Chapter 52: Lion City

Name:Corpo Age Author:
Chapter 52: Lion City

When I woke up, I felt a strange dissonance with my body. It still moved how I wanted it to, but it just felt different.

Well, I did change out almost every single one of my cybernetics.

‘Correct, host has replaced every cyberware in his body except the unit labeled “HSU Custom Shade”. Rest is recommended.’ A feminine synthetic voice suddenly rang out in my head.

That’s right, my new SAID came with a smart assistant. I still need to set that thing up.

A smart assistant may be a few steps down from an AI, but it was sufficient to carry out my commands and help me micro-manage things as if I had a personal secretary...

‘The only setup that requires the host’s attention is my designation, voice selection, and permission level.’

Right, it was my SAID so it can pick up on my thoughts like how I used to text. I’ll call you Kiri from now on, and you can keep the voice as it is. Only pick up on my thoughts when I allow it. Is that possible?

‘Yes, I can do so.’

The surgeon soon came in as I got used to talking to the voice in my brain. He helped me calibrate the new implants, which made me feel a bit better. From my knowledge, I needed some time to get used to the new hardware. There was just no way around it.

My security team drove us back to our office building, which doubled as my residence. I took the time during the ride to inspect and try out my new chrome.

Status

Level:

15

EXP:

1480/1500

Musculoskeletal:

211

Neural Reflex:

65

Visuomotor Coordination:

87

Endurance:

59

Sensory Perception:

127

Upgrade Points:

1

Upgrades:

Stealth +7Hacking +3Cybernetic Engineering +7Stealth Technology +10Software Engineering +6

Enhancements:

SAID: Zenitech Sebastien v2

Bio-Coprocessor: SocialCorp Lightning II

Optics: Mirage Tech Clear-Sights mk.12

Cyberarm (Left): Nova Tech Heracle Mk. 3

Cyberarm (Right): Nova Tech Heracle Mk. 3

Auditory: SocialCorp Echo IV

When we entered the auction house, a man in a suit soon came to greet us.

“Welcome, dear guests. The entry fee to the main area is five hundred credits per person, or ten thousand if you would like a private room. Which one will it be?” He got straight to the point politely.

“The main area is fine. Lead the way,” I declared.

“Of course, your bodyguards may go to our waiting area if you would like. Your security is guaranteed while you are in our establishment.”

I agreed to his offer and got seated with Claire in the auction hall. It wasn’t that packed, though we would’ve had issues finding a seat where we could all sit together if the guards came along.

The auction soon started as scheduled and various items were brought forth. I’m not sure what I expected, but it was plain boring. Relics sounded exciting until you found out it was just trash from the world before the nuclear wars.

The most common items being auctioned were various pieces of furniture made of wood. It seemed like organic wood was scarce nowadays with how much the nuclear wars destroyed the planet’s ecosystem.

“Look at that desk, Rollo! It’s made from authentic wood, you should get it for your office. It’d look cool and stylish,” Claire held onto me and said.

“Yeah...No thanks, maybe for yourself?”

She shook her head, “Too gaudy.”

Then why would you recommend it to me...?

When the auction went into the category of overpriced artwork, we took our leave as neither of us was that interested.

“Where do you want to go next?” I asked Claire.

“Umm, how about we get a snack and drive around to see how the nightlife scene is around here?”

“Sure, let’s go.”

The ten of us split off into the two rental cars and headed to one of the local fast-food chains that was still open. We got off to view the menu and ordered takeaway, so we could relax back in our hotel.

When we returned to the parking lot, Kiri suddenly spoke up.

‘I have detected suspicious individuals from the observing digital layer of your optics. There are four detected individuals to your nine o’clock that aren’t visible to the naked eye.’

My optics instantly entered the digital mode, where I could spot digital wireless connections. I could see some signals coming from my left that matched what you would see coming from a SAID that most people had.

“Hostiles! Claire, stay down!”

I quickly pulled out my pistol railgun and shot toward the invisible foes before activating my own active camouflage.

A member of our security immediately pushed Claire to the ground while the other shot in the same direction as I had.

I watched as an arm suddenly came into existence, having been damaged. A moment later, more enemies started firing at us while still hidden by their stealth devices.

My guards scattered into cover and turned on their camouflage as well. I was likely the only one who could reliably spot the enemies, but our company software allowed us to share targeting information. I peaked out in stealth, without firing, highlighting our foes for my allies to see.

Whenever I marked an enemy, my security team followed up with a hail of bullets. Following this strategy, we soon neutralized all our foes. They were all shot up pretty badly, so I finished them off for some experience points.

+10 EXP

+10 EXP

+10 EXP

+10 EXP

“Rollo, are you okay?” Claire came up immediately once the fighting was over.

“Yeah, how about the rest of you?” I directed my question to the leader of my squad.

“Just two lightly injured, sir.”

Before we could get out of there and examine our wounds, sirens rang out all around us. In the blink of an eye, the Lion City police had us surrounded.

Why do you have to make me miss Elevate City PD of everything out there...?