The Mechanical Cop

The sound of the violin echoed between the carriages, peaceful and serene. As the piece ended, Tang Xin stopped her bow and looked out the window. The glass reflected her image against the bustling yet quiet station platform. Her gaze drifted past the crowd, coming to rest on a towering concrete pillar.

An advertisement was pasted there. The station had long fallen into disrepair; many facilities were severely aged, and the chalky white paint had peeled away to reveal the brickwork beneath. The advertisement looked quite old itself, with yellowed paper and blurred handwriting that stirred a flicker of memory in the young girl.

Once upon a time, she had been just like this, facing an uncertain future and choosing to listen to a song, her eyes full of longing for the superstars of the universe.

The writing on the advertisement gradually became clear in her eyes.

"Nine Dragons Street blurred offering a heavy reward for a composer. Requirements: familiarity with traditional music, expert in composition. Interested parties please call: XXXXXX..."

"What are your scores now?" Xu Xiaoyou asked.

"41," Angelina said.

"37," Bai Youyou confirmed with a glance.

"46...?" Akabane answered, sounding a bit guilty.

Xu Xiaoyou looked at her with an expression of pure exasperation. "So you're saying you didn't contribute at all just now?"

"At the next stop, I promise I'll beat the disciplinary officer so hard their rating explodes!" Akabane patted her chest confidently.

"I'm at 35," Xu Xiaoyou said. "By that count, we lost a total of 29 points just now."

"I was thinking. The rules say that lowering the rating will gradually lift the restrictions on our behavior, but it doesn't mention what price we pay for that drop. That in itself is a kind of guidance."

"No need to think about it anymore." Bai Youyou looked toward the carriage door, her gaze suddenly turning grave.

At that moment, a commotion broke out in the crowd. A tall mechanical figure stepped into the carriage, wearing a khaki hunter's duster.

His metallic body reflected a cold luster, and his mechanical cybernetic eye scanned the crowd before locking onto the girls, a red light flashing across it.

Staring at the robot who looked incredibly cool and imposing, Bai Youyou said in a low voice, "Because the price has already come knocking."

"Mechanical Cop"

"Affiliation: Skyline City Firefly"

"Faction: Relatively Hostile"

"Health: 100%"

[Warning! Warning! Warning!]

"The mass-produced mechanical cop of Skyline City's Firefly is widely deployed in riot control and counter-terrorism. It is equipped with chips integrated with combat techniques, and its individual combat performance is excellent."

"Attention, distinguished passengers. The Skyline Special Express traveling from Fire Medical Center to Apophis Aquarium is about to depart. The train's stop time is short. Passengers who have not yet boarded, please hurry. Thank you for your cooperation and have a pleasant journey."

【Fire Medical Center → Apophis Aquarium | About to Depart】

After a moment, the carriage doors slowly hissed shut behind the mechanical cop. Most of his body consisted of a metal skeleton, with only small patches of bionic skin. A revolver was holstered at his waist, and the metal frame of his hips was entirely hollowed out. This design, combined with a pair of streamlined mechanical legs, allowed him to maintain maximum agility during combat.

"This guy looks seriously cool," Akabane whispered. "Like the villain robot chasing the protagonist in a sci-fi movie."

"Whoa there, you bet it is. Gotta look the part, don't I? This here suit cost me a fair chunk of change; wouldn't do if it wasn't flashy," the mechanical cop spoke. "Check out this big ol' iron, she's called the Lava Burster 1—latest model. And these steel abs? The dream of a thousand girls. Wanna have a feel?"

The four girls were left with a million questions.

Why did this mechanical cop have such a rustic accent?

The mechanical cop suddenly changed his tone, his electronic voice turning icy. He pointed his index finger at Akabane. "What 'villain robot'? Don't forget, you're the criminals now, Awakened Ones. I shall eliminate you in the name of justice!"

The revolver at his waist vanished and reappeared in his hand with a spin. Six thumb-thick bullets were snapped into the cylinder in succession.

In the blink of an eye, his hand was already on the trigger and hammer, aiming straight at the four girls.

"Get back!"

Xu Xiaoyou waved her hand and barked an order.

As the hammer clicked six times in rapid succession, the battle erupted instantly. The bullets spiraled out, propelled by the flames bursting from the chamber, whistling and ricocheting through the carriage. This marked the beginning of the second chase.

The four girls were prepared, immediately bolting toward the next carriage. Aided by core technology, the Skyline Special Express would be granted a length far exceeding what the naked eye could perceive while in motion, appearing from a distance like a silver line streaking across the sky.

Jason, who had been waiting impatiently, charged in at the same time, his large hands reaching for the girls. A bullet ricocheted off the wall, grazing his face and leaving a shallow bloodstain.

Xu Xiaoyou turned back, the Rose Flower manifesting in her hand. She fired repeatedly, sending rounds flying toward Jason. The bullets, imbued with 【Vector Kinetic Energy】, automatically carved arcs through the air, bypassing all defenses to land precisely on Jason. Although they couldn't deal significant damage, the powerful kinetic energy was enough to force him to a dead stop.

After numerous modifications and being embedded with a pile of power-enhancing gems, this Rose Flower was no longer just a long-range card trigger, commonly known as a showpiece.

Indeed, this weapon that had accompanied Xu Xiaoyou for so long had started as a simple modification of a Winchester lever-action rifle. Whether it was the exquisite patterns or the luxurious gold coating, she had DIY-ed it all herself. There was no other reason than the fact that this gun looked good and suited her temperament.

Skill cards like 【Life Equation】, 【Hell is Other People】, 【Night Outside the Fire】, 【Call of the Wild】, and 【Black Sun】 were loaded. The muzzle of the Rose Flower glowed with a surging emerald light. She fired continuously, sending hundreds of ghostly green bullets ricocheting violently within the carriage!

The bullets accelerated as they bounced, striking the alloy and blooming into clusters of verdant crystal before rebounding at even higher speeds. They collided and intersected in mid-air until the ghostly green afterimages wove a fire net, raging into a green storm!

Crystal clusters bloomed everywhere in the carriage, making it look as though it had transformed into a ghostly green forest where one could see blurred reflections in the mineral veins. Amidst this raging green storm, Jason, who had released his divine endowment, was knocked off balance and forced to lower his center of gravity to stabilize himself.

": The hunter's verdant shadow, the sniper's unscientific ricochet, the card master's magic matrix, the ranger's snapping branch?"

": Here it comes, the Dark Gold Rose's signature move—a pile of skills with no mana cost or chanting, fused and released in an instant!"

Only when the bullets had accelerated to their limit through ricocheting and shattered into crystalline dust did the raging green storm finally subside. Jason looked up, but Xu Xiaoyou was nowhere to be seen; the target had already used the opportunity to flee far away!

The flesh beneath his mask twisted together as burning rage clouded his reason. He let out a vicious roar and pounded his chest, a scarlet blood mist diffusing!