Chapter. 13. Hunter, Scavenger, and Swordsman (2)
****
Clap!
“Stop engine! Come out and reveal your affiliation and identity-”
“Hey, thank you for your hard work! This is BDSM Ian! “The ones falling behind are our children!”
The outskirts of a residential area boasting strict security. When Ian came out of the hatch and took off his sunglasses, the soldier who recognized him from the moment he came out was startled and put his gun away.
“It’s an honor, Metal Joe! “Can you just fill in the number of people as you leave?”
“…Dahlia and Mitch. “Except two people.”
“Thank you for your hard work…a lot!”
With the sound of passing, the steel door with scrap plywood stuck to it opened to the left and right. Now it looks like a scavenger’s den, but when it was first built, it was a nice gate filled with Dome’s latest technology.
The appearance of the entire outer wall connected to the door collapsed inward, showing how fierce a battlefield this was.
Crackling-
“Ronnie. Reduce your speed. “There are kids walking around in front.”
[Hey. Tank commander. Do you think I’m a beginner who doesn’t even know the viewing angle of a tank?]
“A guy with short legs who puts a block on the accelerator and steps on it is arrogant.”
[If skills increase in proportion to age, all the old people in the dome will become heroes of reversal, right?]
Tsk. Ian clicked his tongue at the boy’s soothing voice that came through the tram’s communicator. They say that the surrounding environment is important to children. The boy tank soldier who had been trembling behind the seriously injured Vex a long time ago had gone. Only a 13-year-old boy tank soldier with a snarky tone and unusual growth remained.
Crackling-
[So, I told you to stop me from playing with Ronnie and Budlam. Why are you giving a damn about asking a thirteen-year-old to be your weight partner?]
“I don’t think that’s what the guy who said early education is important and told you about your days as the ‘King of the Entertainment World’ would say, Dorian.”
[Giggles. Well, you say you are satisfied. But is it already a refugee zone? I think I just climbed over the outer wall.]
“That’s right. “The refugee camp has already expanded this far.”
Ian recalled the outskirts of District 47, which had become a 24-hour battlefield after the incident in District 38.
Survivors, avoiding the oncoming mutants and some of the people who had become mutants right next to them, flocked to the dome in the vicinity, which had the strongest military power and local defense facilities, and the dome responded quickly to urgent situations and set up the defense line as far away as possible. was created and refugees were accepted into it. Even though they were refugees, they were all survivors of the wasteland, so it was obvious that if they were not accepted, it would all turn into a riot.
Pajik- Pajik-
‘….President Young is definitely not an ordinary person.’
The reason why there was no more noise from mounted machine guns, which had been eardrum-shattering every day for the first two months, was because President Young had taken special measures.
‘Deploy all the electropoles you have at full power for 24 hours to create a wall of electromagnetic nets on the outer defense line.’
It was not a simple matter to decide. Electropole Electronic equipment that is the core of the defense strategy that raises the dome’s electromagnetic net and also acts as a charging station to increase the exo suit’s activity area near the dome.
As it was an urban defense equipment made with old-fashioned, cutting-edge technology, its effectiveness was great, but the problem was that if it was used in such a haphazard manner, the life of the equipment would expire.
As it was a type of transformer, it had a simpler structure than equipment like Zeus, but it was still an equipment that was impossible to reproduce worn parts with the current level of technology.
Thanks to the current continuous operation, a variant blocking line surrounding the outskirts of Area 47 has been secured, and thanks to the stable defense line, life inside the dome and in the nearby refugee camps has gradually become more stable.
Chi-ik-! Push profit-
“Pole 238- Replace! Power down! Get out slowly! “If it bends, you’ll be in big trouble!”
Just
like the electropole that was being replaced due to overheating in front of me, most of it was operating to its limit, so its lifespan was rapidly being shortened.
One year from now. It was predicted that the current electropole would reach the end of its life in one year. The powerful electromagnetic net that blocked the Raptor’s tank rounds will disappear after a year. With the exosuit’s uncharged range of motion reduced by more than half. At that time…
‘The war will resume. One way or another, there must be a Raptor spy hiding within the Dome’s territory.’
….At that time, the Raptor Society, which has secured a lot of disgusting biodiesel with mutant corpses and has no burden of moving all its troops, will attack. The smell of burning people still haunted him like a vision, and the number of tanks so large that the last battle felt small-scale.
As Ian looked at the refugees huddled next to Paul’s red-hot heat, he thought that war might be an inescapable fate in his life.
The aftertaste of the cigarette was bitter.
“…Tsk. Hey Dorian. “Do you have any alcohol left?”
“yes? Why does a person with a lot of money always rip off his subordinates? There is! there is!”
“Dude, I told you not to buy moonshine from the refugee camp. “I’m making more because there’s someone who buys it for me.”
“Ugh, it’s not moonshine anymore. I heard that with internal stability, the level of food self-sufficiency has gradually recovered? “This is what people who lived in the shade made from leftover potatoes.”
“Let’s see… Moon glow? “Is Moonshine a counterfeit?”
“Hehehe. Those who sell it say that. It is not a town where the moonlight shines properly enough to describe the wasteland as shine. They say the moonshine market should also reflect the world’s circumstances – ugh!”
“It’s a good thing. I joke around with people from the very back alleys. “Why don’t you become sworn brothers?”
Pow!
Kicking Dorian’s head as he leaned against the gunman’s seat, Ian took the plastic bottle of water he held out.
‘Plastic, which was previously a problem because it did not rot, is now useful because it does not rot or change easily. ‘This is it.’
Cloudy moonshine and paper half-wrapped in slightly dented plastic. When I looked at the words “Moon glow” written randomly on top of it, I thought that it exactly reflected the current times.
Gulp-
“Ugh. It’s so boring. How much did you pay for it? “If you give me more than 1,500 shillings, I’ll be ripped off.”
“I gave you five thousand. “Oh, that’s because I add water in the middle because I’m trying to save money.”
“Hey.”
While he and Dorian were fighting, the armored truck that was following behind them began to make a harsh noise to remove the people who were holding things like bowls and clinging to the tank.
Amid the gathering crowds and noise, the blue curtain of the dome began to flicker in the distance.
****
Shake!
“So, are you a fan?”
“Uh… um… a little?”
“No, Manager Mong! Would you like to hear the situation? If it were just people begging, I would push ahead, but those damn bastards are sticking around and going all out? Things like tarps or fuel fastened to the top. “Isn’t that something we are to blame?”
“No, I wasn’t blaming you, I was just trying to tell you that you did a good job.”
Garage of the inspection department. The BDSM members, who had entrusted their tanks and armored trucks to the maintenance team of the inspection department, who were now quite familiar with them, each headed to their resting places. Some people had families, and others had fled together and were staying in the refugee zone. Ian, who knew well that maintenance was important for both firearms and people, did not get much involved in what the crew did in the dome unless there was an accident.
“do well? “I said it was a little bit, but… in fact, there were more than one person who was broken.”
“Ian, that’s your personality. Is there anyone in the dome that doesn’t know you? Taking that into account, I said it was a good job. When it comes to BDSM, public opinion is sky-high, so I don’t think I’ll be criticized for hitting on those newbies. “Every time the inspection department does something, it starts with forced labor and now violent oppression, and all kinds of nonsense is plastered throughout the community, saying that the banner of freedom has fallen to the ground.”
Ralph Monclar. He, the head of the inspection department and a close friend of Professor Ezel, heard about what had happened outside and began praising him as if he had done a good job.
“They are refugees, but there are everything from scavengers to arrogant people mixed in. “Especially near Zeus Valley, a fairly black market has formed.”
“Black market… something like this?”
widely!
Monclar deftly caught the empty plastic bottle thrown by Ian and nodded.
“Yeah, something like this. Moonshine liquor like Moon Glow is a representative example. First of all, there are no drugs or weapons yet, so the dome plans to watch this as a sign of recovery in the market economy. When you have time, go with the crew later. They also sell a lot of pretty interesting stuff. “Even outside the dome, it’s a valley, so there’s no dust, so it’s good to play.”
“…Then why is it a black market? “It’s just a market.”
“So, the inspection department said they would give permission to a group of people who were playing an unreasonable role as managers, but they said they just wanted to remain as a black market. “It seems like there are a lot of better products on the black market than on the market?”
It was a funny story, but deep down I thought it made sense.
“hmm. “I guess I’ll have to go with the kids later.”
“okay. Getting a good rest when you return is the way to survive one more day on the battlefield. “Where has that short friend gone?”
“ah. Vex? I must have gone to get Cynthia. “It’s visiting time soon.”
“….okay. Have a good look. Rest well, BDSM leader, and you will get better.”
“Hey, thank you. Monclar.”
“Oh, I have to go to see you too, so I’ll come back later, Manager Mong! “Let’s have a drink later!”
“No alcohol! Bring your BDSM activity report! “Please fill it out according to the inspection department’s form and bring it with you!”
“I already wrote it and put it in the glove box of my car~~”
“How many cars!”
“Armed truck! “Car number 4 yooooo-”
Ezel pauses as he walks away with Ian.
“…That bastard. “I thought I would be like a child my whole life, but now I’m all grown up.”
Ralph looked at his back, and there was a strange expression on his lips that was half relieved and half sad.
On Ezel’s leather jacket as he walked away, there was a large black mark of a hand grasping the four letters BDSM and an inspection department mark engraved side by side.
****
Slurp-
“It’s been a while… I don’t think it’s worth saying. Has it been 4 weeks? “Ian.”
“yes. So, I don’t think it’s worth setting up a place like this to face each other.”
Ian felt uncomfortable with this man named Alexander Young. We are also similar in age. Even if there was a bodyguard next to him, it wouldn’t be enough to threaten him if a real battle broke out.
I just did it because I couldn’t help but feel strangely drawn to this man when I was talking to him.
Anyway, he was a man who didn’t like anything, from his furniture to his taste in cigarettes. If there’s just one thing you like. What’s in the small teacup is not tea, but heated alcohol?
“A month is a long enough time for someone who travels around every day. Okay, Professor, what was it like seeing that friend? “You’re feeling a lot better, right?”
“…I don’t know if I can describe it as being okay.”
Yes, I came to see it. After finishing the 15-minute disinfection process, which seemed like a hassle every time, I left my firearms and bombs behind, drove Ezel and Bex Cynthia, and went to where that guy was.
The body, which was erected on a steel frame like a large mannequin, had clearly shrunk in size, but still appeared to be 4 to 5 meters tall.
Unlike the body, which had clearly returned to its human form, the chest, which was gaping open, and the inside, which looked empty as if there were holes here and there, showed no signs of recovery at all.
The body surrounded by a black shell that even a rail gun cannot pierce seems to be a literal translation of the phrase “biological weapon.”
As I watched the guy living a lively life with his in-game friends on the screen next to that terrifying body, I couldn’t help but feel a rush of forgotten emotions.
The professor said that a process closer to repair rather than treatment is in progress.
———
‘The professor’s body was exposed to the highest output of the [box]’s rays, which changed the very form of life. It seems likely that that wide open chest and some of the missing internal organs will never be recovered.’
‘!!!! Ahhh-! OMG! ‘Ahhhh!!!’
‘So… Even if the professor recovers, you’re saying he’ll stay in the hospital like this forever?’
‘no. Fortunately, my physical ability itself is far superior to that of humans, so I think I can try many things. For now, combat cyborg surgery seems to be the most obvious solution.’
‘Oh, don’t misunderstand. Because he’s not a cyborg on the level of Raptor’s shabby power human. In fact, you can think of it as just a little bit of covering for artificial organs and metal skin. I’m only trying it because the vitality is so good and the output of the transformed body is good. ‘There will be no difference from before, other than becoming a slightly cooler person, right?’
———
‘What a fucking psychopath.’
I had no idea that the strange steel plate and mechanical parts hanging next to the shrunken professor would fit into his body.
Cynthia, who was acting polite, eventually burst into tears. When I saw Bex, who was holding the child, wanting to say something, opening her mouth and making a moaning sound, I had to clench my fists until they turned white to hold back the yelling that was coming out of me.
What does it mean to be okay? When I was looking at the lively guy on the broadcast screen, I was able to forget reality for a moment…
but wow!
This was reality. A friend who is now going to become a mechanized monster, and an incompetent person who can’t do anything for him. It’s a metal that only knows how to explode and destroy things.
While Ian was shaking in a sense of helplessness and self-destruction, Dana caught the crazy female scientist and was very aggressively asking her questions about the procedure. That terrifying force was enough to make even a psychopathic scientist panic.
“Sometimes, when I look at you… I’m amazed at how Mr. Jesu can be so calm. “Looking at her expression as she caressed those iron stake-like fingers, I felt embarrassed.”
“Miss Dana is a strong woman. Until now, she had never once asked about the probability that the professor would survive. I just kept asking questions about what to do after I ‘return’. You don’t even suspect it. “Professor, that friend won’t come back.”
“I guess so. By the way… Professor Park, that guy also has amazing luck.”
Ian gulped down his portion of alcohol in one go as he watched the four people on the surveillance camera talking about what had happened in front of the professor who looked like that. Along with the heated energy, my head that had been smothered in depression became a little clearer.
“….okay. “As long as I somehow come back alive.”
“For now, we have no choice but to do everything we can. “Can’t we just have him die of shock in that state when he returns to us with his recovered self from that virtual world?”
“….Shit. “I feel like shit.”
Jump up!
The president took out a large bottle of alcohol from his cupboard and handed it over to Ian, who was drinking strong liquor from a small teacup in one go.
Unlike the fairly luxurious bottle, the yellow paper half-wrapped in it and the name, which seemed to be written with water made from ground charcoal, were very familiar.
[Moon glow]
Why is this a name I see often today?
“Do you drink this too?”
“I thought it was a drink worthy of commemorating the new era, so I put it in my collection. “Moon Glow Potatoes, Corn, and Desert Rabbit Liver.”
“Wasn’t the desert rabbit extremely poisonous? “It looked like prickly pear and was so toxic that scavengers used it as a weapon.”
“Surprisingly, there is no poison in the liver and gallbladder. I don’t know what kind of madman would ever think of tasting the entrails of a poisonous creature that dies whenever it touches it. It must have been a similar process to surviving after eating pufferfish for the first time. In any case, it can be said to be the mainstream of new species born in this era.”
“It’s a new era…”
Ian, who was looking at the opaque liquid closely, put aside the possibility of poisoning and immediately poured the contents of the bottle down his throat. Surprisingly, the alcohol content was not that high and the sweetness was strong. Surprisingly… it was worth eating.
“…It’s okay. New era. green wine. The new Mecca Professor. “Fuck, it really sucked.”
“Thank you for understanding. “It took over a week to convince Miss Dana.”
“If possible, let the beam come out of the solar plexus.”
“I’m trying.”
“It would be nice to have a machine gun at your fingertips and a calverine cannon at your knees.”
“…Are you out of your mind?”
“Hehehe. “If you’re going to become a man of steel, I think it’s better to be sure.”
As a person who is quick to make decisions, Ian accepted the professor’s transformation into a half-artificial human and began imagining what kind of weapons he could equip with him now that he was like this.
“…I guess I was worrying for nothing. I was even prepared for you to open fire here.”
President Young shook his head at Ian’s grinning look and held out a folder containing the contents of this request.
As Ian expected, it was a story about the Type 3 variant that occurred in District 45.
****
