Chapter 28"Sorry...""It's fine, it's in the past." Maine put down the immunosuppressant in his hand. "That's just how it is in our line of work. Who knows, one day you might just disappear, or die in the streets the next."With that, Maine chuckled, pressed the syringe against his arm, and let out a sigh of pleasure."So, kid. If you really want to get into this business, you'd better be mentally prepared. It's not too late to back out now.""Well, I've already made up my mind. I definitely won't regret it."He chuckled along with Maine, but then suddenly asked, "By the way, can I know her name?"Hearing this, Maine glanced at him slightly and said in a deep voice:"Her name was Sasha. Sasha Yakovleva."34. Arasaka's Generosity"Sasha Yakovleva..."He turned the name over in his mind, committing it to memory.He had indeed never heard this Russian girl's name before, and it didn't exist in his memories.However, since she was only missing, there was still a possibility she was alive in Night City.After all, she was just a mercenary netrunner, not some corpo rat, so there was no need for a secret execution.If anything, the corporation would make a public example of her execution to intimidate others and boost their authority.If she had been dragged off by Scavengers or someone else to be made into black bds, they would have hit the market by now.And there was no way Maine wouldn't have noticed.Still, a scenario like the legendary netrunner—Rache Bartmoss—who froze to death in a fridge and was casually discarded in a landfill, wasn't entirely impossible.Anyway, he would worry about that later...Screeech—Suddenly, a luxury limousine crashed their gathering, pulling up smoothly in front of them, instantly bringing the laughter to a halt.The car door slowly opened, and a man stepped out.He was dressed in a suit like a corpo rat, a freak with four eyes—three on the left and one on the right.Everyone stopped laughing and fixed their eyes on the man.The smiles on everyone's faces—whether it was the comic relief Pilar, Dorio, or Falco—vanished the moment this man appeared, replaced by highly unfriendly glares.They detested this man.But for the sake of making money, they had no choice.He was Faraday, the fixer for Maine's crew. He was somewhat famous in Night City and often worked with Militech.He was also the culprit who would ultimately betray the protagonist's crew. [Qianxun] 2555.95300At this thought, David's gaze also gradually turned hostile, filled with coldness.He really wanted to tear this man to pieces right now.But he couldn't.Not yet. He needed the intel this man provided to make money.At the very least, he was quite interested in that cyberskeleton developed by Arasaka, perhaps to sell it to the system or something.It might even fetch a good price."Maine, come with me."Faraday's gaze swept over the crowd, his eyes filled with contempt and arrogance, as if he were looking at a ragtag bunch of nobodies."Dammit..."Maine put on his sunglasses, looking reluctant, but still obediently followed Faraday to the side.It was unclear what the two were discussing by the roadside, but it was obvious that although their voices were low, the argument was heated.It seemed Faraday was very dissatisfied with Maine's performance this time.During their exchange, he vaguely overheard the name Tanaka.He didn't even need to think to know it was Katsuo Tanaka's father, that middle-management Arasakacorpo rat.At this point, he lost interest in watching any further, so he hopped down from the vehicle, planning to have a heart-to-heart with Lucy."Yo."Just then, a petite girl with a loli-like figure blocked his path."Hmm? You're Rebecca...-chan, right?"Looking at the familiar girl before him, he easily spoke her name."Eh? I didn't expect you to remember me, but why the '-chan'?"The girl asked curiously in a cute voice."No, it's nothing, it just popped into my head." He smiled. "But I remembered you because I happened to see you at the bar earlier."That was all he could say.Otherwise, what was he supposed to say? "I saw you get flattened into a pancake by Adam Smasher"?"Hehe, my acting was pretty good, right?""Yeah, it really was."Hearing his praise, Rebecca seemed to be in an even better mood. She held up one of her cups to him. "Here, for you.""This is..."David took the cup and brought it to his eyes, finding that it was bubbling—not slowly like beer, but rather vigorously."Soda?""That's right! To celebrate you joining Maine's crew, cheers~""See you around then, nice to meet you."The girl clinked her plastic cup against his, then walked off talking to herself.Looking at the petite girl, he helplessly took a sip of the drink."Tsk, I still can't get used to this..."Feeling the burning sensation in his throat, a bitter smile appeared on his face.But speaking of which, Rebecca's hairstyle was really nostalgic.Twin-tails like that were basically extinct nowadays.And with that hairstyle, it was like seeing Hatsune Miku again; both the hair color and the style were extremely similar.But Rebecca was no Hatsune Miku.Because beneath Rebecca's cute exterior hid a wild heart.When fighting, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call her a crazy loli. She used heavy firepower that was completely mismatched with her body size, the kind that even Jinx would fall slightly short of.Still, she was a quirky and cute girl.It's just that she was always mistaken for a child. At first, he even thought Maine was employing child labor.But in reality, everyone in this crew except him was an adult.In Night City, never judge age by appearance, because it is highly deceptive.Just like what Silverhand said when he saw a joytoy on Jig-Jig Street—"The cyberware on this broad is probably older than I am."Thinking of this, he couldn't help but laugh again."Huh? Where is she?"When he finished his drink, he found that Lucy was gone, leaving only a still-smoking Pilar twitching on the ground.This guy probably made another dirty joke and provoked Lucy, getting himself spectacularly shocked.Serves him right...Pilar wasn't just the comic relief; he was a walking collection of dirty jokes, the kind of guy who couldn't go three sentences without making one.But still, he was quite reliable.*Ring—*Just then, a call came in, and the screen showed it was from the principal."What does this dead fatty want with me again?"Although he despised the fat bastard, he still chose to answer the call."Hello, Mr. Martinez. Is it convenient to talk right now? It sounds very noisy on your end.""Spit it out, what is it this time?""It's about last time...""Didn't I already say? I refuse to apologize, and you can expel me for all I care."Before the principal could finish, he interrupted him.Apologize? Not in this lifetime!"Well, Mr. Martinez, please let me finish. After some deliberation, Katsuo Tanaka no longer requires your apology. You only need to return to school as normal, and no disciplinary action will be taken against you.""Oh?"This response actually surprised him quite a bit. He figured that old bastard Tanaka must have pulled a lot of strings behind the scenes.However, there was one thing he was quite interested in."So what about the scholarship we agreed on?""Well, that can be disbursed once you return to school...""No. Disburse it now, or I'm not coming back.""Mr. Martinez, you are making things very difficult for me...""Are you going to send it or not? If not, I'm hanging up."With that, he made a move to end the call.Seeing this, the other side immediately panicked: "Wait, wait a moment, Mr. Martinez!"His action broke the principal into a cold sweat. Tanaka had already given him a final ultimatum.If he couldn't get David to return to school this time, he would likely face severe disciplinary action from above.He might even lose his job.Although the principal's position wasn't high-ranking, it was a lucrative cushy job, and he didn't want to lose it."So, what's your decision?"With the upper hand now firmly in his grasp, he looked at the principal on the screen with a smile.After a few seconds, the principal sighed helplessly."Sigh, alright. The scholarship has been transferred to you, Mr. Martinez."In the next second, the money was indeed transferred, and the amount was staggering.A whopping five hundred thousand eurodollars?!He was utterly shocked.He had truly never expected Arasaka to be so incredibly generous.However, his face remained calm and unbothered. Maintaining a composed demeanor, he said indifferently, "Alright, scholarship received. Goodbye then.""Wait..."
Chapter 29The moment the other person spat out a single word, David hung up the communication and cleanly blocked the principal's phone number."I've got a massive fortune of 600,000 now, enough to upgrade to some better implants."A blissful smile bloomed on David's face, feeling wonderful all over, and David began planning for David's bright tomorrow.As for returning to school?Sorry, going back was impossible.David still had no interest in being a corporate dog for any company.35. Do chicks these days dress so skimpily?Ever since the car hijacking, Tanaka had become entirely cautious.Not only did he change his daily routine, but he also rarely returned home in North Oak, frequently spending the night at the company instead.Because of this, both Faraday, who cooperated with Militech, and Maine's crew, who undertook the commission regarding Tanaka, completely quieted down.There was no help for it; they couldn't just run over to Arasaka Tower to grab someone.However, the extra investigation into Mr. Tanaka did not stop, and they were preparing to act when the opportunity arose.Because of this matter as well, after completing David Martinez's first job, David Martinez became completely idle.Occasionally, David asked Maine for a few errands to make some extra cash, or went with Lucy to rob corpo rats on the NCART transit.But the income was very meager, and the little money earned wasn't even enough to buy implants.Low-level corpo rats really are poor..."Maine, what commissions are there today?"Today, David once again uttered words that made Maine feel despair."None, there is nothing at all! You brat, stop coming to bother me!""Hey hey hey, Maine... Don't act like a little girl who's been forcefully indoctrinated, alright? I just want to run some errands to make a bit of money..."David just wanted to make a little money, was that wrong?"Since you brat like making money so much, go take on side gigs! I don't have any work in my hands anymore!""Hey, stop joking, Maine..."David's voice was filled with helplessness.Take on side gigs?David wanted to as well.The key was that David's implants weren't fully equipped yet, and Regina Jones was David's only fixer.Go clean up cyberpsychos right now?That would be crazy.You had to know that not a single cyberpsycho noticed by Regina was an easy pushover; basically, they were all big names.Good luck like the one on the transit last time might not necessarily happen a second time.Fortunately, in the end, David still managed to grind a job out of Maine, which was a courier commission.And David was warned that next time David was not allowed to proactively contact Maine when there was nothing going on."Tsk, did Maine take the wrong medicine? So hot-tempered... and so petty..."After the call was hung up, David, sitting at home, couldn't help curling David's lips.Not having any big gigs was one thing, but now even the commissions were cut off—was the mercenary profession really this unprofitable?Little did David know that a crew like Maine's, which had some fame even in the Afterlife Bar, was already considered pretty good, plus they had a fixer connected to Militech.If it were replaced by other crews, they probably wouldn't even be able to take a single gig in months.Even if there were any, they would be trivial matters like surveillance and investigation, and the pay wasn't high either.And what David didn't know was that the reason Maine was so irritable today was mainly because David's phone call happened to ruin Maine's good thing.Maine could clearly have had some passionate fun with Dorio at the Afterlife Bar, but ended up being interrupted just like that—who wouldn't be angry?"That damn brat...""What's wrong, Maine?" Dorio, who was aside, felt puzzled seeing Maine look so furious after cutting off the communication.Clearly, Faraday's side had calmed down, and now there wasn't much else to do besides searching for Tanaka's tracks.Why suddenly get so angry?"Well, nothing, it's just that that kid David has been acting like a madman lately, coming to me every few days asking for work, driving me nuts.""Damn it, where would I have so many jobs on hand..." Maine complained while picking up a glass of wine and gulping it down."Haha, that kid David? Indeed a motivated and good kid.""Well, I know, but keeping on like this isn't any solution either."After finishing the drink, Maine began to ponder, thinking of countermeasures.Cleaning up the jobs on Maine's hands clean within just a few days, such speed was truly terrifying.But it was also because Faraday's gig was sort of botched, so for a while there were no new commissions coming in...Suddenly Maine seemed to think of something, casually opened the communication column to find Lucy's name, and dialed the phone.Since it was a pet picked up by Lucy, naturally Lucyshould be responsible for it.---Meanwhile, Northside, Watson."It should be here..."David stood in front of a three-story small building, murmuring to himself.Not long ago, following Maine's instructions, David obtained a package from that old man named Ma-something-Mei, and it was said to be a gift from Maine to Pilar.If David remembered correctly, inside should be a pair of golden cyberware arms...Well, whatever, what was inside wasn't David's business anyway."Yeah, this is definitely the place."According to the address, David found the residence of the siblings Rebecca and Pilar, and pressed the doorbell.Buzz, buzz——It was the sound of an old-fashioned electronic doorbell.At the same time, the metal automatic door rattled open, and a pitch-black muzzle emerged from inside, pressing right against David's forehead."Holy shit..."That move just now almost made David react subconsciously and attack."Ah, it's David! How have you been lately?"Rebecca, whose height only reached David's chest, appeared at the doorway, staring at David with those big, curious eyes, her voice filled with surprise.However, she seemed to be chewing something in her mouth."Ah, I was doing pretty well originally, but seeing you makes it not good."Wearing dead-fish eyes, David calmly swept David's gaze across Rebecca's petite body and said: "Also, do you have to dress so skimpily in broad daylight?"At this moment, Rebecca was standing barefoot on the cold floor, with nothing else covering her body except for some black fabric, making no other concealment elsewhere.With disheveled hair, she looked as if she had just woken up, and modifications on her body could even be clearly seen.But come to think of it, with her hair down, Rebeccalacked a bit of cuteness, but gained a bit of gentleness and quietness.This point really poked David's XP.But that was on the premise that you could ignore the pistol pressing right against your glabella, as well as such skimpily dressed attire..."Tsk, what on earth is wrong with these people, do they not wear clothes at home?"David muttered inwardly.Please give me more!"Ah haha, sorry sorry."Being told this by David, Rebecca also reacted, pressed the pistol against her own head and scratched her hair.But she didn't mean to pay any attention to her clothing and outfit."Right, what are you here for? Need help?""No, there's a package here that Maine asked me to bring to Pilar.""Ah, is that so..."Rebecca looked somewhat disappointed, then turned her head and shouted into the house: "Brother! There's a package from Maine!"Her face was written full with the words displeasure and trouble, looking like she had already had enough of this idiot brother."Oh ho ho! Really?!"Hearing the voice before seeing the person, Pilar's unreliable voice came out first.Then came a rumbling sound, which was the sound of a wheelchair rubbing against the floor.Pilar's figure was seen turning out from a place resembling a laboratory, extending a bizarrely long arm from afar to quickly snatch the package from David's arms, and then turning the chair back."Oh ho ho ho! It has finally arrived!""Do you know how many people are fighting to get this pair of cyberware arms?!""It's so cool, haha!"Excited he-he-he sounds came from inside, as if seeing some top-tier beauty.Immediately after, another pair of old cyberware arms was thrown out.Was there any need to be this excited?David's mouth couldn't help twitching awkwardly a few times, and then sighed again."Forget it, the package has been delivered, I'll be leaving first.""Eh? Wait a minute!"Just as David turned around intending to leave, Rebecca grabbed the corner of David's clothes.And turning her head to shout loudly again: "Brother!!! Pay up!!!""Ah hahaha, help me pay for it!"A hand reached out from inside and waved, as if saying "Don't disturb me", and then flipped an international friendly gesture.Bang——A sharp bullet accurately and unmistakably hit that damn golden cyberware arm."Pay for it yourself! You damn broke-ass!!!"The pistol in Rebecca's hand was emitting wisps of blue smoke, panting heavily as if she was about to explode from anger.But an indifferent voice came from inside: "Aha, it's even bulletproof!""Hehe... these two siblings... really have a great relationship."This scene simply stunned David, and anyone who didn't know would think these were mortal enemies."Forget it, forget it, we're all in the same crew, no need for money or anything."David inserted himself into the siblings' little skit and said indifferently.Anyway, it wasn't much money."Ah, that won't do."With a turn of her head, Rebecca reverted back to her initial gentle, quiet, and cute appearance, a speed faster than flipping a book.Truly you, Rebecca.
Chapter 30Then, with a flash of blue light in his eyes, 500 Euros were deposited into his account."OK, the money has been received, I'll be leaving first.""Mm-hmm, bye-bye, David, remember to come play often~"Coming to play often... forget it.36. Goodbye Jackie"Hey, are you free tonight?"Just as he walked out of the building, he received a comms message from Lucy."Tonight? Yes.""Mm, then come here tonight."A very concise message, and she sent him an address.Taking a quick glance at the content of the address, it was the docks."This Maine... really found me annoying and dumped me off to Lucy..."Although he complained on the outside, he was feeling quite pleased inside.No matter what, accompanying a pretty girl for a night run was still better than delivering packages, even if there was no money involved.However, there was still some time before the agreed-upon moment."Let's go find Viktor to install some cyberware first."After all, no matter how much this body was trained, it couldn't reach a satisfactory level; only mechanical ascension could relieve one's worries.Afterwards, as the sun was near the western horizon, he arrived at Misty's small shop.As soon as the door opened, he saw the jacket-clad, ruggedly built Jackie holding Misty's small hand, the two of them being all lovey-dovey there."Ahem."David cleared his throat slightly, and upon hearing it, the two instantly separated, looking as flustered as adolescent boys and girls caught by their parents."Amigo, did I come at a bad time?"Raising their heads, they saw David leaning against the doorframe with one hand, looking at them with a teasing expression.This scene couldn't help but remind him of the first time he met Jackie.Except back then Misty was divining for him, and now Jackie was dating Misty.Misty is a sinful woman (definitely)."Hey, David..."Misty greeted, then looked at Jackie, 'Um... you guys chat, I'm going to go get busy first.'She chose to find an excuse and hurriedly left the place.That shy appearance didn't match her street-girl attire at all.How truly pure...Gazing at Misty's departing back, he couldn't help sighing inwardly.However, Lucy is the best!"Amigo (friend), you nearly scared me to death...""Is it that serious? I'm not some monster or demon." Seeing Jackie's look of relief, he couldn't help smiling: "Could it be that you were afraid the one appearing here would be Mrs. Welles?""Por favor (please), don't bring this up."At the mere mention of his old lady, Jackie felt a headache coming on.Clearly Misty was such a good girl, so gentle, yet his old lady wouldn't accept Misty.Because of this, a guy as big as him could only have an underground romance with Misty.Fortunately, Misty didn't care about this, otherwise he wouldn't know what to do...However, compared to this, there was another matter he cared about."You... recently joined a mercenary crew, didn't you?"Jackie's inquiry made him momentarily stunned, "Hmm? Where did you hear that from?""You didn't know?" Jackie was somewhat surprised."What would I know?" He asked back with a completely bewildered face."Ha, the mercenary circles and Heywood have all spread it around, saying that a half-grown kid joined Maine's crew. So, I guessed right away that person must be you.""Maine's crew is a prominent mercenary team in the mercenary circles, pretty badass, and they can even cooperate with a badass fixer like Faraday who has connections with Militech...""What they do are all huge fat gigs!"Jackie chattered away, telling him the intelligence he inquired about from elsewhere, his tone filled with envy.However, he had no heart to listen at all, constantly thinking about the whole affair of his name spreading throughout the mercenary circles.The hell... Am I actually this famous now?He was now starting to doubt his life.It wasn't because he hated fame, but rather the problem that people fear fame just as pigs fear being fat, and a tall tree catches the wind.There was no need to be afraid of being targeted by Arasaka right now, because it would still be a while before those guys made a move.But if extraneous complications arose and other factions targeted him, it wouldn't be fun.For instance, Militech, which specialized in researching weapons and implants.That was a behemoth with a market value of 1.2 trillion Euros and 647,500 employees, the kind whose assets neither Kang Tao nor Arasaka could compare to.Based solely on his present self, he still had no remaining strength to fight back.Just a few people from the security department could probably pin him down.Furthermore, he had previously been targeted by Melissa Rory, that former cyberpsycho and now MAX-TAC squad leader...This truly was an unfortunate piece of news."Hey, I said, are you listening?""Ah, yeah." David, snapping back to his senses, perfunctorily nodded, and then changed the topic: "Jackie, let's put this aside for now, what have you been busy with lately?""I haven't seen you for half a month."At the mention of this, Jackie's talkative attribute failed, and he scratched his head foolishly."Lately I've been taking some small gigs, planning to make a bit of a name for myself.""Oh..." He nodded gently.It seemed that without V, Jackie really had a hard time making it...You must know that with V, Jackie built up quite a reputation in just half a year, and even that fat black guy came looking for them to work.However, for him, this could also be considered good news.Perhaps he could take this opportunity to pull Jackieinto Maine's crew?Although it was often walking on the edge of a knife, it was still better than losing his life at Konpeki Plaza.His little scheming thoughts suddenly became active."Right, what are you planning to do coming here this time? Looking for Doctor Viktor?""Of course, could it be that I came to look for Misty?"He shook the few transparent plastic bags in his hands and said teasingly.But Jackie didn't pay attention to his joke at all, instead focusing his gaze on the implants in his hands."...Kiroshi Optics MK-III, bioplastic blood vessels, nanofibers, pain editor..."Jackie meticulously counted the implants in his hands, his voice growing increasingly shocked: "Holy crap, not bad, they're all top-tier goods! Did Mainegive all these to you?"Among them were two items he didn't recognize at all, but at a glance he knew they were worth a fortune."Uh, sort of?"In fact, these were all bought by him in the system mall.This damn system didn't even have an option to install them directly onto the body; he had to find a ripperdoc to install them himself.It even said something like, items of this price do not come with complimentary installation services from the system.However, it did point out an implant that allowed the system to install it onto his body—Machina species modification, the kind where the combat body and analytical body undergo full-body modification.But the price, hehe... you couldn't afford it even if you sold Arasaka."Listen, mano (brother), next time you take this kind of implant, absolutely don't swagger over on the street like you did today." Jackie said mysteriously."Maybe someone has already targeted you along the way, especially those kidney-snatchers, you must be careful."While saying this, Jackie's gaze became solemn, occasionally drifting toward the front and back doors, subconsciously placing his hand on the gun butt at his waist.All of this was naturally seen by him, and he smiled in response: "Got it, thanks."Little did Jackie know, he did this on purpose, with the purpose of seeing which blind petty thieves would come knocking.And to make some extra cash or something by the way.But hearing Jackie say this, he still felt a warm feeling in his heart.As expected of Jackie, still that big bro in the game...37. Viktor: Did you loot a corporation?After bidding farewell to Jackie, he left Misty's esoteric shop and came to this familiar basement."Hey, Viktor, come out to take a gig~"While shouting, he clatteringly pulled open the iron door that couldn't provide any protective function at all.Only this time Viktor wasn't sitting in his familiar spot watching his boxing match, and from deep within the basement came muffled thuds of thump, thump, thump!Along with the sound of chains rubbing.Coupled with the dim environment of the basement, ordinary people would have felt creeped out long ago.Perhaps this was one of the two reasons why Viktordidn't have many guests here, and the other was that the location was really too out of the way."Viktor! Come out for a customer!"Not seeing anyone, he shouted another line."Coming, coming."The muffled thuds from deep within ceased accordingly, leaving only the clattering sound of iron chains, as Viktor walked out from inside."Yo, practicing boxing.""Mm..."Viktor picked up the towel on his shoulder to wipe the sweat off his body, and then put his glasses back on: "Coming to find me so late today, what crooked idea are you plotting again?"I have to say, Viktor's physique was really great, his whole body covered in muscle fibers, even at a glance one could see the explosive power hidden within his muscles.Estimate that with one punch, even a punk with implants would have to kneel down and sign Conquering.No wonder Viktor, with zero background, could open a shop here and no one dared to come make trouble."Well, why call it a crooked idea? I just want to ask for your help to install a few implants.""Oh? Let me see..."Casually taking the plastic bags in his hands and placing them on the table, this quantity made Viktor's eye twitch."You plan to install all of these onto your body?""Mm, is there a problem?""No problem at all, at most you'll die on the spot after installation."
Chapter 31Viktor said the most terrifying things in the most casual tone."Jamming so many implants into the body so crudely, I honestly can't think of any other outcome besides death; even the process of cyberpsycho can be skipped.""Hey, hey, hey, Viktor... stop joking around...""Do I look like I'm joking?"Viktor slowly raised his head to meet his gaze, his eyes devoid of any emotional fluctuation.This oppressive gaze made him involuntarily swallow a mouthful of saliva.Viktor was serious."...Th-Then what should we do? At least let me install two today, right? And then we can slowly add more later...""Install two? No problem," Viktor said leisurely, "but what gets installed is up to me, and the schedule for future installations will also be decided by me."Hearing this, he finally let out a sigh of relief: "No problem, I'll leave everything to your arrangement!"If it were any other ripperdoc, he wouldn't trust them at all.But this was Viktor Vector! One of the living legends of Night City, and also the best and kindest ripperdoc in Night City.If even Viktor couldn't be trusted, then there truly was no one trustworthy left in Night City."Then let me see what you can install today..."As Viktor spoke, he pushed the table in front of the equipment, took out a dense mass of red and blue wires from it, and connected them respectively to these implants."Hmm... Kiroshi Type 3, high-end stuff...""...Sandevistan Version 5 manufactured by Dynalar, a subsidiary of Kang Tao? Reality distortion?"Viktor's voice gradually became abnormal, and he even pushed up his glasses to look over the information presented on the panel once more.However, after looking at it several times, he found that he hadn't read it wrong, and the subsequent implants made his brows furrow tighter and tighter, the kind where a mosquito flying onto them would probably be pinched to death.Finally, he sighed helplessly, turned off the screen, and rubbed his eyes, acting as if he were extremely exhausted.It's just looking at implant data, is it really necessary to make such a fuss?"Kid, tell me honestly, did you hijack transport trucks from all the major corporations recently?"Judging by the implants he had just looked at, it wasn't just products from Kiroshi Optics and Dynalar's experimental items, but also experimental products produced by Arasaka, Militech, and Zetatech.In addition, there was a pair of prosthetic limbs produced by an unknown corporation.Judging from the attack methods given by the data, they should be new products."Hijack transport trucks? Viktor, aren't you giving me a bit too much credit?" He helplessly spread his hands, "With scum like me, the security guards responsible for escorting the transport trucks would probably take care of me easily.""Oh? Is that so?" Viktor narrowed his eyes slightly, repeatedly scrutinizing him: "Then tell me, where did you get so many experimental-grade combat implants? Don't tell me you dug them out of some unlucky bastard's body.""Aside from the Kiroshi Type 3, none of these implants have ever appeared on the market yet.""Uh... this... ahaha..."He scratched his head with an awkward smile."How should I put this? I commissioned someone else to buy them, and it cost a lot of money.""That Dynalar reality distortion you looked at first cost me nearly two hundred thousand eddies." As he said this, he revealed an expression of intense heartache over the money.He was indeed not lying.It really did cost two hundred thousand to buy, and that commissioner was nothing more than the system.However, even though this thing was several times more expensive than in the game, it was indeed worth the price.After all, this wasn't a game, but reality; experimental products of this level couldn't be bought anywhere unless you went to a corporation's R&D facility to steal them.Besides, the reality distortion could slow down time to ten percent, which was way better than the trash he was currently using."Really?""Of course it's true, why would I lie to you? There's no benefit to it...""Fine, let's just take it as that."Viktor still gave up on the intention of getting to the bottom of it, and looking at his appearance, he didn't look like he was lying, so he let it drop.Then he adjusted the operating chair beside him: "Sit up here.""Oh."The moment he sat up, his hands and feet were once again fixed by the familiar iron restraints."Today, let's first replace your Sandevistan with a brand new model, and then install the Kiroshi Type 3 and the nanofibers responsible for nerve conduction. That way, your body can also maintain a certain degree of balance." Viktor pulled out a syringe of anesthetic from underneath and said slowly."No problem, Viktor, whatever you decide is fine.""Heh..."Hearing his words, Viktor couldn't help letting out a soft chuckle, "But speaking of which, your luck is really not bad.""Hmm? How so?""Normally, a person cannot withstand so many combat experimental subjects, but I don't know if these corporations have developed new technology or what.""The side effects of these experimental products your fixer bought you are very small, and all within the body's tolerance range." Viktor pressed down on his body and injected the anesthetic into his neck.Afterwards, Viktor performed a flurry of fierce operations on the panel."Although there is still the risk of becoming a cyberpsycho, this risk has been pulled down to the minimum value. I suppose they are already prepared to start the 5th Corporate War."Little did he know, this wasn't the corporations preparing for war; it was entirely the system's doing.Directly pulling the side effects of these implants down to the minimum value.Otherwise, how could a person install so many combat implants? Even cyberpsycho wouldn't allow it.Unless it was a dead person like V living by relying on the Relic.But this news did not prevent joy from showing on his face."So, does that mean all these implants can be installed together today?""Modification comes with risks, implant with caution, kid. Obediently listen to Viktor's words and install them one by one."Often illusions are beautiful while reality is cruel, isn't that just how things are?"OK, the Sandevistan operating system has been disconnected. How does it feel?""Emmm... no discomfort, pretty relaxed."Accompanied by the effect of the anesthetic and the disconnection of the implant system link, his entire person instantly became floaty.But he couldn't stay relaxed for long.Because Viktor picked up that scalpel gleaming with cold light, debugging it while slowly moving over his body.The result goes without saying; the familiar whimpering sounds echoed in the basement once more.38. Prophet or Madman"It will hurt a little at first, and then it will hurt more."This is a line by the Doctor in G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra.Now this line fits him perfectly.All that nonsense about how it only hurts the first time and you'll get used to it later is utter bullshit.It still hurts when it's supposed to, and it's not much different from the first time.However, this pain was also somewhat worth it, at least Viktor installed an NCPD backdoor program for him.It would be much more convenient to earn bounties and things like that in the future.Finally, under Viktor's considerate admonitions, he dragged his slightly weak post-operative body out of the basement. But when he looked up, the blood-red afterglow in the sky had been replaced by colorful neon lights and a pitch-black night."Tsk, it's already dark..."Then he glanced at the time; there wasn't much time left until his agreed-upon time with Lucy."Looks like I can't do anything else today, I'll go find Lucy..."Muttering to himself, he walked into the back door of Misty's Esoterica.Compared to the small iron gate at the back leading straight to the road, he was still more used to walking through here."Hey, David."As soon as he stepped inside, there was Misty's familiar voice. He saw her leaning against the counter, wisps of curling smoke surrounding her, adding a touch of dreaminess.But Jackie's figure was nowhere to be seen.Also, at this time, he should have left."You... are you okay? You look very weak.""Oh, I'm fine, just a little tired...""Is that so? Then would you like to rest here for a bit?""No..." He smiled and waved his hand: "I still have things to do, I'll be leaving first..."Saying this, he turned and walked toward the door, but Misty called out to him again."Wait a minute."Misty trotted over to him and handed him something."A postcard?"It was a postcard with thorns, roses, and a cross. The pattern was similar to the Valentinos' symbol, but different.Anyway... it looked a bit familiar."Yes, this is a postcard from Heywood's fixer, Padre. Jackie asked me to pass it to you, saying you might find it useful.""Oh?"Another familiar name.Padre, whose real name was Sebastian Ibarra.On the surface, he looked like a kind and amiable old grandfather who spoke softly, but never be deceived by his appearance; this was a ruthless person.Although he wore a cardigan and looked well-dressed on the outside, he actually had many tattoos hidden on his body.He used to be a priest for the Valentinos, but after a bloody baptism by Mortosello, he converted to a nobler trade: Fixer.He was the most renowned among the many fixers in Heywood, and was even included in the records of major corporations.Similarly, Mr. Padre, just like the Valentinos, was on bad terms with those punks from the 6th Street Gang, frequently generating friction.However, if anyone came looking for work, even members of the 6th Street Gang, he would not turn them away.Who knows if it was because he was older and soft-hearted, or because in God's eyes all gangs were equal?But then again, he originally planned to take some time to go to Heywood and meet this Padre at El Coyote Cojo, but he didn't expect Jackie to actively deliver his contact information right to his door now.This was truly a pleasant surprise."Thanks, Misty. Help me tell Jackie that I'll buy him a drink when I have time.""Okay, no problem," Misty nodded in agreement, "however, minors are still best not to drink alcohol, David.""Ahaha, got it... Then I'll be leaving first, bye-bye."He casually brushed it off and immediately left Misty's small shop.As soon as he stepped out the door, his entire field of vision was occupied by dazzling and colorful neon lights.At this time, the people of Watson had not yet fallen asleep, and the streets were still bustling with noise and excitement.A few people surrounded the bar's display window, watching the alluring performance of the girl inside.That Prophet Gary, who was regarded as a cyberpsycho but hadn't been arrested by MAX-TACbecause he was harmless, was still ramblingly preaching his eccentric remarks."I'm telling you! Arasaka is not an ordinary family! They are not human at all!""They're vampires, a whole bunch of them!""Their bodies don't age, but their eyes—cold and lifeless!"
Chapter 32"The crimes committed by the corporation to cover up their attempts to survive... No, to avoid dying!""Gulping down the blood of their servants, waiting for their bodies to grow young again, waiting to return to the mortal world... Remember my words!"Although these words were quite exaggerated, they were also the truth.Whether it was the local tyrant Saburo Arasaka, his son Yorinobu Arasaka, or his daughter Hanako Arasaka, they were all extremely old, mostly starting from eighty, and it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them youthful-looking hags.Even the granddaughter Michiko Arasaka was already in her sixties, nearly seventy.But on the surface, apart from the decrepit Saburo, everyone else looked very young.They indeed relied on sucking the blood of ordinary people to continuously research technology in an attempt to achieve immortality.But what Gary said about the necromancers of Alpha Centauri, the blood of immortality, and so on... was a bit of bullshit.If there really were aliens or something in this world, he'd genuinely want to take a look.Thinking of this, he couldn't help but let out a scoff.But this laugh also caused the cyberpsycho to notice him."Hey, you!"Just as he was about to walk away, Gary called out to him. He turned his head and asked doubtfully, "Are you calling me?""Yes, that's right, it's you! I recognize you; you come here often. Look at your eyes, they've already lost their soul.""What do you mean?"These words made him feel a bit uncomfortable, but he still chose to keep listening.He wanted to see what else this guy could possibly say."Oh, poor child, your eyes have already undergone surgery by the necromancers of Alpha Centauri. Next, you must be careful of Cyberspace, especially the wraiths inside—they will erode your brain!""Do you know what Cyberspace is? That's not its real name; actually, it is... the Cave of Demons!!!"Gary shouted and recounted wildly with sweeping gestures, as if he wanted everyone to notice his voice."Without a body, how can life exist? Aren't the entities on the Net the souls outside the universe we inhabit?!!!"These words caused his brows to furrow slightly.Although what this guy was saying sounded like nonsense, it felt like he was hinting at something.But as for what specifically, he had no idea at all.It felt a bit familiar, yet very unfamiliar.But speaking of wraiths, he had indeed seen two: one was Johnny Silverhand, and the other was Silverhand's girlfriend—Alt Cunningham.It's just that these two didn't seem as exaggerated as this guy described.At least Silverhand was his good comrade-in-arms back then, though Alt was a bit weird.However, right at this moment, he noticed the ring on Gary's finger—it was an archaic brass ring.The stained pattern on the ring made him feel a bit familiar."It feels like I've seen it somewhere before..."Although he didn't have a deep impression of it, he could be certain that he had definitely seen this thing somewhere....But where?"Forget it, I'm not chatting with you anymore, I'm heading out."Thinking of his appointment with Lucy, he gave up arguing with this guy.He immediately transferred one hundred euro-dollars to the so-called 'prophet' in front of him, then turned and left.But as he left, the madman was still shouting, "Oh, thank you for your gift, child. I believe you will surely become a believer of the truth!!!"Heh, a believer of the truth?Not interested.He might as well think about how to make money quickly to smash Arasaka to pieces, and then live a shamelessly happy life with Lucy.39. Night Jogging with LucyAt night, on a pier at the junction of City Center and Heywood's Wellsprings district.Lucy stood at the edge of the pier, gazing out at the churning sea surface against the flashing colorful neon lights behind her, enjoying the sea breeze blowing from afar.However, her heart was in turmoil right now, constantly stirring up waves just like this sea surface.What Maine had said to her this morning kept echoing in her mind."Why me?""The person who adopts a stray cat has to take responsibility to the end, right?""But you were the one who decided to keep him, Maine.""Anyway, he's been pestering me for a job, and you have to take responsibility for this matter," came the irrefutable voice from the other end of the phone. "Whether it's training or whatever, you decide. Just make him shut up!"The communication was hung up just like that.It didn't give her any chance to refute or refuse again."..."Lucy's mood when looking out the window at the scenery of Night City was just like this now.Messy.She didn't know what she was being so irritable about.David?No, she didn't hate David; she knew that very well.It could be said that in the entire crew, aside from Kiwi, the only one she could chat with was probably David.For this reason, she even took out her treasured braindances and the dream she had never told anyone about to share with him.But... why?"...Asshole..."What on earth was wrong with her?She didn't know...However, just as she was in a daze, David's voice suddenly came from behind her."What asshole?""No, nothing." Lucy gently shook her head and subconsciously glanced at the time. "As for you, you're quite punctual.""Well, since it's an appointment with you, how could I possibly be late?"Standing on the road extending from the pier, David walked over leisurely with his hands clasped behind his head."Oh-ho~ An appointment with me..."For some reason, upon hearing these words, a smile involuntarily bloomed on her face as she wanted to tease him, but when she turned around, she saw that David's complexion was a bit pale."Are you alright? You look kind of weak.""I'm fine, just went to Viktor's place for a bit. But speaking of which, this outfit... suits you quite well."His gaze scanned Lucy's whole body back and forth.Today, Lucy wasn't wearing her usual outfit; instead, she had changed into a sportswear set dominated by light yellow with pink accents, revealing her fair and flat abdomen.Although it wasn't as eye-catching as her daily outfit and lacked that seductive charm, it added a touch of youthful and energetic vibe."Is that so? Thanks."For David's praise, she chose to accept it candidly."So, starting today, you're going to train with me..."Speaking of this, Lucy's voice suddenly paused, and her tone shifted: "But let me make this clear first: it was Maine nagging me to bring you along, and I was just dragged into wading through this muddy water."Between the lines, it was filled with the three words 'finding it troublesome'."Well, I know, it's just because I've been pestering him for a job lately..." He said with a helpless expression. "But isn't your phrasing a bit too cruel...""Learning to experience the cruelty of reality is an essential rule for surviving in Night City, and I'll teach you that today."Lucy's words didn't show any mercy, and her aggressiveness seemed much higher than the past few days.This left him a bit puzzled.What on earth was wrong with Lucy today?I shouldn't have provoked her, right?While he was in a daze, Lucy softly continued, "But seriously, you don't look like edgerunner material at all..."As she spoke, Lucy's gaze was also carefully sizing him up from bottom to top.Edgerunner was another name for cyberpunk, but this title only appeared among mercenaries and was a badge of pride for them.Becoming a top edgerunner meant becoming a legend of Night City, and it was the dream of every mercenary and everyone else.But unfortunately, every single top cyberpunk had transcended the limits of themselves and turned the impossible into the possible. (Inexplicably thinking of the second son of a certain Yuanshan family, Ge.)Likewise, most of these legends didn't survive; they successfully walked into a cemetery or were left dead in the wasteland.But speaking of which, this was the first time she had ever seen someone as scrawny as David wanting to become a cyberpunk."With a build like yours, you look like you'd go psycho if you installed even one or two more implants.""Maybe."He shrugged indifferently, having no intention of denying Lucy's sigh.But not denying didn't mean confirming.Even if confirmed, it would apply to his past self, not the present.The current him would either die on the spot because he couldn't handle it, as Viktor said, or survive safe and sound.Become a cyberpsycho?Sorry, there's no such option."Mmhmm, you're really candid~"Seeing this thick-skinned yet somewhat confident look of his, the corners of Lucy's mouth curved into a slight arc, and she immediately picked up her pace and jogged past him."Then keep up. Let me see what you're made of.""Naturally."He turned around and began jogging to keep up with Lucy's pace.Thus, their night-jogging journey officially began.At first, Lucy slowed down to accommodate his physical condition, but seeing that David kept up without any pressure, she increased her speed.To her surprise, David could still keep up.Even though his body looked so weak..."How unexpected...""Huh? What's unexpected?""Nothing, make sure to keep up now."Saying that, Lucy increased her speed once again."Oh-oh, no problem."He once again matched Lucy's pace.Ever since he got the nanofiber nervous system, his whole body's reaction speed had become much more sensitive.Although it still felt a bit strange, it was quite useful for now, and he just needed to adapt to it for a little longer."Hey, Lucy. I remember you're a netrunner, right? Why do you still exercise and run?"
Chapter 33He had always had this question.Clearly, someone like T-Bug never worked out, immersing herself in the net every day, and looking at Kiwi, she didn't seem like someone who worked out either."So what? Netrunners are also cyberpunks, there's no difference." Lucy adjusted her breathing while answering his question, "As long as you want to install implants, you need to ensure your body's resilience.""Otherwise, neither your mind nor your body can bear the burden of the implants, and you'll suffer from cyberpsycho.""Is that so..." He nodded, half-understanding.cyberpsycho or whatever seemed to have nothing to do with him...Then he asked another question, "Then how old are you really, Lucy?""What?" Lucy's voice suddenly dropped, seeming a bit impatient.Because David Martinez's question reminded her of a certain long-armed tech freak who liked acting like a senior.This guy was not only a clumsy pervert, but also a fool who looked down on others' abilities based on age.Believing that the older someone was, the better their skills were.What bullshit theory, clearly this had nothing to do with age; it was all about talent and hard work.It was so annoying..."No, I'm just a little curious." Feeling like he had stepped into a minefield, he hurriedly explained."Is that so? Then I can only tell you, older than you.""And another thing, presumptuously asking a woman's age is a very impolite thing to do, David.""Sorry, sorry." While apologizing, he quickly took two steps to keep pace with Lucy, turned his head to look at her exquisite profile, and asked doubtfully, "Still, it feels... not quite like it, being older than me and all.""Mhm~"Lucy merely responded with a hum through her nose, then quickened her pace.Soon, they finished running the nearly seven hundred meters and arrived at the viewing platform at the southernmost end of the embankment.Snap! A wisp of flame rose slightly, lighting the women's cigarette dangling from Lucy's mouth.A faint tobacco scent permeated the air, lingering around the tip of his nose. He slowly walked over and, just like Lucy, leaned his body against the guardrail."Hey, give me one too.""You smoke too?" Lucy's expression was clearly somewhat surprised."Yeah, ever since my mother passed away, I learned." His voice carried a trace of sentimental emotion over how things had changed."Mhm... Sorry, I'm sorry about your mother."Saying that, she took a cigarette from the pack, handed it over, and lit it."Well, it's fine, it's already in the past."Enjoying the gentle sea breeze blowing against his face, he took a satisfying drag, then slowly narrowed his eyes, showing a comfortable and cozy expression.Without that strange industrial exhaust unique to Night City.It really felt comfortable...Whether it was the slightly salty and humid sea breeze, or Lucy's cigarette."By the way, do you really want to become a cyberpunk?""Yeah, that's right, this is my temporary goal.""Is that so..."Lucy fell slightly silent, then continued, "Honestly speaking, although your performance today was good, and from when we met until now you always give people unexpected surprises, your body doesn't look like the type for this kind of life.""I guess that ripperdoc must have told you something like this too, right?""Pretty much."Although Viktor didn't say it so obviously, he meant something similar to Lucy.However, upon hearing his affirmative words, Lucyturned her head to glance at him slightly and said softly,"Well, if you really want to become a cyberpunk, then keep working hard."Then she extinguished the cigarette in her hand and casually threw it on the ground.As she prepared to leave, she suddenly turned her head and reminded, "Don't forget tomorrow at the same time.""Mhm, see you there..."40. If you like someone, go confess; if you fail, use force!In the following days, he truly experienced life in Night City to the fullest.There were street gunfights and hails of bullets, as well as the bustling nightlife and debauchery.He no longer went to pester Maine for work, instead earning NCPD bounties on the streets by himself.His daily routine basically consisted of wandering the streets in the morning to earn bounties, sitting around at the base in the afternoon, and going for a night run with Lucy in the evening.Occasionally, he would visit Viktor to sit for a bit or get an implant installed.To prevent retaliation from gangs or complications, he specially prepared a Scavengers mask. Although with Kiroshi optics he wasn't afraid of cameras, wearing a mask was still safer just in case.But you gotta admit, this thing was really useful.To this day, those idiots from the Tyger Claws and the Animals still couldn't figure out who did it.Moreover, legends of a bounty hunter were already spreading in Watson and Santo Domingo.It was said that as long as you were targeted by the bounty hunter, you had to be prepared to be thrown into a dumpster.But in reality, how could it be that exaggerated?He just happened to run into them by chance, killed them, and dragged them to a trash can to throw them away, preventing environmental pollution and the breeding of plagues or whatever.Besides that, when he had time, he would still go out to work with the crew, doing some small gigs, such as running into a Scavengers hideout to retrieve some data, and clearing out the bugs along the way.For this, Maine later complained about why he would do such a thing, pointing out that it was a very dangerous behavior.Once other Scavengers came to provide backup, they wouldn't have any chance to run away at all.But did one need a reason to clean up kidney-cutters?Cleaning up pests was everyone's responsibility.It's just that this group of pests could never be completely cleaned up; like cockroaches, once a batch was wiped out, another batch would appear, endless.After making money, he would follow them to the bar to celebrate, and it was also his first time stepping into the gates of the Afterlife.Just like in his impression, it was a corridor filled with cold tones, hung with colorful neon lights.Every step he took evoked many memories.He had walked down this corridor who knows how many times, but this was the first time he was walking this path in person, full of emotion.It felt kind of like a pilgrimage.A rather interesting thing happened along the way—Because of her overly youthful appearance, Rebeccawas locked out of the Afterlife Bar by the bouncer, Emerick.No matter how Rebecca argued, even saying she had been here before and was considered a regular of the Afterlife, Emerick had no intention of letting her in.He stood at the door like a temple guardian."Dammit, fucking asshole, how many times do I have to tell you, I'm a regular!!!"Swoosh—In a fit of rage and nearly losing her mind, Rebeccapulled out her handgun at the entrance of the Afterlife.Then...Swoosh swoosh swoosh—Four people appeared out of nowhere, and counting Emerick, a total of five handguns pointed at Rebecca.For a moment, the cold air gushing down from the ventilation duct above seemed to become much colder."Tch."Seeing the dark gun barrels surrounding her, Rebecca pouted unconvinced.In the end, it was still him using the Sandevistan to help clear the situation, with no change at all.Along the way, he also saw Rogue, sitting in a booth watching the show, who was Silverhand's old lover and the underground queen of Night City.Rebecca was extremely excited about this, but he didn't look too pleased.Clearly, this old woman could have spoken up to stop it, but she chose to watch the fun until the end.He didn't believe that old woman Rogue didn't know Rebecca.So, who on earth was she trying to test?Aside from this matter, during this recent period of time, he had also launched an offensive towards Lucy.Because of this, Maine also became gossipy."How has it been recently?""What has been?"Hearing Maine's inquiry, he stopped tinkering with the db-2 satara electronic spray and slowly raised his head, seeing that iconic smile hidden under the parasol."Of course you and Lucy, isn't your kid chasing Lucyrecently?""Oh, this matter... nothing much..."He lowered his head again to fiddle with the firearm in his hand, his little face sinking along with it."Huh? No way, you guys haven't reached that step yet?""Stop joking, Maine..."Whenever this was brought up, he felt depressed.During this recent period, no matter how much he cared for Lucy, the feelings between them showed no sign of warming up.Even because Lucy hated Pilar, while working, he had tied Pilar up many times—in a physical sense.Just to keep Pilar from bothering Lucy.Yet there was never any progress between them, instead it felt like an invisible barrier had been added.As if she were deliberately shutting him out.During night runs, she also started to gradually become cold, and there weren't as many chatty topics anymore.It seemed she wanted to distance herself from him, both mentally and physically, constantly increasing her running speed every time.Turning what used to be a jog into almost a seven-hundred-meter sprint.He didn't know what on earth he had done wrong.Clearly when watching the anime it felt quite simple, it really was strange...Seeing him with a gloomy face, Maine couldn't help letting out a sigh:"David, although you are already qualified as a cyberpunk, as a man, always having this rookie look won't do..."Like a teacher, Maine patiently guided and taught him."Then Teacher Maine, what should I do?" He slowly raised his head, a strange, bantering expression appearing on his face."What should you do?" Maine retorted, "If you like someone, go confess; if the confession doesn't work...""If the confession doesn't work, upload a Daemon? If uploading a Daemon doesn't work, use force? You dare say you love her when you don't even have the courage to be caught by the NCPD? Is that what you plan to say?""Huh?"Mimicking the tone to say such a long speech left Maine completely stunned.The sunglasses worn on that bronze-colored large face slid down slightly, revealing a pair of dazed eyes.Are young people's views on love these days so wild?Am I getting old?
Chapter 34Falling behind the times?Maine was having an existential crisis.Seeing Maine's blank, stunned look, he chuckled quietly to himself: "Sorry, I was just kidding."Then he lowered his head slightly and adjusted the electromagnetic rail above: "Up until now, it seems she doesn't feel that way about me.""Maybe so... But kid, you've still gotta keep trying.""Try... harder?"That sure was a familiar word.He slumped slowly into the chair, holding his smart shotgun in his arms, looking up at the azure sky past the edge of the parasol, feeling the heat rising from the ground.Just like his mood, burning hot like fire."Actually, I don't really know what to say.""The first time I met Lucy, I already fell in love with her, and she was willing to share many things with me, even sharing her dreams and prized braindances with me.""But now..."Even the number of times they spoke had become very few.He really didn't know what to do anymore."Well, all the more reason for you to work harder."With a clatter, Maine stood up from the chair, his tall figure completely blocking out the sunlight, casting a dense shadow over him."Ever since I met Lucy, up until you came, she hadn't smiled nearly as much as she has since you arrived.""And as for dreams, I've never heard her mention them before.""So, you gotta have confidence, kid. Trust me, her impression of you isn't bad at all."As he spoke, Maine reached out with his big hand and patted him heavily on the shoulder.It looked like encouragement, but in reality, it almost knocked him right out of the chair, even making it creak under the unbearable weight."I hope it's like you say..." He seamlessly moved Maine's huge palm off his shoulder.But would it really be like Maine said?Perhaps it was, it just might be missing a spark...41. As long as the pay is good, you could even ask me to smash Arasaka Tower to pieces.Nighttime, night fell once again.Today's jogging session went by quickly again, and it was finished before long.The two of them leaned against the railing of the pier in silence, quietly smoking."Hey, is there something you want to say?"Seeing Lucy's calm and beautiful profile, he couldn't help asking.While they were running just now, Lucy seemed to have something to say, but never ended up saying it.Lucy didn't speak, just exhaled a puff of blue smoke, then took out a shard and handed it to him."What is this?""A training routine tape."Lucy's voice was just like usual, with no hint of closeness or distance, just that same plainness, a nearly indifferent plainness."You've already passed the bare minimum training standards so far. If you want to continue enhancing your training, use this tape.""Huh?" He looked at the shard in his hand in surprise, then looked back up at Lucy. "What about you? Are you not going to train me anymore?""Mmm, the task Maine gave me is complete." Lucynodded slightly. "I hope you keep working hard. Until the day you can actually run faster than me, by then..."Her voice suddenly stopped there."By then? What happens?""No, it's nothing..."It was still such a concise answer, running past him just like when they first met, running back along the embankment road.Leaving him alone in place, feeling baffled.By then, what on earth would happen?Gazing at Lucy's retreating figure, there was an indescribable strangeness in his heart.From their meeting until now, he found that Lucywas somewhat different from the anime; her dark-bellied, mischievous personality hadn't changed.The difference was that the Lucy here, or rather the Lucy in the current reality, was sometimes exceptionally talkative, a very charming young girl, with light orange eye makeup adding a touch of alluring temperament.But this kind of riddle-speaking situation was truly a first.Didn't she know that leaving sentences half-spoken would suffocate people?"This really is..."In the end, he let out a helpless sigh, then cast his gaze toward the rippling sea surface.This is indeed a long and arduous journey...Over the next few days, he stuck to his original plan, earning bounties by day and dropping by Viktor to get cyberware installed along the way.Almost all the money he earned was spent on this, but the modifications still weren't finished, only reaching the system's minimum standard: twenty percent full-body modification.With the installation of the cyberware, his body actually felt increasingly light, without any sense of burden, and his brain seemed to become clearer as well.And at night, without Lucy's company, he still carried out night running activities in Night City, as if this had already become his habit.And the distance was getting further and further. Sometimes he ran along the road from Santo Domingo to Jig-Jig Street in Westbrook to experience the exotic culture, or ran to Kabuki in Watson and then ran back.Bringing back some characteristic local souvenirs by the way.But today could be considered his big day.That last piece of combat cyberware stored at Viktor's—those two arms were finally installed."Really nice."Looking at the newly installed combat cyberware, although there was still a fine layer of sweat remaining on his forehead, his face held endless joy, just like a child getting a new toy.The surface of the nearly forty-centimeter steel claws gleamed with a metallic cold light, cutting through the air and making a faint whistling sound.This thing was called wolf claws, or adamantium wolf claws.According to the system, this thing was made of adamantium alloy, making it the same model as Uncle Wolverine.But it was a bit different; Logan's claws popped out from between his knuckles, while his indeed had a skin-colored mechanical cover on the wrist part.The claws were usually retracted in the position from the wrist to the forearm, just like mantis blades, and only released from there when in use, covering the entire back of the hand.Since he installed such good combat cyberware, naturally it couldn't be treated as mere decoration.There wasn't much going on at Maine's place for now, so he didn't need to go today.So, now naturally he had to take a gig to test out how these arms were.Thinking of this, he walked deep into the alley, slowly pushed open the iron door leading to the road, and then dialed a phone call."Hello, I'm Regina Jones. What do you want? Make it quick, I'm busy."On the video call appeared the capable-looking woman who looked like a cyber pirate once again."It's me, David Martinez. I'm looking for a gig, preferably something about cyberpsycho or gangs.""Alright, hold on a second."Regina on the other end of the line frowned slightly, and then a clattering sound came through the phone—the sound of typing on a keyboard."Got it, Maelstrom recently had a cyberpsycho...""Wait, wait a minute, Maelstrom?"Before Regina could finish speaking, he interrupted, "Hey hey hey, I don't want to get involved in Maelstrom's business. Those bastards are already a bunch of maniacs; getting cyberpsycho feels like the most normal thing in the world for them.""At least it suits them well."You have to know that Maelstrom's notoriety in Night City was second only to those organ-harvesting scumbags.Those organ harvesters would do anything for money, while this group of Maelstrom people were thorough and complete lunatics.The kind who repeatedly jump back and forth on the edge of cyberpsycho.They never talk to you about street credibility; black-on-black robberies happen all the time.They even frequently experience internal power struggles and infighting.Therefore, he didn't want to deal with their crap; if he did, he was afraid he couldn't control his hands and would wipe out this pack of pups entirely."The pay is high. Are you doing it or not?""Huh? Are you serious?""That's right."This time he was a bit dumbfounded. He knew Regina liked meddling in cyberpsycho cases, trying to cure them, but he didn't expect it to reach this extent..."So, are you taking the job or not? I'm busy and don't have time to waste with you.""Take it, take it, take it, why wouldn't I take it."Very straightforward, without the slightest hesitation.Whatever Maelstrom or organ harvesters, as long as the money is right, even Arasaka Tower can be smashed to pieces."Alright, I've sent you the address, check the attachment for details. Also remember, I need a live one, pay attention.""Eh? Alive? That's a bit difficult..."Aren't cyberpsychos meant to be chopped up? To be honest, up until now he had never left a single cyberpsycho alive.Besides, this time he mainly wanted to test the power of the cyberware, and the gig was just incidental."I can pay extra.""Alright sis, whatever you say goes!"This speed of attitude change was comparable to turning the pages of a book.The last second he still looked full of incompetence and trouble, and the next second he was beaming with joy and completely obedient.After all... making money isn't disgraceful.Immediately after, he opened the attachment sent by Regina, but the contents made him frown slightly."This location... never been there..."The location marked on the map was near a certain factory in the Northside of Watson."Oh well, forget it, whatever, as long as there's money to be made."He grumbled aloud, tossing the messy thoughts in his head aside.He still trusted Regina's character; there was no way it was a trap.So he dialed another phone call."Hey, Old Del, come pick me up."[Picture.jpg]42. Bizarre Sacrificial GroundsWatson, Northside.I don't know if it was because this was Maelstrom's turf or because it was on the edge of Night City, but there weren't many vehicles on the road at this time.Only scarce trucks drove back and forth.But at this moment, a black taxi was speeding down this wide road, somewhat out of place with everything around it.David Martinez was sitting inside the car at the moment, enjoying the comfortable seats while a large, pale-faced, terrifying-looking blue bald head appeared on the screen in front.
Chapter 35"Welcome to Delamain cab service—choose Delamain, leave your troubles at the door."It was still that familiar voice.He no longer knew how many times he had heard it.Whether in the original world or here.Ever since he had a little money on hand, David Martinez didn't choose to buy a car himself, but still took the aero-train, occasionally enjoying Delamain's cab service.After all, fighting and killing all day wasn't the way to go; occasionally enjoying and relaxing was the best.Especially before a big move like this.It felt like a sense of ritual.Besides, how could driving oneself ever feel more comfortable than having someone else as a driver?"It seems you are very happy today, did you encounter anything interesting?" Delamain's rigid mechanical voice came from the speakers."Well, not really, just a bit happy about getting new cyberware installed." He slumped comfortably on the sofa chair, responding indifferently.But the excitement in his voice couldn't be completely concealed at all."By the way Old Del, can you let me witness your combat mode today? I'm going to beat up a cyberpsycho later."Regarding Delamain's combat mode, honestly, he had truly never seen it with his own eyes.Even when running away from Konpeki Plaza in the game, what he saw was just being relatively crash-resistant and tough.Fighting and all that still had to be done by himself.Therefore, he really wanted to see with his own eyes what Delamain fighting would look like.Would it really be as awesome as Jackie Welles boasted back then?He was truly a bit curious.But Delamain ruthlessly poured a bucket of cold water on him."I'm sorry sir, you have not ordered the Striving for Excellence package, so this service cannot be provided.""Tch, so stingy?"Hearing this, David Martinez couldn't help but twitch his mouth, propping his head with one hand, subconsciously casting his gaze outside the window, only to see the surrounding scenery rapidly changing.He indeed hadn't purchased the Striving for Excellence package right now, just ordinary transportation service.After all, that thing was simply too expensive.He couldn't afford it right now.And compared to this, he was even more curious about how rich that black fatty was back then, to actually be able to order this package service for both V and Jackie Welles.Looking at himself again...Alas, he was truly poor."We are about to arrive at our destination."Right at this moment, Delamain's warm reminder sounded once again."Oh, okay, just help me park on the roadside.""No problem, esteemed sir." Delamain parked the car steadily on the roadside, "Thank you for choosing Delamain travel service, wish you good luck, welcome to continue choosing my service next time.""Yes yes yes, a stingy ghost who won't even demonstrate the combat mode."He opened the car door and got out, while continuously nagging and complaining about this stingy Old Del."Please order the Striving for Excellence package, in this way..."Bang—Before Delamain finished speaking, he backhanded the car door shut heavily."Nagging words and all that, let's save them for next time."Tidying up slightly the db-2 satara carried on his back, ever since using it, he had deeply fallen in love with this gun.It was definitely an artifact against cyberpsycho, even if you hid behind a wall, it could take you down with one shot.The penetration power was simply outrageous.Then he turned his head to look at the destination given by Regina Jones.This was near an abandoned factory close to the docks under the viaduct.Although work had stopped, the industrial waste gas permeating the air never dissipated, and taking a slight sniff gave one a feeling of soaring to immortality."Damn, this thing is much stronger than cigarettes."While slowing down his breathing, he slowly walked into this factory area.But the closer he got, the more eerie it felt here; the cool breeze trapped here drilled straight into the back collar, making one feel chilled to the bone.And he didn't know if it was because this place was constantly eroded by industrial waste gas or what, but the light seemed to become somewhat weak, coupled with the shadows cast by the surrounding factory buildings, making the environment here even gloomier."F*ck, what kind of ghost place is this?"His brows were already deeply furrowed.To be fair, he had never done this commission before.And would there really be cyberpsycho in a place like this? Instead of a female ghost or something?It felt as if he suddenly transitioned from the Cyberpunk set to a horror movie set...Hmm, it seemed back then when he forced his way into the Scavengers' slaughterhouse it was also like this, huh?Thinking of this, he relaxed a lot, but remained vigilant of his surroundings until the next second, when his footsteps suddenly stopped."What's this smell?"The smell in the air changed, transforming from nauseating industrial waste gas into a faint trace of blood smell.As he went deeper along this road, this smell also grew richer accordingly.Until the scene that came into view made him freeze on the spot right then and there."Holy crap, what's the situation? Is this the Scavengers' slaughterhouse?"No wonder he was surprised to this extent, because everything coming into view was far too eerie.The ground was spattered with blood of unknown origin, outlining a circle similar to a magic array, and right in the center was placed a hacker-specific cryogenic freezer.And at the four corners of the circle lay a corpse.Not only that, seemingly to set off this atmosphere, the surrounding neon lights all adopted a blood-like bright red.However, when he walked in, it seemed there was still one person who wasn't completely dead yet, muttering something with his mouth."Lilith blinded the ancestors' eyes with the Tenth Holy Ring.""What the heck?"He wanted to ask, but this guy had already breathed his last. Activating the cyberware eye scan showed this guy was a member of Maelstrom.But this place inexplicably looked like a gathering place for cultists.Coupled with this person's words before death.It was as if this group of guys sacrificed their lives to some evil god."Damn, could there really be those things?"Thinking of this, he couldn't help but subconsciously swallow a mouthful of saliva.Rather than facing ghosts, gods, and the like, he was much more willing to face those cyberpsychos.At least this group of guys was realistic, not magical at all.However, just as he was preparing to turn around to check the other corpses, a shard suddenly popped out from the neck of this dead Maelstrom member."Shard?"He carefully removed it from the corpse and stared at it for a moment."How about... taking a look at the contents?"A shard was generally a tool used to record events, something similar to a memo.Generally, some important data was stored on it.Therefore, if he wanted to know what happened here, he could only probe the contents within.Unless he didn't want to get this high commission fee."Whatever, so be it."He ultimately chose to plug the shard into his slot.Accompanied by the manifestation of blue light in his eyes, he saw the contents of this shard.[The time has come.]tutu.jpg43. The Resurrected Zarya Hughes[The time has come.]There was only such a simple title, and the rest of the contents were a bunch of encrypted garbled code."Damn, these madmen actually learned how to encrypt shards? System, can you crack it."[Ding, cracking...]Taking advantage of the time the system was cracking, he also inspected the other corpses around.This group of funeral-accompanying guys without exception were all Maelstrom members.Besides that, in the corner of the nearby bushes there were intestines and viscera left all over the floor, plus an unnamed corpse with its belly hollowed out—not to mention how disgusting that scene was.The oncoming fishy stench almost made him throw up his breakfast.If he guessed correctly, this group of Maelstrompeople used this person's blood to set all this up.And in the freezer placed right in the center, there was also a corpse.It was a woman named Zarya Hughes, wearing Maelstrom's iconic red-glow cyberware eye on her face, so he knew what background this woman had without even guessing.It was just a pity that this guy was already dead. Judging by the situation, this should be the target Regina Jones asked him to find, because she had the standard configuration of cyberpsycho—Sandevistan and Kerenzikov, plus mantis blades.But the question came.What was the purpose of these guys doing this?And if this cyber female psycho was already dead, what was the meaning of Regina Jones asking him to come here?Just as he was pondering the reasons behind it, his cyberware eye suddenly malfunctioned, and the snow flurries before his eyes flashed past.It was as if someone swept a current across his visual nerve, or the condition when a Relic malfunctioned.At the same time, a strange sound suddenly came from within the site.That sound was as if someone suddenly ran past in front of him."Who?!"He immediately arched his waist, exposed his wolf claws to build up strength in secret, and was vigilant of everything around him, ready to pounce and kill everything at any time.But unfortunately, no situation was found.However, just as he was about to turn his head back, that feeling came again, and the snow flurries before his eyes flashed past once more.At the same time, the nerves in front of his forehead were also throbbing, and a bad premonition spread from the bottom of his heart."The f*ck... no way? Don't tell me there really are ghosts and monsters..."He got a bit timid, slowly retreating backwards step by step, preparing to leave this place.Under the current situation, anyone would be scared.However, the next second, the voice that suddenly sounded in his brain startled him.[Ding, cracking complete.]