Chapter 5 - I will go
I sprint down the evacuation stairwell, taking four steps at a time.
While carrying a limp Rena slung over my shoulder, at that.
Right now, maybe my body—gladly accepting this once-in-a-lifetime chance—is pushing out performance beyond its limits. Honestly, even if my knees shattered on the spot, I could probably keep running with a smile.
Anyway, I ran like my body was going to break apart.
Since it was obvious someone would be guarding the lobby and the elevator, I kept going down the emergency evacuation route from the 33rd floor where Rena's office was.
The slave escape I'd been praying for was right in front of me.
If I just get down, get outside headquarters, and hop onto a City Tram, a cyber taxi, or a carrier and go somewhere—then hole up—this will be over.
Since I've even gotten permission from that damn full-brain control chip, I can run anywhere until I judge I'm out of danger.
There, as planned, I remove the chip and become free.
But.
Before that, there's one place I have to stop by.
Van Bio headquarters, 23rd floor—van Rubenka's office.
"It's definitely still there."
Recently, there was something I heard from Merida, van Rubenka's servant.
It was one of the childish bits of gossip in the servant quarters—"my master is amazing", "no, my master is amazing".
[Levan, Rubenka always takes something with her when she goes to conferences. If you open the second drawer of the desk in Rubenka's office, there's a travel-only bag in there. Do you know what's inside?]
[I told you twice I'm not curious.]
[It's a cartridge tube holding the 6th-generation prototype of our company's bestseller, the 'medical nanorobot series', and the nano antidote Van-Type 4 we developed in-house this time!]
[Yeah. I heard it all, so can I sleep now?]
[Every time she goes to the conference held at Valhalla Municipal Academy, she takes that with her and shows it off everywhere—half promotion, half bragging. She's genuinely proud of the headquarters' technical prowess. Some renowned high-ranking mages even showed interest in the new product!]
[So what? Her personality is absolute trash.]
[She's soft-hearted. It's just that for some reason, whenever she sees Levan, she gets violent.]
Medical nanorobots.
The product that pulled Van Bio Company up to its current position as a mid-sized corporation.
Once implanted into the body, it not only drives out all kinds of diseases and poisons, but given enough time, it can even regenerate a severed hand or foot.
The highest-end product currently sold by Van Bio is the 5th-generation medical nanorobot.
If you include the procedure cost, that 5th-generation product goes beyond a whopping 3 million credits. Enough money to buy a luxury apartment in the City.
But a 6th generation?
It may be an unreleased prototype, but if prideful Rubenka carries it around personally and even brags about it, then the product's stability is practically proven already.
For someone as frail as me, there's no treasure greater than that.
I endured twenty years with nothing but escape in mind—so if I get out and then die right away from getting stabbed or something, that would be too unfair.
Good thing I didn't storm out back then saying I didn't want to hear it. To think Merida's master-bragging—stuff I hadn't listened to—would help me.
"I'll grab the prototype fast and leave."
That's how I arrived at the 23rd floor.
Mihonsan was faintly spread across the 23rd-floor area as well.
Since the 23rd, 33rd, and 43rd floors of the Van Bio building are used by the owner family, security is tighter there than elsewhere.
But if even these floors look like this, then the whole building is probably in the same state.
Ugh···.
I saw employees staggering like zombies, or already passed out and sprawled on the floor.
The Sichuan Tang Family's event was truly bold. Even if they pull this kind of stunt in the middle of the business district, it means they're confident they can handle the aftermath.
At the very innermost part of the 23rd floor, I reached the front of Rubenka's office and held Rena's employee ID badge to it. The closed office entrance opened.
It was a simple office.
There was no one inside, and beyond the wide floor-to-ceiling window, the dazzling buildings of the business district were visible.
As I jerked my head around and quickly swept the interior with my eyes, the desk drawer Merida mentioned came into view.
Clack-!
A firmly locked drawer. I immediately hammered it again and again with a fist loaded with inner power.
Crack- crack-
By the time my skin split open and bone showed, and my third-rate inner power hit bottom, the drawer crumpled and the entire desk collapsed.
Inside the second drawer was a small bag, just as Merida had said.
Hoo—
When I opened the zipper, white vapor flowed out.
In a glass cartridge with refrigeration, neatly stored—that was the 6th-generation nanorobot prototype. Beside it, several new nano antidotes were placed snugly as well.
"Found it."
Van Bio Company's industry is "nanotechnology", and its main field is the production of ultra-precision medical nanorobots. Its tech was recognized in Baldur City and throughout the industry···.
And now, I'd obtained the object that would become the end of that series.
KRAKABOOOM—
A thunderous roar rang out like lightning.
How much time do I have left?
I don't know what's happening right now in the chairman's office on the 43rd floor, but I don't have time to be leisurely.
I upended the office, opening everything I could. Drawers, the styler wardrobe, all kinds of trays stacked on carbon shelves, even under fake flowerpots—I rummaged through it all.
Fortunately, something useful turned up on top of a shelf.
A box of high-concentration mana solution injectors.
And a neural booster and a bloodflow regulator.
The moment I saw them, I understood their purpose.
"Those aren't things the great Rubenka would use······so they're probably for torture or interrogation."
High-concentration mana solution is like a time-limited miracle medicine for mages. But for me, who has no mana circuit right now, it's completely useless.
If I use it recklessly in this body, I'd collapse from side effects—or die. I'll keep this for later.
Next, the neural booster. It gives a nerve-awakening effect like downing ten cups of strong coffee in one gulp. The speed at which I perceive the world increases. If used together with a bloodflow accelerator, the effect doubles······
KRAKAKAKABOOOM-!!!
Dust shook loose and fell from the ceiling.
"······."
A monstrous roar on a completely different level from before.
The building floor trembled as if an earthquake had hit. The commotion on the top floor was growing louder.
It means the Tang Family's guests are using real force—
Staying here any longer is dangerous.
The sensations across my whole body were warning me strongly that now is the time to get out.
I immediately left the office and started running again.
But before I got far, two problems came up.
One, the Rena I was carrying and the bag stuffed with various things felt far too heavy. The other, there was a man wearing a gas mask in the corridor to the stairwell—and at a glance, he definitely wasn't one of our employees.
Before I could even think, my body moved first.
Thuk!
I pulled out the neural booster and the bloodflow accelerator and jammed them into my thigh.
As I pressed and injected the blood-red liquid, nausea that made me want to vomit surged up, and at the same time my heart began pounding as if it would explode.
Tap!
Then I slammed my foot into the ground hard.
Rushing in an instant to right in front of the gas mask, I pulled out another injector.
Puuuk!
A high-concentration mana solution injector.
!?
I ran past him—stopped rigid as if electrocuted, unable to even let out a short scream—and leapt down the stairs.
My heart hammered as if it would burst at any moment.
From the 23rd floor to the 2nd-floor pilotis garden in one breath, I arrived and jumped down—still carrying Rena—onto a vehicle parked behind headquarters.
Bang!
Pain like my knees and lower back were breaking surged through me, but not long after, I calmly blended into the crowd of pedestrians and thought.
"I can't possibly make it to the tram station."
Thinking that, I hastily grabbed an unmanned cyber taxi in sight and got in.
Have a wonderful day today as well.
A pleasant machine voice flowed from the front display. I tossed Rena and the bag onto the seat beside me and leaned my body back.
Without realizing it, a hollow laugh slipped out.
"Ha······."
Only now did my surroundings start to come into view.
The soft leather scent drifting into the tip of my nose.
I couldn't tell from outside, but once inside, maybe it was a flagship-class taxi—seats that rivaled first class and even a whiskey glass were prepared. The base fare was probably······.
Honestly, none of that mattered.
This trash-like body of mine is right on the verge of passing out.
Please tell me your destination. Once the fare is paid normally, operation will begin.
The display zoomed in and showed a map of Baldur City. Right now, a lamp was blinking and lit in the central business district where I was located.
My hesitation wasn't long.
"Here."
Inside my mind, slowly fading into distance, I moved my finger.
Tick-
I tapped the area farthest from the City center.
Beyond there, the paved road ends, and a massive defensive barrier blocks the way—the last outer district you can't reach even by taxi.
Baldur's worst slum.
I am going to West Junktown.