Lin Qi closed the screen, lay back on his bed, and shut his eyes.
'The thoughts in my mind are slowing. Even a Wizard needs to rest.'
...
Night enveloped Red Fruit City, but the clamor never ceased in this Cyber City.
Wild nightlife, scavengers struggling to survive, and mercenaries lurking in the shadows.
In a hundred-story apartment building not far from the Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute, a subsidiary of Liu's Heavy Industries.
A man, his body over eighty percent prosthetic, stared at the distant Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute. Both of his Prosthetic Eyes glowed with a scarlet light.
"A bounty of 10 million Credit Points... It's tempting."
"Tyrannosaurus, don't stare at the Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute for too long. Red Fruit City's algorithms will flag you."
"I know. The sightlines from the buildings around this Weapon Research Institute are terrible. Generating a 3D model is a pain in the ass."
"If the algorithms spot you, we're leaving you behind."
"Cut the crap. The target is sensitive. You think I want to be scanning this shithole? We pull this job off, and we can take a break for at least ten years."
There was no sound to their conversation; it all took place within their Intelligent Brains.
Tyrannosaurus retracted his gaze, silently changed floors, and resumed scanning the area around the Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute with his Peripheral Vision.
...
After a full night's sleep, the neon lights of Red Fruit City gave way to the sun, its natural light illuminating every building. The wild night was over, and it was time for proper cyber workers like Lin Qi to head to work.
In front of the sink, Lin Qi stretched his arms and legs, feeling a little stiff.
'Back in the Doomsday World, I should've taken off this damn Exoskeleton Armor and had a shower,' he thought.
Lin Qi wasn't a neat freak, but being unable to wash his limbs still felt gross.
When Lin Qi designed the limb Exoskeleton Armor, he had omitted a ventilation system in order to ensure it resembled a Prosthetic Body and maintained structural integrity.
'Luckily, the [Door]'s cooldown is only twenty-four hours. I can get this thing cleaned tonight.'
According to the information the [Door] had fed him, Lin Qi could currently use it once every twenty-four hours, with each trip allowing him to stay in the Doomsday World for up to twenty-four hours.
Furthermore, while Lin Qi was in the Doomsday World, time in the Cyber World stood still.
Or perhaps, the [Door] simply returned him to the exact point in time when he departed.
This gave Lin Qi a period of completely safe downtime.
Tonight, Lin Qi planned to test if he could bring more items with him to the Doomsday World.
Lin Qi wanted to set up a workshop in the Doomsday World to further upgrade his "Prosthetic Body" and perfect his disguise.
After neatening his appearance in front of the sink, Lin Qi left his apartment, taking the elevator to the rooftop parking lot.
As an L-level Researcher at the Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute and a member of Red Fruit City's elite, Lin Qi had a license to pilot flying vehicles within the city's limits.
Today was the last workday before his days off. The 32nd was the last day of the month in the Cyber World, and once March began, Lin Qi would get his two monthly vacation days.
As was his habit, Lin Qi always took his vacation on the 1st and 2nd of the month for two consecutive days of rest.
On his monthly days off, Lin Qi would go home, partly to see his family and partly to upgrade and maintain his "Prosthetic Body."
An L-level Researcher might be elite to the lower class, but to a behemoth like the Liu Clan, Lin Qi was just another cyber worker.
Just as he boarded his flying vehicle, Lin Qi received a reply from "Doctor Lin."
Doctor Lin was Lin Qi's father, and as his name suggested, he ran a Prosthetic Clinic.
Among all the unofficial Prosthetic Clinics in Red Fruit City, the "No. 1 Prosthetic Clinic" used to rank in the top three—from the bottom.
Luckily, Lin Qi made his father proud by becoming a Liu's Heavy Industries employee, securing a new supply channel for the Prosthetic Clinic.
Now, while business at the No. 1 Prosthetic Clinic was only average, the quality of its Prosthetic Bodies was on par with that of the official clinics.
The supply source was, naturally, Liu's Heavy Industries—just a minor perk the company provided for its cyber workers.
"What model heart do you need? And keep a low profile when you come back. Don't run into Lin Xin. If you two start fighting again, it's going to be a headache for your old dad."
Lin Qi recalled that he had scheduled a message to his dad before he left for the Doomsday World.
"H-L-023. It's my own design, so I trust it. Liu's Heavy Industries has already shipped the first batch."
"As for Lin Xin? I'll chew her out when I get back."
Lin Xin was Lin Qi's younger sister. Ever since Lin Qi started working at the institute, they only saw each other once a month, but they argued nearly every single time.
'She really wasn't a very endearing little sister.'
With both messages sent, Lin Qi settled into his flying vehicle.
Lin Qi never trusted a vehicle's autopilot; he flew to the institute manually.
Lin Qi had few days off, but his workdays were long.
He "only" had to be at work from nine in the morning until nine at night.
Perhaps only someone with prosthetic modifications could endure such a grueling work schedule.
Lin Qi was exhausted, but it was all worth it.
After all, this set of "Prosthetic Bodies" he wore was his own design, manufactured by Liu's Heavy Industries, purchased by the No. 1 Prosthetic Clinic, and then personally modified and installed by Lin Qi.
'As the designer himself, who would dare say his Prosthetic Body was fake?'
After flying for only about five minutes, the Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute came into view.
Just as he was about to arrive at the institute, Lin Qi abruptly sensed that he was being watched.
After acquiring Spiritual Vision, Lin Qi had become extremely sensitive to any and all gazes.
Especially those with malicious intent.
He instinctively entered his Spiritual Vision state. As his vehicle moved, he immediately gained a complete view of the 85-meter radius around him.
His Spiritual Power had increased after returning from the Doomsday World, extending the range of his Spiritual Vision by five meters.
Unfortunately, Lin Qi couldn't locate the source of the gaze.
His vehicle was moving too fast, and the gaze hadn't seemed to be aimed specifically at him.
'Is a Mercenary targeting me? No, they must be watching the Weapon Research Institute.'
Lin Qi was very familiar with the gaze of a Mercenary. During his years in the "Highest Level" Mercenary Corps, he had always been responsible for pre-mission intelligence gathering and summary.
He never fought on the front lines, but his methods for gathering battlefield intelligence were meticulous to a terrifying degree.
Spiritual Vision allowed Lin Qi to perceive all information within its coverage area—an absolute sense that went beyond mere sight.
'Who would be targeting the Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute? For a company the size of Liu's Heavy Industries, the tech here isn't exactly cutting-edge.'
'But the level of tech isn't what determines security. There are quite a few members of the Liu Clan at the Red Fruit Weapon Research Institute.'
'Could the target not be the institute's research, but a person? Is someone going after the Liu Clan?'
Mercenaries have always been about the reward, not the risk.
Lin Qi had personally taken part in missions involving major factions before.
Given the choice between obscurity and fame, a Mercenary would always choose fame.
The latter often symbolized power and wealth.
Rumor had it that the two T0-level Mercenary Corps at the top of the rankings each possessed the power to take on a top-tier corporation alone. That was the lifelong ambition of every Mercenary.