Great Crisis for My Attachment Humans!
…………… “Securing Korea's VIP was regrettably a failure. But capturing you here will make achieving our goal much smoother.”
Oh? He's coolly admitting it without making excuses. I have no idea how diplomatically massive it is to acknowledge a failed VIP kidnapping attempt. But judging from the ripples of agitation in the emotions of the agents lined up behind Shin Chang-seok—including Yeom Hana and Han Min-seo—it must have been a pretty bold statement.
Shin Chang-seok was the first to pull himself together. That uncle didn't get swept away by the waves of agitation like the others.
His emotions are always like that. The surface might shake a bit, but it never reaches the depths.
“Were you trying to manipulate Korea's VIP? Turn them into a puppet with your vaccine?”
“Humanity's progress requires an efficient decision-making system.”
“You're dodging the question.”
Shin Chang-seok ground his teeth and drew his own railgun rifle, aiming it at Will Bates. But Will Bates didn't even blink.
“Even you came here with severely limited forces. It's all because of Korea's inefficient political system.”
Will Bates is interesting too. His emotional flavor doesn't change at all while he speaks. It's truly unchanging, utterly tasteless.
Completely different from how Shin Chang-seok suppresses his emotions. Shin Chang-seok's tastelessness feels like a boiling pot simmering under a tightly sealed lid, held back by his own will. Will Bates doesn't even have a lid or a pot. Never did.
Evidently done talking, Shin Chang-seok pulled the trigger on Will Bates.
Bang—!!
The Mach 7.5 round tore through the air toward Will Bates' forehead.
But then.
One of Will Bates' subordinates standing right in front of him stepped forward. With an expressionless face, she swung her palm.
And like magic, the bullet vanished.
Oh. Did she absorb it? Just like I did once before.
[No!]
The sharp-eyed Sa-go was jumping up and down. Her eyes were full of excitement, unlike her usual self.
[She slapped the bullet away with her palm! A Mach 6 one! Barehanded!]
Really? The doctor-robed Sa-go raised her hand triumphantly.
[To be precise, she matched the bullet's trajectory with the kinetic energy vector of her palm, bending its path entirely. It's probably flying off beyond those clouds now.]
Then that person has basically transcended humanity. She could be called a threat entity herself.
Shin Chang-seok's surprise attack, and the guard's superhuman barehanded defense. Starting with that exchange, the agents' railguns roared as Will Bates' subordinates charged.
And I decided to watch the humans fight while sticking to the window and munching on Three Run Balls I'd pulled from subspace.
Crunch.
……………
I'd suspected as much from the moment Will Bates' guard slapped away the railgun round barehanded.
It was a fight they could never win from the start.
The power suit agents scattered and fired their railgun rifles. One platoon, about twenty-five strong. Not top-tier Awakeners, but elite forces even within the agency.
But they didn't last a minute.
Literally just one or two exchanges. Barely any sounds of fists flying or weapons clashing.
The suited men broke the agents' joints with the first strikes, then knocked them out with the next. The whole process was precise, fast, and boringly one-sided—like a factory robot arm assembling parts.
Even better, none of the fallen agency agents were dead. The gap in strength was so vast they could afford to non-lethally subdue everyone.
Ridiculous. Like kids fighting adults.
Han Min-seo held out relatively well. Pink beams from his magic wand bound one subordinate's limbs. Before the bound one could twist free, he fired a decisive shot through the shoulder, neutralizing him.
But when another joined from the opposite side, the balance broke. The beams couldn't cover both at once, so one binding loosened. The freed subordinate kicked Han Min-seo's wrist.
The staff clattered to the deck. A third charged in. Han Min-seo's arm twisted, slamming him face-down.
Yeom Hana lasted longer. In her Neutronium Suit, she even had the edge against two of Bates' subordinates. The one who blocked her punch was sent flying over five meters, and she deflected a kick from the other with her suit's forearm, landing a counter.
But when a third joined, it evened out. A fourth grabbed her arm, putting her on the defensive. When fifth and sixth piled on, her knees buckled.
The six subordinates pinned Yeom Hana's limbs to the deck.
Crunch.
I watched the scene while popping another Three Run Ball into my mouth. Those suited guys are insanely strong.
[Each one's combat power is about 60% of Yeom Hana's in the Neutronium Suit.]
The glasses-wearing Sa-go recited the data.
[Eleven of them. If they all dogpile together, that's over six times her strength.]
Hmm. And these monsters aren't even S-rank Awakeners holding top spots—they're just regular bodyguards. Impressive, but on the flip side, it means Will Bates' world is that dangerous. Needing escorts like that around the clock.
What the hell is going on over in the American continent?
[There's always a sky above the sky. Heaven beyond heaven!]
The glasses Sa-go raised her index finger knowingly.
When did this one read wuxia novels?
[Those wuxia books you flipped through—I remember them all!]
She crossed her arms smugly. The little Sa-gos were cheering "Whoa, amazing!" and clapping around her. I've been praising her too much; the glasses one is getting arrogant.
But whatever. Good job. She memorized and organized everything I just glanced at once.
[Ahem.]
I pulled out another Three Run Ball. Rolling it around in the slime mucus, I stared blankly at the deck.
The fight was over. The deck was left with agency people tied up like salted mackerel in a row, surrounded by Will Bates' subordinates.
No more show to watch, and suddenly I'm sleepy. Still stuck to the window, I slowly thinned out my body.
Being able to eat Three Run Balls like this is pretty nice.
Suddenly, my human days come to mind. Back then, I often thought stuff like that.
How great it would be if, while my original self played, another personality studied, worked, and handled all the annoying crap for me.
That delusion has become reality now. My practically infinite Sa-gos handle tasks, remember, and analyze separately inside me.
If human-me saw this, she'd probably cry from envy.
Ironic, huh? When I was human, I wanted another me who wasn't ordinary. Now that I'm not human, I miss the ordinary human me.
What would that me think of current me? Envious? Scared? Probably both.
Poke.
……Huh?
Poke poke.
What's this? Something keeps poking my back.
Poke poke poke poke poke poke poke!
Looking down into the mental world, six or seven little Sa-gos had surrounded my sprawled self and were poking me like Native Americans eating dinner.
Why? What's up?
They all pointed in the same direction at my question. Toward the real world outside the window.
[Your attachment humans are in big trouble!]
[Huge trouble! Super huge!]
[Look quick, look!]
What a fuss. These were the same ones sharing Three Run Balls and spectating just now.
Fine, let's see. If it's not a big deal, they're getting a knuckle rap.
I pulled my thoughts back and refocused on reality.
The deck situation had gotten way worse while I was distracted.
Shin Chang-seok and the power suit agents were face-down, arms twisted and bound behind their backs. Han Min-seo was there too, cheek squished against the deck, magic wand rolled far away.
Yeom Hana was pinned limb-by-limb by six subordinates, gnashing her teeth and struggling. Even as her Neutronium Suit sparked in response, they didn't budge an inch.
Hmm, everyone looks pretty pathetic.
Will Bates stopped in the center of the deck. One subordinate stepped forward and presented a silver hard case.
Click.
The locks disengaged, lid popping open. Inside were rows of pen-shaped syringes, packed tightly. Each bore the Microgenics logo.
[Th-that's……!]
The doctor-robed Sa-go clutched her cheeks with both hands.
[It's the same drug the Tera Chad summoner injected before!]
[The flavor-erasing shot!]
[Nooo!]
[Big trouble!]
The little Sa-gos stomped and flailed around.
Will Bates gave a hand signal. Two subordinates grabbed syringes from the case and approached the prone agency agents.
If those needles pierce, my attachment humans will end up like the Grand Ark guards. Empty shells controlled in joy, sorrow, even murderous intent. Tasteless puppets.
That would be a real problem. Lately, Yeom Hana has that hot-blooded fiery flavor like Tera Chad. Han Min-seo gives mild Pyongyang naengmyeon vibes or warm flower tea notes. Even Shin Chang-seok, behind his iron walls, simmers like a pot under the lid in his own way.
My wonderful attachment humans. My precious snack providers.
I can't let them become empty plates.
The syringe needle was about to touch an agency agent's neck.
That's when I peeled my body off the window.