Chapter 61
Chapter 61
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 61
Chapter Title: Territorial Dispute (11)
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Someone once said.
Revenge bears no fruit.
But that's just a trite bourgeois slogan meant to suppress the proletariat.
After all, if everyone went around seeking revenge, the market economy wouldn't function properly.
The premise is flawed from the start.
Revenge isn't a productive activity that creates something, so of course it doesn't bear fruit.
"In other words, revenge is liquidation."
If you don't settle it properly, you can't move forward, and it ends up looping back like a boomerang.
Therefore.
My actions in tracking down the leader of the Hakuga-gumi weren't all that strange.
"...Are you planning to start a war?"
Michael approached me from the side, his voice laced with unease.
Though I'd moved from the cat food box to the weapons crate, I was still sitting, so I naturally looked up at him.
"Huh? What war?"
I waved it off casually.
A nonverbal way of saying not to worry.
"If that were the case, I'd have brought the homeless folks here ages ago and armed them to the teeth with these weapons."
Well, I could understand Michael's concern to some extent.
My other hand was still holding the "electronic biometric smart whatever pistol" I'd farmed from the megacorp truck.
"This is just my personal grudge. A very personal reason. I have no intention of dragging unrelated people into it."
"Unrelated? The grocery store is practically our face, and now it's even more smashed up than last time."
"Hm."
It had collapsed even more severely than when the truck had rammed into the entrance.
"Anyway, it's fine. Luckily, the logistics warehouse is intact. We can just distribute food like usual."
"...Understood for now."
I attached a holster to my tactical belt and slotted in the pistol and magazines one by one.
What was this iron cylinder?
I read the label on it calmly.
...I'll take just one for now.
If I'd known the Hakuga-gumi's base in advance, I might have charged in with the truck like last time, but fortunately—or unfortunately—this time I had plenty of time to prepare calmly.
Leaving Michael, who watched me with worried eyes, I noticed the terminal on the opposite side vibrating faintly.
"Hello?"
[...Hey.]
It was a call from Troy Mason, the one I'd messaged earlier.
[I said to leave a message if you needed something, but I'm a busy guy too. ...Normally, something like this would cost at least tens of thousands of dollars.]
"Ah, can't be helped then."
Come to think of it, I hadn't even seen Troy's face yet.
Like with the cult facility last time, or blocking the megacorp's tracking.
I'd asked for too many favors without paying anything.
[Fine, as long as you get it...]
"Guess I should ask the boss later."
[—that's what I wanted to say, but who am I? The one and only partner of the Collector. The level 8 web spider exploring the electronic world. Guardian of malware protecting City Hall... Troy Mason, of course?]
A very quick shift in attitude.
The sound of typing echoed loudly through the terminal.
[Who are you looking for?]
"The Hakuga-gumi's boss. Nickname seems to be Black Tiger or something."
[Hm, rings a bell. A faction in Area 49. Hakuga-gumi, Black Tiger... Found it.]
Troy's response came right away.
I'd braced myself for a few hours' wait, but this was faster than expected.
[Black Tiger (BT), real name Bansho Takemaru. Records show he came to Risk City from old Japan 11 years ago. Bounced around various corps and organizations after, then founded the Hakuga-gumi gang in Area 49...]
A few files transferred to my terminal screen.
From what looked like ordinary restaurants to upscale bars.
Probably photos of businesses run by the Hakuga-gumi.
[Oof. Looks like they've got a decent web spider on their side. I see logs of tampering with city surveillance cams. Makes sense given the bounty on their head.]
"Bounty?"
[You didn't know?]
He explained in a casual tone.
[This guy's right there in the RCPD database as a wanted man. Before moving to Area 49, he stirred up quite a mess in the 30s districts. Dead or alive, so decent pocket money for bounty hunters.]
Long story short.
[Coordinates roughly 439.009715, -12.883440...]
"...What?"
"Hold on. So... about here. He's probably in that building right now."
Troy was the real deal.
Black Tiger was known for hiding his tracks so well even the mafia couldn't easily follow, yet Troy pinned his location in minutes.
[Sent the location.]
"...A club?"
[Yeah, Area 49 has clubs too. Wanna hit it up sometime?]
The address looked like it was in the new city streets.
I hadn't been there much myself.
Even when I went to the black market—Black Square—recently, I hadn't wandered that area.
[Anyway, he's there right now.]
"Good."
A short but sincere thank you.
Without Troy, tracking that bastard would have taken forever.
There were a few techies among the homeless in the lot who claimed to be former web spiders, but without proper gear, catching the tail of a well-hidden tiger would have been tough.
[If you're grateful, just tell the senior I took good care of you later.]
"Easy enough."
Both worked for City Hall, right?
I had to call the boss anyway to ask about handling the captured superhumans.
[So, what's a guy like you after with a gang boss this time? Last time it was dodging megacorp trackers.]
Curiosity hitting late, Troy asked why I was after the Yakuza boss.
"This?"
A picture's worth a thousand words over a complicated explanation.
I operated the terminal and sent him a photo from my album.
───────────────
Title: [No Title]
(A photo of a sex toy striking various seductive poses)
───────────────
[...My type's the third from the left.]
"Ah, wrong one. Not that."
What kind of taste is that?
Sent again.
───────────────
Title: RE: [No Title]
(A photo of the grocery store, its outer wall bearing massive claw marks and utterly wrecked)
(Cone bawling like a frog)
───────────────
Troy went silent for a moment after receiving the proper photo.
[...Looks like magic user traces at first glance. No rumors of implants that work like that yet.]
"Shot some kind of light beam from his hand. Forgot for a sec this world's lore is kinda loose."
[Hmm, no magic user records in RCPD database... Maybe got a new magic circuit surgery after.]
Troy didn't hide his suspicion.
[Or hiding something.]
"Hiding what?"
[That's knight-level scouting material for even the stuffy old families.]
"...Knight?"
[Ah, right, your common knowledge is spotty. Butt's one of the body parts below the waist, and waist is—]
"Wow, you know butt."
[...Never mind.]
Stung by my sharp retort, Troy dropped the teasing and got back to business.
[So the gang boss smashed up your store entrance like that?]
"Spot on."
[And you're out for revenge?]
"The Tang family of Sichuan province has always repaid favors twofold and grudges tenfold, upholding karma strictly since ancient times."
[...And where's Sichuan?]
The Tang Clan of Sichuan.
Famous from wuxia novels.
Not that my last name was Tang.
Troy added grudgingly to my teasing counter.
[That's at least level 5 magic user territory. You sure?]
"Just level up."
[That's not the point. And you haven't even applied for City Hall rating. What level up? I don't know your actual level, but level 5 outclasses most mercs.]
Another unfamiliar topic popped up, but I could roughly grasp it.
"What, levels are like that?"
[What'd you think they were?]
"Like for me... just... "
Eat EXP and it goes up automatically.
Michael had mentioned hierarchy or circles last time, so I'd thought it was through mental and physical cultivation to new realms.
Eh...
So it's just like certification levels.
"Anyway, one more favor?"
[...What now?]
"Not a big deal."
Troy had mentioned checking the Risk City Police, RCPD database earlier.
So...
"Any way to filter just Hakuga-gumi members?"
* * *
"No."
I spoke firmly.
Liberra and Nova stood before me, radiating sulky vibes.
"...Why."
"May we ask the reason?"
Different words, same point.
The reason was simple.
"Who's gonna guard the grocery store then?"
Fortunately, no one said, "How do you guard a smashed-up store?"
They answered in perfect sync again.
"Nova can..."
"The small unit can..."
Liberra and Nova looked at each other.
I let out a small sigh at their reaction.
"Someone has to watch the store. Especially with all the people in the back lot right now."
That wasn't the only reason, truthfully.
But on the surface, that's what I said.
"Ahem, indeed. You two stay and protect everyone here."
Michael subtly reached for a gun in the weapons crate, so I shot him a sharp glare.
"Hey, not you either this time. And you've got plenty to handle already..."
"...It's work for Hotdog Man, but if I can't help when you need it—"
"Enough."
Like Gold Sun Gengoro—no, Black Tiger Bansho Takemaru—from the Hakuga-gumi.
I planned to go alone.
"Our ninja here says she'll guide the way. The rest of you just wait here."
Actually, the two of us.
"...The chance came sooner than I thought, so I'll serve with my life."
"Don't say 'offer my body'—gives me weird PTSD."
"...??"
No busty big-sis character vibes, so ban that phrase.
I told the other three flatly.
"Got it?"
All the complaints shifted to the ninja like magic.
"...Hasn't even been long since she got here."
"......"
"Should've raised a dog instead of a cat..."
Truth was, since she was ex-Hakuga-gumi, I didn't want her at the store just in case...
But to the others, she looked like an opportunist snatching the spot beside me.
The cat stood behind me with arms crossed in dignified poise, ignoring the voices as if deaf.
Seeing I wouldn't budge, Michael sighed and straightened his tie.
"...No choice then. If Hotdog Man decides, we'll trust and follow."
"Don't worry too much."
"Should I prep the truck like last time?"
Our grocery lot had two vehicles parked: the truck from Bogers Gang and the beat-up one from Hole Paradise.
"...Truck?"
The cat tilted her head at the sudden truck mention, sensing something off.
I refused without explaining.
"Nah, doing it different this time."
A club in operation might have innocent customers inside.
Crashing the entrance with a truck would be problematic.
And.
"It's rated 'no minors allowed' anyway."
* * *
The entrance to Club Möbius.
Unlike the perpetually dreary old city streets, the new city streets were packed with sightseers, buzzing with energy.
'Totally another world.'
I'd felt it at Black Square too, but Area 49 wasn't just full of drugged-up homeless like around the store.
The glittering LED neon signs felt oppressively flashy.
Good thing it wasn't peak hours yet—no line at the entrance.
"Hm."
A burly guy about my height scanned me up and down slowly.
Whether for crowd control or whatever, the club guard scowled and asked.
"Dug your clothes out of a dumpster or what...? Face ain't bad, but what's with the style?"
How'd he know it was from a dumpster?
Is this guy superhuman too...?
The guard shook his head and shooed me away roughly, like swatting a fly.
"Don't wanna get beat to hell? Fix your dress code first. Think this is some casual club?"
"It ain't a normal club."
"You know that and still...?"
The guard's face was etched with complex tattoos in city language—not proper Japanese.
Fiber optic filters implanted? They glowed multicolored as he grimaced.
Hakuga-gumi-run club and a guard with suspiciously menacing vibes.
I drew the pistol from my tactical belt.
Aimed silently at the man.
"Wha, what the...?"
A hologram dot sight settled over the tattoos on his face.
The smart pistol revealed his background via Troy's program.
"Takayama Makenji?"
"H-How do you know my real name...?"
No need to ask anything else then.
The silencershot bullet punched a neat hole in his forehead without a sound.
The megacorp pistol claimed a life without even a whisper of wind.
Soon.
A bright voice only I could hear followed.
First one guy.
Then three... no, four more?
I still didn't know how this world's EXP system worked, but raising my level only took that many lives.
I'd resolved not to kill for EXP, but if the target was an obvious villain needing no trial, it was different.
Like not even hearing out the cult leader.
'Just you wait.'
This time, I'm coming to you.
I stepped over the silent corpse,
and descended the stairs into the club.