SWNOVELXO Chapter 11
**Zizz…!**
As the power was cut off, the lights that had gone out turned back on, but instead of bright white lights, ominous red warning lights illuminated the room.
The familiar interior of the store suddenly overlapped with a laboratory scattered with shards of test tube tiles. My breath felt unnatural, and as my hand fell, it instinctively searched my thigh for a handgun… only to pull it out late from inside my jacket.
I had hidden it away due to the suspicious gazes of the customers, and here I am messing up at a moment when it’s needed. What am I doing…?!
“Hooah… Hooah…!”
I took a breath and hid my body behind a large surgical chair a bit farther back in the room.
There was one assault rifle left behind, but I was afraid to move too much in case an enemy came in and I wouldn’t be able to offer any decent resistance before getting shot or subdued.
To shake off the tension, I fiddled with the rough grip of the handgun.
It had already been at least two minutes since the electricity was cut off. The soundproofing of the store’s walls wasn’t especially great, nor was the door locked. It didn’t look like there was a search going on inside the building, so what kind of people would approach this carefully?
I would rather wish… it was just a simple blackout.
Without a single body enhancement implant, my hand was too weak to fight corporate hunters in such a cramped place.
Beep!
Keeping my ears wide open to hear the surrounding sounds, I discreetly connected to the residents-only network of the settlement.
I wasn’t looking to ask for help. Although I had recognized a few faces recently, I had no right to involve myself as I wasn’t part of the settlement.
What I needed now was only information. Even simple complaints would do. Whether it was a genuine corporate pursuit that came along their trail or an issue with the electrical wiring in the settlement. Residents here, filled with rebellious spirit, would surely have tossed around a few curses.
And… that thought was perfectly on point.
[Confirmed a group of Black Society gangsters approaching the front gate. Was today the grocery deal?]
[The Black Society has formally requested a ‘conversation.’ Residents with voting rights should gather at the central tavern.]
[…Correction! All combat-capable individuals should assemble fully armed!]
[…Wei Long, you damn rat who’s crazy about f***ing credits…!!]
“…Black Society? Gangsters?”
For now, there was no mention of corporations, so it seems I’ve avoided the worst-case scenario, but what on earth is happening…?
…Ah, damn. I remembered.
In Neo Haven, there was indeed a random event where external settlements or city gates were attacked by nearby lawless individuals. It wasn’t about receiving pre-registered requests but rather an impromptu quest to help repel them and negotiate rewards on the spot. The success condition was… the annihilation or repulsion of the invading lawless bastards.
Naturally, it wasn’t mandatory, and there were no penalties, so if it wasn’t something I was involved in, I didn’t need to jump in and take the risk. Nope, not at all.
…But then, what happens to an unfortunate elderly person who goes out and gets caught up in a violent conflict?
Creak…!
The entrance door swung open roughly.
If it was the old man who returned, he would hide quietly and wait for the storm to pass. But if not…
“Huff! Damn it!! Didn’t the boss say the hovercraft is in that junk shop? Huff…! Why do we have to raid this shabby hole, too?”
“Ugh, you fool! Do you think these bastards will keep trading with us after this bullshit? We’ll take everything we can while we’re at it! Got it? Finish up quickly while I turn over the neighbor’s place!”
Rough words exchanged between them.
But… a hovercraft…? No way. No way… that junk shop owner hasn’t scrapped it yet…?! And the gangsters found out about it too?
Regardless of how complicated my thoughts were, the one annoyed by the sound of the gas mask stepped boldly into the room.
“…Ha. This is like some scavenger’s life…. Hoooh…!”
Just as I had seen beyond the monitor. Like those freaks whose base is somewhere in the wasteland, they certainly had a very thorough appearance in terms of dust protection.
Bundled tight in protective gear and an overcoat without a single gap, the intimidating presence that stemmed from their larger physique felt significant, especially since I was crouched down.
But… how strong could a low-level criminal just outside the city really be?
As proof of that, even as he brushed off the sand from his clothes onto the nicely cleaned floor, he didn’t notice me. …Damn it.
Moreover, the cyberware analysis results suggested that his clothes didn’t appear to have any bulletproof properties. If he didn’t notice me now, I could deal with him cleanly with the handgun. But then, I would have to face off against the other lawless fellows he was speaking with…
Thump… Thump…!!
“Hmph… The batteries are always low…”
“…”
Watching the one rummaging through my belongings as if they were his own, my worries deepened. How could I safely deal with him with a handgun that doesn’t have a silencer? Was there really no way to induce a gap, to make him let his guard down?
Clatter… Crash…!
“Ah, damn…!”
As his hefty body brushed against the table, plates and utensils clattered loudly to the floor.
The sharp shards of plate caught my eye first. And… next to them was a synthetic steak knife that was at least ten times sharper than the broken plate pieces.
‘If the enemy has a weakness, exploit it if you have an advantage.’
“…”
I stole a glance at him and looked down at my own body.
Although I was slightly petite, my physique could be perceived as beautiful and attractive to most. A pure white treasure adequate to arouse the carnal desires of the opposite sex.
But… really? Isn’t that too vulgar and overt…?
I must have had a screw loose in my head after receiving that bizarre advice just moments ago. Instead of relying on extreme and impulsive ideas, it would be better to observe the situation more calmly…
[Gunfire occurring!! From this moment on, shoot any visible Black Society bastards on sight!!]
From the freshly updated post on the network, I finally made my decision.
…Ah!! Damn it! If I end up doing this, I hope the old man doesn’t show up with any injuries…!!
As the lawless guy found my rifle in my room, I quickly moved to grab the steak knife and hid it in my sleeve.
I boldly unfastened the front of my jacket. No, I loosened it enough to give a clear view down to my armpit, extending the sleeves to perfectly conceal the knife. Next was the intense mind control. I am just an innocent girl who knew nothing… merely a vulnerable girl hiding out of fear…!
Clack!
“?! Who’s there…!!”
The noise I deliberately made finally prompted him to turn his gaze towards me. Look at him aiming my rifle at me. That bastard.
“P… Please spare me…! I beg you, please…!”
“…”
My voice trembled slightly. As for my posture… I awkwardly followed the cliché of hostages in movies, shuffling back with my butt while feeling the ground with my limbs.
His damp, filthy, and very sticky gaze roamed from my feet to my head. Someone could easily mistake him for having tactical scanners in his eyes, examining me rigorously. However, to me, who watched him rummaging through the store randomly, it was utterly ridiculous.
“Hoo… Hoo…! Hiss…!”
His breathing grew rough beyond the gas mask, and the aiming rifle slowly descended towards the ground.
…I didn’t want to know. Once a healthy adult male, my memories and instincts told me. He was excited but still lacked sufficient stimulation to lose his rationality.
I didn’t have the luxury to wait around like this. Should I deliver a line like, ‘Grrh… kill me…!’?
“…I’ll do whatever you say…?”
“Huff!! Hoo…!!”
The gun was flung away without hesitation, and the gloves he had discarded soon struck the floor in a rough manner.
His rough, inconsiderate hands suddenly caressed my pure white abdomen.
“Wha—?!”
“Where did this lewd girl come from…! Hoo!”
I had no idea what kind of insanity was going on, but he kept pawing and pressing down hard around my pelvis and belly.
It felt worse and more disgusting than I had anticipated, and despite wanting to die in hatred, my sensitive body involuntarily let out moans as if adding seasoning.
Damn it…! Just a little longer, hold on, my mental strength…!!
His hands crept up my waist and suddenly lifted my inner clothes.
Finally revealing the small flesh, he leaned down… only then did he seem to realize the gas mask and hastily fumbled with the locks to remove the protective gear.
“You… you’re someone I must take back and take care of…!”
“Stop it. Damn it—!!”
Thud—!!
The outcome was short compared to the dramatic buildup.
The much weaker human vital points than synthetic meat. I reversed the steak knife in my hand and plunged it into the filthy bastard’s neck with all my strength.
“Grrr?!”
With a chilling sensation of cutting and severing something, blood spurted like a fountain.
As if in a last-ditch effort to hold onto the life that was fading, the squirming bastard’s hands left behind bloody streaks everywhere, splattering sticky paint.
“…!! ……..Grr!”
It was a gruesome sight. Moreover, using a truly primitive tool for a direct act of murder, rather than a machine or a gun, it should have been shocking beyond words… but having weighed a precious life once before, my heart didn’t waver.
Once you choose, do not look back. Never.
Clack…!
I picked up the assault rifle from the floor and checked the chamber. Thankfully, having discarded it early, blood didn’t splatter.
…I inhaled deeply and filled my lungs with breath, ready to strike. Fire!
“AAAHHH…..!!”
“?! What? Was there a girl hiding here?? This bastard is having fun all by himself without his boss…?”
The other trash who rushed in while panting stopped in front of the unmoving gun with a blank expression.
You’re the same, you bastard.