𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖: 𝐁𝐚𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐑𝐢𝐬𝐤𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐃𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐮𝐫𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐬𝐞𝐬
Chihaya was running the All-Rounder.
Right after the gunshot sounded, she dashed back the way she came, using a tree trunk as a shield and heading in the opposite direction of where the Renegade Warrior was.
Distracted by the gunshot, there was no pursuit from the Renegade Warrior. She made the All-Rounder dive into a giant tree hole, sliding in.
She immediately turned the All-Rounder around and aimed the muzzle of the 『Breakthrough』 gun at the entrance of the hole.
ㅤ
Repeated gunshots and explosions were heard from various parts of the Spear Mountain Range.
The Renegade Warrior doesn’t have firearms, so these gunshots and explosions must be from some Actanoid.
ㅤ
Chihaya, trembling uncontrollably, strained her ears, then realized it was pointless and looked at the monitor to check the direction of the sound. Probably from two directions: where she had come from, slightly off, and near the summit of Spear Mountain Range.
She recognized this situation. Clearly, it was a clash between clans targeting the Renegade Warrior.
ㅤ
“Ugh, why? Why am I right in the middle of the battlefield?”
ㅤ
With her eyes spinning in confusion, Chihaya realized that the Renegade Warrior was not following her. It seems she was overlooked.
The problem was the clashing clans.
ㅤ
Chihaya couldn’t quite grasp the situation.
It took two full days to get to Spear Mountain Range, but the last report of the Renegade Warrior’s discovery by the Intensive Hunting Club was 300 kilometers ahead. There was no way the Renegade Warrior should be here.
The Renegade Warrior is in a place where he shouldn’t be, there’s a battle for it happening, and she is somehow right in the middle of it all.
ㅤ
“Why?!”
ㅤ
Chihaya, who now realized it made more sense to think that she was the target, began to tremble even more.
ㅤ
“That’s right, why didn’t I realize? Of course, I’m targeted. . . . . .I’m hated. . . . . . fu-he he.”
ㅤ
She had been fending off attackers all this time. Even if the primary target of the clashing clans is the Renegade Warrior, it doesn’t mean she isn’t also targeted.
She bombed so much in the marsh, skipped out on being summoned by the Order Actor’s representative.
There’s too much evidence.
ㅤ
“Fu-he he. . . . . .”
ㅤ
With no other option but to laugh, Chihaya checked the All-Rounder’s condition.
The All-Rounder, which had its head camera blown off, had severely impaired vision, and the front was almost invisible. The wide blind spot in front would leave her helpless if caught in combat.
ㅤ
She never intended to engage in a shootout from the front. Considering the All-Rounder’s armor and shooting accuracy, there’s no way she could face off against the latest machines fighting the Renegade Warrior.
To begin with, being outnumbered means losing the moment she exposes herself.
ㅤ
For Chihaya, the ultimate question is how to retreat from this place without being seen, but there’s also a problem.
ㅤ
“The money. . . . . .the repair cost. . . . . .and I’m hated. . . . . .”
ㅤ
The head of the borrowed All-Rounder was destroyed. She’s already in total loss.
She might be able to escape while the clan is distracted by the Renegade Warrior, but if that doesn’t change the fact that she’s targeted, it’s pointless.
If she creates a new account, they might not be able to trace her, at best.
ㅤ
To begin with, the garage is two days’ distance from here. With a missing head and poor visibility, there’s no way the All-Rounder can reach top speed, and it will take even more time.
It will be easy for them to catch up after finishing the battle with the Renegade Warriors.
ㅤ
It wasn’t a metaphor; her head actually hurt. The eerie sound of overstrained laughter echoes endlessly throughout the control room.
Chihaya gazes at the main monitor in a mosaic state, laughing at the thought of what might happen if she continues to hide and linger on the battlefield. If she is going to be caught anyway, there’s the option not to run away at all.
ㅤ
“Fu-he, he he.”
ㅤ
Speakers continue to vibrate with the sound of battle.
It’s a flashy shootout. There must be a considerable number of units that are heavily damaged.
It’s a fight between strong clans capable of messing up the battle against the Renegade Warriors. Expensive units are everywhere.
ㅤ
What happens if that is sold?
She doesn’t know. Grudges and a fortune can be obtained.
ㅤ
Chihaya reaches into the wallet below the monitor, peering inside. $20.91 in cash. Plus, there was a piece of paper inside.
Thinking it was a receipt, Chihaya continues to smile faintly.
ㅤ
“A turnaround, profit. . . . . .Fu-he he.”
ㅤ
Since they were the ones who attacked, it should be permissible to retaliate.
An All-Rounder with a blown-off head remaining on the battlefield to reap the benefits is not something one would normally consider.
ㅤ
Chihaya’s eerie smile deepens.
Facing a major deficit from the counterattack or staying behind to counterattack for a major profit. That was the balance of risk filling Chihaya’s mind.
ㅤ
To begin with, it doesn’t seem plausible to escape from here from the enemy who has deployed many units with superior search abilities to find the Renegade Warriors.
If one of the clashing clans were an Order Actor, it wouldn’t be strange for them to chase after her as a top priority.
ㅤ
Chihaya checks her armament.
Although there has been some consumption in the Ulti battle, she has originally brought a large amount of wire and grenades. Since the main camera is damaged, she doesn’t care about ammunition.
There are also inflatable dummy grenades prepared so that uncollected units won’t be taken.
ㅤ
“I can’t escape. I can’t shoot. So, I’ll face them. Fu-he he.”
ㅤ
Chihaya chose to expand her territory by setting wire traps and booby traps all around with only half-determined resolution.
Her self-preserving actions are the most troublesome behavior on this battlefield.
Translator’s Blog
Blog
- Sword Art Online: A Grown-Up’s Journey Through A Virtual World
- Chaoyang Masses: The Spy Games Your Aunts and Uncles Play
- Light Novel Addiction: How One Hour of Sleep Loss Can Ruin Your Day (and Your Life)
- My Early 20s Emo Profile: A Journey Back to Myspace (And Why It Still Haunts Me)
- Study Guide: Lofi or Punk Emo? The Soundtrack to Smashing Your Next Exam (Like a Boss)
Leave a Reply