Chapter 327 : Reinforcements Complete
Chapter 327: Reinforcements Complete
[Module Stabilization... 100% Complete]
[Visual Information Processing Speed... Normal]
[Module Synchronization... 100% Complete]
[Vital System All Green]
“Khaaaah……!”
The bed-like pod opened, releasing a massive cloud of steam.
The one who emerged from inside was none other than Hobeop.
He repeatedly took deep breaths, trying to calm his pounding heart.
“Haa…… Haa……! This feeling is……!”
“A-Are you alright? The Module installation is perfectly complete. Please sit down and catch your breath first.”
“M-My body…… feels strange……!”
“W-What exactly feels strange?”
“I-It feels like my heart's about to burst. My arms and legs are itching…… It's like there are bugs crawling through my bones, making me want to rampage without stopping……!”
Miyu nodded and explained.
“That's a normal reaction. It's phantom pain caused by your brain not having fully adapted yet to the newly implanted artificial nerves, Skeletal Reinforcement Modules, and Bio Fusion Modules.”
“T-This is normal……?”
“There's no helping it when your Total Module Level increased by over a hundred levels in such a short period of time. Right now, most of your body—including your brain's support systems—has been replaced.”
“U-Ugh…… But I really did become stronger?”
“Try this. Just be careful not to send fragments flying.”
Using her mechanical tail, Miyu placed an iron sphere into Hobeop's hand.
He accepted it and squeezed with all his might.
The sphere failed to withstand the pressure and shattered into fragments within his grip.
“O-Ohhh……! I really have become stronger!”
“Just in terms of Total Module Level, you've already surpassed Mr. Lexus. You'd make the chief of security for most Megacorps look insignificant. That's why you need to remember that if you use your strength the way you used to, you're going to cause a serious accident. Also……”
“Kuhahaha! Stronger! I've become stronger!”
“Yes, you have. And—”
“I can finally fight even stronger opponents—!”
“…….”
None of Miyu's explanation reached Hobeop's ears in his excitement.
Puffing out her cheeks, Miyu pressed a button on the tablet in her hand.
At the same moment, Hobeop's body convulsed violently as though he'd been struck by a Taser before collapsing back onto the bed.
“Listen to the Moduler until the end.”
“……M-My apologies. But what was that just now?”
“A safety device. Since all of you increased your levels far too quickly, even if the visible numbers look fine, there could still be problems elsewhere.”
“Elsewhere?”
“Psychological issues, among other things. You might seem fine now, but unexpected things could happen once you're actually in combat. I prepared several safety devices that can be activated remotely just in case. It may have made your security slightly more vulnerable... but it's definitely better than having nothing.”
“I-I see……”
Hobeop scratched his head awkwardly.
Then he noticed how much his hand had changed.
It had once looked unmistakably like a metallic mechanical arm.
Now it looked softer.
Far more natural.
He didn't know much about Modules or Cyberware.
But he did know that Modules which paid attention not only to performance but also appearance were extremely expensive.
'......Gulp.'
Just the Modules implanted in his body now could probably buy several apartments in Sector A with money left over.
The fact that Aaron had invested such priceless equipment in them without a second thought struck him once again.
Then his thoughts drifted toward the others.
“Ah, now that I think about it, what happened to everyone else? Are they alright?”
“The procedures are still in progress, so please wait a little longer. Yours finished early because your replacement ratio was already relatively high to begin with. The others will take a bit more time.”
“I-Is that so……?”
Just as Miyu said, after waiting quietly for a while, the pods containing the others opened.
Maria's pod opened first.
Then Silence's.
Then Reina's.
Finally, Airi's procedure finished noticeably later than everyone else's.
The members who rose from their pods all reacted much like Hobeop had.
“……I feel a little dizzy.”
“[My lower back's pretty stiff.]”
“M-My arm is really numb... Is this alright?”
Starting with those who had finished first, Miyu moved from pod to pod checking each member's condition.
At the same time, she explained the Modules each of them had received.
First was Hobeop.
“Mr. Hobeop specializes in close-quarters combat. Since you don't use weapons, I focused on strengthening your arms and legs. I also enhanced your basic muscle strength and replaced your Neural Modules and Ocular Modules. Dodging your opponent's attacks should be much easier now.”
“O-Oh……”
“In addition, I installed Skin Armor and Subdermal Armor Modules second only to Ms. Airi's in durability. I also added a high-performance Regeneration Module, even though it consumes a large replacement ratio. It includes heat and cold resistance as well. You shouldn't have to worry about injuries while fighting on the front lines anymore.”
Next was Maria.
“Ms. Maria was already close to her replacement limit, so upgrading her Modules was rather difficult. Even if I added stronger Internal Weapon Modules, they would be useless if you weren't proficient with the weapons themselves. So instead, I upgraded the performance of your existing Modules without increasing your replacement ratio, while also updating your Anti-Wizard Programs and Module Management Programs.”
“Thank you, Miyu.”
Maria bowed politely.
The next was Silence.
“Mr. Silence, I replaced your Optical Camouflage Module with a superior one. Now you won't just become invisible to the naked eye—you'll also be hidden from electromagnetic detection, infrared sensors, and thermal scanners.”
“[Nice.]”
“The downside is that an even greater portion of your replacement ratio is now concentrated entirely on stealth. Your physical durability and regeneration are only slightly improved, so depending on where you're hit, even a single Armor-Piercing round could still be fatal.”
“[Then I just won't get caught.]”
“I also installed a Data Chip that analyzes enemy weak points and a new Weapon Proficiency Chip. Your existing daggers have been upgraded with Plasma Thermal Edges for improved cutting power, and your handgun now has a larger caliber along with a variety of specialized ammunition for different situations.”
Silence tilted his head.
“Attribute rounds?”
“I've prepared plenty of Tungsten Armor-Piercing Rounds, Fragmentation Smart Rounds, Rapid Freeze Rounds made with Mystic Materials, Incendiary Rounds, and High-Voltage Shock Rounds. These are also compatible with the sniper rifle I newly printed this time, so you can use them according to the situation.”
“W-Wait, I've never used a sniper rifle before……”
“I told you already—I installed a Weapon Proficiency Chip. For targets within roughly seven hundred meters, your body will automatically calculate things like wind speed, distance, and bullet weight to assist your aim. Beyond that range, you'll either need a better chip or personal experience. And most importantly.”
Miyu tapped her tablet and showed Silence the screen.
“I installed the Lv.5 Mystic Module, [Locust].”
“[‘Locust’... The one the Yellow Fixer used…….]”
“Yes, that's right. However, I locked its original ability to dismantle nearby organic matter and self-replicate. I judged that ability to be far too dangerous for the current Mr. Silence.”
“[Ah…….]”
Silence sighed in disappointment.
Ignoring him, Miyu continued.
“Instead, you can use [Locust]'s nanomachines to create a smoke screen within a one-hundred-meter radius. It'll be even more effective for disabling enemy sensors and infiltrating unseen. On the other hand, you'll be able to pinpoint your enemies' exact locations from inside the smoke.”
“[Can't you unlock it?]”
“After you've fully adapted to your body.”
“[Well... if you say so.]”
In short, Silence had been enhanced to specialize even further in stealth and high-value target assassination.
The unfortunate part was that despite his greatly increased Total Module Level, his body remained about as fragile as paper.
After finishing Silence's explanation, it was Reina's turn.
“Ms. Reina, I installed the Lv.5 Mystic Module [Destroyer], which originally belonged to the Orange Fixer, Mr. Yamato. When activated, it'll execute a Fortress Protocol, allowing you to unleash overwhelming firepower from a fixed position.”
“That name sounds kind of dangerous……”
“With its original performance, it could bombard targets up to roughly two hundred fifty kilometers away. For safety reasons, though, I limited the range to about fifty kilometers. Some of the large-caliber energy weapons are also locked.”
She continued scrolling through her tablet.
“Besides the Mystic Module, I added Muscle Reinforcement Modules just like everyone else's. I replaced your internal organs with compact mechanical versions to free up space, allowing you to store a massive amount of ammunition inside. I also installed a Bio Plant Module to support the strain when using [Destroyer]. So if your body feels heavier than usual, that's completely normal.”
“[S-So... does that mean she's even stronger now……?]”
“Yes.”
“[She was already ridiculously strong... and now even more……?]”
“Yes. Otherwise, she wouldn't even be able to move her own body.”
Silence asked in a frightened voice from the side.
Miyu nodded without hesitation.
Reina turned toward him and smiled sweetly.
“Se~nior~?
What was that you just said?”
Strictly speaking, only her eyes were smiling.
“[I-I didn't say anything…….]”
I couldn't beat her in strength before...
What was going to happen now?
Imagining himself dangling from Reina's side like a stuffed toy for the rest of his life, Silence sighed inwardly.
Finally.
It was Airi's turn.
“Airi is……”
Just as Miyu was about to begin—
Booooooom!
The ground shook violently.
The members' bodies and all the equipment trembled at once.
The shockwave even cracked the windows.
“[W-What was that……!?]”
Trinity Academy had been built with earthquake resistance capable of withstanding quakes exceeding magnitude 7.0.
Unless something like the previous Outer God incident was happening practically right outside, there shouldn't have been shaking like this.
While everyone stood there stunned, Maria seemed to realize something.
“Everyone, look at this.”
She shared the information she had gathered.
It was a compilation of footage spreading across live news broadcasts and social media.
A gigantic shadow of unknown origin was blotting out the sky.
“W-What in the world is that?”
“W-Wait. Look at this. Isn't that the Chairman?”
Following Reina's observation, they enlarged one of the images.
Something was moving rapidly near the gigantic figure.
The image quality was poor, making it difficult to see clearly.
But judging from the silhouette, movements, and weapon it carried—
There was no doubt it was Aaron Stingray.
Hobeop gasped.
“T-Then that enormous thing is……”
“The Sky Dragon……!?”
“[He looks like he's having a really hard time. What should we do? Should we go help him?]”
“No. Young Master strengthened all of you solely so that you could protect yourselves…… Wait. Where's Evangeline, Miyu?”
Maria turned toward Miyu.
Miyu's face immediately turned pale.
“S-She said she was going to the restroom earlier and left with Ciel……? D-Don't tell me she went to Mr. Aaron…….”
“That girl really—!”
Maria's expression twisted into a deep frown.
Just as everyone stood there flustered by the sudden turn of events—
“M-Miyu…… Wait……”
Airi called out in a bewildered voice.
Everyone immediately turned toward her.
Looking as though she were on the verge of tears, Airi spoke.
“I...
I can't feel anything in my body…….!”