Malfunctioning Utopia

Chapter 52: Beast

Sun Jack checked the shell launcher once more, pushed the door open, and headed toward the arena. After just a few steps, he stopped with a strange expression on his face. “Give me a few minutes.”

“You’re not chickening out, are you?” someone asked suspiciously.

“My stomach’s acting up a bit. Must be that Ke-style cuisine—it doesn’t sit well with me. I need to hit the bathroom.”

Hearing this, Four Ai immediately looked disgusted. “You actually need to take a dump? That’s gross.”

“What the f***! Even using the bathroom is gross now? Don’t you ever use the toilet?”

“Of course not. My digestive system has been modified.”

“…” Sun Jack was left speechless. It seemed like people who hadn’t undergone body mods had no status anymore—not even when it came to basic bodily functions like this.

Pulling up the map, Sun Jack located the restroom. It was spotless, without even a hint of odor, and there was even a holographic TV installed directly across from the toilet. The only downside? It cost money to use.

“Human host Song 6PUS VS animal host Mark. Odds of victory: 5/3. Odds of death: 1/2.

Broadcast time: Tomorrow, 3:45 PM. Don’t miss it!”

“What the hell!” Sun Jack exclaimed. “There’s no mistake! Song 6PUS is here. I just saw his ad on the TV!” he said, rushing back to the others.

“Then what are we waiting for? Let’s go inside, talk to someone from 18th Street, and remember—keep it low-key. We’re not here to kill anyone,” Four Ai instructed as she began walking toward the arena in the distance.

As the group approached the entrance, a fat man gnawing on a slice of pizza suddenly leaped out with two of his goons. “Stop right there! F*** off, you dogs of Satan! Get the hell out of here if you don’t want to die! You’re not welcome here!”

Father, one of the group, tugged his coat open slightly, revealing the inverted cross surrounded by a crown of thorns underneath.

“F***! I don’t care if you’ve quit or not! Get lost!” the fat man yelled.

“Hey, f*** your mom, you fat b*stard!” Four Ai snapped back, her tone vulgar and her attitude aggressive.

“If you’re just a doorman, do your damn job and don’t cause trouble! We’re here to see your boss. Who the hell do you think you are?!” she continued.

Standing nearby, Father wasn’t about to be outdone. He raised the shotgun in his hand and pressed it against the fat man’s stomach.

The fat man seemed like he wanted to say something more, but in the end, he cowered and stepped aside to let them pass.

“So this is what you call low-key?” Sun Jack asked, his expression bemused as he turned to Four Ai.

“I wasn’t being high-key. This is just how people around here normally talk. If you act soft, they’ll never take you seriously.”

“Ah, I get it now,” Sun Jack nodded in realization.

As Sun Jack and the others entered the arena, the deafening roar of shouts and screams instantly hit them. The sound was so overwhelming that AA had to lower the system volume to cope.

Inside was a vast, deliberately high-ceilinged rectangular space. Iron cages filled the area, each one hosting brutal battles to the death. There were fights between humans, humans versus animals, and even cybernetics against animals. Above the cages, holographic projections constantly updated the odds for each match.

One entire wall to the left was lined with cages housing all kinds of ferocious beasts, seemingly there to show off the arena’s strength.

The animals in the arena didn’t just resemble humans in their enhancements—many were outfitted with prosthetics and cybernetic modifications. Their eyes, bloodshot and brimming with madness, gave off a distinct impression that all reason had been stripped away.

Around the iron cages were throngs of frenzied men and women, wildly cheering for their chosen fighters. Every tear, every gory death elicited waves of applause and cheers from the crowd.

As Sun Jack took in the dim, grimy decor of the interior, a server in a Roman-style dress approached them with a polite smile, motioning for them to follow. Clearly, their arrival had not gone unnoticed.

The group was led to one of the VIP suites hanging from the four corners of the arena. As the walls of the suite slowly slid open, Sun Jack found himself staring at a bald man. He wondered why he kept running into bald men—it was almost starting to feel like a curse.

This bald man was dressed in a spiked leather jacket. The symbol “Thorns 18” was etched into his left cheek. His eyes had clearly been modified into rectangular black-framed lenses that were fused together. A massive red dot moved back and forth across them, resembling a blood-red eyeball that slid left to right and back again like a display screen.

Despite the oddity of the man’s eyes, Sun Jack’s attention was immediately drawn to the monstrous beast behind him. It was a dog, but nearly the size of a lion. Most of its body had been fully cybernetically enhanced.

The remaining flesh bulged with thick veins, making it look both savage and grotesque.

At a glance, Sun Jack could tell this was no ordinary dog—it was a war machine.

At that moment, the massive dog was mounting another dog, also cybernetically enhanced. Drool dripped continuously from its mouth, and carved into the forehead of the mechanical dog beneath it were the words: “Corporate Dog.”

“My name is Answer.01. It’s a pleasure to meet you all,” the bald man said, introducing himself. This finally drew Sun Jack’s gaze away from the beast and back to him.

"I've heard about you guys. Word is, you were the ones who dug up dirt on that celebrity, and I also heard you took down a small mining operation run by some graffiti gang," the bald man said, raising his hands to show off the gemstone rings on all ten of his fingers. "Hmm~ not bad, seems like you’ve got some skills."

It was clear this guy had done his homework on them. After a brief moment of consideration, Sun Jack spoke up. "We saw Song 6PUS in an ad."

"Seems like he’s your fixer? What, are you here to help him out?" The bald man peered through his fingers, locking eyes with Sun Jack.

Sun Jack shook his head. "Not anymore. I have no interest in helping him. He owes us money. We’re just here to collect what he owes, and after that, you can do whatever the hell you want with him."

"Funny you mention that—he owes me money too!" The bald man burst into loud laughter, as if he’d just heard the punchline to an incredible joke.

But just as quickly as the laughter came, his face turned serious. "That said, everything has an order to it. Once he pays back what he owes me, I’ll hand him over to you."

"How much does that bastard owe you?" Tapai interjected, his tone sharp.

"120@," the bald man replied, throwing out a jaw-dropping figure that made Sun Jack’s pupils contract instantly.

Sun Jack raised his head, staring at the bald man in disbelief. "You’ve gotta be kidding me. 120@? He dared to borrow that much from you, and you actually lent it to him? Weren’t you worried he might just drop dead halfway through paying it back?"

If Song 6PUS really had 120@, why the hell would he still be risking his life scavenging through orbital debris?

"But he did borrow 120@ from me. Don’t believe me? Ask him yourself. I’m a businessman—I do everything aboveboard and with evidence."

Soon enough, Sun Jack was face-to-face with Song 6PUS again. Compared to before, he looked absolutely miserable now, his face covered in bruises and swelling, clearly the result of a recent beating.

"PUS, did you seriously borrow 120@ from him?" Four Ai frowned, her expression dark.

"Uh... I guess... yeah, that might’ve happened. Borrowed it a few months ago," Song 6PUS stammered, his tone hesitant.

"F*** me! What the hell did you spend it on?!" Sun Jack couldn’t hold back his anger and cursed outright.

"Uh... gambling, girls, smokes... maybe? I don’t really remember..." Song 6PUS said, his expression pained as he pounded his fist against his head.

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