Chapter 19: Urban Jungle

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  It wasn’t just the sudden surge of little warning windows that convinced me I was entering somewhere considered dangerous. The buildings here were even more obviously run down, and the few people that did appear on the street seemed far less congenial and far more heavily armed.

  If the roof of rusted metal and cracked concrete above had made me feel like I was indoors, then the guarded metal doors we approached absolutely solidified the impression.

  “So just over there is one of the main entrances to Sub-District 4 of this tier.” Ji-Ho paused his steps to tell me. I already knew that from the ‘notification’ box that had appeared on my HUD above the doors. A door that I honestly wouldn’t have recognized without seeing similar thresholds in the hospital.

  “A few years back, one of the over-surges that get channelled down here from the sky-tiers got out of hand, and the sub-district had to be abandoned and locked down.”

  I looked at him with just as much interest as I was feeling about this information. Which is to say I didn’t care in the slightest, and very much conveyed this with my expression. I think Ji-Ho got the hint, not that it stop him from continuing his explanation. I do suspect he may have cut it a little shorter, however.

  “So…now it is used as a local hunting ground, since you know...the uhh over-surge creatures build bodies out of machinery and raw materials…uhh maybe it would be best to show you.” He finished lamely as I slowly increased the coldness of my stare. I might not cut the imposing figure I once did, but it was good to see I could still intimidate with a mere look of boredom.

  The guards didn’t challenge us, and it was obvious they were neither excited to be there nor assigned to stop people from entering the sub-district. The two men were dressed in their own clothes with no uniformity whatsoever, though they were both armed with [KaiRo Semi-Automatic Rifle D-Series. Custom Modifications Present- Not Listed In Database.] Perhaps a year or two older than the siblings that led me, it was blatantly obvious that these guards had drawn some sort of unlucky duty by being stationed here. It was just as obvious that they had no intention of dissuading us, and likely were only here to stop things coming through, rather than people going out.

  Opening the large steel door required pulling a handle my HUD had marked as [Emergency Manual Release: Sub-district 4], which Ji-Ho did as Ha-Rin watched over his shoulder with her own ‘gun’ raised to readiness.

  When he pulled the lever the doors slid open sideways in a manner I had only ever seen since dying. I don't know why they weren't designed to just swing open like a regular door, but I suppose if I were in charge of an afterlife full of human-machine hybrids, I may have a rather unusual design philosophy about everyday things, too.

  The sight that greeted me past the doors brought a genuine smile to my face. It might still be more cramped ‘streets’ of dark concrete and rusted metal, but I still knew a wilderness when I saw one. The walls, the ground, the rooftops. All of it was covered in what I could only describe as overgrowth, though If what I was looking at was plant life, it was of a sort I had never once seen.

  It wasn’t plant life, not really. Even then, only a day or two removed from awakening in this city I could tell that much. I could see ‘trees’ of metal and pulsing green lights lining the sides of the street and pushing up through the shattered walls of what had once been homes or businesses.

  There were also ‘vines’ of corded metal snaking their way across the ground or up walls, or hanging between the trees. It was all lit by the same pulsing green glow I could see coming from the metal ‘flora’, and I knew there just had to be something worth challenging myself against in that place. Even the air was hot and thick with moisture like a true tropical forest.

  “Direct me from behind,” I ordered as I pushed past the siblings and took my place at the front of the group. Whatever was lurking in this steel jungle might be more familiar to them than to me, but they were still armed with their fancy gun things, which I understood to be ranged weapons. Besides, as I have said many times, I am peerless; keeping me in front was always going to be the safest option for everyone.

  “Speaking of directing you.” Said Ha-Rin from behind me. “ We should establish a call in case things get loud or someone gets separated.” Ji-Ho waved a finger at the armored form of his sister.

  Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

  “That is a good point, I’ll have Jeoseung set one up.” He replied, referring to his own A.I. companion. A moment later, a type of box I had not yet seen appeared in the center of my vision.

  [Incoming Call: Ji-Ho Gwon, Ha-Rin Gwon]

  [Accept/Ignore]

  Below the writing was a pair of tiny and incredibly lifelike portraits of the siblings. I cannot put into words how realistic these were; it was like miniature versions of the pair were staring at me.

  The little portrait of Ji-Ho featured a shirtless version of him in a room I recognized as the one with the shower in it from his home. He was making a weird face that I took to be as intended as seductive. I say intended because it absolutely was not seductive, so much as hilarious.

  Ha-Rin’s portrait was one of her clothed in a bright dress, making a symbol with two of her fingers and smiling towards the viewer. Around the girl were what appeared to be other women dancing. It was hard to say, as for whatever reason, the portrait cut off before showing more than a little of the woman around her.

  I thought that I wanted to activate the ‘accept’ option, and suddenly the box vanished and the portraits moved to the left side of my vision. Truly, I didn’t think I would ever get used to the insanity of this world’s magics.

  What was truly magical was that from then on, when one of the siblings spoke, a green outline appeared around their portrait, and I could hear them with perfect clarity no matter how far apart we were. If I had possessed such an ability in my life, my armies would have been impossible to defeat, and yet to these locals it was nothing but the most normal of conveniences.

  Obviously, I didn’t allow how impressed I was by the communication ability shown, I am no rural oaf to commit such a failure of decorum.

  “I'm sharing a waypoint with everyone. Bu, do you know how to use your navigation module?”

  I shrugged.

  “I tell Diaochan where I want to go and she makes lines appear on the ground.”

  “Good enough.” Came the man’s reply.

  A second later, I could hear Diaochan inform me that she was already generating a set of directions to the coordinates Ji-Ho had sent, so I didn't need to bother giving her the command.

  I have to admit her tone made me smile, it was so close to the way the real Diaochan sounded when she had pre-empted one of my demands. Equal parts proud and differential, but with just a hint of ironic defiance. The attitudes of women may be irritating in the extreme, but you still need some spine in the ladies that serve you. After all, if you take every last drop of venom from a snake, what are you left with? A belt?

  “We are ready?” I asked, activating the blade of my spear and advancing into the steel jungle without waiting for a response.

  As expected, a line denoting a path for me to follow appeared on the cord-covered ground.

  Almost immediately upon stepping into the contained jungle, my foot got caught on one of the metallic cord-vines. From the level of resistance I felt, I was confident that I could snap them with force, even in this body, though it would be difficult and time-consuming. Far better to simply pull my foot back from the cord and take care with my future steps.

  “Is that thing going to be okay?” I asked with a look over my shoulder at the metal yaoguai with a box for a back that followed a few spear lengths behind our group. The metal creature’s four spindly legs didn’t seem exactly agile to me, and certainly hadn’t demonstrated the level of surefootedness It would need to traverse these metal vines.

  “I know Mule looks goofy, and the A.I. inside it is basic,” replied Ha-Rin, causing her portrait to display the green around it. “But it has a custom programmed terrain adaptation Module. We have taken it through here a few times, so Mule knows what it's doing.”

  I was dubious, though I didn’t care enough to argue. They were the ones who were seeking treasure from this little jaunt; I was just being a polite guest and seeking to keep my bloodlust slaked enough that I didn’t get bored.

  Following the path deeper into the locked-off area, I noticed both a thickening of the glowing metal jungle and an increase in signs of human passage.

  “What made this forest is the same force that spawned that calamity dragon?” I asked to no one in particular.

  “Almost.” Replied Ji-Ho. “This is the result of a green Over-Surge. The one you caused was a red one. They are the same phenomenon, but behave very differently from each other.”

  I didn't press about the nature of Over-Surges, nor how many different colours there were of them. I was sure Diaochan could fill me in later if I cared to learn about it. I had already agreed to let her and Ha-Rin show me how one accesses the city’s network and all the information it stores tonight after this hunt, and that already sounded like more than enough scholarly bullshit to deal with for now. I wasn't looking to get a lecture now, just because I noticed a difference between magics.

  When we rounded a corner into an even more tight and overgrown alleyway, the volcanic scent of scorched stone and metal assaulted my nostrils. The source of the acrid combination of smells was blatantly obvious. Someone had utilized an energy blade or superheating technique to slice their way through the metal overgrowth.

  Love that belt line lol