031

Ep. 31

'I've been here so many times in games, but now I'm here in real life too.'

Currently I am in a dark alley in the port district. There are no cameras, and the road itself is obscured by buildings, so no light comes in.

Number 26 in my arms gave off a wave of frustration.

"It's frustrating."

[Zuzuzuzu (please be patient)]

"Yes."

After calming him down by stroking him, I looked out into the alley.

In the distance, from a large dome-shaped screen, the lights created by billboards dazzle under the artificially created night sky. It looks fancy on the outside, but I know what this city really is.

'It's a sick place.'

Although it is not as good as 'Earth', which serves as the capital of Megacorp, this place is also a formidable human demon world. There are many people who treat human life like flies, and there are people who are crazy about pleasure and do not hesitate to commit terrible crimes.

There are many people coming in for tourism or jobs, but there are also many people leaving to die. That place is the T&C special trade center.

'That's why I chose this path. Then, where should we start?'

This space city is divided into five districts: four districts and an administrative district in the center.

The port district to the east, the residential district to the west, the entertainment district to the south, the commercial district to the north, and finally, there is a central administrative district that oversees all districts.

Among these, two are the most unstable. It is an entertainment district and a residential district.

The entertainment district is filled with shops where Megacorp's citizens indulge their secret desires with 'hired' slaves. Just as in reality, this type of entertainment district is under surveillance due to the circumstances of high-ranking people, the same is true here. There are almost no surveillance cameras, but instead, combat-oriented androids roam around to catch criminals.

Androids are tricky enemies, so you can't go to the entertainment district right now. The Earth I have to go to is a different place.

'Residential district.'

It is a residential district in name only, but in reality it is closer to a slum. It is a place where middle-low capitals within Megacorp and alien races who have jobs in this city mainly reside, but it is difficult to call it a safe place even with empty words. As is the case in any city, places where the poor stay are prone to poor security.

Moreover, residents of residential districts tend to squander all their daily earnings in entertainment districts. There are many people who live only for today, so no one thinks it strange if someone next door disappears. As long as you watch out for the police and androids patrolling around, you won't have any major problems growing up step by step.

'good. The place to go has been decided. Next…'

How do you get there?

Traveling only on obscure roads also has limitations. Unlike the research vessel, the space city is well-equipped with security facilities and there are many androids roaming around.

A place where you can go anywhere in the city without being seen by anyone. I know exactly two routes that meet this condition.

'Sewers and underground railways.'

Both are important facilities that were created together when building a space city. Since it is a facility that provides essential elements of life such as water and transportation, it effectively acts as the blood vessel of the city.

'If it were a game, I would go to the sewer, but since it's reality, it might be difficult.'

Since water cannot be extracted from space, it relies on two methods to supply water to residents. One method is to purify and recycle sewage, and another method is to regularly import water from outside.

In games, this information only exists as a setting, but here it is reality. It is highly likely that the sewer system is receiving a much higher level of management than I realize.

'It's a shame, but let's take the underground railroad.'

I moved to my seat with number 26. Sometimes I walked down dark alleys, and sometimes I walked across the rooftops of buildings. There are a lot of high-rise buildings in the central administrative district, so someone might see me there, but there are no tall buildings here in the port district. People on the street were completely oblivious to what was passing over their heads.

'Let's see. The passage was definitely around here.'

It goes without saying, but I have no intention of walking into the station entrance. There are androids and surveillance cameras guarding the place, but if you just go in, there will be a huge commotion right away.

I have infiltrated here hundreds of times. I didn't always break in through the same route, but there was a secret passage that I used most often. Originally, it was a kind of side road used by workers constructing the railroad, but after the railroad was completed, it was forgotten by people.

'I'm the only one who knows about this place.'

I remember the players getting angry and fighting with each other because I kept creeping in even though they deployed a detailed surveillance network every time. In the process, some clans couldn't withstand my raid and moved their base.

I giggled to myself and picked up the rusty manhole cover in front of me with four hands.

Located on the border of the port district, this is my own little passage.

–

Among Megacorp's Noble Capitals, the T&C family had a particularly strong corporate character compared to other families.

This is because the T&C family started out as an insurance company in a city called New York.

Is that why?

The motto of T&C, the royal family of Earth, is as follows.

"If you want to stand in one place, you have to keep running."

The Red Queen effect, often mentioned in management studies, was their survival philosophy. Just as the Eugene family became kings of the Earth through genetic research, T&C also had areas of focus for the family's prosperity.

The development of space colonies.

Their goal was to pioneer a new continent instead of the old Earth and solar system. Wanting to increase the size of the pie rather than share within it, they invested a huge amount of credit in developing terraforming technology for building artificial habitats.

Starting with a space station in the solar system, it expanded its scope to include terraforming and building orbital habitats on Mars. One of the results is the Space Colony T&C Special Trade Center installed in outer space.

TNC Special Trade Center, planned as a trade hub relaying the solar system and outer space, is a space residence boasting an enormous size, reaching 60km in diameter. Although it is currently the oldest space colony, it still holds considerable influence due to its symbolism as the first space city.

Thanks to this, many extraterrestrial races still visit this place today to see historical buildings created by mankind.

The smuggled animal surveillance team office located in the port district was noisy again today with the noise made by smuggled animals.

"I leave work first."

"No Lars, you crazy bastard! "Everyone is going crazy because of the mountain crawler cub, but you're going first?"

"I don't work overtime. "Everyone, please take care of your work."

"You selfish bastard!"

Lars responded by waving his hand to the team leader who was swearing behind him.

Above his head as he left the building, there was a black night sky created by AI.

Those who wander the streets like moths to fire, following the artificial light emitted by all kinds of billboards and the processed starlight. Lars willingly blended into the illusion-like light.

'Who should I play with today?'

Lars arrived at the entertainment district by subway and pressed the digital order board in front of the special entertainment establishment. A hologram appeared in the air, and the faces of the staff and personal information service provided by the store were printed.

This is a store where special services are provided by those officially 'employed' by Megacorp. A place where customers must obey whatever demands they make. A place that is hell for some and paradise for others is a special entertainment establishment.

'He would be nice.'

Lars chose a woman who looked similar to his coworker. I didn't feel particularly guilty. He knew very well that his colleague was also a regular here.

Lars entered the store whistling.

Two hours later.

Lars wiped his bloody hands in the store's restroom.

Having replaced his arm with a machine, he sometimes enjoyed oiling it like this.

The blood and oil from the body of a living creature.

Of course, when the blood dries, it smells and rust is used, so you have to clean it properly.

'Was it a bit harsh?'

Lars glanced toward the bedroom. The white cloth on the bed was stained red.

I thought about cleaning things up a bit, but then he shook his head. The store will take care of cleaning up those scattered 'debris'. Isn't that what they pay money for?

Lars, who left the store with a refreshed face, suddenly felt drunk.

'Let's have a drink and sleep.'

Praising himself for not being a bad choice, he bought a few bottles of synthetic liquor and headed toward the residential district.

As soon as he came out of the subway station, silence greeted him. Unlike the entertainment district, which was naturally noisy due to the neon signs, the residential district was quiet.

If you were a high capital, you would live in buildings and luxury residences in administrative districts, but Lass was a low capital. It was better than Non-Capital, where you had to sleep in a sleeping capsule, but it wasn't particularly comfortable for a residential district. The apartment was dark and dirty, and the security wasn't very good, so Lasne's team called it the chicken coop.

"Nimi-cheekro!" "Someone broke it again."

Normally, the road should be bright with streetlights, but everywhere we went, the streetlights were broken. It would be restored in a few days, but it irritated Lars that he would have to walk this dark path until then.

Lars grumbled and took a flashlight out of his bag. White light emanated from the end of the lamp, illuminating his path ahead.

Awareness Awareness

The sound of stepping on a piece of glass broke the silence of the residential district. It was a road he always took, but he had a strange feeling today.

'What does this smell like?'

An unknown unpleasant smell crept up from the street. While he was thinking that the sewage had burst, a manhole cover caught his eye.

The normally closed lid was slightly open.

'Fuck these idiots, if they're going to do construction, they should keep it closed.'

Lars walked with his nose held in his hand.

Although we were already far away from the manhole, the smell did not go away. The entire road seemed to be filled with an ominous smell.

Something is wrong.

I don't know why, but Lars felt that something bad was happening. His steps became faster and faster without realizing it due to the smell and the eerieness of the darkness.

As I was walking home, almost running, I saw something standing in the middle of the street.

"Fuck!"

Ras was frightened and screamed an expletive. The person in the dark must have heard his screams and turned his head.

The other person was a young man.

'I thought the fuck was falling.'

For a moment I thought it was a monster, but it turned out to be a person. Finally relieved, he looked at the man again.

Seeing that he was wearing work clothes, the other person looked like someone working in the port district. He had an ordinary face and had something similar to a red ball on his side.

'What are you doing, bastard?'

For some reason, Lars felt reluctant to be an opponent. Before he came, this place was a place of darkness without a single light. No matter how I looked at it, it was suspicious to see someone standing still in such a place holding a strange ball-like object.

"What are you doing?"

"I'm on my way home."

The man answered in a flat voice. Compared to his demeanor, his voice seemed very ordinary, so Lars felt a little relieved.

"Hmm, let's take a look. "I'm done."

"hey."

"huh?"

"It's dark, so let's go together."

Lars was troubled by the man's words. I wasn't very happy about walking with that unpleasant man. However, it was true that the road was dark, so Lars eventually accepted.

"…Please follow me."

"thank you."

The two set off again, with the man following behind him.

He was walking down a quiet street when a man behind him started talking to him.

"excuse me."

"yes?"

"Are you a cyborg?"

"…I see."

"I see."

After saying those words, the man fell silent.

'What the fuck?'

Ras wondered if they were trying to discriminate against Megacorp because it had cyborgs, so he tried to say something. The moment he half-opened his mouth, a strange smell hit his nose again.

The smell is much stronger and more unpleasant than before. I don't know why, but that smell was coming from behind Lass.

"…."

Lars, who was about to swear, gave up and glanced behind him. The moment he saw the man, he felt a chill running down his spine.

The man following wasn't looking at the light. He was staring directly at Lars without blinking an eye.

That alone was creepy, but Lars had to look at it.

A red ball stuck in a man's arm. That thing is squirming.

'Fuck you!'

I had heard this before from a colleague. Among the top capitals, there are crazy people who save people's heads and then play with them.

Is it a coincidence? What the man is holding in his hand is exactly the size of a human head.

When Lars' thoughts reached that point, he couldn't hold back any longer.

His house wasn't far. Lars left the man alone and started running.

"Huh huh huh huh…"

When I turned around, the man was still standing in the dark. The darkness was so thick that it was difficult to see even one step ahead, but Lars could feel it.

That the man was glaring at him with an expressionless face.

Fortunately, nothing happened until Lars got home.

I don't know if it was because he was running or because he was afraid, but his clothes were soaked with sweat.

The feeling of drinking had long since disappeared, but on the contrary, I was thirsty. Lars took off the cap of the synthetic liquor, which had cold water droplets forming on it.

As I drank it all in one go, a burning sensation and a spicy sensation spread from my throat to my entire body.

"…Ugh, I have to report it to you tomorrow."

Perhaps because of the alcohol, the tension slowly dissipated. Only then did he realize that he had arrived at his home, and he let out a sigh of relief.

"…Ugh, what a shitty neighborhood. "If I save money, I should go somewhere else."

He muttered about dreams that could not come true and turned on the old virtual TV. The small room suddenly became noisy and I felt the fear go away.

Lars approached the window and looked out the window.

There was only darkness and no people were visible.

–

'He's gone.'

Cyborg didn't know what was so urgent and ran away. I could roughly guess the reason.

'Subtle discomfort.'

I didn't know out loud that I was a monster, but I seemed to sense that something was different. If you have sensitive senses, you will feel the subtle chemical signals in pheromones, even if only weakly.

Still, the purpose of the mimicry organ is only a means of facilitating surprise attacks. It wasn't like I was going to interact with people, so this was enough.

｢He's scared when he sees me.｣

[Zuzuzu (Why is that?)]

｢I don't know.｣

The cyborg seemed to be reluctant about me, but it was No. 26 that had the biggest impact on his heartbeat. Because when he laid eyes on the guy, his heart rate hit a peak.

'What's so scary about No. 26?'

This is the first time I've seen someone afraid of the bubble amoeba, a healing mascot. Of course, No. 26 is a mutant, but since it looks the same as other bubble amoeba, there is nothing to be scared of.

This cute guy is scary. He is an incomprehensible cyborg.

'Then you said he was a cyborg, right?'

After the psionium effect ends, I am currently back in the physical state. To evolve into a subadult, I need to eat one more cyborg.

'I needed it just in time, so it worked out well.'

He doesn't know, but I even figured out which house he went into.

The reverberations of the prey as it fled still linger in the air.