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chapter 3
In the early days, I tried out various concept plays, and Neon Wings was one of them.
The side path to the abandoned wastewater plant I had just discovered was a route I learned back then.
Splash.
As I fully pulled myself out of the sewer, a complex feeling arose. Not because of the stench clinging to my clothes, but because this was the real deal now.
I would undoubtedly commit my first murder here.
Still, I couldn’t skip the tutorial.
After all, I needed ability points to get stronger.
“Phew…”
Thinking of that made me sigh involuntarily.
Kin, noticing my expression, shrugged off his contaminated cloak and spoke.
“Wizard, do you have a thing for sewer air? We’re going into a fight now, and you’re not a newbie trying murder for the first time—so why the heavy sighs?”
“…Newbie?”
I bristled at the word without realizing it.
Are you calling me, someone who’s spent ten years on this game, a newbie?
How dare you?
But, on reflection, he wasn’t wrong.
I’ve never actually killed anyone.
In this field, I really am a newbie.
Though it bruises my pride, it’s true, so I shut my mouth and glared. Kin smiled apologetically.
“Ah, just joking. You move like a cyber-psycho who’s already drowned a thousand people. Honestly, if we didn’t understand each other at first, I’d have run.”
What does that even mean?
I stared at him, demanding an explanation. Kin just shrugged.
“Why? Anyone who’s killed a few people has a different aura. You know what I mean, right?”
He said it as if it were obvious common sense.
I knew, he knew—this was obvious.
If I dug any deeper, Kin would surely find me strange.
Better to gloss over it and deduce for myself.
Why did Level 2 veteran fixer Kin perceive me like that?
“Hmm…”
It could only be one thing.
[Cthulhu’s Second Tentacle]
It had to be because of this trait.
From the start, I played neutral or evil, opposing the native gods protecting humanity here.
The terrifying tentacle that had leapt out from my monitor during the last playthrough and wrapped around my heart.
Seeing them manifest in reality was undoubtedly affecting me.
While I was gathering my thoughts, Kin crouched on the floor, drawing something.
Wait—is he using bullets instead of a pencil?
“Alright, here’s the plan.”
I turned my head to see two words written on the floor.
-
Stealth & Action
-
Musou
Even crouched, Kin’s tall frame made him look bigger. He asked, eyes sparkling:
“Which do you prefer?”
This is a plan?
I gave him a incredulous look. Kin ignored it and continued:
“If it’s a street gang at Neon Wings’ level, they’re just scrubs, right? You just need to watch out for that monster you mentioned.”
Basically saying, “A Level 2 fixer and a wizard like you have nothing to worry about from a third-rate gangster.”
“…Right.”
I could only agree because it was true.
No normal Level 2 fixer and wizard would panic at a mere street gang.
I couldn’t show weakness, so I quietly raised my hand to choose.
-
Musou.
“Oh, Musou! You know your stuff, wizard.”
Stealth wasn’t an option for me.
All I could use were basic spells, and the only offensive one was Arcane Blast, loud and explosive.
“Alright, then…”
Kin drew two lines on the floor.
“This is us, this is the factory end. Run down two tracks, first to take the boss wins. Okay?”
This guy is treating it like a game.
By the way…
“What exactly are we winning?”
Before I could ask, Kin slowly pointed at himself and then me.
“I’m taking you.”
This is insane.
I couldn’t resist.
I accepted the challenge, and Kin added one condition.
“Since it’s a bet, how about we put up a prize?”
“A prize…”
Unfortunately, I had nothing to wager.
And Kin’s a character who’s solid in the early-to-mid game.
As someone using their first murder to level up, I had little confidence competing.
But…
‘I don’t think I’ll lose.’
Some inexplicable confidence surged through my heart.
I’ve always had a strong competitive streak, especially with bets.
Could this be influenced by that trait as well?
Kin was the first to set conditions.
“If I win, go to my fixer and coordinate with him. Honestly, sending the client to their death because of a date mix-up isn’t cool, right?”
Pretty severe.
“The worst.”
“And work out a deal with our agency too. If I introduce you, our fixer’ll be satisfied. How about it?”
An agency, huh?
Kin seemed slightly embarrassed even after saying it, probably realizing how audacious he was.
How about my stance?
Wow. Just… thank you, Kin.
The agency Kin belonged to was the one I usually played with.
I’d rather latch onto this opportunity and use that network.
“Hmm…”
I covered my twitching mouth with my hand, trying to hide my smirk. Kin tilted his head, sensing it.
“Maybe I overdid it? Then the second condition is…”
“No. I accept.”
I couldn’t miss this.
I lowered my hand, crossed my arms, and arrogantly said:
“I’ll win anyway.”
“Holy…”
Kin, reacting with either awe or surprise, muttered:
“Yeah, a wizard’s supposed to feel like this.”
He then asked for my conditions.
I quickly thought it through.
Money? Nah, getting introduced to the agency would naturally solve that.
I was valuable as a wizard. Any agency would welcome me.
So I gave my condition.
“Alright? If that satisfies you, then…”
Kin nodded, though looking puzzled.
Then, footsteps.
Two gang members appeared from a distance.
“Looks like the signal came on its own.”
Signal?
Before I could ask, Kin swiftly drew a revolver from his holster and fired.
Bang!
Two gang members walking past the dye waste piles fell.
Bang!
Kin ran forward, smiling.
“The game starts with gunfire, you know?”
Bang bang bang!
Before I realized, he had already covered ten meters.
I ran after him.
Damn. I won’t lose.
The factory was getting noisy from the gunfire.
“I’m left! Wizard, you’re right!”
Where we go didn’t matter. What mattered was not slowing down.
If fighting gang members slowed us, my wizard running speed wouldn’t keep up.
A gang member jumped in front of me.
“Intruder…!”
[Arcane Blast]
Boom!
A blood-red shockwave obliterated the enemy’s face.
My first experience killing.
But adrenaline was already surging; the mental shock wasn’t as intense as expected.
Some novels describe characters going crazy, but not everyone reacts that way.
Maybe this was normal.
[Arcane Blast]
Boom! Boom!
I fired repeatedly at approaching gang members.
Each kill gave a strange satisfaction and made me run faster.
One ahead. Two on the left.
I alternated Arcane Blasts from both hands.
Boom!
“Argh!” “Ugh!” “Aaah!”
The exhilaration surged again with each kill.
Maybe it’s experience points.
Bang bang!
From across, gunfire erupted.
Five gang members in the center corridor fell in succession.
Kin was far ahead.
By drawing initial aggro, more gang members went toward him.
Even with advantages, I couldn’t catch up.
“Can’t stay behind.”
I increased speed and gathered magic in my right hand.
Focused on flash and sound, not raw power.
Kaboom!
A massive blood-red lightning arc struck the factory ceiling.
“There’s the wizard!”
“Kill the wizard first!”
The gang finally focused on me.
But I was used to this now.
Bang bang bang!
Bullets rained, but my shield absorbed them as I ran forward.
[Arcane Blast]
Boom!
Occasionally, bullets hit the shield. It could withstand about twenty rifle rounds.
Then I could recreate it.
Tick-tick!
I no longer feared bullets.
My legs pushed off the floor, my hands fired Arcane Blast automatically.
Finally, ahead of Kin.
Crack!
Suddenly, my shield shattered.
I had plenty of magic connected to it—what the…?
Kin had aimed at the gang member in the center corridor, not me.
Bang!
The bullet pierced the gang member and hit a container.
Ping!
A ricochet.
Crack!
My rebuilt shield shattered again.
Insane. He was deliberately breaking my shield to win.
Our eyes met, and Kin mouthed:
“Sorry.”
“Phew…”
I held back my impulse.
This was the way, right?
I kept running, eyes forward.
The shipping area had huge robotic arms.
I adjusted my magic for more penetration.
[Arcane Blast]
Kraaa!
A long red shockwave pierced a gang member and blew up a robotic arm in front of Kin.
Boom!
“What?!”
Kin rolled aside to avoid the falling machinery.
I surged ahead, passing him.
I would win.
Feeling his gaze, I turned:
“Sorry.”
Fire!
Competition heated up.
Honestly, Kin’s attacks were more threatening than the gang’s.
He didn’t even hide now. Just fired through.
Bang! Ping!
Thanks to him, my shields were sturdier.
I cast [Grasping Hand], a basic curse spell, grabbing Kin’s legs at the perfect moment.
He fell.
“Argh!”
Bang bang bang!
Gang members fired at Kin, who barely dodged by rolling.
“Wizard!”
Bang!
Bullets flew from behind, but I dodged instinctively.
I passed the dyeing area toward production.
Crack!
A wall tore open. A figure with a partially robotic exoskeleton appeared—face replaced with copper.
Behind him, several in similar suits—Neon Wings’ executives.
The boss appeared, monocle eye replaced with machinery.
“You dared make a mess in my hideout.”
Grinding teeth.
“You won’t survive this! Begging for mercy won’t help…”
[Arcane Blast]
The boss was the final target.
Boom!
He blocked my first magic with his exoskeleton.
Crunch.
The exoskeleton shattered.
“…What? This?”
The boss stared at his broken armor and arm in disbelief.
Missed timing, unfortunately.
Kin arrived.
I glanced back.
“Tough gangsters, huh?”
“Impressive, wizard. But the match isn’t over.”
Indeed, the boss was still alive.
Who caught him first was key.
Exoskeletons weren’t too hard to neutralize. The real threat was the executives’ heavy weapons.
Without Kin forcing me to upgrade my shield, it might have been a problem.
“…Why this mood?”
The boss stared at his destroyed exoskeleton.
“…Did you eat?”
Oh. Even in the fusion-punk era, Korean manners survived?
Before I could answer, an executive spoke:
“Not yet, boss! Still adjusting…”
“Can’t you tell? Nothing we can do.”
He pulled a square controller from his chest.
“Some members may have to die, but unavoidable.”
Click.
“….”
A brief silence.
Suddenly, Jackins’ head detached like a cluster of grapes.
His expression frozen at death.
Cracks appeared diagonally across his face, peeling like an apple.
Shhhhhh…
Like being blended, his face was shredded, sucked into the ceiling.
Clunk.
A dark shadow fell over the factory.
Everyone looked up.
Something enormous hovered, blocking light.
Slowly, tentacles emerged, massive and countless.
One thick pillar reached over Jackins’ head.
It squirmed, spitting something out.
Splash.
The boss’s brain, cleanly removed.
Kin, stunned, said:
“Shall we call it a draw and cooperate…?”
