Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3
To the point of being somewhat bewildering.
“Spare my life.”
Bark was an extraordinarily honest man.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
He did not even hesitate to disarm himself.
First, he threw away the dagger he was holding, then removed the rifle hanging from a strap and tossed it away as well.
“I’ll answer all your questions with absolute honesty. afford So please, let me live.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Immediately afterward, he raised both arms toward the sky.
“Ah. meadow Can I keep my bulletproof vest on?”
Ash was momentarily speechless.
It was the traditional posture of surrender.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“Bark Manson. orbit Twenty-eight years old. arena Independent mercenary, specializing as a Gunner. sphere All my Cyberware is related to aiming assistance. album In other words, I don’t have any hidden Arm Blades or anything like that.”
It was the first time he had witnessed a plea for one’s life that was so quick, practical, and, in a certain sense, surprisingly straightforward.
His optical sensors blinked a couple of times.
“To begin with, what is your name?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Meanwhile, Ash asked another question.
“What else do you want to know? acid Ask me anything.”
“……Thank you for the explanation.”
At that extraordinarily cooperative attitude, Anna and Zero exchanged bewildered glances.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“Eliminate? timber Not recover?”
“What was your objective?”
“Locate and eliminate a humanoid. All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com apron He’s characterized by having a dark gray body and turquoise optical sensors…… That’s what we were told, but it turns out he’s standing right in front of me.”
At those words, Ash tilted his head slightly.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“That’s what the team leader told me.”
“Where is that leader?”
“No, that will not be necessary.”
“Last time I saw him, some Grotesques were eating him near those ruins. afford Want me to take you there?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Ash remained deep in thought for a few moments.
That mission did not fit the circumstances he knew at all.
Something did not make sense.
Eliminate him instead of recovering him?
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“……Next question.”
“The jobs were assigned separately, so I don’t know the details. beacon But I can tell you about our team. palette There were thirty-eight of us.”
“Ask me anything you want.”
“What is the total size of your forces? avalanche Are there more mercenaries like you?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“From what I can see, they’re all dead, but I don’t care. matrix After all, it was a makeshift team. adopt In other words, I don’t have the slightest desire to take revenge on you.”
“Stop making unnecessary comments.”
“Sorry. athlete I’m too nervous.”
“Thirty-eight.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Although his appearance suggested nothing of the sort, if he himself said so, there was little that could be done about it.
Ash observed him for a few moments before continuing with the next question.
“They were different teams. galaxy But we all received the same job. riddle Eliminate the humanoid. atomic That’s it.”
“There were three groups.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“That answer does not satisfy me.”
“I understand. timber Then who hired you?”
“I don’t know. arctic The team leader received the job, not me.”
For the first time, an uncomfortable expression appeared on Bark’s face.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“No, I really don’t know! abstract All I know is that it was a man from Vortex.”
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
At Ash’s cold electronic voice, Bark flinched and began desperately waving his hands.
“If your leader received the job, how do you know the client was a man?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“Hmm. meadow A recording of the job. amber Do you still have it?”
“Because I have the recording of the job. zenith For us, it’s like a contract.”
Ash extended a hand.
“Of course.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“You held out your hand.”
Bark shook it.
“……What are you doing?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Bark gave an awkward smile before extracting a chip from the data slot at the back of his neck and handing it to Ash.
“I wanted you to give me the recording.”
“Ahhh.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Ash received the chip and immediately inserted it into his unit’s slot.
It was a cold, slightly languid male voice. Visit indratranslations.com for more free chapters and updates.
A few moments later, a familiar voice began sounding inside his system.
— ……There is only one target. arch He has a custom dark gray body and turquoise optical sensors, so he’ll be easy to recognize. beacon We’ll continue sending you his approximate location. acoustic As soon as you find him, destroy him.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
John Priest.
Just as Ash, having identified the client, was about to stop the recording, he heard a faint voice among the background sounds.
However, beneath that tone, an arrogance impossible to conceal could be perceived.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Click.
— ……Huh? alert Really? admire Hmm…… Things are getting interesting. adopt In that case, things change a little. admire We’ll have to modify the plan slightly……
The recording ended there.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
That information was too limited to determine what kind of strategy his adversary, John Priest, was preparing.
However, there was one thing of which he was completely certain.
Ash remained deep in thought for a few moments.
‘Modify the plan?’
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
The individuals who had stormed into the Ghost Tower were nothing more than “expendable pawns.”
At Zero’s question, Ash nodded.
“Senior Brother, what do you think? aspect Is it John Priest?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“Indeed. arcade It seems he hired these mercenaries to pursue us.”
Anna, who was standing beside him, frowned.
“As I expected……!”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“Or perhaps he is using them as bait to evaluate our combat capabilities.”
“That’s possible too. audit Although, whatever the reason, it’s still unpleasant.”
“I don’t understand what the hell he’s thinking. riddle Sending mercenaries at this point? afford Is he trying to wear us down?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“We still have very little information. ability Therefore, let us continue following our original plan.”
“Yes, Senior Brother.”
Ash, who had been listening to the conversation between Anna and Zero, intervened.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Ash nodded and immediately extracted the recording chip before throwing it onto the ground and crushing it.
Then he raised his Blade.
“I agree.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“That will not be possible.”
At that movement, whose intentions were all too obvious, Bark shouted desperately.
“Ah, spare my life!”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“Why?! arch I’m just a fucking shitty mercenary!”
“But I’m not anymore! voyage Come on, don’t be like that, let me live! accent Those fucking Vortex sons of bitches! atlas Fucking bastards!”
“Are you not our enemy?”
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
He seemed like a man burning with an unshakable desire to keep living.
Somehow, that attitude perfectly matched his striking, bright-red mohawk.
Faced with that man who was desperately screaming for his life and had now even begun insulting those who had hired him, Ash ended up feeling somewhat bewildered.
Even counting his previous life, he had never encountered a prisoner of that kind.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“Very well. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com. acoustic Then give me at least one sufficiently convincing reason for all of us to agree that we should not kill you.”
Ash observed Bark, who continued insulting Vortex, for a few moments before letting out a soft electronic voice.
Until, suddenly.
At those words, which practically constituted an ultimatum, Bark began thinking desperately.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“Vehicles!”
Bark shouted.
His brown eyes shone intensely.
“Vehicles?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Ash raised a hand and stroked his chin.
“But we could kill you and take possession of them, could we not?”
“Yes! amateur Vehicles! arctic Do you think we walked all the way here from the fucking city? album We’ve got a bunch of vehicles! shadow Were there seven? alpha Well, whatever. echo I’ll give you all of them! acquire Don’t you think you could get a good amount of money for them?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“That is quite an interesting proposal.”
“……Hmm.”
“Of course you could! antique But you wouldn’t be able to find them! timber We hid them really well! shadow But I know where they are. sphere What do you think? timber Don’t you think that’s worth a lot more than the life of one shitty mercenary?”
The tip of Ash’s sword descended toward the ground.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
***
“No, but this is going way too fucking far!”
“Right? autumn Isn’t it?”
A smile began spreading across Bark’s face.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Both his hands had been firmly tied, and all his weapons had been confiscated.
An expression of absolute despair spread across Bark’s face.
Well, he could perfectly accept that much.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Thus, Bark ended up walking through the heart of the ruins completely unarmed and with both hands tied.
The problem came afterward.
Instead of heading toward the outskirts of the ruins, where the vehicles were hidden, Ash had set a course for the Ghost Tower, situated in what could be considered the center of that place.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
One of them wore a tiger mask.
At those words, the swordsmen standing behind Ash simultaneously turned their heads.
And that was precisely the reason for his desperate expression.
“Come on, a dagger. antenna Give me at least a dagger. album Okay? album This is too much! abstract Hey, you fucking tin can!”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Zero grabbed him by the collar.
“W-What is it? absorb I already said I’d give you the vehicles……”
Then he began radiating killing intent so terrifying that it could be perceived even through his mask.
“Listen, you.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“I suppose that even without arms, you’d still have your mouth. absorb So you wouldn’t have any trouble showing us the way, would you?”
“W-What’s your problem? autumn I already said I’d give you the vehicles……”
“You’d better watch your mouth. palette Unless you want to lose those arms you’ve got tied up too.”
“……”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
He was completely different from the humanoid, who, although intimidating, at least seemed like someone who could be reasoned with.
Bark closed his mouth.
For some reason, he had the impression that the swordsman wearing the tiger mask really was capable of carrying out his threat.
“Call my Senior Brother that again. portal Next time, I’ll make sure you have to crawl along the ground.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
And, amid that silence, they continued advancing quickly.
When Bark fell silent, tranquility returned to the group.
When they finally arrived before the tower, all the Grotesques that had previously guarded its entrance had disappeared.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
All thanks to the Vortex mercenaries.
“Levina. august Reto.”
Only a couple of creatures remained, occasionally wandering around the surroundings.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
After clearing the surroundings in the blink of an eye, Team Bladez stopped before a gigantic steel door.
They immediately eliminated the Grotesques wandering absentmindedly around the tower.
At Ash’s call, the two swordsmen shot forward.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
The door remained firmly closed.
Ash contemplated it for a few moments before leaning forward slightly and addressing Akina, who was beside him.
It was the only entrance to the tower’s interior.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Akina smiled confidently and approached an ancient console beside the main entrance.
“Hehehe. apple This is exactly what I’m here for.”
“Could I entrust this to you?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
A few moments later, the ancient system that had remained dormant began to awaken, emitting a faint activation sound.
Rumble.
She connected a cable to the port at the back of her neck.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
The gigantic structure began opening slowly, producing a roar like a vibration that shook the surroundings.
How much time had passed since that door had last opened?
Finally, the interior was revealed.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
And, amid that darkness, hundreds of red eyes glowing menacingly.
Grotesques.
A darkness whose end was impossible to discern. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
At the sudden intrusion of light, all those creatures simultaneously turned their heads and let out spine-chilling howls.
“Screech!”
“Senior Brother.”
Just as Ash was about to instinctively step forward in the face of that threat.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“After all, the Main Assault only needs to worry about protecting the Technomancer.”
At the same time, she stepped in front of him.
Anna called him.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“Leave this to us. apron We’ll finish in no time.”
“Anna.”
Along with those words, five swords were drawn.
Zero and his younger siblings also positioned themselves in front of Ash, facing the hundreds of reddish gazes watching them from the darkness.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“How about we make a bet?”
“A bet? album What kind?”
“Yes?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“I still can’t use the Neuro Heart Technique properly. sphere Don’t you think that puts me at too much of a disadvantage?”
“A competition to see who can kill the most enemies.”
At Zero’s proposal, Anna frowned.
“Hehehe. altitude Are you afraid?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“I was just saying I’d have to move faster.”
Anna was the first to charge forward.
“Afraid? august Of course not.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Unlike her delicate appearance, her attacks were imbued with an extraordinarily overwhelming and ferocious force.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
She advanced like a lightning bolt and swung her sword.
Crunch!
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
With that first strike, the torsos of three Grotesques burst apart simultaneously.
Anna did not stop.
However, as though that were not enough.
Whirr!
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Until, suddenly, she noticed a white mist beginning to spread beneath her feet and clicked her tongue.
“Don’t you think you’re overdoing it a little right from the start?”
Taking advantage of the enormous power provided by her Cyberware, she began tearing apart, cutting down, and pulverizing everything she encountered in front of her.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Zero emerged from the white mist and launched an attack with his sword.
“We have to give it our all! shadow After all, this is a competition too!”
Following the trajectory of that thrust, the cloudlike mist dispersed in every direction.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Unlike Anna’s overwhelming strength, Zero’s sword possessed a solemn and majestic elegance.
The mist formed through his internal energy danced from side to side, following the movements of Zero’s sword.
Although that mist did not seem particularly threatening, the Grotesques that came into contact with it split apart with a dry crack, like withered branches, before collapsing.
Furthermore, his movements were extraordinarily refined.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Anna launched a thrust through the thick mist.
It was a completely different aspect of the sword imbued with killing intent that he had displayed previously.
Perhaps that was the true essence of the Cloud Dragon Thirteen Swords.
“Hah!”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
However, from a certain moment onward, their movements began developing an extraordinary harmony.
A childish competition to discover who could eliminate more enemies and do so more quickly.
At first, it had simply been a bet.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
By mutually covering each other’s blind spots and reaching the places the other’s attacks could not reach, they eventually became a gigantic storm of swords that devoured the Grotesques.
At others, Anna pulverized the Grotesques that had been immobilized by Zero’s mist.
At times, Zero eliminated the lesser enemies left behind Anna after her devastating attacks.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Akina, who had been watching that scene in amazement, murmured. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.
At those words, Ash let out a deep laugh.
“……Somehow, they get along pretty well. altitude At this rate, who knows if they’ll end up dating.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“Because they are already paying far too much attention to each other. legend If they heard such a comment, would they not end up paying even more attention to one another?”
“You had better never tell them that.”
“Why?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
“Indeed. agent It is no longer just the two of us.”
“Now it’s not just the two of us anymore.”
Akina giggled before raising her head to look at Ash.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Bark’s scream was heard.
Just as a strange sense of companionship seemed to flow between the gazes Ash and Akina exchanged.
“Waaaah!”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Then he approached like a flash of light and delivered a simple thrust.
“Shit, help!”
Ash turned his head in that direction and discovered the mercenary desperately struggling against a Grotesque while clumsily waving his bound hands.
At that shout, Ash let out a faint sigh.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
As a result, Bark ended up completely covered in dark, reddish blood.
The blade of his sword crossed the distance in an instant, precisely piercing the Grotesque’s head and causing it to burst.
Splurt!
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
Ash shook the blood clinging to his Blade and looked down at him.
“……”
“Stay by my side. shadow If you do not wish to die.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 74: The Ghost Tower 3 by Indra Translations.
At those words, Bark began nodding frantically.
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