Melton paced through the darkened apartment, Nexus humming softly in the background, running diagnostics and scanning for threats. He could feel the weight of the bounty pressing down on him like a thousand tons. Every corner of the city was hunting him now, and the DWZ, once a safe haven for mercenaries, had turned into a battlefield where trust was a rare commodity.
"Nexus," Melton murmured, massaging his temples while gazing out of the window. "Any updates on the bounty hunters?"
A mechanical voice echoed in his mind. **"Approximately 58% of the mercenary population in the city has registered intent to hunt you down, Master. Analyzing tactics... most appear to be working in small groups, but larger factions are beginning to mobilize."**
Jemmy sat quietly on the sofa's edge, maintaining her gun. The unspoken tension between them was noticeable, but it was intertwined with a shared understanding - they were in this situation together, regardless of their individual feelings.
"So, fifty-eight percent, is that right?" Melton shook his head as he said. "Statistics. Everyone enjoys receiving their paycheck."
Jemmy looked up at him, speaking sharply. "And who could be held responsible for their actions? Melton, that reward is no laughing matter. They will attack you with all of their resources."
Melton looked at her, his expression impossible to interpret. "I know. However, I refuse to allow them to bring me down. I have been through more difficult situations and come out okay."
Jemmy remained standing while she holstered her weapon. "This is no longer about just making it through. This is concerning achieving victory. To survive, you must adopt the mindset of a predator instead of the prey."
Melton's eyes narrowed. "Is that what you were doing all along? Thinking like a predator while you were working for Erebus?"
She flinched but held his gaze. "I made mistakes. But if I was still thinking like them, I wouldn't be here, would I?"
Before Melton could respond, Nexus chimed in again. **"Alert. New task issued. Target: All mercenaries with malicious intent toward the player. Deadline: 12 days. Reward: 623 billion credits."**
Jemmy raised an eyebrow. "That's… insane. Even for you, Melton."
He let out a deep breath, massaging the nape of his neck. "Tell me about it. However, I refuse to just wait idly while they eliminate us individually. If they are looking for a quarrel, I will provide them with one, that's my take on this."
Jemmy moved nearer, her voice quieting to a whisper. "Are you really committed to this? Are you planning to confront the entire network of mercenaries?"
Melton's jaw clenched. "I have no option, Jemmy. It's either me or them."
Jemmy folded her arms, sounding doubtful. "What occurs once the twelve days are over? What if you make it through this, but you have no possessions remaining?"
Melton's expression became somber. "I'll deal with that issue when I reach it. I have nothing now by the way"
Jemmy furrowed her brow before giving a nod. "Okay. Then we should begin making plans. We must identify who is targeting you, understand their abilities, and be aware of their vulnerabilities."
Melton looked at her, taken aback by the change in her demeanor. "Are you really prepared to assist me?"
A smile played on her lips, yet a hint of sorrow shone in her gaze. "I might have let you down in the past, but Julian let me down. If there's one skill I excel at, it's maintaining resentment."
At that moment, a loud noise reverberated from the exterior. Both of them became tense and went to the window to look outside. A gang of heavily armed mercenaries, clearly seeking trouble, was advancing down the street towards the building.
"They're here," Melton said, his voice steady. "Nexus, scan."
**"Six targets identified. All hostile. Weapons: high-grade energy rifles, close-combat augmentations detected."**
Jemmy glanced at Melton, her hand hovering over her gun. "We can't take them all head-on, not in this small space. We need to be smart."
Melton's mind raced as he considered his options. "We lead them into a trap. There's an alley two blocks from here—narrow enough that they can't use their numbers to overwhelm us. We draw them in, bottleneck them, and take them out."
Jemmy nodded, her expression serious. "I'll cover you from the rooftops. You handle the close combat."
Melton stopped, gazing at her with a blend of wariness and interest. "Do you really think you're capable of doing this?"
She laughed mockingly while preparing her weapon. "Stop talking down on me, Melton. You are not alone in the struggle to survive."
They quickly exited the building through the back door and positioned themselves in the alleyway. The mercenaries went after, their loud steps bouncing off the walls while approaching.
Melton lingered in the darkness, biding his time for the perfect opportunity. When the initial mercenary stepped into the alleyway, he swiftly thrust his body forward, striking the man in his chest with great force, causing him to lose his footing. The rest rushed to react, but the confined area played in Melton's favor—he was quicker, more nimble.
One of the mercenaries yelled, "Melton, you're finished!" as he fired a shot that narrowly avoided hitting Melton's head. "You are unable to run faster than every one of us!"
Melton smiled, his eyes shining with resolve. I don't have to be faster than you. I simply have to defeat you in combat.
Jemmy's voice came through the earpiece with a crackling sound. "Two people are on the rooftops. I have them on lock and ready to shoot."
Melton gave the command to shoot.
A loud noise reverberated along the alley, then bodies thudded against the ground. Jemmy's accuracy was as on point as usual.
The rest of the hired mercenaries advanced, with one of them wielding a large sword aiming at Melton. He avoided the attack by seizing the man's wrist and rotating it until the weapon fell to the ground. In one quick motion, Melton struck the man's throat with a powerful punch, causing him to fall.
Melton was prepared when another mercenary attacked him unexpectedly. He turned around, capitalizing on the man's force to throw him into the alley wall. Melton muttered "Good attempt" as the mercenary collapsed to the ground.
Melton took deep breaths as he looked over the scene. The defeated mercenaries lay in disarray around him. He removed the sweat from his forehead, looking up at Jemmy, who was already descending from the rooftop.
Her face showed both relief and exhaustion as she came closer to him. "That was a close call."
Melton gave a nod of agreement. "Very near. This is only the start."
Jemmy breathed out heavily as she secured her gun back in its holster. "We must continue to stay in motion. The longer we remain in a single location, the simpler it will be for them to discover our whereabouts."
Melton couldn't argue with that. "Let's go. We've got twelve days to survive, and a lot of mercenaries to take down."
As they disappeared into the night, the weight of the task ahead of them pressed down heavily. But Melton had made up his mind—if Erebus wanted a war, he was more than ready to deliver.