54 – Recklessness (1)
“Have you put on the wrist guard?”
From Noble mtl dot com
“Yeah, got it.
… Sigh, at this rate, I might have to replace my hands with prosthetics.”
The wrist that is always targeted.
Until recently, I never thought of this place as a vulnerability.
This injury is not ideal for someone like me who always fought with a gun, keeping a distance.
“I hope Taehyuk remains in the current state.
Excessive implantation poses the risk of excessive stimulation to the brain.”
“I know that much… It’s better to finish this quickly before it happens.”
Inserting bullets into the new pistol one by one, I heard the smooth sound of the cylinder bouncing back with a flick of my finger.
Bouncing my wrist once to close it, there was still a slight lingering pain, but…
It seemed like I could endure this much.
However,
“Is it dangerous to pan like this?”
“It could cause injuries in a situation where high-power bullets are being used.”
“What if I add more wrist protection?”
“I wouldn’t recommend trying to endure recoil with just one hand.”
I was convinced that I couldn’t handle guns as skillfully as before.
Once to the enhanced human,
And once to the day.
A wrist that had been shattered twice wouldn’t easily recover in an aging body.
In my twenties, maybe, but as I entered my thirties, it was becoming increasingly difficult.
It might be even more challenging with a body filled with all kinds of drugs.
Maybe not touching narcotics was some comfort.
“This is why the name ‘gunman’ might not be fitting.”
“Didn’t Lord Taehyuk have a negative opinion about that title?”
Slightly surprised, the one looking at me blinked.
With a bitter smile, he swept his hair once and said,
“Well, yeah, but I didn’t get this gun for free.
Now that it’s like this, I should live up to the name, so more opportunities come my way.”
However, the one who had lost the smile at my words turned his eyes to my wrist.
And then, as I raised my hand –
“…Ugh?!”
A groan burst out of my mouth the moment I clenched my fist.
“It’s not recommended. I wouldn’t advise shooting in this condition.”
“Not because you gripped too hard?”
Taking a deep breath, easing the pain as I exhaled, I quickly recovered while shaking my hands with a gun in hand.
Illya just stared at me intently.
As if my words had no convincing power.
…And that reaction was correct.
Honestly, pushing myself too hard was a mistake.
“I’ll just complete today’s request and take a break for a while.
Maybe things will work out somehow after a recovery period?”
Gemini Arms was eager to release the ‘Companion Arms Black & White Edition’ according to the schedule.
Due to an unexpected injury that already cost me a week and three days, I received polite reminders to hurry up –
I needed to take on a commission somehow and splendidly introduce this weapon.
“The natural healing time for a wrist fracture is a minimum of 6 to 10 weeks.
Even though you used healing potions and had a period of concentrated healing,
if you still complain of severe pain with simple stimuli, there is no doubt that your recovery is incomplete.”
“You were the one who said it looked fine on the X-ray.”
“There are injuries that cannot be confirmed by X-rays.
It is true that many additional features are equipped,
but it doesn’t tell an absolute truth.
The human body is structurally very complex and vulnerable.”
He focused his eyes on the revolver with bullets.
Then, he lowered his head.
“No, still, I have to do it.”
It wasn’t just a matter of money.
It was a matter of the reputation as a mercenary.
There was a price attached to the gun received from the corporation.
Even though it was on the verge of falling apart due to the variable of a single day –
Still, it had to be done.
It wasn’t Gemini Arms’ fault; it was my problem.
“Taehyuk, have you ever handled the recoil of a gun with your hand -“
“If needed, I’ll use my left hand. It should be fine.
I’m just going to clean up the small-timers blowing up corporate transport vehicles on the outskirts of the city anyway.”
“Taehyuk is right-handed.
Left-handed shooting will undoubtedly be very unstable.”
“It’ll be fine,
It’ll be… fine.”
Even in a situation where even I had doubts, I pressed on with the conversation, forcing myself to lie.
“Taehyuk, the armed conflict jeopardizes your safety -“
“I’m a mercenary, Illya.
And this time, I’ve signed a contract with a corporation.”
The penalty in the contract,
my reputation,
and the goals for the future.
Although things that could only be achieved by staying alive,
I couldn’t dismiss them in this manner.
“After all, it’s dealing with novices who haven’t even gone through basic training.
I won’t recklessly charge into them.”
“…If your injuries worsen significantly, you must leave the scene immediately.”
“I will. As long as I’m with you, I believe there won’t be such a need.”
Turning his slightly aching wrist bit by bit,
he opened the door and walked out into the corridor.
Then, reaching into his pocket, he firmly grasped the morphine syringe inside.
Illya would worry, but it was something he could get through after today.
***
The road leading to the commercial zone.
It was truly fortunate that driving didn’t require the use of his wrist –
Still, if there came a need to use a gun, injecting into the thigh seemed like the right move.
As soon as Illya tightened her grip, it seemed like something was wrong, as the uneasy sensation didn’t fade.
“Taehyuk, would you mind tuning in to the radio for a moment?”
“…Bored? Wanna chat?”
Unable to initiate a conversation due to constant worry about the injury, he seemed to react similarly to me.
I burst into laughter, but he didn’t.
“It seems there has been an armed collision on the road we are currently using.
I will turn on the radio.”
“An armed collision? What does that -“
[Emergency news. There seems to be an attack by an armed group known as Nomads on a Mirsis Corporation transport vehicle on National Route 20.]
[Users of Route 20 are advised to evacuate immediately.]
Whether I should call this bad luck.
Or if, coincidentally, luck had rolled my way while I was looking for a job.
“I will display the news on the screen.”
“I don’t think I can see that. I have to focus on the front -“
“I will manipulate the system permissions.”
As multiple screens appeared, commands were rapidly entered into an empty window.
English sentences that I couldn’t understand flew by rapidly –
Soon, a news screen appeared right in front of my eyes.
“I will take over the vehicle’s driving.
Feel free to lift your hands from the steering wheel and your feet from the pedals.”
“Huh.”
The lad who synchronized himself with the house from the very first day.
Not only rewinding the holographic petals of the city market but now –
Even when I take my hands off, has it reached the point where no warning sound is heard?
“What happened?”
“Lord Taehyuk, first, it would be good to check the contents of the news.”
As soon as those words ended, a distant explosion echoed once –
Loudly reverberating through the speakers.
[Attention. It seems that the Nomads have used armored rockets on National Route 20.]
[There is a large hole in the transport vehicle, and black smoke is billowing.]
On the screen, a person sitting on the car’s window threw a launcher.
And, in the distance, faintly visible smoke began to rise.
There was no doubt that it wasn’t far away.
Mircis… the transport vehicle.
An indispensable company for me, Ilia, and Telaya.
“Let’s go.”
“Lord Taehyuk, your wrist – ?!”
I opened the cap of the syringe, hesitated for no moment, and stabbed it into my thigh.
“Ugh – “
Sharp pain, accompanied by a tingling sensation, immediately started flowing down my leg.
And then, he picked up the discarded helmet and placed it over his head.
“Taehyuk, it’s dangerous.
Among the various side effects of Morphin, there is also pupil constriction.
This can result in unforeseen disadvantages in a combat situation.”
“I guess it’s better than facing everything alone.
Taking advantage of the fact that I helped Mirsiss,
and entering in a situation that the news is already paying attention to would give us some advertising effect.
There are many benefits to gain from this situation.
Give me back the driving authority.”
He raised his left hand to the steering wheel and once again shifted his foot onto the pedal.
However, the news screen in front of his eyes remained the same –
The pedal was not pressed.
“I do not recommend it.
Engaging in combat with the hostile forces currently using heavy armor rockets in this situation is a very risky move.”
“Ilia, I don’t want to argue with you in this situation.
Just do as I say. If we handle this, I can listen to you as many times as you want.”
“I cannot agree to a decision that could seriously compromise Taehyuk’s safety.”
Although the speed of the car was not decreasing,
it didn’t seem like they were trying to close the gap with the front either.
At this rate, for sure, before any intervention could happen –
From Noble mtl dot com
” – ?! Gunfire from behind, Taehyuk!”
Bullets began to pierce the glass, and immediately, Taehyuk aimed his pistol at the window.
Trying to overtake to the left, in the passenger seat of the sand-covered car, there was someone firing a rifle –
– Tang.
He pulled the trigger, freezing them in place.
But not content with that, he pulled the trigger a few more times –
– Kki-ii-ik!
He watched as the car flipped over with the screeching sound of brakes.
Perhaps because of the morphine. Even after witnessing that scene, his hands were not trembling, and he could calmly reload the cylinder.
However, at the same time, the edges of his vision were gradually darkening.
Is it a side effect?
[Another breaking news. There are reports of additional nomads approaching on Route 20, but a vehicle seems to be blocking them.]
“I will use the heavy machine gun.”
Without giving me a chance to show the barrel outside the window again,
Illya literally tore apart those chasing with bullets that made the air heavy.
The sight of the metal cover being torn off the vehicle and immediately engulfed in flames was quite… threatening.
[Looks like mercenaries affiliated with Manticores, but they effortlessly took care of all the pursuing vehicles!]
[Indeed, I’m looking forward to who they are.]
The screen in front of me was illuminating the vehicle I was in.
It was evident from the steam rising from the cold gun barrel.
“Ilia, if you’re going to take the wheel, now would be the time to step on it.”
“…Understood. I’ll initiate combat with the Nomads.”
[Ah, at the same time, Mirsith’s transport vehicles began to slow down.]
[It seems like they won’t enter the city; could it be that mercenaries have been hired to follow us?]
Ignoring the buzzing reporter’s voice with one ear,
I gradually caught sight of Mirsith’s transport vehicles and the shabby barges and vans of the Nomads surrounding them, revealing their outlines.
“Prepare for combat.”
The injured wrist was not something to think about right now.