Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 533: A Test.
Volcan’s report left Dante dazed for a while, unsure if he could ever accept it. The pain from his eyes had blinded him to the aching from the rest of his body, especially his legs, which were still mostly flesh and bone.
Apparently, one of the Sorcerers in that battle had used a truly powerful Art to seal away his thoughts and movements, putting him in a state no different from unconsciousness. Because of that, Volcan was forced to take command in order to eliminate the enemy and secure their safety.
The situation was similar to what happened back when they first met. The time limit on high level armors was extended greatly after he became an Ascended Cyborg, but apparently, his human side could still receive significant damage. Thankfully, his brain was mostly safe, thanks to the shell created from his MLP and the bionic skull Suzuka created.
Sadly, his eyes weren’t that fortunate. Donning a Level 6 armor wouldn’t have damaged them that much, but when adding the backlash from using powerful Sorcery, his flesh was unable to withstand. The backlash Damaged his bionics as well, but only slightly. Volcan had already repaired all of them in the time it took Dante to regain consciousness.
After taking some RED to spare himself the pain, Dante sat down in his office, reflecting on what happened. Naturally, it wasn’t his real office on the second floor of Red Oni Club, but a replica he had created a while back. Letting anyone see him in his current state was going to bring questions he wasn’t in the mood to answer.
Something about the whole ambush left him feeling uneasy. Dante prided himself on his elusiveness, and the name Ghost was evidence that his enemies were having as much trouble dealing with him as he wanted them to have. Even then, it seemed like he had left enough traces for them to form a plan on how to deal with him.
They knew about his armors and did their utmost to prevent him from switching them. He was baited into using 9-3, his go to when dealing with Sorcerers, then was assaulted with weapons that weren’t affected by Aether Distortion. One Genome had speed that matched his, and another had an ability that messed with his head, preventing him from focusing and enhancing his perception.
However, all of that paled in comparison to the muscular Sorcerer. According to Volcan, he was called the Warden, and his Sorcery was on such a high level that it bordered on reality manipulation. It relied on a language humans should not be able to speak, so it was a mystery as to how he was able to wield such powers.
If Volcan hadn’t acted quickly, the two of them would have been trapped in ice for a very long time. Dante didn’t think the Sorcerers were trying to catch him for personal reasons, so the question now was why they had done it.
The first suspects were the BEO. The treaty they have prevented them from sending their freaks after him, but that didn’t mean they couldn’t hire someone else to do it. Dante wasn’t convinced it was them, however.
There were three Genomes in that ambush. Caroline wasn’t so stupid that she would risk another three of her Genome like that. If she had set the trap for him, wouldn’t having Flame Guard waiting for him?
That wasn’t his only reason for dismissing the idea. Volcan had interrogated the captives using the Sorcery he had copied from the Warden, rendering them incapable of telling lies. Each one answered that they couldn’t remember. Not that they didn’t known, but they couldn’t remember. That immediately drew Dante’s attention to the problem he himself was facing.
"Eidolon..."
There was little proof, but his gut told him that he was onto something. The ambush was planned by someone at the top. Whoever they were, they knew about Volcan. They knew about his armors, and they knew how to deal with them. But that wasn’t the worst of it.
"Damn it..."
The more he thought about it, the more it felt like the whole incident was nothing more than a probe—a test to see what he is capable of. Whoever they were, they hadn’t even been trying to catch him seriously. If they did, they wouldn’t have used D class heroes for the job. It was almost as if they were saying that they could catch him any time they want.
"I need to question them again..."
[That can wait until you have recovered.] Volcan said. [You need to handle the matter concerning Violet Rose as well and the children from Heavenly Bliss.]
"Right..."
Right now, Dante was relying on Absolute Awareness to move around. The ability granted him something akin to sight, so he could technically go on just like that, but having eyes was much better. The RED he took helped with the pain, but it couldn’t repair his eyes. Most likely, he would have to pay Larry a visit soon.
Though his objective had been to find Rose, Dante had never expected Volcan to trap her in Hollowstreet. That would ensure that they wouldn’t have to waste any more time looking for her, yet Dante didn’t think it was the right choice. What’s more, his resident AI had transported a few dozen children there as well. Saving them from Black Skull’s grasp was a commendable choice, but that only added to the pile of work they had to deal with.
"Let’s go deal with that first, then..."
As he forced himself to stand up, Dante felt this nagging feeling that he was missing something crucial. It was almost like something had slipped his mind, but when he tried to remember nothing came up.
[Is something the matter?] Volcan asked.
"It’s just... I feel like I’m forgetting something..." Dante frowned. "Don’t tell me the masterminds erased my memories again while I wasn’t looking..."
[That would be impossible,] Volcan replied. [I would have noticed if that were the case.] 𝓯𝓻𝓮𝙚𝙬𝓮𝙗𝒏𝙤𝒗𝙚𝙡.𝒄𝒐𝓶
"I guess so..." Sighting, Dante gave the command to equip his 8-3. [Well, if it’s that important, I will eventually remember.]
