The All-Master of Cyberpunk-Chapter 20

“Oh my god.”

The nano-machines, the catalyst for the collapse of the Daegu Green Zone, were lying dormant here. The ‘clear and present danger’ that Lee Ha-an had been desperately searching for, sent by Daejeon.

This was why they wanted to handle things quietly. They weren’t clean either. In fact, they were worse.

“Now you understand why I brought you along, right?”

“When did you figure this out?”

“I had suspected the connection between the Urban Management Bureau and the Industrial Cooperative, but it was confirmed today by Director Seo Yi-kyung’s statement.”

Even thinking logically, no matter how third-ranked the hunter guild was, they couldn’t just produce something that could threaten an entire city.

In the cyberpunk backdrop aiming for a tightly controlled society, the Daegu Industrial Cooperative’s actions were excessively conspicuous.

In other words, there had to be someone backing them.

And that was the Green Zone─ the department overseeing the city's surveillance system and overall security.

“But Do-jin, you said earlier we were supposed to 'retrieve' the items...”

“Yes, that's correct. We need to retrieve them first. Destroying the samples here won’t stop them.”

Lee Ha-an pondered for a moment and then nodded as if understanding.

“Then, while Seo Yi-kyung is off guard, we should coordinate with the new government to successfully suppress the rebel forces?”

“No.”

“What!?”

Lee Ha-an's eyes widened in surprise at my unexpected answer.

In the current situation, it seemed like a perfectly reasonable choice. Retrieve the items, and then arrest Seo Yi-kyung and key figures for conspiracy.

With both evidence and circumstantial proof in hand, there would be no escape for Seo Yi-kyung and the Industrial Cooperative's executives.

During my first playthrough of Seoul 2056, I had thought the same. The Daegu Green Zone would regain peace, and Seo Yi-kyung and the Industrial Cooperative would collapse.

But what it led to was destruction.

The seven endings of Seoul 2056 weren't always happy endings. All stories were interconnected.

Some companions would survive in one ending, while others might die or disappear depending on my choices.

There were cities that couldn’t resolve their conflicts and ended up in mutual destruction, while others overcame adversity and headed towards a bright future.

Seo Yi-kyung and the key figures of the Industrial Cooperative being taken down seemed like the right move, but it wasn’t.

The samples currently stored in the Daegu Catholic Hospital were only prototypes. The nano-machines were already developed and deployed throughout the Green Zone.

If I were to turn in Seo Yi-kyung and his group, those not caught in the new government's network would trigger all the nano-machines at once.

The Green Zone’s fall would only be accelerated.

“Ha-an, have you ever tried to get rid of cockroaches?”

“Of course! They’re disgusting, so I try not to, but…”

“Then you know this too. If a cockroach appears in a house, the house is already infested with them.”

“Ugh.”

Lee Ha-an shivered as if she imagined it.

“Squashing a few cockroaches won’t eradicate the ones nesting throughout the house. The scent of dead cockroaches might even attract more, and some might scatter and lay eggs elsewhere out of a sense of crisis.”

“So, what you're saying is…”

Wait for a reason.

Like catching a big fish, you don't reel in the line without a sure bite.

“To completely eradicate them, you need to place bait mixed with roach poison where they frequent.”

Lee Ha-an pressed her lips together. She probably had a rough idea. Seo Yi-kyung might be the biggest backer of the Industrial Cooperative, but he wasn’t the mastermind behind the anti-government terrorists.

“Gaining their trust and then wiping them out… Honestly, it's not a bad plan.”

“Acting hastily might cause them to scatter into the shadows. Otherwise…”

The branch here diverged into two paths.

Either Seo Yi-kyung escapes, or.

‘Lee Ha-an dies.’

I recalled the second playthrough ending where she disappeared without a trace.

Her last message to the player was a text saying she was going home, after which she was never heard from again.

Players speculated that she was kidnapped and buried in cement based on her last known location.

The developers seemed to have anticipated this, as exploring the nearby reservoir revealed a suspicious drum.

Whether canon or speculation, it remained true that a tragic fate awaited her. It was one of the hardest endings for me to witness.

Seo Yi-kyung is far from a good person.

R𝑒ad latest chapt𝒆rs at freewebnovёl.ƈom Only.

He represents how dangerous a powerful figure can become when they lose their humanity.

At this point, she must not provoke Seo Yi-kyung. No matter what.

After a moment of hesitation, she looked straight at me and nodded.

“Alright, I’ll trust you, Do-jin.”

“Good.”

At the end of the morgue corridor, I carefully opened the tightly sealed passage leading to the main building.

Unlike the dimly lit morgue, the underground was blindingly bright. I adjusted my grip on my gun and added.

“Stay sharp from now on.”

From here on, it was a real "secret" facility.

The interior of the facility was extremely complex. It was deliberately designed like a maze to thwart potential intruders.

Additionally, the internal defense system was meticulously constructed.

Not only were there conventional alarms and motion sensors, but 12.5mm machine gun turrets and high-temperature laser cannons that incinerated people instead of CCTV cameras.

Whether the intruder was a superpowered individual, a tech body with the most expensive upgrades, or even a high-level hunter, they would be met with non-lethal force.

It seemed to convey a deadly resolve to deal with anyone approaching the facility.

Most hunters would have given up by this point or used their abilities, alerting everyone to their presence.

But we had Lee Ha-an, the best hacker and an A-rank hunter.

“Activating augmented reality, connecting remotely to the network.”

She inserted a chipset into her neck and murmured. Soon, her eyes flickered green as she donned opaque goggles.

Implanted holographic cornea.

A tech body that any government hacker would have to connect to the system anytime, anywhere.

“Security level 2 detected, activating toolbox. Connected security devices… 282.”

Ha-an skillfully tapped the invisible keys. Though I couldn’t see it, a special keyboard only visible to hackers appeared.

“Three, two, one.”

As the countdown from her slightly parted lips ended, the turret at the corner sparked and exploded.

Zap!!

Beeep~!! Wooong-

In less than a few minutes, she had taken control of the building’s entire electronic system. An incredible hacking skill befitting an “electronic acceleration” ability user.

“All security systems are neutralized. Including the security cameras in the control room.”

“Truly amazing, Ha-an. The best ace. A hero.”

“Somehow, that compliment feels annoying.”

Lee Ha-an glared and pouted. As she reset her hacking setup and cleared the network.

“What the hell? What’s wrong with the turrets!?”

A voice echoed nearby. I signaled Ha-an to pause her work and stuck close to the wall to assess the situation.

‘Just one footstep. Is he patrolling the underground alone?’

A man with an assault rifle slung over his shoulder. Wearing a black mask over his face, he was undoubtedly a member of the Chungsa-pa who had taken over the building.

I couldn’t use the shotgun. If a gunshot echoed in the quiet research facility, the other members would rush over.

Similarly, using my shockwave ability was risky.

So, the remaining option was…

I fiddled with the army knife at my waist. Using a knife for the first time.

I had handled guns in the military, but stabbing a person required more courage than I thought.

“Was there no one assigned to this section?”

Step by step.

The low-ranking member of the Chungsa-pa slowly approached.

Ha-an was still not fully disarmed. She could use her pistol, but it would be no different from blowing his head off with a shotgun.

In the end, I drew the knife.

“Hm...?”

Gulping down my nerves, I measured the distance until the last moment.

Tat-tat-tat!

Thududududududu!

Bang! Bang!!!

“...!?”

“What the hell!!”

Loud gunfire filled the corridor.

Momentarily startled by the sudden situation, I immediately threw away the knife and raised my shotgun.

It wasn’t from our side. It was inside. Whatever was happening, now was the best time with gunfire echoing everywhere.

Without hesitation, I aimed at the back of the intruder’s head and fired.

Bang!

The slug round hit with a solid impact, and the masked man fell to the ground without a sound.

Despite wearing body armor, he was no match for the powerful level III high-penetration slug round.

“Target down!”

“What’s with all the gunfire?!”

“I suspect the police force stationed outside has begun their entry.”

I pumped the shotgun, loading a new shell. The empty casing clattered to the ground beside the motionless body of the intruder.

“Let’s move!”

With Ha-an ready, I followed the source of the gunfire to the research lab’s underground plaza. There stood a man holding a heavily armed riot police officer.

“You fucking criminal... bastard!!”

“Hey, did you ignore your superior’s orders and come in? What gave you the confidence?”

“Shut up!! I’ll kill you, I swear!!”

“Then go ahead, hahahaha!”

“Gah, Aaaaargh!!”

A snake tattoo covered his body, and his arms were ablaze with red flames.

The heat was palpable even from a distance, scorching the police officer in his grip into charcoal.

“Damn, I just wanted to scare you a bit, and you died so easily? Nowadays, the cops aren’t as resilient as they used to be.”

He tossed the burnt officer’s body to the ground, licking his lips.

‘Fire Snake Go Jin-seong.’

The leader of the Chungsa-pa and a pyrokinetic, a superpowered individual who could produce flames from his body.

He was the mastermind behind the chaos at Daegu Catholic Hospital.