Thud.
Putato took a difficult step and immediately collapsed. The extreme agony coupled with the corpse-like weakness made him temporarily unable to control his body.
Even a simple action like extending his hand was incredibly arduous for Putato.
He raised his Honesuki, intending to casually end the life of the gang member directly in front of him, but instead, he unthinkingly plunged it into the opponent's abdomen.
Slash!
"Damn it, you're insane."
The two-axe Executive continuously retreated until his back hit the wall, horrified to witness the seemingly ordinary small knife in the misty figure's hand smoothly cleaving open the subordinate's chest and abdomen.
And the subordinate felt nothing, still screaming desperately.
Large drops of sweat streamed from his fingers, soaking the wooden axe handle. The Executive could no longer bear the terrifying, collective shrieks and turned to flee down the stairs.
"Who is that?"
Consta recaptured the girl, turning his head to curiously look at the misty figure.
"That knife... isn't that Putato's?"
"When did you change into this outfit? And can you please cease screaming?"
Mo, picking up Arnold's broken hand, looked at the misty figure with concern, somewhat hesitant about stepping forward. After all, every Axe Gang member who had passed by was screaming faster than they could catch their breath.
"Is it nerve gas? I'm a Prosthetic individual, so I should be immune, right?"
While Mo agonized, the trembling Putato propped himself up with his hands, desperately trying to stand, but a sudden jolt made him fall directly again.
His head, following the long, smooth wound across the steel surface, plunged into the gang member's abdomen. Instantly, warm organs enveloped Putato's face, making him feel as if he were an infant immersed in amniotic fluid.
Unable to bear the overwhelming pain, Putato desperately tried to bury his head further. It was only at this moment, with his brain completely overloaded by the suffering of death, that he finally remembered to exit Necro Emission.
That's right, I don't have to endure this.
I almost forgot!
"Putato? Are you alright!"
Unable to bear the horrifying sight of Putato entangled in gore, Mo rushed forward, and her circular screen immediately flashed red exclamation marks.
Mo completely lagged, falling backward.
"I I I I I I."
"System restarting! System restarting!"
The piercing siren blared incessantly, and in the distance, Consta and Arnold exchanged a look.
Suddenly, the shrieks from the second floor abruptly ceased, and Mo's alarm also began to quiet down.
"Aaaah."
Putato trembled as he leaned against the wall, slowly pushing himself up.
He looked at the gang members on the floor, crying to the point of exhaustion, and pulled a grotesque smile. Their saliva, tears, and facial features were all distorted into a mess.
Noticing the 'playing dead' Mo slowly standing up, Putato's sluggish mind roughly understood that she, too, had been affected.
"Haha."
Mo, in a panic, hugged her Prosthetic body. She only managed to calm down slightly after nervously glancing around and seeing Putato.
"Hahahaha!"
Putato covered his face, laughing wildly. This power, which even he found almost unbearable, was truly too formidable. He finally wouldn't have to spend every day in fear of some demon or monster appearing in The City to kill him.
If even machines couldn't escape the torment of death, who dared stop him?!
Who dared provoke him? He would make the entire City feel the agony.
"But it hurts like hell! I swear to God, I'm never using this damned ability again!"
Even with the newfound sense of security, Putato still loathed the Death Tattoo to his core. The mechanism of this thing was too unnatural.
If the death aura became too intense, Putato believed one could literally be pained to death.
He reached up to check, realizing he had pulled out quite a bit of his own hair.
"Help me up."
"You, what exactly happened to you just now? Why did I experience that sensation?"
Putato was directly lifted by Mo. His legs were now soft, like noodles.
Looking out over the balcony, the Syndicate war had entered a fierce phase. Gyeong-mi was relentlessly punching Oaks, who was pinned beneath him. Oaks was probably pulp by now.
And Elena was still moving around on the edge of the battlefield. Putato guessed that after she suddenly drained someone dry, there would be silence for a long while.
"Let's regroup here. Consta, deal with these Axe Gang members."
"Wait, why don't we tie them up and sell them to 23?"
"No! I'm too lazy for the trip. Kill them."
Consta glanced at Mo, then at Putato, and still picked up his horizontal blade to carry out the order.
"Seriously, we could have earned a bit more money, right? Should that other person be dealt with too?"
"I'll handle it."
Taking a deep breath, Putato still hadn't fully emerged from the shadow of the recent suffering, but he could now act normally.
Perhaps when he accepted Khaji's business card, his spirit had thereby become stronger and more resilient. Otherwise, Putato would have remained motionless on the ground, eyes open and silent.
Now, his fresh wounds and previously accumulated hidden injuries were all healed by the death aura. Putato removed the auditory implant from his right ear and tossed it off the balcony.
"I ask you, have you truly never killed anyone?"
"Putato, no way. You always pull this trick on enemies. This guy will definitely say yes."
"Yes."
Putato, leaning against the wall, took Mo's horizontal blade and lifted the girl's chin, unexpectedly realizing the other party possessed an Adam's apple.
"You're a man?"
"Yes."
"Then why are you presenting as a sister? What is your name?"
"Katae."
Katae looked at Putato with a hint of resistance, but still obediently spoke.
"Originally, my father adopted Oaks, so I am her older brother."
"He instructed that a brother must protect his sister well, and a sister must always heed her brother."
"Whatever she desired, I would yield it to her. If anyone caused trouble, I would use Father's firearm to scare them off."
"But one day, Father died while collecting Syndicate debts."
"I was always focused on preparing for the Wings of the World test, so I was unfamiliar with Syndicate affairs. I borrowed funds from them to cover the funeral expenses."
"Then the Syndicate aggressively pursued the repayment."
"They forcibly seized my sister and took her to a laboratory. I didn't want it to happen, I couldn't prevent it, couldn't catch them, and couldn't even manage to open the door."
At this juncture, Katae's breathing grew rapid, and tears incessantly streamed from the corners of his eyes.
That usually emotionless face now revealed an indescribable sorrow.
"Then, my sister miraculously survived, and right in front of me, she severed the head of the man who lent us the money using an axe."
"She declared we should follow what Father said, and exchange names and identities."
"Katae, that was my sister's name before."
"I, the incompetent protector, I no longer possess the capability to kill, and even less the courage to take a life."
"Even knowing she is out there, I can do nothing."
He collapsed, covering his face as if ashamed to be seen, completely disregarding the blade at his neck.
After hearing this account, the iron-willed individuals merely shrugged, indicating that changing names was quite an inventive solution.
"Damn it!"
Putato violently kicked a nearby Axe Gang corpse. The rage boiling in his heart overpowered the lingering phantom pain of death, and his fierce desire to become the Pinnacle of The City grew almost ceaselessly.
He irritably tugged at his hair, pulling out a noticeable amount of black strands.
After forcing himself to calm down, Putato squatted down and pondered repeatedly before speaking.
"Why don't you stay with me? The Axe Gang is finished anyway. I just happen to require a doctor."
Katae's delicate face was stained with tears and snot. His eyes were filled with confusion and emptiness.
"You... want to protect me?"
"I..."
"I killed your brother, what about you!"
"Then, Brother, please protect me."
Damn it!
Putato was uncharacteristically left speechless. He stood up and hesitated for half a minute before regaining his usual composure.
"Then so be it."
"Alright, we should head out now."
...
The streets were in utter pandemonium. Even the usually meek "rats" were excitedly participating in the battle against the Axe Gang and Hook Gang.
Putato watched as three rats bundled up an unconscious Axe Gang member and carried him away, excitedly hoping to sell his spoils before prices dropped due to oversupply.
The Hook Gang members, conversely, were retreating swiftly. After all, Gyeong-mi hadn't issued an order for their complete extermination.
"Damn you, Putato!"
Tae-in, standing atop a cargo truck, brandished his whip-blade, attempting to slash the throats of all the climbing rats. Spotting Putato's appearance, he immediately bared his teeth in fury.
He stomped hard on the cargo crate, hastily signaling his driver to escape, not forgetting to flip Putato a disrespectful gesture.
Putato smiled and waved farewell to Tae-in, which only served to make Tae-in curse louder with rage.
"Putato! Sooner or later, I'll..."
Before he could finish, a blood-red monster, crouched on a residential wall, shot out like an arrow, instantly severing Tae-in's head. A brilliant blood-red light immediately flared into the sky.
The headless corpse slumped into the crimson liquid, rolling off the truck and becoming the object of a fight among the rats.
"Why is everyone acting like vultures? What is there to steal from a corpse?"
Putato shook his head and located a quiet spot to assist Arnold in reattaching his arm.
He pulled out the tools from his belt and connected the circuits, asking Katae without looking up.
"What did you inject Oaks with?"
"It was a Regeneration Ampoule."
"What?!"
Wasn't that item a specialty product of K Corporation? A potent healing agent manufactured using their unique Singularity technology.
However, its core function wasn't actual healing, but rather restoring the object to its original state.
"Does your Axe Gang actually possess the credentials to work for K Corporation? It doesn't seem like you have the capability to hijack a K Corporation transport unit, does it?"
The City was dominated by 26 Wings of the World. Aside from a very few exceptional Fixers, others were simply incapable of directly confronting them.
After all, a Corporation had too many ways to deal with a Syndicate. Even if the target was one of the Five Fingers, spending a huge sum to place a bounty on them at the Association would suffice.
Not to mention, the Wings of the World all maintained their own enforcement soldiers.
"No, we recently raided the Green Journey laboratory and acquired some highly concentrated products. Oaks asked me to try mixing them."
"What is Green Journey?"
"It's a very large research institute. It had been gaining fame for a few years, possessing what was termed 'key-point modification technology'."
"But later, K Corporation discovered they were stealing corporate secrets and initiated a monopoly war. A few days ago, K Corporation announced they had completely annihilated them."
Putato frowned, realizing that the reality of The City seemed to differ somewhat from his game memories.
This audacious Green Journey was never mentioned in the game. Was this logical?
Connecting this to the Void Fist that challenged The Thumb, Putato vaguely felt something was amiss. He concluded that it would be more reliable to quickly secure an appointment at Lobotomy Corporation.
"So, apart from these few vials on you, are there any more of these items?"
"Yes, hidden in my and Oaks' original home, inside the wardrobe where I often slept."
What kind of bizarre sleeping arrangement was that?
"Katae, remember this: there are no more of these things beyond these few vials."
"Mo, thank you for your trouble. Go retrieve all those stockpiles."
"Of course, no problem! These are Corporation goods; they're worth a fortune! I absolutely will not lose them!"
Mo's face, usually impervious to the suffering of death, showed not a trace of distress. She, Consta, and Arnold immediately drove Axe Gang's corpse onto the driver's side of their vehicle.
Hearing the engine start, Putato was still preoccupied with Green Journey.
"Katae, when exactly did you say Green Journey was completely annihilated?"
Putato intently gazed at Katae's delicate features. The other party looked completely like a woman. Had he undergone gender confirmation surgery?
His attention was immediately captured by the date Katae reported, which was the same day Putato transmigrated.
"Such a coincidence? Could it be related to my situation?"
"No, this suffering of death is making me a bit moody."
Putato casually pulled out his Honesuki, turned, and mumbled his way out of the room. Katae immediately bowed his head and followed.
Gyeong-mi, whose iron chains were covered in minced meat, immediately gave an order upon seeing Putato.
"Ah, you captured this one alive. Well done."
"Go deal with that Executive then. I'll give you a building later. You'll surely appreciate it."
...
A deserted alley.
The panting two-axe Executive covered the wound on his right arm, cautiously escaping, but blood still continuously dripped onto the ground.
The moment he turned, his pupils contracted sharply. He saw a deranged individual squatting on the ground, licking the bloodstains he had left behind.
"It's numb and bitter. The flavor profile is like a messy palette."
Putato spat, slowly standing up, immediately making the two-axe Executive feel as if he had witnessed his own father's killer.
"It's you, you piece of trash, who tricked us!"
"Don't get agitated. Otherwise, you'll bleed out faster. Biological Modification isn't omnipotent."
The two-axe Executive's eyes were bloodshot. His core was consumed by rage, rendering him unable to heed any words. He roared, swinging his two axes continuously.
Hematic Pump!
Putato leaned back, dodging the axe blade, carefully fighting back with almost superhuman agility.
Clang, clang!
The exhausted Executive couldn't precisely control his strength. The large axe occasionally chopped into the hard rock wall, emitting a shrill sound, further draining his energy.
The narrow alley echoed with a series of clanging sounds, incredibly lively.
"You damned bastard."
"You damned bastard!"
The Executive's offensive now became sluggish. His verbal abuse couldn't mask his rapid decline.
Putato turned and kicked off a wall. The helplessly pursuing Executive could only watch as a side blade struck, instantly piercing his neck.
Swish!
Using the momentum of a somersault, Putato severed his head with one strike, blood staining more than half of his right hand.
A strange itching sensation came from his wound. Putato could feel it was an axe tattoo; his skin would become more resistant to cuts.
"If there are too many tattoos..."
Putato couldn't help but laugh at the thought that he might only be able to open his chest with a chainsaw in the future.
"Brother, you're amazing. Ending lives is so effortless for you."
The words from behind startled Putato. If he didn't know Katae's personality, he would have assumed the other party was mocking him.
Seeing his reflection on the blade, still smiling after taking a life, Putato sighed, bent down, picked up the Executive's head, and walked out.
At this juncture, there was nothing left to debate.
"It's not simple at all. And this time, killing was necessary."
"Yes, Brother will certainly be capable of eliminating more people next time."
"Shut your damn mouth!"
"Okay."
Gyeong-mi, arms crossed, meticulously cleaning the minced meat from his iron chains, looked up and saw Putato presenting the head, nodding in satisfaction.
"Hmm, I'll have someone install an iron door on that building. You handle the rest of the internal decorations."
Putato took the large bunch of keys, feeling somewhat perplexed.
"Didn't you like that place a lot? You frequented it several times a day."
Putato was startled and momentarily frightened, not expecting Gyeong-mi to have deployed surveillance. Did he know about the Bloodfiend incident?!
Gyeong-mi clapped his hands, looking somewhat amused by Putato's bewildered expression.
"I originally sent someone to confirm if you would defect. I didn't expect you to be quite capable. Don't linger in that broken clinic."
"The operative tailing you got tired of following you around all day. Parui still trusts you, and he wasn't wrong about your potential."
"Alright, it's getting late. Go get some rest."
"Tomorrow, we'll head to Backstreet 23 to claim the spoils of victory."
Putato nodded, still feeling uneasy. In the future, he needed to be extremely careful to avoid any surveillance.
But The City was too dense and intricate. How could he leave absolutely no trace? He couldn't just assault every passerby and Trash Elder.
Perhaps he could briefly utilize the Death Tattoo to evade pursuit.
After all, the death aura would conceal his figure and face, and in that corpse state, he wouldn't even emit a sound. The only downside was enduring the sheer torment of death.
It seemed he still needed to properly train this 'side profession.' As a secondary earner, he couldn't afford to let his boss discover his activities, or the consequence would be far worse than merely being overworked.
"Boss Gyeong-mi, I'll be taking my leave now."
"Don't be late tomorrow, or I'll kick your ass!"