“Angela…?”\nIt was a name Enoch knew, one Soo had mentioned.\nShe was a benefactor who not only saved the dying Enoch but also took him to a rather reputable clinic.\n”It’s a pleasure to finally meet you while you’re awake. Hello, I’m Angela Meyer.”\n”…I am Enoch. Thank you for your help earlier. As for compensation… I currently have nothing, but I will endeavor to provide it as soon as possible.”\n”Oh no, compensation isn’t necessary. I did it because I wanted to. Simply protecting Soo, as her brother, is more than enough reward for me.”\nEnoch’s eyebrows shot up.\n”…What did you just say?”\n”Protecting Soo… as her brother…?”\nAs Angela’s words continued, Enoch’s face crumpled miserably, as if he had just received a love confession from a talking cockroach.\nSensing his odd reaction, Angela stared intently at Enoch before shifting her gaze to Soo.\nHer appearance truly was astonishing every time she saw it.\nUp close, it was even more overwhelmingly striking.\nAngela herself possessed a renowned beauty in Eden, which had, in turn, raised her own standards.\nHowever, Soo’s beauty was something beyond all conventional standards.\nIt made one wonder if she shouldn’t wear a mask just to temper its impact.\nStill, she couldn’t afford to be captivated by appearances right now.\nAngela gently pressed Soo’s nose, as Soo was meticulously examining her face.\n”Soo.”\n”Hm?”\n”Are you perhaps not on good terms with your brother?”\n”We get along well.”\n”You, what in the world… are you talking about…?”\nSoo and Enoch’s answers diverged sharply.\nEnoch’s teeth grated.\nAt the idea of them getting along?\nOr at something even more fundamental?\n’It’s impolite to read someone’s thoughts without permission…’\n’But perhaps it’s acceptable now, if it’s to protect a pretty girl like Soo.’\nThinking so, Angela blinked her eyes.\nWith that, her assessment was complete.\nEven in that fleeting moment, Angela had gleaned every single piece of information about Enoch.\nHowever, Soo’s information remained inaccessible.\nThere was only one line of information about Soo.\nBeyond the fact that she had recently entered Southpeak, her data was unusually pristine.\nStill, she knew for certain that Enoch was not Soo’s brother.\nHis younger sister had died long ago.\n”He’s… not your brother?”\n”…He is not.”\n”Soo, is that true?”\nObserving Enoch’s reply and Angela’s reaction, Soo slowly nodded her head.\n”Soo, did you perhaps say he was your brother because you were afraid I wouldn’t help if you said he was a stranger?”\n”Yes.”\n”Even though you didn’t know Mr. Enoch?”\n”Yes.”\nAngela, whose lips had been trembling for a moment after Soo’s answer, pulled her into an even tighter embrace.\n”Oh my goodness… how can you be so kind…”\nEnoch could no longer maintain the expression of someone who had been propositioned by a cockroach.\nHow could he possibly feel aversion when she had done it to save his life?\n”Mmm.”\nSoo shook her head, pushing away from Angela’s embrace.\nIt was a warmth that felt like a glimpse of heaven, but there was no time for it now.\n”Angela.”\n”Yes?”\n”Did you come for a commission?”\nObserving Enoch’s attire, Angela cautiously nodded.\n”I did, but… are you here for one too, Soo?”\n”Yes, we need to go in there.”\n”You…”\nEnoch’s eyes widened.\nIt was generally best for mercenaries not to disclose their commissions to others.\nIt was a matter of life, reputation, and money; any unforeseen possibilities had to be thoroughly eliminated.\nThere was even an adage that one shouldn’t speak of a commission’s details even to one’s parents, so no further explanation was needed.\nYet, Soo had stated it so casually.\nNaturally, Enoch’s blood pressure surged.\nEven if the person was Angela, who had saved his life, nothing would change.\nOn the contrary, he had to be even more careful.\nTo save someone without expecting any reward.\nIn a village of one-eyed people, a two-eyed person is abnormal.\nIn a world like this, Angela, who saved people without pay, couldn’t help but appear suspicious.\nAngela thought the same.\nBecause she knew that in the eyes of others, she appeared suspicious.\n”Soo… is it alright to speak so carelessly?”\n”It’s fine because it’s Angela.”\n”You… trust me?”\nSoo nodded without a hint of doubt.\nShe hadn’t forgotten how she had died in the game.\nShe remembered Angela’s words from the night she saved Enoch, beneath the distorted moon.\nThe smile on Angela’s face then was still vivid.\nSoo could confidently say that if one had to trust anyone in this world, it would be Enoch and Angela.\n”…I see.”\nAngela, who had been muttering for a moment, sought Enoch’s understanding before crouching down in front of Soo to meet her gaze.\n”Soo.”\n”Yes.”\n”My commission is to hack Lu Qian’s server.”\n”Ours too.”\n”So you’re involved in this drug case.”\n”Yes. We’re also tied to Chrome Psycho.”\n”But why did you choose Zairex?”\n”Many of my friends were harmed by Lu Qian.”\nAngela knew that Soo had only recently entered Southpeak.\nThat implied Soo had been in the Wasteland until now.\n”Friends from the Wasteland?”\n”Yes.”\n”I have an older sister at Zairex.\nWe’re not particularly close, but she’s capable of getting me assignments like this one from time to time.”\n”Yes.”\nSoo answered calmly, but Enoch, standing right beside her, trembled noticeably.\nA mercenary who received commissions directly from Zairex.\nAnd an unknown mercenary whose name he’d never heard…\nA clearer picture of who Angela was began to form in Enoch’s mind.\n”And yet, you still trust me?”\n”Yes.”\n”You’re not just saying ‘yes’?”\n”No.”\nAngela gently stroked Soo’s head before standing up.\n”Since hacking cannot be performed twice in a row, I’ll pass the credit for this achievement to Soo and Mr. Enoch.”\n”…What can we offer you in return?”\n”Nothing in particular… but I suppose you’d feel uncomfortable if I didn’t accept anything, Mr. Enoch?”\nAngela’s eyes glowed faintly.\nIt was a sign that she had begun hacking.\n”Just let me follow along and watch. That’s enough. Oh, and of course, I won’t go myself; I’ll just send a drone.”\nAngela pulled two cables from her wrist, handing one to each of them as she spoke.\n”This is the internal layout.\nIt’s surprisingly close to an empty shell of a lab.\nAnd all the cameras visible on the outside, except for two, are turned off.”\nEnoch, who had plugged the cable into his neck port, looked at Soo with skeptical eyes.\n”Soo, you didn’t happen to know, did you?”\n”Yes.”\nLu Qian’s Southpeak Second Research Lab appeared to have strict security, but in reality, its interior was no different from an empty shell.\nMost corporations knew this fact, which was why they didn’t bother with the labs located there.\nHowever, there was one piece of information that corporations didn’t know.\nDeep beneath the lab, a server responsible for Lu Qian’s data was hidden.\nIt was so large and intricate that it couldn’t easily be moved, even if they tried, which gave her confidence that it remained unchanged even after becoming reality.\n’Irina seemed to know about this.’\nEven Zairex, one of the three major corporations, likely didn’t know this yet, so Irina knowing about the server’s existence was quite unusual.\n’Everyone has their reasons, after all.’\nSoo didn’t dwell on it.\nTit for tat.\nIf she trusted, Soo trusted too.\nNow was not the time for doubt or betrayal.\n”How in the world… did you know?”\n”Magic can do anything.”\nSoo replied triumphantly, plugging the cable into her headset.\nWith a rustling sound, like a bundle of papers scattering, the layout of the lab materialized in Soo’s mind.\nThough it wasn’t a nano-computer implanted in her body, Miko had modified it to perform remarkably similarly.\nThe word ‘genius’ didn’t seem like an exaggeration at all.\n”There are some cameras inside, but you see the route I’ve marked, right? If you stick to that path, you’ll be less likely to be detected.”\nHaving finished her brief explanation, Angela disconnected the cable.\nHer vision cleared, and her eyes met Angela’s, who stood with her back to Lu Qian’s ornate lab.\n”Unfortunately, I couldn’t pinpoint the server’s exact location.\nIt’s definitely in this lab, but the security is formidable.\nStill, I trust that you all will be able to find it.”\nAngela, a captivating smile gracing her lips, began to move.\nHer footsteps made no sound.\nLike a cat prowling in the night, Angela walked gracefully, gesturing with her hand.\n”I’ll hack the security guards’ optical implants and surrounding cameras at the entrance.\nIt should hold for a maximum of… 11 minutes and 29 seconds.”\nNo further explanation was needed.\nThey had about 11 minutes.\n”Be careful.”\nThe moment Angela’s words ended, the six hulking figures guarding the lab’s entrance staggered.\nThe cameras’ movements ceased in unison, and the lab’s doors automatically swung open.\n*Whirrr-* A drone lifted from Angela’s palm.\nIt was slightly larger than the small drone Miko had operated, and its movements were less stable.\nMiko’s technological prowess was indeed impressive.\nWith that thought, Soo snatched Angela’s drone.\n”I’ll carry it and show you the way.”\nShe didn’t wait for Angela’s reply.\nFollowing Enoch, who had already bolted, Soo scurried after him.\n”Soo, you seem to know where the server is.”\n”Yes. Just trust me.”\nThere was no hesitation in her running footsteps.\nNot only was it a lab she had entered countless times in the game, but she also knew the path perfectly.\nData once downloaded could not be erased.\nA scene once witnessed could be recalled at any time.\nThis was possible because a computer resided in her mind.\n****\nThe infiltration process was undeniably simple, easy, fast, and convenient.\nAll they had to do was run along the path Angela had marked.\nThere was no need to worry about cameras.\nHer hack, which extended not only to the exterior but also to the interior of the lab, had powered down all existing cameras within it.\nHowever, the detection sensors were still operational.\nBeing battery-powered sensors operating independently rather than connected to the main management server, they were beyond the reach of the hack.\nThat wasn’t a problem.\nBecause it was something that could be handled with a suppressed gun.\nHidden behind a large display case, Soo whispered.\n”Let’s get Enoch a hacking tool too.”\n”Are you planning to turn me into a Chrome Psycho?”\n”There’s no chance of becoming a Chrome Psycho.”\nEnoch ignored Soo’s nonsense.\nHe pulled the slide back to check the chamber, then aimed his gun at the sensor on the ceiling.\n”Is that for show?”\n”…Moonlight can sometimes malfunction on the first chambering, so I’m simply confirming it visually.”\n”Oh…”\nWith Soo’s gasp of admiration, *phwip-* Enoch pulled the trigger.\nHe didn’t check the result, simply moving on.\nEnoch was confident in his own skill.\n9 minutes, 21 seconds.\nThere was no rush.\nNo need to run loudly.\nEnoch walked quickly.\nSoo ran, as her footsteps made no sound.\nIn truth, to keep up with Enoch, she *had* to run…\nTen steps for Enoch.\nThirteen strides for Soo.\nThey turned their bodies in different directions.\nA pebble launched from Soo’s finger shattered the sensor on the left.\n*Phwip-* Enoch’s Moonlight fired at the front right sensor.\nBefore the debris even hit the floor, the two moved as one, vacating their positions.\n76 meters straight.\nPast three blocks, two right turns.\nA left turn at the very next block, then a right turn at the second block.\nEnoch’s Moonlight spat out a continuous stream of bullets.\nA dagger, deployed from his sleeve, embedded itself in a sensor.\nSoo’s pebble flew forward, carried by the wind.\nTheir paths diverged.\nOne would handle the entry path, the other the escape route.\nIn truth, both could have entered through the main path, but Enoch, considering all possible contingencies, decided to thoroughly destroy the cameras on the escape route as well.\n*Phwip-phwip-* Hearing the oddly spine-tingling sound of the suppressed gun, Soo stopped in front of the passage leading underground.\n”Huh.”\nShe had no choice but to stop.\n”So the rat was here.”\nA man whose body was half-replaced by an exoskeleton, making him appear seven times Soo’s size.\nAn enemy who would normally only appear in the mid-game stood guarding the passage.
