Gearbound: Cyberpunk 2077-Chapter 187

So many bullets had been fired, yet they hadn't even grazed the enemy's hem, and they couldn't even clearly see where the enemy was. Watching the fleeing enemies, Leo picked up a tech weapon from the ground and swept a burst of fire toward them.

After a while, the world quieted down.

Although all enemies had been eliminated, they were only the hotel's defensive personnel. Reinforcements from Arasaka Tower were most likely already on their way. Staying trapped here wasn't an option—they had to find a way out.

Leo glanced at the blast-proof door and silently abandoned the idea of using an anti-armor missile. Doors like this were designed specifically to withstand explosive force. Even with an anti-armor missile, it was unlikely to blast open a hole wide enough for three people to get through.

Were they really going to die trapped here? Suddenly, a thought flashed through Leo's mind like lightning.

..........

..

.

Boom!

Without any warning, the outer wall of Konpeki Plaza erupted in an explosion. Guards stationed in the courtyard outside, those closest to the blast, were knocked over by the shockwave and debris. In the rolling smoke, a figure burst forth.

The guards who were farther away and unaffected quickly opened fire, a hail of bullets sweeping across the scene. But the rounds only tore through the black smoke without that dull thud of bullets striking flesh—only sharp metallic clinks like ricochets off composite armor echoed out. In the next moment, dozens of smart shotgun rounds burst from the smoke, shredding the retaliating guards on the spot.

Leo held a kinetic assault rifle in hand, executing the guards knocked down by the blast wave one by one. Once silence returned to the large courtyard, he signaled to V and Jackie, still inside the hotel, to come out quickly.

Yes, blast-proof doors were made to resist explosive force, but walls didn't necessarily share that design. A Watch_Dogs player might try to hack open the door, but a Rainbow Six player would blow through the wall:

Why fuss with doors when you can go through the wall?

With a high-pitched screech, a Delamain cab screeched to a stop in front of the three. The door opened automatically, and Delamain's emotionless synthetic voice drifted out with it. "Welcome back. With Delamain, your worries stay at the curb."

The three climbed into the vehicle. "Drive. Get us out of here!" The black wheels spun rapidly, accelerating from a dead stop to top speed in seconds. Even sitting inside, they could feel the wind-blasting velocity.

As the scenery outside blurred in reverse through the windows, all three passengers visibly relaxed. Arasaka's reinforcements were still on their way, but they were already leaving. As long as they could get away from Arasaka Waterfront, they'd be safe—for now.

But just as that thought settled in their minds, a sudden shattering of glass echoed from above Konpeki Plaza, followed by a massive steel figure plummeting from the sky like an artillery shell, slamming down directly in front of the Delamain cab.

With an earth-shaking crash, the impact punched a deep crater into the ground.

"Shit!" Despite the vehicle's onboard AI executing evasive maneuvers, the cab had been traveling too fast, and the descending steel figure had landed far too close. There was no time or room to avoid it—so the cab slammed straight into the armored figure.

Bang!

The front of the vehicle crumpled inward, the shattered bumper sprayed outward, and the entire car was launched into the air. The wheels spun uselessly as the cab flipped multiple times in midair before finally crashing down. All three inside were jolted violently.

But it wasn't over.

With a sickening crunch, the cab tumbled several more times across the ground before finally coming to a stop upside down. The three passengers were tossed around in the wreckage, but Leo, outfitted in his Falchion combat gear, was the first to recover.

"V, Jackie, are you two okay?" From the driver's seat came Jackie's weak voice. "¡Madres! My ribs—pretty sure I broke more than one!" If he could still talk, he probably wasn't dying just yet.

But what made Leo's heart sink was that V didn't respond at all. "V? V!" Leo struggled to pull himself up and turned his head—V, slumped in the passenger seat, was unconscious. A jagged shard of windshield glass had pierced her thigh, blood soaking her slacks and pooling all around.

"Jackie, hang in there—I'll get V out first."

"I'm good. Handle her first."

Leo pushed at the door, but it wouldn't budge. He raised his foot and kicked it open with one solid strike. Crawling out of the vehicle, he rushed to V's side, tore the car door off with brute force, and carried her out, laying her on a patch of open ground. After a quick assessment of her injuries, he injected her with a MaxDoc shot, then grabbed the glass shard in her leg and yanked it free.

V let out a scream of pain and jolted awake. "You're safe now. I've got you." As Leo skillfully treated her wound, he called Delamain.

"Del! Situation changed! Send another cab—right now, immediately!" The call had barely ended when Leo's expression shifted sharply. He gripped his scabbard with his left hand, and flicked the guard with his thumb—his blade shot out, knocking an incoming shell into the sky.

Boom!

The shell detonated against the side of Konpeki Plaza, releasing a cloud of smoke.

"You deflected a shell... with a sword? Interesting. I hope you'll keep me entertained a bit longer." Not far away, Adam Smasher's raised arm retracted its cannon barrel back into his forearm. It was a projectile launcher, similar in design to mantis blades—retractable into the body when not in use. But both in price and in power, it far surpassed mantis blades.

"Pinche Dios Santo bendito! Adam Smasher?! What the fuck is he doing here—wasn't he supposed to be glued to Yorinobu Arasaka, protecting him non-stop?" Jackie, crawling out from the wrecked vehicle, froze in shock. This was the last thing he wanted to see.

Adam Smasher's terrifying reputation had been built with blood and war.