66 – Retaliatory Measures (1)
Opening my eyes was triggered by the vibrating sound.
But soon, the phone quieted down, and Ilia covered my warm body.
“You can go back to sleep.”
“…Who called?”
“No need to worry. It’s not an important call to disrupt your rest.”
Feels like sleeping with a warm heating pad.
It’s as big as my body, gently nestled between my arms and legs, caressing my back with a pleasant sensation…
In an instant, my eyes closed again, and my mind was painted in black –
Thud, thud, thud.
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I opened my eyes.
A call, this time followed by a rough knock.
What on earth is going on?
“Is Taehyuk inside? Came out from Manticore Mercenary!”
Ah, is it Tanaka Haru’s issue?
The CCTV caught Gemini Arms sensing the noise and promptly submitted it, which Manticore reviewed and disciplined after confirmation.
I heard there was nothing more for me to do separately, so why have they come again?
If it’s a call from Manticore, are they trying to deceive me?
“Do not react.”
My attempting body was seized and pinned down.
A finger placed on my lips.
And Ilia, pulling out a gun, looking at me with blue eyes.
…Why?
I tried to reach out to stop her, but Ilia, who started to press my lips, only added more weight.
Unable to make a sound.
“Ugh, ugh…!”
“Aren’t you inside, Mr. Taehyuk!”
Thud, thud, thud.
Despite the continued pounding on the door, Ilia didn’t let me go.
For someone like me, unable to move my legs, the only things the bastard could subdue were my mouth and left hand.
Whether they are trying to keep me restrained for treatment,
Or like shooting Tanaka Haru, trying to monopolize out of jealousy.
If it’s neither of those, then maybe there’s another puppeteer at play…
Thud.
I tightly shut my eyes at the door that was struck so hard it made the house tremble.
…Even if I didn’t react, what in the world could they be hitting the door so forcefully for?
When the sound ceased, Ilyria finally lifted the body that had pressed me.
“Ilyria, what’s happening right now…”
“You need to lower your voice. We must not be heard at home.”
“They mentioned something about a Manticoar, and they came because of Tanaka Haru’s incident—”
“Personnel armed with external cameras have been captured. Nomad-owned vehicles are visible in the parking lot.”
At those words, the emotions that had been simmering momentarily spiked and then extinguished, as if someone had pressed a switch. Like turning off the lights in the room, just like that.
Click.
The sound came from my throat.
The device that had deprived me of my freedom was once again placed in Ilyria’s hands.
“Would you like to move your toes slowly?”
“…Move. It’s a bit awkward.”
“I’ll lead you to the room with the equipment. You have to come with me.”
How did the Nomads find my home? Was I being followed? Since when?
There was no reason for them not to hold a grudge. But… coming so blatantly like this?
“Help me up.”
“Yes.”
I naturally leaned against the creature that enveloped my body as if pulling me in.
The suspicion in my mind disappeared as if it had never existed.
Perhaps it was because it wasn’t human legs. Even though I hadn’t used them for a few days, I felt awkwardly skilled at maintaining balance.
And it was when something stuck to the door with a loud thud that it started moving quickly.
“An adhesive explosive?”
“I don’t know. We need to quickly prepare for combat.”
Throwing away the armrest, it handed me a bulletproof vest,
It loaded a magazine into the automatic pistol instead of the revolver, pulled the slide back –
“I believe you know why I don’t recommend using a revolver.”
“If you have time to say that, get ready.”
I immediately caught what it handed me and put it in front of the bulletproof vest, tightening the belt.
It’s a pretty thick iron door, so it probably won’t explode with just any explosive, but still, I can’t be too confident.
Handing a helmet to Iria, when I was about to put on my own, struggling to cover it with the hand in a cast.
– Kiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing…
The smell, even stronger than the iron that can be called steel and the food cooked on it, slowly seeped into the house.
…Thermite.
The powder charge that was once used to destroy artillery.
The powder used to break through steel doors.
And now, a weapon that has become so common that intruders trying to enter my house can easily obtain it.
– Pssssh.
Taking a deep breath, Iria immediately picked up her shield and shotgun.
Then she entered the opposite room, lowering her body and gesturing for me to crouch.
She closed her mouth and held her breath.
As I leaned against the door, I lowered the volume to the minimum…
– Bang.
With the sound of explosives ringing in my ears, footsteps began to fill the house.
I took pride in keeping the house clean. I should probably apologize to the landlord.
“Where the hell did this bastard go? Huh, did he run away scared?”
“Brother, if he’s not home, you said we could just complain. There’s no need to go this far -“
“Do you think you look calm after seeing my juniors getting beaten up? Come in and search too!”
Who was the one who blocked the car first?
Who came to the city and started a fight?
And who shot rockets at the beaten-up truck?
“Did you at least fool around with that robot you brought with you? Why is the bed so big?”
“No, brother, it would be really good to just leave.
The opponent is a somewhat famous gunman in Incheon -“
“A gunman? Are you kidding me with that cowboy bastard? Have you been puking since earlier when I started talking?
Did you get scared? Did you?”
I wonder if she really has no thoughts.
I’ve never really thought about why my home was always safe, despite my mercenary work.
It was absurd, and all that came out were hollow laughs.
Seeing things escalate like this, it seemed like a whole corporation might be on the move.
Could it be that mercenaries are gathering in one place again after such a long time?
“…Sorry.”
“You idiot, why the hell are you flinching in fear from a guy who broke his wrist installing a revolver?
And if you’re walking around with a robot like that, you must have a lot of money. Probably even have stuff at home.
At times like this, if you firmly secure your share, it’ll help in your daily life later. Got it?”
“Yes, understood.”
Ah, how am I going to explain this to the landlord?
If I do this, more money will be spent, then how am I going to handle work?
…I hoped I could quit by next year, but do I have to go through this again?
What about Illya? Should I just let her be while I’m doing this?
She’s upset because I injured my wrist.
If I get hit by a gun one more time, the chips might paralyze my limbs.
“The house is quiet. It’s empty. Come in, come in.
You scaredy-cat, don’t come in. Stand there and guard outside.
Stupid, ugh.”
Oh my goodness, my head hurts.
It’s infuriating to breathe in this bad air.
Stepping into my house as they pleased.
And, spouting nonsense as they pleased.
My patience was wearing thin, as if my tongue had not just licked a dishcloth but was scraping off one’s temperament.
Thinking like that, I felt like I hadn’t dealt with cultured people in my transactions. I regretted dealing with those so-called cultured corporate folks.
“What’s all this emptiness? There’s nothing even in the kitchen.”
“I’m looking for something. This guy here, he’s really gone and tangled up with a robot or something.”
“Isn’t that a condom?”
Is this what happens when you put the sleeping room close to the entrance?
Despite my gritted teeth, I calmly raised my hand to the trigger and sealed my lips shut.
The chance to untangle the bubbling mess inside will come in a fleeting moment.
“No backbone. Killing as soon as you see it, grabbing the waist of a scrap fighting alongside you, when’s the last time?
Hey, if rumors spread that the gunslinger guy was a machine geek, it would be damn hilarious, wouldn’t it?”
Only my comrades called me that.
Those who didn’t know their place didn’t utter words beyond their lips.
But they better not come any closer.
So that I can precisely –
– Bang.
Flames erupted from Ilya’s gun right in front of me.
The gunpowder inside the ammunition turned into flames,
And the iron stake, designed to pierce armor, effortlessly blew away the human body.
– Boom.
Another shot pierced the chest of a man who had just walked out of the kitchen.
As he fell, his collapsing body seemed to have no strength left.
– Boom Boom.
The ‘hyungnim,’ with unruly facial hair, who had been loudly arguing in someone else’s house, had his legs shattered in an instant.
The blood spurting from his knees and the screams escaping from his mouth mixed with the groans of those already fallen… It could almost be described as a chorus.
Without even thinking about picking up the dropped gun, the sight of grabbing the severed leg and crying loudly was truly worth seeing.
“Hyungnim, what’s happening?!”
It seemed cautious, indeed.
The ‘scaredy-cat’ who was guarding outside, still bravely entered the house.
– Bang.
– Boom.
Although aiming with the left hand was still unfamiliar…
The marks, like scattering tomato cans on the wall, clearly indicated that he was definitely dead.
It seemed as if only a straight line drawn along the falling body was painted with a brush.
There were about four people who entered the house.
How many had infiltrated the apartment, before this guy died –
– Thud, Boom, Boom, Boom – Clang…
The man, with his mouth wide open, abruptly turned into a lump of flesh as he wailed.
The magazine was empty, but Illya’s trigger continued to click.
“No, no, if we kill him, the interrogation…”
“Having aimed at both legs, he wouldn’t have bled excessively.”
The empty magazine fell to the ground, and a new one was loaded.
The guy, who casually pushed the sticky flesh with his foot, glanced around for a moment—
Soon, he carefully picked up the blood-covered wrapping paper.
“What are you going to do with that?”
Traces washing away in the water.
Wiped with a towel, once again, the surface gleamed.
He put it in his pocket, shouldered the gun once more, and picked up the shield, heading towards the entrance.
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“We’ll move.”
“…Sure.”
He seemed quite angry.