Descargar la aplicación
39.5% Interdimensional Scientist, Starting from Cyberpunk / Chapter 96: Crime Report?

Capítulo 96: Crime Report?

Unexpected.

Even with Sandevistan installed, V couldn't prevent the sudden strike of the sword that cleaved Kuno in half!

V almost instantly raised her gun to fire, but the assailant reacted quickly, and the bullet hit nothing but air!

The katana was lodged in Kuno's body, and with a thud, her corpse fell to the ground—

The chip Kuno was supposed to give them was gone too!

Leo gritted his teeth and growled, "Damn it, optical camouflage—over there!"

As the attacker moved, the effectiveness of the optical camouflage weakened, and the three of them saw the light near the alley's entrance distort!

V charged ahead, with Leo and Jackie close behind. Turning the corner, Leo spotted four bodies on the ground!

They were the Tyger Claws from earlier! But one was missing!

"Damn it, we've been played—"

Beep—

Before Leo could finish his sentence, a faint warning sound of rising frequency reached his ears—a laser tripwire mine was on the ground!

Boom!

A terrifying explosion erupted, with a wave of fire engulfing the alley!

Everything flipped upside down!

The massive shockwave made Leo's organs feel numb, and pain surged, nearly causing him to pass out.

In his cybernetic eye, bio-monitoring alerts kept flashing errors.

**[Bio-monitoring Alert:]**

**[Minor spleen laceration, small-scale hemorrhage detected]**

**[Minor pulmonary edema detected]**

**[White blood cell count in left arm spiking, potential contusion or fracture detected]**

**[Please proceed to the nearest hospital for treatment.]**

But this was already a stroke of luck amidst misfortune.

V, who had just rushed out of the alley, saw the agent mounting a motorcycle, but before she could give chase, the explosion echoed from behind.

V anxiously shouted into the comms, "Leo? Jackie?!"

"Cough... We're fine, but you have to catch that bastard! Damn it! NCPD and the Tyger Claws will be here! V, you must catch that bastard!

Don't bother with the motorcycle, just drive our car!"

Leo's voice over the comms was weak but clear in its instructions.

In city operations, a motorcycle's agility far surpassed their Mackinaw pickup, but V didn't question Leo's reasoning.

Activating Sandevistan, V instantly appeared inside the Mackinaw, revving it up and speeding after the target.

In the alley, Jackie shook off the debris. His clothes were torn to shreds, some parts still smoldering. His face was bruised, and his hair was disheveled.

But despite taking the brunt of the blast, Jackie's injuries might not have been as severe as Leo's.

Luckily, it was V who triggered the mine.

Clearly, the attacker expected that after the tripwire was triggered, they would walk a bit further, encompassing the entire alley in the blast radius.

But V was too fast, and although Jackie and Leo were close behind, they hadn't fully entered the alley when the explosion occurred.

Otherwise, even with Jackie's subdermal armor, his legs would have been blown off.

Leo was kneeling on the ground, trying to ease the damage the shockwave had inflicted on his organs.

Jackie extinguished the flames on his clothes and looked at Leo with concern, "Are you okay, Leo?"

"I'm fine…" Leo shakily pulled out a pneumatic injector from his pocket, filled with painkillers and coagulants.

After injecting himself twice, Leo managed to stand up—

"Help me get to the motorcycle. The Mackinaw's agility and horsepower won't be enough; V might lose him."

"But you said not to ride the motorcycle…"

"I know, but there was no time to deal with it earlier—cough—"

Leo coughed up some blood and, with Jackie's help, reached the motorcycle.

He pulled out a tech glove and began examining the bike—

Just as he suspected, the motorcycle had been tampered with, the electronic starter rigged with a homemade explosive. Clearly, the guy had planned to sacrifice these fools from the start.

If they had just hopped on and started it, as soon as there was enough fuel in the tank, the detonator would have blown the bike up.

The explosion would have been sudden, and if V had actually gotten on, she wouldn't have had time to escape.

But that wasn't the biggest problem—they had dead Tyger Claws, and a dead corporate agent.

Tracking, hiding, assassination, and then planting mines to block pursuit—

Clearly, the assailant was a seasoned operative, and he wouldn't miss the chance to frame the three of them.

It's likely that before striking, the guy had already called both the Tyger Claws and the NCPD, reporting a murder.

Leo dialed a number.

Contact: Rogue.

Beep—

Rogue: "Burgerking, looks like there's been trouble."

Leo: "Yeah, trouble. Give me Wakako Okada's number."

Rogue: "You're still daring to call her? The Tyger Claws are looking for you. If you reach out to her, she might just sell you out to them."

Leo: "The Tyger Claws didn't kill their own; it was a corporate mole hiding within them."

Rogue: "Big news. Here's her number."

Wakako Okada, fixer of Westbrook, Queen of Japantown.

Although officially just a fixer, not the leader of the Tyger Claws, she had relationships with several Tyger Claws bosses—who were now all dead.

With the Tyger Claws on the hunt, Leo didn't want a conflict, so he could only ask her to mediate.

Beep—

Contact: Wakako Okada.

Wakako Okada: "Oh my, isn't this the hottest newcomer?"

Wakako Okada: "You step onto my turf and kill Tyger Claws? You've got a death wish?"

Leo: "I'll keep it brief. I didn't kill them; it was a corporate mole, either from Biotechnica or Arasaka."

Leo: "Help me get the Tyger Claws off our backs, and I'll give you evidence."

Wakako Okada: "...You think I'd believe you?"

Leo: "This is one of your gang's bikes, with a bomb rigged to the fuel tank."

Wakako Okada: "That could have been your doing."

Leo: "Sure, sure, maybe it was me. The whole City Center is probably in chaos now. My team's in the Mackinaw chasing that bastard. Check if he's headed for Westbrook or City Center!"

Leo: "Once he reports back to the company, that damn corporate immunity kicks in!"

Leo: "Then he'll go on vacation, bragging about how he played the Tyger Claws, and how even the Queen of Japantown, Wakako Okada, was just another fool!"

Leo: "But give me some time, and you'll still be the Queen who even corporations fear! I'll bring you that bastard's head!"

Wakako Okada: "…I'll give you time, but if you don't provide proof in the end, you know what happens."

The call ended just as Leo finished modifying the remaining motorcycles.

He breathed a sigh of relief—Wakako might not help, but he had to use this tone to at least get them a chance.

The good news was, he'd gotten that chance.

"Jackie, go catch up with V. Drive that bastard toward City Center and watch out for NCPD pursuit."

Jackie opened his mouth, doubting his ears.

"…Brother, did I hear that right?"

"You heard it right. The guy's mission only half-succeeded; you must catch him."

Leo patted the motorcycle beside him.

"I've modified the bike's circuits. Honking will overload the engine, giving you enough speed to catch that guy, but don't overdo it."

"So… we're going to arrest a corporate operative in City Center?"

Jackie clicked his tongue, "My mom's gonna kill me."

Leo stood up and patted Jackie's shoulder, speaking earnestly, "Listen, Jackie, this is on you.

If we don't catch him, or if he makes it back to the company, all the deaths here will be pinned on us—corporations, NCPD, and the Tyger Claws will all take it out on us.

But that's not going to happen. We're going to embarrass the corporations, right here, in the heart of Night City, where all the rich people can see.

Let Night City see what a kid from Heywood is capable of.

You and V, we have to catch that operative in the city center."

Jackie smiled, rubbing his nose, then mounted the motorcycle, "Then leave it to me."

The motorcycle roared to life, and Jackie gave Leo a puzzled look, "Aren't you coming?"

Leo shook his head, "I'm not going. With all this noise, whether it ends or not, you two will face NCPD pursuit. I'll figure out a way to hack them."

Besides, high-speed chases on a motorcycle weren't Leo's strong suit.

If he was to be useful, he'd need to hack City Center's systems first.

"Alright, be careful, brother—"

Jackie had wanted to say that Leo would be alone then.

But saying that might come off as doubting Leo, so Jackie just told him to be careful and then revved the motorcycle.

As the motorcycle started, Jackie was surprised to see the remaining two bikes also start up simultaneously.

Leo explained, "These bikes have built-in autopilot. I've unlocked the system, so now they'll follow you, mimicking your bike's movements.

I'll send you some software; just lock onto a target with your cyber eye, and the bikes will suicide bomb them."

"Impressive, so now I've got a motorcycle squad."

"Go." Leo reminded him again, "You have to catch that guy and get the chip back."


Capítulo 97: City Center's Rocket

"Fuck you!"

V was tearing through the wide streets of the city center in the black Mackinaw. Unfortunately, while the Mackinaw was durable, it was far too slow.

To keep pace with that bastard, V had to weave through traffic, resulting in several new scratches and dents on the car.

Only because she had Sandevistan could she drive like this; an ordinary person would have crashed into everything by now.

At this moment, she started to miss the times in Santo Domingo when Leo had her back. Back then, they could just floor it, knowing no car would block their way.

Bang!

Another sports car was sent flying as V gripped the steering wheel tightly, but she could only watch as the target got further away!

Roar—

Just then, a loud engine noise came from behind, sounding like an entire convoy!

V glanced back and saw those green-and-purple motorcycles. Her heart sank—Tyger Claws?

"V, it's me!"

Jackie's voice echoed in V's head, and she brightened up. "You guys got bikes? But Leo said not to touch those things."

"The bikes had detonators, but Leo dismantled them all—clear the cars in front! I need a ramp!"

"Got it!"

V grinned wickedly, yanking the steering wheel and flooring the gas pedal, crashing into an expensive stretch limo!

Amid the owner's anguished screams, the car spun out of control, presenting its low front end toward Jackie—

It was a perfect natural ramp!

Jackie expertly guided his bike up the car's hood, hitting the horn button as he did. The CHOOH2 synthetic fuel in the tank gushed out wildly—

The bike surged forward!

It was like a rocket taking off!

Flames spewed from the motorcycle's exhaust as it soared through the air, flying over the chaotic traffic, and landing squarely on top of another car!

The two motorcycles behind Jackie replicated his move exactly, following closely!

Though they wobbled slightly upon landing, they remained steady enough.

The cars on the street were terrified by Jackie's rocket jump, crashing into each other and getting stuck in place.

The sensation of flying fired up Jackie's nerves. He roared wildly as he zoomed across the tops of cars, instantly closing the gap!

Jackie's cyber eye locked onto the agent ahead, activating the software Leo had uploaded!

The two motorcycles behind Jackie truly became rockets, the CHOOH2 in their tanks spraying out like crazy. The terrifying power nearly burst the fuel tanks!

Boom!

The two motorcycles, like rockets, shot off the tops of the cars, hurtling directly toward the agent's bike!

The agent had seen a lot, but he had never seen rockets being fired at him!

Boom!

The heat released by the CHOOH2 synthetic fuel finally exceeded the tanks' limits, exploding above and behind the agent!

Shrapnel and burning CHOOH2 fuel burst out, turning the street as bright as day!

Even though the agent had Kerenzikov installed and tried his best to dodge, a large piece of shrapnel still lodged into his back.

In pain, his bike swerved, and the shockwave's force caused it to flip over instantly!

Boom!

The agent's motorcycle couldn't handle the pressure, and its fuel tank ruptured, flames engulfing it and triggering another explosion.

People nearby screamed and ran—

For the wealthy, Night City wasn't usually that terrifying. Shootouts and murders were things they mostly saw in braindance.

But this time was different.

Death was closing in, with flames, debris, and explosions all around.

Screech—

Jackie's motorcycle skidded, leaving a long black tire mark on the ground.

Looking around, the agent had disappeared again.

But the blood on the ground couldn't be hidden.

His injuries, the flickering flames, and the lights made his optical camouflage less effective, and the shrapnel wound made it even harder to maintain.

Jackie spotted a distorted shadow limping toward an alley.

Jackie followed him into the alley—

Bang!

Just around the corner, Jackie was shot!

But unfortunately for the shooter, it was only a handgun—Jackie blocked the bullet with his arm and didn't even flinch.

He charged forward like a bull, the gunfire continuing but failing to stop his advance!

The agent gritted his teeth and swung the gun's butt at Jackie's head, but Jackie's charge was a feint. He ducked low and threw an uppercut!

Boom!

With a dull thud, the agent was sent flying by Jackie's punch, crashing into a nearby trash bin.

The uppercut had given him a concussion. His nerves, blood vessels, and brain cells were damaged by the high-speed impact, with error messages popping up in his cyberware.

His limbs went limp, and his vision darkened—

Instinctively, the agent looked toward the brightest place in his field of vision—he could just make out the company plaza's gleaming corporate towers.

So close… just a little more, and he could have made it back to report in.

Then, he would have regained his status as a corporate employee, and all the things he had done would be erased under the corporation's legal immunity.

He could have escaped the hopeless life of a low-level gang member—and maybe, one day, he could stand at the top of the corporate food chain.

"Damn it... I was so close..."

His voice emerged from his cybernetic throat, the injury making the electronic tone more apparent, sounding like the whimper of someone on their deathbed.

The optical camouflage fully faded, and Jackie finally saw a seemingly ordinary member of the Tyger Claws.

If not for his ruthlessness and meticulous actions, no one would have connected him to being a corporate operative.

The agent shakily raised his gun, but Jackie shot it out of his hand with a single shot from his Golden Nue.

Jackie walked up and found the blood-stained chip on the guy, then pointed his gun at his head.

But before Jackie could even start threatening him, the agent's life ended—like he had taken his own life.

Looking at the guy who had caused them so much trouble, Jackie sighed.

"Next time, don't be a corporate dog."

After finishing, Jackie heard the distant wail of NCPD sirens—

The real trouble was coming.

"Illegal activity detected in City Center. Suspect vehicle is a black Mackinaw pickup."

"All NCPD contractors be advised, illegal activity detected in City Center. Any contractor who apprehends or neutralizes the suspects will be rewarded."

"Damn it."

V also heard the NCPD alert—don't forget, they were also NCPD contractors.

From the distance, she could hear the low wail of NCPD sirens approaching, and she started to panic, "Jackie? Did you get it done?"

Even as she spoke, V continued clearing a path, the black Mackinaw bulldozing through abandoned cars like a beast.

"Done—though the guy offed himself. Let's split up."

Jackie hefted the agent's body, jogged to his bike, and gave V a thumbs-up before taking off.

V contacted Leo through the comms, "Jackie got it, but the guy's dead. Damn it. The NCPD is on our tail!"

"Run first. If they get too close, use the Nekomata to warn them off."

"Warn them off? You've got a nerve. Let's hope it doesn't bring down the MaxTac."

Though V said that, she immediately grabbed the Nekomata from the backseat, leaned out the window, and fired at the police car.

The bullet left a faint blue trail in the air—a path of ionized air.

An NCPD armored car lost a tire on the spot—the kind of blowout that broke the axle along with the tire.

The car spun wildly, blocking the pursuing police cars as V floored it and sped away.

Meanwhile, Leo had reached a traffic node in the city center—as he expected, the trouble Jackie and V had stirred up was massive.

But while one side was causing a mess, the other side's pressure would lessen; this was both a crisis and an opportunity:

The police meant to guard the municipal node server had been at least halved to pursue the two of them.

But there were still six left—two cars' worth.

If he could hack the traffic node and use these cops as a springboard to breach the police dispatch network, he could create an opportunity for escape.

But how would he go about it?

Pulling out Yinglong and killing everyone was one option—except that would probably bring MaxTac in no time.

Time was of the essence, but Leo forced himself to stay calm, observing the surroundings with his cybernetic eye.

If he could divert their attention, he could slip to the server unnoticed and maybe even find these six officers in the municipal network.

Using the cops as a springboard to hack deeper into the NCPD network was the only solution.

Suddenly, he noticed a police car transporting two familiar faces—

David and Lucy?


Load failed, please RETRY

Estado de energía semanal

Desbloqueo caps por lotes

Tabla de contenidos

Opciones de visualización

Fondo

Fuente

Tamaño

Gestión de comentarios de capítulos

Escribe una reseña Estado de lectura: C96
No se puede publicar. Por favor, inténtelo de nuevo
  • Calidad de escritura
  • Estabilidad de las actualizaciones
  • Desarrollo de la Historia
  • Diseño de Personajes
  • Antecedentes del mundo

La puntuación total 0.0

¡Reseña publicada con éxito! Leer más reseñas
Votar con Piedra de Poder
Rank 200+ Clasificación PS
Stone 67 Piedra de Poder
Denunciar contenido inapropiado
sugerencia de error

Reportar abuso

Comentarios de párrafo

Iniciar sesión

tip Comentario de párrafo

¡La función de comentarios de párrafo ya está en la Web! Mueva el mouse sobre cualquier párrafo y haga clic en el icono para agregar su comentario.

Además, siempre puedes desactivarlo en Ajustes.

ENTIENDO