"Sir, someone is watching us."
A man's voice—unnaturally cold—sounded beside Roland's ear. Roland, who had been looking out the hotel window, gave a slight nod to show he was aware.
This was a sub-AI created by Lissandra, designed specifically to command the Imperial Guard robot line, providing far stronger combat processing power.
"Can you locate them?"
"Yes. But confirming all positions will take some time."
"Alright. Once you find them, confirm their identities. If possible, figure out who's behind them. If they don't have any real backing, eliminate them on the spot."
"Understood."
After giving his orders, Roland sat down on the sofa, his gaze drifting downward. He wasn't sure yet whether the ones targeting him were the giant corps or local factions. If they were local...
...then they couldn't blame him for chopping off the claws they dared to extend toward him.
He had come here with goodwill—he chose Agas City specifically to help boost its economic development (serious face).
...
"How's it looking? What's the target doing?"
"Everything's normal. The target is still in the hotel, seems to be admiring the view. We can't see clearly from here."
A man in black combat gear, lying prone with binoculars, answered from inside a room.
"Good. Keep observing. Report anything unusual."
"Got it."
"Man... what kind of crappy job is this? The guy doesn't even look like anyone important..."
He cut the comms, muttered a complaint, rubbed his thigh, pulled out a pack of compressed rations, and started chewing.
While he was busy watching, he never noticed the shadow that slipped through the traps he'd set and quietly approached from behind.
"Huh? Looks like he disappeared..."
He suddenly realized Roland was no longer on the sofa. Confused, he reached for his comms—only for a sharp pain to explode through his head as the light faded from his eyes.
A Night Owl robot slowly retracted its silenced weapon, extracted the chip from the man's neck, and immediately hacked into his system.
Meanwhile, the squad leader saw one of the life monitors on his display flatten into a straight line. His face darkened for a moment, then returned to normal.
He frowned and opened the comms channel.
"Seven, what's going on over there?"
"Everything's fine here. The target just went to the bathroom."
The Night Owl robot mimicked the man's voice perfectly.
The captain relaxed, having no idea that danger was already closing in.
Back in the hotel, Roland—now watching TV—received a report from the Imperial Guard robot. The data identified several groups. One group consisted of gang members who had targeted him as a big, unprotected payday.
Roland had nothing to say about them—he simply ordered their immediate removal.
Another group was made up of local corporate scouts gathering intel. Roland ignored them.
The last group, however, was from a major local conglomerate: Hammos Industries. They were one of Agas City's main economic pillars, operating primarily in mining and manufacturing.
Roland's expression turned strange. If they truly had mines and strong manufacturing, there was no reason Agas City should be this poor...
Unless Hammos Industries was keeping it that way on purpose.
Roland narrowed his eyes. To be honest, he wanted their mines—according to the intel, their main resources were iron, copper, and similar materials.
Exactly what he lacked most. If he could take Hammos down, he really could give Night City a surprise.
What puzzled him was why they would monitor him and even plan to attack. His current business direction shouldn't conflict with theirs at all.
Yet, according to the hacked data from the Night Owl robot, they intended to drive him out. And the two companies could easily cooperate...
Something was off. But it wouldn't stop him from dealing with them.
"Move. Take out this squad."
Roland closed the files, issued the command to the Imperial Guard robots, and sent a visit request email to Hasaka, the mayor of Agas City.
BOOM!
While the Hammos Industries squad was chatting in their jeep, a figure suddenly dropped from the sky and slammed into the front hood with a deafening crash.
The violent impact hurled the entire vehicle into the air. It spun 180 degrees before smashing back onto the ground, sending metal shards and debris flying.
Pained groans came from inside. The Imperial Guard robot turned, then walked steadily toward the smoking jeep.
"Ugh... ah..."
The squad captain, head drenched in blood and vision swimming, tried to crawl out the window—only to be met with a metal-plated foot.
Thud!
A sharp bang erupted, blood splattering across the pavement.
The Imperial Guard robot glanced at the wreck, took a round device from its waist, pressed the switch, and tossed it into the jeep before walking away.
Moments later, a pillar of flame shot skyward. The orange-red glare lit the robot's back, casting its other side into deep shadow. Several nearby pedestrians froze, stunned speechless by the sudden carnage.
A scream finally broke the silence, sending the street into immediate chaos.
And around Agas City, several other locations were experiencing the exact same thing.
Roland walked to the window, looking down at the rising flames and the thick black smoke curling into the sky. He shook his head.
He had planned to stay low-key and decide his approach after meeting the mayor. But judging by Hammos Industries' move, subtlety wasn't an option. A louder approach would be better.
As for the local police... their situation was only slightly better than Night City's—not by much—and their firepower couldn't compare.
The other intelligence agents watching all of this were stunned. None had expected Roland to act so decisively.
But they weren't the most shocked—nor the most furious. That honor belonged to Pico Hammos, the owner of Hammos Industries.
The moment his entire squad was wiped out, he received the death report—he'd been watching the operation since the start.
"Roland Vimers... I'll remember you. Let's see how you handle the next round."
Pico narrowed his eyes, a cold gleam flashing through them.
...
(40 Chapters Ahead)
p@treon com / GhostParser