Chapter 58: Chapter 57
TL/ED: Hamsterminator
Wonder was silent.
“......”
The silent terminal only made the surrounding stares feel even more blatant.
Jin flinched.
Was that too shameless?
Yeah, asking for everything was definitely pushing it.
Then maybe just two, no, three...
[Do you have a reason for this?]
Jin flinched at the voice that broke the silence.
“Ah, just a sec.”
He made a gesture asking for understanding from those around him, got up from his seat, opened the door in front of him, and stepped inside.
Fortunately, it was an empty room.
Then, closing the door behind him with his back, Jin sat on the edge of the bed and spoke.
“Ahh, can you hear me?”
[Yes, please go ahead.]
“I’m in Mute Town right now.”
The explanation followed.
Without any rambling or unnecessary elaboration, he kept it as concise as possible.
Summed up in one sentence.
‘I’m helping the Resistance fight TB, but we’re hopelessly outmatched. I need help. Can you do anything?’
And then Wonder responded.
[Interesting. A final operation by the crumbling Resistance. The narrative itself is certainly appealing.]
At that, Jin gave a silent bitter smile.
Typical corporate guy, as expected.
Talking about narrative in a life-and-death situation.
Of course, it was still a hundred times better than a negative response.
...Just as he thought that, a voice of concern followed.
[However, I can’t deny that the odds of success sound hopelessly low.]
“Yeah. Um.”
Jin had nothing to say to that.
Honestly, even that might’ve been a softened version.
Could’ve easily been, ‘Are you going there to die?’
In the meantime, Jin could hear a soft tapping sound from the other side of the terminal. Even without seeing, he pictured Wonder drumming his fingers on a table.
Then, at some point, the voice came again.
[Very well. I will provide support.]
“...Huh?”
Jin, who had been half giving up from the long wait, straightened his posture.
“Really?”
[Isn’t that what you wanted?]
“That’s right. Yeah, exactly.”
[If you send over the details of the personnel involved in the operation, we’ll provide equipment accordingly.]
It was a bold promise of support.
He said he was a sales team manager, but maybe he had considerable influence in the company?
Of course, from Jin’s point of view, that didn’t matter.
So he nodded and said,
“Got it. I’ll contact you once things are finalized.”
[Then I’ll be waiting.]
As soon as those words ended, the call was cut off.
Jin stared blankly at the terminal and murmured.
“...So it worked.”
*
The rippling holographic waveform in the air faded.
Which meant the voice connection with the other party had ended.
Wonder crossed his arms quietly after the call.
“...The Resistance, huh. I knew he wasn’t ordinary, but I didn’t expect this much.”
It had been less than a day since signing the sponsorship contract, and he was already in a battlefield.
He was someone who rarely showed much emotion, but even he couldn't help but chuckle this time.
Maybe this meteoric rise was exactly because he only took on such insane requests.
He was definitely different.
Just like those who had already become legends of the city.
Wonder held Jin in high regard.
In terms of Solo rank, he estimated Jin to be at least Level 5, possibly even higher.
This was also why he acted without waiting for upper management’s approval when deciding on the sponsorship.
And it was precisely this kind of bold decision-making that had enabled him, once from the bottom, to rise to a managerial position in a major military manufacturer.
Now that another moment requiring judgment had come,
This competent and ambitious man willingly stepped out onto the tightrope.
If he failed, the position he had worked so hard to build could be seriously shaken.
But if he succeeded, it would be a chance to gain wings and soar even higher.
R&D, as a company that valued experimental thinking, didn’t place many restrictions on employee actions, but that didn’t mean they tolerated failure.
So this matter was, in effect, a high-stakes gamble for Wonder too, and he smiled faintly.
“Interesting.”
*
With support from Luger & Dollman all but confirmed, Jin readily accepted the City Government’s request.
The colonel and Q didn’t press him for details about the phone call.
They simply left him with one message: the operation would commence tomorrow at 9 p.m.
And so, back to the basement.
As Jin collapsed onto the sofa with a thud, Fenrir pressed him with a question.
“R&D, you said? You had a sponsor?”
“Yeah.”
“Since when?”
“Yesterday. Signed at Anecdote. The ink probably isn’t even dry yet.”
"...What."
While Fenrir wore a dumbfounded expression,
Jin called the others over.
Not that there were more than four.
“Ossia! Den! Grace! Uh, you know, mister!”
At his shout, the Resistance members slowly gathered.
Their faces still riddled with gloom.
Word was, three more comrades who were undergoing treatment had died.
Even so, instead of offering empty condolences, Jin cut straight to the point.
He and Fenrir would form the core of the strike team.
They would be included in that team.
On top of that, Luger & Dollman was going to support them.
Why would a corporation back them?
Who am I? R&D ambassador.
A mix of reactions erupted.
Us, take on Taha? Even Oren failed.
Still, it’s a chance we can’t pass up.
What the hell is going on?
But that confusion didn’t last long.
As they slowly pulled themselves together, the Resistance reached a unified opinion.
"We absolutely have to do it. We can't end it like this."
"Right, let's get it together."
Maybe they saw it as a final chance to burn everything they've got.
The once dull eyes gradually regained some light.
Seeing the Resistance finally looking like people again, Jin side-eyed them and picked up his terminal.
One werewolf (about 210cm when transformed),
A man with cyberware from the waist down.
A woman with a mechanical right eye...
Tap tap tap.
As he typed out the message to send to Wonder with his thumb.
“Add one more.”
At the cracked voice, everyone turned their heads at once.
There stood Albus, gripping an IV pole.
“You sure about this?”
“Another one just died. If I'm alive, I gotta earn my keep.”
He spoke, dark circles reaching his cheekbones.
He looked like he might collapse if someone so much as touched him.
But no one stopped Albus.
They didn’t have the luxury to reject him, not even with empty words.
“No backing out.”
“Damn right, man.”
With that, Jin sent Wonder the squad information, now including Albus.
How much time had passed?
His terminal buzzed, and a reply came.
It included a detailed list of the equipment that would be supplied to each individual and instructions for use.
Also noted were the coordinates and time for supply drop-off.
*
Morning came after dawn.
And then afternoon.
After spending roughly half a day resting up, the group gathered again.
This time, even the colonel joined them.
Though it was a briefing, he wasn’t holding a liquor bottle for once.
Still, the bulging hardtack pouch was suspicious.
“The target is a building called ‘Flat Iron’. It’s an unfinished structure near the docks that had been abandoned, but recently TB refurbished it and turned it into a base.”
At the colonel’s words, the Resistance members nodded knowingly.
Understandable, considering they were at war with TB until just four days ago.
“We won’t be able to offer direct support, but we’ll at least provide transportation. There should be a tactical vehicle outside the building, so use that.”
That was welcome news.
Especially since the team had places to stop before launching the operation.
“Then, good luck.”
As the colonel finished the briefing without a single hiccup and turned away,
The group headed up the stairs and out of the building without hesitation.
“That’s the one.”
A medium-sized military vehicle that looked like a covered pickup truck greeted them.
“I’ll drive.”
At Ossia’s words, as she tightened her combat boots, the group boarded the vehicle one after another.
Den got in the front passenger seat, and the others followed behind.
“Let’s pick up the gear first.”
And with that, the vehicle sped through the streets.
The first objective was to retrieve the supplies sent by Luger & Dollman.
Just as the group reached the designated coordinates and looked around in silence.
“There!”
Den suddenly pointed up at the sky.
The direction his fingertip indicated.
A sleek aircraft swiftly skimmed across the air.
At the same time, a metallic box resembling a cargo container dropped from it.
Jin flinched when he saw it.
They just drop it like that?
Weren’t aerial supply drops supposed to come down dangling from a huge parachute, trailing bright red smoke?
That was when it happened.
From the bottom of the box, which seemed to be in free fall, blue flames ignited.
Then it smoothly adjusted its descent and landed in the open clearing where the group was gathered.
"Whoa."
Jin, amazed by the unexpected display of cutting-edge tech, let out a small gasp.
A box boldly stamped with the [R&D] logo unfolded its doors on its own.
Revealing the equipment inside, naturally.
“...This is insane.”
“This is top-tier.”
The group muttered without realizing it.
They had heard about it beforehand, but seeing the gear laid out before them was a whole different feeling.
But there was no time to stand around gawking.
“Hurry up and grab your gear.”
At someone’s words, they all quickly began equipping themselves.
Exactly as described in the message from the day before.
It started with the mechanical suit known as a reinforced exoskeleton, or more commonly, the Exo-Skeleton.
A piece of tech being actively researched even in Jin’s world.
But the level of completion here was on a whole different scale.
The body, made of lightweight titanium-based alloy, significantly enhanced the wearer’s physical ability without side effects. And on top of that, it came equipped with a built-in combat stimulant composed of nerve-amplifying substances. When injected, it temporarily granted reaction speeds comparable to those of enhanced humans.
Of course, that wasn’t all.
There was the armor-piercing SMG capable of charged shots.
Written as a submachine gun, but read as Kill Beast. It came with plenty of spare magazines for everyone.
“......”
Fenrir picked up the weapon with a somewhat uncomfortable expression.
There was more.
A ballistic face shield with thermal detection capabilities.
A titanium helmet fitted with that face shield.
A fully automatic handgun with a fixed bayonet, durable enough to throw a punch with in emergencies.
And even a high-performance plate carrier (lightweight body armor) with a built-in body cam.
Jin was touched by the lavish setup.
They really went this far?
A warm feeling stirred in his chest.
Was this... loyalty?
It was a feeling he’d never experienced back in his world, and he instinctively clenched his fist.
“...Good thing I signed that contract.”
“Hey, quit the monologue and grab your weapon.”
As Fenrir tapped his shoulder, Jin turned back toward the box.
What he saw next was a massive anti-tank rocket launcher.
It was intended for Jin, who wasn’t technically an enhanced human (though it was the only way to explain his specs), and Fenrir, who was a beastkin.
With an overall length of 1,400mm and a loaded weight approaching 30kg, it was practically just a gun barrel ripped off and handed to them.
Of course, Jin hoisted it up effortlessly, without so much as a grunt.
And Fenrir did the same.
Watching them, Albus shook his head.
Soon, with everyone fully geared up, the group boarded the vehicle again.
“Heading to Flat Iron.”
VROOOOM!
As the vehicle sped down the road without hesitation, Den spoke up.
“If we succeed in this mission, the Resistance members scattered across the city might actually survive. With their leader dead, TB probably won’t continue the manhunt.”
At those words, Grace, adjusting the chinstrap of her helmet, nodded.
“TB is an organization heavily influenced by Taha. Without him, they’ll definitely collapse on their own.”
A conversation meant to ease the tension.
Jin, who had been quietly listening, suddenly looked up.
Naturally, his gaze met Albus’s across from him.
They were both silent for a moment.
Then, as if on cue, the two of them let out soft chuckles.
“How the hell did we end up like this?”
“You’re the one who called me.”
“Didn’t think you’d actually come.”
“What do you mean? You said I had to earn my keep.”
Jin said that as he jabbed his elbow into Fenrir’s side.
“And I didn’t come alone, you know? He’s here too.”
“Yeah, thanks to you too, Fenrir.”
To that, Fenrir replied with a face that was half annoyed and half awkward.
“I just couldn’t stand watching TB strutting around like they own the place.”
“You damn traitor.”
“I told you, I never betrayed anyone.”
While Fenrir flared his eyes in irritation, Jin nonchalantly picked his nose as Albus spoke to him.
“Let’s grab a drink when this is all over.”
“Whoa, stop with the clichés.”
Jin shook his head, raising his palm to cut him off.
“Fight like you're already dead. That’s the mindset you need.”
“...What kind of bullshit is that now?”
Fenrir furrowed his brow, and Jin shrugged.
“Words of a great man, apparently.”
At that moment, ting!- a sharp sound scraped past the vehicle.
At the same time, Ossia, holding the steering wheel, shouted,
“That was a warning shot! They’re telling us to stop?!”
“As if.”
Jin let out a savage grin as he stood up.
Then he threw open the top hatch and stuck his upper body out, now resting a massive anti-tank rocket on his shoulder.
Ahead, a huge building towering several stories high came into view.
And the TB soldiers aiming rifles from the spire-like modified outer walls.
In that moment, Jin felt a certain sense of duty.
That duty was, promotion.
After receiving this level of support, shouldn’t he at least give them a good shout-out?
What to do.
I don't know. Screw it. Let's just do it.
And so he aimed.
Jin leveled the massive barrel at the TB forces, who had started sensing something was off.
Target acquired, the perfect timing to shout something- except,
The specs suddenly wouldn’t come to mind.
Wonder’s message said something like heat-compression warhead?
Tandem-charge? Something like that? But it just wouldn’t come to him.
As the building grew closer, Jin emptied his thoughts.
Then shouted at the top of his lungs,
“Luger & Dollman’s... uh... super strong bomb! Please show your supportttttt!!”
Right after, with a thunderous roar, the massive warhead flew through the air.