TL/ED: Hamsterminator

Jin paused at the voice coming through the terminal.

Then, scanning his surroundings, he said,

"...Have you been tailing me all this time?"

If this were one of the dramas Jin knew, the answer would’ve been a slurred “Of course~”, but thankfully, Khalifa didn’t do that.

[It’s not like that. I just...]

Her words trailed off for a moment.

It sounded like she let out a small sigh?

Then she soon continued the conversation in a more composed voice.

[I don’t think this is something to talk about over the phone. Can you come to Anecdote?]

“Right now?”

[A Solo will arrive there soon. You can return with that friend and the bald guy. Is that okay?]

As Khalifa asked that.

Jin, who had still been scanning the area until then, noticed something and slowly stopped moving.

Beyond a broken wall. A single CCTV camera hung from the high ceiling.

Inside a hemispherical plastic dome, a lens was casting an unblinking gaze. Meeting its eye, Jin gave it a wave.

He didn’t know what it was, but at l⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌east a greeting seemed polite.

At the same time, a dry laugh crept into his ear.

[I’ll take that as a yes. See you later then.]

“Sure, whatev⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌er.”

Just as Jin naturally removed the terminal from his ear.

A voice hurriedly followed.

[Ah, Jin? About the Solo who’s about to arrive. That friend is a bit... unique. So... um, don’t be too surprised. For real this time, hanging up.]

"...What?"

Jin tilted his head as he stared at the now-disconnected terminal.

From afar, the sound of loud footsteps began to echo.

Followed shortly by late cries of “Find the boss!” or “Catch the intruder!”

There were still some of them left?

Jin clicked his tongue as he looked at the noisy scene behind him.

Of course, when it came to manpower, there was no rule saying it had to be stationed only inside the building, so the idea of reinforcements arriving wasn’t out of the question.

So, releasing his grip on the bald guy’s collar, Jin clapped his hands together lightly and stood up.

Ugh! Ack! Argh! Guhk!

Suddenly, short screams burst out at irregular intervals.

And each one came from a different voice. Which meant, someone was subduing multiple people at high speed.

Eventually, with a final “Guhk!” someone came tumbling noisily down the stairs.

“......”

The eyes of a guard, gushing blood from his throat, turned to Jin.

Wasn’t it some doctor who said that dying people go through a five-stage process? Starting with denial and ending with acceptance.

That very process was now playing in fast-forward inside the guard’s eyes. It seemed denial had definitely passed, and next came anger. What was the third step again?

Resignation? The birth of a new logic?

As Jin pondered this.

Squelch.

A slipper stepped on the fallen guard’s face.

A leg with thick hair. Hawaiian-style shorts and shirt.

Finally, the face.

A large black helmet. What stood out was that the face shield, specifically, the visor, was a display screen.

Sure enough, the helmeted head facing Jin began to type out words across its face.

[Jin? Jin? Jin?]

The same word, with question marks, in three different colors, appeared on the far right side of the display, scrolled to the left, vanished, and then reappeared from the right. Jin blinked at the sight.

What the hell. That’s...

Clearly something strange. Ah, that must be the Solo.

He understood in one second.

“I’m Jin, yeah.”

The helmeted head clapped its hands.

And displayed text again:

[Nice to meet you Nice to meet you Nice to meet you]

“Ugh, my eyes. Can’t you just do it once?”

As Jin replied, he noticed something and twitched an eyebrow.

The guard, who he thought was dutifully climbing the five stages of death, seemed to be so furious from having his face stepped on that he reached out with an arm, his expression full of rage.

Considering the blood he lost, it was practically a final death spasm.

Or maybe his life was hanging on because of body modifications.

What mattered was the pistol in the guy’s hand. The moment the trembling barrel aimed between the palm tree-printed shorts.

Thud.

The guard's eyes flew wide open.

And just like that, he stopped breathing.

A blade had been driven deep into his temple, it was an expected outcome.

Jin looked at the helmeted head now sitting on the guard’s back.

A mirage-like movement that skipped the middle steps.

The way the person spun the dagger, freshly pulled from the temple, in his hand was anything but ordinary.

“Oh.”

Jin let out a soft murmur of admiration.

Once again, text reminiscent of an LED display flew across the screen on the helmet.

[Let's return Let's return]

To that, Jin smirked.

At least he cut it down to once this time.

***

It had been a while since Jin was at Anecdote.

The cookies? Even longer.

A colorful array of tempting treats.

The one Jin preferred was a s’more cookie with a chocolate base that, when split in half, stretched out gooey marshmallow. First, because it was sweet. Second, because it reminded him of choco pie.

To be honest, Jin wasn’t old enough to have that classic “tears-on-my-choco-pie” kind of nostalgia, but still, wasn’t it one of the representative snacks of the homeland?

Maybe that’s why, when it came to chocolate and marshmallow, his mind naturally went there.

Of course, in terms of taste, handmade cookies were far better than the mass-produced ones.

So, as he took a big bite and enjoyed the sweetness filling his mouth, Khalifa, who had been watching him in silence, let out a soft sigh.

With a slightly tired expression, she opened her mouth.

“...So to sum it up, while chasing the truth behind the Rumpumpumpum terror incident, you naturally ended up at King's groom. And along the way, there was a BH editor who helped you.”

Jin only nodded.

Saying “yeah” might scatter crumbs from his mouth.

So after chewing for a while and feeling like there was enough space in his mouth, he spoke.

"Is it my turn now?"

Khalifa nodded in response.

“If you have questions, go ahead.”

“Let’s start with that guy.”

Jin pointed toward the sofa. More precisely, toward the helmeted head nodding off on it.

On the screen with a night sky background, the phrase [Zzz...] scrolled by slowly.

“Eric. Like I said, he’s a Solo. If you hadn’t moved first, that guy would’ve turned King's groom upside down.”

“...What’s with the thing on his face? Is that a gimmick?”

Jin asked as he looked at the onomatopoeia scrolling across the night sky.

Khalifa, who was looking at the same screen, answered.

“Eric had a lot of body modifications done in the past that put a heavy strain on him. As a result, he had to give up a few things, one of which was his voice. Since he can’t talk, he communicates like that.”

She shrugged and looked away.

“Even when we offered to insert a vocal implant, he refused, saying it wouldn’t be his real voice. So, what can you do? As noisy as it is, you just have to deal with it. Besides, despite how he looks, his skills are the real deal.”

“What level is that guy...?”

“4.”

Damn.

Jin instinctively whistled.

That’s higher than Fenrir.

Jin had picked up bits and pieces of information here and there.

He now had a vague idea of what Level 4 meant.

Level 1: rookies or decent-level fighters.

Level 2: stronger than Level 1!

Level 3: stronger than 2 and a veteran!

Hmm. Wait a sec.

Is this distinction even meaningful?

At this rate, he was about to say 4 is better than 3, so hold on a moment!

What he knew for sure was that things were clearly different starting from Level 5.

From that level, you couldn’t even search them on the Solo intranet, their numbers dropped drastically, and they started moving based not on money but their own standards, something like that.

Poe once offhandedly mentioned it was the stage after crossi⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌ng a certain threshold.

Now that he thought about it, that just led to the same pointless conclusion: Level 4 is better than 3, not as good as 5.

Whatever.

With a scrunch of his nose, Jin said,

“Yeah, I get that he’s impressive. Next question. How did we end up meeting like this? Why did Poe take that bald guy?”

Khalifa closed her mouth at the follow-up question.

She wore a face that seemed to be sorting through her thoughts, but instead of just standing there, she went over to the display case, took out a bottle of liquor, poured it into a glass with ice, and gave it a slow swirl before taking a sip. Only then did she speak.

"...Do you re⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌member Edmund Nielson? Your first job."

Jin nodded.

He’d already guessed that this incident was similar to that one.

"Then what about this? The additional-"

"One million credits."

Jin answered without hesitation.

This was the kind of thing he remembered with eerie precision.

Thanks to that, he was able to buy the Gravis.

"That’s right. One million credits. I didn’t give you that money just because you did a good job. It was a fair deal. More precisely, the price for Edmund Nielson’s body."

With that, Khalifa tilted her glass slightly and wet her lips.

Her voice that followed carried a hint of sweetness.

"When you’re doing Linker work, there are times when you need to dig deep into something. Because that’s all information and power. Back then, that ‘something’ happened to be Edmund Nielson’s corpse."

Two months ago, Jin might’ve tilted his head and gone, Huh, a corpse?

But not now.

He had seen firsthand what Jenny, the technician, could uncover from just one eyeball that Jackie had salvaged.

So he could more or less guess what Khalifa had been thinking.

Leaked Arcane Magic, the data chip that contained it.

And Berserk.

With that much, she must’ve thought it was worth investigating.

And as he listened further, it seemed that was exactly the case.

"I didn’t strike gold from the start. As you know, Nielson was a total nobody, right? On top of that, most of his records were lost due to the Berserk. But what could I do? His body was all I had to work with. So I dug into it, hoping to find even the faintest clue. After hitting dead ends over and over again, I finally uncovered a real piece of information."

Jin leaned in over the table and asked,

"What was it?"

"The disappearance of a certain mercenary."

"Huh?"

"Codename: Runebear. Real name: Walter Gray. He went around telling his comrades he had Pyrokinesis, but in truth, he was a collateral relative of the Solard Family. Despite the thin bloodline, he awakened the family’s traits. In his childhood, his talents were recognized, and he even learned several of the family’s magic spells. Of course, he was eventually cast aside because of his half-blood status and the fact that his talents weren’t particularly outstanding."

What is all this about?

Jin was momentarily confused, but his instincts didn’t fail him. He began calmly sorting out the scattered events in chronological order.

A missing mercenary from a collateral family.

Illegal data chips being traded under the table.

Raging flames.

And combat skills refined enough to go toe-to-toe with a Solo, despite being a mere gang member.

Deduction, after all, required a pinch of imagination.

So Jin applied his own.

And Khalifa’s next words aligned perfectly with his thoughts.

"Someone kidnapped Walter and successfully extracted information from his brain and turned it into data. That began to circulate. With Berserk layered over it."

Maybe her throat was dry from the long story. Khalifa tilted her glass again.

Jin quietly watched her, and when she set the glass down, he opened his mouth.

"I get the general picture now. So then, how did you end up contacting me?"

"Right, that part's left."

At that, Khalifa gave a faint smile.

And naturally, the final explanation began.

Come to think of it.

From Edmund Nielson’s corpse to the disappearance of a mercenary named Walter.

It was Khalifa who had persistently dug into that flimsy lead and succeeded in grasping the structure of the case.

It couldn’t have been an easy job. Which meant she definitely figured out who the broker was in the process. Naturally, she said she had been closely monitoring King's groom. But until now, she hadn’t had any solid evidence, so she had been waiting patiently for the right moment.

And then the incident happened.

In the neighboring block, a gang member who appeared clearly infected with Berserk opened fire wildly, and upon hearing the news, she bribed the Cleaners ahead of anyone else and secured the culprit’s corpse.

Th⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠⁠‌‍⁠‌‌⁠‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠‌⁠‌‌‌⁠‌⁠⁠⁠⁠‌‌‌⁠‌‌⁠‌‌ough she didn’t find any data of a direct transaction, she did uncover a great deal of circumstantial evidence proving that the guy had been coming and going from King's groom.

That was enough.

After immediately assigning the job to Eric, a reliable expert, and hacking into King's groom’s CCTV with Poe just in case.

What the two of them discovered was a familiar side profile repeatedly slapping the cheek of the bald man they were supposed to capture alive.

“At first, I thought I was seeing things. But I wasn’t. When I called, you actually picked up.”

Just as Khalifa muttered that.

(Complete!)

A fanfare rang out inside Jin’s head.

So far, nothing unusual.

The problem was, it didn’t stop at just once.

(Complete!)

Getting hit in the same spot hurts the most, and getting hit when you don’t expect it knocks you out cold.

Caught in the back-to-back dopamine floods, Jin dropped the cookie from his hand with a thud.

His eyelids twitched, his toes curled inside his shoes.

And then the Status Window suddenly shoved itself into his face.

「(Omen!) Contagious Will 4」──────

Find Walter together with the client.

*Reward Perk XP 6,000
─────────────────

Jin Evernight.

Thanks to a linker who did everything in advance, skipped one stage.