Cyberpunk Queen: Chaoryeong's Poisonous Wrath
Chaoryeong, the head of the Nis Colony's megacorp alliance, bit her purple lips at the sudden news. The Polrosa patriarch and his son had been taken hostage.
"Ah, those damn bastards. Getting caught at a time like this? What the hell?"
The vote for alliance head was just around the corner. At a moment when she had to avoid even passing leaves, a hostage situation out of nowhere. Recalling the faces of that pig and the patriarch, Chaoryeong clicked her tongue.
"So, what happened? How'd they end up as hostages?"
"It happened while he was sentencing a slum-dweller who struck his own son to death at the courthouse."
Chaoryeong let out a hollow laugh at her secretary's words.
"Well, that's just business as usual. But why'd they get caught all of a sudden? That's nothing major."
The secretary broke out in cold sweat as he continued.
"Uh, the report says... that the slum-dweller he sentenced was a superpowered individual..."
"Superpowered?"
The smile vanished from Chaoryeong's face.
"You messing with me? They got taken hostage by a superpowered freak?"
"......"
"Hey."
At Chaoryeong's word, the secretary trembled as he explained.
"O-Of course it's probably bad intel, but... th-they seem to be some kind of special equipment users, or maybe cybernetically enhanced."
"......"
"But they emit some flashy unknown light and chant spells, and people drop like it's magic..."
"Hmph, probably some illegal implant they cooked up. In that case... let's see, should I sprinkle some poison gas?"
"Pardon?"
As her female secretary panicked, Chaoryeong furrowed her brow.
"Hey, don't you know I hate repeating myself? Clean out the slums."
"...All the slums we suspect? That'd kill at least tens of thousands."
Letting out a sigh, Chaoryeong pulled a pistol from her drawer.
Bang—The woman's head exploded, and she toppled backward.
"I hate repeating myself."
This case was scrapped just a day after it came in— a bit excessive, even for her. Chaoryeong set the pistol on her desk and picked up the phone.
"Chief. Fire every single one of the bitches who recommended this secretary. And clean my room."
"Oh, and deploy poison gas on all the slums in A Sector. Make it look like a leak accident. Send condolences to Polrosa. Their eldest will love it. Both gone at once."
"Okay~"
Chaoryeong hung up and gazed out at the dark streets below.
"A mage... That'd be trouble. Real trouble in this colony..."
What if, just what if, a guide had actually come? That would be a headache.
"Nah, fat chance. There's no shortage of colonies in this universe..."
At the vibration from the staff, Shasha hurriedly cast an electric magic spell.
3-level Survival
Electric Field
An electric field extended outward, forming a hemispherical space.
"That Polrosa guy or whatever. What happened? Looks like you were just abandoned."
The middle-aged man chuckled at my words.
"Chaoryeong's doing, no doubt. Heh heh, you're all dead meat now too."
I shoved the man outside the barrier and asked again.
"Mister, my question is why you were abandoned."
The man, who was supposedly the megacorp patriarch, thrashed pathetically and yelled.
"...I have an eldest son! She's probably gonna emergency-transfer to him and wipe you out!!"
"Aren't chaebol heirs supposed to be important? You can just do it all slapdash like that?"
At Shasha's words, the middle-aged man clenched his fist.
"Exactly! Chaoryeong's a crazy bitch, but she wouldn't make a drastic call like this! If there's a variable, it means you're that dangerous!"
At that, it clicked like a lightbulb— the puzzle pieces fell into place.
A personality that'd gas an entire city to kill one person. Power to do anything. This intense reaction. I'd met types like this countless times as a Mage Hunter; I could read her mind like a book.
'Looks like you're the culprit, Chaoryeong.'
I nodded and stood from my seat.
"Then, to prevent this colony's doom, I need to meet this Chaoryeong."
The Polrosa patriarch stared at me.
"What're you talking about? The colony's doom?"
I thought for a moment and made up something on the spot.
"I came here after reports of anomalies in this colony. The... Sigma Graph is heading toward collapse."
The pig's face went pale at my words.
"Sigma Graph? D-Do you mean... you're an imperial inspector?"
I smiled faintly at the second son, who helpfully supplied the right line.
"Cooperate if you don't wanna die. I need to see Chaoryeong."
As I pondered whether to beat the two nodding men into submission for now, the staff vibrated.
"Th-Then... can I drop the field now...?"
Shasha collapsed to the filthy floor, half-dead.
"How're you this wiped from holding a mere 3-level spell?"
"B-But technically, I'm still 2-level? I'm just cheating it to 3."
"Pathetic."
"Urgh... If you're gonna complain, learn a barrier spell yourself."
"Real men don't learn survival magic."
"You're a girl though..."
I ignored Shasha, stood, and stepped out of the barrier. Countless people lay foaming at the mouth on the streets.
"...This ain't right."
Seeing them writhe in the street filth turned my stomach.
"Aren't you pharma guys? Can't you do something?"
"Hmph, they're already goners."
Unlike the patriarch, the second son hurriedly offered me three white pills.
"It's a universal antidote, but... I only carry three for emergencies myself..."
I nodded at the now-meek pig's face.
"Staff. Can you do anything with these?"
"What about dispersing it into the air? Ether's plentiful— transmute and spray it around."
"Tough is fine. As long as it's possible. Shasha, cover me."
"Got it."
Aether Scan: COMPLETE
Aether Synchronization: STABLE
"Handy that it's like Secret Transmission Dynamics."
I closed my eyes and began modulating the ether waves. White mist spread around us.
"Nano-replication tech...?"
I heard the pig mutter dumbly. The coughing, phlegm-rattling, and groans filling the streets faded away.
"Whoa! It's working? People are coming to!"
With Shasha's shout, my consciousness snapped.
When I came to, the pig's face— I mean, Mus Polrosa's— was the first thing I saw.
"What? You playing nurse?"
At my words, Mus awkwardly pointed to my forehead.
"It's a cooling gel I had. Not a cold, but you were burning up, so emergency measures."
"Staff, wanna get smashed?"
"Pardon?"
I shook my head at Mus's startled look.
"Not talking to you. Just... deep-space comms."
"Fits the setting, so immersion's key. What about the people?"
Mus just sat there blankly, so I furrowed my brow.
"This time it's to you. Wasn't I looking right at you?"
"Ah. S-Sorry. Many survived nearby, but the gas spread so wide..."
"...How many?"
"At least ten thousand..."
Sheesh. Kill ten thousand to get one? Even the villainesses would be impressed.
"Dad rushed to pharma HQ to manage the crisis and distribute antidotes, but it's not looking good."
"That old man?"
Mus grew serious at my surprise.
"He's harsh on challenges to his authority, but he handles this stuff properly."
'Fine, as long as he listens. Better than someone who offs tens of thousands on a whim.'
Upon second look, he seemed decent enough.
"Then, we should aim to take down that Chaoryeong..."
After weighing options in my head, I got out of bed.
"Alright, to Chaoryeong's company."
"Pardon?"
When the iron's hot, strike it. Know your enemy, then eliminate.
"No real threats here anymore. Let's wrap this quick, aye."
As I grabbed the staff to head out, Shasha burst in.
"That crazy bitch is coming here with the army!"
I smirked and hoisted the staff.
"Fine. Time to show her what a real crazy bitch looks like."