Cyber Era Witch
Chapter 355 - 323: Becoming Smarter

Chapter 355: Chapter 323: Becoming Smarter

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Raising a Young Witch costs money, so Xu Yang had to find Hosoda Yoshiyuki’s whereabouts and ensure the wedding of Kamibayashi Kurou and Oohara Risa went smoothly, so as to fulfill the agreement and obtain a substantial amount of cash to plug the financial gap.

Xu Yang reviewed Hosoda Yoshiyuki’s file, who had committed a series of bombings, assassinations, and robberies. According to corporate law, he was sentenced to 590 years in prison, a lifelong reoffender.

This is a dangerous individual... Xu Yang thought to himself. If he’s not found quickly, he might just burn the entire city to ashes in his own way.

As an experienced saboteur, he was capable of making full use of the conditions at hand to continue creating shocking headlines.

Unfortunately, due to the lack of more detailed information and Hosoda Yoshiyuki’s skill at changing his appearance, Lila also couldn’t accurately locate him from the vast crowds, not even sure if he was currently in Anjiu City.

Fortunately, a stroke of luck occurred as Xu Yang discovered that this guy had installed implants at Cui Junyou’s place. If he could contact Old Cui, he should be able to find more information related to Hosoda Yoshiyuki.

With this thought, Xu Yang immediately connected to the secret communication line with Cui Junyou.

"Hurry up, I have a surgery in 7 minutes," Cui Junyou said loudly.

"I’m looking for someone named Hosoda Yoshiyuki..." Xu Yang flipped through the files at hand, "According to his own testimony in prison, he had undergone modifications at Aizu City Cui’s Clinic for Prosthetic Limbs."

"Yes, yes," Cui Junyou said, "He’s a straight shooter, a good guy. Who would reject him?"

"I’m looking for him now, do you have any leads?"

"Uh, what do you want with him, thinking of joining forces to destroy the Xisheng Shrine? If that’s the case, I’m all in. Otherwise, I won’t betray him."

"Of course, I would like to destroy the Xisheng Group, but not in his way."

"You and he won’t get along," Cui Junyou said, "You are a heartless machine, and he is a wildfire that sweeps across the field!"

"Relax... I won’t hurt him, just want to figure out what he’s planning, to make sure we don’t end up on opposing sides."

"Alright," Cui Junyou still trusted Xu Yang but also wanted to keep Hosoda Yoshiyuki’s secrets, "After he broke out of prison, he seems to have run to the back of Garbage Hill, the place overlooking the sewage ditch and stinky beach. Go find him there, but don’t tell him it was me who told you."

"Thank you," Xu Yang expressed his gratitude.

"Have you seen Asa Katsuragi’s new arm?" Cui Junyou sent over a movable photo.

Xu Yang saw Asa Katsuragi showing off her new limb to the camera. She had replaced her entire right arm with a multi-jointed, sturdy metal prosthetic that could extend and retract at will. It was also a powerful kinetic shooting weapon capable of functioning as a rapid-fire heavy machine gun to suppress opponents with sweeping fire. At close range, it could transform into an arm hammer to smash any enemy trying to get close.

She knew she could use Magic Power to heal her injuries, but she decided to embrace modification. Xu Yang mused. Everything had changed.

"She’s getting used to it, isn’t she?" Xu Yang asked.

"Too used to it, even more so than her original arm. Made her want to cut off her perfectly healthy left arm and replace it too. I told her no, she’s not ready yet," Cui Junyou said loudly.

"Ready for what?"

"To give up her flesh and blood," Cui Junyou said, "Prosthetic modification shouldn’t be rushed; you have to gradually get accustomed to it, slowly enjoy the feeling—moving swiftly, impervious to blades and bullets, electricity flowing through your body, your vision becoming unprecedentedly sensitive, every organ upgradable, beginning to replace those primitive parts of your own body. What about you? Do you want to continue modifying?"

Xu Yang subconsciously checked his own prosthetics, which were not many.

The "Digital Mind" in his brain and the signal chip in his right wrist worked together, connecting his nerves to carry out brain signal conversion and data transmission. The current drivers and brain processor were relatively new, especially the "Flying God 4" processor, which could probably last for another 2 years without becoming obsolete.

Last was the bionic circuit bundle deep in his spine, responsible for powering the other implants.

He looked at his own right arm. If he chose to undergo modification, there might be benefits—alloy armor, laser firing, enhanced memory and intelligence, constant temperature, blood filtration, invisibility, improved sleep... But maintaining each and every part was quite troublesome, and ultimately, as Cui Junyou said, one would be forced to install more and more implants for them to work together efficiently.

To become something non-human.

"Well, I’m always ready, I’m off to work now," Cui Junyou ended the communication as Xu Yang did not respond for a while.

Xu Yang shook his head, his attitude towards self-modification was very conservative. After all, modification was hard to reverse. It was not difficult to replace a natural arm with a mechanical one, as the solutions were quite mature. But if one couldn’t get used to a mechanical arm and wanted to revert to a human arm, that would be challenging and would require trusting Farosa for the reversion process.

According to the prison company’s report, Xu Yang discovered that Hosoda Yoshiyuki’s attitude was the complete opposite. He actively embraced a variety of modifications, installing any and all types, both standard and off-brand ones, onto his body, eventually turning himself into a killer technical enough to survive in the reinforced concrete jungle of Corporate Ideology World.

Hosoda Yoshiyuki was born in the Company Era 100, when the Century Pure Land System had not yet been fully implemented, and monitoring of corporate citizens was weak. According to his own statements in prison, he had been listening to the Avant-Garde Intercontinental Radio from the age of 12 and embraced the ideas of Selita, aspiring for free development and to contribute to society. He planned on going to a nursing home to volunteer after graduation.

His parents were both off-the-books construction workers for the Xisheng Real Estate Group, suffering from severe heart disease due to overwork and owing nearly 600,000 in loans, yet they could not escape the fate of dying from their illness. The debt was inherited across generations, falling upon Hosoda Yoshiyuki.

To pay off the debt, he had to end his education and follow in his parents’ footsteps, becoming a construction worker himself.

Initially, his parents were construction workers, and the master of the company was Kamibayashi Himei.

Later, he himself became a construction worker, and the master of the company was Kamibayashi Kurou.

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Such experiences twisted his psyche even more, and then, during a sleepless night, he discovered he had the same heart disease as his parents. So he borrowed 400,000 at a high-interest rate, underwent a prosthetic surgery, and replaced his own heart with the cheapest metal one, finally escaping death’s pursuit.

Burdened with a huge loan that he could never repay in his lifetime, Hosoda Yoshiyuki harbored endless resentment.

He opened fire on entrepreneurs.

He took a desperate chance and seized the opportunity to attack Kamibayashi Kurou. After succeeding, he fled and roamed the cities of the Northern Archipelago, continually attacking corporate assets and using all the funds he obtained to modify himself further enhancing his combat capabilities, causing a cumulative loss of 180 million to the corporate ideology world.

Due to the spread of the Century Pure Land System, Hosoda Yoshiyuki was captured five years ago and eventually escaped during the Blackfire siege.

Kamibayashi Kurou, who had been seriously injured by Hosoda Yoshiyuki more than a decade ago, was terrified upon hearing that this deadly fugitive had escaped. He not only invited the Nestor Corporation to protect his wedding but also hired mercenaries from all quarters to hunt down Hosoda Yoshiyuki.

So, Xu Yang thought, I must find him before the killers hired by Xisheng. To understand Hosoda Yoshiyuki’s condition and plans was the only way to complete this commission.

He’s a wildfire. Xu Yang remembered the description from Cui Junyou. If mishandled, this could be very troublesome; the matter had to be considered carefully.

Just then, Xu Yang received a message from Yamano Sanae, asking him to see the most troublesome Young Witch.

"This is the place..." Yamano Sanae led Xu Yang to the 11th floor.

Little Fool pressed her face to the glass, scrutinizing the entire corporate city with great attention, standing barefoot on the windowsill, motionless.

"How did she get up here?" Xu Yang wondered in surprise.

"I’m really very sorry—I believe she climbed up here using the stairs. I thought she wouldn’t leave the Young Witches’ dormitory and I’ve been unable to find her," Yamano Sanae said apologetically, "Please forgive my negligence for letting such a small child be in such a dangerous area!"

"She’s difficult to communicate with, isn’t she?" Xu Yang remarked.

"I’m sorry, I will try to learn..." Yamano Sanae’s expression was fearful, Little Fool was so different from all the other patients and cubs she had ever encountered.

Yamano Sanae approached Little Fool, trying to pick her up, but Little Fool was very resistant. The same kind of invisible force, like a wall of air, pushed Yamano Sanae away. Yamano Sanae looked nervously at Xu Yang, continuously apologizing.

Xu Yang walked towards Little Fool, and because he had fed her a bottle outside before, he was able to skillfully hold her in his arms. In contrast, she did not resist much and comfortably sat in Xu Yang’s arms, pointing at the sky outside.

Following the direction of Little Fool’s finger, Xu Yang looked up and saw the air filled with a large amount of smoke from industrial production. The light of the setting sun mingled with it, creating colorful auroras like bands of splashed paint dispersing across the canvas of the sky.

"Quack." Little Fool said, then clumsily climbed onto his shoulder, pressing her side against Xu Yang’s hood.

"It seems she prefers to be with you," Yamano Sanae sighed with relief, "Ah... By the way, does it put pressure on you when she stands on you like this?"

"When my shoulders can no longer bear her weight, she’ll get down on her own," Xu Yang said, "For now, let me take her around for a bit."

"Yes, thank you so much..." Yamano Sanae bowed to Xu Yang. Aside from Little Fool, she could manage every other child. However, she had heard about an Infant Witch who could emit lasers just by opening her eyes, whom she had yet to witness firsthand, wondering just how troublesome that would be.

"Squeak." Little Fool pointed in the direction of the dining room.

Xu Yang went to the dining room where the members of the Witch Council had relieved themselves of the tiring work of caring for the Young Witches and returned to their original state of happily playing together in the activity room.

He prepared formula for Little Fool, and 102 curiously came over.

"She doesn’t seem very clever," 102 said.

"When she’s older and can undergo implant surgery, then try to improve her intellect," Xu Yang suggested, "What about you? Have you ever tried to use your own Magic Power to enhance your brain and become smarter?"

"What are you talking about! I have always been smart!" 102’s fists were clenched hard.

However, 102 kept Xu Yang’s words in her mind.

102’s Magic Power was Limb Strengthening, and if channeled to the brain, it indeed might enhance brainpower.

In the middle of the night, 102 did not sleep well as she tried forcefully to use her Magic Power to strengthen her mind.

Whirling around, guiding the Magic Power to surge through the circuits, up the neck, reaching inside the forehead.

Awaken, my intellect!

began to have more and more inspirations, an array of unprecedented ideas bubbling up in her mind.

How could she be so clever... 102 was self-satisfied.

An idea flashed through her mind, making her sit up abruptly from her bed.

Oh no, she had been swindled out of 990,000 by Du Qianqian!