After arriving near the ruins of Katsubara, Akira followed Alpha's instructions and took a specific route. He paced back and forth around the perimeter of the ruins on his bicycle, as if to circle the entire ruins.

Alpha, why don't we go into the ruins?

If we go into the ruins, then it is necessary to get close to the temporary forward bases. As if we couldn't use the wide road to transport supplies deep into the ruins.

But wouldn't it be easier if we went that way? Because it is a properly built road.

Alpha's expression was saying you didn't understand, didn't you? She shook her head.

If you pass by there, it's sure to get a lot of attention, you know? A young and not-so-strong looking hunter comes home with a lot of expensive relics. If we do, such rumors will surely spread everywhere.

Akira frowned slightly.

I'm not who I used to be. After all, my current equipment cost me 500 million gold coins, and they really want to treat me as a young weak hunter?

.

It's true that you're much better equipped now than you were in the past, but judging by the relative danger of the places you frequent, you're still like a little boy who has entered dangerous places that don't suit your current skills. Of course, if you say you can fight the big monsters guarding the Old World facilities without my help, then I'll change my mind.

Alpha said with a defiant smile, and Akira frowned slightly.

That would be a no.

Akira looked a little depressed, and Alpha smiled at him, as if to cheer him up, while agreeing with his answer. He smiled bitterly as he picked up the speed of his bike. It didn't take long for him to get enough distance from the makeshift forward base that Akira was in ruins.

The ruins are littered with half-ruined buildings, and of course, most of the roads there are unmaintained. It is not uncommon to find that some of them are semi-enclosed or even completely enclosed by rubble. Hunters can only pass through limited roads, and that is if they carry vehicles designed for the harsh conditions of the wasteland.

Thanks to the expensive bikes he bought and the advanced computing power of the Alpha, Aki

a Ability to pass through those difficult roads relatively quickly. Although its wheels bounced a few times on the hard gravel, its body was barely damaged.

Akira sees a large pile of rubble blocking the way to the direction Alpha indicates him to go, so he plans to take a detour. But Alpha takes control of Aki

as an enhancement suit and stopped him from doing so.

Α？ The way forward is blocked, you know?

Never mind.

Never mind?

Alpha took control of the bike and accelerated straight into the rubble. The sudden acceleration caused Crystal to lose her balance slightly, but he panicked and regained his position.

It takes too much time to avoid all the clogged rubble. Since you've bought yourself an expensive bike, put it to good use.

Wait a minute!? There's no way to break through that pile of rubble!!

The pile that blocked Achillas' advance was at least 8 meters high. Its slope is steep enough to be scaled. Thanks to Aki

A was still in a panic, and his bike didn't stop accelerating. At this speed, if you go any further, you will hit the rubble directly, and at this speed, not only his bike, but also his life can be endangered. But Alpha ignored him and continued to accelerate the bike.

Akira, who feels that her life is in danger, unconsciously uses time compression. The sight in front of him slid past him at a slower pace, and then, suddenly, the landscape in front of him slid in the direction. Alpha changed the direction of the bike, and at the same time, she pushed the bike towards the sky and the large building on the right side of the small gravel on the ground. Wobbly and the bike were lifted off the ground.

Alpha forcibly repositioned the bike in the air. Then it landed on the side of the large building without losing its balance at all. Thanks to the bike's special shock absorber, its tires are able to land well on the walls of buildings.

Still in control of the bike, Alpha paced the walls of the building, Aki

A was very surprised that he was able to do anything there. It climbed all the way up to a higher level of rubble than it was in the way, then changed direction again, maintained its height, and went directly over the walls of the building, over the rubble that stood in the way, and fell to the ground.

Akira frowned as she watched the ground get closer and closer to her face, and the bike bounced off the wall again. Then it readjusted its position in mid-air and landed safely on both wheels on the ground. Once again, thanks to its superior shock absorption system, it is able to land briskly on the ground, giving Aquilas's body any impact.

Then the bike went straight without slowing down. It took a while for Akira to come back to reality, looking at Alpha's confident smile.

Aren't you glad you bought yourself a bike instead of a car? After all, it was difficult to get through that piece of rubble with a vehicle.

You have a point.

Akira smiled wryly. All the complaints were erased from his mind. After all, he didn't have to make a detour around that pile of rubble, he was used to such reckless things. On top of that, he actually enjoyed it a lot.

Want to try it yourself on our way back?

Thank you for the offer, but no. If I did it myself, I felt like I would hit the wall.

Well, that's true. But once you can do it yourself, that's very convenient, you know? Should I train you to do that?

If it's really something I need to learn to complete your request, are there any sures or is there a place I can't go unless I learn that trick?

It's a secret for the time being.

See you twice.

Akira was a little scared and Alpha didn't say no. But since she offered to train him to do so, it meant it was possible for him to learn the move. And when he imagined himself doing that trick alone, he couldn't help but be a little excited.

After that, Akira continued deeper into the ruins as instructed by Alpha. Thanks to his high-performance bike, he was able to navigate trails that were difficult for vehicles to navigate. Because he was able to force his way through the rubble that he would normally bypass, he was able to reach the interior of the ruins relatively quickly.

As soon as Akira arrived at the interior of the ruins, she stopped her bicycle and looked at the scenery. He glanced around, then said with a serious face.

Alpha, this place

This is the interior of the Katsubara Ruins. It's not the deepest, but at least it's not on the periphery of the ruins.

The first time he came to the ruins, Akira could see where he had given up. The floor is well paved and there are no cracks at all. He also couldn't find any crumbling buildings. Compared to the half-ruined buildings on the outside of the ruins, it was a completely different landscape.

The scene in front of him made him a little scared. There was silence all around, as if shrouded in a thick layer of colorless fog, but his vision was not blurred at all. The scenery in front of him, if there was a colorless mist, should be blurry, he could see it clearly.

Akira looked at the city in front of him and felt that there was something strange about it, as if there were no people. Compared with the fact that there are still some relics of human civilization on the outside of the ruins, the inside of the ruins is extremely empty.

Alpha, is it really okay for us to just go straight into the ruins? This is one of them, right? An area that is still properly maintained by old-world drones, right?

Yes, that's exactly what makes it so clean.

So in short, those security drones roam this place too, right? You won't be shot if you go into the city, right?

Well, about that, just follow my instructions. That's why, make sure you don't ignore my instructions like you used to, okay?

When Alpha said this, he smiled rather deeply sarcastically. Akira remembered when she was attacked by a giant monster and ignored Alpha's command and smiled wryly.

Roger, let's go.

Akira paced forward on her bike again, straight into the unsettling city.

An Old World city that remains untouched. Normally, anyone would be killed as soon as they set foot in that city. But that didn't happen. Except for Aki

The other thing outside of a is to prevent this from happening, and Alpha has the ability to stop this from happening.

He figured it must have been Alpha doing something there, which kept him from being too cautious.

Thanks to alpha indeed. But in reality, it was completely different from what he imagined.

Akira looked around with interest. The surrounding area is well maintained and feels as if it has been transported back to the old world. But there was no one here, and it was uncomfortably quiet.

The road is wide and nothing stands in the way, but except for Aki

As well as bicycles, there are no other vehicles or bicycles either. But even so, he followed Alpha's instructions not to let the bike go too fast. He walked much slower than when he was outside the city.

Alpha, why are we so slow?

You see, make sure not to exceed the speed limit on this road.

Speed limit? Is there such a thing in the ruins of the old world?

Yes, so we must comply with it correctly.

As if Alpha was trying to soothe a little boy, Akira didn't seem to be fully convinced.

But there is no one else here but me, do I still need to follow the speed limit?

You see, that's how the laws and rules work.

Is that so? Then I get it.

Akira snorted, and seeing this, Alpha said to him with a wry smile.

If you can't accept it anyway, remember that security drones will swarm if you break the rules. If you force your way through them, they will summon larger and stronger security robots to stop you. And even if you can deal with them, you'll have to fight those humanoid soldiers who fought the Tenkuma Mountain Defense Force in the Sanmrock Ruins a few days ago. You don't want to do that, do you?

Yes.

Akira nodded impatiently and firmly. Although he was able to convince him completely, another question came to his mind.

I just thought of a few things, though. Those mechanical monsters guarding the facilities of the old world usually have that kind of camouflage device, right? So they wouldn't really be hiding somewhere nearby, would they? After all, with

It's impossible for KD's eyes to see through the camouflage of the old world, right? They can be difficult to detect even with information-gathering devices. Like, are we really going to get better?

Alpha smiled at an anxious Akira, as if trying to calm him down.

Don't worry, it'll be fine.

Is that so? Then I guess they're not around, huh.

Akira smiled and breathed a sigh of relief. After all, when he thought that those monsters might really be around him, but he couldn't see them, it was terrifying enough in itself. But Alpha then said with a smile.

As long as you continue to follow my instructions, there will be no trouble.

Achillas' face froze.

They're not here, are they?

Alpha smiled ominously.

This is not a problem.

Wait, here they come?

It's going to be fine.

Akira kept telling herself that Alpha was just teasing him to calm his nerves.

The area where Akira was located, in broad daylight, was like a busy city, except for the fact that the figures were gone, and there was silence all around, and there was a strange atmosphere, as if all the people had disappeared in an instant. But from a hunter's point of view, it's like a treasure trove full of precious relics from the old world. It can even be said to be a mountain of relics. Every time Akira passes by a building that looks like a shop, he can't help but look inside, imagining all the precious old world relics that might be found inside.

Akira thought he would get into one of the buildings sooner or later, but Alpha showed no signs and she continued to pace her bike. So Akira couldn't help but be curious and asked her.

Alpha, I feel like we've been in the same area many times, are we looking for a building with expensive artifacts or something?

Well, to put it simply, yes, it does.

I get it. Well, I'll leave it to you, but, can we stop and take a look at one of the stores? I feel like no matter which one we go to, we can get expensive relics

No.

Why?

Alpha replied casually.

As if you don't have the money to buy something there, right?

Buy? No, I mean, wait, buy?

Akira was confused, she didn't expect Alpha to say that. When he asked Alpha this question, his idea was to break into one of the stores, fill his backpack with whatever expensive artifacts he could find, and then escape the building while fighting back against the security drone and finally leave that place on his bike. He didn't expect to have to pay anything with his money.

I understand what you're trying to say, but it's too dangerous. The only way to get out of here with those relics is to take the city defense team with you, and let the security drones temporarily disable, and get out of here while they are still paralyzed. Of course, the next battle will make the place half-destroyed. You need enough firepower to turn this place into a suburb of this ruin. Have you forgotten why we have to comply with the speed limit?

Akira frowned slightly.

Okay, you have a point, but if I can't, then why are we here? It's not like I'm risking my life to come here just for sightseeing, you know. My only option was to look for a place with relatively weak security to break into, right? Isn't that why just roaming around the area?

There's nothing wrong with this line of thinking, but it's better to break into a place that is unlikely to turn into a fight, right? Leave it to me, you said you were going to leave this kind of thing to me too, remember?

Alpha smiled and cast a stronger look at Akira than usual. Aguira, who noticed this, decided to stop saying anything unnecessary.

All right. While I don't know what your plans are here, I can't go back with nothing. So I'm hoping to bring some relics back, okay?

Leave it to me, of course. You just need to make sure you follow my instructions. Even if you spot a mechanical monster, don't keep shooting, okay?

Wait, so they're really here!?

As long as you follow my instructions, they won't cause you any trouble.

Akira frowned. His expression was a mixture of worry and anticipation, but Alpha just smiled back with her usual smile.

Even after that, they still only drove around the area for a while. Akira noticed something strange in front of her and narrowed her eyes. He could see a tall building in front of him, and there was a vertical road on one side of that building.

When it occurred to Akira that the remnants of the old world were indeed a place full of strange things, his bike suddenly accelerated. Akira raised an eyebrow in surprise.

Alpha, wait, are we going to climb to the side of the building again? I don't think we can do it for that road?!

Do not worry. What's more, you ran down from the side of a building not long ago, remember? Well, do it again, but this time on a bike.

The bike accelerated faster. Then it goes to the bend of the road that connects the surface road to the side of that building, and then it goes straight up along the side of that building.

Aki

A looked down at his feet, looked at the walls of the building, and frowned. He's climbed so high and the bike is starting to slow down, and if he falls now, it's nothing short of catastrophic.

Is it that the roads of the old world even have a feature that allows people to drive vertically?

It's not on this road, it's basically just a simple wall.

Just a wall!? I'm scaling a normal wall?!

Akira was dumbfounded, and the bike was getting slower and slower. At this rate, he would fall on his bike. Thinking of this, he immediately grabbed the handlebars of his bicycle and increased the power. But the bike keeps slowing down, and once it reaches a certain speed, it stops decelerating and continues to climb at a constant speed.

Alpha smiled amusefully at Akira, who was still panicking.

Although the walls don't have this feature, the bike does have a feature to prevent you from falling. Or more precisely, it has the function of sticking the wheels to the surface on which it runs to prevent you from losing control of your bike when driving on uneven ground. Since its wheels stick to the surface, you won't fall so easily. Compared to the last time I ran on the wall of a building, this time it's safer, isn't it?

Akira breathed a sigh of relief, but quickly pouted.

Didn't I always tell you to at least let me know before doing this kind of thing?!

Just think of it as a training session that keeps you calm in case of an emergency or in the face of the unexpected.

Alpha said with a smile. Her face suddenly became a little solemn, and she pointed her finger.

Let me warn you about one thing. Don't shoot at it and don't show any hostility.

Akira looked at Alfas's expression and frowned. Then he looked in the direction she was pointing, and saw that part of the towering side was twisted. As he raised his vigilance, a mechanical monster was revealed in the twisted part of the building. The monster is unraveling its camouflage device.

The giant mechanical monster had multiple legs with wheels on the tips of the legs. It approached Akira, and then began to climb the wall next to Akira. Its side camera rotates and is fixed at Aki

a. Other similar monsters appeared and did the same thing.

Alpha waved his hand at the drone. The drone looked at Alpha, who pointed his finger, and a badge appeared on his fingertips. All the drones there immediately pointed their cameras at that sign.

After a few seconds, the drones all looked away, as if they had lost interest in Akira and Alpha. Then they split into two groups, one group going upstairs and the other group going downstairs. On the way, they reactivated the camouflage device and disappeared from Aquilas's view.

Akira sighed softly and let her guard down. Then he glanced at Alpha in exasperation.

As I thought, they were really there, hehe.

Alpha smirked.

I didn't say they weren't. And, like I said, as long as you follow my commands, it's fine, right?

Akira sighed again and turned her gaze ahead.

He continued to climb the wall on his bike. The road eventually leads to the entrance on the side of the wall.

After shaking over another ramp, his posture returned to normal and he breathed a sigh of relief. But he immediately noticed something he hadn't expected and was surprised.

A young girl in an old black dress stood there. Compared to Akira, she was not surprised at all, as if she had been waiting for him. She was beautiful, but she looked at Akira with a business-like expression. At least, she doesn't look welcome at all.

Then, in a businesslike tone, she said to Akira, who had already stopped her bike.

Welcome to the Tsubakiwara Building. I'm the manager of this building, Tsubaki.

Akira looked at Tsubaki in surprise.

Alpha, is that one of those things that projects holograms?

No, she has a real body. Although I don't know if it's an automaton or a remote-controlled humanoid robot body.

Usually, automata are used for external interfaces, but in my case, my personality is also downloaded to this body, allowing me to also be seen through a local connection. So normally, your information collector should be able to recognize me, but your information collector has been completely rewritten, so I brought this body with me to be safe.

Tsubaki was clearly looking at Alpha. Akira looked at Alpha and Tsubaki in surprise.

Alpha, she can not only see you, but also talk to you, right?!

But she can't hear the telepathic communication between you and me, although that doesn't seem to be the case with me and you. She can see me online, but locally, she can only see you. However, thinking that she would come here to meet us, I wonder if she has nothing else to do.

Alpha somehow looked rather unhappy. But Tsubaki doesn't seem to care at all.

It's a precautionary measure so that I don't get busier later on. I'll take you inside. Please come here.

Tsubaki turned and walked into the building. Akira just stood there, still a little surprised.

Akira, let's go.

Huh? Ah, right.

After Alpha reminded him, Akira came to her senses. He then slowly drove through a tunnel and rode his bicycle directly into the building.

Although Ming didn't wear anything on his head and the sunlight was far away, he could clearly see the inside of the building as if it were in broad daylight. Previously, multiple multi-legged security drones roamed the walls and ceiling of the building. Some are motionless while loading things, and some are moving around at a fairly high speed. Just like the drones that Akira encountered on the road, they have all been disarmed with camouflage.

The drones crossed Tsubaki, who was guiding Akira, and also crossed Akira without any movement. But even so, Akira couldn't help but be a little nervous. The drones did not slow down at all and swept past him with heavy supplies on their backs, and he was understandably frightened there.

It didn't take long for Tsubaki to stop, turn around, and point to the wall on the right. There is a huge, imposing gate. The door opened silently. Behind the thick metal door was a room that looked like a warehouse.

Right there. As soon as you finish your business here, leave immediately.

Akira rode her bicycle into the room, carefully looking left and right to avoid being run over by a passing transport plane.

Tsubaki takes Akira and Alpha into a room that looks like a warehouse. It was a fairly spacious room with high ceilings. Inside, neatly arranged shelves, each with relics from the old world.

Looking in from the entrance, I was a little stunned by what I saw. An ordinary hunter would go crazy in such a situation, but it will take some time for him to process the scene in front of him. He had more troubles than pleasures.

Aki

A got off his bike and was standing there, so Alpha smiled at him and told him to get to work.

Alpha, can you explain to me what's going on here?

I'll explain it to you while you're at work. It would be too bad if we didn't leave this place before that girl's mood got worse.

Good!

Akira began his work. He pulled one backpack out of his bike and more from the previous one.

There are all kinds of relics on his body, and Akira can't take them all home. So he searched around the room, choosing only the most expensive relics.

Remember when we first came to the city and drove in this area, right? As you can guess, I'm looking for a building with less strict security. Due to the aging of time, I intend to choose a building with a low security system to find artifacts there. But unfortunately, in the end, I couldn't find a good place at all.

Some boxes are made of a transparent material that looks like glass or plastic. The height of the box itself is only about 4 cm. Inside, there are spherical objects that appear to be made of rubber or metal. Whereas other chests have cubes, or triangles, or even powders inside. Alpha says they're basically some kind of old-world information terminal, so Akira prioritizes these items into his backpack.

I did consider robbing a relatively low-security place, but as I thought, it was too dangerous. While I don't think they're going to go all out just to fight one person, I don't know how much power they'll bring. That being said, we couldn't go home empty-handed, so I changed my plans.

So I made a deal with the girl and let us take the article that had gone through the issue. In exchange, we had to leave the place as soon as possible. As casually as I say it, this is the result of difficult negotiations. If the amount of information we exchanged was written in words, it could take about 100 years. Being able to make a deal like this is one of the great things that I support, you know? Of course, it is usually impossible to do without me. Remember when you tried to work with Se

a

When the AI manager of the thal building talks? At that time, she didn't even respond to you, right? This usually happens without my support.

There are also some ladies in the clothing. Although hesitant, due to the relatively high amount of fabrics they have, Aki

A tells himself that it will be perfect relics to bring back when he only has limited space, and decides to take them with him as well.

She came to pick us up herself, because I could help us with the deal. She said she would let us in only if we could get to the place on our own, but thanks to your bike, it was no problem at all. Are you not happy to buy that bike?

As soon as Achillas heard this, his hand stopped and looked at Alpha casually.

Litter?

Yes!

Akira looked around again. There were a lot of shelves around him, all of which were filled with intact relics.

Akira was surprised, but also a little ambivalent. If one of these relics is found in a slum city, it will surely cause a battle that will kill people. And here, it's basically garbage that will be thrown away later. He couldn't help but find it shocking.

What a huge waste. All of these artifacts are largely intact, and I feel like they're making more money than the ones I got in the ruins of Yoneozuka Station. To me, they don't look like garbage at all, you know.

Although they are outdated articles, it's not like they're broken or anything. Some of them simply expire because of the change of seasons. Or they are just articles that are replaced after a fixed time. These articles are basically all registered as expired articles in the system, although they are not corrupted or malfunctioning. Since no one is going to buy them, and no one is going to use them, they are built and then displayed for sale, and then collected and disposed of, and the cycle goes on all the time.

Why do they do it?

Well, even if you ask me so. They actually do it for a variety of reasons. The core system that manages this place doesn't question this at all, although it may seem meaningless to the average person. That's why they will never stop doing it. The same goes for most manager AI, which is why they don't try to stop the system. Even if there are some smarter AI questioning the system, they can't stop the cycle unless they have the power to change it.

Is that so?

Yes, well, but of course, there are exceptions. If some AI prioritizes personal opinion over rules, they may decide to ignore the rules and apply some changes. For example, some of them may be comfortable being able to trade with people from the current era. These AIs may be something that some big companies can use Ch

The reason why ome trades with them. You know, some of these AIs even have the potential to use the money of the current era to adapt to trading with the people of the current era. Some of them might as well have been secretly mixed in with the ranks of the corporate government.

Akira listened with interest.

What can I say what it really is.

Alpha smirked.

Well, if it's talking about possibility, that's what it looks like. And, don't stop there, keep moving your hands. She did tell us to leave as soon as possible so we needed to hurry.

Akira panicked and resumed collecting relics.

With that, Akira looked at the bicycle piled up with relics on it and muttered. The backpacks he uses are those that can be slightly larger, and Akira fills them all with relics before placing them on his bike. He also stuffed smaller relics on the back of his coat. But even so, he actually has some room to spare.

Well, Alpha, I feel like we can still carry more relics.

No, it's as much as you can carry.

However, I can still put some relics there, right?

If you carry more relics, you'll only throw them away on our way back. Not to mention, they will prevent you from moving freely in battle. So just give up, okay?

Akira frowned slightly, a little displeased, but then he shook his head and got on his bike.

You are right, here it is stupid to be greedy just so that you can be killed later.

Alpha smiled wryly.

Honestly, I think you're greedy enough. In case we run into some monsters on our way home, you can't guarantee that you'll be able to save all those relics, you know? So keep that in mind.

I'll be counting on you to find a safe route so we don't have to go through that road.

Alpha smiled mischievously at Akira.

Of course, I will do this without you asking me. But it still depends on your luck, you see. Just hope you don't run out of luck after we get here safely and collect all these relics without a hitch.

Akira smiled wryly and slowly picked up the speed of the bike.

When Ming came out of the warehouse, Tsubaki was standing next to him and waiting for him. There was no smile on her face, just a serious, flat expression on her face.

Akira felt embarrassed. Although he was accustomed to people looking at him with contempt, Tsubaki's cold gaze was an unfriendly gaze for a robber who didn't even dare to compliment himself and was powerless.

Ming casually bowed lightly to Tsubaki.

Well, well, then I'll take my leave.

Be careful on the way back.

Ah, yes, of course.

Akira was about to clumsily walk past Tsubaki when he suddenly said.

May I ask you one thing?

Well, of course, what is it?

It seems like you're using all your bandwidth for a single connection, can you?

Huh?

Akira tilted her head. He couldn't understand the meaning of the question, but Alpha interjected suddenly, smiling as usual.

Never mind. For his safety, for the sake of maintaining my full support for him. So it's going to be fine, or rather, can you mind your own business?

Alpha and Tsubaki looked at each other. There is no friendship between them.

Akira, let's go.

Huh? Ahh

Alpha accelerated his bike early. Akira was a little taken aback, but he quickly regained his balance. Tsubaki keeps an eye on Akira as she leaves the building, until he finally disappears from her sight.

Akira rode her bicycle down the walls of the Tsubakiwara building at a relatively high speed. He couldn't help but frown as he watched the ground get closer and closer to his face.

Alpha, are we going too fast!? I do ask you to drive safely, don't I?!

It's much safer than getting a tire stuck on something because if it's too slow, its sticky function activates, which can trip the bike. This is the safest option. The ground isn't too low, so just hold on for a while.

I have to say that you have a problem with your safe driving standards!

Akira smiled wryly. All the doubts and doubts in my mind vanished.

The wheels of the bicycle remain in close contact with the wall of the building until the bicycle passes the curving slope that connects the wall to the ground. Once the bike is on the ground again, it slows down below the speed limit and continues to travel at a steady pace. Obviously, I was able to land safely again, and my mood calmed down, and the problems that I had planned to forget resurfaced.

Say, Alpha, what is Tsubaki talking about when she talks about bandwidth?

Oh, are you curious?

Yes, sort of.

In order to keep in touch with Aki

a, Alpha actively discourages him from asking questions on a particular topic.

But, of course, that doesn't mean Aki

As the curiosity about these topics is completely gone. He uses Tsubaki's question as an excuse because it's a third-party question about a topic that Alpha told him not to ask.

Alpha looks at Aki

A and decided to tell him not to ask this question could be a bad move. So she smiled casually and said.

You're someone who can connect to the Old World domain, and you're using that connection to download information from the Old World Network. My image and my voice are conveyed to you through the web. But the amount and speed of information transmitted over the network is not unlimited. And at the moment, all of your connectivity capabilities are assigned to me and me to deliver messages, that's why she said that at the time.

Is there anything bad about that?

Not at all. It's no problem at all. After all, I need enough bandwidth to sustain the support I can give you. Also, if I'm taking up most of your bandwidth, you can maintain a high-speed connection even if you apply an information filter to be on the safe side. Like that, you know what, do you remember when you met a maid at the Hiraku Mansion that I couldn't see? You know, in the worst-case scenario, that could kill you. This is because I put a filter in your connection and you are safe. That's why it's not something you worry about.

Well, that sounds like no problem at all, but why would Tsubaki say that?

I bet it's a matter of personal opinion. You know I can control your body by controlling your enhancement suit, right? Just like some people hate, there may be some people who don't want their bandwidth to be used for just one connection. The same goes for connection filters. I think that's what she said.

Well, is that all?

While Ming understood from Alpha's explanation, he felt that it wasn't enough to justify Alpha from interjecting like he did back then. Speaking of this, Alpha smiled faintly at him and said.

This may just be my guess, so I don't want to speak ill of her. However, if I can add something, she might want you to turn on some bandwidth that she can use to contact you.

Why?

If she can contact you, Shell can also talk to you telepathically. That way, she can make a deal with you without telling me. The reason I interjected was just to avoid this. To put it simply, just to not lie to me.

Alpha said this, smirking mischievously at Akira, who flinched at her expression.

C- cheat, hehe

Alpha leaned in to Aquilas's face and smiled happily.

I'm sure even if she gives you 10 billion Ch

ome and other services for you, you will also refuse the request of this girl that you can't even touch. But I still don't think it's right, even more so when you're doing it secretly.

Alpha was so close to Akira that if she had a body, he would be able to feel her body temperature from that distance. So Akira casually pulled her face back, and then said with a wry smile.

Do not worry. I will still prioritize your request. After all, I already owe you a lot by now. I have no plans to ignore this.

Is that so? Thank you and I'm really glad to hear that.

Alpha smiled as if he was really happy, and then returned to his usual position.

Akira struggled to calm herself down while turning her gaze ahead. He then thought.

[Does that mean the Alpha hasn't fully trusted me yet?] Well, I did ignore her warnings and went to raid a big gang base, and I almost almost died in a battle that could have been avoided. So I guess that's to be expected, right? I guess I had no choice but to do my job as a hunter, get better gear, train as best I could, and regain some trust in her. ]

Akira said this, making up her mind and deciding not to worry about it for the time being.

He was actually deceived there. While Alpha didn't lie, she didn't tell him everything either.

Thanks to Aki

A only reserves his connection bandwidth for Alpha, so it slowly moves to a connection that is suitable for Alpha. Although currently Aki

Most of the bandwidth of AS is still general-purpose bandwidth, but it's only a matter of time before it's all modified to the special use of Alpha. Alpha didn't say anything about it to Akira.

First of all, Aki

a is the one who allows Alpha to modify his bandwidth. Of course, when he did, he didn't know it himself.

It takes a lot of power to change a contract that has already been signed, and Aki

aThere is no such power at the moment. Whether he has the ability to do this until he completes Alpha's requirements, or even whether such an ability exists in this world, no one can be sure.

***

After leaving the area maintained by Tsubaki, the scene returns to an abandoned city, littered with rubble and half-ruined buildings. Akira sighed softly, and was slightly relieved to see this scene.

It may be a little strange to say, but I feel a lot calmer in this place, although technically it's still inside the ruins.

Well, after all, the interior of the ruins extends to a wide area, and there are no clear signs to separate the inside and outside of the ruins. But if the area farther away from the base ahead is an area where monsters roam that ordinary hunters can't deal with, I think this is already the interior of the ruins. Although I'm sure it will change when the forward line base builds a path that leads deeper into the ruins.

Akira snorted.

They're already building that road, right? If I'm not mistaken, Elena and Sarah-san are working on a request related to that. If things go well, that road will eventually lead all the way to an area like the Tsubakiwara Building, right? Wouldn't that be dangerous?

Akira thought that it would be catastrophic if the road went so far that those powerful large drones with camouflage devices might follow the road back to the forward base. In the worst-case scenario, not to mention the forward base, those monsters might even make it all the way to Bear Mountain City.

I'm sure the chengguan has also considered it. I'm sure they'll do something like send out city guards or recall hunters who were originally working in more dangerous places, and I'm sure you'll be summoned sooner or later.

I would refuse it. This time I will not accept any more requests from the chengguan.

Akira looked displeased, and the alpha she saw just smiled mischievously at him. After all, Aki

a There are no plans to be taken to hospital again.

Alpha's expression immediately became serious, and at the same time, she enhanced Aquiras's vision.

Akira, we have company.

Roger that. Well, first of all, I didn't expect to come home without encountering any monsters.

Akira said casually, shifting her mind to a combat state. He let go of a hand from the handle and reached for his CWH antimatter rifle. At this moment, Aquilas's relaxed face turned serious.

Aki

A can see multiple signals from the monsters chasing him in his enhanced vision. At first there was only one signal when Alpha warned him, but it was immediately 4, then 8, and now it is 20.

Isn't it too much?

They are a pack of weapon dogs. But I don't know if it's a huge group or a merger of multiple groups.

As soon as Akira heard the word weapon dog, she remembered her past experiences. It was a monster that he couldn't fight when he entered the ruins of Katsubara with only a pistol. Even what he can easily defeat is flawed.

But he is no longer the person he used to be. He now has more firepower, a better booster set, and more support from Alpha. Now he should be able to handle that group of people. Looking at the first weapon dog, he thought to himself that now is a good opportunity to confirm how much he has grown. But when he saw the weapon dog, he frowned.

Isn't that weapon dog bigger than usual?

After all, they originated in the area near the inside of the ruins. They are largely different from the smaller siblings that roam the perimeter of the ruins.

Akira had thought that the weapon dogs would only be equipped with large guns that they would not normally use to hit people. But the weapons dog in front of him had cannons, mortars, rocket launchers, heavy machine guns, and huge bodies large enough to support all of them.

Aki

Alas, we ran away as fast as we could. I'll be in full control of this bike, so you just try to shoot them in the head. And, be sure to stick to it, it can be a bit shaky.

Roger that!

Akira pointed the rifle behind him, and at the same time, the arm of the bicycle began to move. The A4WM automatic grenade launcher and DVTS mini-gun fixed to the ends of these weapons were properly aimed at the incoming weapon dogs. Akira aimed at one of the weapon dogs and pulled the trigger.

The CWH Antimatter Rifle is powerful enough to destroy a tank, while the A4WM Automatic Grenade Launcher is powerful enough to destroy rubble, and the DVTS Machine Gun can instantly turn ordinary monsters into minced meat. Those three guns began firing at the same time.

The howl of the weapon dogs was mixed with the sound of explosions. Cannons that can destroy tanks, missiles that can destroy buildings, and heavy machine guns that can easily penetrate thick metal, all these rifles on their backs began to shoot at Akira.

The lonely wasteland was instantly engulfed in explosions and firelight.

Aki

As the bike burns in the rubble, Alpha uses her advanced computing skills to predict where the rain of warheads and incoming bullets will fall, and nimbly controls the bike to slide through the openings between them.

From Aki

The explosion of the A4WM automatic grenade launcher is slowing down the monster, while his DVTS mini-gun is shooting down incoming missiles.

The hit missile deviated from its original target, hit the building, destroyed them. Alpha nimbly moves left and right through the falling rubble. When the road in front was blocked, she rode her bicycle over the walls of the building to get around the rubble.

Ignoring the gravel in its way, the Weapon Dog uses its powerful body to smash the gravel. Aki

A did try to turn and use buildings to dodge incoming bullets, but he couldn't seem to escape the weapon dog that was chasing him at a speed not suitable for his size.

Aki

a The goal is far from ideal. With the movement of the bike, his sights swayed from side to side. Not to mention, sometimes it also runs to the walls of buildings. In that chaotic situation, he only focused his attention to the extreme just as he was about to make a move, compressing his time perception to the limit, he carefully aimed the gun at a world where time was almost completely frozen, and then pulled out. Trigger.

Although the firepower of the Specialty Bullet decreases with distance, it is capable of inflicting fatal damage on the head of the Weapon Dog it hits because it is weaker than the tank. The weapon dog, which had lost the command center, limped to the ground and died.

Akira let out a long breath before moving on to his next target. But he was startled by the scene in front of him, and the weapon dogs that he shot down slowly moved again. They slowly stood up and pointed their weapons at him.

Α！ Those monsters are still alive even if I shoot them in the head!?

Akira, calm down. It's just because something else outside of that swarm is controlling them remotely. It still hasn't changed their weakness, which is their head.

So that kind of enemy is coming!?

If you just sabotage their controls and leave their bodies largely intact, they can still be used in combat if something else takes control of their bodies. This could be some kind of system to ensure that they can fight even after losing control equipment. Akira, reload!

The bike arm reaches its DVTS mini-gun to Aki

a next to it. There is no automatic reloading system for the arm. Although an extended magazine was used, it didn't take much time to run out of ammo during continuous shooting.

Aki

A hurriedly reloaded a new magazine, and once he did, the DVTS minigun aimed at the incoming swarm and began firing again. It didn't take long for his A4WM automatic grenade launcher to also need to be reloaded. Aki

a Constant alternation between reloading new magazines and firing swarms.

Alpha's shots are more focused on suppressing enemies, while kill's shots are made by Aki

A executes with his CWH antimatter rifle. Specialized ammunition for CWH antimatter rifles is not cheap, every time Aki

A loaded the new magazine and threw away the empty magazine, and he felt like he was throwing a bundle of money. So he couldn't help but complain there.

So much, and too strong, what's going on? We didn't run into them on our way here, right? So why are there so many people all of a sudden on our way back? Here I thought my bad luck was finally gone, as we didn't encounter any monsters on the way in and were able to collect all these relics without much effort.

It must be because you're carrying a relic with you now. When their sensors detect that someone is carrying a large amount of swag, they must have reacted.

Akira didn't stop shooting as she answered.

Stolen items? But these are expired articles, and we have the right to collect them, right? While I can understand the system of treating hunters as robbers, that's not the case this time, right?

This may be true for mechanical monsters under the city management system, but it may not be the case with monsters roaming the wasteland, you know? I'm sure there are a lot of other bugs in their program as well. But then again, it's really suspicious to see someone carrying so much luggage through the rubble.

So that's why they started shooting at me, right? My neck hurts terribly!

If you understand now, it would be great if you could stop complaining and focus more on fighting.

You are right. I feel so much better now and know it's not because of my bad luck.

Akira said with a wry smile, then turned around and continued to shoot the incoming weapon dogs.