Chapter 16
Chapter 16
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 16
Chapter Title: Extremely Fun Shopping (2)
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A building in the slums.
A small candle flame, out of place in a futuristic city, barely illuminated the dark space.
The blue-haired girl caring for the other family members in Liberra's absence—the leader who had gone outside—spoke without turning around.
"Runrun, back safe?"
"Yup, snuck back without getting caught."
The girl called Runrun appeared silently behind her.
It was a ghostly quiet movement.
The building housed quite a few children besides them.
It resembled a poor orphanage.
"Where's Liberra?"
"Well..."
Runrun hesitated to answer easily.
She seemed deeply troubled.
The blue-haired girl, Kanpu, sighed and furrowed her delicate brow.
Just because she couldn't see didn't mean she felt nothing.
'There really is some problem.'
Including the children here.
Kanpu, Runrun, and Liberra, who was out briefly.
All of them were modified humans created through secret corporate experiments.
Model name: IMP (Inhuman Modification Project).
These test subjects, modeled after little imps, had senses several times sharper and physical abilities several times superior to ordinary people.
They were meant to be deployed as compact assassination assets leveraging their small size, but
for some reason, they escaped a corporate lab that ignored all life ethics and safety protocols, ending up in Special Administrative District Area 49.
Sharing the same past and pain,
they suited the term "family" more than "comrades."
However, the three central girls differed slightly from the other children.
They were failed experiments that hadn't fully matured into adults—but unlike the others, they had grown to the size of small adults.
Thus,
they naturally took on the role of family adults.
A family was born with not three dads, but three moms.
"...Did something happen to Liberra?"
"Not exactly, but... tsk."
It was rare for the rowdy Runrun to deliberate over her words like this.
Runrun brushed aside her green hair covering her face and continued cautiously.
"Hey, vice leader."
"Not vice leader, Kanpu."
"Oh, right. Anyway."
She'd slipped on the title, but didn't seem too bothered.
"We're pretty normal among us three, right?"
"What do you mean."
"Like, our height. Growth status."
"Compared to the other family, yeah."
The other children were only around 100 to 120 cm tall, while the three were at least over 150 cm.
Not exactly tall, but small adult size.
"Hoo..."
"No, just tell me. Did something happen to Liberra?"
Lately,
Liberra had delivered massive amounts of food to the family, as if she'd robbed a warehouse.
For the starving kids, it was a godsend,
but the source of the food was the issue.
'She said she got it from some strange man...'
She'd brushed it off as a joke at the time, but thinking properly, it was suspicious.
'From a stranger, food worth hundreds of dollars?'
For free?
Nothing good came to mind.
That was why Kanpu had tailed Liberra secretly via Runrun.
"Honestly, I didn't see everything clearly, so take it with a grain of salt."
"Got it, just spill."
Runrun scratched her head, recalling the trashed grocery store.
She'd lost track midway when Liberra vanished, but saw everything after clearly.
Gulp.
Runrun's swallow echoed loudly.
The chattering kids around had focused on their conversation.
"Liberra..."
Runrun dragged it out playfully.
Very, very long.
Groans erupted around her.
"Come on, what happened to the leader?!"
"Ugh! I hate you, Runrun! No teasing, hurry!"
"...No more food for us?"
Amid the jeers,
Runrun turned serious and looked straight at Kanpu.
"Right now, for us. She's doing some kind of romance scam."
"...??"
Question marks floated over everyone's heads.
What on earth?
But Runrun, having witnessed the grocery store events, could only describe it that way.
And understandably so.
The corporation had experimented on them for over 20 years.
Meaning everyone here was an adult.
Of course, confined so long, most kids were mentally underdeveloped.
Not Runrun, Kanpu, or Liberra.
But.
"Pretending to be a kid? The leader—no, Liberra? Tricking that man for food?"
"...From what I saw."
Nothing else explained it.
An adult doing that...
I looked down at Liberra with a pleased smile.
"Come on, hold tight so you don't get lost."
"......"
"Answer?"
"H-huhh."
Truth be told, all animals are cutest as babies.
For survival advantage.
Liberra's head only reached my chest.
Adorably so.
"Hey, Hotdog Man."
"What."
Michael's face darkened like he'd spotted a pervert.
"...Nothing."
"Silly."
Michael inwardly thought:
'She's small enough to call a girl, sure, but not kid age to be babied...'
I didn't notice.
All my focus was on the little miss, Liberra.
"Right, wanna come too?"
"...Where to."
"Grocery store's wrecked, so gotta contact the boss."
"Hotdog Man's boss."
Boss lady, not boss.
"Fine. Then I'll join..."
That moment.
Michael glanced beside me and shut up.
Like a gazelle facing a predator on the savanna.
Drip of sweat and all.
I turned to check Liberra meekly holding my hand.
Her skin peeked reddish through messy hair like a persimmon, but nothing odd.
Why the sudden freakout.
"...No, I'm good. Tired from tagging along, Hotdog Man."
Michael calmly adjusted his tie and spoke carefully.
"I'll tidy the grocery store here, however minimally."
"Yeah, appreciate it."
Michael declining made Liberra nod rapidly.
Only then did he sigh in relief.
I told Nova, watching from the cracked grocery ceiling.
"Be back soon."
[...Duu.]
For some reason, the turret's barrel seemed aimed at Liberra beside me, but no reason, so imagination.
When first dropped here, streets scared me into sleeping under the turret daily,
but no more.
"Shall we?"
"Y-yeah..."
To buy a communicator.
Let's go!
I knew from day one my area was the old town.
The ID from Christine listed my (fake) name and
grocery address.
[Abel Anderson / RCMMA00041]
[447, Old North Sector St, AREA 49, RC]
Racking my brain, I deciphered:
447, Old North Sector Street, Area 49, damn Risk City.
Old town means what?
New town exists too.
Dozens of area numbers divide the city, and even within, such fine districts—who knew.
Liberra surprisingly explained.
"Risk City's a full circle. Areas 1-20 core, to 40 inner, then to 49 outer."
"50?"
"Landfill."
"Aha."
So areas grow larger outward.
41-49 encircle the city like a dystopian shell—getting the vibe.
"Of course, Area 49's special even in outer. Special administrative district, treated as outside city."
"Same city?"
"Yeah. Heard corps lobbied for easy external logistics, but feels like a dump site now."
"You know a ton."
"N-not that... Just overheard wandering."
"...Yeah."
Her fidgeting drew a fond dad smile.
I chuckled unwittingly.
"Heh heh heh..."
"For real. Nothing shady."
"So very cute."
"......!!"
I petted her messy hair briefly.
People's stares gathering.
Likely her cuteness piercing the hair mask.
Better move quick.
"That way's black market, no need."
Followed Liberra's lead.
Streets, alleys, damp dripping passages...
"...This it?"
"Yes."
Landscape fit a 3m chaos monster roaring.
Clueless me followed Liberra.
Missing map app.
Minutes later,
flickering neon sign appeared.
【Walter's Recycle Shop】
The name stirred faint nostalgia.
Felt kinship.
Like neighborhood 'Huni Mart' or 'Chulsoo Bakery'.
Naming universal.
Ignored glowing graffiti [Fucking] on wall beside.
Anyway.
"Here?"
"Yes, but..."
Liberra frowned.
Not at curse.
Sensing inner commotion.
Well, enter and see.
"Excuse me."
I pushed the sticker-plastered door.
Then.
"You fucking Walter!! You! You said you'd fix it right!"
A furious customer grabbing the shop owner's collar.
[Master, please calm. Excitement stimulates epinephrine and cortisol, bad for health.]
A bizarre dog stopping the customer, speaking human words.
What the fuck.
The dog had a head twice normal size.
Walter, the owner, gasped excuses despite choke.
"...F-for android rights."
"This ain't android!! Fuck, no rights. Why's a pet dog robot talking?! Told you fix the bark!!"
"It's essentially an upgrade..., guk!!"
Utter chaos.