Chapter Eleven: The Military Cyborgs

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Mo Wen did not evade the leader’s question; he confirmed his suspicion: “Indeed.” Reviewing the recent battle, if he had destroyed more of the enemy drones, perhaps the tire wouldn’t have burst, and they might not have nearly suffered casualties. Yet if they hadn’t seized the chance to counterkill the hostile mercenary, they could have faced another ambush later on. Even if that enemy mercenary’s combat gear mostly couldn’t be moved and had to be left behind, greatly reducing his fighting capability, his personal skill alone still posed a threat. For someone who nearly died, this was clearly not a good outcome. However, Mo Wen was willing to bear all consequences of his choices.

The leader nodded: “Well done. According to ‘Spider’s’ usual tactics, if the enemy can easily escape his web, no matter how greedy he is, he would never expose himself.” “According to the company’s proxy combat rules, there should be four mercenaries on the other side as well. Losing a quarter of their force this time significantly improved our chances.” “Next time, if no one infiltrates our internal communications, you can state your tactics outright.” Mo Wen disagreed: “I don’t think such tactics would work if openly discussed. Now, that guy who was almost abandoned—if he knew the truth, he probably wouldn’t obey so easily.” Some always sacrifice others while assuming they accept it, but Mo Wen himself strongly resisted being sacrificed. Silently using allies as bait was beastly behavior; no lofty justification such as necessity or prioritizing the greater good could excuse it.

The leader opened the internal channel and spoke directly to the comrade who was changing the tire: “Just now, we had the ability to shoot down drones and reduce sniper fire. You might not have had a tire blowout and been trapped if not for this. But to appear weak and lure the enemy to expose themselves, you indirectly became the sacrifice.” The comrade responded with a wry smile over the channel: “Say that earlier, boss. If I’d known I was being consumed normally and dying with meaning, I wouldn’t have been so scared.” “Wait, you usually tell us tactics directly. Was this the employer’s decision this time?” Mo Wen answered: “Yes.” The nearly sacrificed comrade sincerely praised: “Well done. Oh, and of course, the boss’s rocket was brilliant.” “Heh heh, with the boss’s performance just now and my baiting, we definitely deserve more reward.” Mo Wen remained silent. Though he vaguely sensed the locals’ disregard for life, hearing such a response still made him feel they were truly mad. Yet the feeling wasn’t unpleasant.

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“Deserving indeed. By the way, need help changing the tire?” The comrade laughed: “No need, just changing a tire. Should be done soon.” … Approximately six hours’ journey from Mo Wen’s group, in a ruined city, three other Life Pharmaceuticals mercenaries were analyzing the last intelligence sent by ‘Spider.’ One speculated: “One guy seemingly equipped with a military-grade countermeasure module, one fully cybernetic human, two heavily modified cyborgs, plus numerous drones and anti-material weapons. Their total preparation cost might be around 80,000 to 100,000.” Another sneered: “That idiot with the weird head got taken down by enemies at that price range. Should’ve sent him to scout alone; now there’s one less to split the loot.” A third frowned: “I don’t like that military-grade countermeasure module. It’s just speculation, but I suspect something’s off.” Suddenly, a voice cut into their internal channel: “There is indeed something wrong.” “Who!” Though shocked by the intrusion, the three immediately took defensive postures, mobilizing nearby drone swarms while attempting to block the hack and trace the intruder’s physical location.

The intruder made no effort to hide. Before their trace began, a rapidly approaching yellow dot lit up on their map. Its speed was extreme—definitely over 200 meters per second! If not riding a vehicle, there was only one possibility: a military cyborg! Yet they quickly dismissed this: “No way it’s a military cyborg. Our proxy combat intensity doesn’t involve those monsters.” Over the channel, the intruder calmly explained: “If the other side doesn’t follow the rules, we won’t either.” But the three mercenaries rejected this: “No new orders came from company. And if we abandon the mission, what about the pay? We’ve invested so much preparing; we won’t accept coming back empty-handed.” They watched the yellow dot, which should have entered their visual range by now, but they saw nothing. Without company confirmation, even if their channel was hacked, it could be an enemy ruse, especially since no physical presence was detected.

Watching the yellow dot approach until it stopped beside them, they almost laughed.

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A heavy palm slapped down on their shoulders. Two were nearly crushed by the force, dropping to half-kneel. The remaining mercenary stared breathlessly at the cyborg slowly emerging from thin air. Its slender, pure black body seemed to absorb all surrounding light; the brightness in this area dimmed noticeably with its presence. The newcomer spoke calmly: “Sometimes the company needs certain people to act recklessly. They won’t leave any recorded orders. As for the cost of having you give up? Think carefully—when a military cyborg is deployed, how should you preserve your lives?” “Cutting losses early is the best choice.” Saying this, it released its grip.

The three mercenaries immediately stepped back from the cyborg, staring at its head. That extensively modified skull, stripped of most useless organs, had no muscles or eyes for them to read. Yet one summoned courage: “Our mission is only to intercept that convoy. As long as it can’t deliver the cargo, the mission succeeds and the company pays.” The cyborg was indifferent: “Whatever. That’s your problem to discuss with relevant parties, not mine.” “But I warn you, the mission may not be completed.” What? The military cyborg monster had come—how could the mission fail? Could that “military module” actually be a super skilled military cyborg? Their cargo truck might be transporting contraband under the guise of ordinary goods! Hissing, this could escalate into a localized conflict. The three mercenaries were thoroughly spooked. Without a word, they immediately withdrew with their equipment.