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/A few hours later…/
In the middle of the night, atop an abandoned construction site, Philip crouched down as he looked at the warehouse before him.
It was his following target's location—a warehouse hidden away in the many nooks and crannies of the Favela, fused into its architecture as if it were multiple street blocks.
But in truth, it was all one continuous complex.
No matter the world or time, there will always be those at the system's edge.
"Seventeen… Nineteen… Around Twenty-three guards? If I count the others I saw entering the warehouse, it would go for around thirty."
'Not too many advanced devices. I saw some cameras around the place, but that was about it. No androids either. But I've seen some machines moving around scouting the place.'
'They're better armed than I thought given the SOP System. Their weapons are likely modified given most of all modern weaponry is in some shape or form under its influence.'
In short, the SOP, Sons of the Patriots, was an advanced battlefield control system operated by the Patriots' proxy AIs.
The Patriots, also known as the La-li-lu-le-lo and formerly known as Cipher, were a secret organization that, by the early 1990s, had complete control of the United States of America and its people.
SOP allowed state militaries and private military companies to monitor and enhance the performance of all soldiers deployed in combat via the nanomachines within their bodies.
By 2014, all state armies and PMCs were known to have SOP implanted in them, and even law enforcement agencies and paramilitaries were adopting them.
Of course, militias and rebel armies did not have access to the System, which explained why they operated less effectively than state armies.
'The SOP System won't last for long given the time… Likely, the events that will lead to its collapse are already underway. Culminating two years from now… Now that I think about it, no wonder this shabby gun was expensive.'
'To some degree, I'm interested in them, but at the same time, I'd rather not involve myself in those matters. I'm full with this alone.'
Maybe if he had gone through all of the games and had resolute knowledge of the series, Philip would have gone after those events, even if just to satiate his morbid curiosity. Still, as he was now, he had better things to do than to feed his childish aspirations of seeing his videogame characters replay the scenes of his childhood.
'Hum… If I assume that there are guards stationed inside at all times, deeming the size of this hidden complex, I could add the total to around fifty at most.'
'Not a single armed vehicle or heavy gun on sight, just your standard gear, bulletproof vests, rifles, and pistols. They look just like your average gang. But there's a certain sharpness to their eyes.'
'Ex-police officers? Many are like this, it's easy for them to enter the field, especially in a world so corrupt as this one.'
'There is the chance some of the heavier tools at their disposal are hidden from sight. Nevertheless, I can see an auto turret installed near the warehouse door.'
'I'm not going through there it seems. Not ready to turn into swiss cheese.'
An auto turret is an AI-operated turret with insane precision, its not a very intelligent AI but its more than good enough to have the job done.
'That said, who is supplying these guys? I can understand the illegal guns, but an auto turret? That's ridiculous… Oh yeah, corruption.'
"Sigh…"
Philip saw a large group of people exit the building and begin loading items onto a series of distinct vehicles. "Hum… They seem ready to move."
'From the information I gathered, their defense should've been laxer… Something's fishy… When such criminals gather like this…'
"There must be an important deal happening behind the scenes."
'Now I'm curious.'
He scouted the area, finding an entrance point.
Philip checked his stuff one last time before he jumped from the top of the building he was in, dropping on the ground.
Silently, he made his way close to one of the walls and jumped over it!
""!""
/Slash!/
The guards behind the wall didn't expect this as the wall was over 6M tall. By the time they reacted to his infiltration, their necks had already been cut.
"Infiltration completed, commencing operation..."
'Hm… This isn't as bad as I thought. Quite cool even. Way cooler than intruding on a nest of beasts…'
He ran forward, using the wall as a stepping stone, he climbed onto the ceiling.
Philip's target was the small vent at the very top of the warehouse, it was the sole entrance he could find that wasn't being protected.
He could blast his way inside, but between being besieged by thirty soldiers and getting a bit dirty from crawling in some vents... He chose the obvious answer.
This wasn't the game where he could press the block button and deflect a missile. Even if Samuel could deflect a bullet, with his level of skill, Philip had to be slightly more careful.
There was the chance of the enemies being able to detect him through heat and noise, but his exoskeleton helped him camouflage those a little. It wasn't much but it prevented the alarm system from ringing.
And that was everything he needed.
/CREAK!!!/
"..."
'Damn!... These old vents are so damn noisy!... I thought they were supposed to be silent!'
'Sigh. Let's get this over with.'
…
Inside, after crawling through the vent and passing through the wall, Philip reached the end of the rusty path, unwilling to risk going further.
He looked down from above, listening in to two guards discussing something over some music in the radio:
"... Want some?"
The first guard raised his hand to another by his side, showing a white cigarette to him.
"You're awfully calm." The man replied as he grabbed it
The first guard smiled as he lit the cigarette up, saying:
"During these types of deals, staying calm is usually the way to go."
"96% of the time, the deal will be completed weeks before the product exchange, also, there are many other gangs involved so no one would be bold enough to attack."
"Why 96 and not a 100?"
"Hooo… There was once a case where the deal went badly. It happens, but that was years ago."
"With all this technology, we often have clients ordering things online you know? Its all way too easy these days… If you have access to the right networks…"
"Heh, the big dogs must be swimming in money."
"Sure… The ones still left alive…"
"What do you mean?"
"It's a dog-eat-dog world out there, friend… It's rare to see a dog build up something he can enjoy. Most of the time another one snatches it, and the cycle continues."
"This is just a small deal, nothing serious, so quite safe. I heard things get quite hectic when you start to deal with the big money."
"What's our role in all of this?" The second guard asked as he puffed out some smoke
"We? We are just workers. Faces… Borrowed ones."
"We're paid well to stand here until shit hits the fan. And when it does, act on it, if not, we take the blame."
"For who?"
"Heh… That's the funny part. We'll never know… The big dogs won't ever look at us. We're crickets, jumping around the weeds they piss on. The best we can ever do to them is make some noise."
"We are mostly here to put up a front…"
"A terrible one indeed…"
But a voice suddenly cut him, startling him.
"What…? Who…?!"
But the moment he turned around, it was already too late.
/FWUSH!/
A single slash, two heads. The second one never even had the chance to process what had happened.
"With this, four down… It won't take long for the other guards to find out something is strange…"
Philip looked around, as expected; the buildings were hollow inside. Only a large warehouse full of items spread out before him.
He could hear faint noises echoing around the place. At the very least, it seemed these two were in a distant corner so others wouldn't find them quickly, but time was against him.
He raised his head, spotting the metallic beams spreading throughout the complex, and had an idea:
'I can use the beams to move around, better then trying to sneak around the place.'
/Thud!/
With a single strong jump, Philip moved over seven meters through the air thanks to the help of the exoskeleton, holding to the metallic beams with one hand before pushing himself upward.
No one seemed to spot him, so he reassessed his situation.
/Shaa…/
Ventilation was quite bad up there given the lack of windows.
/Clank!/
Philip held in his breath, but his exoskeleton came in to save the day by covering his face with a mask.
I almost forgot this was a thing.
…
Philip observed the warehouse from his vantage point, and it was quite odd.
In the middle of the warehouse, a large red metal container could be seen, around it were several other smaller boxes and a few guards running around the place.
On the side next to one of the walls was a small tower overlooking the place, by climbing a series of stairs one would enter a room whose windows were completely black from the outside.
This area had considerably more security then the rest of the warehouse. Philip could see multiple robots and lasers scanning the area.
He was safe for now though… It seemed they never expected someone to come from above. And for good reason…
His exoskeleton detected multiple sounds coming from above him. The fake buildings weren't empty and were full of guards.
This place was a fortress, a very strange and hollow fortress but still functional.
'How did they get such a large container all the way here? They also have boxes that would take an entire truck or a large van to move around… Wait… Are some of the houses out there hollow, too? Did they build an entire tunnel through the area to ship illegal goods?'
'That's utterly ridiculous... Who am I kidding? Brazilians sure like to do some crazy things…'
'My target is likely inside the tower. I could try dropping above it, but the ceiling is too steep, I'll end up slipping to the sides, which would be quite embarrassing.'
'Also, if he isn't there, my presence will only end up exposed… But I've checked the entire area and I haven't seen him once. He has to be there.'
'I have no rope to sling down from, so my next bet would be to drop next to it and rush inside.'
He looked around for a few more minutes to confirm his target's location.
Having spent too much time observing, he chose it was time to return to the ground, so he moved to the edge of the warehouse, jumping down from one of the beams.
/Bam!/
He landed perfectly without causing too much noise, but the vibration caused a tray of wires to fall from a shelf, causing quite a mess.
"Not the most elegant landing…"
"Dont move."
A voice came from behind him, followed by the familiar sound of a gun's safety feature being turned off.
"Wow wow! Let's calm ourselves first."
'Shit. I jumped with my back to the dammed wall, where did this guy come from?'
Philip put his hands up as he felt the cold and heavy feeling of a gun on the back of his head.
But at the same time, he didn't feel pressured, he just needed to have his enemy drop his guard for a moment.
"Turn around… Slowly, any excessive movements will get you killed."
"Okay, no excessive movement…"
Philip was happy, this guy seemingly got himself in the direction of his sword! He couldn't be happier.
But as he turned around, he realized why he didn't see the guy…
'This… Was he sleeping in that cardboard?! My luck today is off the charts…'
'This guy though… No cybernetics, just a thug with a rifle.'
The thug pulled a radio from his chest with his free hand and started talking:
"Over, I have a situation."
"What did — say? Your voi— c-t here, o-er."
A girl with a deep voice replied from the other side, her voice chopping.
"I repeat, we have a situation, an intruder… Fucking old ass piece of crap."
"..."
Philip observed the quietly, but he seemed adamant in not getting his eyes out of him at all.
"!"
It was then that Philip noticed something behind the man, and his eyes opened wide.
"Hm?..."
For a brief moment, the man's attention diverted as his eyes moved to the side. He immediately noticed something was wrong, but it was too late.
/FLASH!/
Philip activated Blade Mode, and the world around him slowed down to an almost halt!
He pressed the trigger on his sword sheet, sending the blade flying towards the man's face.
The speed was such that the man didn't even have the time to react before the sword handle smashed in his nose.
/BANG!/
/CRACK!/
/FWUSH!/
After the handle smashed his nose, the man pressed the trigger of his gun, but the bullet flew far away from him since he had long taken a step forward, grabbing the sword in the air, and slashing downwards, cutting the guy's arm.
/Fwush!
He did not stop there as he immediately slashed again and beheaded the man.
"Should've expected no less from the cardboard guard…"
/ALERT! ALERT!/
But his commotion wasn't ignored as soon enough, an alarm rang throughout the warehouse. He could also hear the echoes of people rushing in on his location.
"Sneak time is over, time to go guns blazing."
'Maybe I should've done this from the start. This Exoskeleton isn't made for stealth operations in the slightest…'
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
/BANG!/
Philip grabbed the gun on the ground and ran out of the corridor and into a nearby room, shooting three more goons that were running in his direction.
This was a gamble on his part as he didn't know if his Quest would fail, but since nothing happened, he went along with it.
"I GOT YOU!"
"!"
Behind him, a man burst through a door as he ran in from outside, pressing the trigger as he did so!
Without hesitation, Philip activated Blade Mode!
/BANG!/
'I… I can see it!... I… I can cut it!'
His body screamed in pain as his muscles contracted beyond their limits by his order. When paired with the Exoskeleton, he managed to react to the bullets, moving faster then a cyborg would!
/Step!/
He smiled and took a step forward, evading the swarm of bullet and slashing downward, cutting the gun, and the man's hands, in half.
"AHHHHH!"
/Cut!/
Philip slashed his sword once more, ending the mans screams for good.
"Phew…"
Philip took a deep breath, the exhaustion caused by using blade mode was high but not as high as when he first used it.
He was far from mastering it, but the time would come when he'd use its power effectively.
'I underestimated this exoskeleton. It's way better than I thought.'
/Step step step…/
The sound of multiple footsteps could be heard coming from the corridors, Philip smiled and sheeted his sword, ready to draw it.
'Maybe a gun wasn't needed from the beginning. Rather, it limits me and halts my progress.'
"I think I get it now."
/Shaa…/
His exoskeleton rumbled with power, as if earning for what was to come…
…
/Meanwhile…/
Inside the room atop the central tower were two people. One was Philip's target, a man with a luxurious coat and a bald head, while the other one looked to be an old man with a scar on his forehead and thin, grey hair.
"What is happening right now? Why is everyone running around the place?" The old man asked with a frown as he looked down at the warehouse
The bald man took out a small radio from the side, hearing the report from his men.
"... What?... Your voice… Tsk, someone's interfering with communications…"
The man immediately realized something was wrong, relaying orders efficiently and cohesively as he looked at he mayhem unfold below.
Once he turned off the radio, he let out his repressed emotions:
"... A BUNCH OF INCOMPETENT FOOLS!"
He sat down and turned to the old man, adjusting his coat as he did so:
"...My apologies but it seems we have a situation. Let us wait for my men to take care of it before resuming our trade. Ah, dont worry, this tower is reinforced with state-of-the-art technology, it can resist even a tank shell if necessary."
The old man nodded, but his expression sharpened.
"But how did the intruders get inside? How many are out there?"
"That's the problem, I just received a call saying that we had a breach in the perimeter walls, all guards on their way were taken out, and their entry point has yet to be determined since the camera feed doesn't show anything."
"From the looks of it, they've set up a jamming device somewhere in the area which is affective coms and other sensitive machines, but it'll be removed soon enough."
"Either way, my guards already took them out."
This confused the old man.
"Gunshot? It seems the soundproofing is really as good as you bragged about."
"Of course, I didn't hold back in making this place secure. Its the reason why…"
/Buzz…/
His radio started to buzz again.
"Excuse me for a moment, Mr. Igor."
"… Did you get them?... What? Repeat that… You lost contact with… Everyone?!"
"..."
"Did you fiz the system?!... You did… SO WHAT THE FUCK HAPPENED!?"
As he asked that, he got up from his chair in anger and looked at the window, and what he saw both confused and terrified him.
"What is going on?!"
Igor became curious and got up from his chair. And what he saw also made his jaw drop.
/CLANG!/
It was a man with nothing but an exoskeleton and a sword, but despite that, he was mowing through the armed thugs as if they were made of jelly.
He used his environment as he jumped around, moving with unbelievable speeds as he cut through everything in his path with his crimson blade!
His sword danced in the air with such speed that even he had difficulty following his movements with his implants.
/FWUSH!/
The swordsman cut through the body of yet another thug, but this time, no one else came after him, because there was no one left.
Smiling, he turned to face the dark windows of the tower.
Igor and the other man felt as if the swordsman was looking directly at them.
To this action, Igor opened his mouth and said:
"That must be… A super-soldier."
'But why right here, right now?'
'I recognize that exoskeleton's model, but it alone shouldn't be enough to produce this much power.'
"A super soldier? Like the American androids?"
"No, it's hard to say what he is, but he's definitely not comparable to those simple soldiers."
"Calling an android simple?"
/Chuckle…/
"Androids sure are exceptional soldiers… But they also require exceptional conditions to be maintained. And when there's something exclusive and expensive… Some see the opportunity to sell to those who cannot afford it."
"Whatever you saw out there were only the bottom feeders… There were rumors of children being trained from infancy before being augmented with state-of-the-art prosthetic technology."
"The results were… Astonishing."
"Do you believe him to be one of those… Child-Soldiers?"
"As I said, they should've been mostly in development with the ones in operation being prototypes, the only ones in operation would be those under special governmental forces…"
"In other words, nowhere near this place."
As the old man finished talking, his eyes narrowed.
"... Do you think the government has…"
"Hm… There is no more time, we've been compromised either way. This goes beyond the usual."
'I don't think the government has anything to do with him. He's likely a mercenary, and a high-profile one at that.'
'It seems this operation was leaked. It seems this is where our connection here ends.'
Having made his decision, the old man turned to the side:
"I'll allow you to activate it."
'I want to see how he performs.'
"What?! Inside this place?"
"And what of it? Didn't you say this place was explosion-proof, or was that a lie?"
"Instead of waiting for that soldier to make its way to us, I prefer taking action."
"..."
The bald man took a tablet from his coat, activating it with some hesitation…
…
/Moments before…/
/Bzz… Muffled…/
Philip crouched on the ground behind several boxes as he listened to a radio, frowning as he set it aside.
"..."
'They've called for reinforcements. This place will flood with people in a matter of minutes.'
'I know he's here somewhere, giving orders…'
He raised his head towards the tower and smiled.
'Over there.'
"Hum…"
'I can't bring that tower down; its base is too thick for me to cut through.'
/Swoosh!/
Philip swung his sword, shaking off the blood onto the ground as he made his way to the stairs.
/Tremble…/
But behind him, the large red container shook as white smoke spread from within…
"... You gotta be fucking with me."
The container sprung to life as it slowly disassembled itself, its panels moving around, revealing metallic arms and barrels underneath.
As he turned around, he saw a machine emerge from the cold mist.
It was a glossy black mech with a rather simple model of 4 thick legs supporting a main squarish hull with several add-ons such as large machine guns and what seemed to be a cannon…
Throughout its body, a series of long yellow lights glew eerily, turning bright red as it turned to Philip.
A blinding ray of red light passed by him, scanning him from head to toe…
(Image)
"Metal gear?!"
/BEEP!/
[Target, locked]
[Risk assessment is undergoing evaluation]
Philip did not remain to listen to what it had to say. The moment he saw it, he ran for cover.
/BANG! BANG! BANG!/
A flurry of bullets was released from the two miniguns mounted on the metal gear's side, destroying everything on its path!
/Clang! Clang!/
The bullets carved a path through the concrete as it followed Philip's movements!
He tried his best to divert the metal gear's movement and avoid the concentrated fire, but the machine was faster then him, caughting up to him in no time.
He slid to cover behind a block of concrete, and the fire stopped just as quickly.
"Huff…"
/Chung!/
"...?"
Immediately after it lost sight of him, a small compartment opened above the metal gear, and a missile the size of a fist was launched into the air!
It made a small turn around the pillars and shelves of the warehouse before B-lining towards him from above!
"Curses…"
/BOOM!/
/SPLATTER!/
Philip pulled out his pistol and shot with high precision, detonating the missile before it got too close, but the shrapnel still got into his face, carving small wounds across his skin.
He took out a few smoke grenades he had and threw them out under the cover of the missile explosion, spreading it everywhere in the room.
[Target lost. Switching to infrared vision]
/FLASH!/
A flash of red spread throughout the room in the blink of an eye, finding him within a second!
He was right before it, running with all his might!
/Spin…/
The machine quickly noticed him and turned its weapon system toward him, but it was a tad too late as he had already managed to go below it.
'Now or never!'
Philip drew his sword with all of his power, aiming towards the machine joints.
[Risk assessment: Level 2]
/BOOM!!/
"?!"
At that moment, Philip's senses were thrown in disarray!
The Metal Gear jumped! Releasing a powerful shockwave as a propulsion system tilted it in the air.
/Charge…/
The railgun cannon began to charge, and Philip knew things weren't looking good.
"Hupp!"
The world around him slowed down as he activated Blade Mode. He spun on the ground, kicking it to gain a burst of speed.
/FIIIUM!/
/BOOOOOM!/
The railgun shot onto the ground, missing him by little!
/SLIDE!/
He slid across the ground, sparks flying in the air as his exoskeleton brushed against the concrete.
/DASH!/
He ran forward again, moving after the metal gear!
[Risk assessment is undergoing reevaluation]
[Risk assessment: Level 3]
"!!!"
/KABOOOM!/
The entire warehouse shook as the metal gear slammed its legs onto the ground, causing the entire area to quake!
Philip had difficulty keeping his balance as the ground trembled. But it was evident he had no time to complain…
/BURST!/
The spinning barrels released their cargo as hundreds of bullets flew at him like a wall!
"HUPP!"
Philip reactivated Blade Mode. His body shacking in protest, he slid to the side before the bullets reached him, running behind the central tower's pillar, using it as cover.
"... !"
'I have an idea.'
/SLASH!/
/SLASH!/
Within a second, Philip slashed the pillar as bullets rained from behind.
/JUMP!/
He jumped, running along the pillar with his blade on the wall, cutting a long line in the reinforced concrete.
/BAAAAM!!/
At the same time, the metal gear landed beside him, shaking the remains of the warehouse.
"Take this!"
/CRACK!!/
Philip pulled at the concrete, peeling it off the pillar!
A large chunk of cut concrete slowly fell on the metal gear, and while it tried to avoid it. The machine's propulsion system was still cooling off!
/DASH!/
He did not lose this chance, jumping down after it!
/SLASH!/
And like a dream, one of its legs was cleanly cut off!
"Huff… Haaa…!"
Philip took a deep breath, inhaling a ton of smoke and powder, and even as his eyes turned bloodshot, he slashed down again, cutting down another leg!
[Risk assessment is undergoing reevaluation]
[Risk assessment: Level 5]
/BAM!/
The Metal gear fell towards the ground as it lost two of its four legs.
/FIUUUM!!/
/BOOM!/
Even though it tumbled over, the metal gear still tried to shoot him, however, it missed, shooting the top of the tower instead!
/SHAAA!!/
The metal gear still fought bravely, its propulsion system igniting as it tried to stabilize itself.
Philip did not let it recover, jumping atop its body and slashing down at its central husk.
/BZZZ!!!/
"URRRRGH!"
A powerful arc of electricity was blasted onto him, but it wasn't enough to take him down.
In a singular movement, he shoved a hand grenade inside the hole he made. Jumping away as it detonated behind him:
/BOOOM!/
[A Great achievement!]
[You defeated a non-manned Battle Gear with nothing but a sword and a Human body]
[You have gained the Skill, Sword Flash Lv0]
[Sword Flash Lv0
Description:
Your sword leaves behind a trail of light that disorients enemies.
The intensity and length of the trail are based on the Skill level.
Activate it to change the direction of your sword, the degree of change is tied to how fast the sword is moving and your overall strength.
…
]
"Huff… Huff… Haaa…"
Philip smiled widely as he read the notifications.
/Screams!/
"!!"
Crouching on the ground, Philip heard screams coming from the central tower as his target pushed aside a large boulder, looking at him in disbelief as he pointed down.
"He took it down?!… Shit! Now is not the time for this!"
/BANG BANG BANG!/
The bald man took out a gun and pressed the trigger without care. But without aiming properly, the bullets only bounced around him, none hitting Philip.
"..."
The old man, on the other hand, just stood aside with a serious expression, not doing anything to protect himself.
/BANG BANG BANG!... Click!/
"Wh… No… NO… NO, NO, NO!!!!"
/Click! Click! Click!/
The bald man went into a panic as he ran out of bullets, looking around for one of his spares.
Meanwhile, Philip took a deep breath, moving after him.
"Hoo…"
/Tic… Tac…/
The clock ticked as time passed, and the man felt himself getting close to the end with each second passing.
"?!"
Suddenly, a red sword pierced through the reinforced door, leaving a large diagonal cut from one end to the other.
/BANG BANG BANG!/
"AHHH! DIE!"
The man, in a fit of rage and fear, started to gun down the door nonstop.
But amidst the fear and confusion, he forgot the door was blast proof… Those bullets weren't going anywhere…
"Sigh…"
'His worth ends here.'
Looking at the bald man's pathetic actions, Igor shook his head as he drew in a resolute breath.
/Spin…/
He pulled an old-style magnum revolver from his jacket, spinning its chamber as he counted the rounds.
And with one resolute action, he pulled the trigger.
/BAM!/
/Thud…/
The blast-resistant door crumbled into pieces as Philip made his way inside.
With a slight chuckle, he rested his sword on his shoulder but never dropped his guard, saying: "Now, this is interesting."
Inside, he witnessed the old man blast a hole through his target's head.
'So, is this is for my mission?'
[You completed your second contract!]
[All of your Class-related skills gained an average amount of proficiency]
[Rodrigues New Shadow School Technique Lv7 -> Lv 8]
[Sword Flash Lv0 -> Lv 2]
'So stingy…
He looked at the old man but didn't recognize him, a quick face scan revealed nothing, there was no match to any of his targets.
He was unrelated to his mission.
"So, what do we have here?" Philip asked the old man as he probed him, walking around the room, observing his surroundings
"Nothing much, just a fool taking responsibility for his actions."
/Clack/
The old man dropped his magnum on the ground, raising his hands as he replied.
Philip raised an eyebrow, and after a moment of silent thought, asked:
"Just him?"
"It depends on the perspective. You're also responsable, to some degree."
"Ironic of you to say that. Aren't you the buyer?"
"Just an old man trying to make a living in this harsh world… Am I to be blamed for buying a product?"
Philip scoffed, irony in his voice as he replied: "Then I guess I'm a warrior of justice… One can only sell if there is a demand."
"I disagree. One can also create it." The old man retorted
"... Now, what's preventing you from ending up like him?"
/Chuckle…/
"You're cautious. You have to be; a merc only takes if he's given, and my life is worth nothing to you."
"But as you said, there must be a demand somewhere, right?"
The old man smiled.
He carefully reached for his shirt, and while Philip was cautious of his actions, he let him be.
/Fwush…/
The old man slowly removed his coat and shirt, revealing a body heavily modified by prosthetics.
Several tubes passing through his skin and even his heart could be seen beating through a translucent plate.
"Do you understand what you are looking at? Young man?"
Philip scratched his chin, smiling faintly as he asked jokingly:
"Hum… Can't say that I do elder, care to enlighten me?"
"This is the result of getting hit by an Anti-Material Riffle, 80% of my intestines were either disintegrated or flung outside my body while many more organs suffered irreparable damage."
"Oh?"
'Pretty interesting.'
"I was lucky to be near a medical unit at the time, they stabilized me, but I was nothing but a vegetable then."
"They gave me an opportunity. And I became their lab rat…"
"Do you see this small square box below my heart? This is a medium-range Class 2 explosive that…"
But Philip immediately cut Igor short:
"Let me guess, if I kill you now, it will explode and turn everything to dust?"
The old man smiled.
"The perks of being a war veteran."
"I can just kill you from a long distance, though?"
"You're free to try it… That is, if you don't mind being chased around Brazil. I'm still a military veteran at the end of the day."
"The conditions of my death mean little. Only that you took my life… That small device on your face won't change anything."
"Hm… Would anything change if I left you alive?"
'He doesn't seem to be lying… He must be protected… Has the right connections…'
'Either way, my time's running out.'
"Ah, of course it will. After all, I have a deal."
"Say, how about we work together? You're a Merc, aren't you?"
"... Are you taking me as a hitman for hire?"
"Are you not? That type of exoskeleton isn't common in the market. It's not the mass-produced type… You have to order one, and yours seem rather customized. My question stands."
"Humph… Depends on who's asking."
"Indeed it does… As you can currently see, this beautiful country is plagued with these wrenches."
"From what I saw today, it seems our interests dont clash."
"Dont clash? What about your precious Mech down there?"
"You really think the military needs such things? I am only here to keep tabs on the illegal trade of guns in our country…" He said with a sly smile as he coughed lightly
/CRACK!/
Suddenly, Philip noticed dozens of small mechs fall through the ceiling, followed by the sound of gunshots and soldiers descending from the ceiling using ropes.
Igor put his right hand forward and said:
"I once again ask, would you like to work with me Mr. Samuel… Ah, pardon me, you aren't Samuel."
"..."
Philip was momentarily startled when he heard what the old man said, but he quickly recomposed himself.
He wasn't the only one able to use technology.
"..."
"Well, it doesn't matter who you are anyway, be it Samuel or someone else."
He put his hand forward:
"My name is Igor Monte, and I will ask again, would you like to cooperate? To some degree, we already are. Aren't you contracting with the BDA? We're allies from a certain perspective."
"You can leave too if you want. Otherwise, you are free to put a bullet in my skull, the rest is up to fate."
"Let's call it, "An unfortunate coincidence"."
"..."
'This old man… Maybe me being here wasn't necessary at all.'
'I've been wondering. How does everyone sees me? Do I look like Samuel to them, or do I look like someone else?'
'It seems my question has been answered… It was evident from the beginning.'
'I'm not the Jetstream but his descendant. I've completely taken over his identity while retaining mine.'
'It's a dangerous thing to think about… How Gamerverse can erase someone like that…'
'That aside, what did Samuel choose in this situation?... No… By now, the target would've already been dead. I spent a few extra days to get myself used to things; he would've gone straight to his throat.'
'This is a consequence of my own actions… Either way, this isn't technically bad, I wont be staying in this place for long, so I dont need to worry too much about crossing them.'
'It's clear the military runs this country, or rather, the people who own them do. It doesn't really matter who I'm working with, be it one division or another.'
'However, this doesnt mean I trust him. He could be just complying to fulfill his own goals… But on that note, aren't we all?'
"I want a guarantee."
The old man's smile deepened.
"I cant give you much, but I can give you a copy of this conversation, do you think thats enough of a card for you to have against me?"
[Files received, download them?]
'... Not yet.'
Hearing this Philip grabbed his hand, shaking it.
"Call me Philip."
"Seems we have an agreement."
/CRACK!/
A few seconds later, a few soldiers got barged insdie the room by pushing the rubble aside before saluting the old man. They did not ask anything about Philip, and instead reported what they found and their current state.
Without saying much, the old man asked for Philip to follow him towards his car where he gave him a small list of targets.
"..."
'He's fast… Technology sure is convenient.'
'In so little time, he already learned this much about me… I suppose he figured out why I'm here already.'
"The thing is, you won't be doing anything different from what you did today. Take it as an 'extension' of your contract with the BDA."
"What you're seeing is a list of high-profile criminals we track, although it also includes others we aren't exactly aware of."
"Pick whoever you want, and we'll provide the logistics. We'll take them down according to the specifications, and you'll be paid accordingly as long as you follow the requirements."
"If you can manage to go a little extra, we'll also fork in a bonus."
"This is just a preliminary list. I won't limit your freedom of movement, but the word here is cooperation. Some of the targets are within the civilian domain, and we would like to keep panic and possible casualties at a minimum."
"... What about those not on the list?"
"As I said, these are just some of the higher-profile ones. If you want to go after others, we can work things out. But it has to remain with the 'law'."
Philip grunted as he read the list.
"..."
'Most of my targets are here… It seems our goals really don't cross.'
'Well, as long as they don't get in the way, the extra money won't be too bad. As for the consequences of this relationship…'
'Who cares?'
For the remainder of their ride, Philip finished the details of his deal with the military, exiting the car soon after as he vanished into the city.
…
A few minutes later, Philip stepped inside his hotel room, taking a deep breath as he placed his items aside.
But he never let go of his sword. Not until he was completely sure of his safety.
"... Time to move."
'No matter whether I am in a relationship with them or not, it's best not to stay too long in one place.'
'Cons aside, I like this. This deal will make some things simpler for me. Be it information or movement, they'll cover those for me. I just need to get there and get the job done.'
'I just need to keep my guard up to not be double crossed. Its a usual occurrence in this world.'
"This may be different from how Samuel would've acted, but I'm not him."
'I'll do things my way.'
After a warm bath, Philip prepared for his next mission.
…
/Splatter!/
Within a large apartment overlooking the beach…
[You completed your third contract!]
[All of your Class-related skills gained an average amount of proficiency]
[...]
"Three down…"
Philip cleaned his sword as he looked down at the corpse of his third victim.
"Next."
…
/CUT!/
A blade through the chest during a bathroom break, what a terrible way to go…
[You completed your fourth contract!]
[All of your Class-related skills gained an average amount of proficiency]
[...]
"Four…"
…
/CLANG!/
/BANG!/
In a desperate attempt, a bullet was fired, but it only grazed his Exoskeleton, deflecting into the distance…
A cut on the neck, another life lost…
[You completed your seventh contract!]
[All of your Class-related skills gained an average amount of proficiency]
[...]
"Seven…"
'They've begun to react to me. Rumors have begun to spread, and the criminal organizations are starting to burrow themselves… It won't change anything.'
'If anything, it'll make things more interesting.'
/Smile…/
"Next."
…
/2 weeks later…/
"..."
'Time to end this…'
In two weeks, not much had changed. Be it his face or sword, they remained the same, if not covered in some wounds.
But if there was something to mention, it was that he changed his exoskeleton, acquiring a newer model, albeit still far from being state-of-the-art technology.
During these two weeks, Philip worked to the bone every day. Giving it his all every hunt.
Hidden drug facility? Destroyed. Cartels? Eliminated. Illegal arms dealer? Crossed. With the help of the military intelligence network, Philip quickly found his targets and exterminated them one by one.
No matter how hard they tried, the military would find them. To them, employing Philip was like winning the lottery, for he completed almost all of his missions within their parameters.
As a reward for his services, Philip changed his gear slightly. He acquired a better Exoskeleton with more features and an upgraded sword sheath for more damage and speed.
He also went after people able to enhance his sword, but with the little time he had, he didn't go through with that yet.
In the meantime, he studied and incorporated many more martial arts into his arsenal, far more than what Samuel originally incorporated. Thus, slowly, his martial arts deviated from their original goal, becoming something to fullfill Philip's own interests.
In two weeks' time, Philip rarely rested, always doing something, be it studying or training.
And his training bore fruit:
[Name: Philip Vinten
Class: Descendant of the Jetstream
Abilities:
Rodrigues Perfected Shadow Technique Lv6 (Passive)
Inhuman Martial Arts(Incomplete) Lv3 (Passive)
Steel Flash Lv4 (Active)
Bisect LvMax(15) (Passive)
Bionics Lv5 (Passive)
Electronics Lv4 (Passive)
Mechanics Lv 4 (Passive)
…
Skills:
Blade Mode LvMax (Active)
Explosive Draw LvMax (Active)
Sword Flash Lv12 (Hybrid)
Momentum Lv 9 (Hybrid)
Critical Strike Lv2 (Active)
Stealth Lv6 (Active)
Interrogation Lv3 (Active)
…
Traits:
Strengthened Body
Sword Heart
Inventory (+)
]
'... At this rate, I'll hit the wall soon.'
'As I trained and gained proficiency through the missions, it came to me that my body was limiting my own progress. It's similar to when I first began training in the Pthumerian Martial Art.'
'Because of this frail body, I can't perform effectively. Always coming short of what I can do… And even if I can, I only end up injuring myself.'
'The Exoskeleton can provide me with what I lack and the protection I need, but this isn't my strength. The original Samuel used an older model than mine but was stronger at the same time.'
'I can refine this technique further, but the System doesn't give me the time to do so. Whenever I complete a mission, it pushes me in a direction.'
'I can try to change it, but the process just repeats itself. Can I even say everything I've achieved is truly mine?'
'This is far more intrusive than what I've had till now.'
'In either case, it's barely been half a month. I have a lot of time to think this through. And even if I can't push my martial arts too far, I can still learn a lot more in the meantime.'
'From my perspective, I don't see how much else I'll be able to grow, but I've been surprised more then once.'
"Mr. Philip, weve arrived."
Philips thoughts were cut short by his driver.
He turned his head and looked at the road on the other side of the window.
A tall skyscraper gleamed in the night, golden lights shinning in the darkness, a symbol of the elite who ruled the world.
"..."
'This is where I say goodbye to Samuel's past.'
/Clack…/
The driver opened the door for him and helped him carry his giant suitcase inside.
He successfully lifted it despite its weight, showing that he must've had some sort of cybernetic enhancement.
…
The entrance of the skyscraper was as luxurious as it could be, and Philip even felt a bit out of place as he looked at the rich people around.
This excessive extravagance didn't suit his way of life, for he didn't like showing off his wealth to others.
At the very least, he didn't stand out too much…
His new Exoskeleton was relatively thin, but when it was combined with his fit body and his tuxedo, it made him look like a bodybuilder.
Ignoring the looks, Philip talked with the receptionist, where a girl led him to an elevator and to his room on the 43rd floor.
This place wasn't only a hotel but also a casino, a restaurant, and even an auction house…
No one checked his suitcase or his clothes, letting him pass through all security measures as planned.
/Clack!/
He closed the door after bidding farewell to his driver. From here on out, he was alone.
He put his suitcase on the bed and opened it, revealing several gadgets, a sword sheath, and a rifle.
"Hm… They told me to try and minimize casualties, but aside from a few injured, I don't even I ever had anyone unrelated killed for my actions."
Philip opened a small datapad and downloaded the information sent to him from the military.
A hologram rose above the table, displaying a complex diagram of the skyscraper.
"VIP room number… Okay, just a few floors above me."
His target is the one who killed Sam's father, the betrayer.
The reasons for his betrayal did not matter anymore. Philip already knew part of the reason, but the truth could only come from the man's mouth.
Samuel might've been enticed to listen but Philip only wished to put a lid on this matter for good.
"He is now relaxing in the VIP room, completely ignorant of what I did."
'After he took over the Dojo, he just used his strength to enter the criminal world and make some money, now he lives his life lavishly.'
'Had he made his wealth legally, then that wouldn't be wrong, but he forgot what kind of world he belongs to. Everyone around him is dead, and here he is enjoying life.'
'Complete and utter ignorance…'
Philip shook his head, focused on his task.
'The Class mission says that I need to eliminate him using only a sword, and that's what I will do. I have no need for anything else.'
'The hardest part is already over. Getting to his room won't be difficult at all.'
With his coat hiding his sword, Philip made his way through corridors and into the elevators leading to the VIP section of the skyscraper.
Philip was approached by a slightly fat man in a suit, his ticket to the VIP section. He'd be waiting for him.
"Ah! Glad to see you here Mr. P!"
"Let's go."
"Follow me."
…
The fat man led Philip inside the luxurious glass elevator with a gorgeous city view.
"..."
'The city at night is truly… Maravilhosa.'
Philip smiled, but it faded soon after as he cracked his neck.
"... I've been notified of a few civilians around the target. Be carefull. They're quite important."
"Noted. I suppose they're daughters of someone important, huh?"
"They… Sigh, this doesn't concern me, I'm afraid. I've only been told to try and avoid scandals. So if you can handle it cleanly… I'll be in your debt."
"Have some people around, I'll try to send anyone unrelated out if possible."
/DING!/
The fat man nodded as the elevator stopped.
"Then I wish you good luck." He said as the elevators door closed behind Philip
"... Time to shine."
…
The VIP section was as you imagined it to be. It went from the 65th to the 75th floor and included everything that could be found on the previous floors and a bit more.
That was why Philip was asked to keep things quiet, all around him were influential people and if anything happened to them, the consequences would be big!
The biggest skyscraper in one of the most influential cities of the strongest country in South America, there were too many dangerous people around.
He didn't care much about their business, however, Philip always aimed at the possibility of extra rewards…
…
"Number 061… 063… 067… Here it is, 069."
Philip looked around him and saw no one, so he put his ears on the door and tried to listen to whatever was happening inside.
/Silence…/
'No sounds? Figured, all of these rooms are soundproofed and protected from cyber attacks as well.'
/Touch…/
'The door is also very strong, it is made to resist even a small explosion… I heard it also has sensors to alert the people inside whenever someone's outside.'
'But for the sake of the mission, they were turned off momentarily…'
Having that in mind…
/Swush!/
Philip swung his sword thrice, cutting open a triangular hole on the door.
Sparks flew around but he ignored them, stepping inside the apartment…
/Bzz…/
"Haaa… Haaa…"
"..."
'Every time its one of these rich bastards… Sigh... Why are people so horny? Or is this an innate talent of Humans?'
Shaking his head in disapproval, Philip stepped further inside, almost coughing as he did so.
'What in the heavens are they smoking in here?'
Philip took a few more steps inside the large room, and he eventually arrived at the source of the sounds…
"..."
'Dammit… My dude… Calm down...'
The ground was like a minefield, littered with toys and clothes. Far more than what two people would be able to use…
Three more girls slept soundly on bed, utterly knocked out despite the banging around them.
"..."
Philip rolled his eyes in both annoyance and disgust as he walked closer and closer towards the man…
/SLAP!/
"Ahhhh!"
"You like that?"
/SLAP!/
/Moan…/
/SLAP!/
"Man, you should try harder, I can barely see a mark."
"Wha… WHO?!"
The man screamed, startled as he heard the unfamiliar male voice.
The girl, on the other hand, turned her head around as she gazed at Philip with an unpleasant look.
"..."
'What's with the look, bitch?'
The man pulled his cock out, and Philip almost laughed as he looked at it.
"Come on, bro, half of your snake is plastic."
But the guy wasn't really vibing with his jokes.
"WHO THE FUCK ARE YOU AND WHY ARE YOU HERE?!" He said as he went to the side and grabbed a gun from inside a desk, startling the girl a lot, she did not expect a gun to be so close to her all this time
The other girls also reacted a little due to the noise, but only one started to get up.
"I don't think you recognize me, but perhaps you remember this sword?"
As he said that, Philip showed him the red blade, but he did not remove it from its sheath.
"!!"
The moment he saw it, his expression twisted as he thought of the past, but he soon smiled mockingly.
"That… Ah, I see it now. How pathetic, that brat I left alive came back to bite me in the ass, huh? But... You don't look like him, so let me guess? Revenge for your master's father? Ha! How old school."
The man laughed as he moved his pistol around, thinking he was safe just because Philip was over five meters away from him.
"Man… This was fun, but being honest, you should've just stabbed me while you could and not tried being a smartass. Oh-oh!"
"That said, where is that brat, Samuel, right now? Did he hit the bucket or something?"
"..."
"You aren't a man of many words…"
/BANG!/
The man immediately pressed the trigger of his pistol, aiming towards Philips's head.
""KYAAAA!""
The loud sound startled the girls, who woke up in shock, fear, and screams.
But the most shocked one was the man with the gun.
"So? What is it? Cat got your tongue? Did you finish with your last words? I have some things to do."
Philip, with his sword now drawn, looked at the man as the fragments of the bullet he cut fell on the wall behind him.
"Are you… One of those disgusting Cyborgs?"
"Disgusting?... Says the guy with the third leg..."
"Well… I don't have much to say…"
/Step/
Philip suddenly stepped forward, closing the five-meter gap instantly, and swung his sword downwards at an incredible speed towards the man's skull.
/Fwush!/
A red flash was left behind as the sword cut through the air, slowly dissipating as time passed.
/Cling!/
Philip sheathed his sword and turned around with a smile.
The seconds passed and the girls started to calm down as they called the security, one of them looked at the frozen man and touched him in confusion.
/Splurge…/
The moment she did so, the man's body divided into two, falling into opposite directions.
…
""KYAAAAAAA!""
As he left the room, chaos ensued inside. But his attention was elsewhere:
[Disclaimer! Hidden Quest complete! Shadow of the Past!]
[You have…]
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Notes