Chapter 15: Mavericks
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Angel was disturbed.
The last mission went perfectly well, considering that out of the five Mavericks that were sent, he alone managed to deliver, while the others failed with the final portal. Just the thought of solving that remarkable trap brightened Angel’s mood, and the edges of his mouth lifted a little.
The mission was, honestly, quite a challenge, but Angel found the reward too high to resist. Such a high pay; besides, this was not the first time he served the Luo family, and they had been reliable clients. Most importantly, the job was practically made for someone like him.
The Luo family was interested in someone, and with such a lucrative reward, Angel could only imagine the person to be someone of high standing, or a skillful mech pilot they might be considering to hire. While he had a few good guesses, nothing prepared him for the truth.
There were no records whatsoever on the so-called YC character in the information archive. If he had not copied some of the records to show the Luo family, they might not even believe that he made it into the system!
When Angel accepted the fact that the archives had nothing on YC, he felt a sense of fear.
What if YC was also a Maverick?
The thought had haunted Angel ever since the mission.
While Mavericks were just like any other person in the real world, they became obvious outcasts in the virtual world. Here, they were not bound by the same rules that govern the average user; instead, they were powerful, and in the eyes of others, almost invincible.
But was that indeed so?
Angel smiled ironically as he thought of those rumors. There were many unwritten rules for Mavericks, placing a huge restriction on most of them. This was even more so for independent Mavericks who had no specific allegiance, and Angel was one such Maverick.
One of the rules that Angel observed strictly was to avoid taking on missions that involve other Mavericks.
There was no real way to compare the strength between Mavericks, as each had their own field of specialty. Even within the same field, a beginner with remarkable ingenuity might best an experienced opponent. After all, creativity could work miracles.
Angel was not interested in battles between Mavericks. Usually, a user is hyperlinked to the virtual world via electromagnetic wave stimulation of neural signals in the brain, which creates a resonance between the brainwaves and the virtual world. While hacking into the hyperlink device proves difficult, it was not entirely impossible.
Angel once witnessed a rival pair of exceptional Mavericks engage in a fierce battle, and it ended with the loser braindead. This was the first time he realized the extent of a Maverick’s capabilities and the harshness of the virtual world.
Fortunately, Mavericks who could push past this final barrier were few and far between, and represented the cream of the crop. Most of them understood the weight of their powers and would not use them carelessly. They even took the extra step of binding each other to a set of rules far stricter than for the average Maverick to curb atrocities in the virtual world.
Never offend a Maverick, however weak one may seem to be.
Perusing the facilities of the NR Training Centre without proper registration did not seem like the acts of a lesser Maverick, if he or she was indeed one.
Angel felt fear spreading deep within, for he dreaded enraging another Maverick, and possibly one that was much stronger than him.
But the matter was not over.
The Luo Family had entrusted him with another mission – to find out YC’s true history. It could be anything, like an address, or a name. The mission came with the expected extravagant price tag offered by his client.
All things said, Angel felt that he should not refuse the offer. The Luo family had been his main client, and they had gotten familiar with each other. Besides, this offer was similarly suitable for a Maverick of his skill, and the return was more than acceptable – it was the highest price he had ever been offered.
But Angel was still hesitant.
What if the opponent was in fact the most powerful Maverick?
Angel knew himself very well – he was like a mole, quick to identify hidden traps, but disadvantaged in a direct encounter. If this YC character was a Maverick, he would have to prepare for the possibility of being a target of revenge.
If the last mission was a small offense, this mission would cross the line. The greatest fear of a Maverick was to have one’s real identity exposed. In the real world, a Maverick is as vulnerable as anyone else – without the ability to defend oneself, losing anonymity would inevitably lead to losing one’s freedom, and possibly, one’s life.
Angel dared not accept the current mission lightly. His mind was still clear, not too affected by the Luo family’s excessiveness. He understood that accepting it might lead to a struggle with a powerful Maverick that would only end with death, or even a joint attack by other Mavericks, considering the fact that what he was about to do was a huge taboo for their kind!
But still he could not decide, the sky-high financial reward was very, very persuasive – just this one mission would support him comfortably for the next decade. Angel had a 70% confidence level of doing what needed to be done without the target noticing, for his Epiphyte had never failed him before.
“This mission is really giving me a headache.” Angel sighed as he massaged his temples. He should refuse it, but the money, the temptation! He should accept it, but what if he could not live long enough to enjoy his reward?
Suddenly, Angel had an epiphany – why not meet this YC character and assess his mettle before deciding?
Based on intel from the Luo family, Angel arrived at the NR Training Center, disguised as a tourist.
Once there, he found his target shortly – YC.
YC seemed to be just finished with a battle, heading outwards with his mech. Angel began to trail him, interested to know who this YC actually was.
Amongst the passersby, YC seemed to blend in.
Suddenly, Angel noticed something, and did a double take!
Mavericks!
The people who just passed by YC, they were all Mavericks! Angel could feel the cogwheels in his head turning – it must be that some other Mavericks had accepted the job! The Luo family had always preferred to hire a few Mavericks for tougher missions. Based on the aura of those few, they certainly must be!
Are they planning to do something here and now?
Angel decided to stay aside and observe. After all, he should take the opportunity of investigating YC without getting personally involved.
Angel focused silently, and his Ripple began to spread outwards, informing him of all the details of his surroundings in great clarity.
Well done! They’re indeed masters of their trade, picking the perfect opening, and moving almost imperceptibly in the background. Angel felt great admiration towards these Mavericks! They were experts, and worked together seamlessly like second nature – the sight was one to behold!
But what happened next made Angel’s blood froze – that moment was one that would stick with him forever!