Cyberpunk: Cross-dimensional Science and Engineering

"So, get away, another way..."

Humming a tune while speeding down the desert highway, anyone who didn't know V would think she was just on vacation—

But who'd go on vacation with a raccoon dog as a weapon this lethal?

Lille handed the Dian Type Submachine Gun to Zhu Shen and said to V, "It's already 2077, who still hums that weak stuff? Let me give you something lively and powerful.

No matter if you're skipping work, wear a custom-made outfit~"

V raised an eyebrow, "What kind of ridiculous song is that, and it's 2075 now! You time-traveled, right?"

"You don't know shit, it's called reggae..."

"Hey, something's coming from behind!" Zhu Shen interrupted the two clowns, although Lille was reliable, he had to wonder if this guy had been hanging out with that street punk too much.

Clearly, they were still being chased, and by a Military Technology unit!

Three Octant drones appeared on the highway, accompanied by piercing sirens.

V set up the raccoon dog, muttering, "Time to work, Military Technology..."

Lille wasn't idle either. As soon as they engaged, a message from Notte came through.

Yet, Lille kept working on his tablet—he was rewriting the Magic Puppet Notte gave him, making it highly infectious and spreading.

"Kid, get to work, we're right behind you."

"Is that so?" Lille saw V getting ready and typed back, "Eat shit."

BOOM!

The raccoon dog's powerful bullet easily pierced the drone's bulletproof shell, sending it crashing to the ground, sparking against the Military Technology armored vehicle trailing it.

"You're dead!"

"Fuck you!" Lille shot back, and before anyone could kick him off the network, he uploaded the newly modified Magic Puppet.

[First time writing a Magic Puppet program]

[Technology Points +100]

[Current Technology Points: 276]

Unfortunately... in this world, there are specialized protection programs called ICE, specifically to combat Magic Puppets.

ICE would trigger when invaded, tracing back to burn out the hacker's brain!

The Military Science guys definitely had this kind of stuff!

SSSH— BOOM!

Lille's tablet blew up in his hands, and he quickly tossed it away, barely avoiding injury.

Zhu Shen glanced over and said, "Good courage, if you were hacking with an implant, your brain might look the same right now."

Lille snapped back, "You were the one who told me to install an operating system sooner! If I had, I'd be like that now!"

From the car roof, V shouted, "Shit! They've got rockets!"

Reacting instantly, Zhu Shen extended his arm holding the Dian Type Submachine Gun out the window, driving with one hand and shooting with the other—

Rockets were headed towards the car, but the bullets from the Super Style submachine gun curved in mid-air like an interception system, taking down several rockets!

BANG!

V wasn't idle either, firing a sniper round through the smoke to kill the driver of the armored vehicle with one shot!

"Got one, one more to go—here come the drones!"

Just after shouting, the drones' bullets rained down on the car roof, and V shielded her eyes with her hand!

Subdermal Armor implanted beneath her skin made small-caliber bullets no threat at all!

Lille quickly switched to another tablet and began hacking the drones again!

ICE was a one-time trigger, he doubted the drones' software had it too!

Although he was only used to dealing with Prosthetics Defects Magic Puppets, now he had to deal with drones!

Gritting his teeth, Lille grabbed two tablets, using one to write the Magic Puppet and the other for quick hacking.

Zhu Shen raised an eyebrow at the sight—this kid could multitask and if this was his first hacking attempt, he was a genius!

"Controlling prosthetic circuits and machine circuits are similar... here, found it, modify here, modify there...

Military Technology's drone defense ain't good enough... upload successful!"

The drones on both sides sparked and burst into electrical currents.

[First time using a Magic Puppet to destroy a mechanical body]

[Technology Points +200]

[Current Technology Points: 476]

Seeing this, Lille shouted in excitement, "I did it! I short-circuited this thing!"

"Stop yelling! Geisha District's pros could do this at six years old!"

V yelled while changing magazines, but the Bimong armored vehicle of Military Technology was already closing in!

A furious voice came from the armored vehicle, "I told you to ram them, are you deaf?"

The driver was terrified, this officer looked like an enraged bull!

He slammed the gas pedal!

BANG!

Unlike the cheap Columbus V340, the Bimong armored vehicle was the most practical and cost-effective, nearly flipping their car on impact!

Just then, V saw the person in the passenger seat—

"Shit, it's Notte!"

Notte stripped off his clothing to reveal a body fully modified with prosthetics!

Then, he opened the car door!

"Die!"

V pulled the trigger.

BANG!

V swore not to get distracted in battle.

But she couldn't understand why, one moment Notte was in the passenger seat, and the next, he was beside her on the car roof.

"Little mice—I should've killed you two long ago!"

Notte's massive body landed on the car roof, blocking out the sun, as two red-hot Mantis Blades extended from his arms—

SSH—

The car swerved sharply, shaking off the armored vehicle behind, which was flipped over by Notte's massive weight.

Notte staggered, causing his blade to cut through the car's roof like it was slicing through plastic.

"Hahahaha! The battlefield, I love it here!"

Notte roared, his skin splitting to reveal subdermal heat slots!

He could almost hear the battle cries, endless gunfire, explosions!

V stared blankly at what was happening—

If not for the sharp turn, her body would have been torn in half like the car!

"Shit, shit, shit—"

BANG!

The raccoon dog fired again, and this time, V wasn't the only one shooting, even Zhu Shen, who was driving, got frantic!

The opponent had Si Anweisitan gear! That was legitimate military prosthetics! And certainly not entry-level!

The bullets formed a dense web, but as they fired, Notte also moved.

His massive body moved with surprising agility, like a fish.

The car sped along at 80 km/h, with tracking bullets and a deadly projectile aimed at him.

These posed some trouble, but only a little.

Notte, moving faster than any ordinary human, dodged all the bullets, and when V looked again, she saw him kick off the ground!

The ground cracked beneath his feet!

"Too weak!"

SLASH!

The car's rear was sliced open by the Mantis Blade, even flipping into the air!

BOOM!

The car flipped, the world spun.

The car skidded, leaving a mark on the road, while Notte, with a roll, dissipated all the force.

In contrast, Lille had it worse—

Zhu Shen was flung out of the car, a piece of metal slicing from his left collarbone down to his abdomen, making it look like he was split in two.

Lille was stuck inside the car, dizzy from the impact, but he was alive.

At that moment, V activated her Krensky, just barely landing and rolling several times on the ground.

SSSH— SSSSH—

Notte sharpened his Mantis Blades, moving step-by-step closer.

"I must say, you two are brave—on the battlefield, you'd make excellent soldiers."

"But..." Notte's voice grew cold, "You tricked me, damn it, now I have to capture you myself."

Lille struggled to get up, feeling that numbing sensation again.

Blood flowed down his forehead into his eyes—he was unwilling.

He thought he had accepted a big job, a big payday, enough to establish himself in this world.

Then, he could access more technology, more worlds—he was determined to survive.

But...

He looked at the half-kneeling Zhu Shen—this corporate lapdog hadn't been honest.

Fine, he had expected this, but not to this extent, with a pursuer as strong as Notte.

With this level of combat ability, even some Marvel World superheroes would struggle.

BANG!

Another shot from the raccoon dog, but Notte dodged again.

V taunted, "Hey, big guy, there's still a living person here—do you know what I thought the first time I saw you?

I thought, what a big dumbass, so proud while being someone's dog."

Lille looked at V and saw this street kid, this girl was still smiling—albeit barely.

But her grip on the weapon was firm and strong.

Lille was stunned—maybe that was what he truly lacked.

To survive... resilience was essential.

So... V, what do you plan to do?

V glanced subtly at Lille, "I guess you didn't foresee this, did you? Time to unleash your potential."

Clatter.

The Dian Type Submachine Gun in Zhu Shen's hand fell to the ground, right in front of Lille.

...

"You got some skills, girly, but it's a shame you're on the wrong side—next, it's your turn." Notte said as he started walking toward V.

"Oh yeah? My sniper rifle still has two rounds, think your blade's faster, or my gun?" V didn't flinch, but sweat beaded on her forehead.

"Oh? Then let's try it..."

"Ha! Coming straight at me, no running away, just charging?"

Rat-a-tat-tat-tat—

Almost simultaneously, gunfire erupted behind Notte.

He didn't need to look back to know it was the Dian Type Submachine Gun—but the kid had no smart-link system, not even basic prosthetics.

The recoil would make it nearly impossible to control, bullets without prosthetic support had zero accuracy.

So this was their plan? A clumsy combo attack?

Notte smirked, time seemed to slow around him—

Military Technology's "Peregrine" Si Anweisitan, made it feel like time was slowed by 70%.

Even dodging bullets was possible—especially these scattershot, non-tracking ones.

He saw V sliding towards him, moving at a snail's pace.

Notte felt like a cat playing with a mouse, but this mouse had lost its mind at the last minute.

Thinking of a cat, he remembered his first wife, who loved elegance and dancing.

Elegance, dancing... His mind wandered to his first clumsy attempt at dancing, drowning in the surrounding laughter, like enemies on a battlefield...

After the dance, everything spun, surrounded by screams.

If he'd danced a bit better, would his first wife still be alive?

Gracefully, Notte straightened up.

"Ha! Coming straight at me, no running away, just charging?"

"Well then... let's end this."

Notte opened his arms, tilted his body, posing gracefully, like ending a dance.

All he needed to do was stand there, V would roll right into his Mantis Blades, dying without knowing how.

However, he failed to notice, as V drew closer, into the line of bullet fire, rounds grazed her skin, some even hitting her...

Her movements grew more precise—

Just as the Mantis Blades were about to slice V in half, the sniper rifle, initially aimed elsewhere, snapped to point at his body!

"How is that possible—"

BANG!