Chapter 42
Chapter 42
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 42
Chapter Title: Unbeknownst to Myself (4)
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I naturally dusted off my palms, which were filthy with dirt.
Off in the distance, I could see three gang members helping each other along, limping away with their arms around one another's shoulders.
"C'mon, walk properly!"
"Fuck, it feels like my leg's broken...."
Everyone except the one guy who'd met my conditions was in no shape to walk right.
Well, they all seemed to have replaced most of their bodies with cybernetic implants anyway.
A quick trip to a repair shop instead of a hospital, and they'd be walking fine in no time.
I turned around, and there was the kid—Gio—looking up at me with shining eyes.
"Whoa, mister, what was that?"
"Tch."
"No, bro!"
Yeah, yeah.
Even though it was the result of some external meddling, the change in how he addressed me sounded pretty satisfying.
Gio came scampering over and started inspecting my arms and legs this way and that.
"No cybernetic signals at all.... Are you some secret agent for a megacorp or something?!"
"No way."
"Or maybe one of those mana users you only hear about in rumors? Nah, you're definitely not a psyker. I heard the city government scoops up all the psychics with a vengeance. Or wait, maybe you're from a special forces unit out of the city government...."
"Nah, nothing like that."
To be precise, even I didn't know.
I had no idea if there were mana circuits in my body or not.
I gave an awkward smile at the boy's motor-mouth excitement, like he'd had a motor installed in his mouth.
Gio's reaction was even louder than I'd expected.
To the point where my ears hurt a little.
Of course, kids being curious wasn't anything strange.
I waved it off nonchalantly and pushed Gio to lead the way again.
"Kid, what the hell have you been up to that those weirdos almost picked a fight with you?"
"Whoa, your speech really sounds like an old man's...."
"......"
Suddenly, I was itching to give him a knuckle rap of fury.
As I glared down at him half-lidded, Gio shrugged and added,
"And don't call me kid. Call me Gio properly. That's my name."
"Kamen Rider's fun, huh."
"...?"
Opinions were divided on it, but anyway.
I'd given as good as I got, and gotten as good as I'd given.
Living in Area 49 where security sucked, especially in Black Square, he had a bit of that prematurely aged kid vibe.
As we took short steps along, Gio stared blankly at the trash bag where the gang leader had been shoved headfirst moments ago.
"No real reason. I guess I just rubbed them the wrong way. Weak animals always get eaten first, right?"
Who'd have thought I'd hear about survival of the fittest here, like we were on some savanna?
Then again, the way the city worked seemed even more dangerous than the wilds in some ways.
Gio glanced back at me and scratched his head awkwardly.
"Anyway, thanks for the help. ...Bro."
It wasn't super polite, but it sounded way better than before.
I chuckled and replied,
"No problem. Be more careful next time you go out."
"Yeah, I will."
Normally, an adult helping a kid was just common sense, but unfortunately, this world didn't seem to run on normal common sense.
Whether Gio just wasn't used to getting help from others or had a strong sense of pride,
he grumbled even as he thanked me.
"I'd help with anything if I could, but that shop we just left was the one place I'm kinda friendly with. Introducing you to somewhere else would be—"
Right then.
A fierce rumble echoed from my stomach.
Groooowl....
Gio, who'd been talking while looking at me, clamped his mouth shut.
A moment of silence passed.
And the kid said something else entirely.
"...How about we hit up a good food spot instead?"
I didn't turn down Gio's invitation.
When you visit a tourist spot, scarfing down local eats is a must-do course.
"Let's roll."
Sure enough, even the black market was a market.
A place packed with all sorts of street food.
Delicious smells wafted from everywhere.
But sadly, we couldn't go hunting for black market eats.
"Ah."
We'd followed Gio for a few minutes when
Rumbbble....
thunder and lightning started crashing down from the sky out of nowhere.
The roar was several times bigger than the one from my stomach earlier, making it feel like the heavens themselves were heartlessly blocking my culinary adventure.
"Heavens...!!"
I was about to throw my hands up to the sky like in The Shawshank Redemption when
"Bro! Don't just stand there getting soaked—hurry over here!!"
Gio called out to me urgently.
I shuffled awkwardly under the eaves where the kid was.
Sheesh, can't a guy get a little rain?
These were the first raindrops I'd seen since falling into this game world.
But.
After hearing Gio's explanation, I hurriedly shook the water off my body.
"You know if you get caught in the rain here, all your hair falls out, right?!"
"Fuck."
Even acid rain had limits.
This stuff was straight-up corrosive rain.
'What's the pH level on that...?'
As I shot him a look begging for an explanation, Gio wiped the dampness from his palm.
"You see all those homeless folks on the streets with their skin peeled off, chrome showing through?"
"Yeah, a lot."
"That's all from the rain."
Good lord.
I'd thought it was just wear and tear from living rough.
"Especially in Area 49, since the dump's right next door."
"Area 50."
I remembered Liberra mentioning it.
Gio sighed at my correction.
"Yeah, there. Makes the rain extra nasty. Weather reports even show higher death rates."
I stared vacantly at the clear rain sheeting down between the alley buildings.
No matter how fast I'd gotten, making it home without getting hit by a single drop was damn near impossible.
'No taxis around here either.'
I'd heard there was something like public transit if you got out of Black Square to the new city streets.
Even if you could make it home safely on that, getting there was the problem.
A peek outside the alley showed most of the bustling crowd had fled into buildings.
Amid it all, one umbrella hawker was yelling his head off with a bunch of brollies.
"Umbrellas for sale! Umbrellas!! Cheap!"
One tourist scowled and asked the vendor,
"How much?"
"Just 50 bucks!"
"Crazy...."
For the record, the vendor's head was already gleaming metal.
It was a sight too pitiful to watch with eyes open.
50 dollars for an umbrella? That could buy a hot dog or two... (omitted).
I let out a big sigh and looked up at the overcast sky.
It was pitch black.
Looked like the rain would keep pouring for a while.
[Sorry. I should've checked the weather forecast.]
The terminal in my pocket blinked with bright light.
The emoticon on the screen wore a sad, teary face (😢).
At least the signal hadn't cut out from the rain.
"Everything's a crime to you. Cut it out."
[......?]
"Stop frowning. Change your expression."
The emoticon switched instantly (😑).
I couldn't help chuckling.
That's when Gio sidled up beside me, looking up at the dark sky too, and said,
"This means we ain't eating out today. The inner Black Square has covered ceilings, but with the sudden rain, it'll be packed, so seats might be scarce."
"...Gonna pour for a while?"
"Hm...."
Gio pondered my question and nodded.
"Weather didn't forecast any rain, so probably not forever, but...."
Gio added casually,
"Maybe a few hours?"
"......"
"Nothing we can do."
My face fell automatically.
My gut was screaming for nutrients.
Gio looked up at my mopey expression, scratched his head again, and spoke lightly.
"...Wanna head to my place for now?"
"Your place?"
"Yeah."
Gio pointed down another alley.
"Our house."
It was basically a shantytown.
Being low ground, rainwater was pooling, with a waterfall-like channel rushing below the path.
Gio hopped familiarly from roof to roof until we got here, then pulled aside the tarp on the biggest shack.
"Eh, nothing worth stealing anyway. Come on in."
Indeed, there was nothing inside the shack.
Just water droplets plinking from the ceiling.
The shack clung to the gap between buildings, stuck to the wall like.
Only after stepping inside did I figure out why they'd set up here.
Why's there an exhaust vent in the house...?
"Oh, that vent? Don't mind it. Without it in winter, we'd freeze solid."
I quietly shut my mouth.
Living off someone else's exhaust or AC unit.
No telling what toxic fumes might blast out.
But that wasn't the only reason I clammed up.
"Yo, Gio's back. Never comes in even when it rains, but guess he doesn't wanna go bald today."
"...Who's the guy next to him?"
The shack was crammed with kids Gio's age or younger.
It reminded me of Liberra's place for a sec, but this was way rougher.
Couldn't even stand straight, so I awkwardly crouched next to Gio.
"Oh, this guy is...."
Gio struggled for a short explanation, face scrunched in thought.
"Uh, a bro I know who came to eat at our house."
"...Gio, since when do you know any bros? You go around saying everyone older than you has an empty head."
"Ah, whatever!"
Gio poked my side as he defended himself.
Seemed like he wanted me to back him up.
Yeah, seeing this, he was still just a kid.
I plopped down boldly among the children and opened my mouth.
"This the black market's best eats?"
"...We don't even have food."
I have a conscience.
No way I'd mooch a free meal after seeing this.
I pulled a few bills from my pocket.
The kids' eyes lit up.
"Th-that's a hundred-dollar bill?!"
A few measly bills were enough to dazzle them.
I casually tossed them into the air.
"Food."
"W-we'll get it right now!!"
I was so hungry, anything would do.
Nope.
There's always a bottom below the bottom.
I should've dragged Gio by the collar to a street stall.
I pointed at the "food"(?) on the floor.
"This."
"Protein blocks! We only eat 'em on special days, but of course we gotta serve a guest!"
It looked like "black yokan" with unidentified chunks protruding from the surface.
I pointed at the next one.
"And this."
"Oh, that's sparrow pressed flat like jerky! Super tasty. You gotta try it."
"......"
"The one next to it is canned silkworm pupae.... Yeah, maybe not? We'll take it back—"
"No, leave that."
The pupae was actually the best of the lot.
Not my favorite, but still.
I got why the local homeless hung onto supermarket rations for dear life.
Gulp....
Not from hunger, but tension—I swallowed hard.
But I couldn't not eat.
Not with them staring like that....
In the end, I wolfed it all down with bone-chilling resolve.
"More?"
"No no no no, I'm good."
So please, just stop.
I was still kinda hungry, but my senses were so heightened I could count the legs in the yokan.
Anyway, belly full enough.
The kids grabbed the hundred and scampered out chattering happily, leaving just me and Gio in the quiet room.
[Silkworm pupae canned goods added to supermarket stock.]
Oh, and Nova too.
I rubbed my belly and suddenly asked,
"You looking after these kids, huh."
"Nah, what? They handle themselves."
Too much like a leader for that.
I figured out why the gang called Gio "alley boss."
As Gio cleaned up the leftovers, he muttered,
"Still, you coming here made the kids laugh and chat for the first time in a while. ...Honestly didn't need to give money."
For a moment, he reminded me of Liberra.
Personality, looks, gender all different, though.
I started to pat his head proudly, but pulled back upon noticing it hadn't been washed in months.
And then.
As he watched the kids leave, Gio bit his lip hard.
"Hey, bro."
"Yeah."
His eyes burned with resolve toward me.
"Wanna do a job with me? If it goes well, I might even snag that custom android body you've been looking for."
It was an offer I hadn't seen coming at all.