Chapter 7

[Translator – Peptobismol]

Chapter 7: If it’s Inevitable (2)

《Neon City Bulletin Board》

[Hey lol, heard there was a terrorist at the North Houston Cafe?]

Goodness me.

– Really? How do you know?

ㄴA reporter friend of mine told me

– Oh~~ As long as it’s not on my floor, I don’t care about the upper classes~

– Haha, my first win for not leaving the house today, lol.

ㄴ You should go out for once.

[How can a terrorist group be called Eco Warriors lololol, kekeke]

What on earth are they doing? lololol

I’ve never seen someone name something so thoughtlessly in my life.

– That’s Eco, and that’s the old dude’s Co.

– Wow! You know about the Eco Warriors!

– Don’t underestimate them ㅇㅇ;; They’re a seriously radical group with a mindset to fight for the environment, as their name suggests.

ㄴ Are you an informant?

[Let’s find out more about the Eco Warriors that everyone’s talking about.]

(Image of a polar bear holding a gun)

They’re the most famous eco-fascist group.

Literally, they’re a group with an ideology to protect animals and nature.

They’ve gained many advantages through radical actions, so they receive a lot of support from related organizations.

Even city officials are secretly supporting them, so that pretty much sums it up.

They recently threatened to launch missiles if all the factories in Cloud Park didn’t stop, so that should give you an idea.

Just so you know, their members aren’t just orcs; there are plenty of elves and humans among them, so don’t stereotype.

– You’re an orc? Why are you walking around with a shield? Do you want to get hit by a shield?

– I was going to comment “typical for that species” but I won’t after seeing the last part.

ㄴDidn’t you already write it?

– These guys are why my electricity bill isn’t going down. How the hell do you stop factories, damn bastards?

ㄴIf you’re annoyed, you know what to do, right? Move to Platinum. Taxes are free there.

– ㅇㅇ; Yeah, I probably won’t be able to go there in this lifetime.

[Certifying from the scene]

(Image of orcs holding guns)

Currently detained, can’t take questions.

– Haha, he’s actually at the scene, lol.

– Lololololol crazy guy lololol. Do you really want to take pictures in this situation?

– Looking at the pictures, they’re all of “that species,” no?

– This is the end of a Netspace addict. Everyone, stay away from the net and live in reality.

I smiled contentedly as I checked the bulletin board’s reactions.

[What exactly are you doing right now, I ask.]

“Just a moment, let me take a picture.”

How could I resist the chance for a concept post?

Being in a cyberpunk world cafe isn’t much different from anywhere else.

Of course, there are many unique individuals.

Some are wearing goggles covering their eyes and immersed in games.

Others are using holographic interfaces to handle their work.

Some gather in groups to chat, while others are seen having late meals to fill their stomachs.

Even after looking around for a while.

I was the only one just sitting there, drinking my drink without doing anything else.

Heh, heh. True leisure comes from solitude…

I pitied the citizens of Neon City who couldn’t enjoy the leisure of life.

[Why is the human ‘Lee Shiwoon’ not doing anything, I ask.]

“My data storage is full, so I can’t install games…”

[…….]

Forced leisure tastes very bitter.

This was all because of the AI ​​I ‘owned,’ Eve.

The personality program’s capacity was enormous.

It was so enormous that even the cyberware with the highest specs couldn’t handle it.

Thanks to this, the ‘person who does nothing at the cafe’ was born.

I took a sip of cheap coffee.

Hmm.

“The aroma of cheap coffee beans is excellent.”

[Information. ‘Molecular coffee’ does not contain coffee beans, I explain.]

“…Is that so?”

Or not.

…Ugh. Seriously.

Just sitting here doing nothing is making me feel lethargic all over.

If only I had played games like everyone else.

Doing nothing made me incredibly bored.

‘Let’s just go on the net and kill some time.’

That’s what I thought at that moment.

[Translator – Peptobismol]

“Everyone stop what you’re doing!”

– Bang!! Bang bang!!

Sharp gunfire cut in through the sound of music in the cafe.

“Everyone, put your hands above your head and get your head down!!”

A large group of green blobs rushed into the cafe.

People who couldn’t read the atmosphere just stared at them blankly.

And those desperately pressing their heads and bodies under the tables.

Being ‘I’, who preferred to sit in a corner even in the cafe could assess the situation more calmly than others.

I immediately lowered my voice and quietly crouched under the table.

At first glance, they seemed to be either terrorists or robbers.

They were wearing thick masks to cover their faces.

But the masks couldn’t hide their species.

It was clear to anyone that they were orcs.

The orcs were shouting at the citizens who hadn’t yet grasped the situation to get down on the floor.

It was a weekday afternoon, but there were many people in the cafe, like me, passing the time.

It was expected to take a little more time for them to completely take control of the cafe.

“We are ‘Eco Warriors’, a nature preservation group! If you follow our instructions, no one will get hurt!”

[Confirmed. They are a group called ‘Eco Warriors’.]

“……”

I cautiously observed them.

Every one of them was heavily armed with firearms.

This time, I looked at the ordinary citizens who were crouching around them.

There was not a single person who looked like a mercenary or a wealthy businessman.

There weren’t even people with basic weapons like pistols.

So, it was concluded that there were no personnel inside who could fight the terrorists.

And there were no armed groups (such as bodyguards or corporate ninja squads) outside who could attempt to rescue them immediately.

Having read the situation up to that point, I lowered my posture even more.

Now, I was just lying flat on the floor.

Eve asked me.

[Are you not preparing for combat, I ask]

“How did I leave the house today?”

[……?]

That’s right.

I hurriedly left the house as if I were being chased today.

I wasn’t being chased by armed criminals, but I had to evacuate from the crazy neighbors and my friend next door.

If I had been prepared as usual, the situation might have been different.

But unfortunately, it wasn’t the case now.

I had nothing with me.

What did I have now?

At best, just a smart mask, an essential item for going out.

How could I fight in this state?

Even if I am a mage, I would die if I got shot.

It’s not that I couldn’t stop bullets.

But I didn’t see the need to unnecessarily fight here.

“Anyway, the police will come soon and rescue us.”

If this place were in the lower zone, I might have been a little more worried.

But luckily, this was a cafe in the middle zone, the business district.

It was also a place where the NCPD or Cyber Force Strike Team could be dispatched immediately.

I wasn’t too worried.

I just knew that if I stayed quiet and hid here, the city authorities would come on their own.

* * *

However, the terrorists were more serious than I expected.

Before I knew it, reinforced steel panels were installed on the cafe’s glass walls.

At a glance, it looked like military-grade.

…That would be extremely sturdy.

They also seemed to have hacked the radio waves.

Inside the cafe, the voices and appearances of living citizens were continuously broadcast.

This made it impossible for the police to ignore the citizens’ eyes and rush in recklessly.

Moreover, there were other specialized equipment that I didn’t know about placed throughout the place.

“Our demand is clear! Stop the demolition order for the Redwood Green Zone immediately!”

Even though terrorists were common in Neon City, seeing them directly (from the perspective of a hostage) felt different.

When will we be able to get out of here?

Checking the time, it had already been over an hour.

I slightly listened to the outside sounds with a little bit of magic.

It was equally noisy outside.

From the sounds, it seemed that the NCPD had already been dispatched long ago.

The voices of NCB24 reporters had also been heard, several of them had already arrived for filming.

When will they come to rescue us?

Come on, police. Hurry up and save us.

Of course, I thought so, but the reality looked very difficult.

I couldn’t even guess who the person behind me was.

That’s how specialized the equipment of these Orc terrorists was.

Even to me, who knew nothing, those equipment seemed to be in the top 5%.

“Sigh.”

If I had thought it would be like this, I should have just stayed at home and played with Catherine.

I briefly regretted it.

“It has been one hour since we mentioned our demands! As we said, we will now start killing hostages one by one, so know that all of this is because of Neon City!”

“…Huh?”

Wait, as far as I remember.

They never said such a thing.

Looking at the bewildered and surprised expressions of the other hostages, it seemed like I wasn’t the only one with this question.

…No wonder the orcs get criticized.

Even from my perspective, who has many orc friends, those species seemed somewhat stupid.

The atmosphere outside became uneasy due to the sudden declaration of the terrorists.

Even though Neon City was a city without blood or tears.

If the sight of citizens dying in real-time was broadcast, it would seriously damage the city’s image.

“Hey you! Come out here!”

Who would be the unlucky one to be caught first?

I should probably wish them luck in advance.

……

“Come here!”

It was me.

The cold chill of the gun spread from my temples.

I was dragged to the front of the camera grabbed by my back

[Should I execute the protection protocol?]

Where did you even get that idea….

But, wait.

Among all these people, how did I get picked?

It really doesn’t make any sense.

I was just dumbfounded.

Anyway, now that the situation had come to this.

I had to act quickly.

First, I counted the number of orcs.

There were 10 of them in total.

They were all wearing bulletproof vests, and even the areas without vests were filled with thick muscles.

I decided to focus more on control and aim for vital spots.

The firearms were all from the RKM series made by Blue Rapid.

Since they used 7.62 caliber bullets, I should pay more attention to defense.

Just in case, I should focus more on protecting my head.

And it would be better to exclude the equipment that I don’t know about.

First, I should knock down the guy holding onto my back and then start.

I quickly assessed the situation and was ready to make my move.

– Baang!!

…Huh?

I haven’t done anything yet.

The entire wall reinforced with steel panels was smashed in an instant.

Dust and screams filled the air.

I couldn’t see anything in front of me.

Due to the momentary loss of sight, the terrorists couldn’t take any action either.

And…

Amidst it all, a familiar voice rang out.

“What the hell are you bastards doing! The ones who grabbed my friend!!”

It was the protagonist (lady) from the next door, who somehow found her way here.

[Translator – Peptobismol]