BOOM!
The instant the hacker finished inputting the intrusion command, blood splattered everywhere. A spray of red and white, mixed with mechanical components, scattered across the ground. A headless corpse slowly collapsed.
The commander turned around slowly, glanced at the headless body behind him, and let out a cold snort before walking back toward the front line, a red light flashing by his ear.
After a long moment, the onlookers cautiously approached and carried away the body of the hacker who didn't know his place.
"Sigh, what an idiot. Daring to hack just anyone," a veteran-looking hacker said, taking a drag from his e-cigarette. He exhaled a cloud of mint-flavored vapor while gazing in the direction the commander had gone.
"See that? The big shots all have counter-hacking prosthetics. Unless you're one of those legendary hackers, your brain will explode just like that dumbass's. It's more pulverized than a ball kicked apart in a prosthetic soccer match!"
He clapped the young hacker next to him on the shoulder, then silently walked into the pool of blood. Ignoring the strange sensation under his feet, he casually picked up an electronic component from the ground and stuffed it into his pocket without a care for whether it was dirty.
"Let's go, kid... we've still got a lot of work to do. The network security here depends on us. Not everyone has a counter-hacking chip like that commander. I really envy those monsters... damn things are born knowing how to invade others..."
Putting away his e-cigarette, the old hacker spoke to the dazed young hacker behind him.
---o---
The defensive fortifications on the front line were being constructed in a feverish rush. The heavy mechs used during the previous "Punklorde Pacification War" had been fitted with counter-hacking chips and brought to the front. In addition, some weapons previously supplied by the Corporation were also piled up along the defensive line.
But even so, Punklorde's security forces were still far from sufficient. Logistics was in the process of conscripting and recruiting civilians, but without several days of training, those people would be hacked by the monsters before they even reached the front line, turning their guns on their own allies. It would be difficult for them to become an effective fighting force in a short amount of time.
Unless, of course, they were someone who had never installed a prosthetic, or someone who possessed a counter-hacking chip...
But how could such a person... possibly be a civilian?
The number of personnel on the New District's front line was relatively high. According to reports from a while back, the Old District was nearly wiped out. Most of the resistance there was now being handled by a gang called [Phantom Light]...
---o---
"Whoa... so this is the front line... it feels... a little terrifying."
March 7th walked behind Stelle, looking at the devastated New District frontline and letting out a small, shocked gasp.
Unlike the situations on the Xianzhou and Belobog, the front line on Punklorde felt... bloodier, and more visceral...
The air was thick with the mixed smell of blood and the choking scent of gasoline. Since their arrival, they had already seen four or five wrecked heavy combat mechs, some of them still leaking streams of blood...
Fires and floodlights mingled on the front line, illuminating every corner of the city on the other side of the battlefield, even though it was daytime.
Across the battle lines, they could occasionally see a half-human, half-machine monster roaring at them, but the moment it showed its head, it was incinerated by a laser rifle, leaving only a piece of glowing red metal behind.
"It seems the situation is not good..." Himeko frowned. While Punklorde's defenses seemed impenetrable at the moment, in reality, they wouldn't be able to stop a large-scale monster invasion.
"Hello? You must be the [Nameless] reinforcements, correct? I am Commander Charles's guard. I am here to guide you."
A person completely encased in an exoskeleton stood at the entrance of the frontline camp and addressed Himeko.
"Yes, thank you for your trouble." Himeko nodded slightly, signaling for him to lead the way.
"That person's armor looks kind of familiar," March whispered to Stelle as she walked behind her.
"It looks a bit like the Corporation's style," Stelle nodded, agreeing with March's assessment.
"Ladies, it is indeed a Corporation product. It's more practical and comes with a built-in jammer that can block the monsters that hack people," the guard answered March's question in a cold, detached voice.
"Oh~ no wonder..." Stelle nodded in understanding.
"We've arrived. Ahead is Commander Charles's tent." The guard stopped and pointed to the tent in front of them.
---o---
"Ooh! Little Meryl is so cute, and her situation is so pitiful..."
Sister Guoguo, who was still playing through Wende's questline, looked with a怜爱 gaze at Meryl, who was communicating with them via her tablet.
[Option 1: Why don't you install an artificial vocal cord?]
[Option 2: Why use a tablet to communicate? A brainwave reader could substitute for a voice, right?]
Sister Guoguo decisively chose the first option. She was very curious. Judging by the luxurious mansion Meryl lived in, she must be a young lady who wasn't short on cash. With such advanced technology, why not just install an artificial vocal cord?
Hearing "Wende's" question, Meryl smiled and typed on her tablet.
[Meryl is a hacker, you know! It's very dangerous for a hacker to install prosthetics!]
Meryl explained with a smile.
"So that's how it is..." Sister Guoguo nodded in understanding, then chose the second option.
[Ah? You mean this?]
Meryl held up the tablet with the text on it, looking incredibly innocent and cute.
[This is my family's heirloom hacking tool! It was personally made by a member of the Genius Society. Meryl has used it to communicate since she was little!]
"Holy crap, so this seemingly simple tablet is actually the work of the Genius Society... Does that mean Meryl's family is a super-rich clan! And Meryl is a super rich girl!"
Sister Guoguo's eyes instantly turned into the shape of Stellar Jade. Ah! With Asta on her left arm, Topaz on her right, and the small, soft Meryl in her embrace... Mmm!! Perfect!!!!
"But speaking of which, even if it's from the Genius Society... wouldn't it be outdated? Could it be that this tablet has a machine spirit?"
Sister Guoguo scratched her head, confused. It seemed she'd have to brush up on her Genius Society lore when she had the time. She could even crank out a video about it... Hehehe!
While Sister Guoguo was still reveling in the joy of being surrounded by rich women and making filler content, at twelve noon, the official Star Rail account released three new pieces of character art.
[Veyl]
Clad in a slim-fit suit, Veyl stood quietly in the frame, her bionic arms crossed over her chest as several drones rose slowly from behind her.
[Meryl]
Meryl was leaning peacefully on a windowsill, her purple eyes filled with comfort and tranquility. On the tablet placed beside her, a chibi version of Meryl was playfully pulling on her slender finger.
[Tingyun - Yin Yang]
A Tingyun with white hair and golden eyes lay on a fluffy tail, her eyes hazy. A loose-fitting garment, white with red trim, was draped over her body. A bell and a red string were tied to her exposed ankle...