WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Hydrogen B
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◈ Cyberpunk Chivalry ◈
Chapter 22: UPGRADE COMPLETE! 3
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The data pads scattered around Ash all shone green at once.
It was the signal that optimization was complete.
Ash slowly rose from his cross-legged position and pulled out the cables connected to various parts of his body.
The connection ports in his new ink-black torso clicked shut one after another.
It certainly was a state-of-the-art model.
It even had outer armor covering the connection ports. Its quality was on an entirely different level from his old torso.
"Mmm..."
The noise made the sleeping Akina stir.
She was asleep on a cot in a corner of the workshop. She had spent more than a full day and a half working on the replacements, so the work must have taken a great deal out of her.
"..."
Ash stepped down from the modification pit as quietly as possible.
Unlike his old leg, the new one kept his body perfectly balanced and steady.
He watched the sleeping Akina for a moment, then headed to the rest stop's backyard to put his body through some light movements.
Only one day remained until the date he had agreed on with Ifrit. He intended to test his new body as much as possible.
Was it the middle of the night?
Or perhaps just before dawn?
Cold air washed over his steel skin.
"How pleasant."
Apparently pleased with the cool air, Ash gave a brief murmur of appreciation. Then he drew the steel blade he always carried as though it were part of his body.
The entire motion flowed like water.
It was a strange experience, no matter how many times he went through it.
His torso and right leg had been replaced, yet nothing felt unfamiliar. It was probably the combined result of Akina's outstanding skill and the forced synchronization provided by his Neuro Mind Art.
Everything felt smooth and natural, as though this had been his body from the beginning. If anything, he felt lighter on his feet than before.
It left Ash somewhat bewildered.
He wondered whether this was how someone felt after experiencing a rebirth of bone and flesh (換骨奪胎).
It was rather funny to speak of a rebirth of bone and flesh when his body was mechanical, but was there any better way to describe how he felt?
Ash chuckled softly.
"...To be precise, I suppose it was only a partial rebirth of bone and flesh."
Holding his blade upright, he activated the Neuro Mind Art.
Lightning energy began surging through a Heavenly Circuit along his newly installed artificial neural matrix.
"Oh?"
He immediately noticed several differences.
First, sparks no longer flew from his joints. That probably meant the replacement artificial neural network was more durable.
With no electricity leaking out, his energy efficiency had improved. He also no longer felt that strange resistance whenever he drew on more power.
Second was his maximum power capacity.
His new torso served as an energy reservoir so vast that his old one could not compare.
Third, of course, was the addition of KERS.
[K.E.R.S. ACTIVATED]
[ENERGY RECOVERY READY]
The text appearing in a corner of his optical sensors announced that the KERS system was running.
This new technology constantly recovered energy in response to his every movement. It was certain to improve his endurance in battle dramatically.
His optical sensors shining, Ash began swinging his sword in earnest. Sword forms embodying Kunlun's profound mastery unfolded in his hands.
His sword flowed gracefully, then raged like a storm, its movements continuing without pause.
At times, he used the principles of Dragon Form Steps and Flying Dragon Chases Lightning to dart freely around the clearing.
The more intense his movements became, the higher the KERS system's energy recovery rate climbed.
[ENERGY RECOVERY RATE: 53%]
During his first expedition, even a single technique had caused his power reserves to plunge. Now, things were completely different.
It stirred a curious excitement within Ash.
"Excellent!"
The electronic voice that escaped him without thought expressed nothing but his honest feelings. This was a distinctly different sensation from before.
Since the moment he had awakened in a steel body, Ash had never once been free from the pressure of managing his power.
Limited energy.
It was an invisible shackle that restricted his every action.
He had needed to be careful even when performing a single sword form. A continuous sequence of Linked Sword attacks had been out of the question.
He had always been forced to prioritize maximum efficiency and minimum movement.
But now, things were different.
Abundant power and the support of the KERS system gave him a sense of freedom.
Ash adjusted his grip on his sword.
His blue-green optical sensors shone brighter than ever. Then, drawing on the principles of Flying Shadow over a Sea of Clouds, he soared high into the sky.
His tremendous leap could have carried him straight onto the rest stop's roof. This was a lightness art (輕身法) enhanced by the Neuro Mind Art, something he would never have dared attempt before.
Spiraling into the air, he twisted at the waist and swung his sword. His Gore-Tex cloak fluttered like wings as he turned.
The sword form did not end with one strike.
His body seemed to pause in midair for an instant, then three sword strikes burst forth at once.
Linked Sword traced patterns through the empty air.
The sequence of strikes was better described as a sword dance.
A humanoid performing a sword dance in a clearing in the middle of the night. The scene held too much quiet elegance to dismiss it as a mere display of skill by a cold steel body.
[ENERGY RECOVERY RATE: 82%]
The KERS system's power recovery efficiency rose sharply. He had been told that its recovery rate increased with movement, and that was clearly true.
By the time his Linked Sword sequence ended, Ash had used less than 2% of his power. Compared with his old body, it was dozens of times more efficient.
He landed on the ground.
Not a sound came from his feet.
"...Haha."
What Ash felt went beyond satisfaction into something like pure delight. A thrilling pleasure swept through him, as though he had recovered something he had lost.
Perhaps it was the feeling of his briefly forgotten instincts as a martial artist awakening.
With this much power, he felt as though he could overcome any danger he might face during the operation to retake the Nexus.
He gripped his sword firmly again, hoping to savor the feeling a little longer. At that moment, the force that had swirled around him like a storm scattered in an instant.
Something had suddenly come to mind.
The girl named Nangnang.
What had that video been?
Who was Nangnang?
How did he know her name?
And why did remembering that name make a corner of his chest feel so heavy?
Ash lowered his blade for a moment and connected to his main core system, trying to access his memory storage.
But it was no use.
The message [ERROR CODE: 88X1_FRGMNT] simply repeated. He could not even replay the video.
'How truly strange.'
Ash thought about it for a while, then shook his head. He forced himself to brush aside the thoughts passing through his main core.
Only a little over a day remained until the operation to retake the Nexus. If he became caught up in unanswered questions and failed to prepare fully, the price would be terrible.
'Everything has its priorities. For now, I must devote myself to preparing for the expedition.'
Ash tightened his grip on his steel blade again.
Then he swung it with force, as though pouring his distracting thoughts into the sword's movements and casting them away.
The midnight sword dance continued.
Little by little, the girl with the red smile faded.
* * *
They said the second time was different from the first.
The next day, Ash and Akina arrived at the central hub.
Despite the early hour, the central hub was packed with people. But unlike last time, Ash and Akina did not stop to look around.
Credits were not the only thing their first expedition as Pathfinders had given them. They had also gained experience, however limited it still was.
With fairly practiced steps, they made their way through the crowd of Pathfinders and reached the gate.
"Akina Greenwood and Ash Blade, correct?"
The Timeman's tone was as mechanical as ever.
After passing through the gate, the two headed not to the hangar where the limousines waited, but to Halloween Entertainment's dedicated pit stop.
The steadily growing thump of music suggested they were going the right way.
"Oh! There she is! Sis!"
Akina waved.
Dressed in a flashy outfit, Ifrit turned to look at them.
"Oh! You're here!"
She greeted them with hearts shining in her eyes. Dullahan, standing beside her, also gave a small wave.
[hi]
The brief greeting appeared on Dullahan's visor, then vanished.
"Wow, kid. Nice gear!"
Ifrit whistled and pointed at Akina's bulletproof chest rig.
"Of course! I'm a proper Pathfinder now!"
"Good. Very good."
Her gaze naturally shifted to Ash. Unlike Akina, his outfit was not much different from before.
A steel blade and a black exploration suit.
That was all.
"And you..."
But his torso itself had changed, so she could hardly say there was no difference.
"You really went all out with the upgrades, huh?"
"I merely made the necessary preparations."
"Just in case, if you need to charge, do it here. Don't go plugging cables into other people's bodies."
As she spoke, Ifrit knocked on the armored vehicle behind her. Bang! Bang! Apparently, that was the vehicle they would be riding in this time.
"Hey! Sis! I told you not to hit it like that! I only just got it!"
The vehicle spoke.
"Shut it and hurry up and say hello. These are the guest members coming with us this time."
At her words, the armored vehicle's rear hatch opened with a dull noise. A boy emerged from inside. He was thin and wore a leather jacket.
But something else stood out far more.
His helmet was shaped like a ripe pumpkin. Orange LEDs shone from the eyes and the strange mouth outlined on it.
"Seriously! Why do I have to say..."
The boy came out grumbling, but his gaze stopped on Akina. For a moment, he said nothing.
After that brief silence, he spoke in a low voice that did not suit him at all.
"Hey. My name's Jack O'Lantern. I'm an Assault with ROA. So, how old are you? You're really pretty. Are you an idol trainee? Got a boyfriend? If not..."
Dullahan had already moved to his side and smacked him on the back of the head. The pumpkin head rocked back and forth.
[sry this kid's kinda lost it, bear with him]
"Ow! Don't hit my head!"
Then Ifrit, who had also come over, kicked Jack O'Lantern in the shin.
"Aaagh!"
"I told you to say hello. When did I tell you to hit on her?"
"Wait! That really hurts! You hit the bone! Don't you know your body's a lethal weapon, Sis?"
"What did you just call this cute, adorable idol? A lethal weapon?"
"Adorable, my ass. You're practically a washed-up has-been by now... Aaagh! That seriously hurts!"
The beating continued for a while.
Meanwhile, Ash spoke.
At some point, he had wrapped an arm around Akina's shoulders.
"Young lady."
"Hm? Yes?"
"I think it would be best not to get too close to that pumpkin-headed young warrior."
"Why?"
"...Is this not your first time meeting him? You must never let down your guard."
"All right. But, Mister..."
"What is it?"
"What does 'hit on' mean?"
Ash did not answer.
While that brief farce unfolded, the music filling the Halloween pit stop gradually died away.
"Happy! Halloween! Attention, all idols in the pit stop!"
It was a familiar voice.
Chatterbox, Halloween Society's signature DJ.
Dullahan and Ifrit stopped beating Jack O'Lantern.
"Sanctum's greatest celebration, the one you've all been waiting and waiting for! The Halloween Festival is about to begin! Any idols planning to join should finish getting ready, right?"
As Chatterbox spoke, every screen around them switched to a flashy poster.
The words "HALLOWEEN FESTIVAL" appeared all over the pit stop. Behind them, a fast-paced montage showed the company's idols in spectacular battle scenes.
It was a sudden change, but Ash and Akina were not surprised. Ifrit had told them about it beforehand.
"We're heading out under the cover of a festival for this operation. If most of our idols suddenly deployed to the same place, the other Societies would obviously get suspicious."
Normally, the Halloween Festival was a large-scale expedition where idols gathered in a particular area to produce all kinds of content, such as Grotesque hunts, penalty missions, and snuff videos.
This expedition took advantage of that very fact.
To the other Societies, all of this would look like a festival no different from any other. In reality, however, it was a secret mass deployment to secure the Nexus Port before anyone else could. Only Halloween knew of its existence.
"All right! I'll take it that everyone's ready! All idols participating in the festival, please head to your designated locations immediately! Shall we shout it together? Happy! Halloween!"
The instant Chatterbox finished, the Pathfinders preparing in the surrounding pits let out a cheer.
Then they hurried into their respective vehicles.
The music shaking the air grew even louder, filling the area with the excitement of a festival.
Ifrit clapped her hands energetically.
"All right! Let's enjoy the festival! Time for us to get going too!"
[go go go go go go go go go]
"Let's goooo!"
"Young lady, let us go as well."
"Yes!"
Following the noisy trio, Ash and Akina climbed into the armored vehicle.
A short while later, the armored vehicle carrying the five of them left the central hub with a mighty roar of its engine.
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