Chapter 1465

<1465th Chapter> 1465. Dark Moon

I was sitting across from Rose at the X Manpower Office.

“The thing you asked me to look into? It’s all true. Was it the Prong Gang? They’re cyborg gangsters operating on the northern roads of Neo London.”

“To think a measly gang would have the gall to openly rob people while inspecting the northern roads of Neo London. Are the London Guards just eating tax money out their asses?”

“That’s common knowledge already. These guys are pretty smart about how they operate. They only come out when easy targets pass by, robbing them. The London Guards went to try and wipe them out but… they couldn’t even find the gang’s hideout. And surprisingly, the gang’s skill level is high. There’s a rumor that a knight will come to exterminate them.”

“So you’re saying even if I don’t get involved, the gang will be wiped out naturally?”

“If they don’t run away… then yeah. But your situation isn’t that simple either.”

Lana Gomez’s pursuit of the Prong Gang is more like a secondary objective. Her main purpose is to recover the item her daughter had stolen by the Prong Gang.

Will the London Guards return the items they seize from the gang to the citizens? They’ll probably return some of it. After all, the London Guards need to improve their image. But most of the stuff will likely be swallowed up after they announce that it was broken in battle.

‘In cases like this, it’s usually faster to take care of the London Guard side…’

It costs quite a bit of money.

If you don’t have connections with the London Guards like Lana Gomez does, it costs even more money. Now I understand why Lana Gomez set those conditions.

“Any other information you looked into for me?”

“You mean Mila Gomez, right?”

Lana Gomez’s daughter.

“She quit her clinic job ten years ago to work as a fashion designer and opened a clothing store three years ago. She’s a stylish woman. You could say she knows how to package herself well…”

“What do you mean by that?”

“It means she’s overvalued in the market compared to her actual assets and abilities.”

“Isn’t that a good thing? And you’re not even in that industry, right?”

“Yeah, well… packaging is important in the clothing business. But here’s the problem: Mila Gomez received an order three months ago to design a dress for Lady Prinwood’s party. Mila entrusted the creation of the dress she designed to a famous workshop in Divine France, and Lady Prinwood’s party is less than two weeks away.”

“…So the dress that was stolen by the Prong Gang belongs to her. Mila must be losing sleep over this.”

“It’s not just about the value of the dress; it’s also a matter of trust. If she can’t recover and provide the dress, that woman will have to bear Lady Prinwood’s wrath. Ruining her career is a given, and even if she leaves this city, I doubt she’ll lead a peaceful life.”

After hearing all the information related to this matter, I fell into deep thought.

There was some discrepancy from the original story.

“In the game, when you go to Lana Gomez, you can learn a few things through interactions. One of them is that she has estranged herself from her daughter…”


“Hmph. So they cut ties before this, huh? But why exactly? Was it really over this incident? Lana Gomez is rolling in cash. Hard to believe it was just about money…”

“Lana Gomez and Mila Gomez. The mother-daughter duo who’ve severed their bond. I can’t help but wonder what triggered it. Unfortunately, since it’s not something that’s even happened yet, there’s no clear way to confirm.”

“So what’s the plan? Are you going to accept Lana Gomez’s offer?”

“And what do you suggest?”

“My opinion doesn’t matter much here, does it? You’re the one involved. It’s your choice. If you refuse, I can recommend a decent repairer—though they won’t be as skilled as her.”

“To a mage, a mana core is practically life itself. I’d rather entrust it to someone with proven expertise.”

“Fair enough. Shall we draft a plan then?”

I stared at Rose in surprise.

“You’re actually offering help? All I asked for was information.”

“I need to bank this favor with you. Of course, I’ll charge—but I’ll give you a discount. Otherwise, feel free to handle it yourself.”

“…Your assistance is appreciated.”

After finalizing the plan, I contacted Lana Gomez right away and accepted the deal.

I borrowed an appropriate car from Rose and headed north on the outskirts of Neo London. While carriages are standard within the city limits, vehicles or horses outside aren’t strictly regulated.

BUMP!

The car jolted violently as we sped along the unpaved road.

“Can you drive properly for once?”

The woman sitting in the passenger seat immediately shot me a glare. Dressed in her cyber-suit with a fox mask covering her face, she was none other than Invisible Blade, the ninja extraordinaire.

“It’s hard terrain out here in the wastelands—it can’t be helped.”

This mission hinges heavily on her role. Once she infiltrates the gang hideout to secure the dress, I’ll sweep through them using lightning magic from the front.

‘Rose assigned *her* as the infiltration specialist? Didn’t see that coming.’

Her intentions were obvious: she hoped my partnership with Invisible Blade would naturally mend fences between us. There’s no way 5 million credits could’ve hired her outright—Rose must’ve twisted her arm.

‘Well… she doesn’t know what went down between us before… so maybe this works.’

If Rose knew the full story of what transpired between me and Invisible Blade, she’d probably try her best to keep us apart instead.

“Slow down. We’re approaching the first checkpoint.”

“I’m aware.”

The car came to a stop.

Invisible Blade and I quickly exited and scanned our surroundings.

“Bingo.”

She grinned mischievously. Directly ahead stood the gang’s base—a cluster of tents surrounded by a fence, powered by a generator.

“To find it so easily at the first point… lucky break, huh?”

“Not luck—it’s Rose’s brilliance.”

“Stop inflating her ego already. Why does everyone overrate that woman?”

“I’m being objective. Rose is one of the top brokers in Neo London. Skilled, reliable, and trustworthy.”

“A broker in X Zone? Or are you two more than business partners? That explains a lot.”

I shook my head disapprovingly. Perhaps her prickly demeanor stems from the stress of the mission—or maybe something else entirely.

‘Considering how she’s been violated twice by me… it makes sense she’d want to kill me.’

It’s a small miracle she hasn’t drawn her blade yet.

[TELESCOPE]

Using magic to enhance my vision, I observed the compound closely.

“There are plenty of cameras. A generator at the center… and that antenna—is that a jammer?”

“It’s an interference device. Not only does it block signals but also keeps radar detection at bay. Military-grade tech—and expensive too… these aren’t ordinary street thugs.”

“They said this gang moves like nomads, hitting places once and disappearing…”


“Hmph… how about it? Can you pull off the infiltration?”

“I’m a ninja. Infiltration’s my specialty.”

She said confidently.

I nodded, but I couldn’t fully shake off the unease. I know how tough infiltration missions can be.

“Usually people say combat is tougher… but…”

Infiltrating somewhere on high alert against intruders is harder than fighting. If you’re discovered by mistake? You’d be better off considering yourself already dead.

“At least dying would be preferable.”

If captured alive, torture would come as a basic package deal.

“There are quite a few surveillance cameras around. Do you have a way to handle them?”

“This suit I’m wearing has a function similar to a jammer.”

“Similar function?”

“I don’t get caught on security cameras. Though I might show up on film cameras, who even uses those these days?”

“…Just how many functions does this suit have?”

“It’s a secret. Shall we start now?”

“Now? Wouldn’t night be better?”

“What are you talking about? It’s obvious there are fewer people around right now. The main force is out doing some thievery. Moving now would be better.”

“…True. Upon closer inspection, there really aren’t many people around. The problem is that we don’t know where the dress is and will need to find it after infiltrating. Will that be okay?”

“The places they keep valuables are pretty much all the same. If they know it’s something special… they’d probably put it in a highly secure location. If they don’t know its value, they might’ve just tossed it into any old warehouse.”

The Invisible Blade walked forward. I handed her an earplug. She frowned upon receiving it.

“What’s this?”

“There’s telepathic magic cast on it. Wear it in your ear. I’ll support you while monitoring the situation from here.”

“Hmph. Not bad. I don’t ask for anything else, so just make sure to give me accurate information.”

She put on the earplug and took off toward the hideout with a quick turn. It seemed like she was avoiding the gaze of patrolling gang members.

—I’ve infiltrated. Can you see me?

“I see you. Is there a reason you infiltrated through the right wall?”

—It looked like the weakest point for security to me? Are there guards nearby? Somewhere outside my line of sight?

“None.”

She moved. Her movements were incredibly fast and stealthy—so stealthy that I momentarily lost track of her position. Truly a ninja.

‘And yet she moves so agilely despite those large breasts… impressive.’

—I’ve reached the warehouse. There are lots of refrigerators and miscellaneous junk here. There are clothes too, though nothing looks expensive. Oh, damn.

“Why’s that?”

—It’s full of organs wrapped in plastic. These bastards are not only stealing but also harvesting humans thoroughly. That explains why there was such a rich smell… They’re trash among trash.

These guys who got involved in organ trafficking have gone too far.

‘This is why they don’t enter the city. Or rather, they can’t. These guys are too extreme. The existing gangs wouldn’t welcome those who disrupt order, and if the London Guards learn of their behavior, they’d likely go all out to exterminate them.’

She left the warehouse and moved elsewhere.

“On your terms, to the right. One person is approaching. It might be wise to hide nearby for a moment.”

—Ah. This wardrobe smells absolutely disgusting. Your poop might actually smell better than this.

“Can’t you speak more politely? What a waste of your good looks.”

—I am somewhat pretty, aren’t I? The guy’s gone. I’ll move. Do you see that white container over there?

“It’s partially obscured by the generator, so I can’t see it clearly.”

—There’s a guy sitting on a chair guarding the container. His body is half-covered in machinery… there’s no way to bypass him. We’ll have to break through head-on. And look, there’s even a door lock on the container entrance?

“Door lock? Can you hack it?”

—I can’t. But it doesn’t matter. I can just ask him about it.