Chapter 182: Andy

"Andy?"

In the dimly lit underground parking garage, Karl's voice was clear as he called out Andy's name, hoping for a response.

Bang!

Karl might have been better off staying silent. The moment he spoke, as if triggering something deep within Andy, a gunshot cracked through the air—a bullet speeding straight for Karl's head.

Karl's monowire flashed, slicing the bullet in mid-air. His eyes quickly locked onto the gun emerging from behind the vehicle, instantly recognizing the model.

A Liberty, manufactured by Constitutional Arms.

A power pistol that, in the hands of an experienced shooter, could rival even smart weapons in effectiveness.

"I'm not your enemy."

Despite being shot at, Karl was a reasonable man. Before resorting to violence, he wanted to make Andy understand that he was here to help. However, Andy had no intention of accepting Karl's goodwill.

As the muzzle flash illuminated his face—revealing a man barely in his early twenties—he reached for another weapon.

Any merc worth their salt mastered multiple weapon types. The longer you survived on the streets, the more versatile you became. Andy, who had been in the game since childhood, carried more than just a sidearm.

In addition to his pistol, he pulled out a submachine gun.

The moment Karl saw what it was, he instinctively retracted his monowire and moved.

Because this SMG was a smart weapon.

And if Karl wanted to neutralize Andy without killing him, his only option was to avoid getting tagged by the smart gun.

This guy... he's no weakling. No wonder he tore through Cloudtop solo and got out with his sister.

Andy's second weapon was a Kang Tao G-58 Dian, one of the finest smart submachine guns on the market—widely favored by elite operatives, including Trauma Team.

If Karl got locked on, the bullets spraying from that thing would tear him apart in an instant.

Diplomacy failed. Now it was time to subdue him.

Karl took cover behind a nearby car, briefly slipping out of Andy's sight. But he knew someone like Andy, a seasoned merc, wouldn't lose track of him for long.

One second. Maybe two.

Think.

He needed to come up with a plan.

Andy was clearly on the run with his sister. He had never once moved from behind that cargo van, which meant she was likely still there.

But something was off.

Karl hadn't heard a single sound from her.

If she had passed out, that would be one thing. But if she was awake and still silent...

Karl realized something far more dangerous could be at play.

Andy was a formidable merc, someone capable of storming through Cloudtop alone.

But his sister?

Karl had heard rumors—those who were enslaved at Cloudtop were implanted with control chips.

If the Tiger Claws had activated something, or if she had been caught in the crossfire while Andy was fighting his way out...

Was Andy still sane enough to recognize Karl as an ally? Or had he already lost himself— a mad dog, howling in despair, guarding something precious that had already been taken from him?

Karl had to figure it out—fast. Karl took a breath as he saw, through the surveillance feed, something being tossed toward him from behind the van.

He didn't need to look to know what it was.

A merc's best friend, a devastating weapon in tight spaces—what else could it be but a grenade?

'If I didn't have to hold back, I could've blown him apart the moment he threw it.'

But this time, that wasn't an option.

If Andy's sister was in immediate danger, detonating the grenade midair could lead to consequences Karl didn't want to see.

"This job is a real pain."

Grumbling under his breath, Karl watched the grenade's trajectory slow down, becoming perfectly visible in his enhanced perception.

Rolling out from behind the car, he transitioned into a crouch—left foot bent, right foot pushing off the ground in a sprinting stance—and launched himself toward Andy.

Behind him, in the slowed perception of time, the grenade landed where he had just been and erupted in a blast.

'A precisely timed grenade, set to explode on impact. He's got experience. Good thing I didn't wait for it to hit the ground before dodging.'

Feeling the heat of the explosion at his back, Karl ended his reaction acceleration—now just ten meters away from Andy.

And as if he had anticipated Karl dodging and closing the distance, two glowing blue lights flickered to life in the dimly lit parking garage—Andy's optics flared to life in night vision mode, locking onto Karl while his smart submachine gun was already raised.

'Not Sandevistan—he just predicted I'd evade and end up on this path?'

But still, they were both mercs—how could Karl not anticipate Andy's next move?

Data breach.

Overheating smart link.

Those who used smart weapons often equipped Smart Link cyberware, a modification implanted into the hand. And when that overheated? Even holding a weapon became impossible.

"Sssshhht—!"

Sparks crackled from Andy's palm, his fingers twitching involuntarily as he lost control for a brief moment—just long enough for his fingers to slip off the trigger.

A twitching hand couldn't squeeze the trigger.

Andy reacted quickly—immediately raising his left hand, aiming a Liberty pistol at Karl. Clearly, he had anticipated cyberattacks and prepared accordingly, having modified only one of his hands with a Smart Link.

"Too slow."

As Andy lifted his Liberty, a perfectly timed bullet met his trajectory, blasting off four of Andy's flesh fingers—sending the Liberty flying from his grasp.

"To avoid shrapnel injuries from a shattered power weapon, especially to someone you might care about, I had to do this."

Karl raised his Overture, aiming at Andy's other hand. "Sorry."

Another gunshot echoed.

This time, Karl intentionally only severed Andy's gun-wielding fingers, without destroying the weapon itself.

The reason for treating smart weapons differently from power weapons was simple. For power firearms, it was about avoiding shrapnel injuries. But for smart weapons? Karl was just looking out for a fellow merc.

After all, fingers could be replaced with cyberware, but an expensive smart weapon? That wasn't as easy to come by.

With both hands neutralized, Karl closed the final distance between himself and Andy.

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