Chapter 5

Chapter 5

The number of items listed at the Point Shop was small enough to count on one hand.

Just by glancing at it, I could immediately tell which item was the most useful.

“This is it…!”

With just this, I wouldn’t have to discard the modules I currently possess.

I wouldn't need to acquire new, compatible battle modules.

No—and that’s not even all.

“I could also cheat even more.”

For example, modules that are powerful but weren’t compatible and couldn’t be equipped would become usable.

“This is totally like a protagonist power, isn't it?”

The protagonist of the original novel [Cyber‑Module’s Necromancer], “Shade Wells.”

That young man became the adaptee of Miyu’s nanomachine, “Pandora,” and became the sole owner of the mysterious module, [Corpse Eater].

That ability raised the compatibility of all modules existing in the world to a level where they could be equipped and used—it was an absurdly overpowered ability.

“In this world, it wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that an Adaptee's power depends on their modules.”

In RPG terms: equipment items.

How strong are the equipped modules?

How many modules are equipped?

How adapted have you become to the equipped modules?

The combination and the stats determine who’s strong and who’s weak.

So to compare the protagonist’s [Corpse Eater] to a medieval‑fantasy worldview—it’s like being a ‘Weapon Master’ who can use every weapon.

“Which means, if I use the Point Shop to claim the [Corpse Eater] module as mine…!”

When my thoughts reached that point, I shook my head and cleared my mind.

Too much is just as bad as too little.

Getting stronger is fine—but as long as it’s enough to protect this body.

If I greedy for more, I’d inevitably fall into the same villain trap as original‑story Aaron: someone who can’t be saved by anyone.

“That’s not the route I want.”

Besides, the module called [Corpse Eater] was a keepsake left to him by the protagonist’s father.

The protagonist—like the heroines—is one of my favorite characters.

I didn’t need to earn his grudge in order to get stronger, nor was that necessary.

Even without that, this body is already strong.

Overflowingly so.

“I’ll use the ticket only to recover the lost power as quickly as possible after Pandora’s implantation. Just enough so I won’t be swayed by the Stingray family.”

As I organized my thoughts like that, Miyu timidly glanced at me from beside and opened her mouth.

“Um, er, Aaron‑ssi…?”

Because it took me a little time to clear my thoughts. To Miyu, it must have felt like I abruptly shut my mouth.

I closed the Point Shop window and resumed the conversation.

“It’s nothing. So, what was the other issue when Pandora was implanted?”

“Th‑that is….”

Miyu's gaze wavered here and there.

“R‑right now, the stock of ‘Pandora’ has completely run out…”

“….What?”

It was a story that naturally creased my brow.

Seeing my distorted expression, Miyu shrank back again and said “Eek! I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” in apology.

I tried to appear as gentle and soothing in voice and expression as possible, and continued speaking.

“I don’t intend to blame you. I just want to ask what you meant by saying the stock’s all gone.”

“Th‑that is… the people called Blood Wolves took all of the stock…”

If the Blood Wolves are the ones who ambushed me earlier at the Black Market.

They’re the ones receiving nanomachines, modules, and equipment made by Miyu as offerings.

Well, fine. That’s how the story originally was.

But of all times, the moment I came here, the stock runs out. Could my timing be more unlucky?

“What should I do? Should I storm their hideout and take back what they’ve hoarded?”

That would be the most reliable method—but it didn’t appeal to me much.

I already created unnecessary contact by disposing of a few of their operatives earlier.

In a situation where the story could derail anyway, do I smash their base too?

Unless I intended to completely overturn the storyline, it was not a good choice.

“It’s not me, but the protagonist who should topple them.”

In the original, the protagonist Shade Wells survives thanks to Miyu. Then he discovers she’s being deceived by the Blood Wolves into supplying them weapons.

In anger, he uses his newly gained power to completely destroy the organization, and reveals the reality to Miyu.

That becomes the turning point—Miyu then stands with the protagonist and gains the courage to face the world herself.

“It’s an important episode that absolutely must not be skipped when thinking ahead.”

Of course, in my heart, I wanted to wipe those gangsters out immediately.

But they are not prey to satisfy this body’s homicidal impulses—they must be the catalyst to help the protagonist and Miyu grow.

Having reached that conclusion, I asked Miyu again.

“If we tried to create a new Pandora, how long would it take?”

“Um… roughly about a month…”

“That’s a long time.”

It was a figure that made me gasp.

Could I really survive that long? In the original, I was alive until then—but can I rely on that and continue to endure this agony? What if I really die?

As if she shared the same thought, Miyu spoke cautiously.

“Sh‑should I ask them for help? Perhaps they could transfer just one leftover nanomachine…”

“Don’t.”

I refused immediately.

Miyu had no idea that those people were a villainous organization. Nor did she know that before I came here, I’d sliced up three of their operatives.

So she’s mistakenly thinking that if she bowed and asked, they’d oblige.

Such a naïve girl, completely inexperienced in the ways of the world.

“What should I do….”

What’s the best way to solve the problems I face without tampering with the story as much as possible?

Just then, a casual mutter from Miyu struck my mind like a blow.

“The last ampoule given to Shade‑ssi was the final one, though…”

What?

I froze.

I felt all of my plans collapsing at once.

Hoping I misheard, I asked Miyu.

“What did you just say?”

“….Yes?”

“You don’t mean ‘Shade’ as in ‘Shade Wells,’ do you?”

But Miyu answered with a bright smile.

My hope was shattered as surely as if it had been crushed.

“Um? Do you know Shade‑ssi?”

Of course I did.

Shade, Shade Wells.

The protagonist of [Cyber‑Module’s Necromancer].

According to the original, at this point Miyu shouldn’t recognize him.

Yet, for some reason, she acted as if she already knew him.

“How do you know that guy, then?”

“Uh, he suddenly visited four days ago and asked for help. So I administered nanomachine ampoules as he asked, but….”

“Where is that guy now?”

“Um… after saying he would go talk with the Blood Wolves, he left and hasn’t returned… Could it be that I did something wrong…?”

“No.”

I shook my head.

She hadn’t done anything wrong.

Administering Pandora to the protagonist to make him an adaptee, and having the awakened protagonist depart to confront the Blood Wolves.

Everything matched the original story.

But there were three oddities.

The first was Miyu’s testimony.

“In the original, the protagonist is saved by Miyu when he’s nearly dead. But Miyu said he came to her directly.”

The second was the timeline.

“If I remember correctly, the protagonist should meet Miyu at least two weeks later.”

In the original timeline, they meet two weeks before entering Trinity Academy—the main setting of the original story.

And as of now, there was a month left until Academy start.

Yet, somehow, an event that should occur two weeks later happened four days ago—right around the time I was possessed.

“That’s not all.”

The third oddity was the protagonist’s whereabouts.

If the protagonist became an adaptee four days ago, the Blood Wolves should already have been annihilated by his hands.

Yet, they still retained their power, and the protagonist, who should’ve eliminated the gang and returned, was nowhere to be found.

“…What the hell is going on?”

Was this the butterfly effect of my possession?

Or was there some other cause?

I hypothesized many things, but having spent the past few days holed up in my room, I had very limited information.

“There is one strong hypothesis, but there’s no way to verify it.”

In the end, worrying wouldn't yield answers.

After quickly sorting my thoughts, I stood up.

“A‑Aaron‑ssi?! If you stand up now…!”

“Where is their hideout?”

“What…? Aaron‑ssi, you’re not seriously going there in your condition, are you?! Oh, no! I’ll explain it to them….”

“Hideout.”

I urged her tersely.

Miyu trembled, unsure what to do, her voice quivering as tears welled up.

And then—

Beep!

A hologram window popped up before Miyu’s eyes.

It began streaming the CCTV footage of the talking vending machine at the entrance of her lab.

Someone had come.

–So that bourgeois bastard actually looked for this place?

–Yeah, no doubt. Seems like he was looking for that modular bitch.

–The vending machine’s broken. He must’ve been here.

–Be careful. He switched our three guys in a flash with just one blade.

“That is…!”

Five of the Blood Wolves’ members appeared.

Their armament surpassed what I’d seen earlier at the Black Market by orders of magnitude.

They were probably here to avenge themselves on me.

“Perfect timing.”

There was no need to ask Miyu.

Although still not in good shape, I wasn’t completely immobile.

I took another painkiller and swallowed it.

Then I turned to Miyu and said:

“Hide where you won’t get hurt.”

Things were about to get messy.

***

E‑Sector, Industrial District 28

The synthetic food factory of the defunct Smile Corporation had long since become the hideout of the rising violent gang, the Blood Wolves.

On the conveyor belts lay not synthetic protein food—but various weapons and nanomachine ampoules created by Modular Miyu.

Elsewhere, discarded syringes, liquor bottles, and food waste rotted, emanating a foul stench.

It was a thoroughly filthy space, yet the gang members, accustomed to it, clustered around without concern.

At their center, a hulking man—well over two meters tall—sat on a dilapidated sofa, fiddling with something.

It was a human eyeball.

Precisely, the artificial eye of a gang member that had been turned into a chunk of meat by Aaron’s hand earlier.

“…Done.”

The hulking man succeeded in attaching wires to the artificial eye with his large hand.

Simultaneously, the eye—now fitted with wires—started projecting video of a man holding a sword.

The sword‑wielding man had black hair and golden eyes.

His pale skin seemed on the verge of collapse, yet his beautiful face radiated unwavering resolve and sharpness.

That man was Aaron Stingray.

“Is this the one who did that to our people?”

“It appears so, boss.”

The boss—the hulking man—studied Aaron’s face intently in the video and stroked his chin.

“Why does he look familiar?”

He quickly opened the police civilian ID database—something he had fortunate access to recently—and searched the face.

Within seconds, results popped up.

The boss’s eyes widened in shock.

“This is… amazing.”

The gang members who saw the result began murmuring among themselves.

–What? Aaron? Then he’s the son of the emperor!

–That bourgeois pig! He killed our comrades!

–We must avenge them! Death to the capitalists!

“Quiet.”

With one word, the boss silenced his subordinates.

Under his overwhelming charisma, the men fell silent—as if they hadn’t been bold a moment before.

Once the hideout quieted down, the hulking man turned his gaze back to Aaron’s footage.

Aaron Stingray.

The eldest son of the Stingray Conglomerate, the ones who manipulated this city at will.

He hadn’t shown his face in public for a while due to some issue, but to encounter him in a place like this.

“What will you do now, Boss? Shall we go get revenge right away?”

“…Wait a little.”

“What?! This is a golden opportunity! Let’s strike back at those conglomerate bastards who treat us like insects, Boss!”

“Silence.”

No matter how large their gang had become, picking a fight with the Stingray family without any preparation was as good as suicide.

That said, it also didn’t suit his nature to hole up in the hideout like a frightened rat after losing his men.

Revenge and conviction?

Or the safety of the organization?

The hulking man, with a caution ill-suited to his size, contemplated seriously and soon came to a decision.

“…Get the boys ready.”

“Does that mean…?”

“Today, we kill the crown prince.”

“Yes, sir!”

At the boss’s words, the Blood Wolves’ gang members eagerly began gathering their weapons.

He watched them with a wide grin.

To kill the crown prince of the Stingray family.

Up until just recently, making such a decision would have been unthinkable.

If that “guy” hadn’t suddenly appeared a few days ago.

“This is all thanks to you. Sorry I couldn’t remember your name.”

The hulking man spoke while gazing toward a corner of the hideout.

There lay the dismembered corpse of a man.

That corpse had once been—

A man known as “Shade Wells.”