Soon enough, Butz led his men to secure "funding" from Militech.
He casually picked up a restricted heavy weapon and chambered a round. The crisp metallic click made a huge grin spread across his face.
"Get everything ready! Tomorrow's the day we show those corpo dogs what happens when they mess with us!!"
...
"What's been going on with the Maelstrom gang these past couple of days?"
Roland turned his head and asked the intelligence team member in front of him.
"Not entirely sure yet. They've been very active recently, moving all over Watson District, but they haven't made any concrete moves."
The agent shook his head and handed Roland a report on the Maelstrom gang.
After reading it, Roland's expression grew somber. He waved his hand, signaling the agent to leave.
"Astat, check the recent surveillance data. See if you can find any intel on Maelstrom's movements."
"As you command… apologies, but there are no surveillance devices in that area. Should I dispatch a security team to investigate?"
"Hmm… send a small squad of Fanged Hounds robots and Ant robots instead."
Roland lowered his head, thought for a moment, and gave the order.
"Understood. Units are being dispatched to the area."
The Ant robots were a new robotic blueprint Roland had developed recently. They came in two variants: Worker Ants and Soldier Ants. The Queen Ant model had not yet been completed.
After all, the so-called Queen Ant was less a robot and more an AI intelligence.
Given the current situation, it didn't seem necessary to deploy it yet, so Roland decided to keep it in reserve for the time being.
Worker Ants were small robots primarily designed for transport and reconnaissance. They weren't very large—certainly not as small as real ants—but roughly the size of a cat.
They mainly carried small items. Transporting larger objects was possible too, but it required a greater number of units.
Soldier Ants, on the other hand, were combat-specialized units. They were humanoid combat robots incorporating ant-inspired features, equipped with powerful exoskeleton armor and alloy weapons designed specifically for close combat.
In short, they were melee-focused units rather than ranged ones. Their strengths lay in immense power and exceptional defense, while their weaknesses were limited long-range capability and relatively slow movement.
The purpose of dispatching both robot types this time was purely reconnaissance.
That said, Roland didn't completely stop paying attention to Maelstrom. After all… there was someone on his side who dealt with the Maelstrom gang far more than most.
"Pyke, you've been dealing with the Maelstrom gang a lot lately. Tell me—have they been acting unusual recently?"
Inside a brightly lit factory, Pyke—his body covered in blood—glanced at the Maelstrom gang member's head he had torn out along with the spine, then casually tossed it aside.
"They're a bit different. They've gotten noticeably more arrogant these past couple of days."
As he spoke, Pyke recalled killing the factory's person in charge earlier. Even at the brink of death, the man had shouted that Pyke wouldn't live much longer.
And this taunting felt different from before. In the past, it had clearly been all bluster. This time, though… it felt like confidence.
After asking Pyke a few more questions, Roland ended the call. After a brief moment of thought, he sent Elizabeth a reminder to be more cautious for the time being.
Don't provoke the Maelstrom gang. Observe their movements first.
Upon receiving Roland's instructions, Elizabeth naturally chose to pull back. After all, during this period, the Mox Gang hadn't been fleecing the Tyger Claws—they'd been fleecing Maelstrom instead.
Newly expanded territory needed time to settle. Expanding too fast could lead to choking on more than they could swallow.
"So arrogant… which corporation is backing them, I wonder?"
Roland stroked his chin. At this stage, he wasn't in a hurry to get involved in the proxy wars between corporations. He preferred to sit back and watch the show for now.
As for the clash between Arasaka and Militech, he had even less interest in stepping in. After all, better them than him.
After finishing up matters on this side, Roland took a moment to check on Jhin. Verdict confirmed—still an absolute mess.
Jhin had taken Jackie and the others on another gang-clearing gig. Even though it was just a small gang, Jhin charged in at the front without hesitation.
Small-caliber weapons were meaningless to Jhin, and large-caliber ones could barely hit him at all. The ones who suffered were the people following behind him—but they also grew remarkably fast under such conditions.
Once he confirmed there were no issues over there, Roland decided to head home and get some sleep.
Soon, deep into the night—the prime time for violence and chaos—the most vibrant hours of nocturnal activity arrived.
One of Butz's lieutenants had already led a group of men to the outside of one of PROJECT Corporation's publicly known factories, armed with grenade launchers and other heavy weapons.
Each of them was itching for a big fight. The security robots stationed on the walls quickly detected the anomaly—after all, a large group gathering here in the middle of the night was anything but normal.
"Warning. This is private property of PROJECT Corporation. All personnel must withdraw immediately, or we will take enforcement action."
As the security robot finished its warning, it raised its weapon. Its intelligent targeting system instantly locked onto the Maelstrom gang members, while the automated machine guns mounted nearby quietly activated.
"Heh. Move in!"
The Maelstrom lieutenant sneered coldly and shouted the order.
The moment his words fell, flashes of fire and deafening explosions turned the area instantly "lively."
...
Roland, who had been sleeping soundly at home, was jolted awake by an urgent report from Astat. Still half-asleep, he looked around in confusion before finally registering Astat's words.
"Sir, our corporation has been attacked by the Maelstrom gang. They're equipped with heavy firepower and have caused significant damage to our factory!"
"...Huh?!"
Roland's eyes went wide.
What the hell?!
You're picking a fight with me??
What, tired of living?!
That was the past. The past is the past—this is now. Let me tell you, if you dare make a move now, you're not getting out of this alive.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser