Infinity, progress from Arasaka

"Where do you want to go?"

A hoarse, metallic, and dull simulated sound penetrated the roof, and the walls shattered with a loud bang. The exploded concrete flew into the room, corridor, and roof like shotgun shells.

"Oh shit!" In the building, dozens of CIA agents dressed like street boys but fully armed looked at the blood-soaked Iron Cyborg who appeared from the gap in the wall. For a moment, their eyebrows almost flew up.

The legendary meat grinder on the battlefield—Adam Hammer!

Dada! Bang bang bang——

For a moment, hacker attacks, shotgun shells, large-caliber live ammunition, anti-material electromagnetic tungsten-tipped bullets, intelligent control bullets, and micro rockets flew wildly, all rushing towards the huge iron lump that was rolling over with great momentum.

The bullet bounced off Adam Hammer's exoskeleton, which was as thick as a main battle tank, and only chipped off a little paint with iron filings.

"Poor!" At the same time, Adam Hammer pressed the switch of the portable black box, and with the "hissing" sound of pressure relief and exhaust, he rushed forward like a steamroller, knocking two portable machine gun turrets that had just been activated into twists and turns, and with one shoulder he pushed the one holding the electromagnetic sniper rifle into the wall.

Bang!

Blood, flesh and limbs splattered everywhere, as if the floor was shaking. Cracks in the wall spread radially, and countless messy debris collapsed. This gorilla-like shoulder strike was so fierce and brutal that the [subcutaneous armor] and [titanium skeleton] were almost no different from mortal flesh in the face of the pure violence of the huge force.

"Retreat!" An CIA agent's eyes were bloodshot. He gave the order to retreat while pressing the detonator switch in his hand.

boom--

The timed high-explosive bombs and EMP bombs (electromagnetic pulse) placed in the building in advance were detonated.

The moment the orange-red flames lit up, whoosh!

The 'street boys' were moving at a rapid speed.

In the eyes of the user of [Sian Westin], the world seemed to slow down at this moment. All of his potential, reaction speed, senses, and body coordination abilities were used to the extreme by this active operating system-type cutting-edge prosthesis. The figures of him and his companions were like phantoms that were interpolated and stretched out, but -

Someone is faster.

Boom boom boom…

Just like the overlapping and elongated video interpolation view displayed in the background of the editing software, the terrifying figure of Iron Cyborg seemed to catch up, and it was faster, stronger, and more durable!

"[Sian Westin]. Is this rudimentary implant your last resort? You call this confrontation a secondary meat grinder against the separatist forces in the Western States. But baby, you are the meat, and I am the meat grinder."

Holding a heavy metal hammer that was made of some kind of steel and was squirming, emitting an ominous blood mist, Adam Hammer spoke patiently as if he had won the lottery.

Then his patience ended.

With a ferocious whistling sound that squeezed through the air, Adam Hammer swung out his meat grinder. On top of it were layers of chain saws that were spinning at high speed like wriggling sharp teeth. Sizzle—!

The enormous force almost crushed the hard titanium frame with the heavy hammer. Then, there was the sound of a chainsaw tearing into real leather, flesh, bionic skin, artificial muscles, cables, and electronic components.

The unfortunate person who was hit by the blow would burst like a rotten watermelon or explode like a fruit with its skin torn.

“Hahaha…Come on, come on! Baby, let’s get twisted!”

Amid the sloppy, rough, cold and brutal laughter, one cyborg body after another was ruthlessly crushed.

When the last "street kid" jumped out of the window to escape, he was smashed to pieces by a heavy hammer in front of the holographic billboard between the high-rise buildings. The fierce heat brought by the explosion flames completely swept through the floors, boom! !

Thick smoke and flames rose into the sky, and the windows of the surrounding buildings exploded.

Boom! The heavy object fell to the ground, and the pink wet entrails and blood sprayed on the wall and Adam Hammer's exoskeleton.

He paced slowly, holding in his right hand a long hammer that hummed and squirmed when it saw blood, like a living creature with flowing blood vessels.

Burning debris hung in the air, and blood, implant fragments, and blackened flesh were everywhere.

"What a great new product... the Bio-Component Quinque 'Dojima'."

Adam Hammer looked at the long metal hammer in his hand that was flashing with blood.

He shook off the meat tangled around the huge hammer and examined the chainsaw with a slight crack and missing teeth. He weighed it and said, "It's concealed and portable, but a little light. The chainsaw is far from strong enough..."

Data streams flashed in his scarlet artificial eyes.

[Reporter: Adam Hammer]

[Reporting to: Vera Adelheid Russell]

[Report content: "Quinke" actual combat data and personal improvement needs]

Although he is a well-known battlefield meat grinder and cyber executioner, he still has to write the briefing.

"Have they retreated?" After clearing out a group of NUSA agents who were carrying out an assassination mission in the building, Adam Hammer looked at the high-rise building opposite from afar.

High-precision tactical optical prosthetic eye with enlarged pupil and focused vision.

He could see clearly that the "street kids" were evacuating in groups of two or three with extremely sophisticated tactical moves. They were retreating very cleanly and quickly, and they were picked up by a special car. By the time he got there, the people had already run away. He could chase them down, but he was now performing a security mission, not an annihilation mission.

Adam Hammer turned around and looked at the target of his protection.

A recruiting office set up by the Hellhounds in Santa Fe, New Mexico.

On the stage, Kurt Hansen walked out from behind the Cyborg Tyrant with a calm expression. Facing his supporters and sympathizers who were obviously frightened by the sudden explosion, he shrugged lightly.

"See, life is so wonderful sometimes. After we broke up, she fell in love with me. She wanted to love me to death every moment."

As Hansen made a joke, the cybernetic tyrants standing on both sides of him released their magnetic fields.

Various bullets fell on the podium, which was roughly built with steel plates, making a clanging sound.

Among the crowd below the stage, exposed plainclothes agents from Arasaka and their Hellhound guards were carrying out several bloody corpses.

These were the assassins who wanted to kill Hansen at close range. But Arasaka's security personnel were obviously the most professional in this regard. In terms of security business, they were No.1 in the world, and even military technology had to be recognized.

Among them, the figures of several Arasaka plainclothes officers carrying silver-white boxes and transforming them into samurai swords and metal umbrella-shaped objects were particularly eye-catching.

Hansen couldn't help but glance at the Arasaka Lifter who was standing next to the Cyborg Tyrant, always on guard against the surroundings.

Just now, when the gunshots rang out and Adam Hammer moved, he was the first to react to the second assassination attempt. He used the metal umbrella that unfolded from the box to help him block the close-range shooting from the audience.

Quinque.

Hansen muttered to himself.

Was this also designed and manufactured by her? She is worthy of being the first director of the [Sun Staircase Project] valued by the old Emperor Saburo Arasaka.

Such talent...

Hansen once again determined to continue his long-term cooperation with Vera.

In this case, he must give a more perfect answer.

He raised his head and looked towards the podium several hundred meters away.

Over there is the new United States federal law enforcement agency stationed in Santa Fe.

It was just that a fire seemed to have broken out due to the riots, and parts of the fourth and fifth floors of the building had collapsed in several places.

Outside the wall, you can see rows of bullet holes and charred pieces of Molotov cocktails.

On the ground, the fresh blood caused by the conflict had not yet been completely cleaned up.

Sirens were blaring, rows of ambulances were parked nearby, and people were constantly carrying bodies out of the building and putting them into body bags.

The Lazarus mercenaries and federal law enforcement officers are facing off against the Phantom Hound mercenaries with guns to gun, while the city police and special police controlled by the local party are trying to smooth things over, and their stance is clearly biased towards the Phantom Hounds.

At first, Lazarus did have the upper hand in the city.

But alas, here comes Hansen.

Because he came, the Arasaka security service he ordered: Adam Hammer and the Cyborg Tyrant troops also came. The situation was reversed in an instant. Facing the deterrence of Adam Hammer and the pressure of Cyborg Tyrant, Lazarus stopped the riot offensive.

Thinking of this, data streams flashed in Hansen's eyes.

The large holographic projection screen behind the podium magnified his image at the same frequency, and with the help of the broadcast, his speech was transmitted beyond visual range.

"Hey, friend of Lazarus. I guess I don't need to introduce myself. Kurt Hansen. Like most of you, a veteran of NUSA, only not retired, but abandoned by the honorable Ms. Rosalind Miles."

"Look around you. Has Miles sent any decent support? No, you have been abandoned, just like me six years ago. It's pitiful, sad, and lamentable..."

...

"Look, that traitor has started talking nonsense again. He speaks more beautifully than he sings. Isn't he just Arasaka's dog now? Or did his clever tongue make that little bitch Vera Adelheid feel comfortable?"

Watching the projection of Hansen's speech light up over there, a Lazarus mercenary officer muttered with disdain on his face.

"How damn arrogant! They've even recruited soldiers right in front of us. And we're just standing there staring?"

"Or else? You want to have a fight with Adam Sledgehammer? Come on, stop talking."

Another Lazarus officer crossed his arms and had a complicated look on his face.

"We are in such a passive position now. After all, the officials in Washington do owe Hansen an explanation for the unification war six years ago."

He knew Hansen, or to be more precise, he knew Colonel Hansen six years ago.

Just as they were nominally hired by the Santa Fe City Hall, and the Hellhounds mercenary group was hired by the opposition local party, although everyone knew who the two parties were behind the strife, and the two sides were almost fighting each other in the riots, they still had not completely torn their faces apart.

This is politics, the art of telling lies with open eyes.

But even so, the development of the situation made Lazarus and the insiders of the CIA feel very uneasy.

The Hellhound is developing too fast.

Breaking free from the shackles of Dogtown, the gang was whitewashed into a company listed in Night City, with the support of Arasaka and Su Petrochemical's "humanitarian" material assistance, and Kurt Hansen's own role as a banner, the Netherhounds were able to continuously absorb the veterans who opposed Washington and Miles from the last war on the West Coast, and they were fully equipped with military equipment, and they only needed some running-in before they could be pulled out to take the lead.

Lazarus's advantage is not obvious.

"The FIU failed again. Arasaka placed a heavy bet on him and even sent out Adam Hammer."

"Fuck! What on earth are the officials in Washington waiting for? If the local party organizes a mob to attack the station again, will the hot weapons permit be granted... Bullshit!"

It's said to be late, but it's fast, wow——

Here they come again. Behind the Nether Dog mercenaries who were confronting them, there was a piercing roar.

After resting, the densely packed citizens of Santa Fe came again, holding banners that read "Stop Miles" and "Independence and Sovereignty."

This made Officer Lazarus' expression at the scene even more solemn.

The opposition has grown in size, and the citizens on their side who support Washington are simply unable to compete.

Is Arasaka focusing on New Mexico and Arizona?

He couldn't be sure.

After thinking for a long time, considering that his life was at stake and that he had been commissioned to hold on to the city of Santa Fe, he finally decided to prioritize these tasks.

"Call for help from Washington headquarters."

...

On the other side, in Night City, Vera was still inspecting the construction of the new area of ​​Arasaka Research Center with Deputy Mayor Wilton Holt, senior managers of engineering and construction companies, and savvy investors as if nothing had happened.

Fighting is fighting, quarreling is quarreling, Vera never regards conspiracy and trickery as a magic weapon for victory. The premise of all her arrogance and rebelliousness is that her foundation must be solid. In addition to calculating others, she must also improve herself.

Construction and creation of increments are her fundamental strategy.

Everything else serves this purpose.

"'Pig', did it finally move?" At the best observation point for the new district's construction, Vera stood with her hands behind her back, the data stream from the video playback flashing in her indigo eyes, and the corners of her mouth were curved in a smile.

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