Human greed had once brought unmanageable trouble, and Utoya had sneered at such ignorance.
Just like the expansion of the radiation zone was a blessing and hope for the other side of the world,
But for nearby countries, especially those that had experienced upheaval and collapse, it was yet another blow.
Exploration of the radiation zone instead led to more anomalies,
Swallowing more territory.
The resulting international disputes caused war to sweep across the continent…
By the turn of the millennium, the world was worse than ever before.
A series of major accidents forced the United Nations to withdraw from the sarcophagus.
Coupled with increasingly corrupt and fanatical nations,
Crime and madness swept through and beyond the radiation zone.
Criminal organizations completely replaced order.
But now, Utoya finally understood that ignorance was also part of inevitability.
It wasn’t that anyone had brought this upon themselves.
It was simply… inevitable.
Even knowing that this trip might bring no good,
Utoya still had to go.
A million wasn’t a small sum for her.
Her total savings were only a bit over eight hundred thousand,
Mainly because she had been too carefree and unambitious before.
Now, looking back, she wondered if saving a bit more back then would have been better.
…..
Watching Utoya don her protective gear, Eileen couldn’t help but click her tongue in admiration.
It seemed that fighting dangerous mutants was no easy task.
Utoya wore a set of heavy armor.
The exterior was armored steel,
The interior lined with two layers of airtight aramid fiber,
With asbestos structure and fully enclosed active filtration system.
Compressed air tanks integrated throughout, paired with silicone, formed a system similar to a spacesuit.
As for weapons, in addition to a military thermal imaging system,
Her joints had silent auxiliary motors.
An integrated electronic combat helmet displayed everything needed for operations.
It could also instantly inject anti-radiation medicine, various stimulants, and coagulants.
In short, apart from lacking an exoskeleton, this was among the best gear a soldier could obtain.
Probably… an exoskeleton would make too much noise,
So there was none; otherwise, this armor would be nearly like a mobile armored vehicle.
What shocked Eileen most was that Utoya could actually wear this slightly powered armor,
Carry two rifles, and move swiftly,
Demonstrating incredible strength…
“Can you make me a set too?”
“The military probably wouldn’t want a one-fifty little cat…
So there’s no small-sized military radiation zone combat suit.”
Eileen had chosen a location near the radiation zone,
But the trade point was in the city.
Utoya’s job was to provide cover from abandoned high-rises within the radiation zone,
Observing the situation with her SVD sniper rifle.
Ensuring Layton didn’t try anything funny,
And she also had the ability to instantly send the hard drive.
The reason for this choice was that the cooling plan had succeeded.
After two or three rounds that made Eileen faint,
Miraculously, she felt much better the next day.
After a quick shower, she could set out again.
Eileen’s job was to complete the trade in the city.
Layton would hand over one million in gold bars to Eileen,
And the hard drive would be collected on the spot.
After the trade, Utoya would publicly destroy the copy.
Layton couldn’t risk Eileen keeping the hard drive,
Because doing so would only bring her more trouble.
The city trade location was on the outskirts of a busy commercial street.
Although the radiation zone was next door, no one cared.
The soldiers in the blockade zone needed amusement.
They could provide plenty of alcohol consumption and female “services.”
So for a time, the local economy was boosted.
And after the blockade became less strict…
The economy prospered semi-permanently.
Of course, it wasn’t a good kind of prosperity.
Eileen would face risks entering,
But as long as she avoided the innermost areas or late at night, it wasn’t a huge problem.
Besides, she had her own weapons.
Whether her sister and she could live safely depended on this one time.
To ensure safety, Eileen brought the Giant Wave and Makarov.
The tattered combat suit Utoya had also replaced with a new one.
She also brought Rosakaya’s gift, which she had never opened—just for good luck.
Now…
It was time to get the money.