As the town return back to normal, everyone suddenly started to cheering for me and Mark before we leave, as if it first time someone save this town from danger. Endless clapping, bunch of smile, it like a celebration going on even though I technically didn’t do anything.
“Woo!”
“Look’e our hero here!”
So many comment around the crowd, I mean the crowd have covered the entire town. If you look from us to top of mountain, we look like little ants taking over the town. It surprised how many citizens live here, there more then what I thought.
“There lot more then last time I came here.” Mark calmly stated with no surprise. It seem Mark knew this town.
“You go here?”
“Every once in while.”
“Ah.”
… I guess he not much of talker, isn’t he?
But then, Nisa sprint toward me outta nowhere (like if she transport right front of me) and straight on hug me… tightly as my chest is squeezing smaller and swing me side by side. I can barely breath but she… look as happy as she can get.
“Oh Neptune, I thought you was a goner!” She holding me down like a hooked dog. I don’t need much attention right now. By demand, she then let me go finally as I caught my breath once more. She looked skinny but how come she have the strength to take every breath of me?
“Hey listen, I got some really good item you take with you. Wait here!” Nisa left quickly to the Bargain shop where used item that sell less then price for cup of coffee. I don’t know if I can trust them.
As soon as I waiting for Nisa, Mark decide to leave and go to the town exit where, as far I can see, lead to empty road and a desert mountain. I actually never got to go as far in this nation, but the heat wave went though, making me started to ask myself a question.
I want to go with him but…
“Here you go!” Nisa just hand me a bunch of item to carry. They are medic relate though so I could put it inside of my book-bag. Some Goode I get!
“That will be 1,800 Credit!” Nisa demand. Wait…
“Hey! I don’t have...”
“Just kidding! Don’t be a pushover.” Nisa lightly push me like we just playing rough. Honestly, Nisa often come to comply me during my missions and then leave to do other thing. She mostly go to Lastation or Lowee and hang out there. Wonder what she doing here?
“Oi, I think your mate is running ahead.” Some stranger in strange English point to Mark behind me, going to the peak of the blur mountain.
He was here for personal business, or what it seem like. But after getting Geo answer, It was clear as day that we both have a same person going against with. If teamwork involved, it would make it easier to take him down.
It like if Genesis have a Bounty on his head and we all going inside of it to get the Bounty.
I then proceed quickly to follow him and wave them goodbye if it last I can see them.
“You better come back!” Nisa echo.
So, the adventure begin, well actual adventure. Though I have a bad feeling this will not end well.
After some time, I finally caught up with Mark in the City Limit Gate (technically the exit outside of the city) where it closed and we all have to wait for the guards to come and hand us a card. I digging around to see if I have one with me, but a feel of a thin card was in the short pocket.
The ID stated I am Neotune (wow…), a 20 years old girl with a specialty of studying sword and weapons. I been working in business called “Lowee Laboratory & Development” with an Associate Degrees. It a Fair Zone ID so I can use this across the entire zone. This could provide useful, especially if we want to sneak in Genesis District. I wonder what his district look like?
“Why you follow me?” Mark looking down at me. He have to be 6 foot with his muscular body of his.
“It clear that we both going after him when both of us asked Geo the whereabouts of Genesis.”
“I know, but are you young? Should you go back to your parent or whatever?”
“Don’t grudge me by the height. You know I can fight.”
“With no knowledge of how to properly shoot a gun?”
“Well… it been long time, but I have knowledge of using damn sword.”
“Wooden sword isn’t as effective as you think of.”
“If it hurt people, it hurt people.”
“That the most straightforward answer I ever heard of.”
We were looking at the tall gate with a sign that say “Gateway out of Heaven” as a distracting for waiting at the guards. They must be the laziest guards yet, hell I even see one lying his head on the desk. Can they even the sound of danger like a minutes ago? Also what the sign mean? As if they saying the town is too peaceful even though we just witness the bank heist and close to killing everyone here.
“What is taking them so damn long?” Mark muttered under his mouth. I would react the same as him.
Should I ask him why he chasing Genesis? I mean, like I say before, we both going the same person, but is there any specific reason to it? The only reason is he pose a threat to this nation and I got hired (or forced) to go undercover and get information. But I started to think he could plan bit farther.
Why in hell would he go to Gamindustri and announce his newest project?
“Good afternoon Gentleman...” Finally the guards show up. The wealthy old man pull out his lists of keys and attempt to open the gate.
“Sorry if we took so long. The damn gate won’t open itself. It seem the Technology Plant need to upgrade bit soon.” He seem to still looking the key for the gate.
“The Technology Plant?” I been working as a leader for years and I have never, ever, even heard of this Technology Plant before.
“It one of those giants building that hold every single power for everything we used. The gate, TV, Lights, you name it. In fact the tallest building at all time in this zone right over there is Technology Plant.” He point to the right, at the blurred orange mountain that the building is behind at, though I have to move slightly to see it. The building look taller then Planeptune tower! The tower have a long line and at the center look like a cross of the plus sign. I look incredibly thin to even hold every technology.
“Even though we don’t use technology much often since this island is just endless desert, we have to fix the damn thing just to work every year. It pain in the ass. We don’t know the cause, it just happened.” He complain about it.
“There we go.” He slightly push the gate to make it open.
“You now exiting the heaven. Be careful.” A least he was kind enough.
It kinda surreal to step out the gate, entering the unknown. Right now, we just in an empty parking lot with only one vehicle, but outside that is big surprise yet. The modern wind make my hair covering my face which is annoying at most. The gate then closed behind us which clear that we can’t go back now. This is choice I make and I now need to finished this.
“Hey listen and listen good, I will only explained this once.” Mark was firmed about me coming as if he already don’t like me.
“This mission is dead or alive. Genesis is dangerous man and with that, he set up a gang across the nation. No idea what it is, but it sure as hell it isn’t going to be good so be prepared. Second, this long way desert is lawless. There will be violent and dangerous stuff that will affect our journey.” Mark took a long breath with this long talk.
“Last but not least, I don’t want to hear any complaint from you. I will help you out during battle but that final. Nothing more, nothing less.”
“Will that include stealing that vehicle over there?” I pointed the lonely car in parking lot.
“That Fury? Technically it mine and it my baby, don’t mess with it.”
The vehicle is dark blue 1957 Chrysler Plymouth Fury (or what it seem), dusted up, very damaged whom is messing doors, windows and even a roof. As he turn the Fury on, the pipe exploded, making smoke coming out from the pipe. When the hood popped, the engine display with a big “V8” logo, proven this car is modified. The wheels is modified as well but mostly needed to be replaced.
Before we took off, I have to take a quick glance to the road where it led at. The plain desert is nothing but a rough sand and couple of rock sticking up. I heard a vehicle zoom from far distance, actually multiple of them as well as yelling that echo from there to us. Hope we not in that mess.
“Are you coming?” We on time limit right, Mark is waiting for me to get in the Fury. He then hit the acceleration pedal instantly, making car jumped and our body pull back to the seat while turning left to the dusty road and we are officially ready to go. I have no idea where the road is taking us but if there is no limit of where we go, we can think another way. The road have no speed limit as they have been flatted to the ground as well as the street sign, providing useless for us. The seat can be comfy as it get, even if it ripped partly, I can finally relax and take a break for now.
“So tell me why exactly you going after Genesis?” Mark started out by asking me a question. I can’t tell him who I am exactly, otherwise he would freak out that I am CPU and I out of my nation to here since it technically illegal to do so. Actually since I just thinking about it, I just broke my first law. Lovey.
“I in undercover mission to investigate Genesis new console. I heard he plan to take over the universe in 3 days.” That the best I can explain.
“Genesis taking over the world? Now that something I haven’t heard of from him.”
“You know him?”
“Well...” He paused for second. “Let just say we only know each other for short time during the time when we was part of the ‘Underground’.”
“The ‘Underground’?” Where did I heard about this name before?
“It nothing, forget about it.” He then drop it, focusing back on the driving.
Never knew who they are, but it seem like a secret organization against government and society, though that what I think in mind. I think I have heard about it somewhere, maybe it was during the GFBI (Gamindustri Federal Burial Investigate) interview, but it could be different ‘Underground’. How long as it been since the last GFBI interview? It have been a while since I heard from them. Actually, how is my friend doing back at Gamindustri? Hope they not too worried about me. Then again, it does rise suspension if they noticed I off in 3 days or more. Hope they don’t sent the Universe Alert (A Public Self Awareness program that announced a kidnapped/missing person across Hyperdimension) mark me as missing.
I feeling nervous as of right now, not became I invited to do someone dirty work, but it whom I dealing with. I talking to the guy, Genesis, who will bring this world to the ground under his control. Console that know the user information first, steal them, bring to his place, brainwash them and they became Genesis Citizens. Is this guy psychopath or he just want to enjoy a cult of personality? Even he do evil thing, people will love him neither the less. I ending this, once and for all and I think me and Mark both have same idea. Although he could have different story.
“So, why you going after your friend?” I started out with a rather important question.
“Let just say a revenge since it best word for what about to happened once we get there.” Mark quickly answered. Revenge? Sound like even Genesis betray his friend for something worse. Not a bright future for his I would say.
When I about to relax, at the far distance I heard a rusty engine growing near us, however I don’t know what it was. I took a look at the dusty mirror that I just clean. It a big vehicle but rather a strange one. Am I seeing someone on top of the car, holding a…
“Oh damn!” Mark took a very sharp right turn as the cannon blast the dust road, spreading the dust to our face for a second before it clear itself out. As we got back to the road, they already beside us. A black RAM truck, no door and one enemy on the back trunk, holding a straight cannon that only look straight. He about to pull his gun to his left pocket and so do I.
He bang his first bullet quickly, though it shoot the door which giving me a chance to shoot him. I have to remember, my bullets is blank, meaning it not effective as real bullets, it even don’t shot to kill (which it is good thing for me).
I switch to one-shot and took a shot, which shoot him in his shoulder, making him collapse to the trunk floor. Though they are persistent, the driveway was divided into two roads which both lead to different route. Guess we were lucky.
“What was that?” I asked him.
He then look at me with his serious face of his, look like he about to pick on me.
“Those are the gunner. They always roam around in Jigoku Main roads. They are the weakest of them all I have to say.”
“A least we not going deal with then anymore. Right?”
“That was the cherry on the top though.”
I again heard an another engine coming to us, it was a loud, high pitch noise about to passed us. These guy however are something else. They all wearing black clothes, face covered, driving a bike and armed with sliver, sharp sword while driving though. Two of them from side to side got near us and about to swing that swords to us, though they only stretch the car. Us got completely surrounded by six of them, I guessing forming a circle around us. I hold my gun again and a least shot one of them. However, one seem to dodge it by backing up and drive forward once more. I then process to shot as many time as I needed and neither of them, not even once, fallen to moving grounds. What the hell?
“Gun won’t work on them! They are highly skilled ninja from the East.” Mark saying while dodging all their attacks as well as hitting them by the side.
“Ninja?!” I was shocked and at same time, I almost got hit by them. They can dodge the speed of the bullets, but not the bike.
I then pull the gun, poking out the car door and aim at the wheel and pull the trigger where the dull sliver bullet fist though the rubber, tear it apart, making one of their bike trip to the fasten ground. They then drop out the chase and turn the other direction.
“Wait, what going on?” I asked myself this. They suddenly attacked us and left a minutes later?
“They can’t fight very long at all during the day. They have to get out real quickly.” Mark seem to know what I was thinking.
“Why though?”
“They ninja of course!” Mark seem to be surprised by my stupidity.
“Wish they last long.” He continued.
“What make you think of that?
He then took a huge breath that stress have left and now relax have came back.
