chapter 64

Prosthetic Upgrade and Doll

After the three of them—Karl, Oliver, and Jack—finished breakfast, they didn't stay in the room for long. On this rare day without any information from Blanca, each had their own plans.

Oliver wanted to get himself a new sniper rifle, Jack was eager to buy the motorcycle he had been eyeing, and Karl planned to visit victor for a prosthetic body upgrade. It would be too troublesome to do these tasks together, so shortly after breakfast, they parted ways.

However, despite going separate ways, it was Oliver who played chauffeur, dropping Karl and Jack off at their respective destinations first.

"I'm starting to think you bought a car, Karl, just so you could sit comfortably while I drive."

"Slander. I just want to be lazy."

After saying goodbye to Oliver and Jack, Karl headed to victor's clinic.

They agreed to meet up again in the evening after Karl's prosthetic surgery.

Karl passed through Misty's psychic shop, greeted her, and walked out the back door, turning left toward the basement alley where victor's clinic was located.

Karl was victor's only appointment for the day, so victor had prepared in advance.

"Just as we discussed yesterday, Karl," victor said, taking out the prosthetic body that had arrived that morning from its storage area. He looked at Karl, who appeared to be in good condition, and waved for him to lie down on the operating table.

"I still need to check whether these prosthetics have any backups. Lie down and get mentally prepared."

"What kind of mental preparation do I need, victor? This isn't my first time."

"You can't say that. Every operation carries risks; you can't be careless."

Like a nagging old mother, victor muttered as he worked, and Karl, not keen on listening, lay on the bed and watched him inspect the prosthetic body.

Karl had ordered this prosthetic body through victor, relying on his connections as a prosthetic doctor. The total cost was 192,000 euros.

Ninety-two thousand euros were for a monomolecular line. This one was longer and easier to charge than Karl's previous line. It would be more efficient in battle, allowing him to charge it quickly and peel the 'skin' off an ACPA's frame in a few strikes.

The other 100,000 euros were for upgrading his neural access port. Until now, Karl had been using the cheapest model on the market, the "Military Technology Parallel Line." Its computing power was barely adequate. The new access port was the Arasaka Type 3.

Arasaka Type 3: A top-level access port for cyber hackers specializing in covert infiltration and espionage operations.

Karl didn't have a preference for Arasaka products; this was simply the best option vic could obtain. Anything better would likely be limited to corporate use.

After ensuring the prosthetic had no hidden programs, victor sat beside the operating table.

"The procedure will take about two hours. Do you want anesthesia?"

"Partial anesthesia will do. That way, we can chat, victor, to pass the time."

"Surgery isn't something to pass the time with," victor muttered, though he administered the partial anesthesia as Karl requested, then began the operation.

Just as victor estimated, the procedure took exactly two hours.

"How does it feel?" vic asked.

Karl tested the monomolecular line on his right hand. "Smooth, no hindrance."

"And the access port?"

Karl concentrated, noticing his brain processing data much faster. He glanced at victor and felt a network of knowledge from his experiences with BD forming in his mind.

Victor—formerly a boxer, now a prosthetic doctor—was in good physical shape, though slightly out of breath from the operation. His breathing would stabilize in fourteen seconds. Karl could also identify vulnerabilities in victor ribs and left knee joint, calculating that he could exploit them in 0.3 seconds if necessary.

"It's functioning perfectly," Karl said. "It feels like part of my mental load has been transferred to the port."

"That's not possible," victor replied, dismissing Karl's comment. "It's just an access port, not a brain supplement."

Victor took a few moments to catch his breath. "Don't engage in any strenuous activities today. Take time to adjust. If I find out you've taken on another mission tonight, I won't use anesthesia for your next surgery."

In truth, Karl had already accepted a mission, but he didn't intend to tell victor that. He chose to remain silent.

"I'll pass the message to Oliver and Jack," Karl said, taking his leave.

He planned to visit the Kabuki Market before dinner. There was a hacker shop where he could buy some puppets—hacker software, attack programs, and viruses.

Having learned basic hacking from BD, Karl wanted to experiment with these puppets and try his hand at hacking.

Karl messaged Oliver to ask where his full-time "driver" was, only to be told Oliver was still choosing guns.

How long could it take to choose a gun?

Karl touched the Lexington at his waist, realizing he, too, needed to upgrade his weaponry. While he had a collection of rifles, submachine guns, and shotguns in his room, Lexington was his only concealable pistol.

Could Lexington even be considered a proper mercenary's pistol?

Should he get another Kenshin or try a different model?

That was a question worth pondering.

For advanced chapters visit our patreon

patreon.com/Thereator