Chapter 103: Chapter Thirty-Nine: The Other Side Long Unseen

Did I guess wrong?

What the heck is this black horse-eared monster?

Are there monsters like this?

Is it a newly arrived transmigrant? Or is it a local specialty, a rare variety not yet discovered?

Or could it be an external influence like modification?

Aomo inevitably fell into contemplation, even though he was sure Man En had no more information—that man had only asked about the monster's traits because the commission involved the existence of monsters, and having found nothing, he chose to ask Aomo to be his monster-studies assistant.

Being able to state the cause, advantages, and weaknesses is enough; mercenaries don't need to truly study the monster's cellular organization.

Such researchers are actually not very useful in this kind of mercenary activity.

But what exactly is it?

"Horse-eared monster? Guinea Pig, you're no longer satisfied with just hanging out with ordinary horse girls?"

"Guessing the monster from the angle of horse girls is indeed a breakthrough, but I still hope you can take my words a bit more seriously."

After taking a car back from the bar to the academy, he remained stuck in that reverie; although the mercenary commission didn't require secrecy, he still chose not to speak of it, so Aomo merely mentioned the monster matter to the horse girl in the activity room.

After all, though it's not a matter of vanishing from humanity, at least it's hard to get in touch, so if any urgent matter arises during training, one must be mentally prepared.

But saying it's the horse girl in the activity room actually just refers to Ailisuzhi alone.

Mancheng Chazuo hasn't shown up here, and there's no need to have Meipu Bourbon deliberately come listen; Aomo just needed to mention it to her via umaline, and even within a minute he received the notice: 'Notice received, order overridden, wishing you smooth sailing.'

Although being punctual isn't unpleasant, the way he said it really sounded like he was about to set off immediately.

It's not that early either; David Man En and the others should still be sharing information and discussing, and they'll meet again this afternoon.

Aomo, who slightly lifted his eyes from the light screen, glanced at Ailisuzhi, who was bent over the desk writing something.

Researchers aren't researching all day; compared to the experimental process, knowledge accumulation and preparation of ideas take up more time.

Mercenaries are the same.

Not long ago, Aomo told Man En, 'Get the credentials sorted,' and this procedure itself is a kind of preparation, used to certify the agency mercenaries' legal right to act, so they won't be like free mercenaries or interstellar mercenary corps, who are somewhat outside the law.

Border Gate District is more like a place for people to live than Night City; how well David and his group have adapted here can serve as a strong basis for judging the credentials.

"You've already come up with an idea, haven't you? Guinea Pig," Ailisuzhi glanced at Aomo, "Could it be that being more serious means you want me to help you research the monster?"

"No need." When mentioning monster research, Aomo thought of Kailifu, who would come over after the summer break.

That's a genuine oddball who actually took a monster studies course ahead of time.

Unfortunately, even that oddball couldn't draw a conclusion from the impoverished and peculiar traits of the horse-eared monster; a string of guesses wasn't much different from Aomo's own.

"I'm just curious if you've heard any rumors."

"Do I look like a monster enthusiast like you?"

"I just don't believe you'd be uninterested in monsters." Aomo said while opening his tote bag, beginning to add new members to the miscellaneous pile of Mancheng Chazuo.

Dumbbells, grip strengtheners, sandbags, training swords, and even strange liquid bottles were placed down one after another, causing Ailisuzhi's ears to twitch; she lifted her head and froze, not even having time to answer the previous question before hurriedly asking:

"You planning to train here?"

"They'll definitely be used, either by you or by me."

Note that, aside from being a trainer, Aomo, as a mercenary, also needs to exercise and train.

If it weren't for Mancheng Chazuo opposing all-day seamless training, Aomo would even arrange for her to do morning exercises with him; this kind of treatment is still reserved for Bourbon later.

After the Jidong derby, Telenson also went on summer break; some horse girls would play to their heart's content, while others strive to outdo all classmates, making them extremely aggressive.

"That's what they say, but that's an ultra-dream experience device, right?"

Although Ailisuzhi could still sit, her gaze had already locked onto the small headband device Aomo had just pulled out, which had a layer of iridescent film.

Although the ultra-dream's psychological therapeutic effects have been promoted, what the public widely accepts is still entertainment.

"Right," the trainer who brought entertainment goods into the activity room showed no shame; rather, saying that placing anything in such an activity room is normal, and there's nothing to be ashamed of, "It's also something you can use; I recall there are several ultra-dream competition models on the market that can give you simulated training."

For this, he even specially upgraded the ultra-dream model; this kind of consumption, needed both publicly and privately, convinced Aomo.

"But now I need to use it first to confirm the mission."

"You guys use ultra-dream to transmit commission information?" Suzi's train of thought was quick; she bluntly pointed out that such a method of information transmission is indeed used in mercenary circles.

It's fairly common; some combat-type commissions are first recorded as video or even ultra-dream by exploration-type mercenaries, after which combat-specialized mercenaries take the field.

Unfortunately, it's unrelated to the facts; the Edge Runner agency hasn't sent him a message yet.

"No, it's just that an old friend sent me an ultra-dream claiming there's a monster, and the location is also in the Border Gate District." Aomo said.

This is also why he directly bet on the monster in front of Man En; he originally thought the two sides were referring to the same thing, but it turned out they might have gone off on a tangent.

By the way, the best app for listening to audiobooks right now is Wild Fruit Reading; install the latest version of. yeguoyuedu.

After all, Jingu Bridge doesn't have much horse-eared stuff.

But even if it's not the same thing, there might still be some connection, Aomo thought.

After all, although the monster's traits are scarcely mentioned, Man En at least revealed that the mission site is in the Exotic Realm of the Border Gate District, and if what Kailifu says is true, then Jingu Bridge has indeed appeared in the Border Gate District.

Only in the Exotic Realm would it be less likely to end up in the newspapers.

Because the Exotic Realm space was initially opened for unconventional citizen groups, major news doesn't belong in the newspapers.

"Last time you napped at my place; this time you're even more reckless, watching ultra-dream at my place—you Guinea Pig, are you completely off guard?"

Ailisuzhi, too lazy to maintain honorifics, somewhat speechlessly lifted her head, just because seeing him now wearing that small headband, causing the iridescent film to envelop his whole body upon activation.

The ultra-dream experience can have real-world feedback; merely breaking out in a sweat all over counts as good, but more often it brings brief phantom pain, or even shouting and screaming.

This is why ordinary ultra-dream experiences are usually done in seclusion; who would start them in front of others?

You really aren't afraid of social death, huh?

But Aomo could no longer hear her complaints; before his eyes, in the darkness, a dark-purple twisted halo appeared.

After stepping through the violet halo door framed above his head, there was a pallid elevator car.

"Is this the Exotic Realm of the Border Gate District?"

He heard 'himself' speak like that, as if asking the person beside him, and also as if simply sighing.

That was a rather neutral-sounding voice; Aomo felt it belonged to a woman, but this perspective does not scan itself, nor is it large enough to appear as front armor in the field of view, so he isn't quite sure.

Turning back, what he saw was a rapidly heightened view, and through the glass wall he saw half of the Border Gate District cityscape.

It was a city shrouded in overcast and light rain, where one could still see familiar landmark-like buildings: the familiar Rhode Island Pharmaceutical Company building and the familiar Clock Tower.

But aside from that, the architectural scenery was noticeably different from his impression.

Obviously changed were the slightly crowded arrangement of residential buildings, the mountain contours at the edge differing from memory, and those suddenly appearing clusters of skyscrapers.

Even the space above the city was occupied by frequently coming and going hovercars, hovercraft, and even certain groups of creatures that fly directly with their flesh.

Compared to the Border Gate District, it was more like the City of Heaven's Gate.

As a special zone for transmigrants, simulating an environment that most transmigrants can accept—relatively traditional and natural—is precisely the duty.

But for those transmigrants who do not come from a relatively traditional natural environment, would they be more accepting of another style of Border Gate District?

This is the exotic realm of the Border Gate District.

Provided for the unconventional residents of the Border Gate District to live in, it is the other side of the Border Gate District.