Internet Surveillance.

John didn't know why they targeted him, but with a rogue AI still connected to his mind and hovercar blockades, it was all too normal.

[Scan detected, cybernetic eye reboot: 12%]

[Prosthetic body overheating: 17%]

[Signal decryption: 14%]

...

A series of hacking messages popped up, with red windows piling up and blurring the view, even if waving it away could hide them, there remained a buzzing noise and countless mosaics.

This is the style of Internet Surveillance.

Their first wave of attack is never the bullet but first closing doors, then making you blind and deaf.

Kenchiri Sora struck earlier than Black Light.

John didn't have high-grade Network Access Vault, couldn't see the fight in cyberspace, only knew the hacking programs before him were terminated, restoring a clear view.

[Device terminal, protocol 25...]

John had access to the apartment system.

Though most of the facilities were melted by Internet Surveillance, there was still a little room for operation left.

Whoosh——!

Fire sprinklers burst open.

The Dan Street luxury apartment pipes had ample pressure, with high-pressure mist and flame retardant foam instantly covering the apartment.

Crackling, boom.

The floor-to-ceiling windows shattered completely, alloy frames and broken glass flew, pushed away by the approaching hovercar, scanning grids covered the area globally, casting holographic projections on the operation site of the agent's landing.

Four members of the field team jumped down from the hovercar.

Their helmets resembled the multiple eyes of SAT (Special Event Handling Action Team), equipped with the latest version 5 network access pod, directly connected to the V9 hovercar and central processor behind them, boasting theoretically the fastest hacking speed and spread range in the city.

Moreover, they had a deep diving agent in cyberspace for support.

They possessed a large amount of attack-type Black Ice Program.

The standard kit for Internet Surveillance was smart rifles, a model absolutely not available on the market, and the bullets were specially made.

Six people formed a formation, began searching for the target.

Pairs of grey-black military boots moved forward at a uniform pace.

They tread over the debris, grinding the glass with a crunch.

Every arm bore a mark of Internet Surveillance, appearing extremely solemn under the sprinkling water.

The projection with warnings and search terms was disturbed.

[John Chavez, you've been detected engaging in a high-risk unauthorized digital soul symbiosis, immediately disarm and submit to a security scan...]

The broadcast voice from the hovercar.

Cold as machinery.

The hacking attack from Internet Surveillance continued.

They employed contactless attacks by deploying Magic Puppets, using standalone programs to invade the prosthetic body without deep linkage, nor did they linger in cyberspace.

This learned from the lesson of previous hunts for John, also a clear notification—the operation was commanded by the State Police!

[Target acquired!]

Internet Surveillance agents synchronized with the enemy signal.

Boom!

The sniper rifle on the hovercar fired first.

High penetration bullet pierced the wall, breaking through the soft alloy layer and radiation insulation layer in the workspace, blasting a fist-sized hole.

Smoke and dust churned.

John charged out from behind cover.

Sianweistan operated at high frequency.

He crashed like a cannonball into the foremost agent, knees clamping onto the opponent's head, taking him down while rushing the rifle in his hands towards the enemy behind him.

Original factory depleted uranium bullets, the sound was exceptionally pleasing.

Triangular Maple's gun chamber emitted a delightful hum.

Internet Surveillance troops weren't like street thugs, no shouting, not even position communication, their shooting speed wasn't delayed by the death of teammates.

The room was instantly covered by a barrage.

The injured fell to the ground.

The remaining agents opened fire while pulling away, activating the intelligent firearm's "tracking mode", calibrating the trajectory according to John's Sianweistan.

The hovercar outside began to rage.

Two Z9 fully automated turrets fired at full power, with a bullet consumption rate of eight hundred shots per minute, pounding the sofa, bar, stairs, remaining windows, floor walls in the apartment...

Everything shattered miserably.

In the world of suspended time.

Bullets crossed around John, density too high, his body also got grazed several times, subcutaneous armor damaged, just a few seconds were needed for Internet Surveillance programs to calculate his Sianweistan multiplier, then he'd be riddled like a beehive.

The Internet Surveillance system synchronized the agents, so the automated turret bullets avoided the agents in pursuit.

John used the enemy's body to both dodge and exit his apartment.

Dan Street 013 apartment was leased floor by floor.

Each floor only had one residence, there was only one passage for going up and down—a direct elevator.

John fired while airborne, slid out of his room with his back on the ground, already switching to a submachine gun, and as the slide ended, two magazines were just emptied.

The room was completely destroyed.

If the Black Gold Gang were to choose the worst tenant of the year, John would definitely top the list.

John fled from the room.

The hovercar lost angle, ceased firing, began deploying the next batch of field agents, then climbed higher, turning to another side of the building.

John searched for an escape route in the corridor.

The elevator system was melted.

The stairway was again filled with footsteps.

Click, clack, clack clack!

John retracted the gun, first smashed the panel, then turned to slam the elevator door, creating a gap that could fit a hand.

Igdrasir burst with full power, at maximum output forcefully widened the gap, pried open the elevator door.

Whoosh~

Wind blew up from the elevator shaft.

Two rows of yellow emergency lights lit up.

Beep——

Lights switched to red.

Boom!!

The elevator car originally suspended atop the building, was controlled by Internet Surveillance, directly crashing from midair, sparks accompanied by sharp friction sounds swept past John.

A steel mass roared past him.