Chapter 145: Unleashing the Ultimate Move! Black Wall Gateway!
Meredith wasn't originally willing to disclose too many details about Ivanov, but Mann's incessant chatter left her no choice.
"I just hope it's not all bark and no bite," Mann sneered, his tone laced with disdain.
"You'll see soon enough whether Ivanov is all show or not," Meredith replied coldly, a trace of contempt flashing in her eyes. As one of the few people aware of this genetic experiment, she knew Ivanov's capabilities well.
Months ago, Ivanov's physique had already been transformed by genetic drugs, turning him into a primal beast. Now, he was even stronger.
Seeing Meredith's disinterest, Mann finally shut up and directed his gaze toward the barren desert landscape outside.
Soon, a Behemoth heavy truck, carrying two squads of corporate soldiers, arrived at the gates of a mysterious laboratory after a long journey on a desolate highway.
This location lay deep within the Badlands, an uninhabited death zone , about 200 kilometers from Night City.
In the midst of this barren wasteland stood a sizable research facility, complete with a small airport and a fuel station. Clearly, this was a secret base carefully chosen by the biotechnology company.
As Meredith and her team disembarked and approached the base's gates, the biotech director, Joanne, accompanied by security personnel, greeted them.
"Meredith, it must've been a tough journey," said Joanne, who had been waiting for some time after receiving company instructions. Her mission was to hand over Ivanov safely to the Militech team.
"Where is Ivanov?" Meredith got straight to the point, her efficient and businesslike demeanor leaving no room for small talk.
Joanne, unfazed by Meredith's aloofness, nodded to a nearby security officer, signaling for Ivanov to be brought out.
A team of corporate security guards clad in light exosuits from the Meta Corporation, armed with Crusher shotguns, escorted Ivanov.
Standing at a towering 2.5 meters, Ivanov was a hulking figure with explosive muscle definition, thick veins coiling around his neck like serpents. He resembled a beast in human form.
His hands and feet were shackled by heavy electromagnetic restraints, and his head was encased in an iron helmet-like device—measures clearly intended to contain this monstrous individual and prevent harm.
"Holy… what the hell is this?!" Mann gaped in disbelief.
When the mountain-like Ivanov walked past, Mann felt an overwhelming sense of oppression, as if a savage beast was staring him down.
"This guy's at least ten times my size!" Mann exclaimed. At two meters tall, Mann was no small man, but compared to Ivanov, he felt as insignificant as a chick before a hawk.
Meredith smirked coldly, clearly pleased by Mann's dumbfounded reaction. His earlier arrogance had now turned into shock and awe.
"This is Yasha Ivanov, the finest product of our biotech genetic fusion project," Meredith declared. "Right now, his body has fused the genes of an elephant, tiger, leopard, and bear. If the adaptation period goes well, he'll undergo another fusion with an even more powerful beast."
She cast a disdainful glance at Mann's muscles and sneered, "That's the difference between you and him."
Before the genetic experiments, Ivanov had been an ordinary 1.8-meter man with an average physique. But after several rounds of genetic fusion, his bone density and muscle mass grew exponentially. In just a few months, he transformed into this genetic giant.
Mann gulped nervously, muttering, "Is this guy even human anymore?"
Meredith ignored him and ordered the Militech soldiers to stand by, carefully scanning the surroundings for any threats. She couldn't shake off a sense of foreboding. Something felt off, as though trouble was imminent.
Meanwhile, V, Jackie, and Panam secretly disembarked from a supply truck parked inside the base.
Half an hour earlier, V and Jackie had ambushed a biotech supply vehicle and infiltrated the facility using it. Their mission was to rescue the captives being held inside and then drive everyone out.
Although Li Ang had hinted that they could cause a bigger commotion, V decided on a stealthier approach to minimize unnecessary casualties and keep Jackie and Panam out of excessive danger.
"Panam, you stay outside and keep watch. Jackie and I will go in to rescue the prisoners. Keep an eye on Nash," V instructed.
"Got it," Panam nodded.
As V and Jackie finalized their plan, Jackie warned Nash, who was bound, "Don't even think about trying anything. If you do, I promise you'll end up worse than those Red Ochre wanderers."
Nash, pale with fear, nodded obediently.
"Panam, if anything happens, let us know immediately. If he tries to run, shoot him," V added.
"Understood." Panam gripped her revolver tightly, glancing at Nash before securing the weapon at her waist and preparing to switch to a submachine gun from the truck.
With everything set, V and Jackie slipped into the lab, leaving Panam to watch over Nash outside.
As soon as V and Jackie disappeared, Nash began scheming. "Panam, could you loosen these ropes? They're too tight, and I can't breathe," he pleaded.
Panam sneered, "You're messing with the wrong person!"
She kicked Nash in the chest, then grabbed a spare rope to tie his legs.
But just as Panam approached, Nash kicked her revolver away with all his strength. Taking advantage of her momentary distraction, he scrambled toward Joanne's direction, yelling at the top of his lungs, "Help! We're under attack!"
Nash's shout alerted the guards, as well as the Militech and LA company mercenaries.
Panam fired several shots at the fleeing Nash, hitting his leg, but his desperate will to survive drove him out of her range.
"Damn it!" Panam cursed, realizing her mistake had let Nash escape. She quickly alerted V through her holo-phone, omitting her role in the debacle.
Hearing this, V and Jackie were dumbstruck. Things had escalated faster than they'd expected.
With no choice but to abort their mission, they prepared to retreat.
Meanwhile, Nash reached Joanne, who recognized him immediately.
"What's going on, Nash?" Joanne asked, frowning.
"Someone's trying to free the Red Ochre wanderers and expose your crimes!" Nash shouted.
Joanne's face darkened. Furious, she commanded, "Kill those intruders on the spot!"
As gunfire erupted, V knew it was time to act decisively. Activating his Codex VI cyberdeck and Sandevistan, he unleashed his ultimate move—the Black Wall Gateway.
A barrage of quickhacks flooded the network as V pushed his system to its limits. The cyberattack wasn't without risks, but V was ready to face the consequences.
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