A Meeting With An Augmented

There are days where I thought to myself that following the Solomons means that I could get rich. My quick rise among their rankings. Their awful 'trust' that they have started to place on me was nauseating. Trust means that they rely on me and slowly I was becoming their errand boy who'd drive or fly for them. Their intentions made me feel like they were scheming something.

I brought out my status:

[ Name: Nikolai Orlov ]

[ Health: 1000 ]

[ Armor: 100 ]

[ Wanted Level: 0 ]

[ Reputation: Trusted Associate]

[Status: Troubled]

[Money: $25300 ]

[Title: Deadeye]

[Special: Bullet Time+ ]

[Strength: Peak Human+]

[Stamina: Ninja+]

[Fighting: Boogeyman+]

[Stealth: Ghost+]

[Driving/Flying: Getaway Master+]

It looks like there was an increase in my status. My health has also returned to the peak and was no longer stuck on the threshold of a hundred. The bullet that almost killed me that day no longer affected me.

Not to mention that with my regeneration factor finally somewhat kicking in. It made me realize how many parts of my powers, just like the radar, only started to appear. I thought of the other perks that I have and wondered if it was all activated. All of them were based on combat, stealth, and deception. The plus sign on the skills was the sign that they were activated now.

Truthfully the only reason that I was able to do such a thing in Madam Roxi's place was because I felt the activation of my perks. It also means that I've nothing else to add to my skills other than enchanting what I already have.

I could counter and outgun anyone with my combat master perk. I could probably do more because of how my peak human strength got augmented alongside my stealth, knowledge, and my ability to drive anything.

Does that make me invincible? No, even in the open-world game that I know, it is hard to survive anything when you are targeted by folks who are stronger than you. Machines that could destroy you without you knowing. Bloody things have a railgun on their forearms. It made me almost forget how this world wasn't so simple. These families are not more than pieces in the gameboard. If anything, Pacifica City was nothing more than a starting point to this world.

Rich Families that lord over Corporations that produce mechanized combat units. Augmented humans that could match me in strength. They didn't play on these grounds because it was not in their interest. Their world was different and if anything stepping on their toes, being chased by folks who could wield swords and bows in this age made me want to fucking puke.

Fighting them is hard. It reminded me of that Enforcer who chased us during that drug deal. Each hit cost me a lot of hit points. I don't know what I'll do if I meet someone who is faster and more durable than that Enforcer.

No, I have to be sure of my safety. So with that in mind I traveled to one of the old units in High Garden. It was closed off because of health reasons, and if I remember correctly there should be a gun that would prove to be cost-effective for me. I clambered up the tower, ran on the walls, and cat leaped on the edges with gusto. After climbing for almost five minutes, I reached the top of the building.

There were security systems installed. But with perks being active and my tech-savvy skill giving me an idea how to crack the system -- which was honestly just injecting a pre-programmed cracker. My phone could do it easily since the phones of this world have fast processors and huge enough RAMS to do the job. I could go on with the specifics, but I have a job to do and that was to take the goddamn pistol.

I found the damn thing in one of the compartments. It had a microfusion pack installed on it so even if I shoot a damn thing. It'll provide a gunshot-like effect but an energy bullet is fired instead of lead.

"Morgan's Nine-shooter," I said to myself. I could fire nine shots and then switched to a grape shot. It was like a LeMat Revolver but instead of the cylinder containing bullets. It contained the microfusion generator.

I unequipped my Morgan and was about to get out when I saw a person wielding a long sleek sword without a hilt. Her hair was black and her bangs covered her forehead. It had grown past her thighs. She has Green eyes. Her right eye was covered in this mechanical eyepatch that was probably scanning me. She wore a red jacket with a black dress shirt that barely could contain her chest if it was not for the leather strap just above her chest. Her bodacious thighs covered in black stockings paired by a black pencil skirt that should have made it troublesome for her to move. I know too well who this woman was.

She screamed danger despite her somewhat difficult set of clothing. If anything she was among the many folks that shouldn't be here. No, if anything, Morgan's N9 wasn't the problem. It was the owner of the building and the faction that it belongs to who is the problem.

Kim Jisoo was a troublesome woman with little interest. She wasn't the one to talk or to be easily persuaded. This undefeatable woman of black steel was now staring me down. Talk was useless in front of someone like her. Talking was nothing more than a way to stall time and she was all-business. This loveless woman who deals in killings was someone who I rather not mess with. But shit's she so beautiful that I couldn't' take my eyes off her for a moment.

I equipped my hook-bracer secretly while staring her down.

"Hey, pretty lady, would you mind letting me go? Would you believe me if I told you that I was just a traceur who found himself in this building? I really am just looking for content for my videos."

"Oh? Link me then."

She smiled sweetly. I was about to reply when my consciousness was thrown outside of my body and I switched to third-person.

Fuck she's so unforgiving.

***

Jisoo wanted it to be done immediately. She needed to watch her shows and this bastard was interrupting her. Kill him and be done with it.

"Wow, you're good at the sword. But why the sword?"

She looked down. The man bent his waist to avoid her thrust. He rolled on his back before taking a fighting position. There was no emotion in his voice yet she felt like she was being teased. She didn't understand why. Usually they would find her disgusting because of her curse-like aura… but it seems this man didn't care? No, how he dodged her thrust was something she couldn't explain.

"How did you do that?"

"My senses were tingling?"

She frowned. She held her sword with both hands. She swung her sword again, but this time she made a feint. The man dodged her fake slash and then narrowly avoided her strike.

"Whoa, you should really not do that. Look, I really am lost so please forgive me? You're a pretty person so pretty people should be nice okay?"

"What are you on about? Also, you violated the security system. It triggered an alarm and I was told to come here. This is a restricted area. No one should even know this place exists and you tell me that you just came and then broke the security system?"

He looked around the place.

"To be fair this shit is a dump. Are you sure that this isn't a problem?"

"A cracking software was used. I wouldn't mind inspecting any devices in your pockets."

"Okay, pat me down, I ain't hiding any--"

Kim Jisoo strokes her blade once more. He dodged it again. He looked at her and then frowned forcibly as if he was bullied.

"What the hell!? I thought you were checking out my device!?."

"I have enough of this farce."

She attacked. Her thrusts were fast and deceptive. Nonetheless her opponent was dodging her blows and palming the flat of her blade. She felt vexed but at the same time excited by this. It has been a long time since she found an opponent who could match her!

Thinking like that she drew her blade. It was a faster sword strike that made a shockwave. The man drew what seems to be a hooked cable from his left bracer and then parried her blow with it.

"Damn, you really are trying to kill me!"

"Hmm, who do you work for? Which corporation?"

"No one!?"

"Nonsense."

She continued attacking. The man in front of her countered her attacks and as they exchanged blows he started to return some blows as well. She examined her sword. She couldn't believe that her sword was ringing when he punched out. She had already scanned him thoroughly and she did not detect any augments. Does this mean that this was his natural strength?

"You could have hurt me by now."

"I do. But you're so pretty. It feels like I'm disgracing you by trying to punch you!"

"I'm going to kill you."

"But why? I usually don't say shit like these, but believe me when I say that you are very pretty!"

"Are you blind!?"

"Are you, Madam?"

Kim Jisoo had enough of this nonsense. She struck her blade once. Removing a slice of the concrete floor. She struck her blade again. This time slashing some of the walls. Her blade was fast and elegant. It was a high frequency blade gifted to her by her workplace. She couldn't believe that it would be easily shrugged.

Nonetheless the man before her was unscathed. If anything the solidified cable sticking out of his forearm was unscratched by her blade. She was sure that it would at least break it. But it seems like she had wrongly misjudged the strength of his equipment. How could have the cheeks to say that he got lost here?

"Tell me. I might spare you if you tell me the truth."

"I think you're lying. I mean, Miss, you aren't convincing with that tone. And besides you've been trying to kill me. Truthfully, I'm surprised that we are talking. I thought you'd be the kind to talk less and kill more or something like that."

"Am I that barbaric to you?"

"I don't know. So, anything else to add, Miss?"

Kim Jisoo looked around. She planted her sword in the pavement and started walking towards him. He lifted his hands and allowed him to pat him down. Kim Jisoo started from his top and then to his thighs. He found his phone in his pockets and checked on the contents of the phone. It took about ten minutes. She found it strange that there was not a single cracker program in his phone. Was he really lost in this place?

"Did you hide it?"

"I did not."

She neared his face. He backed up.

"Madam, have you seen your face? You are so pretty that it makes me nervous."

"You look like a dead fish while saying that."

"I can't help it. I got shot in the head once so my emotions became numbed."

"Don't lie. How could someone who could avoid my slashes be shot in the head?"

"I'm a righteous person and clearly not a thief. Besides, I was working as a dock worker back then so I kinda didn't care."

She felt like it was a ridiculous story. But the scar barely hidden on the side of his head seems to be the truth. She thought about this situation and although she hated the idea of letting someone go who had avoided her attacks… but a reasoning of someone like her who had been called cursed and 'disgusting' had clouded her judgements.

"What's your name?"

"Call me Nikolai. Yours?"

"K-- call me Jisoo."

"Okay. Still, um, aren't you accepting this easily? It feels strange. You aren't going to stab me in the back, right?"

"No. There is nothing stolen here… as far as I can tell. And why do you looked at me as if I'm a murderer?"

"I do not. It's just usually right to assume that I'm here to steal cause you attacked me. And since I survived you aren't doing anything to me."

"True. So you owe me a favor."

She tapped his chest with her gloved finger. The man stared at her for a moment before he let his shoulder sag.

"Thank God for my reflexes. I guess I owe you now, eh?"

"I am rarely merciful."

The man, Nikolai, scratched the back of his head. She noticed that his glance was quite frequent. The man stopped on his tracks.

"Actually… I am working as a driver for the Solomons. You know them?"

"I do," she frowned. "Also… a driver? Are you lying to me?"

She raised her sword as if threatening him. He raised his hands.

"I am not. You should have your connections so you can see for yourself."

She exchanged contact numbers with Nikolai. After going through a round of interrogation. Nikolai bid her goodbye and took a leap of faith! She looked down and saw the silly man swinging away with his grappling hook.

"What a silly man."

She stood listlessly while the wind fluttered her long black hair. For once there was something interesting other than bloodshed this time. She pressed her earpiece and reported that there was nothing wrong with the building other than a few scratches. It seems like the building has started to become ill-maintained.

In a way, this was her chance to annoy some of the clan members.