WeTried Translations
Translator/Editor: Mordor
Discord: https://dsc.gg/wetried
◈ The Max-Level Swordsman of Fusionpunk ◈
Chapter 11
──────
[Really, really♡?]
[You were going to contact me♡?]
[That makes me so happy♡♡♡♡♡♡]
Messages streamed across the terminal.
Kang Doseok stopped walking.
The rain kept falling. At the end of the alley, a neon sign blurred and shimmered through the rain. Kang Doseok looked down at the screen for a moment before speaking.
“Did you mess with my terminal?”
After a brief silence, a reply appeared.
[To a netrunner like me, a terminal is just like any whore on the street. I can flip it over and spread it open, or shove whatever I want inside. Anyway, I can do anything I like with it. Why wouldn’t I touch it?]
“......”
Kang Doseok almost clicked his tongue in disbelief. He didn’t actually do it, though. Looking down at the terminal, he spoke briefly.
“You dug into Kim Hanrim’s background.”
[Huh? Did you just ignore what I said?]
“Just answer the question.”
[You’re seriously no fun.]
Kang Doseok said nothing and stared at the terminal’s camera lens. Another message appeared.
[Yeah. I did.]
A call tone followed the message.
Amy’s voice came through before Kang Doseok could even answer.
[Kim Hanrim. Unaffiliated player. Main weapon, an anti-materiel sniper rifle. Secondary weapons, explosives. You just got firsthand experience with those yourself.]
“Get to the point.”
[Cheongmyeong funded it.]
Kang Doseok slowed his steps.
[They didn’t send the money straight to Kim Hanrim. It went through a shell company first. Then it passed through the account of a medical foundation that had shut down. After that, it split into several streams and went into all kinds of accounts under borrowed names. Once the laundering was done, it landed in the account of the ammunition dealer Kim Hanrim used. On paper, it was payment for weapons. In reality, those relics were payment for Kim Hanrim.]
Amy continued.
[I confirmed that the money came from Cheongmyeong. Even accounts under borrowed names leave traces of whoever manages them. The identities used to open them, security key renewal records, access locations, approval logs attached to every withdrawal. The same people managed all of it.]
Files streamed across the terminal.
A list of accounts.
Deposit histories.
Access records.
Security key renewal times.
Work orders from the Cheongmyeong guild’s internal network.
Conversation logs between players.
Even when and how approvals and sign-offs had been made.
The files were more detailed than he’d expected. They were neatly organized enough for him to see at a glance who in Cheongmyeong had given the orders, who had approved them, and which channels had carried the relics to Kim Hanrim.
“Was Cheongmyeong also the one who gave Kim Hanrim my location?”
[That’s right.]
New files appeared.
Access records for the high-rise surveillance network around his penthouse. Records of access to the exterior cameras on Kang Doseok’s floor.
[That’s how Kim Hanrim found your penthouse in the first place. They broke into the surveillance network, hacked the cameras on the outside walls, and mapped out your entire routine. I attached those files too, so take a look.]
Messages kept appearing as Amy continued.
[So, to sum it up, Cheongmyeong hired Kim Hanrim.]
[They passed along your location.]
[And they tried to have you killed before the contamination storm arrived. That’s what happened.]
Kang Doseok slowly scanned the screen.
There was a lot of information.
But the point was simple.
The Cheongmyeong guild had messed with him.
[Now, then.]
Excitement returned to Amy’s voice.
[If you want, I can dig up everything. From the servers their shell companies use to Cheongmyeong’s internal network. Security weaknesses, money trails, access records, contract ledgers, surveillance permissions, internal communication logs. I can scrape it all.]
“......”
[What do you want me to do? Open the door right now? Or drain their accounts first? I could crash the shell company’s servers and cut off their funding. I could brick every terminal those Cheongmyeong bastards use. If you want, I could even flood their internal chat rooms with porn ads. What’ll it be?]
Kang Doseok looked at the terminal for a moment.
“In short, you’re a very skilled netrunner.”
[You could say that.]
“Good. Let’s see what you can do.”
[Just leave it to me♡]
“Find a window repair service.”
Kang Doseok’s terminal went quiet for a moment.
On the other end, Amy seemed to have stopped breathing.
[...What?]
“Kim Hanrim shot out my windows. The contamination storm will arrive in a few hours, and I don’t want my home getting dirty.”
[...That’s all you want? That stupid little job?]
“Yes.”
[No, listen. I’ve already cracked Cheongmyeong wide open, and I can get even more! I can open their security network, empty their accounts, steal their internal files. Come on, you need to see what I can actually do!]
“Finding a window repair service will be enough. Someone who can get there before the contamination storm. They need to be able to repair blast-resistant windows in a high-rise, and the price has to be reasonable. Choose a company, compare prices, and send someone to my home. You can figure out the front door code yourself, I assume.”
[Hey. Are you actually insane?]
“End the call.”
Kang Doseok moved to put his terminal away.
Messages flooded across the screen at a frantic pace.
[You’regivingmethispatheticlittlejob?Ican’tbelievethisDon’tyouknowwhoIam?I’mAmythenetrunnerAnetrunnerIcancrackcorporatesecuritynetworksopenfrozenaccountsdisablesurveillancenetworksIcandoitall.......]
Kang Doseok tucked the terminal inside his coat. Then he organized what he’d just seen in his head.
The Cheongmyeong guild.
A shell company.
A medical foundation that had shut down.
Accounts under borrowed names.
The relics that had flowed to Kim Hanrim.
And surveillance network access records showing searches for his penthouse’s location.
There was a lot of information, but only one conclusion.
The Cheongmyeong guild had messed with him.
They had provided money, handed over his location, and given specific orders to kill him before the contamination storm arrived.
That left only one thing to do.
Pay them back.
In the world of players, he couldn’t afford to be taken lightly. If someone messed with him once and got no response, why wouldn’t they do it a second or third time?
But acting right away would be an amateur’s move.
Of course, Kang Doseok could storm Cheongmyeong’s headquarters with a single sword.
He could probably kill fifty players. With some luck, he might kill even more. He could paint the corridors, offices, and meeting rooms with blood and make them pay dearly for messing with him.
But that would be venting his anger, not revenge. Cheongmyeong wasn’t just a gathering of players. It was a guild. A first-generation guild, at that. That meant it had already become deeply rooted in Netron City.
It had connections to the city government and affiliated businesses under its control.
Shell companies that moved its money, subcontractors that supplied equipment, gangs that cleaned up after it. Its reach probably extended into surveillance networks, accounts, and logistics networks across the city too.
It wasn’t an organization he could finish off by cutting down a few players.
Painting one headquarters building with blood wouldn’t change that.
If he stormed the place without warning, Netron City would probably issue something close to a kill order against him.
He wasn’t an idiot. If he acted now, Cheongmyeong would play the victim. There was no reason to move when he could already see that coming.
If he was going to strike, he had to do it properly.
At a moment when Cheongmyeong couldn’t dodge.
When they had no choice but to expose themselves.
That was when he had to cut off their heads.
And fortunately, Shabel’s Storm would soon arrive.
Once Shabel’s Storm passed, the players would be drawn into a new contest anyway. A laboratory buried beneath the sand, belonging to a corporation that no longer existed, would be revealed.
Almost every player in Netron City would make a move. Cheongmyeong would be no exception.
That would be his chance.
With that in mind, Kang Doseok organized his thoughts as he walked through the rain.
First.
Fix the windows.
Second.
Wait for the storm to pass.
Third.
Once Shabel’s Storm passed and the game began, strike Cheongmyeong.
Then he could hit Cheongmyeong where it hurt most. That was Kang Doseok’s conclusion.
“That leaves me with some time to spare.”
He didn’t need to stay home while the windows were being repaired. There was no reason to stand there watching workers come in, bring in their equipment, clear away the broken glass, and fit new blast-resistant windows.
He could just book a hotel somewhere until the contamination storm passed.
Just as he thought that, the terminal inside his coat rang again.
It wasn’t Amy. The caller was Selna.
Kang Doseok looked down at the screen for a moment, then answered.
[Kang Doseok.]
The voice had changed.
It was no longer the mechanical sound that had come through a speaker before.
It was low and deep. He could hear breathing between the words. It was a real human voice, resonating in a throat.
Kang Doseok spoke.
“Your voice has changed.”
[I got a body.]
At the same time, Selna appeared on Kang Doseok’s screen. A huge figure sat there.
Broad shoulders. A thick neck. A heavily fleshed jaw. His enormous build made him look ready to enter a sumo tournament. Kang Doseok watched the screen for a moment, then chuckled.
“So your days as a brain in a vat are over?”
[Yeah. This is an expensive body. Now that I’ve got a body and killed that mother of mine who was such a thorn in my side, I can start putting my plans into motion, one at a time. I owe a lot of that to you, Kang Doseok.]
“I got paid, so keep the thanks. Get to the point. Why did you call?”
[Straight to business? Fine.]
Selna got right to it.
[While I was without a body, some of my gambling houses fell into my subordinates’ hands.]
“That’s common enough.”
[Yeah. When a leader falters, it’s very common for the people below them to try to break away. Losing your body and getting stuffed into a vat isn’t exactly common, but... Anyway, having my businesses stolen right in front of me is fucking infuriating.]
Selna’s voice grew lower.
[Those bastards used to work for me. The moment I got stuck in that tank, they switched masters. They stole the ledgers, won over the staff, and replaced the signs on gambling houses that bore my name. I told them I had a body again, but they seem to think I won’t be able to make a comeback.]
“So?”
[I’ll send you the location. Kill every employee in that gambling house. It’s called Black Table. Everyone working inside is a traitor.]
“Kill them all?”
[Yes. As brutally as possible. Kill every last one. Make sure everyone else knows I sent you. Don’t leave a single one alive. The manager, the dealers, the guards, even the bastards who handle the books. Slit all their throats. Every bastard working in there took my money and pretended they owed me nothing.]
Kang Doseok looked down at the terminal’s screen.
The location arrived immediately.
12th Street, Sector F.
“I should be able to handle it before the storm arrives. Are they open now?”
Selna smirked on the screen at Kang Doseok’s question.
[People who run gambling houses don’t care about storms.]
Selna spoke with a sneer.
[Black Table is underground anyway. It has blast doors, air purification systems, and its own emergency power. Whatever the fuck happens outside, people inside can drink, gamble, and play around with women. They actually make more on days like this. Anyone who goes in before the storm can’t leave.]
“I see. They won’t be able to run anywhere, so that should make the job easy.”
[A swordsman of your caliber should be able to finish before the storm arrives, shouldn’t you? I’ll send the advance.]
As Selna spoke, the terminal vibrated. A message appeared confirming that the advance payment had arrived.
Kang Doseok checked the deposit.
It was a substantial sum. Generous pay for clearing out a single gambling house.
[I didn’t just pay you to kill a few people. That includes the price of spreading the word that I’m back in business. That should satisfy you, Kang Doseok.]
“It’s enough. I’ve confirmed the advance.”
[I’ll send the rest as soon as the job is done.]
“Good. I’ll start now.”
Kang Doseok put his terminal away and approached the sedan.
Long trails of rainwater ran down its black body. The low rumble of its engine scraped along the alley floor.
Soon, the sedan slipped away into the rain blurred with neon light.
* * *
12th Street, Sector F.
A black building stood in the middle of the rain-soaked street. Glossy reinforced glass covered its outer walls, and an enormous sign flashed above the entrance.
BLACK TABLE.
Gold letters shone against a black background.
Kang Doseok stopped the car in front of it.
The black sedan’s door opened, and Kang Doseok stepped out in his wet coat.
A guard by the entrance saw him and approached.
The guard was big. Cybernetic prosthetic connections were exposed at the neck, and the grip of a pistol showed inside the suit.
“You a customer?”
Kang Doseok glanced up at the sign above the building. Then he looked at the guard’s face.
“Selna sent me.”
The guard’s expression stiffened.
A sneer soon replaced it.
“Selna? That washed-up fuck?”
The guard beside them laughed.
“That bastard’s still alive?”
“He’s alive. He has a body again too.”
As Kang Doseok answered, he reached for his waist. Shing. The guard’s eyes widened at the sight of the blade sliding halfway out.
“...Fuck. What the hell are you? Where did a dumbass like you crawl out of, waving a sword around? Why are you here?”
“To take home a big haul from the casino. Why else?”
“You dumbass... Take home what?”
At the guard’s question, Kang Doseok drew his sword all the way.
“Your head.”
Shhk!
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