Cyberpunk Chivalry — Chapter 6

DAMN IT, WASN'T THIS THE RENDEZVOUS POINT?

I'M SURE THIS IS THE RIGHT...

GROTESQUES?!

FUCK!!!!

THEY'RE SHRUGGING OFF THIS MANY BULLETS?

DAMN IT, DAMN IT!!

IT IS DONE, MISS AKINA.

IT IS AN UGLY SIGHT. BEST NOT TO LOOK.

WE SHOULD MOVE ON AT ONCE.

IF IT IS TOO MUCH FOR YOU, I SHALL HELP.

?

SO THIS IS A GROTESQUE. UGH. GROSS.

TO DISMISS A SIGHT THAT WOULD MAKE EVEN AN ADULT RETCH AS MERELY "GROSS"...

SHE MUST HAVE LED A DIFFICULT LIFE.

I HEAR GROTESQUES TEND TO GATHER IN PACKS.

WE MUST BE EVEN MORE VIGILANT AS WE PROCEED.

WE'D BETTER.

Whoa, that smell...

LET'S SEE. THE UNEXPLORED AREA STARTS HERE, RIGHT?

HMM... THAT PUTS US AROUND HERE, THEN.

I'LL START MAPPING.

YOU WISH TO DO IT YOURSELF? I WOULD BE HAPPY TO RECORD IT.

YOU'D BE MORE PRECISE, BUT WE CAN'T WASTE YOUR COMBAT RESOURCES.

YOU SAID GROTESQUES GATHER IN PACKS, RIGHT?

I'LL HANDLE THE LITTLE CHORES LIKE THIS.

IF THAT IS WHAT YOU WISH...

THEN I, IN TURN, SHALL DEVOTE MYSELF TO KEEPING WATCH.

GREAT. SHALL WE GO MAKE SOME MONEY, THEN?

OOH!

HOW MUCH IS ALL THIS WORTH?♡

THIS ONE'S TOO BULKY, AND THAT ONE'S TOO HEAVY...

What a waste... Seriously!!

UGH, COME ON!

CAN WE NOT TAKE IT ALL?

WHAT MATTERS IS VALUE AND WEIGHT.

WE'VE ONLY GOT SO MUCH ROOM,

SO WE SHOULD FILL IT WITH THE MOST VALUABLE STUFF.

UGH! NOT WORTH THE SPACE.

WHAT A SHAME. IF WE HAD A CAR, WE COULD'VE HAULED IT ALL AWAY.

HOW MUCH DOES A PRIVATE VEHICLE COST?

THE CHEAPEST SKELETON BUGGY IS ABOUT 4,000,000?

A CARRIAGE COSTS NEARLY TWO HUNDRED TIMES AS MUCH AS THIS SWORD?

IT'S A BUGGY, MR. ASH, NOT A CARRIAGE.

AND IT COSTS A LOT MORE ONCE YOU FACTOR IN THE UPKEEP.

...THEN, HOW MUCH HAVE WE EARNED SO FAR?

HMM. WITH THIS MUCH...

150,000? WE COULD GET UP TO 200,000 IF WE CARRY MORE.

200,000 IN LEVEL 1 IS A HUGE HAUL FOR A ROOKIE.

And we'll earn even more with the mapping commission.

GOODNESS...

THIS IS A WORLD WHERE ONE CANNOT SURVIVE WITHOUT MONEY.

BREATHING FEES,

EQUIPMENT COSTS, LIMOUSINE RENTAL FEES,

REPAIR COSTS, CHARGING FEES.

EVERYTHING ONE NEEDS TO LIVE COMES AT A PRICE.

Hehe.

ALL RIGHT, SHALL WE GET MOVING AGAIN?

MISS AKINA, YOU MAY COME OUT NOW.

DID YOU KILL THEM ALL?

YES.

THERE IS A PLACE OVER THERE THAT WOULD MAKE A SUITABLE SHELTER.

LET US STOP THERE FOR THE DAY.

You said it!

UGH, I'M DEAD.

HERE YOU ARE.

AHH! THAT'S THE STUFF!!

MR. ASH.

THANK YOU SO MUCH.

FOR WHAT?

FOR TODAY. WE GOT A HUGE HAUL, WE DIDN'T GET SERIOUSLY HURT,

AND YOU EVEN NOTICED I WAS TIRED BEFORE I SAID ANYTHING.

YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BE JUST A HUMANOID...

BUT SOMETIMES YOU SEEM LIKE SOMEONE WITH A LOT OF EXPERIENCE.

SO I FEEL KIND OF... SAFE WITH YOU.

IT'S ALL THANKS TO YOU.

[ENTERING LOW-POWER MODE... NOW<<<] [ENERGY REMAINING: 78%] [ESTIMATED STANDBY TIME: 43.2H]

AS YOU PROBABLY KNOW,

THE LIMOUSINE ISN'T YOUR OWN PRIVATE VEHICLE THAT'LL STAY PUT FOR YOU.

JUST TEN MINUTES.

IF YOU'RE NOT AT THE PICKUP POINT ON TIME,

THE LIMOUSINE WILL LEAVE FOR ITS NEXT DESTINATION WITHOUT YOU.

YOU HAVE TO REACH THE RENDEZVOUS POINT BY THE APPOINTED TIME.

NO EXCEPTIONS.

OF COURSE, IF YOU WANT TO BECOME A GHOST OF THE OUTER, GO AHEAD AND BE LATE!

No, thank you!

Even a ghost would look cool with a good polish!

WE'VE COMPLETED ABOUT SEVENTY PERCENT OF OUR TARGET.

[MISSION TIME ALLOTTED: 48 HOURS] [TIME ELAPSED: 17 HOURS 43 MINUTES] [TIME REMAINING: 30 HOURS 17 MINUTES]

EVEN ALLOWING FOR REST, THIS SHOULD BE MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME.

[!EMERGENCY FORCED CONTROL TRANSFER!] [AWAKENING SEQUENCE] >>>INITIATING IMMEDIATELY<<<

MISS AKINA!

MR. ASH...

THOSE AREN'T GROTESQUE CRIES!

IT'S PATHFINDERS FIGHTING.

WHAT DO WE DO?

WE MUST HIDE FOR NOW. THIS WAY!

FUCK! YOU GODDAMN BITCH!

SHOOT! SHOOT, DAMN IT!

AAAAGH!

STAY BACK!

I SAID STAY BACK, YOU CRAZY BITCH!

SHIT...!

AAH, AAAGH! AAAAAGH!!

TA-DA!

YOUR LEAST FAVORITE BITCH IS HERE!