Chapter 66

After finishing my meal, brushing my teeth, and using the bathroom, I returned once more to the world of Infinity Space.

"Good morning. Are you ready?"

As I rose from the capsule bed, Ms. Eve immediately asked me that.

"Yes. Full of energy!"

"That's great. Everything's set. Let's go."

Ms. Eve took a new cigarette and lit it. The ashtray on her seat was buried in cigarette butts, showing how restless she'd been.

Of course she was. We're at the final stretch this time. We absolutely have to succeed with this transport.

"Here."

Ms. Eve tossed me the growing sniper rifle—Stark. I caught Stark in mid-air.

"Payment up front. Use it."

"Is that okay?"

"I want you in the strongest condition you can manage. It may still be an immature gun, but its specs are better than that rifle you've got, right?"

Looking at the numbers, my current rifle has longer range, but Stark has more firepower—and it's easier to use.

"Yes."

"Then use it."

"Th-thank you very much!"

Ms. Eve and I went outside and climbed into the truck.

"Just so we're on the same page, the cargo is one TW-type gatling gun, one TW-type anti-materiel rifle, twenty-one other firearms, and two hundred kilos of ore."

(So that gatling really was part of the shipment, huh.)

"Destination is Nadra Laboratory, sixteen kilometers from here. The lab's owner, Ms. Nadra, is my best client—she keeps giving me jobs no matter how many times I screw up."

Ms. Eve started the engine and got the truck moving. It's more than twice as fast as any real-world truck.

"May I ask about the bandits too?"

"Sorry. I don't know much about the bandits. What I do know is they always move in groups of about twenty, and every one of them wears sand-colored cloaks that cover from the top of their heads down below the knees."

Sand-colored cloaks?

"Could it be Dust Mirage?"

"Exactly. They melt into the sand and vanish, then launch surprise attacks. We don't know the bandits' name, nor the faces or names of any of their members."

"Roger. Ms. Eve, let's exchange Friend Codes."

"Sure."

We quickly registered each other as friends.

"Then I'll be up in the cargo bed. Let's use friend call for our conversation."

"You sure? It's gonna be a rough ride."

"I don't mind. In the passenger seat it's hard to move and prepare for enemy attacks, plus the field of view is too narrow. It's more convenient on top of the cargo."

Also...pathetic as it sounds, when Ms. Eve is close by I get too nervous to give it my all.

"Yeah, that's true. All right."

I opened the door, leapt outside, and used my thrusters to land on top of the cargo bed.

(Outside the city. This is the Oceanus Desert.)

We left the Jolly Roger and rolled out onto the great desert.

"Whoa...!"

A dazzling Diffuser sun. A blue sky stretching overhead! Not a cloud in sight.

It's a desert plain, but not nothing but sand. There are mountains too, and far off I can see a green forested sea. Way in the distance there's even a pyramid.

The scenery's mesmerizing, but I can't let my guard down.

From on top of the cargo bed I carefully scanned the surroundings.

(If they're using Dust Mirage, the radar won't be reliable.)

Stealth effectiveness is multiplied by 2.5 on sand, and after three seconds on sand the user melts into it and vanishes.

I once tried Dust Mirage's transparency function on a sand planet—my form became completely invisible. But there are ways to spot it. There's no body and no shadow, yet footprints remain, and in windy places like this the Space Gulls leave the only patches of sand that are oddly undisturbed. If you stare you can tell.

(Feels like I'm always in deserts...)

Not that I mind. It's not hot.

"Shiki, can you hear me?"

It was a friend call from Ms. Eve.

"Yes. I'm fine."

"Our client, Ms. Nadra, is calling. You don't have to join the conversation, but listen in anyway."

"Understood."

After a beep, an unfamiliar woman's voice reached my ears.

"YA! Eve-chan, are you in the middle of a delivery right now?"

A lighthearted adult woman's voice.

"Yes, Ms. Nadra. Transport is proceeding smoothly. We should arrive in about forty minutes."

"That's great. Then I can wait here at ease, right?"

"Of course. On a transporter's pride, I'll deliver the cargo."

"Mm-hmm. I trust that proud part of you, you know. I'll brew some coffee and wait for you, Eve-chan."

"Yes. We're flying straight there!"

The call cut off.

"She seems like a good person."

"She's a softie, too. Believing in a screw-up driver who keeps failing. I can't betray her expectations... These bastards are getting their cargo."

Ms. Eve's voice carried strong resolve.

"Yes. We'll deliver it, no matter what. For that, first—turn the wheel right."

"What?"

I raised my sniper rifle 'Stark' and fired toward a point five hundred meters ahead. The laser bullet streaked out and pierced the seemingly empty air. The space the bullet passed through warped, and a Space Gull with a hole blown through its chest appeared and exploded.

"Whoa!?"

Ms. Eve yanked the wheel right, and the truck made a right turn.

(Even if they say they melt into the scenery, it's not perfect. Tiny distortions are inevitable.)

Space Gulls appeared from all over the desert. Every Space Gull was using Dust Mirage, and every one of them had their right arm converted into a gun.

"Then they're not Space Gulls—they're Space Pirates!"

All the Space Gulls were still far away. Even at full throttle on the thrusters, the bikes shouldn't be able to catch up to this truck's speed. But then an unexpected development occurred. One of the sand dunes near the group of Space Gulls shattered, and from inside a swarm of bikes came bursting out.

(Bikes!? And they're moving on their own—autonomous!?)

The Space Gulls mounted the bikes and gave chase.

I aimed my rifle at the Space Gulls, but they dodged skillfully.

(Good reactions...but something feels off. All of them seem to have similar evasive moves.)

In any case, the situation is bad.

(Bikes have the edge in speed—at this rate, soon...)

"Damn it..."

A frustrated voice came over comms.

"Not again... Why is it always me...!?"

"Ms. Eve..."

"In the real world I can't even afford a used car on my low salary, and with this tiny body rental cars are hard to handle. This is the only place I can drive to my heart's content. Why do these bastards have to steal even that tiny happiness...!?"

Bang! A sound like the wheel being struck rang out.

(Same as me. Things I can only do in the game—just wanting to enjoy them. Enduring inconvenient reality, stacking up meaning in life in a free game. And they're getting in the way...unforgivable.)

We can't give up that easily.

It's not just because I wanted this rifle. For Ms. Eve—who's truly enjoying the game—I'll...!

"Ms. Eve. Keep heading straight for the destination."

"Shiki...!?"

"On a transporter's pride, keep the wheel steady. On a sniper's pride, I'll pick off every obstacle."

A small laugh came over the comms.

"Yeah, you're right. That's what we'll do! But what're you gonna do? No matter how good you are, that many at that speed—"

"I have one move—one move that'll flip the whole situation."

"What!?"

I turned my eyes toward the interior of the cargo bed.

"...The most thrilling move ever."

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