Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 179 - 157: A Complete Makeover

Chapter 179: Chapter 157: A Complete Makeover

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After she spoke, Lila left the corridor with a slight smile, leaving Farosa standing there alone. The words Lila had said reverberated over and over in her mind like a millstone, grinding her emotions into even finer pieces with each turn.

Now, Lila made an even stronger, more proactive, and more dangerous impression on Farosa, a difficult feeling to handle, not like the methodical metal Witch she had been before.

Swallow it, swallow it, Farosa told herself.

But she couldn’t swallow it; these frustrations and sorrows stuck in her throat like a bone. Farosa rushed in the direction from which Lila had come, bursting into Xu Yang’s dormitory, half-expecting—and almost hoping—to find him lying in bed so she could bite him. However, he wasn’t there; he had already gotten up, was holding a plate of food, too absorbed to eat, staring at the terminal in the room, flanked by two large screens, with a dense array of data and code on one side and a map of Aizu City on the other, using his Digital Mind to sift through information.

Pick up the pace, Farosa, she told herself. She had to crush all these empty emotions, this fury, and grief. Abandoning herself to sorrow over such matters was something only a woman of low purity would do.

Her sense of unease diluted, she armed herself with an expression of indifference and an even tone of voice.

"You really like your work," said Farosa, observing Xu Yang’s back, "You’re so diligent."

Xu Yang swiveled around in his chair, appraising Farosa.

"You look great in the company uniform," he said.

"I look great in anything, idiot."

"Of course, you do, but you look especially good now. Did you run into Lila just now?"

"Don’t play dumb," Farosa pinned Xu Yang to the chair, "Start earning more money. The Witch Division needs funds for armor, machinery, ammunition."

Farosa couldn’t help but feel perplexed and at a loss when she thought of Xu Yang being entirely captivated by another woman. Since she had awakened, he had held a special place in her heart.

"Once we take over Aizu City, we’ll be able to extract funds from those local serpents. Asa Katsuragi is trying to expand," Xu Yang declared, "We can support her as a proxy to control Aizu City, while Nestor Corporation stays as far in the background as possible."

"Why play hide and seek?"

"To protect you," Xu Yang said, "When others scan these series of moves, they will first notice Asa Katsuragi’s gang, then they might find Nestor Corporation and Lila. Only if they dig deeper might they have the chance to discover the Witch Division and you. We can’t let any other companies or entities directly find you until you have grown powerful enough."

During the conversation, a subtle glow emanated from the communications module at the bottom right of the terminal. Xu Yang read the message from Asa Katsuragi.

"What did she say?" Farosa frowned.

"She’s inviting me to assist in cleaning up the scum," Xu Yang stood up, "If we don’t do this, we can’t achieve actual control over Katagi District."

"I’m coming too," said Farosa, still harboring the scars left by Lila’s words. She needed a good venting to erase them.

"You need to stay hidden."

"I don’t want to! You can cover for me, I also want to kill the scum for fun," Farosa followed Xu Yang, "Just don’t let me get shot. It might not kill me, but it hurts a lot!"

"Of course," Xu Yang donned his coat, "I will always protect you, no matter what."

Late at night, the "T-junction" bar in Katagi District was brimming with gang members.

A trial was underway.

The usual security staff of the bar had been killed, and the bodies of several waiters were hung by ropes at the entrance, warning passersby not to get involved.

A high-powered bulb hanging from the center of the ceiling would sometimes flash like lightning, illuminating many stern, serious faces.

Together, 230 people gathered within the bar, each armed with crowbars, handguns, shotguns, alloy swords, and other weapons, with headscarves, tattoos, and wide coats almost a standard uniform. The vast majority had undergone various levels of modification, with colorful implants etching metallic patterns across their faces.

A bald gang member, wearing a studded jacket, stepped up, dragging along a man beaten down like a dead dog. He tossed the victim into the center of the area, where the floor was hollowed out and strips of light below alternated between flashing blue and purple hues, the space normally used as a lively dance floor.

The crowd was silent.

"Everyone knows him, right?" The gang member pointed with his baton to the injured man on the floor. "The owner of this bar, Ryozo Terao."

"We know him! We know him!"

"Traitor!"

"Yes, a traitor! He surrendered to the Katsuragi Gang," the gang member spoke in a hoarse voice, "Ryozo Terao—a coward of our district! We supported the Terao family’s business, ensuring his and his family’s safety. But he betrayed us for profit, secretly colluding with Asa Katsuragi. Now, we’re going to show the other shops what happens when they leave ’Saikawa-kai.’"

"Uh oh!"

"Kill him!"

The gang’s mood grew fervent, with bloodthirsty roars echoing throughout.

Suddenly, the bulb in the center of the room burst, startling everyone who then looked up at the sound.

From the dance floor speakers, a synthesized voice rang out: "Please leave the premises immediately and drop your weapons."

"Freaking ghosts! Must be that Cyber Specter!" The gang member charged forward, swinging his alloy bat and smashing the speakers to bits.

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Rustling——

An invisible force swept through the area, accompanied by the sound of bones crushing and flesh being cleaved, as if a meatpacking plant had sprung up right next to them. He watched as at least three-quarters of the people below suddenly exploded, their bodies disintegrating in an instant. It was like an invisible steamroller had barged into a stand of balloons, bursting everything in its wake, with countless lives snuffed out before they could even scream.

The survivors were initially silent, then were plunged into an uncontrollable fear, letting out hysterical screams.

"Ahhhh—"

"Help me!"

"Someone’s dead!"

"The Katsuragi Gang is here!" someone shouted from nowhere.

Following that, members of the Katsuragi Gang barged in from outside the window, with Asa Katsuragi leading the charge like a red dragon, her martial skills coupled with Nano Armor made her seemingly invincible. With the powerful protection of the Nano Armor, bullets bounced off her armor, and the strikes of street ronin were hardly a concern.

Kong Tai followed closely behind her, pouncing directly on the key cadres of the Saikawa-kai with swift movements.

"I’ll kill you!" The gang immediately swung clubs at the injured Ryozo Terao on the stage, aiming to take out this traitor first.

In an instant, the implants in his brain experienced intense interference, an unknown data virus swiftly infiltrating his various functional modules. He felt a splitting headache as his reaction accelerator, neural bundle circuits, and pain suppression modules all ceased functioning. Concurrently, half of his brain’s capabilities went offline in a rush, losing control of his body, he collapsed twitching.

"Are you okay!" Asa Katsuragi rushed up to the stage, helping the bar owner up.

"Hu... hu..." Ryozo Terao was unable to speak and required further medical treatment.

Hiding just a wall away in the bar, Xu Yang transmitted the camera feed to Farosa. Through his link, Farosa could see the bloody scene inside. Despite the barrier, she could reap lives to create a massacre, which greatly lifted her spirits.

Farosa let out a soft chuckle, stretching languidly.

Watching lives flicker away like candles in the wind, chaos and blood spreading through the world of mortals, was one of her greatest diversions.

Xu Yang was collecting data. He had just used the RLT data virus directly on the gang, to great effect, able to exert formidable control. It looked like another technological gap had just been filled.

"With this, the Katsuragi Gang can take full control of Katagi District," Xu Yang said. "The Saikawa-kai is the toughest gang around, and now that they’ve been defeated, the others are of no concern."

"Thanks for their hospitality," said Farosa, her tone light. "After passing the time, I should be going. I need to digest some things."

"What did you eat?"

"It’s not food," Farosa said, feigning mystery.

Consuming Dewdrops took quite a while. By killing, Farosa released the pressure bestowed upon her by Lila, and only then could she focus single-mindedly on seeking advancement in power.

The road to Ascension, does not tolerate any imperfection.

Thanks to the battle at the bar, the expansion rate of the Katsuragi Gang had increased once more. Faced with the situation, most gangs yielded without a fight, solidifying the Katsuragi Gang’s unshakable dominant status in Katagi District.

After securing their territory, Asa Katsuragi contacted Xu Yang right away, inviting him to Suzuki Springs as a guest to discuss their next steps.

With Farosa busy with "digestion," Xu Yang brought only Lila with him on the Innovation and paid a visit to the familiar hot springs.

Back when they had faced the Rat Tide and had to flee in a panic, the light here had been very comforting to him. Now that Aizu City had restored order, light was nothing unusual, but the memories remained, making Suzuki Springs feel quite significant in Xu Yang’s heart.

Xu Yang stepped off the Shuttle Machine. The compound walls appeared cleaner, with many slogans exhorting people to unite and help each other, not like the gang’s former practice of spreading fear.

"The little tree at the entrance is really cute," Lila smiled. In the past, she would not have cared about such things, but now she felt a subtle fondness.

The local residents seemed quite calm, with many customers paying visits. The business activities were very much normal.

So as not to frighten the common people, Asa Katsuragi had her gang members wear regular clothes, minimize the use of tattoos, cover up scars, conceal weapons, and even dispense with uniforms. They mingled completely with the customers coming to bathe in the hot springs, indistinguishable from the gang members, except for one burly man stationed on each side of the entrance, still playing the role of guards, carrying katanas and heavy submachine guns to deter petty criminals from barging in.

"Let’s go in," Xu Yang said as he approached Suzuki Springs.

The last time he entered, he was with Farosa and Kojima Kanako.

Those were good times...

Kanako should now be studying under her family’s pressure, yearning to play games instead. The thought of that scene amused Xu Yang.

"The atmosphere is really nice," Lila said as she walked through the gate. Since Asa Katsuragi had given instructions earlier, the guards did not inspect them.

"Asa Katsuragi really did give this place a complete makeover," Xu Yang observed the lobby.

Previously, Suzuki Springs had deliberately adopted an antique decor, which made everywhere look old-fashioned and thus eerie. Now, Asa Katsuragi had installed more incandescent lights, changed the color of the floors and wallpaper to neutral tones, making everything look incredibly bright and much more modern, like a minimalist art center.

The original labyrinthine and oppressive passageways, navigable only with a gang member’s guidance, were now signposted clearly. A holographic map on the wall outlined the layout of the building, making it immediately clear where to go for services, leaving no room for doubt.

The former office of Shinji Suzuki had been converted into Asa Katsuragi’s command center. Xu Yang headed in that direction to learn more.