LIGHTNOVELONLINE Chapter 7
《Neon City Bulletin Board》
[LOL, they say terrorists are popping up at North Houston Cafe?]
For real?
ㅡ Is that true? How do you know?
ㄴ A journalist friend told me (Author)
ㅡ Yeah~~ I don’t care about lower or middle class~
ㅡ LOL, another win for me since I didn’t step out today!
ㄴ You should go out more
[How can a terrorist’s name be Eco Warriors? LOL, E-CO-LOL]
What in the world are they doing? Haha
I’ve never seen such a lazy name in my life!
ㅡ This is Eco, and that’s the old man’s nose.
ㅡ Whoa! You know Eco Warriors!
ㅡ Don’t underestimate them; legit a radical group with a mindset to fight for the environment, for real.
ㄴ Do I need to know that?
[Let’s find out what the Eco Warriors are up to right now.]
(Image of a polar bear holding a gun)
First off, they’re the most famous among eco-fascist groups.
They’re literally a group that believes in protecting animals and nature.
They’ve acquired many interests through radical actions and get a lot of support from related organizations.
Apparently, even city council members are secretly backing them, so they have plenty of leverage.
Just recently, they sent a threatening email saying they’d launch missiles if the factories in Cloud Park don’t stop working, so you get the idea.
By the way, it’s not just orcs in the organization; there are also elves and humans, so don’t get it twisted.
ㅡ Are you an orc? Why are you shielding them? Do you want to get hit by a shield?
ㅡ I was going to comment ‘because their race averages LOL’, but after what you said, I’ll just leave.
ㄴ Didn’t you comment?
ㅡ It’s these jerks that keep my electricity bill high. How the hell do you stop factories, you dumbasses?
ㄴ If you’re mad, you know what to do, right? Just move to Platinum. Tax-free!
ㄴ Ouch; looks like I can’t go in this life.
[Taking live action photos]
(Picture of orcs holding guns)
They’re currently captured, so I can’t answer any questions.
ㅡ LOL, I can’t believe you’re here right now!
ㅡ HAHAHA! Are you seriously trying to take photos in this situation?
ㅡ Looking at the photos, it’s all ‘that race’. You know what I mean?
ㅡ Everyone, this is the last moment of a Net Space addict. Please stay away from the net and live in reality.
I checked the reactions on the bulletin board and smirked to myself.
[What in the world are you doing right now, I ask?]
“Hold on, let me take a photo.”
There’s no way I can pass up a chance like this.
2. If It Can’t Be Avoided (2)
Just because it’s a café in a cyberpunk world doesn’t mean it’s all that different.
Of course, there are plenty of unique characters around.
There was someone with goggles over their eyes focusing on a game, and I saw others handling their work using hologram interfaces.
Some folks were chatting in groups, and a few more were grabbing a late meal.
Yet, after all that scanning of my surroundings, it felt like I was the only one just sipping a drink without doing anything.
Sigh. True relaxation comes from solitude…
I felt sorry for the Neon City citizens who couldn’t enjoy the leisure of life.
[Why is human ‘Lee Siwoon’ just sitting there, I ask?]
“I can’t download any games because my data storage is full….”
[……]
The taste of forcibly enjoying leisure was very bitter.
This was all because of my ‘owned’ AI, Eve.
Her personality program was incredibly heavy.
Even my top-spec cyberware couldn’t handle its data load.
That’s how I became ‘the guy sitting doing nothing in a café.’
I took a sip of my cheap coffee.
Hmm.
“The aroma of cheap coffee beans is delightful.”
[Info. ‘Molecular Coffee’ doesn’t actually contain coffee beans, I explain.]
“……Really?”
Or not.
Oh wow. Seriously.
Sitting around doing nothing made my whole body feel lethargic.
If only I had played a game like everyone else.
But not doing anything was excruciatingly dull.
‘Might as well just turn on the net and kill some time.’
Just then, a voice interrupted my thoughts.
“Everyone, STOP what you’re doing!!”
– Bang! Bang, bang!!
A sharp gunshot cut through the café’s music.
“Hands up over your heads, and put your heads down!!”
A large group of green masses barged into the café.
People merely stared at them blankly, failing to gauge the atmosphere.
Or they hastily ducked under tables, burying their heads and bodies.
As for me, known as ‘I,’ I preferred to stay in the corners, so I was able to observe the situation much more leisurely than anyone else.
I lowered my voice and quietly ducked under the table.
By their appearance, I guessed they were either terrorists or robbers.
Masked thickly, they still couldn’t hide their race.
No doubt about it, they were orcs.
The orcs shouted at the citizens who hadn’t grasped the situation yet, kicking them to the floor.
Even though it was a weekday afternoon, many people were passing time in the café like me.
It would probably take them a bit longer to fully seize control of it.
“We are the eco-protection group, ‘Eco Warriors’! If you follow our orders properly, nobody will get hurt!”
[Confirmation. They claim to be the group ‘Eco Warriors’.]
“….”
I cautiously surveyed them.
Each and every one was armed to the teeth with guns.
Next, I scanned the regular citizens sprawled on the floor around them.
Not a single person looking like a mercenary or wealthy businessman was there; not even anyone basic armed with a pistol.
This meant there was no one to stand against the terrorists internally.
I surmised that externally, there weren’t any force groups (like bodyguards or corporate ninja units) trying to rescue them at that moment either.
Having processed that much of the situation, I crouched lower.
Now I was just flat against the floor.
Eve asked me,
[Are you not preparing for battle, I ask?]
“How did I leave home today?”
[……?]
Exactly.
I had practically rushed out of my house today in a panic.
Though I wasn’t being chased by armed thugs, I was hiding from my insane neighbors and friends next door.
If I had prepped like usual, the situation might’ve been different.
But regrettably, that wasn’t the case now.
What equipment did I have?
Just the mandatory smart mask for outings.
How the hell could I fight in this state?
Even a wizard would die from a gunshot just the same.
Sure, I could block bullets.
But I didn’t see any reason to force a fight here.
“Soon the police will come and rescue us anyway.”
If we were in a lower area, I might’ve worried a bit more.
But fortunately, this was the middle class, a café in the business zone.
NCPD or the Cyber Force strike team could respond quickly here, too.
So I wasn’t too concerned.
I knew that if I just held my breath and stayed still, the city authorities would show up eventually.
*
But the terrorists were a bit more serious than I had anticipated.
At some point, reinforced steel panels had been installed on the café’s glass walls.
Glancing over, it appeared to be military-grade.
…That’s going to be incredibly sturdy.
Did they also hack the signals?
It seemed they were broadcasting the voices and images of the living citizens within the café continually.
With this, the police couldn’t just disregard the citizens’ reactions and force their way inside.
In addition to that, there seemed to be various specialized equipment scattered around that I didn’t recognize.
“Our requirements are clear! Immediately halt the demolition orders of the green zone in Red Wood!!”
Even if terrorists were common in Neon City, seeing them in front of me (as a hostage) felt different.
Wondering when I could escape…
Checking the time, I realized an hour had already passed.
I used magic to eavesdrop on the sounds outside.
It sounded just as chaotic out there.
From what I could hear, the NCPD had been dispatched long ago.
I could also hear several NCB24 reporters arriving on-site and recording.
How long do I have to wait?
Come on, police. Rescue me already.
Of course, although I thought that way, it looked quite tough in reality.
I couldn’t even guess who their backers were, but the equipment these orc terrorists had was exceptionally professional.
Even I, clueless as I was, thought their gear ranked in the upper 5%.
“Ugh.”
If I had known all this would happen, I would have stayed home and played with Catherine.
I regretted briefly.
“It’s been an hour since we stated our demands! As we’ve said, we will begin executing hostages one by one, and remember, this is all Neon City’s fault!!”
“……Huh?”
To my recollection,
they had never made such a statement before.
Looking at the incredulous and flustered expressions of other hostages around me, it didn’t seem like I was the only one puzzled.
…This is why orcs get badmouthed.
Having many orc friends, even I thought these races were somewhat dense.
With the terrorists’ sudden declaration, the mood outside became tense.
As rough as Neon City might be,
if citizens started dying in real-time broadcasts, it would severely damage the city’s image.
“Hey you! Step forward!”
I wondered who the unlucky first person would be.
Better pray for them now.
…
“Step forward, NOW!”
It was me.
The chilling cold of a gun was pressed against my temple.
I was dragged toward the camera, grabbing the back of my neck.
[Protection protocol, shall we execute it?]
Where does that even come from…
But hold on.
With so many people here, how the hell did I get picked?
It was utterly ridiculous.
I was just baffled.
In any case, since things had come to this point,
I had to act quickly.
First, I confirmed the number of orcs: 10.
They were all wearing bulletproof vests, and even the parts without vests showed thick muscle.
I needed to control my attacks more, targeting vital spots.
All weapons were from Blue Rapid, RKM series, using 7.62 ammo, so I had to be even more careful about defense.
I should probably focus more on blocking the head area just in case.
And I should exclude any equipment I wasn’t familiar with for now.
I could just take out the one holding my neck and act from there.
I quickly assessed the situation and prepared to move.
– BOOM!!
…Huh?
I hadn’t done anything yet.
The steel-reinforced walls were suddenly blown apart.
Dust and screams filled the air.
With visibility completely obscured, even the terrorists were momentarily stunned into inaction.
And then, from within, a familiar voice rang out.
“Who the hell are you! The ones who took my friend!!”
I had no idea how she found us, but it was my neighbor (sister)!