Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 518 Intuition, Shift, and Promises [8.3K]

"I, Rebecca, solemnly swear—"

"Unwavering commitment, serving the new America with utmost loyalty..."

"May God help me."

Electrical noise…

"Oh my god... what are you doing, Rebecca?"

Her own voice and Johnny's voice were mixed together in her mind, and Rebecca could no longer distinguish between reality and dreams.

With a hangover, Rebecca looked down and saw nothing but the word "relic malfunction" in her eyes. According to the doctor, she was lucky to be alive this far.

"Cough cough!"

After a violent cough, Rebecca shook her hand. The black prosthetic hand showed no signs of blood, except for a few drops of crimson on her hospital gown.

Wow.

The cyborg doctor's chair slid over. In her imagination, cyborg doctors in New America were serious and rigid, the kind of old scholars who refused to have their studios decorated with fancy clothes... But the woman in front of her was an old acquaintance that Rebecca was tired of seeing. Her arms were covered with intricate tattos. She frowned as she stared at the data on the computer and took a puff of her e-cigarette.

"Come on, kid, let me see how much longer you can cling to your life?"

The dark purple neon light blurred the doctor's profile, and the man responsible for Rebecca's safety behind the clutter scoffed, "Watch your voice."

The doctor shrugged noncommittally, then checked the details one by one. "With such a powerful prosthetic body, it should have torn your nerves apart and shattered your spirit into pieces long ago. Who knows, you might be shoving a steel pipe taken from the operating table into my head right now—"

How can you still hold on?

If Rebecca hadn't been used to this guy's way of speaking, she would have already lost her temper.

"Perhaps... it's better to live a miserable life than to die a good death?"

The doctor, surrounded by the sweet, cloying smell of ice cream, seemed amused by Rebecca. "You're right, darling... the chip is poison to you, something that could kill you, but poison is also helping you, isn't it?"

The woman stared thoughtfully into the air, while in Rebecca's eyes, Johnny Silver Hand was also looking directly at the woman.

"I like this girl."

Silver Hands was completely satisfied.

Rebecca gritted her teeth, "Shut up, Johnny..."

There was complete silence, broken only by the sound of the doctor's complex prosthetic hand typing on the keyboard, and Rebecca's breathing.

"So what's your plan?"

The doctor simply raised his hand to signal Rebecca to wait patiently. As the last character was typed, Rebecca felt as if the wires inserted into the brain-computer interface were inputting something extraordinary into her brain.

"Okay... let's see if this works."

"We need to make sure your software doesn't malfunction first; that way, the nano-abrasion surgery might be a safer option."

The relief was fleeting, but Rebecca's cough worsened, and even Morgan, who had been acting as if it were none of his business, couldn't help but frown and walk over to try patting Rebecca on the back.

A shadow crossed his eyes. "You're using this child as a guinea pig?"

The doctor innocently raised his hands, "A cure always comes with some pain, don't you see—"

The blood spurting from Rebecca's mouth stained her clothes, making the white hospital gown increasingly glaring. The unsettling distortion and optical confusion she experienced began to slowly subside...

Relic failure

The red code that Rebecca had grown accustomed to suddenly disappeared.

Rebecca, who was still wiping her lips, thought she was seeing things...

"How's the error message, you little bitch?"

The doctor took a drag of his cigarette, placed his hands on the chair, and smiled, as if he were looking at a toy he had made himself.

"Hmm, it's gone."

The woman rolled her eyes at Morgan.

Morgan Blackhand breathed a sigh of relief. After the illusory figure of Silver Hand stabilized, he said casually, "This guy who looks a lot like my friend is boring, and even smells like a piece of dried cheese, but he's a good person."

Johnny always liked to make a first impression on Rebecca.

Although Rebecca thought most of it was nonsense.

Could you tell me about that nanosurgery?

"After Rebecca caught her breath, she asked."

Rebecca had been in New America for a while now, but Miles' promises were still not being kept. If it weren't for the female doctor solving Relic's frequent error messages today, she would have lost patience long ago.

The female doctor glanced at Morgan.

Morgan wisely raised his hands, stepped back, and left the consultation room to work as a security guard outside.

"Hold on."

The female doctor pulled a wire from a vital signs monitor and gestured for Rebecca to connect it.

Although she didn't know why the doctor was being so cautious, she followed his instructions anyway.

The moment the wire is connected, sensory communication will be achieved, meaning that the language nerves in Rebecca's brain can now recognize the information conveyed by the female doctor.

"That's not a good choice, darling."

"Let me finish... If I were you, I would choose the first company to solve your problem—for example... Arasaka?"

Rebecca's already cautious nerves immediately tensed up, and the gorilla arm seemed to be starting to work.

The doctor shook his head slightly.

Rebecca remained silent and continued listening.

As long as her intuition had even the slightest premonition, Rebecca had to shut this woman up.

"Fortunately, I was the only one who recognized Arasaka's patch. The failure rate of the nanosurgery you asked about is not low... Didn't the guy who brought you close to New America tell you that you'll most likely be living an ordinary life from now on?"

Rebecca responded urgently, "Why?!"

"The pressure that prosthetics put on the body is beyond imagination, and there aren't that many special things; if the neural matrix were still there, it could have dealt with that terrifying particle that haunts your consciousness, but we've lost it."

“If you force surgery, you will most likely lose your life, so Miles can’t bear to do that.”

It seems something is starting to block the signal.

The female doctor said urgently, "Don't believe in those so-called multiple physical examinations, stay away from Jacob! Absolutely!"

That sentence was sharp, short, and urgent.

While Rebecca was still in a daze, the door was opened.

A burly, dark-skinned man strode in, wearing a grey silk shirt and a name tag that read "Joint Logistics Command Internal Affairs Officer"—

Solomon Ridge.

Why was the data suddenly blocked?

Li De's eyes were sharp as he scanned the two men back and forth.

The female doctor, once again resembling a street thug with a prosthetic body, said, "Who knows what's wrong with your old system? I'm just helping this girl with a post-system repair scan. Don't act like a cat whose tail has been stepped on, okay, Li De?"

Li De, who had been rebuffed, couldn't discern anything else on the two people's faces, so he said to Rebecca, "Let's go, Rebecca, it's time. You haven't done your check-up with Jacob yet."

Jacob.

A warm, white man, almost like a university professor.

In any case, the only way to see Rebecca in Night City was through images of politicians on television.

"Well... goodbye, you little bitch."

The female doctor stared at Rebecca with a smile.

For some inexplicable reason, Rebecca felt a strange emptiness welling up inside her…

Is it an illusion?
Rebecca left under Li De's watchful gaze. The female doctor stared intently as she departed. The dimly lit, neon-lit workspace and the stark white lights of the corridor created two separate worlds, as if her place were a quagmire.

After the door closed, the female doctor shook her head slightly, humming a little tune as she continued to tinker with the equipment she had placed on the magnetic levitation platform.

He looked very focused.

Gradually, the female doctor put down the screwdriver in her hand and sat down in the chair helplessly. In the shadows behind her, a slightly short figure in a white suit watched silently, only the badge on his chest, representing supreme power, shone brightly.

"One you, one Li De..."

"Now I finally know how Song Zhaomei died."

The female doctor squinted, making a face like the kind you'd make when telling a scary story to frighten a child, and whispered, "Scared to death."

The woman, half her face hidden in the shadows, raised her chin, an innate arrogance.

"What brings you here, Acting President... Madam?"

The doctor leaned back in his chair and sighed softly; perhaps her words had been a bit too impolite.

Miles walked out slowly, her face showing only peace and solemnity. She spread her hands and said, "We are all fighting for freedom and beauty. Your title cannot change my understanding of this world, including—our relationship."

"Now... tell me your child, what did you say to her?"

Miles gently placed his hands on the woman's shoulders and whispered a question in her ear.

The expressionless doctor continued, "It's just an examination, only data testing, Miles."

Miles smiled slightly, making it impossible to tell whether she had noticed anything amiss. "Only... well, kid, I want to know where we are now?"

"Don't try to fool me, I'm not easy to deal with."

The doctor sighed, "Fine! The software issue is resolved, but I advise you and Jacob, who are trying to sabotage me, that software you can't extract—the girl's health has visibly deteriorated, and this is the last thing I can do."

Miles remained silent.

The doctor didn't get a reply from Miles. She knew very well that her efforts would be ruined again by the software engineer named Jacob, but the girl was running out of resources to spare.

"Two months, she's almost gone. Do you see her as a second lark?"

Miles's gloomy expression was rather abrupt. "I want to know if the patching and mending on this girl's body is Arasaka's doing? You just need to answer yes or no... You are the most talented girl in the new America, and I hope you think carefully about your answer."

However, the doctor sneered repeatedly, as if he were indifferent: "Hmph, if I were the CEO of that bandit leader Arasaka, and a little mercenary was running around with the latest technology that resurrected his old man, would I be kind enough to save her?"

"And you? You didn't intend to let her live either?"

Miles opened his mouth, "I always keep my promises... I believe there will be a perfect solution to this, just like if she lives, we will get what we want."

The doctor stopped answering these questions.

Greed is a basic "virtue" of politicians.

The footsteps faded into the distance…

The woman silently smoked, squinting as she looked at the girl in the photo frame, her face pressed against hers, smiling sweetly.

"Zhaomi..."

She muttered to herself.

The next second, she froze. A cold, metallic object was pressed against the back of her head. The doctor's eyes widened as he tried to identify the person behind him by looking at the reflection on the table.

Gunshots were fired.

The thick colors spread across the table, the black reflecting the lamplight and even wetting the picture frame.

at the same time.

Morgan, with his hands tucked into his trench coat, paused for a moment.

Rebecca and Li De had walked quite a distance ahead, but he stopped in place, frowning as he looked thoughtfully at the other end of the corridor.

……

……

Please have a seat for a moment.

Rebecca enjoyed the rare physical and mental relaxation, sitting obediently in the chair.

Jacob was fiddling with something in the semi-transparent server room, and Rebecca, unable to make heads or tails of it, turned to stare at the television.

Unlike the news channels in Night City, the news at the White House seemed to be just reading from a script, and the content appeared to be about Miles…

"The protracted legal battle has seen a new development: President Myers was sworn in early yesterday morning with his hand on the new U.S. law, marking another instance of President Myers serving as acting president before his resignation—"

"It's clear that the House of Representatives has emerged victorious in this new round of confrontation, and the new president of military technology, Mark, has publicly supported President Myers' provisional 'proxy liberty' rights..."

What are you talking about?
Rebecca didn't understand the vocabulary these politicians had invented, but she knew that Miles was more likely to keep his promise; at least the chair she was sitting on wouldn't be overturned anytime soon.

"Can I change the channel, Li De?"

Reluctantly, Li De took the remote control and selected a utterly boring cyberpunk romance drama for Rebecca. Satisfied, she slowly lay down. Jacob always caused Rebecca great physical pain, so this was a way of finding joy in suffering.

Just as the woman was about to have a passionate encounter with the male protagonist, the room suddenly became solemn.

Rebecca turned her head and then shrank back behind the sofa.

Who else?
Of course, we are the victors, President Miles!

"How are you, child?"

Miles looked down and asked with a smile in his eyes.

Forced by the impact, Li De shut down the TV series, cursing that nowadays TV dramas dare to film anything. Li De was an extremely traditional guy.

"So what? I'm more interested in knowing when I'll get better. Don't forget... I'm the one who led you all the way back from Dogtown."

Miles looked at the sharp-tongued girl, his expression unchanged. He simply inspected the equipment prepared for Rebecca, saying, "It'll be soon, baby...it'll be soon."

really weird.

Rebecca rolled her eyes at Miles, who had gone into the inner room to talk to Jacob, and muttered that she wanted Reed to turn on the TV. Reed, of course, refused, and just as the girl was about to throw a tantrum, her pigtails swaying back and forth—

A smooth, black hand snatched the remote control that Li De had placed behind his back.

In fact, the hacker could have easily turned on the TV using hacking techniques, but there was no need for it; who knows how many hackers were watching Miles when he came here.

“Hmm, something feels off, Rebecca.”

Johnny sat down next to Rebecca and muttered something. Then he looked very agitated and paced around Rebecca with his hands on his hips.

"They seem to be planning a 'final battle'..."

Rebecca rolled her eyes. The passionate scene had vanished, and she cursed inwardly, "What the hell happened? Didn't we agree that you'd leave and I'd stay?"

"Forgot, you didn't have a choice anyway."

Rebecca couldn't wait for this paranoid former rock star to get out of her head.

God knows how many times Rebecca personally experienced his bastard past.

To put it nicely, it's called being a womanizer; to put it bluntly, it really tests Rebecca's patience and limits.

This guy thinks he can become a pioneer like Rin, rebelling against the system? He should get rid of his gambling, drinking, and womanizing habits first…

Johnny remained silent, and no one knew what he was thinking.

"What do you mean? That thing can't be pulled out?"

Miles was talking to Jacob, who was sweating profusely as he set up the program.

Jacob straightened up helplessly. "It was too hasty. The prosthetic body on her body is a time bomb. Whoever put this thing on her must be crazy. Do you know how much strain her nerves have to bear when Relic fails?"

Miles, arms crossed and a cold expression, retorted, "I only want the structure of this thing."

Jacob shook his head slightly. "The software and technical principles can be dismantled, but... that thing can't be taken out under any circumstances. As long as she's alive, she'll definitely go insane—but as long as she's alive, we'll eventually be able to reverse engineer the Soul Killer program." Miles frowned, pondering the implications.

a long time…

"Fine, let's hope Mark's counterparty can accept this condition. We need weapons to win, like space-based weapons in space... These arrogant idiots in space, the new America will no longer be controlled by anyone, anyone!"

Jacob spread his hands.

"Don't worry, I have a way to handle her even if she's crazy. Just to be safe, I'll have those two mercenary leaders by my side the whole time. I'm really afraid she'll smash my head in."

Miles warned impatiently, "They are loyal to the new America. Watch your words, Jacob."

Jacob's surrender.

Miles then put on a smile and walked outside, but this time she was looking at Li De and Black Hand.

Rebecca's interest naturally lay in the new round of soap opera plot, where Miles called out his two "loyal dogs"—

Li De's expression changed, though he didn't know what Miles said.

"Your Excellency, this is not what we agreed upon before..."

Miles' tone left no room for argument: "Technical questions are not for me to answer. Obey orders, Reed."

"But she'll die from having so many prosthetics."

Li De still wanted to try.

However, Miles looked at Li De, reached out and patted Li De's shoulder, revealing a helpless and powerless expression, "Listen, I'm sorry about what happened to Xiao Song. Nobody wants this kind girl to become the second Xiao Song."

"But this is the only option at the moment..."

Li De felt a lump in his throat, unable to let it go for a long time.

Miles, however, did not intend to continue on this topic.

After saying that, she looked at the expressionless Morgan Blackhand, who was undoubtedly the most trusted and loyal agent Miles trusted most.

"Take good care of the child. If there is any danger, follow Jacob's instructions. You should be able to subdue her prosthetic body."

His head moved away as Miles's black hand rustled his black leather jacket, a half-smile playing on his lips...

"Hmm, the same as always?"

Black Hand glanced at Li De, only to find that the guy had already turned and gone inside. He then shrugged helplessly and followed him inside.

Whether Miles's words were true or not, Black Hand wouldn't delve into it. As a technical expert, he could glean the truth from Jacob's words.

The prerequisite is that this person has to be honest...

Just moments ago, Rebecca was acting quirky and playful on the sofa, staring blankly at the ceiling. Now, she's lying in the hacker chair, receiving anesthesia.

Rebecca is no fool.

She could sense the urgency emanating from those around her; at that moment, she felt a mix of excitement and nervousness…

Am I getting better soon?

She felt guilty and uneasy whenever she thought about how Rin had risked the lives of half the city to save her own chance at survival.

“Rebecca, if I were you, I wouldn’t fall asleep—I’m absolutely certain, this intuition is exactly the same as when I entered the Arasaka Tower! Don’t close your eyes!”

"I beg you…"

Johnny braced himself on the chair and tried to shake Rebecca, but to no avail.

"What... a terrorist, isn't it just that they're afraid of dying..."

Johnny's figure began to blur.

Rebecca hoped that she would wake up to a beautiful dream.

"You two better act quickly! Don't doze off or anything... I have confidence in my skills, but no one has confidence in a mercenary whose hands have seen countless drops of blood, right?"

Jacob's eyes, hidden behind his cold-gleaming glasses, were filled with fascination as he stared at Rebecca's black arm. "Ah, it's a work of art."

"What you just said...be careful?"

The Black Hand, who was usually silent, spoke up this time.

Jacob said, "Unless she is not human, she will definitely lose her self-awareness during the reverse engineering process of the extracted chip software."

Seemingly realizing he had said the wrong thing, Jacob gave a forced smile, "But there is still a way to regain consciousness later. We need to get our hands on Arasaka's technology first... no, I mean Ultraman."

Li De crossed his arms, his expression clearly displeased and tinged with suspicion.

Black Hand then abruptly asked, "That genius hacker, Otto Cunningham? So Soul Killer is the predecessor of this thing, not just some legend, right?"

Jacob was somewhat surprised.

"You actually know a little bit about this?"

Black Hand shrugged, glancing to the side. "It's written on the computer. I'm not blind, thank you."

Jacob's surprised expression disappeared. "Yes, the reverse engineering process will take some time, and the chip program will be extracted—she'll have to rely on herself for a while."

"In short, no one will die, just a tiny bit of nerve damage... I'll heal her, I will..."

Jacob's face flashed with an excited smile, his tone suppressed and manic.

Black Hand continued to smile casually, his hand touching the two fully functional Saragato swords under his trench coat, the meaning of which was unclear.

"No, this can't be done. I have to go find Miles."

Li De seemed to have made up his mind.

Jacob scoffed and picked up the tubing from the ground. "No one can change Miles's orders. Save your breath. Unless you're an enemy of the new America, I can't see any point in you stopping this surgery—"

"The Soul Killer is something we can't even come close to. For the new America to be strong, it must be like this."

Li De was caught in this huge accusation.

Black Hand said casually, "Although I don't quite understand, I think it's a good thing... It doesn't matter if she dies, right?"

A vein throbbed on Li De's forehead. "Shut up!"

"Tsk tsk..."

Black Hand shook his head.

Jacob stared intently at the sleeping girl. "She won't die, she won't... She still has so much to do."

Li De seemed to find some comfort by closing his eyes, while Black Hand remained expressionless.

Caught off guard, the tube was suddenly inserted into the brain-computer interface through Rebecca's disheveled hair. Like a kitten lying on its side, her body began to spasm uncontrollably the moment the tube entered.

Where the three people couldn't see, Silver Hand stood with his hands on his hips in despair, looking down at his gradually dissipating body.

Everything... is coming to an end.

"here we go."

Jacob quickly unlocked the special steel restraints on the prosthetic operating table, and, overjoyed at the progress of the decoding, muttered like a madman, "What a stupid girl."

Everything was going smoothly, giving the impression that the girl was fine once the progress bar for decoding was loading...

Just as the entire equipment room was quiet, with only the ticking of the instruments...

The girl suddenly opened her eyes!

Black Hand could see her eyes clearly, but after her lifeless pupils trembled violently a few times, Black Hand's expression became even more gloomy.

His experience and understanding told him…

This girl will probably leave this place forever the moment she loses the checks and balances of Relic.

The woman named Emma won.

The mastermind had to admit the outcome…

As the process continued, a low growl suddenly came from Rebecca's throat, like a wolf cub guarding its territory.

"Jacob?"

Li De was somewhat uncertain.

"This is normal, keep an eye on her!"

Jacob abruptly stood up, staring excitedly at the progress bar, while Rebecca's shout sounded like two voices merging together—

Fuck you, you company dog!

"Try touching me!"

A strange and distinct feeling manifested in Rebecca; the metal restraints rattled, and beneath her slightly gaunt cheeks were veins that bulged like venomous snakes!

"It's you?"

Jacob was startled at first, then squinted and laughed, “It really is a horror fan! Johnny Silverhand… I hate rock music the most.”

suddenly!

The voltage supply to the entire equipment room began to become unbalanced, and Li De and Hei Shou were both startled by this sudden change.

"You're going to kill her, stop!"

"Rebecca" roared fiercely!
"Pfft!"

In the eyes of the three, the terrifying Fenzi who died decades ago activated those horrifying cybernetic bodies, preparing for a desperate last stand!

A terrifying howl and the heat emanating from the prosthetic body engulfed the group!

Jacob hurriedly got up, knocking over his chair, and shouted, "What are you standing there for? Quick, hold her down!"

Even though Li De had a premonition that things were going terribly wrong, he still reached out and pressed Rebecca firmly into the chair...

Only the Black Hand took a slight step back.

His life was clearly showing signs of spiraling out of control.

Miles's broken promise has led the Black Hand to choose another path. Perhaps... that guy (Rin) is right, he should try to take control of his own life instead of relying on others.

"Damn it! Imposter, are you still going to watch—uh! Fuck!"

Silver Hand stared directly at the top lone wolf from his memory who had invited him to the Arasaka Tower…

He trusts his intuition more.

"Morgan!"

Li De turned his head and saw that the black hand took out a cigar from his pocket and lit it in the room filled with sophisticated instruments that prohibited any smoke.

Tell me this isn't what you want to do...

After Li De instinctively drew his gun, his hand naturally loosened, and Rebecca's shoulder was no longer under his control.

Saragato's scorching bullets forced the momentarily slow-moving Reed to instinctively dodge to the side of the cover.

"You guessed wrong about the young man!"

The bullet's sparks caused some cracks in the alloy lock, and the latch visibly lost its control!
Li De dodged the first round of shots and quickly returned fire. The black hand in the trench coat, which resembled the wings of a night owl, dodged to the side and growled, "If you're a rock musician and can't use this cybernetic body properly—then you deserve to die here."

The change happened in an instant…

Jacob only knew that his legs went weak and he knelt on the ground. By the time his almost completely blank brain realized the betrayal by the Black Hand, it was too late.

【Progress 75%】

Rebecca, now in the silver hand's place, swayed violently, but with sheer grit, she managed to snap the chains.

The gorilla's arm delivered a crude punch that instantly turned Jacob's upper body into a pool of blood!
"Go to hell! You stupid hermaphrodite!"

Silver Hand raised a middle finger and quickly pulled the wires off the back of his neck. He lost his balance and fell heavily to the ground from the prosthetic surgery chair!
“Even Swannstein wouldn’t use the Beatles, what a hassle… I still prefer you, Rebecca.”

Having been forced back by Li De, the black hand casually released the two submachine guns that were tucked under his elbows.

He needs to seize some opportunities.

But the trouble is definitely not Li De…

S. A.S.S. turned him into a blur that moved left and right, with the edges colored by optical refraction!
The rapid punches forced Li De to desperately shield his head with his arms, the only sounds being the whistling wind and the booming of his prosthetic body...

"Still thinking about how to sing the next song? Get up!"

Li De, who had been kicked directly into the machine amidst a burst of sparks, showed no sign of getting up.

Black Hand grabbed the guy in front of him and pulled him up.

However, Rebecca, her eyes completely devoid of their former clarity, clutched her head and said in a broken voice, "Destroy...destroy that server now!"

The replica, bearing the memories of the original Black Hand, spoke calmly.

"This isn't the time to think about that, Johnny... any slower and it'll be too late."

Rebecca, rubbing her head, slowly sat up.

"Also, I suggest you let that girl handle these weapons; you're not cut out for it..."

Rebecca rubbed her neck, spread her legs, and cursed, "I'm helpless. I don't know what tricks that hermaphrodite is up to, I can't wake her up—and I'm still suffering from the aftereffects of the anesthetic."

"Ugh... damn it!"

Black Hand's face twitched, and he silently pulled over a pipe.

The piercing alarm in the facility lasted for more than a minute; knowing Miles's personality, the place would probably be completely packed by now…

"Sitting on it will alleviate some of the discomfort."

Johnny, who was wondering why this guy suddenly made a move, found that his body felt much lighter as the device worked.

“Regardless of whether they got the paperwork or not, we have to leave.” Black Hand glanced at the three-minute countdown timer.

This is the Joint Logistics Command's training procedures and emergency response requirements.

The Black Hand reached out a second time. "I don't know how to explain it... The Black Hand in your eyes is exactly the same as the memory in my head. Let's go, old buddy. Even though you're just a mascot without any fans."

"After finishing Arasaka Tower, let's move on to New America... This is fucking interesting."

The mastermind wants to give himself a big thumbs up for his "perfect" life.

Silver Hand sneered as he was pulled up—

"Dude, your head's like a dangling doll, you can't understand anything, but you definitely have that guy's shitty personality!"

"Also, do you have any cigarettes? I don't want the one in your mouth."

The black hand walked forward without looking back.

"No."

Silver Hand snarled and cursed, while the gorilla's arm emitted hot steam. "This girl not smoking is bad enough for me, and why are you doing this?!"

Black Hand stopped before opening the automatic door, letting out a long sigh—it was unclear whether he was marveling at himself or enduring Silver Hand's actions.

"because…"

"I promised someone I'd protect her, like I would protect my own life, hippie, do you understand?"

"Smoking is harmful to your health."

……

……

(End of this chapter)