Dear Heroes, I really am a Villain-Chapter 68: Project Oracle

The APC arrived at the old railway transit just outside Manhattan, using the old Pennsylvania Railroad. This route was one of the few tunnels that led into Old Manhattan without being guarded, unlike the heavily secured bridges.

The APC was parked just outside the tunnel, covered with a camo net and hidden amidst a junkyard filled with old tankers and trailers. Honiahaka got off the APC along with Switch and Maximilian, leaving Dragon Fist, Doc, and Radio behind to guard the vehicle.

The three advanced toward the tunnel, but before entering, Honiahaka turned toward Maximilian and Switch and tossed them each a spray canister.

"It’s a spray containing a scent that mutated rats in the tunnel hate. Cover your body with it unless you want to get swarmed," said the Wildwalker.

Maximilian and Switch obediently accepted the spray and coated themselves thoroughly before handing the canisters back to Honiahaka.

With everything ready, Honiahaka led the two into the tunnel. The passage was long and dark, showing clear signs of disrepair and decay. Scattered along the ground were human bones, no one knew whether they had been there since before the war or if they belonged to scavengers unlucky enough to fall victim to the tunnel’s mutated rats.

At first, Honiahaka kept his pace slow enough for a normal person to follow, but upon noticing Maximilian keeping up effortlessly, he began to increase his speed.

As time passed, and Maximilian still showed no signs of fatigue, Honiahaka pushed the pace even further. In contrast, Switch began to struggle, showing visible signs of fatigue. However, they couldn’t slow down now, not when they were so close to the territory of the mutated rats.

Along the way, they encountered several packs of mutated rats roaming the tunnel, but the creatures immediately scurried away, repelled by the foul odor of the spray, as if the three carried the stench of a skunk.

Using this opening, Honiahaka led them swiftly toward the tunnel’s exit before the smell could wear off.

Sunlight poured in through the tunnel’s end, forcing them to squint as their eyes adjusted to the brightness. At last, they had arrived in Old Manhattan.

The once-glorious skyscrapers and high-rise buildings now stood in decay, overtaken by vegetation. Mutated plants grew across the concrete and glass, particularly around the Chrysler Building. That structure had become almost entirely engulfed by a massive mutated plant, which had since turned into a symbol of Manhattan itself.

Its importance was underscored by the formidable fortress the mutants had constructed around it, making the area completely inaccessible, unless... the UEC was willing to pay the price of launching a full-scale assault to destroy the surrounding defenses.

"We’re about two kilometers away from Sector A-7. Follow me," Honiahaka said, continuing to lead the way. freeweɓnøvel.com

It could be said that Honiahaka’s instincts, along with his enhanced tattoo abilities and vast experience made it so that, even though they passed close to several mutant groups, they were never once detected. Honiahaka was always a step ahead, guiding them to hide or take alternate routes as necessary.

It was as if he had eyes in the sky. He knew exactly when a mutant patrol was about to appear, when to stop, when to run, and when to wait.

From hiding spot to hiding spot, through alleyways and sometimes unconventional paths, like climbing through windows and crossing buildings, the trio finally reached Sector A-7.

Now, they were hiding inside an abandoned building that looked like it had once been a restaurant, long before the war.

They sat on hastily cleaned seats, staying out of sight from the occasional mutant patrols passing nearby.

"We’ve arrived at Sector A-7 as per the contract," Honiahaka said calmly. "What do you want to do now, Mr. Graham?"

Maximilian was currently looking at the 3D map. He spotted a secret lab underground, not far from their current location. All he needed to do now was find an entrance.

"I’ll go on my way. Please wait for me for three days, as per our agreement," said Maximilian.

Honiahaka nodded. "We’ll wait for you for three days, Mr. Graham, but we need to return to the APC by then. That means you only have two days to explore before returning here, so we can head back together."

"That’s fine with me, Mr. Honiahaka," Maximilian nodded. He then took a backpack that Honiahaka had prepared for him. Inside, it was packed with food and survival gear.

"Wait!" Switch raised her hand, stopping Maximilian in his tracks.

Maximilian turned to her. "Is there something you need, Ms. Switch?"

"Let me go with you. I don’t think we’ll get a bonus if something happens to you," Switch said plainly.

Hearing this, Maximilian was stunned.

[As I said, she’s a tsundere. (´-ω-`)] Aetherna chimed in within his mind.

"Thank you very much, Ms. Switch," Maximilian said with a smile. Switch nodded in response.

"Switch... there’s something I need to talk to you about," Honiahaka said, drawing both Switch’s and Maximilian’s attention.

"Please wait a bit, Mr. Graham. Let me have a word with Switch," Honiahaka said, then gestured for her to follow him.

After Honiahaka led Switch into another room, ensuring they were far enough that Maximilian couldn’t overhear, he spoke in a low voice.

"Be careful of Mr. Graham, Switch. I don’t think he’s that simple," Honiahaka warned.

"Huh? That little sheep? C’mon, Honia, you really think someone like him could be a threat?" Switch chuckled, clearly not taking it seriously.

"That ’little sheep’ gives off the vibe of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. That’s just how I feel," Honiahaka said bluntly.

"But I don’t think he’s pretending. His demeanor... it all feels genuine," Switch objected.

"Even if it is genuine, that doesn’t change how I feel. Don’t forget—he kept up with me in the tunnel while you were exhausted. Doesn’t that tell you he’s more than he lets on?" Honiahaka replied.

At the mention of the tunnel, Switch paused. She remembered how she had lost her breath while Max still seemed like he could keep going without any signs of fatigue.

"...Okay. I’ll be careful," Switch finally said.

Honiahaka nodded and let her go.

Meanwhile, on Maximilian’s side, even though he couldn’t hear their voices, he could read their lips through the 3D map interface. He understood what they were talking about.

They were wary of him, which he considered a waste of time. He hadn’t planned on doing anything to them. All he needed was someone to guide him here, and that goal had already been achieved.

Now, all he had to do was search for the secret lab. But with Switch accompanying him, he couldn’t just speed up and blast through the entrance, could he? He assumed the mercenaries would retreat and leave him alone, since the contract clearly stated they only needed to wait three days.

Any typical mercenary group would’ve already left and waited in a safe zone. Some might even hope for his demise, or try to kill him themselves to cash in early, since the contract didn’t require his survival.

Instead of encountering the usual selfish types, he met people with integrity. What a disappointment.

Still... meeting people like this from time to time wasn’t all bad. It reminded him that not all humans were selfish bastards.

After Switch came out, Maximilian led her toward the secret lab. Meanwhile, his mind focused on tracking the System’s 3D map. With its help, he had successfully avoided all the mutant patrols in the area and quietly slipped into one of the buildings.

According to the 3D map, this building was the entrance to the secret lab. On the surface, it looked like an ordinary supermarket. It was nothing special except for one door in the basement that appeared to be open, with a staircase leading down to a steel double door.

The door was wide open, as if someone had recently accessed it. Maximilian checked the 3D map and confirmed there were no mutants inside, just an abandoned facility with no power.

Maximilian took out his flashlight and stepped inside, with Switch following close behind. The flashlight beam illuminated a faded logo on the wall: Project Oracle.

Judging from the dust and general condition of the place, it had clearly been abandoned for years. Maximilian walked deeper inside and came across several skeletons in white research coats.

Looking at the ID tags on the corpses, Maximilian spotted a familiar keyword: Echelon... the name of an independent organization rumored to operate secretly within the UEC.

He continued down the lab corridor and came upon several holding cells. Some of them still contained skeletal remains. Notably, several of the corpses had cybernetic augmentations.

"It seems this place was some kind of experimental lab," Maximilian murmured.

He also noticed that Switch had gone strangely silent since stepping into this facility. He didn’t mind; it was better this way. At least she wasn’t spouting nonsense and breaking his concentration.

"What are you searching for, Max?" Switch suddenly asked.

Hearing this, Maximilian glanced at her. Her expression was solemn.