Chapter 678 - 649 Separate Ways

[Susan: Target downed.]

The Scorpion-tailed Lion hovered in the sky, Susan cradling an Achilles tech rifle in her arms, looking down at the ground.

That armored floating pickup was indeed tough; even after losing control and crashing, it still maintained its intact shape. Theoretically, as long as the people inside were tough enough, it would be very difficult for them to die in such a crash.

Though she couldn’t see it, she knew both sides of the street were now filled with Arasaka ninjas.

The difference in choice between Military Technology and Arasaka for such missions was significant: Arasaka had a complete "assembly line elite training method." These elites were trained from an early age according to the brutal Japanese regimen of psychological and physical torture, completely submissive in mind, and their physical needs fully met.

Military Technology, on the other hand, was different. They didn’t lack corresponding plans; it was just that they yielded little, so they preferred to directly hire those veteran mercenaries from the streets, those who had a spirit of contract, equip them with powerful war weapons, and carry out high-risk, high-return beheadings.

That being said, many people would apply the principle of the rarity being precious and believe that street mercenaries were more formidable than Arasaka ninjas, but in reality, the latter willingly gave up their names for the company, becoming nothing more than the nuts and bolts that Arasaka needed—

No one cares about the thoughts of a screw, even if it’s a shining one.

These screws would become the final pieces in the puzzle to nail down these fugitives.

The battle outside continued; it was indeed surprising that a group of profit-driven rats developed a resistance. But it was reasonable to assume that those "outsourced NCPD members" wouldn’t last long, and perhaps bets were already being placed online on whether the people outside would die off first or if the three wanted criminals would perish first.

But if that was the case...

[Lark: Seems like this is the end, mission successfully accomplished. No one’s aware of Little Beidou, and Night City’s new legends, like everyone else, are sent to the graveyard...]

[Lark: I really wish they had tried a bit harder... tried a little harder, and maybe they could have become our colleagues, right?]

[Susan: Are your injuries almost healed?]

[Lark: Not too good, but this is always a good time for reflection, isn’t it?]

[Susan: They’re not dead yet, stay focused on the mission...]

Boom—

The Floating Shadow’s Vector Engine suddenly ignited!

Everyone on the scene, without exception, was equipped with various degrees of Si Anweisitan—

Everything slowed down!

...

"Listen, we need to split up: the defensive line outside and the one we’re on both have to... coordinate well."

A minute ago, Lille pulled out several personal links from his wheelchair and directly transmitted the following action plan into their systems:

[Lille: We need to split up.]

[Lille: Hansen, gather your remaining Netherworld Dogs at the EBM Stadium and continue to organize the defense along the wall.]

[Lille: Jack, now return to our base and get the Animal Gang to work: move the Netherworld Dogs’ equipment and personnel out, reinforce the defensive line.]

[Lille: V, you come with me, we’re taking Da Mai inside.]

Hansen had a lot of questions in mind, but what Lille said did make sense.

When communications are down, military morale could plummet; in such times, it was necessary to rely on the commander to gather the troops on the spot.

Of course, he still couldn’t see much difference between failure in 10 minutes and failure in an hour, so he chose to trust.

And his second question coincided with what Jack was thinking: splitting up was necessary, Lille and V needed a vehicle to get into the intensely heated ruins enveloping Little Beidou’s facilities—they understood that.

But what about them?

Boom!

The explosion completely blew Da Mai away; three people and one in a wheelchair squeezed into the vehicle, the temperature steadily increasing—

"...Follow the plan, Jack, take this thing, and when you get there, plug it into the computer I usually use. The rest, do as I’ve planned for you."

The wheelchair ejected a portable large server similar in thickness to Jack’s arm.

Jack nodded.

Hansen swapped the magazine on his pistol, "How are we gonna get out? The place is surrounded by Arasaka and elite Military Technology..."

Lille’s eyes constantly flickered with different colors of light in the darkness—

A series of new Si Anweisitan versions was transferring into V’s Prosthetics from another world. While they were fighting on this side, three days had passed in the other world, and a new Si Anweisitan version was born.

[Little Octopus: Mom, we can now reliably slow down time by 75%.]

And Jack had completely switched to his modified and ready-to-use knuckle dusters.

More astonishingly, Lille’s wheelchair suddenly began to transform!

Under his control, a set of pre-configured components started moving and reshaping, two mini rocket launchers opened up, a long barrel of an Electromagnetic Sniper Rifle gradually took shape, and it even began to charge...

Lille had used this trick before when helping the Six Street Gang against the mercenaries. Modified by Munemasa, the sniper rifle’s power was absolutely no less formidable than the "Rakshasa" currently aimed at them.

V stomped on the footrest of Lille’s wheelchair with force and chuckled, "You sure know how to hold on to my sturdy thighs."

As they brimmed with potential energy, Hansen incredulously blurted out, "What the hell are you planning to do..."

"In times like these—" Lille cut off the link with V and slapped Hansen’s waist hard, "stop thinking there’s some safe way to do this, Jack!"

"You got it—"

Whoosh—

The backrest of Lille’s wheelchair was yanked out forcefully by Jack, morphing instantly into a massive shield!

Almost at the same time, the doors of Da Mai’s car swung open; the shield braced against the gap, with the sniper rifle jutting out from the opening—

How could there have been strategies or treasures that guaranteed a 100% win rate all the way here?

At this juncture, they had to use every means at their disposal, do their utmost, and leave the rest to fate!

Bang—

The sound of Electromagnetic Bullets firing elongated.

Sixty Mini Bombs with smart tracking capabilities grazed past Jack’s skin under Lille’s control, with the searing airstream brushing his cheeks.

A sudden, yet utterly expected assault: how could these terrorists, who fancied themselves big bosses, surrender so meekly?

But even faced with their counterattack, the ninjas, and even the legendary mercenaries, still found it to be a thorny issue:

A bombardment, followed by interception, resulted in immediate downing...

Why did they still have such vitality and combat strength?!

Bang!

The Electromagnetic Bullet hit the Scorpion-tailed Lion squarely, and compared to Da Mai’s Chroni Titanium Armor, the sturdy Military Technology bulletproof armor just wasn’t as tough!

The bullet pierced through the armor, and though Susan tried hard to dodge, she still got grazed on the cheek...

Boom!

Sixty Mini Bombs exploded all around, stopping several ninjas who were trying to advance.

V burst out from the flames of the explosions, moving so swiftly it was almost unreal, slicing the ninjas into pieces with her Mantis Blade as if she were performing ballet—

Her Mantis Blade was faster, hotter, more rigid!

"Hansen!"

Jack bellowed and seized the warlord’s collar before Hansen could react!

Da Mai’s vehicle tilted and shook violently before suddenly taking off, but Hansen felt as though he was on a roller coaster...

This vehicle...

Wasn’t just shaking – it was fishtailing in sync with Jack leaping out!

His vehicle was Jack!