Chapter 19: Chapter 19 - Familiar World
World revolves around money and what else is synonymous with money if not Dust?
As soon as Agent is done with outsourcing the disposal work to Roman Torchwick and her partner, Neo Politan, she immediately moves on to solving the money issue.
Digital heist once in a while is fine but to do it constantly? The economy will bleed dry and will affect her Master's mission.
Thus she looks towards Dust Mining. The Dust deposits under SDC control is actually a small portion of the available deposits in this world. According to old text that she managed to dig up, plenty of them were outside the four kingdoms, in the vast territory overrun by Grimms.
Mining Dust deposits within the kingdom is already dangerous enough, the deposits outside the kingdom are even more dangerous. But that is if the mining work is done by living beings. Grimms target only living beings, not machines.
"First, I have to create a production line to manufacture robots. But first, I have to secure a stable supply of raw materials." Agent mutters as she walks out of the dock area into the main city.
Her destination, some suppliers and then owners of factories that are willing to sell their factories.
———
"Dummy core?" Adam looks at a weird cube he obtained from a wrecked cargo truck.
"Oh! That can be used for creating my clone. But Master needs a Dummy Link machine to add a Dummy module." Alice explained.
"Where can I find that machine?" Adam was curious and understood what benefits these clones would bring.
"Hmn…" Alice closes her eyes and pressing a finger on her lips as she tries to remember. "Only at a base. But I don't think they will allow Master to borrow the machine."
"Ah!" Alice suddenly shouted after reaching an epiphany. "We can try to find an abandoned base. There are plenty around but usually those areas are guarded by a ringleader."
"Don't worry, let's just continue the grind. We can try looking for one after we are strong enough." Adam placed his hand on her head and rub her head while giving her some reassuring words.
"Let's go, Master!" Alice grinned happily and eager to get stronger.
"Alright." Adam nodded and concluded this Contract before they were teleported back to the Orbital Fortress.
Then Adam initiates another Contract which sends them into another area to begin fighting.
Unexpectedly, this time they were sent to another Annihilation task but close to an abandoned G&K base.
Annihilation Task is quite self explanatory. They will be sent to an area. That designated area will be swarming with enemies that they need to annihilate.
Like usual, Adam and Alice work together to eliminate all enemies. Until an unexpected enemy makes an appearance.
"Master! A ringleader appeared, be careful!" Alice sensed the presence of a powerful signal and immediately identified it as a ringleader.
A girl with glossy black hair reaching her knee with a long blade on her hip and a pistol on her hand, makes her appearance.
"So, you two are the troublemakers destroying my forces left and right, huh?" The ringleader didn't immediately attack and instead stood in a relaxed posture on top of a tree. "I doubt you are A Griffin commander, you did not look like one despite commanding a Doll. Neither do you look like a KCCO." She analyzed and tried to identify Adam first instead of attacking.
Alice is worried as she glances back at Adam and alternately at the ringleader. A T-Doll cannot take on a ringleader even if there is one echelon of them unless they are a special team like the AR Team.
"I am affiliated with no one. I am just a mercenary." Adam is curious where this will lead and answers her question.
"Mercenary? An independent mercenary?" The girl finds it funny and she is about to laugh but instead of laughing, she just grinned wider and held the pommel of her blade, ready to draw. "Interesting, a lone mercenary. For you to survive this long with just the two of you. You must be strong right?"
Without waiting for a reply, she drew her blade and pointed it at him. "Fight me in a duel." She said before she tense her leap towards Adam, cracking the ground she previously stood on like they are made of tofu.
Adam quickly pushes Alice away from the sweeping slash that would cleave her in half if he didn't. Then he arm himself with his shotgun before unloading shot after shot through hip fire which peppered the ringleader but she manages to simply deflect all the pellets that will hit her with her blade while also returning fire with her shotgun.
Just when the blade is about to slashed him, Adam immediately apply Adrenaline Shot and the perception of the world around him slowed by three folds as he could see the blade swinging towards him but slowed by half which is still very fast but at least within his reaction time.
A Raptor Assault Rifle appeared in his hand as the aim assist software in the microchip in his head helped him aim with frightening accuracy before he shot at the blade itself, changing its trajectory while his shotgun aimed at the ringleader herself.
*Bang* x4
Two seconds passed and Adam was forced to exit his induced hyper focus state as any further will put a strain on his brain and cause damage that could hinder his combat ability.
The ringleader dodged the attack and landed like a tiger stalking its prey with her blade still in her right arm, ready to pounce at him again.
"Not bad. I can see how you survived this long. But I will be disappointed if that's the best you could do." The ringleader smiled almost mockingly. "After all, I prefer a man that can last more than a few seconds. What? Did I hit a nail or something?" She smirks thinking that she guessed right, he cannot maintain that state for long.
To her response, Adam somehow abandoned his plan of careful approach and charged ahead, much to Alice and the ringleader's surprise and captured her in a hug. The ringleader was so surprised by this that she didn't have time to react at all.
"Hey… Isn't this like too soon? Besides, I don't think we are quite at that stage yet to be this intimate." The ringleader tried to maintain her slipping facade of calmness but Adam said nothing and locked his arm before his barrier overcharged.
Alice immediately gets what Adam is trying to do and prays the ringleader survived. Though, she didn't know her Master was sensitive to those comments…
*Boom!* x3
The ringleader of course didn't survive three Artillery Strikes without harm but she is definitely defeated as Adam wordless stores her into his inventory and takes out his guns to sweep the remaining SF forces.
Alice is a little worried when her Master stayed silent for the remainder of their time here and decided better to stay silent.
After the Contract is done, Adam immediately returns to Remnant instead of continuing with another Contract.
———
Agent was negotiating with a factory owner when she sensed her Master's return. She decisively secures the deal by throwing more money at the owner before he happily signs the acquisition contract.
'Welcome back, Master. I apologize for not being able to personally welcome your return.' Agent greeted him but sensed something unusual with his silence.
'No worry, Agent. But can you return immediately? I need your help with something.' Adam said after a long pause.
'Of course, Master. I will arrive in fi- three minutes.' Agent replied before she started rushing back to the warehouse even if she had to jump through roofs.
Upon arriving, she found her Master calmly petting Alice like he usually did. Except, Alice looks a little worried and even fearful under his hand. Meanwhile her Master is also acting odd. He rarely smiles or perhaps it was just her assumption because most of the time, he had a gas mask on. But his smile is not in a good way, it's creepy and sends shivers down the spine.
"Say, Agent. Can you change the allegiance of one of your kind? I captured a ringleader."
"You did?" Agent's face was painted with a rare surprise as she pondered over the implications of the words he spoke.
Her Master returned to her world! That would increase the progress of many of her plans! She can acquire parts for her upgrades, blueprint and a production line of SF robots and many more.
"Ahem. Yes, I could." Agent straightened herself when she noticed Adam still awaiting for her answer.
"Good. Make her obey me." Adam dumped out the wreckage of the ringleader and her limbs that fell off.
"Executioner…" Agent mutters and her eyes flashes a glint.
Just the one for the job that she has trouble with, to prospect the Dust deposits outside the four kingdoms. Executioner is specialized for frontline missions which mean she has great survivability and independence as expected to Dolls that are required to fight in the frontline.
Agent kneel to the ground and immediately did as Adam asked. She connects to Executioner's Neural Cloud and infect her digimind with not just the virus that neutralizes the Parapluie Virus, but also a new set of commands that make her absolutely obey Adam.
"Done, Master." Agent informed.
"Hmn." Adam grunted and started using First Aid skill to regenerate Executioner's damaged body.
The Nanites immediately mend all damages she sustained and her limbs start reattaching. It takes more than 20 uses to fully repair Executioner. But considering her previous state which was basically just a pile of scrap metal, the First Aid worked well. Besides, now Agent knows reattaching limbs is possible.
Executioner eyes immediately flutter open when she is fully recovered.
"Uhh… Where am… I?" She looks around the unfamiliar place before she looks at the person in front of her. "Huh…? A-Agent! Wha- How? Did I mess up?" She clutched her head while memories of her death replayed in her mind.
"Executioner, tell me who your allegiance is to?" Agent asks with a face devoid of emotions as she is ready to subdue her if the commands didn't work.
"Of course it's to M- Adam White… Huh?" Executioner is surprised when the word Mastermind didn't roll out her mouth but instead a different name.
"There you go, Master. She is now yours." Agent presents Executioner to Adam.
"Huh?" Executioner frowned and couldn't believe that Agent betrayed the Mastermind. But also couldn't help but fear who managed to make Agent change her loyalty.
Executioner turned her head around and then she saw the same man that gave her the literal 'Hug of Death', sitting behind her petting the Griffin trash while somehow still managing to look imposing enough to strike some fear into her.
"W-Wait… we can talk this out right?" Executioner knows she somehow had offended this man that by a twist of fate, became her new Master that has full control of her. Being in his crosshair is definitely not good for her future.
"Talk about what?" Adam ask.
Of course, Adam isn't being petty. He sort of figured out Executioner probably didn't understand however she offended him. He used the time waiting to calm his mind and think rationally. Executioner look like those sword addicts that only want to fight stronger and stronger foes but are simple minded muscle heads. The taunt probably means something else instead of criticizing his lil bro.
"You're not angry?" Executioner lifts her head slightly to peek at Adam but he wears a gas mask which hides his face.
"No. Unless you want me to."
"No no. I will be obedient. Please don't kill me again."
"Whatever then." Adam shrugged and turns to Agent.
Seeing that she is not in immediate danger. Executioner calmed down and breathed in relief.
"Do you want to join us? We are returning to your world."
"Yes." Agent agreed very eagerly. "There is something I must obtain there." Agent is thinking of taking her spare to Dummy Link. Having more of her will ease up her workload by being able to be at multiple places at once while she can continue to serve close to her Master at every moment.
"Alright then, let's go." Adam nods and selects the Contract again. But not before storing Executioner in his Inventory.
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