My cyberpsychosis is a task prompt

Chapter 225: The Ultimate Netherworld's Destination

The puddles reflected the neon lights.

The ripples create an illusion of collapsing pixels.

John carried the body and pushed open the iron gate of the funeral home with one hand.

The rusty metal structure emitted a series of screams, revealing a narrow and cramped living room and waiting area, while the sound of doors opening extended deeper into the building along the dimly lit concrete staircase.

The incandescent light bulb embedded in the ceiling hissed.

It was filled with dead mosquitoes.

"Hello, anyone breathing?"

Gino asked tentatively.

She seemed to have disturbed some voice-activated mechanism, and some mechanical structure was suddenly triggered. After a brief pause, a series of noises occurred.

The whole building came back to life.

Ta-da.

Footsteps echoed from beneath my feet, reverberating through the cramped building before abruptly ending at the stairwell entrance.

John and Gino's eyes followed the sound across the wall, finally settling on the dimly lit corner.

The venue was silent for a few seconds.

A head made of mosaic slowly peeked out.

His entire face had been replaced with a pixelated board, and the expression made up of yellow lines was showing a smile, as if John and his crew had brought some kind of gift that would make them happy for days.

"Welcome to the Netherworld's final resting place,"

【Name: Fall Guy】

[Faction: Ghouls]

[Scan: Interesting cheek, surgical component joints, hormone-containing vascular plexus, accessory heart, etc.]

[Bounty Offered: Organ smuggling, multiple murders, trafficking of contraband, etc.]

John took a step back the instant he saw the scanned information.

Ghouls are no good.

But then I thought about it again, and it made sense:

Those who can compete for the funeral home business in Sakura Cross Street, if they don't rely on Xiaoting's gang, can only rely on the Ghouls.

"The sign outside makes it very clear what kind of business we do... Hmm? You even brought the corpse with you, which will save you a lot of trouble."

The Fall Guy's body was fully exposed as he spoke.

Even Gino, who was standing at the back, had to back up.

Because this guy's mosaic head is only of normal size, but his body hidden in the stairwell is over two meters tall, with bloated and exaggerated muscles paired with two thick mechanical prosthetics.

"Don't be afraid, don't be afraid, I'm a doctor, friend. Disassembling arms and legs requires some skill and strength. You can see it yourself, I'm the only one holding this place up by myself, without an assistant. I have to do everything myself..."

The Fall Guys had already moved closer as they spoke.

As he drew closer, a wave of foul air swept over them—the acrid smell of disinfectant mixed with the stench of corpses and rotting entrails.

Fall Guys looked like a deformed ball of flesh blocking the stairwell.

John stared blankly at the mosaic panel, his hand hanging naturally beside his work jacket.

Inside was a smart submachine gun loaded with bullets.

The Fall Guy leaned forward slightly, blocking the cold, pale light, making his entire body dim and exuding a strong sense of oppression.

He stretched out a pair of thick prosthetic limbs, trying to touch the corpse.

The distance is very close.

John saw the torque rotating in the other man's elbow, the joint clogged with grime—it was hard to tell if it was blood or lubricant.

[Fire. (Optional)]

[Conversation. (Optional)]

"Quote a price."

John looked up, his tone calm.

He could even feel the heat emanating from that mosaic cheek.

The Fall Guy's outstretched hand paused in mid-air, clenched into a fist, and then mischievously opened all its fingers.

"Five hundred euros! Haha!"

He let out a series of electric, hoarse, shrill laughs, like those coming from a broken car stereo.

The price made Gino frown.

John didn't believe it either.

"Are you kidding me? At that price, how many people in the whole city can afford to cremate a corpse!"

"Oh, calm down, baby~"

Fall Guy's smile remained unchanged.

The facial features on the mosaic panel are orange-yellow, while the background is a deep purple that gradually changes with breathing, seemingly expressing different emotions.

"Look at all this stuff you're wearing, all high-class and expensive-looking. You must be a big shot in the underworld. For a street legend like you to come all the way to this corner without a middleman or introduction, there must be some inconvenience. I'm just a businessman, and I don't want to upset you. Let me make a little money too~"

Keeping secrets comes at a cost.

This is the rule on the street.

Fall Guys is clearly trying to make a deal. [Payment required. (Optional)]

[Refuse the transaction. (Optional)]

drip.

John waved his finger to pay the bill.

Eden City is still under martial law, and the Japanese people at Sakura Cross Street are on edge.

They wouldn't even dare to commit a big robbery on the street.

If gunfire breaks out at a funeral home, and the situation isn't resolved quickly, it could attract the attention of the NCPD or even the SAT.

That would be bad for everyone.

Five hundred euros is acceptable to John.

Let’s take a step back.

If the serum doesn't save you, what's the point of the numbers on the balance?

The notification sound of the funds arriving was unusually jarring in the cramped room.

Gino looked somewhat surprised, his expression complicated, but he didn't say anything in the end.

"Great, big shot. Just wait, I guarantee I'll handle this perfectly!"

The Fall Guy grabbed the corpse package with one hand and disappeared into the end of the concrete passage with the same steps he had taken to get there.

John followed and took two steps.

He followed the dim light and saw a staircase leading downwards.

A dirty mirror is embedded in the wall.

The flickering ceiling lights illuminated a ring of small tiles forming the shape of an operating room, while the incinerator and morgue seemed to be in a deeper area.

After a while.

The sound of rinsing water filled the air.

Bang, bang, bang—

A powerful electric current surged into the old equipment, and a loud bang was accompanied by the smell of burning oil.

John felt a little dizzy.

The gas is toxic.

He returned to the room where he had started and sat down next to Gino.

A metal bench.

A background wall covered with footprints and scratches.

Two people sitting side by side, each holding a traditional cigarette and an electronic respirator.

Neither John nor Gino had the desire to speak.

Rumbling--

The body was started to be burned.

A loud roar came from the ventilation duct.

The exhaust fumes were expelled, and in exchange, the air from the alley outside, soaked with sewage and volatile chemicals, rushed into the room.

The fan was making a loud rumbling noise, which made people dizzy, lightheaded, and even caused tinnitus.

John and Gino gradually adapted to the rhythmic vibrations and even felt a sense of peace, as if they could hide in the noise and clear their minds.

The sounds that had been drowned out by the roar gradually surfaced.

Gino and John both heard it:
A crackling sound came from behind the wall, like popcorn popping one by one in a microwave, or like synthetic meat strips with a plastic smell sizzling.
"vomit--"

Gino didn't know if he smelled something or thought of something.

yah-

The old metal door was pushed open once again.

New guests and fresh air flowed into the room at the same time.

Gino gave a look of gratitude to God, then looked at the newcomer with John.

He was bundled up tightly, like a walking cube, wearing a long coat that was out of season and making him sweltering. As soon as he entered the room, he couldn't wait to pull off his clothes to get some fresh air.

[Prosthetic: Messiah-Medusa V]

[Location: Visual system]

[Features: Built-in external lens jammer, all-environment visual enhancement, ultra-high-speed scanning algorithm.]

A brief stream of data flashed in John's pupils.

The "new guest" became a jumbled mosaic in his eyes, rapidly reassembling amidst the bombardment of data.

The other party has installed an external camera jammer.

This is a plugin-like prosthetic tool used to prevent unauthorized filming and protect personal information in public environments.

John did not forcefully scan the other party's information.

It's possible, but unnecessary.

John switched his prosthetic eye to new mode.

After a brief pause, details of the other person's body were revealed.

(End of this chapter)