Chapter 263
Named - designated, appointed; famous.
Chrome Monster Rodrick Grant Smith.
Of course he was famous, in a bad way.
It was partly due to his mechanical physique that you could never forget once you saw it. But above all, wasn’t he the boss of that notorious terrorist gang, Dead Cell?
If a legend existed in the crime or terrorism industry, it would refer to this man.
He was also a wanted person with a massive bounty placed on him by the DCPD.
However, that wasn’t how I remembered Rodrick Smith as a 'Named'.
That word had another meaning.
Named Boss!
It was a title given only to the most powerful among the various boss monsters appearing in the game, or to the entities that provided users with an unforgettable, intense memory.
That’s right. Chrome Monster Rodrick Smith was a Named Boss who also appeared in the original game I remembered.
And technically, he was a case of both. He was incredibly powerful, and he even provided users with an intense experience.
It meant he was a fucking hard boss monster to beat even back in the game. Even if he wasn’t the final boss, he was a mid-boss who was just as - no, perhaps even more - memorable.
He was such an annoying enemy that even I, who hadn’t enjoyed the original work that deeply, remembered him vividly.
His specs alone were terrifying, his patterns were bizarre, and he even had multiple phases, so I had to slam my desk in frustration over and over, struggling for over an hour before I could barely defeat him.
Even I, who prided myself on having above-average game skills, was like that.
What would it be like if a monster that was so hard to deal with even with an overpowered player character in the game appeared in reality?
I hadn’t watched for long, but I immediately got a feeling.
'I can’t beat that.'
Microchip or whatever, it wouldn’t work. If I fought him, I would certainly die. The weight class was on a different level from the start.
Could someone on the level of the Shaolin Monk or Dragon President match him? I wasn’t even sure of that.
The fortunate thing was that the target Chrome Monster was aiming for wasn’t me.
Rodrick Smith bared his hideous teeth and glared at Iron Dog Invincible Maximus with his red electronic eyeball. It was a ferocious aura, as if he wanted to tear him apart alive.
It seemed there was some sort of ill-fated connection between the two.
[Bwa - hahahaha. To think you would be here! Accepting the proposal wasn’t in vain. I clearly told you back then, didn’t I? That you would regret it. Did you think you could dare lay a hand on this Rodrick’s property and survive unscathed? You arrogant piece of shit!]
Just the sound of the Chrome Monster laughing uproariously emitted infrasound that made my heart sink.
It would be normal to be terrified, but Maximus didn’t back down and answered while standing upright.
“Why is that your property? Aren’t they stolen goods you took from Militia? All I did was return the stolen goods to their original host.”
Given the circumstances, it sounded like they were talking about a commission the A-rank Ronin Maximus had taken in the past…
My eyes widened at the sudden mention of a familiar megacorp’s name.
Militia? Furthermore, the person he was conversing with was the boss of Dead Cell, Rodrick Smith.
Was it related to the Militia Research Institute Terror Incident that I knew of? No, judging by his saying he returned the stolen goods, it seemed a bit different.
[That is - mine - - - !]
The corridor rang and shook at Rodrick’s roar, leaving no time for other thoughts.
I would never do such a thing, but Iron Dog Invincible Maximus, perhaps lacking fear, added one more word in a calm tone.
“Also… did I think I could survive unscathed? I am actually surviving perfectly fine right now. I don’t see what the problem is. Isn’t that right, Iron Head?”
This was an obvious provocation. Rodrick Smith finally let go of his thread of reason and exploded.
[Then I’ll make it so you aren’t surviving unscathed! It’ll be quite a sight once I rip off those two toy-like scrap metal arms of yours - - !]
His just stepping forward with his exoskeleton-clad foot while shouting caused the floor to crack with a crunching sound.
Now!
If they started fighting in earnest, weaklings like me and Alexandra would definitely be brutally killed just by the aftermath.
We had to run. And if we were going to run, the optimal timing was right now, just as the battle was starting.
“Run!”
There was no time for a long explanation. I shouted briefly and dashed in the direction of the landing pad. It was the only way to live.
It was hard to know the situation over there because Rodrick Smith was being so loud, but whatever it was, it would be better than staying here!
Fortunately, Alexandra immediately understood and ran with me. No, rather, she was running ahead, outpacing me.
[Bugs! No one can escape from this Rodrick Smith!]
Suddenly, a red sensor popped out and flashed from the spinal frame on the back of the Chrome Monster, who had seemed to concentrate only on Maximus.
Something swept over our fleeing backs. Along with a chilling premonition, a small sound was heard.
Pew-
Ah, damn it!
Was it too hasty a judgment? I didn’t even have time to look back, so I couldn’t know exactly what it was, but it was a projectile.
Not just one, but dozens, hundreds of tiny projectiles were flying at a tremendous speed.
I could guess what would happen the moment they touched us.
I couldn’t dodge. The moment I realized my mistake, a tingling death was already right behind me.
Even if I could have used Activation of the Microchip, I don’t think it would have worked.
Was this the end? Even if it was a suit made of nanotubes, could it block this? Even if I survived, Alexandra would - .
In the final moment, following my instincts, I covered my head as much as possible and leaped into the air. Briefly,
Bzzzt-
I thought I heard a rich person sound.
And then.
KWA-BOOM - !
The projectiles exploded all at once.
The shockwave that burst out from detonating suddenly before touching my body, the overwhelming exercise energy blew me away. I was launched at an incredible speed like a fired bullet, crashing into somewhere -
- - - Thud.
That was my last memory.
* * *
“Hey, wake up. Get a grip! Is he really dead? Oh? He’s opening his eyes!”
I truly thought I had come to the afterlife. And rightfully so, wasn’t it a situation where it would be stranger not to die?
I didn’t know if I would go to hell or heaven - or somewhere else entirely, but seeing as I had suddenly dropped from 21st century Seoul into 22nd century Dusk City, wouldn’t there be a world after death?
I think I had those thoughts. Of course, as my vision gradually returned and I saw a familiar face smiling brightly and shaking my body, I abandoned my contemplations about the afterlife.
She had red hair and artificial skin, and an escort uniform that was dirtied and torn as if she had been through quite a lot. I was so glad to see her that a hoarse voice came out naturally.
You were alive after all.
“…Ms. Kali.”
“Yeah, it’s me. Still, it looks like you didn’t hit your head? How many of these do you see?”
A hollow laugh escaped me at the sight of her asking while waving her fingers in a V-sign.
“Two…What happened?”
As I spoke while holding my head, feeling dizzy, Ms. Kali shrugged her shoulders.
“I wouldn’t know. I just got here not too long ago. All I saw was some stir over there fighting and destroying everything around them, and you lying collapsed on the floor as if you got swept up in it, with Young Lady Alexandra holding onto your body, right on the verge of bursting into tears. That’s about it.”
At Ms. Kali’s words, I suddenly snapped back to my senses.
Right. I got caught in the explosion, but was Alexandra okay?
“Ah! Come to think of it, Young Lady Alexandra is…”
I shouted that and tried to raise my body, but frowned from the pain. Wow, it felt like every bone in my body had been crushed.
“Hey, don’t move. It hurts, right? There aren’t many intact spots on your body. Just stay still for now. I don’t know exactly what happened, but it seems you survived out of sheer luck.”
Wow, anyway, you’re checking on the VIP’s safety the moment you wake up? You’re better than me. Anyone watching would think you’ve rolled with our team for years instead of being a newcomer. Don’t worry. The Young Lady is perfectly fine. Look at this. She’s overflowing with energy.”
When I heard those words, my blurry vision widened, and I saw Alexandra. I didn’t know if the part about her being on the verge of bursting into tears was true or not, but the rims of her eyes did look a little red.
She was pounding Ms. Kali’s firm side with her small fists, shouting with a red face.
“I was not! Bursting into tears, I exclaimed, 'Who said such a thing!' I did no such thing. Do not lie! Eyy!”
…She certainly looked overflowing with energy.
Fortunately, unlike me, who couldn’t even control my body properly, Alexandra was very lively.
Was it the difference in genetics and body modification? Or it could be because I took almost all the impact with my body.
If it hadn’t been for the suit, I would have died a hundred times over. I didn’t know how many times the Chairman’s gift was going to save my life.
Anyway, I felt at ease, as it seemed I had perfectly accomplished what needed to be done as an escort.
With the appearance of my reliable senior, it felt as if my lingering frustration was completely washed away.
Now I didn’t need to take responsibility for everything. What a pleasant sense of liberation this was!
I was one thing, but Alexandra also looked much more comfortable than when it was just the two of us. The sense of stability between two people and three people was different from the start.
“Now, I feel a bit sorry for the sick kid, but… shall we slowly get moving then? I’ll support you. Heave-ho.”
Ms. Kali said that, then wrapped my arm around her shoulder and kindly helped me up.