Chapter 2

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Kim Seo Hyuk exclaimed while swearing inside. Except for Jung Yoon Hwan and Park Min Joon, the rest moved in unison and fired. Some of them set huge traps and destroyed underground buildings, blocking the enemy’s escape routes. Some of them fired directly on the ground just below where the enemy was. Four gigantic hands rose from the ground and attacked the enemy.

He easily avoided three fires in speed, but finally pulled a gun from the holster as he had no time to avoid the fourth shot. Kim Seo Hyuk paid attention to the small hand, and the black barrel that he was holding. After recognizing the direction, Kim Seo Hyuk’s eyeball moved, and he zoomed to the enemy’s right hand through a screen.

You can tell by the way she was holding the gun that he was a novice. The frozen hand that was turning blue in the pouring rain was clumsily fumbling with the gun and he could clearly see a finger hanging on the trigger awkwardly. The enemy did not even raise his gun and point it anywhere. He just pulled the trigger as he was holding it. Those were neither properly aimed nor calculated. The three red numbers on the barrel went up and down like crazy.

Bang! A blue light flashed from the enemy’s muzzle.

It was not enough to mangle the fourth hand, however, he managed to destroy all the other three. In the aftermath of one of the shots that were aimed at the enemy, a trailer from behind them, also exploded and turned into dust.

Still doubting his senses, Kim Seo Hyuk lost his focus. Some poles that had been firmly around them, were falling apart in an instant. Just before he stumbled and fell, Kim Seo Hyuk quickly shot and stood with his feet on the steel frame.

– ……..What was that? Did he not just shoot once?

– Crazy, a single shot feels like a thousand.

– The whole place is shaking. The whole space……

– Then Isn’t it true what Choi Sung Wook said that the tuning rate is around 100?

– Are you drunk? How did someone tune to 100? Even if you sucked thousands of stimulants, you still can’t get that figure!

– Then, what was that?

“Shut up!”

Kim Seo Hyuk stared at the enemy without even blinking. There were currently 8 people. Among them, there were only three people with a tuning rate above 80, including Kim Seo Hyuk himself. One of them, Jung Yoon Hwan, was already keeping track of the enemy. It was difficult to get away from the tracking line once he put it on the target.

Should they give up the chase and capture it in one shot while she was still in sight? Or should we keep the tracking line just in case?

“Jung Yoon Hwan, remove the tracking line.”

The decision was quick. A simple attack would not work for the person that was standing in front of you right now. Doing a bold escape while considering the geography of this place, the shot was clean enough to leave his teeth trembling. The idea was that if the enemies in front of him made up their minds and tried to counterattack, death could come from his side. This kind of thought slipped down his spine like an unpleasant joke.

– Sorry? If you don’t mind recalling it…

“Jung Yoon Hwan, Lee Seon Gyu, and Me. The three of us can shoot them at the same time. The rest just get behind me.”

– But if you miss it…

“On positions!”

The white tracking line disappeared as it was cut off. In the next moment, the five, whose tuning powers were below 80, gently slid backwards. In Kim Seo Hyuk’s display, his sign was coloured in blue added under Park Min Joon’s sign. Instead of joining in the battle, he would support them to increase the speed and strike rate of the attacking team. Soon, the red signs of Jung Yoon Hwan and Lee Seon Gyu also appeared on the display. It was a link for combining fire.

They instantly encircled the enemies. The number of chasers decreased to three, but the enemy became wary of this noticeably faster side.

Kim Seo Hyuk’s gun was aimed at the enemy. There was no need to confirm that Jung Yoon Hwan and Lee Seon Gyu would also shoot at the same point as they were linked and shared coordinates. The breaths caught by the intercom were tense. Kim Seo Hyuk set the timing in his head. Three, two, one! Three guns fired at the same time.

Kaaang! A blast was heard, and three flames collided within close proximity of the enemy. A crackling and freezing sound followed, and dozens of light vines tangled and exploded like a spider’s web. The enemy took a big leap and tried to break free of its core, but it was too late. Light vines hit the enemy roughly and stuck them on the roof of the building. The guns that the enemies had fallen like a bird with a broken wing.

Done. We got them. Without realizing it, Kim Seo Hyuk was relieved and even surprised at himself. He did not know that his tuning rate could rise drastically on such a scale and calmed down afterwards.

– Eiya. It is the first time I have used combined fires in real combat, really. We did it pretty well. Let’s use this more often in the future. The visual is also quite awesome….

“Jung Yoon Hwan, I have told you not to whistle on the intercom. Lee Seon Gyu, you keep them bound.”

Kim Seo Hyuk saw everyone’s indicators disappear from his display and put the gun in his holster.

Lee Seon Gyu skillfully showed his tricks. The Illuminated vines seemed to shrink and then wrapped around the enemy seizing it firmly.

Kim Seo Hyuk landed first. After that, six of them flew like arrows and surrounded the prisoners in a circle. They stared at the prey they had captured with piercing eyes in the middle of the heavy rain that was still pouring vigorously.

As the one who pursued them, it was clear to be angry as they were frantically trying to defend and escape. Although he was wet in the rain, he was not trembling, and his breathing was extremely stable despite being trapped.

“Is there anyone who can find out other people’s tuning scores?”

“It is attached to my gun.”

Park Min Joon pulled out a gun from his holster. Kim Seo Hyuk reached out his hand and took it. He placed the gun on the forearm of the prisoner who was still immobile and pressed it firmly. Quack duk, a sound came out as the gun pierced the skin under the clothes. The person’s shoulders trembled. There was a sound of bloodsucking.

Three digits flashed red on the barrel. From 000, it slowly rose. No one was agitated until 030. However, when it passed 050 and reached 070, everyone’s faces became less tense. 085. 090. 097. The tuning paused for a moment in that number. All of a sudden, it dropped to 003.

“Well…then.”

Someone has brainwashed our alliance. Then it happened. Suddenly the gun rattled. The red number jumped so fast that one could not even tell. Eventually, there was a sound, beep, signalling that the measurement was completed, Kim Seo Hyuk started to doubt his own eyes.

This was the maximum tuning rate the scale could handle.

They were all silent for a moment. Only the sound of rain hitting the ground was heard. Lee Seon Gyu muttered blankly.

“Does the gun become crazy because of this weather?”

I had never heard of a gun breaking down on a rainy day, but no one could believe it. Whatever nonsense he said, it seemed to make more sense than a 100 tuning score.

Jung Yoon Hwan chewed his lips and then turned his head to look in Park Min Joo’s direction.

“This number is impossible. Park Min Joon, did the program go right? Where did you get this older, incompatible version from?”

“If you don’t believe in my gun, try to put it on your own arm.”

Park Min Joon responded nervously. Among them, someone hot-tempered stepped forward to measure his tuning rate, but Kim Seo Hyuk did not hand over the gun. Instead, he reset the gun’s gauge and pressed it directly into his forearm. The number went up and stopped at a certain point. 087. It was Kim Seo Hyuk’s own tuning rate and the highest score among all the current members of the City Federation.

I swear to death. Kim Seo Hyuk threw the gun at Park Min Joon. Now no one dared to speak carelessly. Some were preying on them, some were interested, while others were astonished, and just stared at the prisoner.

Kim Seo Hyuk pulled out his gun and knelt on one knee. He gently pressed down on the prisoner’s temple with his gun.

“Site 3 was the headquarters of the rebels. Citizens who were unwilling to cooperate with the rebels have been warned three times about five hours ago to move to another site. Yet you guys remained here. Even attacking the members of the City Federation. Do you realize that your sins are serious enough to get you killed right now?”

The prisoner did not say anything. Because of the tight blue clasp, Lee Seon Gyu was holding, the prisoner was stuck on the floor soaked with rain. Most of her face was covered by the wet hair clinging to it. Her face seemed very youthful. Kim Seo Hyuk slipped the gun he was aiming with and lifted the hair that covered the prisoner’s face.

Someone sighed.

“Ho. It’s a kid.”

Kim Seo Hyuk was also shocked and lost for words. The prisoner, who kept her mouth shut and eyes down, while trying to keep lying on the floor, seemed to be in his late teens, but no more than twenty at most.

“According to the Refugee Protection Act, even non-citizens must voluntarily report to the City Federation as soon as they recognize that they are sympathizers (a person who has a special ability) and have their sympathy rate measured. And I’m getting a report on that figure every year. However, I do not remember receiving any report that there was someone with a tuning rate of 100. If you had deliberately not taken a measure of your tune, you should be punished because of it. You are committing such sins even though the *blood on your head has not dried up yet.”

(Insinuating that a person is too young and inexperienced to be doing something or acting in a rude/arrogant way)

Kim Seo Hyuk moved the gun to the prisoner’s temple.

“Answer me, why are you at the Rebel’s Headquarters without having your tuning rate measured?”

He added more strength to the aimed gun.

“Are you the one with a score of 100 that the rumour said is being captured by the rebels and raised as a murder weapon?”

The prisoner still did not answer.

At Kim Seo Hyuk’s gaze, Lee Seon Gyu quickly dropped the gun he had been aiming with. The gun was in the air briefly, at the same time, the prisoner seemed to be briefly lifted by the rope and then struck back to the floor. There was a sound of something breaking. The prisoner slowly raised his head and looked straight at Kim Seo Hyuk. There was anger in his eyes, but no sign of submission.

In an instant, Kim Seo Hyuk’s body stiffened. The black eyes were dull compared to others. Late teens. Tuning rate 100. High level of operation. Basic skills such as speed and power. Abnormally stable breathing. And so far, he has not said a single word.

Same. It was the same as those absurd, bizarre rumours. It was so accurate that he got goosebumps.

It was not only Kim Seo Hyuk who was shocked.

“Ha. Look at that little kid’s eyes. The pupils…. they couldn’t be more creepy…”

“Oh my gosh, are the rumours true? The rumours about the murder weapons, is that really true?”

“You bastard, it was just catching a kid, what kind of crazy nonsense is that?”

“Hey, Lee Seon Gyu! Don’t lose your focus! If this bastard is released, we are all over!”

“Are we going to kill her now?”

“Wait for the Captain’s instruction.”

“What should we do Captain?”

“Captain?”

All of a sudden, he was aiming a gun. In a blink of an eye, Kim Seo Hyuk was capable of turning the prisoners into dust. Kim Seo Hyuk spoke slowly and clearly as if trying to reduce the tension.

“Kang Ji Won, you said you were thinking of a machine insertion project back then. I heard that some of those review reports were passed on to the rebels.”

“Captain, the project wasn’t meant to create such a monster, but to rehabilitate disabled soldiers. Besides, it did not even start properly and was put on hold indefinitely.”

“It was a project that turned capable soldiers into capable weapons. It was theoretically possible but failed to gain family consent and moral justification.”

Kang Ji Won could not reply anymore.

“Isn’t there supposed to be a manual?”

“If you insert a machine into a human, the host will die after erosion. As short as an hour and two, and as long as a few days. However, if you mix some of the poisons that the City Federation has warned you to be careful about and inject them into a vein, the process of erosion can be altered. The first stage is the dilation of the pupil, paralysis of speech function, absolute breathing stability, and then the person turns emotionless. Finally, when the machine takes full control of the body, the heart stops. From that point on, the person will remain neither alive nor dead.”

“How do you see this situation now?”

Kang Ji Won looked down at the prisoner expressionlessly.

“The machine has been inserted, but I believe it is still incomplete.”

“On what basis?”

“The rebels at Site 3 have been wiped out by our allies, leaving no one behind. There is no one left who can control a murder weapon within the possible range. Therefore, it could be concluded that the murder weapon was running away from us by its own judgement. Also, she did not kill Choi Sung Wook. The murder weapon has kept witnesses alive despite its disadvantage, which mean that not only the survival instinct but also her own personality has remained. And also, if it was a completed murder weapon, it would be impossible for her to move on her own in the first place. A machine weapon could not walk alone.”

“I object. You can’t be sure that you killed them all. Who knows if there’s a single rat left to control this monster? Before she gets off and runs rampant, first we…..”

Jung Yoon Hwan clenched his teeth. Both his gaze and gun were directed towards the prisoner’s forehead. Kim Seo Hyuk raised his left hand to stop him.

“Jung Yoon Hwan, why has our City Federation not been able to create a murder weapon?”

Jung Yoon Hwan frowned.

“Theoretically it is possible, but the technology is very demanding… and above all, because it was ethically problematic. Targeting living humans is already….”

“But it is immensely powerful. Nobody has any objection towards that, right?”

“That…. Pardon? You are not going to take this with you, are you?”

“The power is overwhelming. Do you have any reason to give her up? The inhuman deeds that our City Federation could not have done because of the public eye, the rebels executed it instead of us and brought them right before our eyes.”

“Captain! What are you talking about now? The rebels must be all executed….”

“Exactly. It is not a rebel, It’s the rebel’s murder weapon. What’s so bad about having the leftovers?”

“If you take something like this, there will be disciplinary action against you!”

“If there is no possibility of salvation, immediate death is correct. However, if you are still a human, isn’t he also a civilian who was captured and sacrificed by the rebels? Even civilians could have a tuning rate of 100. Kill these talented people instantly? It is a huge loss.”

Jung Yoon Hwan distorted his face. Kim Seo Hyuk stared at the prisoner again.

“Kang Ji Won, this kid broke Choi Sung Wook’s legs earlier, cut off only the ear with an intercom attached, and then fled. Is it possible for a remote pilot to give such a elaborate instructions to a murder weapon?”

“It is almost impossible. The killer weapon is powerful, but its command system is extremely simple. You can tell a dog to bite and kill a thief, but it is difficult to teach a dog to break the thief’s leg and cut off his ear and run away. Same logic applied.”

Kang Ji Won added cautiously.

“But, Captain, there has never been a case where a machine was inserted into a human being and later made into a murder weapon. All I know is that, it is just a theory. It’s just a discussion on the table about what would happen if we ever really made it. So as I was saying, there can be many variables. Taking it to the headquarters will inevitably become a problem, and we must take responsibility for it. I also agree with Jung Yun Hwan’s suggestion to kill him immediately. Leaving it unfinished will not be safe.”

“I think she was too angry for an emotionless murder weapon.”

Kim Seo Hyuk pointed to the prisoner’s eyes with his chin. The pupils, which were normally round and open, were now dark. They were glistening like a beast in the mist of water caused by the heavy rain. They were far from being emotionless, instead they seemed to be occupied by anger.

“But……”

Kang Ji Won hesitated.

“Lee Seon Gyu, keep the bonds properly firm. I will check.”

Kim Seo Hyuk lowered the gun he was aiming with. Jeong Yun Hwan hurriedly approached from behind, as if they were going to shoot and kill the prisoners to protect the captain if anything happened. Kim Seo Hyuk grabbed the prisoner’s wrist without hesitation.

One could not tell just by their eyes if it was a monster to kill or a treasure that could become a monster. Her hands were cold in the rain, and the pulse was unrecognizable. Giving up on her wrist, Kim Seo Hyuk pulled the prisoner by the collar and put his ear to the chest. He covered his other ear and held his breath. The sound of the rain that filled his whole body subsided. Then he heard.

The heart was beating like it had just been pulled out of the sea.

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This translation is presented by Nocturne Translations.

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