TL/ED: Hamstermi⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌n⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌ator

Anecdote.

Facing each other across a long table, Khalifa got straight to the point.

“There’s an item you need to retrieve.”

With that, she handed over a file folder.

As Jin focused on the neatly organized documents and the photos clipped to them, Khalifa continued speaking.

“It’s a data chip. As stated, it contains the Solard Family’s arcane magic.”

At that moment, Jin was reading that very section.

An emblem resembling flames caught his eye.

Below it, the word “Solard” was inscribed.

“Arcane magic… that’s some serious stuff, isn’t it?”

Even with his limited knowledge, Jin understood that in this world, the status of a “family” was immense.

A powerful organization composed of purists.

Successors of swordsmanship and magic who rejected the era of advanced technology.

Jin had regretted not choosing a family background almost every other day, except on the remaining days, when he wished he had picked a corporation instead.

Unaware of Jin’s personal musings, Khalifa responded.

“It is. But what was leaked is only a handful of basic spells. Of course, even that would be a disgrace to the Solard Family.”

“Hmm.”

Jin’s eyes naturally returned to the documents, and Khalifa continued.

“While investigating the leak, the Solard Family discovered that the data chip had been copied. One of those copies ended up here, in Downtown. And someone got their hands on it.”

“This guy, right?”

Jin muttered as he looked at a mugshot.

A man with half of his face covered in tattoos. His piercing, reminiscent of a nose ring, gave him a savage look as he glared menacingly in the direction of the camera lens.

“Edmund Nilsson. He illegally implanted mana circuits into his body. He was already infamous on Blacknet for installing all sorts of cheap, common-use magic. As a result, his personality twisted, and he became a lunatic who resorted to murder at the slightest provocation.”

Mana circuits?

The term itself was straight out of a fantasy setting, but the fact that they could be implanted like a surgical procedure gave Jin an odd feeling as he continued reading the documents.

“He even left his gang. And he was their third-in-command.”

“It’s because he got tangled up with the family. Brotherhood, loyalty, those things sound nice until they become liabilities. Thanks to that, we don’t have any obstacles in our way.”

“All we need to do is retrieve the data chip from his head, one way or another,” Khalifa added, idly twirling the glass in her hand.

“The success reward is 2 million credits. The brokerage fee is capped. What do you think?”

Two million.

That was the same amount Jackie had once offered Jin to save his sister.

Enough money to eat meatball spaghetti three times a day for 333 da⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌ys straight with some leftover to buy waffles. A fortune.

For Jin, this was an undeniably attractive deal.

Not to mention, taking down this fake magician Nilsson would also grant him a hefty amount of experience points.

And right now, Jin was short on XP to unlock a new perk.

His answer was already decided.

“Alright. I’ll do it.”

***

Edmund Nilsson.

According to Khalifa, he had implanted the data chip into his own head and had been holed up in his hideout for several days.

That hideout turned out to be an old corridor-style apartment complex, an eyesore covered in chaotic graffiti. Up close, it was even worse, piles of uncollected trash filled the area, assaulting Jin’s nose with a rancid stench.

Jin climbed the roughly welded iron staircase.

Unit 402.

Standing in front of Nilsson’s door, Jin scratched his head.

Should he just break in?

With his current strength, smashing a door lock was no big deal.

For a moment, he considered pretending to be a delivery guy who got the address wrong, but if Nilsson got suspicious because of his poor acting, things could get complicated.

So, quick and decisive action it was.

Just as Jin grabbed the door lock, ready to go through with his plan

“...Who the hell are you?”

A wary voice made Jin turn his head.

A bald man, carrying two black plastic bags stuffed full, stood there in an awkward stance, staring at him.

The right half of his face was covered in tattoos.

For a brief moment, Jin and the man locked eyes in the empty space between them.

A short silence.

The next moment, both of them moved at the same time.

“Fuck!”

Nilsson hurled the plastic bags at Jin as he lunged forward, then stretched out his hand.

“Boom Light─!”

The next moment, Jin instinctively shut his eyes against the explosion of blinding light and oppressive force.

“Urgh!”

It felt like a flashbang had detonated right in front of him. In the game, getting hit by this would just turn his screen white. But experiencing it firsthand was an entirely different story, his eyes teared up, drool trickled from his mouth, and his body staggered, struggling to maintain balance.

However, this disorientation lasted only for a brief moment.

His abnormal recovery ability quickly stabilized his autonomic nervous system, and Jin snapped his bloodshot eyes open.

Scattered across the floor were canned goods, tissues, razors, various daily necessities that had spilled from the bags.

Beyond them, he spotted Nilsson dashing down the stairs.

Jin immediately leaped onto the railing of the corridor.

His jumping ability easily surpassed that of an Olympic medalist.

It was as if he were soaring through the sky, yet he never lost sight of his target. Nilsson, who had been hurriedly descending the stairs, widened his eyes in shock.

Bang!

A thick cloud of dust erupted at the landing between the second and third floors.

It was a landing that could only be described as brute force.

“What the fuck?!”

Nilsson froze in terror as his escape route was blocked. Jin rapidly closed the distance. His fist cut through the air, followed by Nilsson’s panicked scream.

“Shield!”

A barrier, resembling tightly interwoven fish scales, intercepted the punch. However, the sheer force of impact made the shield tremble violently. Unable to withstand the successive blows, it ultimately shattered.

But by then, Nilsson had already pulled back.

Now, the magician was running upstairs, and Jin was right on his heels.

“You fucking bastard! Stop chasing me!”

Realizing he was about to be caught, Nilsson abruptly pulled out a gun from his coat and fired behind him.

Ping! Ping! Ping!

Sparks flew as the stray bullets ricocheted off the metal railings, causing Jin to frown.

This guy calls himself a magician?

Then again, Nilsson wasn’t a purist; he had acquired magic through illegal implants. To him, firearms were just another weapon in his arsenal.

And so, he emptied his entire magazine.

One of the ricocheting bullets unexpectedly veered off course and lodged into Jin’s shoulder.

It had struck a metal beam, altering its trajectory unpredictably. Reacting in time had been nearly impossible. At the last moment, Jin had twisted his upper body, taking the bulle⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌t in his shoulder instead of his heart.

Nilsson had gotten lucky, hitting Jin with what was essentially a trick shot. But he had no time to celebrate.

For a brief moment, Jin seemed to falter. Then, he picked up speed once again.

“Fuck. Fuck. Fuck!! What the hell is this guy?!”

Nilsson cursed furiously, gritting his teeth.

By now, they had reached the rooftop. With nowhere left to run, Nilsson made a desperate decision. He turned around and began chanting a spell.

This wasn’t some cheap, common-use magic floating around the surface of Blacknet.

This was the real deal.

When he first realized this spell was considered beginner-level, he had despaired.

For someone of his caliber, even casting it once was a strain, it placed a tremendous burden on his body.

Using it meant he would be rendered unable to fight afterward.

But at this point, he had no other options.

“I’m gonna roast you alive, you tiny-dicked bastard.”

As blood trickled from his nose, Nilsson muttered his incantation.

Jin sensed the change immediately.

Something intangible was converging in a single point.

The formless energy condensed into a burning sphere of fire that began spinning in Nilsson’s palm, radiating intense heat even from a distance.

The entire process took less than two seconds.

“Die-!!”

Nilsson hurled the fireball like a baseball.

At the same time, Jin tensed the muscles in his thighs.

His overdeveloped fast-twitch fibers contracted with immense force, and with his final step, an explosive acceleration launched him forward.

Closing the gap in an instant, Jin crossed his arms in an X shape and lowered his head.

The blazing projectile struck him head-on.

Boom!

The explosion’s shockwave sent Nilsson cras⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌hing onto his backside.

He had been standing too close.

Even as he crawled along the ground, trying to escape the scorching heat, he felt an overwhelming sense of triumph.

There was no way anyone could survive a direct hit from that.

“...Did I get him?”

And so, just as Nilsson uttered his final words of relief, a hoarse voice answered from within the billowing black smoke.

“Even the dead can be brought back with those words.”

“......?!”

The next moment, a foot emerged from the smoke and struck Nilsson’s side as he lay sprawled on the ground.

His body lifted into the air as if hit by a dump truck, then crashed back down, rolling uncontrollably before slamming into a water tank.

Jin stepped out from the fading smoke.

His face was flushed red as he slapped at the flames clinging to his shoulder with his palm.

“Magic is seriously busted.”

He frowned at the searing heat surging through his body.

Burn injuries hurt the most at the second-degree level, just before nerve damage sets in. Right now, Jin was at that exact stage. Soon, blisters and oozing wounds would be inevitable.

But as always, he just endured it.

There were more pressing matters to deal with.

“Guh… kuh! D-Don’t… don’t come any closer.”

Despite gasping for breath, Nilsson desperately pushed himself backward with his heels, as if he could already foresee what was about to happen.

“This… this is mine. It’s mine!”

Clutching his temple and curling up like a pill bug, he muttered frantically.

Jin let out a sigh as he looked down at him.

“Still not thinking straight, huh?”

Without hesitation, he pried Nilsson’s resisting arm away and examined the access port of his cyberbrain socket.

Among the numerous tightly embedded chips, one gleamed with a faint red light.

“The flame emblem… this must be it.”

“Hey, hey! You fuckin’ bastard! Don’t pull it out! Please! I haven’t finished downloading it yet! If you yank it now, I’m screwed! You asshole!”

“Goddamn, you’re annoying.”

Thud!

Jin drove his fist into Nilsson’s hysterical face.

With his mouth finally shut, Jin resumed extracting the chip from Nilsson’s temple.

As he fumbled with it, he accidentally pressed down on the edge of the chip, causing it to pop out smoothly.

“...Like a floppy disk. Guess I’d have known if I’d ever used one.”

Just as he finally retrieved his objective and began to rise,

Nilsson, who had been limp like a corpse, suddenly shot out a hand and clamped onto Jin’s ankle.

“...?”

Jin’s brow furrowed.

It wasn’t just that Nilsson had regained consciousness so quickly,

The strength in his grip was abnormal.

Sensing danger, Jin’s body reacted instinctively.

He stomped down on Nilsson’s wrist with his free foot, loosening the grip just enough to slip his captured leg free.

At the same time, Nilsson was halfway upright, only for Jin’s foot to crash into his face.

The impact sent a jolt up his instep, a clear signal that he had completely crushed Nilsson’s skull.

Or so it should have.

“A’hhh!!!!!”

Nilsson’s head, which had snapped back violently, suddenly dropped forward again, his mouth splitting open in a horrific scream.

His ink-black eyes locked onto Jin.

“A’hhhhhh!!!!!”

Letting out another monstrous shriek, Nilsson abandoned all attempts to escape. Instead, he lunged forward like a beast.

Even amidst his surprise, Jin remained composed.

He widened the gap between them, dodged Nilsson’s pouncing upper body, and seamlessly swept his leg under Nilsson’s ankle.

Using his own momentum against him, Nilsson’s head slammed into the ground with a sickening thud.

Jin didn’t hesitate.

He raised his foot and repeatedly stomped down on the back of Nilsson’s head, hammering it into the rooftop floor like he was driving in a nail.

At some point, a sharp, electric surge of exhilaration shot through Jin’s mind.

The unmistakable sign of acquiring a satisfying amount of XP.

Wiping the sweat trickling down his chin, Jin let himself drop onto the ground with a heavy exhale.

Then, pulling out the red data chip from his pocket, he alternated his gaze between it and Nilsson’s crumpled form.

Finally, he spoke.

“What the hell is this thing?”