MHGA Chapter 229 – The Gunlance's First Battle
"Um, Guildmaster…"
David clenched his fist. "Can I beat Adam Smasher?!"
He looked nervously at Kairo Retsu, as if hoping to draw some encouragement that would let him face Adam Smasher with peace of mind.
"Huh? No way, oyster, NO." Kairo Retsu blinked, then waved his hand dismissively. "If you sent Joseph and Kazuma to solo Adam Smasher, they'd take care of him easily. Or if you eat Felyne meals for another two months, maybe you could take him down too."
"As for you right now…"
Kairo Retsu spread his hands. "Adam Smasher is still a pretty tough opponent for you. You'll probably lose to him in a one-on-one."
"So I'm just going there to get beat up?!" David was dumbfounded.
He already knew—even if he died, he'd still cart. After all, this wasn't the first time David had seen Kairo and the others dragged back to camp by rainbow-colored Palicoes after investigating a Kirin, riddled with all kinds of mortal wounds…
"How can a Hunter grow stronger without taking a beating?" Kairo said this to David with a serious tone. "You gotta understand, all those Long Sword mains only got so good at reading monster movements after dozens—no, hundreds—of hunts. That's how they manage to pull off perfectly timed Iai Slashes and Spirit Helmbreakers!"
"But I don't use a Long Sword!" David tried to argue back.
"Then…"
Kairo rubbed his chin. "When do you plan to challenge Adam Smasher? After you've installed Sandevistan? Or once you've trained until you're invincible?"
"Maybe when you finally get together with Lucy? And take your little crew to storm Arasaka Tower?"
"At least wait until I—" David started to say something longer, but the words got stuck in his throat.
"David… are you afraid of Adam Smasher?" Kairo asked as he looked at him. "Because you saw that you were originally supposed to die by his hand?"
"..."
David fell silent.
He had had that nightmare. Not long after arriving at the Gathering Hub. Right after learning about his own future.
In that dream, wearing Sandevistan, he was still crushed like a child by the overwhelming force of Adam Smasher. His companions, too, were slaughtered with ease.
But in that dream, there was also a girl with the same multicolored hue.
"I'll fight him." David pulled out the Gunlance from his back, temporarily removed his angler eel helmet, and revealed his expression. "Guildmaster."
David looked Kairo Retsu straight in the eye and said solemnly, "I want to ask you for something…"
"No matter what we plan to do in Night City… please leave Adam Smasher to me!" David said through gritted teeth. "Adam Smasher… will be the first monster I hunt as a Hunter!"
"You really don't want help?" Kairo raised an eyebrow. "It was just a suggestion, you know. If you want to come with me now, that's still an option."
"Guildmaster."
David held the Gunlance steady, assuming a battle stance, facing the elevator. "I want to become a legend of Night City too."
"I want to have the courage to stand beside the girl I like." David's voice grew firmer. "Guildmaster, I used to wonder when you told me about that drink I left behind in the next life…"
"David Martinez—'A Bullet Glass, vodka over ice, topped with little cola. Lived great, died glorious.'" David laughed a little as he quoted it. "But honestly, I really don't like carbonated drinks. I always wondered why my drink had little cola in it…"
"But recently, when Lucy and I were learning how to become edgerunners together, I found out—she likes little cola." David said. "So now I know what that drink meant."
"Vodka on ice, topped with little cola… the cola was for Lucy. She likes it." His eyes gleamed with color. "Guildmaster, why is it that just thinking about that… makes me feel like I can do anything?"
"I will defeat Adam Smasher! I'll let Lucy, Mom, big bro Maine, Rebecca… and more people live happier lives in this world!" David declared. "Adam Smasher! He's mine!"
"Hah… you all heard that, right?" Kairo Retsu casually hoisted Arasaka Raizen over his shoulder and spoke into the Gathering Hub channel he had quietly opened earlier. "Adam Smasher's already been claimed by David! Don't any of you dare steal his kill!"
"Huh?" David panicked and opened his Gathering Hub interface, only to discover that Kairo had already broadcasted the whole conversation.
"Guildmaster! When did you start broadcasting that?!" David's face turned bright red, and he hastily put his angler eel helmet back on.
"From the moment you said you wanted to be a legend of Night City." Kairo replied, slinging Arasaka Raizen over his shoulder and walking toward the shattered window. "You're doomed, man! You've fallen in love! You'll never leave that girl now!"
"So… go for it! Life is short!!!"
With that, Kairo leapt from the window with Arasaka Raizen. His grappling hook latched onto a nearby scaffold, and he swung down like some kind of Tarzan.
Back in front of David, the elevator to the penthouse gave a chime.
David took a deep breath, crouched slightly, and as the elevator doors opened—
A grotesquely exaggerated full-cybernetic body stepped out from the lift.
Adam Smasher.
His first glance took in the shattered window… and the figure in the angler eel helmet standing in the room.
Temporarily assigned as a bodyguard, Adam Smasher immediately realized what had happened. But when he tried to track Arasaka Raizen, he found no signal whatsoever.
"Hey, kid."
Adam Smasher's cybernetic eye glowed with a harsh red light, scanning both David and the room at full capacity. "Where did you take the rich brat in this room? Tell me now, and maybe I'll leave some pieces of you intact."
"Guh…"
David stared at Adam Smasher, nervously gulping. "So you're Adam Smasher? The guy they call the full-body cyberdemon?"
"Cut the crap! Adam Smasher!!" David suddenly spun the Gunlance in his hand, loading a round one-handed, and pointed the barrel straight at him. "Let's fight! Show me what kind of lege—"
He didn't even get to finish his sentence.
Adam Smasher vanished from his vision.
The next instant, David felt his internal organs violently crushed. A surge of pain sent him flying backward—blasted out the shattered window.
"Just a hunk of trash who thinks he's hot stuff because he installed a couple beginner-grade implants…"
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