosthetic arm countered, and the collision sound that shook even the stomach swept the area.
Goosebumps rose naturally. Emul, who was observing the whole scene from behind a machine, pulled the trigger without even aiming.
Ttaang-!
The slug bullet was blocked by a blue barrier and fell off. There was no damage itself, but the intended effect worked.
The mage who was trying to cast magic glared at the machine where Emul was hiding.
"That rat...."
His lips twitched as if muttering, but Emul couldn't hear it.
He was not using any mana at the moment.
'I also need combat when I don't have mana.'
Wasn't that the reason he bought the high-tech pistol?
The story would be different if the mercenaries participating in the request were in danger, but it didn't look that difficult.
Kaang, kaang, kaang——!
A tense ensemble of blades competing for a split second like a regular melody. Addy's blade clashed with the robber's sword, sparking fire.
Taking advantage of that gap, the robber's gun barrel, which was trying to aim a machine gun, was blocked by another robber dragged by Setrang.
"What the fuck. Get lost if you don't want to get bullet holes!"
"Kuek...! Just handle it yourself! Do something about this mercenary bastard!"
An intended melee that skillfully neutralizes long-range weapons. Rahul must hire them because they know how to handle themselves.
Even while thinking that, Emul pulled his index finger again. A shot aimed precisely at the timing when magic is inevitably manifested.
Taang——!
It was easily blocked by the barrier the mage was wearing, but the magic canceled just before casting does not return mana. The life line being consumed meaninglessly would be tightening around his own neck.
"This bastard, since earlier...!"
A mage running between machines with mana coated on his body. He adjusted his gas mask and moved forward without hesitation.
"Hup. Watch out there!"
Addy warned him, but Emul was already running as if crawling through the passage where the Sludge vapor was thinly spread.
'Those guys want to preserve the machines as much as possible.'
The robbers' goal is money, not murder. They should prioritize their lives, but the human brain sometimes makes foolish judgments.
Pabababak!
Ice rain stuck into the floor where Emul had passed like a trajectory. He ran, ignoring the cold chill rising from his heels.
"Come out, you rat-like bastard!"
Instead of casting more magic, the mage lowered his body. He was trying to aim at the side of the machine Emul was using as cover.
'Obsession with money. That is your cause of death.'
He couldn't see it because it was hidden by the panel, but he could feel the mana itself.
Emul, who had brought his pistol to the thin part of the machine, pulled the trigger slightly.
Zziing. The pistol's gauge filled to the limit. He sharpened his senses and constantly gauged the mage's position.
The opponent's figure began to be drawn faintly as if painting over his mind. As he caught that afterimage without missing it, the blue energy wrapping the mage's whole body shimmered.
The barrier that had easily blocked the slug bullets.
Until now, he had relied only on his gut to pierce through the weak points, but now he was reading the texture of the intricately woven net one by one.
'As expected, the distribution of mana is not uniform.'
"You son of a bitch. Keep doing that shit. Don't think you'll die easily. I'll shove an Ice Shard into your eyes...."
Ignoring the mage who was threatening him in excitement, he focused entirely on the gap created by the flow of mana.
The hot barrel, the tingling, pulsating handle of the pistol.
The moment the mage, feeling something, twisted his body to the angle Emul wanted.
Zziing, taang——!!!
The compressed slug bullet fired from the flickering muzzle pierced through the steel.
Peoseok——!
Beyond the barrier, it tore through the mage's soft skin.