¡Increíble, Isael! 2.1k lectores es una cifra seria. Ya tienes una base de fans real que está siguiendo la trama de traición y biotecnología. Este capítulo es un punto de quiebre total: la caída de Linett (un personaje que parecía ser tu mano derecha) y el ascenso de Lute al Nivel 10 cambian las reglas del juego.
Aquí tienes la traducción al inglés, manteniendo la frialdad corporativa y la tensión del combate táctico:
Luxor Paradise: Apex Hunt - Chapter 21: The Stain on the Hands
A traitor in the ranks is one of a company's greatest fears, but given how this invasion turned out, there is no choice but to accept that reality. The act of being attacked without foresight speaks of a breach in our lines. The problem will be finding out who.
Time passes both slowly and at a breakable neck speed. No one accepts responsibility for the attackers. However, today is a particularly stimulating day. My breakfast, frugal as always, doesn't stop that sensation that I should be eating something more substantial while today's contract unfolds. The useless brothers, sons of the disgraced president, have canceled their Level 5 session to watch this—but they shouldn't. No one should. This is the third person to reach Level 9 and is on the verge of clearing it. I cannot reveal the secret of his success, much less warn them of any stratagem. The stage is a middle school; the schools in the North had the resources to start, but never to finish.
"Mr. Lute, I hope you are aware of the mission. There are no points for kills here, though if you manage to clear the stage, you automatically win."
"Mr. Topec, we've been through this talk. I understand the risks, the conditions I must meet, and what will happen if I fail to report problems. Twelve hours to survive, five Level 7 enemies, and thirty Level 3s. Did I miss anything?"
"No. But I must remind you that there are food and medical units available. They will try to use them, so if you don't open them and secure the contents first, there is a risk they will try. At that point, the self-destruct system will eliminate the supplies and, as a small compensation, wound the invader, though it won't kill them. Are your weapons and gear to your satisfaction?"
"I'm surprised you could integrate my design into your standard equipment. Now, I feel truly prepared." Without another word, he approaches the festive-toned monolith named "Water Fun."
The first few hours go well. He is a soldier who managed to amass a fortune with inventions that assisted in the wars that marked the disappearance of the two Koreas. The weapons he carries now are a testament to his genius. The first time he came, he was equipped with belts full of small gadgets, bloated on anabolics and bellowing for blood. Now, he is a ghost.
I can't take my eyes off the screen. Requests to watch the battle are increasing, and so are the prizes, but I resist reading the messages. I have to follow this man closely—a man I can only call an artist. He has managed to stay hidden for six hours and decapitate a dozen Level 5 enemies. His gloves have blades suspended over a force field with a molecular-level edge; he uses refractive camouflage with a 95% mimicry level. He stays only in zones where he can escape and the others cannot. At hour eleven, a Level 7 finds him: The Eviscerator, a Croatian hitwoman, dangerous for her strength and combat technique. She has tracked him since he entered, using the Level 5s to trigger supply crates in the radius where he could move. But Mr. Lute had no intention of eating anything.
The battle begins with only ten minutes left on the clock. She has cornered him in the upper halls; the breeze filters through the openings—getting air gusts right is one of our greatest achievements. She has just placed a trap that, due to excess caution, went unseen and snapped shut on Mr. Lute's foot. His titanium-scaled boots are notched. The Eviscerator throws concrete rubble that he dodges, but he cannot avoid the terrible kick that makes his bones crunch. Lute does not utter a single complaint; he knows the others would come for him if he did. His fighting stance is a bit old-fashioned: loose fists, one arm extended, the other tucked against his chest—mixed martial arts. His enemy circles him, trying to attack from the sides or the back. He produces the next attack, snapping his legs in and out, extending and reducing distance like an elastic band. The movement catches her off guard, and she takes a heavy blow to the temple. The combat continues; her right shoulder is wounded, one leg nearly severed. Even though with Formula 3 she won't lose the limb, she will have to say goodbye to stealth. He has a cut over his eyebrow. I wish they could keep going, but the twelve hours are up. Meat begins to drop at the other end of the site, but she isn't interested. She wants the one who hurt her.
"Mr. Lute, jump out the window. My squad is waiting to give you medical attention. Congratulations, you've passed Level 9."
"Intruder alert! Multiple contacts inbound! Juna has fallen. Mendiola has fallen..."
Names and data flood the screen. I look at the cameras. There are hundreds. Helicopters are dropping squads. They are coming to kill, not to steal.
"Contact the Kingpin, we're going to need him! Everyone arm yourselves and find the most secure spot possible... Arrieta has fallen. Jolie has fallen. Someone stop the notifications! Who are they looking for? Is there a manifesto?"
"Mr. Topec, they want to eliminate us. They want Levels 9 and 10. Several of their union members are at Level 7, and the brothers... they want the secret and the power we have."
"So be it. Initiate protocol 'Stain on the Hands.' Put me through to Mr. Lute."
"Mr. Topec, don't worry. I know you're in a difficult spot. If you give me priority access to Level 10, I will use my forces and those of my company to take off their heads."
"Accepted." From the moment I say it, I know I am condemned. Level 10 is complicated. "Help me find out who gave them the codes." He does; it seems he's known for a while...
I leave the room with my Luger—old, but beautiful and powerful. I see Linett walking in a hurry.
"Miss Linett!" As she turns to look at me, I know she knows. "I no longer require your services. Rest." The shot is precise; in her talented forehead, a small hole lets in the emergency light. I take a knife from my pocket and cut her employee badge. She will rest in the cemetery as payment for her services. Perhaps she was threatened, or perhaps bought. All my employees return as inventory to Level 5; she will not. If we survive, her body will be the only thing this business does not corrupt.