Neurolink System in the Modern World
Chapter 113 - 113: The Mysterious Woman.

[Author's note: This is my first attempt at writing in the third person POV for side characters, as some of you have requested. It's an experiment, so please let me know if you prefer this style for side characters or if you'd like me to stick with the full first-person perspective going forward.]

***

Brutal Garden HQ.

While the chaos unfolds at Brutal Garden Building, OBO found himself huddled in his office, gripped by fear and confusion.

He stared at the CCTV screens, trying to make sense of the situation. The cameras showed that someone had broken into their building, but it wasn't just the rival gang he had initially expected .

Instead, outside, there was a chaotic burst of gunfire that appeared to be a deliberate diversion.

Meanwhile, another person emerged and began killing everyone inside the building, not with an automatic weapon, but with a single hand gun and a military knife. It was the kind of scene typically reserved for action movies, but here, he was witnessing it unfold in real time.

He couldn't wrap his head around it.

"What's going on?" he whispered to himself in disbelief.

He had heard countless stories circulating in the underground criminal world about formidable individuals – mercenaries who could single-handedly take on entire armies, snipers with uncanny accuracy from impossible distances. He had always assumed these tales were exaggerations or myths meant to instill fear.

Yet, as he watched the lone figure methodically dispatching anyone in his path, OBO had to confront the startling reality that those stories might have held more truth than he had ever imagined.

Sweat dripped from his forehead as he continued to watch the footage, desperately searching for any clues about the intruder and his true motives. The office felt smaller by the second, and he knew he had to come up with a plan quickly before things spiraled out of control.

In a frantic rush, he snatched up his phone, his thoughts racing with an urgent need to reach out to his boss. His boss was a figure often described as a monster in human form too, even a freak of nature, so if there was anyone who could fix this dire situation and find a solution, it would undoubtedly be him.

But his heart sank as he looked at the screen – there was no signal at all. Even the Wi-Fi wasn't working. It felt like all communication had suddenly been cut off, and he was left feeling isolated and helpless.

"I need to find another way," He muttered, his frustration reaching a breaking point. His clenched fist slammed against his desk in anger, but as he did so, he heard a distinct, hard knock from within the desk itself. It triggered a sudden recollection, and he remembered that he had stashed his gun there.

He opened the cabinet held it tightly in his grip, feeling its weight and the comfort it provided in this scary moment.

Then, he carefully checked the magazine to ensure it was loaded with bullets, making sure everything was in order.

"Could all this be because of that woman? We should never have kept her in the first place." He clicked his tongue, recalling a job he had taken without his boss's permission.

The money had been tempting, and his task was simply to hold onto her until someone else arrived to pick her up. It was a decision that now appeared to be the catalyst for the chaos enveloping both him and Brutal Garden Gang.

*Ratatat!

*Ratatat!

*Ratatat!

The sound of gunshots persisted downstairs, and he realized that, while they might just be a gang, they were armed and familiar with the surroundings. He was confident that the intruders wouldn't be able to reach him quickly.

If he could just reach the woman and take her as a hostage, perhaps he'd stand a chance of escaping from this place

With this thought in mind, he rushed out of his office and made his way to the room where the woman was being held. There, he encountered the other gang members, who were now armed as well.

He wasted no time in giving them clear instructions.

"Stay close to the walls. We're on our home turf, and that's our advantage here." The tension was visible, but he knew they needed to make the most of their familiarity with the surroundings to protect themselves .

—

—

In a dimly lit room, a woman sat silently in a chair, her entire body securely strapped down, just like the restraints one might find in a mental hospital.

She has a sleek black hair and eyes that, upon closer examination, hinted at her Korean heritage, showcasing their distinctive features. Her eyes were small, and her frame was petite, yet her beauty exuded an air of sophistication, and her innocent appearance could easily lead others to mistake her for a teenager.

BAM!

The door swung open forcefully, causing her to slowly redirect her gaze toward it. Her eyes met the sight of a burly, bald man bursting in, his chest heaving with labored breaths and his face twisted in rage.

"Who the hell are you, bitch?" Obo yelled in anger.

The woman offered no response and simply closed her eyes.

"Hey Bitch! I'm talking to you!" his anger flared even further at the woman's apparent indifference.

He instinctively rushed towards her and grabbed her by the hair, forcing her to pay attention.

"You shouldn't have done that," the woman said with a sad expression in her face. In that moment, a sudden realization struck OBO like a train.

His employer's words echoed in his mind, a warning he should have heeded.

"Never touch her, no matter what,"  A shiver of fear coursed through him as he realized the gravity of his mistake. He decided to release her.

However, it was already too late. Before he could utter a word, something hot emerge within his body.

"AHHHH! I'm on fire! It hurts... It hurts!" His agonized screams filled the room as he writhed in pain, desperately attempting to extinguish the flames that threatened to consume him by rolling on the floor.

He felt searing heat on the outside, but an icy coldness gripped him from within, intensifying the pain.

The feeling of being burned was beyond painful , a relentless experience that seemed to stretch on for an eternity. His mind raced, pleading for release from this unbearable suffering, but there was no hope. His strength began to wane, and he felt himself growing weaker with each passing second.

With every ounce of his being, he fought to cling to life, but the odds were stacked against him.

Finally, he took his last breath, his face filled with regret and suffering.

He was now lifeless on the floor, but upon closer inspection of his body, something peculiar had occurred. There were no burn marks whatsoever, as if all that suffering had existed only in his mind.

"You should not have touched me,"

Tears welled up in the woman's eyes, as if it pained her to witness such an outcome.

"I miss you," she said softly, expressing how much she yearned for the person she cherished.