Chapter 36He couldn't figure out what the voice actually was at all; he only felt a shudder run down his spine and instantly whirled around to slash backward.Swish——The sharp long claws swept across the surface of the abandoned toolbox, leaving three deep claw marks on it.Only then did he realize that this was the system's voice."Damn it, do you have to be so terrifying?"However, the system completely ignored his grumbling and repeated what it said earlier once more.[Ding, the hacking is complete.]"Alright, alright, I got it."He waved his hand irritably, but just as he was about to check the content after the hack, an unusual noise came from behind him again.Clatter——Splash——It was the sound of water.He was very certain of this.Then the question arose, where would the sound of water come from in a place like this?Thinking of this, fine cold sweat instantly beaded on his forehead as he slowly turned his somewhat stiff body.To his surprise, the female corpse that had previously been lying in the freezer was slowly crawling out from the floor.Then, the static before his eyes flickered once more.When it recovered, the female corpse was already standing on the ground, completely naked except for the parts covering her key areas.Moreover, a pair of menacing mantis blades were revealed on her two arms.What the hell... Is a corpse reviving?"Gulp..."He swallowed subconsciously, but it was precisely because of this subtle sound that he drew the female corpse's attention.With a quick swish, she turned her head. The resurrected Zarya stared closely at him with those clusters of cybernetic eyes resembling compound eyes, the corners of her mouth slowly spreading into a grin."It's the blasphemer! Chop him into pieces!"This sudden shout startled him so much that he quickly looked left and right. However, the few Maelstrom corpses lying around did not revive like Zarya.This also made him let out a sigh of relief instantly.What the heck, making a fuss over nothing...It was just a cyberpsycho talking to herself...He had already seen through Zarya's true colors.But just as he was dazed for a moment, Zarya had already activated her Sandevistan, teleporting in a flurry of swishes right in front of him, swinging the mantis blades on her arms toward his neck.It was as if she wanted to use this blow to chop off his head and sacrifice it to the evil god.However..."Since I know you're a cyberpsycho, there's nothing to be afraid of anymore!"A subtle arc slowly curved up the corner of his mouth, and he immediately used the Sandevistan. A current surging up from his spine instantly reduced time to ten percent.The world in his eyes seemed to have stopped at this very moment.Seeing this, Zarya also used her Sandevistan, but a mere military-grade one was simply no match for an experimental-grade one.Her speed completely failed to keep up with David Martinez's movements.While the mantis blades were still striving to slash downward, he had already arrived behind Zarya."Since you're a dead person, get the hell back into your grave properly!!!"As if to vent the gloomy air in his heart, he put all his strength into this punch.Even in this world almost equivalent to time-stoppage, his punch produced a sonic boom.Squish——The sharp wolf claws pierced into the flesh first, and immediately afterward, the flow of time resumed.The fist hit Zarya's spine fiercely. With a loud crack, Zarya's body turned into a cannonball and flew out instantly.Thud——She slammed hard into the wall, and accompanied by rising dust, her entire body was embedded in it.This blow seemed to have broken Zarya's spine."Tch, telling you to scare me, serves you right!"Looking at the woman embedded in the wall like a mural, he spat contemptuously.Then he opened the decrypted shard from the system.Although the mastermind had been brought to justice, he was still quite interested in the contents above.But after reading it, it made him somewhat doubt life itself.[The lads have prepared everything and even found a fat sheep for me.Blood will flow through the optical fibers, swirling and fusing in the digital world, opening the door to the abyss.Death is close at hand, and the tip of my tongue can taste the metallic flavor of his scythe.I will grab hold of destiny's entangled cables. Hardware reboot, blue screen, brain formatting... I am ready.Luck is with me.]"Shit, what kind of nonsense is this?"The whole passage was filled with weirdness, and madness oozed between the lines.These words felt as if they were spoken right out of Prophet Garry's mouth... No, to be precise, even more insane than that."Could this be a common trait of cyberpsychos?"He gently rubbed his chin, falling into deep thought as he looked at the contents of the shard."Heh... hehe..."Right at this moment, the eerie laughter came again.It was emitted by Zarya, who was embedded in the wall.At this point, Zarya had already twisted her neck to ninety degrees, and she was still struggling, trying to cast her gaze toward him."This woman..."Seeing this bizarre scene, he walked over slowly, grabbed the woman's arm, and gave it a hard tug.Whoosh——The woman was dragged down, and at the same time, the scattered rocks buried half of her body.But Zarya seemed not to feel any of this, still gazing at him with those cybernetic eyes glowing with an eerie red light.That look was as if she wanted to engrave his appearance deep into her memory.But what kind of look was that? It felt like a crazy demon ready to devour people.Yet it was still hidden beneath this seemingly human shell for now."What do you want? Trying to kill me with your gaze?"Saying that, he even gave Zarya's arm a few forceful tugs."Heeheehee..."That eerie laughter came out of Zarya's mouth once again, but this time she didn't look at him anymore; instead, her head tilted to the side and she slumped there.Motionless, just like she was dead."Shit, she wouldn't be dead, would she?!"If she dies here, my pay is going to be deducted, ancestor!Startled, he quickly checked.Fortunately, it was just an ordinary faint, but what on earth was this situation?And that final gaze, why did it feel like this fellow was saying— "I will definitely come back!"44. Let's go, bro will take you to wipe out Maelstrom!"Ding——"It was Regina making contact.It was just in the form of a message rather than a phone call.Regina Jones: "By the way, I forgot to tell you. Not long ago, an NCPD drone discovered some strange symbols appearing on the ground... with a large amount of blood around. Preliminary guess is that Maelstrom is messing with their perverted rituals again."Looking at the message sent by this cyber pirate lady, the corner of his eye couldn't help twitching.I've fucking finished all the work, and you're telling me this now?!Regina probably didn't expect his movements to be so fast.David Martinez: "Forget it, please tell me earlier next time for things like this. I've already finished the work on my end."David Martinez: "However, judging from the scene, these guys were indeed doing some strange perverted ritual; there are intestines and stomachs everywhere. Besides a few Maelstrom scum, there is also an unnamed deceased person, and the symbols on the ground were drawn with this poor guy's blood."David Martinez: "Judging from the information on the shard, it's estimated that the lunatic named Zarya Hughes intended to upload her own brain to the net, or have a rogue AI from the net descend, or something like that."David Martinez: "From the current situation, this bunch of scum can be considered to have failed, but fortunately, the cyberpsycho named Zarya is still alive."He sent everything he knew over, but he didn't mention the anomaly before Zarya's coma or the previous cybernetic eye malfunction, nor was there any need to mention it.After all, maybe his own cybernetic eyes had suddenly malfunctioned for all he knew.And that bizarre behavior—who knew if this psycho was originally like that.Right after that, he suddenly remembered what the last Maelstrom member said before dying.David Martinez: "By the way, do you know what Lilith's Tenth Holy Ring and the Ancestor's Eyes are? One of the scum died a bit later, and kept muttering about these things right before death."Regina Jones: "Not clear, I don't have relevant data here, but I will follow up on the investigation and can notify you if there's any news. Thank you for sparing Zarya Hughes's life; it's estimated that she will play a huge role in the cure for cyberpsychosis... Oh right, I'll transfer the reward to your account in a moment."David Martinez: "Yeah, then how should this cyberpsycho be dealt with?"Regina Jones: "I'ratherll send someone to retrieve her in a moment."After finishing the final communication, he closed the window and then received the funds sent by Regina."Tch, only eight thousand? Is this fellow really worth so little?"He looked down at Zarya lying motionless on the ground and complained silently.Honestly, dismembering and selling this female cyberpsycho would fetch more than this amount.For instance, the Sandevistan, Kerenzikov, mantis blades, plus a whole bunch of netrunner modified cyberware and plugins.Not only that, this fellow actually still had a wanted bounty from the NCPD.Having once stolen valuable corporate assets, assaulted NCPD officers and public officials, and possessed military-grade drugs..."Tsk tsk tsk, appearances can be deceiving... And this outfit, it truly has a cyberpunk style..."Naked, yet not entirely naked, half-hidden behind a pipa like description or whatever.Right at this moment, looking at the quote given by the system, he suddenly seemed to think of something."Right, why don't I uninstall the mantis blades on this woman and sell them for money?"A bold idea slowly surfaced in his mind, and the corners of his mouth curved up slightly.Anyway, Regina wants her alive, not intact. Having a few fewer parts... shouldn't be a problem.After all, catching a cyberpsycho, and wanting her alive at that—isn't missing arms and legs completely normal?Let's just consider this as compensation for his emotional distress.
Chapter 37"Let's do it!"As if finding a reason to pry off someone else's cyberware, he slowly squatted down and sat on Zarya, using his wolf claws to gradually dismember the two second-hand mantis blades.Looking from not far away, one could even see Zarya, pinned underneath him, her legs trembling incessantly with his movements.Every time the claws sank in by a fraction, a bit of blood would spurt out, and Zarya's legs would twitch violently once, shaking even the rubble pressing against her lower body off to the side.It didn't completely stop until the moment the surgery was finished.[Ding, salvage complete, ten thousand eurodollars credited.]"Mhm, that's more like it."Looking at the extra ten thousand bucks in his account, he nodded with satisfaction.This way, he definitely didn't lose out—he made a killing!It's just a pity that the military-grade Sandevistanand Kerenzikov couldn't be salvaged, even though these two things were clearly the most valuable ones...Standing up and walking over to sit on an abandoned crate, he looked at the pale woman who was now missing both arms, a look of regret flashing in his eyes.At this point, he could be considered to have completely integrated into Night City.Dismantling cyberware like this was no different from what Scavengers did, but at least he only operated on dead people, or spared their lives.Unlike those kidney-snatchers who harvested people's organs without even giving them anesthesia...What kind of cyber northern Myanmar was this?"Ding—"At that moment, the familiar melody rang out once again."Maine? Why are you suddenly calling me?"Seeing the name displayed on the caller ID, he was somewhat curious."Kid, there's a job. Get to the Afterlife right now and assemble," Maine said on the other end of the phone."Understood, I'll be right there."Maine's voice sounded a bit strange, carrying a tiny hint of anxiety amidst the seriousness. Not daring to delay too much, he quickly hailed a cab and headed for the Afterlife."What's the situation? Why is it suddenly so urgent?"Inside the Afterlife, he looked at everyone sitting on the sofa and said.It was extremely rare for everyone to be present this time.Usually, either Falco wasn't around or Lucy wasn't there, but today both of them had arrived, and their faces wore somewhat solemn expressions."What on earth is going on, everyone?"Suddenly, he noticed that it didn't seem to be everyone after all; that crazy loli who was usually around wasn't here today.So, he asked, "Where's Rebecca? Where did she go?"Rebecca wasn't as finicky as Falco and Lucy; basically, whenever the team showed up, she would be there.But today..."Rebecca's been grabbed," Dorio said slowly."Huh? Dorio, what did you say? I didn't catch that, say it again."Dorio didn't answer his question; instead, Mainetook over the conversation and said calmly, "That's why I suddenly called you over. Rebecca was snatched by those Maelstrom dog bastards."When mentioning the three words Maelstrom, a rare trace of anger surfaced on Maine's face, and the wine bottle in his hand instantly shattered into pieces.Pale yellow beer slowly flowed out from between his fingers.This was the first time a crew member had been captured by a gang.And it was by those lunatics from Maelstrom."...Mhm, I understand. What are their demands?"David's unexpected calmness surprised Mainesomewhat.This hot-blooded kid was actually this calm?It didn't feel like David's style, but he didn't say much else."Maelstrom's leader—Brian, wants us to bring fifty thousand eddies to the All Foods Plant in the North District to ransom her.""Just like that?""That's right, just like that.""Tsk..."Hearing Maine's answer, he couldn't help but click his tongue and say, "If that's the case... Maine, you should've just told me over the phone."His words made Maine freeze for a moment."I was running a gig right near the plant in Watson's North District at the time."His little gaze was filled with resentment and grievance.After all this commotion, it turned out Rebecca had been captured, making him run all the way over from Watson's North District. If he had known, he would have gone straight to Maelstrom's lair—the All Foods Plant.And collected some emotional distress damages from them by the way."Forget it, leave this matter to me, Maine. I'll go rescue Rebecca.""By yourself? Can you handle it?"Maine slightly furrowed his brow, his eyes beneath his sunglasses revealing seriousness.He called David here preparing to attack Maelstrom's lair together, but now David was taking total responsibility all by himself?Yet before he could continue saying anything, David's voice rang out once more, "Rest assured, just leave everything to me."The moment his words fell, David's figure had already vanished from their field of vision."This kid..."Actually, his calmness was not only because he already knew Rebecca would be captured by the gang, but also because he understood those lunatics in Maelstrom.Those lunatics were famous for extreme cruelty and public gang executions.Therefore, if it weren't for plotting something, Rebecca would have long since been turned into Rebecca-flavored canned food by now.However, what he was even more curious about was what on earth Rebecca had done to get caught by these lunatics."David, wait a moment!"Just as he was about to hijack a taxi by the roadside, a familiar shout suddenly came from behind him."Lucy? Why did you follow me? Didn't we agree I'd handle it by myself?"To be honest, this kind of thing was better handled with fewer people.What's more, Lucy was a netrunner, not suited for a frontal assault.However, Lucy didn't immediately answer his doubt. Instead, she walked to his side, stood together with him by the roadside, glanced at him slightly, lit a cigarette, and said calmly,"Didn't I say it long ago? We'll be good partners."This sentence left him slightly stunned, his heart moved a little, and he muttered to himself:"...Good partners? Yeah, good partners..."A meaningful smile instantly surfaced on his face.Such a tsundere Lucy..."Since that's the case, then wait for me a moment, let me call someone else.""Mhm?"Lucy looked at him with some confusion.Anyway, now that there was an out-of-plan Lucy, he didn't mind adding one more; besides, this could also be considered pre-class training for that person.Thus, under Lucy's gaze, he dialed a phone call."Hello? I've got a gig on hand right now, you taking it or not?"45. Let's Go Take Down These Little BastardsAfternoon, near dusk.The sky of Night City was dyed blood-red by the setting sun, and the night veil slowly rose from the east.Watson, All Foods Plant in the North District.Outside the factory building, Lucy and he saw a burly, brawny man."Hey, Jackie!""Oh, David, you're finally here."Sitting on the curb, Jackie saw the two people walking over from afar, stood up, and waved to greet them."Have you been waiting long?""Nah, just about this time. My old lady is probably nagging about me at home right now.""Is that so? Then I'm truly sorry. Help me apologize to Mrs. Welles when you get back."He shook Jackie's large hands tightly.That's right, he intended to give Jackie a preliminary rehearsal lesson first, and beat up this bunch of little bastards from Maelstrom.Just right, Jackie wanted to make a name for himself now, and using a gang as a stepping stone couldn't be more appropriate.But Jackie's gaze fell upon the young girl beside him."This is...""Oh, she's Lucy, my partner. She's the one who pulled me into Maine's crew." While introducing Lucy to Jackie, he turned his head back to introduce Lucy: "This is Jackie Welles, a good friend I made in Night City, and also the assistant for this operation.""Hola, chica."Jackie politely extended his hand, but Lucy showed no intention of acknowledging it. Instead, she looked at David with a gaze that seemed to say— "Can this foolish big guy actually cut it?"This also made Jackie somewhat awkward."Ahaha, sorry about that, my partner is just like this, a bit antisocial, but she's definitely a reliable netrunner."He immediately stepped forward to try and ease the awkwardness."It's fine." Jackie retracted his hand and foolishly scratched his head. "However, what's our objective this time? Can we just storm straight in and wipe out this bunch of pups?""No." David shook his head. "Our target this time is Maelstrom's leader—Brian Frosch, and we need to rescue a girl named Rebecca from his hands. She's my teammate, and she accidentally got hijacked by these bastards."He slowly recounted the intelligence Lucy had given him in the car."¡Dios mío! (Good grief!)" Jackie felt somewhat surprised. "Do these guys nowadays dare to pull off stunts right under the tiger's nose?"Since Rebecca was said to be David's teammate, Jackie naturally assumed that this girl named Rebecca was a member of Maine's crew.Although he knew those augmentation freaks were a bunch of lunatics who never followed street rules, daring to hijack the notorious Maine's crew meant these people really didn't want to live anymore."Uh-huh, who asked them to be Maelstrom, a bunch of clueless lunatics." David shrugged helplessly. "So, our operation this time is very simple: go inside, take out that damn bastard Brian, and rescue Rebeccasafe and sound.""Jackie, follow behind me for a bit and wait for my signal before moving. Then Lucy will be responsible for hacking into their surveillance and finding a way to give them a surprise.""Alright, no problem." Lucy maintained her usual indifferent expression."Rest assured, leave it to me!"Jackie patted the pistol tucked into his waistband, looking full of confidence."Then that's it, let's go meet this bunch of scum.""Alright, then let's knock on the door first and see if anyone makes a sound."Jackie took the lead, swaggering toward the main entrance of the All Foods Plant with no intention of entering a tiger's den whatsoever, constantly complaining aloud: "I hate this bunch of augmentation freaks the most..."Jackie Welles was a mature mercenary, and even more of an excellent assassin.If placed in the Western era, he would definitely be an outstanding sharpshooter or bounty hunter.What was lacking now was merely fame.
Chapter 38However, this scene inevitably evoked his memories of going to " buy " the flathead with Jackie in the game.But right now, the only thing missing was that infamous Mighty V.Just at this moment, Lucy, who had been silent the entire time, suddenly spoke up: " I didn't expect you to actually be good at these things. "The magnificent eyes looking at him revealed a hint of curiosity.From the task allocation and action plan just now, as well as how he used to work, he didn't look like a newcomer at all, but rather like a veteran.If not for David Martinez's age right there, she would have suspected whether David Martinez was retired from some battlefield." Of course, I am good at a lot of things, you'll know all about it in the future. " He said with a mysterious tone." Mhm~ That must be what Maine taught well. "Lucy smiled, turned around, and walked toward a corner on the outer edge of the plant.After all these days, this was the first time he saw Lucy show a smile toward him.He gazed at Lucy's slender back for a moment, then followed Jackie's pace to the front door of the All Foods Plant, and pressed the intercom call button." Hmm? Who are you? " The person on the other end of the intercom asked impatiently.It sounded as though their nose was plugged up by those things sold on Jig-Jig Street." I'm here to ransom someone. "Although he also deeply disliked this bunch of guys lingering on the edge of cyberpsychosis, he still tried to speak in a friendly tone: " Brian Frosh asked me to come. "" Oh? So it's you guys. "The voice on the other end seemed to carry a bit of mocking intent, " Go to the server room, we're waiting for you. "As the voice fell, the roller shutter at the entrance retracted with a rustling rattle.A wave of " meat smell " suddenly hit his face.David Martinez slightly frowned and slowed his breathing, because this " meat smell " was really unpleasant, and he couldn't find any vocabulary to describe this scent.It was like the smell of disinfectant and a morgue mixed with a slaughterhouse.However, Jackie acted like nothing was wrong and swaggered right in." Oh my, they're quite well-prepared. "Two machine gun turrets stood straight at the entrance of the passage, creaking and spinning around randomly.Jackie walked around these two things to take a look, then cast his gaze toward the dim surroundings, where many empty shelves were placed." The atmosphere is not bad, it would be even better to plant two pots of flowers. "" Give me a break, let this bunch of bastards grow flowers? They'd probably grow contraband from decades ago. " David Martinez chimed in, joking about Maelstrom along with Jackie.Fortunately, there were no monitors here, otherwise these people would have already chosen to start a fight before the two of them even arrived at the place." But then again, this group's awareness of defense is still quite decent. "He was referring to the two heavy machine guns outside the door.At a glance, you could tell those things weren't ordinary goods, probably snatched from some corporation's hands." Uh, they should all be equipment snatched from a transport team... Hmph, eighty percent of them are armed to the teeth. " Jackie unmercifully complained, which showed he truly detested Maelstrom to the extreme.The two of them chatted casually like this, just like strolling through their own backyard.46. What's wrong with playing with you? Playing with you is exactly what I'm doing!" Looks like there are quite a lot of people. "They came to a place similar to a workshop.Looking at those maniacs ahead sitting on instruments or boxes, holding heavy firepower, and modifying themselves beyond recognition like cyber zombies, he couldn't help but make a sarcastic remark.These guys were, without exception, all members of Maelstrom.But there were no familiar faces from his impression.For example, Royce or Dum Dum or something.True, if those two fellows were here, it probably wouldn't be someone named Brian acting as the shot-caller." Hey, you two, get in the elevator quickly! Two fucking cowards. "Suddenly, such a voice came over.David Martinez immediately stopped in his tracks and cast his gaze over; it was a bizarre weirdo sitting on a box running his mouth dirty up there." Heh, you really dare to talk... "He slowly revealed a genial yet terrifying smile, looking ready to take action.But he was grabbed by the arm by Jackie." Hey buddy, calm down, don't forget our purpose for coming this time. ""... "He didn't speak, just took a deep look at that piece of scum, as if wanting to burn that guy's appearance into his memory.Once they dealt with upstairs later, he'd come back down to finish off this little bastard.Then he turned around and walked into the elevator following Jackie.However, no one pressed a floor button, and the elevator started up with a rumble, slowly ascending.Jackie leaned against the gate door and advised in a low voice: " Remember to stay calm, David, don't forget our purpose, be careful. "He knew this too; although smashing this bunch of bastards to pieces was inevitable, now wasn't the time yet.So he nodded: " I know. "Ding——The elevator reached the upper floor.As the gate opened, inside the server room filled with monitors and various machines, stood a group of guys with glowing red cyberware eyes.There were both men and women, and with a rough glance, there were about ten people.Not counting the two netrunners lying in the two runner chairs.One of the women was dressed in a typical cyberpunk style—the kind that was almost scantily clad, but she had three pectoral muscles.It was a bit blinding to the eyes.And the only one sitting down was a guy who looked somewhat similar to Dum Dum, but with a bull nose ring hanging from his nose, looking at them with a mocking smile." Yo, where's that guy Maine? How come they sent a brat still drinking milk? And fucking brought a babysitter along? Hahahaha! "All the Maelstrom members present started laughing along, their noisy laughter agitating his nerves and piercing his eardrums.Nevertheless, David Martinez still looked unconcerned." Heh, you must be Brian Frosh, right? "" Oh ho? Quite a backbone, come over and let's chat. "Brian waved his hand at him, and he didn't stand on ceremony either, sitting down boldly right opposite this group of people." Did you bring the money? "" Let me see Rebecca first. "As soon as his voice fell, Brian immediately pulled a handgun from behind his waist and fiercely pressed it against his forehead: " I fucking asked you if you brought the money! "Seeing this posture, Jackie subconsciously reached for the handgun at his waist, but was held down by him with one hand." Hey buddy, don't get excited, if you don't let me see Rebecca, there's no way you'll see the money. " He said in an indifferent tone, completely not taking the gun pressed against his forehead seriously.But Brian pressed it against him harder once more." Stop fucking bargaining with me! Believe it or not, I'll blow your brains out with one shot! "" Believe it, of course I believe it, you guys are all notorious crazy freaks, what wouldn't you do? " David Martinez maintained a calm attitude and said mockingly.But then his tone abruptly changed: " However... if you shoot and kill me, you won't get a single penny. "" Aren't you guys after money? "Hearing his words, Brian froze for a moment, seeming to ponder, yet also seeming hesitant." I didn't expect you kid to have quite some guts. "Saying that, he put the handgun away on the table, sat back down on the sofa, and then gave his subordinate a look." Let him see that little girl. "Squeak——The subordinate beside him opened the refrigerator placed right here.Rebecca could be seen tied up like a rice dumpling and stuffed inside.Not to mention, this refrigerator was just like it was tailor-made for Rebecca, fitting her completely inside with even some gaps to spare." Mmm mmm mmm—— "Seeing David Martinez sitting right there, Rebeccaimmediately began to struggle.It was as though she was asking him " why did you come alone. "But David Martinez gave her a reassuring look." Alright, you've already seen the person, where's the money? "" Hmm... "David Martinez fell into contemplation on the surface, but secretly communicated with Lucy." How's the preparation going? "" Already OK, we can make a move anytime. "Hearing Lucy's reassuring response, he couldn't help but smile." Alright then, make a move when you hear gunshots later. "" No problem. "Afterward, he gave another look to Jackie standing beside him.Jackie immediately understood tacitly and quietly groped for the handgun at his waist." Brat, I'm asking you, where is the fucking money? "" Money? What money? Are you going to give me some money? " David Martinez asked back with an innocent smile.This instantly infuriated Brian." Fuck, you dare to play with me! "Just as Brian intended to pick up his handgun, the db-2 satara behind David Martinez had already appeared in his hand.The pitch-black muzzle pressed right against Brian's glowing red cyberware eye." Go to hell, you stinky asshole! "Bang——Gunshot rings out, life lost.Brian's head exploded following his action of pulling the trigger, just like a watermelon.Bright red juices repainted the concrete floor along with the surrounding walls and vending machines.The blasted steel nails pierced through three or four subordinates behind him, turning them into a sieve, and even left clear nail marks on the explosion-proof door behind them.At the same time, the netrunner lying on the chair connected to the entire All Foods Plant network also shuddered, and was burned to death on the spot.Their entire body's nerves were smoking.And over on Jackie's side, he smoothly took out the Maelstrom member closest to him." Fuck, take them down! "Bang——
Chapter 39David, having just reloaded his weapon, immediately shifted his muzzle toward the shouting bastard and pulled the trigger once more. The unlucky fellow was blown straight into a pile of mangled flesh by the blast, crashing into the netrunner chair.The equipment was completely ruined along with him."Holy shit, badass."The sheer power of that shot almost left Jackiedumbfounded.He looked at the shotgun in David's hand, then down at the little pistol in his own.By comparison, it looked like a squirt gun."Oh, you know how it is."He responded with a smile while calmly pulling new bullets from his pocket to reload.Killing these punks, to be honest, wasn't even as thrilling as fighting cyberpsychos.They couldn't even dodge bullets; what kind of trash were they?However, that guy's shouting also summoned several other standby members.The nearest roller shutter rose, and a few Maelstrom members rushed out from inside.But the moment the door opened, with their big, bulbous, lightbulb-like eyes, they instantly froze in place.Dark, pitch-black muzzles were pointing right at them."Surprise Motherfucker ~"Bang——Another shot rang out, and these unlucky bastards were instantly shredded into pieces by the flying steel nails.However, right at that moment, Lucy's call came through again."I've taken care of the people on the first floor... Careful!"The moment her voice trailed off, the roller shutter on the elevated platform diagonally above rose, and another red-eyed freak ran out from inside, wielding a D5 Copperhead with the muzzle already aimed at them."Watch out!"Jackie shouted out loudly.But from this direction, there was nothing he could do.Yet before David could use his Sandevistan, a gunshot rang out from above.Bang——The head of the person above bloomed on the spot.At the same time, a massive figure walked out from the doorway."...Maine?"Author's Note and Bounty SettlementAs the title suggests, I completely forgot about getting published and just kept writing.When I started this book, it was actually because my original zombie apocalypse novel tanked—totally flopped—so I just lost my head and started this one.I wasn't expecting to make big bucks, just hoping to make up for some inner regrets?I just hope it lets me put food on the table for the last few months of the year...Some might say I'm following the plotlines too closely, but I feel that Trigger's early plot is fantastic, and there's no need for any major modifications.However, the subsequent plot will undergo significant changes.Maybe some people will think what I write isn't that interesting and is quite boring.Well, nothing can be done about that; after all, my ability only goes this far, and I've been trying my absolute hardest to write it well.Afterwards, besides Edgerunners content, the subsequent chapters will also feature 2077 plotlines, though this part of the plot might undergo major changes (unless I temporarily modify the outline I prepared).By the way, massive updates today.That's about all I have to say.Now, let's talk about the bounties.Monthly votes 224-581, owing 3 chapters.Recommendation votes 1513-6560, owing 5 chapters.Tips 6688-31428, owing 3 chapters.Blades 44-231, owing 2 chapters.A total of 13 chapters, 2K words per chapter.Roughly like that.47. When a Chatterbox Encounters an LSP (1 / 13)"...Maine? You guys..."The people who arrived were not just Maine, but also Kiwi, Dorio, and Pilar, with Falco standing by in the car outside.Everyone was here."Kid, how could we possibly let you handle a job like this all by yourself?"Maine wore his signature smile as he leaped down from above, landing with a loud thud!It was lucky enough that this tonnage didn't smash right through the floor."Still, nice work."His gaze swept slightly around the surroundings, finding not a single living creature; basically, all those Maelstrom scum had been killed with a single blow.Dead as dead could be.As for the guys on the two netrunner chairs, although one of them had been knocked over, black smoke could still be clearly seen rising from it.It was obviously Lucy's handiwork, showing that they had made a detailed plan before arriving rather than barging in recklessly.Maine expressed satisfaction and relief.The little guy in front of him was no longer that reckless, hot-headed brat who did things without any method.Next, Maine's gaze fell upon the man standing beside David."Is he a helper you found? Looks like he's in the biz.""That's right, Jackie Welles, my good friend." He nodded, then turned around to introduce them: "This is Maine, and beside him are Dorio, Kiwi, and Pilar."As each member climbed down the ladder from above, he introduced them to Jackie one by one."Holy shit, they're the real deal!"Jackie found it hard to believe that these famous figures from Afterlife would one day appear right in front of him, but he suddenly realized that saying it like that was a bit impolite."Uh... no, I mean... I'm Jackie Welles, from Heywood, formerly a member of the Valentinos... I'm a huge fan of you guys."This remark surprised Maine and the others.They were being idolized?This seemed to be the first time for something like this."Alright, this isn't the place for chit-chat. You can chat all you want once we get outside."He reached out and patted Jackie on the shoulder, who was much taller than him, speaking calmly while holding back a smile.Jackie acting like a starstruck bumpkin was just too hilarious.But then again, from a certain perspective, Maineand Jackie actually seemed quite a match.Two rough guys, goofy big dolts, the best big bros.Afterwards, they returned the way Maine had come and left the food factory.Along the way, Jackie chattered away with them like a chatterbox.It was no wonder; after all, Jackie's dream was to become a famous big shot in Night City, leaving the Valentinos for ideals and money to become a bottom-rung mercenary, striving in this man-eating City of Dreams.Now that he got to see the hot-shot big names in Afterlife, how could he not be excited?But unfortunately, whether it was Dorio, Rebecca, or Kiwi, they all wore helpless expressions and didn't want to engage.Only Pilar kept chiming in.A goofy chatterbox meeting a trollish pervert created a subtle chemical reaction, acting like a pair of clowns cracking dirty jokes all the way.However, compared to the progenitor of dirty jokes—Johnny Silverhand—they still lacked a bit of skill; these were all things Silverhand had long since played out."Hey buddy, I'll head out first then. My mom's probably getting anxious waiting," Jackie said to David."OK, I'll wire the money to your account in a moment. Remember to say hello to Mrs. Welles for me."David waved goodbye to Jackie, then shifted his gaze across the street.A van was parked there, with Falco sitting in the driver's seat, while Lucy stood outside leaning against the car door, quietly smoking a cigarette."Good job.""Mhm." Lucy simply replied with a nasal grunt, then left the car door and walked into the distance."Hey, Lucy, where are you going?""No, I want to walk back and catch some breeze."Lucy didn't even turn her head as she slowly walked along the road.Seeing this, he hurriedly jogged up to catch her, walking side-by-side with the girl: "Then I'll accompany you."Lucy didn't respond, just kept moving forward.However, based on his understanding of Lucy, silence was equivalent to tacit approval. If she wanted to refuse, Lucy would state it bluntly rather than stay silent."Tch, these two kids..."The corners of Maine's mouth curved up slightly in an auntie-like smile.From his perspective, Lucy's attitude toward David wasn't as exaggerated as David claimed.On the contrary, Lucy was gradually accepting David, and he also noticed that many times Lucy's gaze would linger on David.Take today's incident, for example.Back at Afterlife, when David left, none of them had reacted in time, except for Lucy, who was the first to run out.Wasn't that obvious enough?But for some reason, the two of them had never taken that final step.He thought perhaps David lacked a certain courage to step forward, or maybe the two of them still lacked a certain catalyst."Hey, David!"Right at this moment, Rebecca, who had just gotten into the car, spotted the two strolling ahead and hurriedly got out to chase after them."Hey!"Just as Maine was about to speak up, Kiwi chimed in: "Well, I want to take a walk too."She also got out of the car on her own accord.Following closely were Dorio and Pilar; the two of them also successively got out of the car and chose to walk."Tch, so willful..."Watching the line of people walking ahead, Mainecurled his lips.How could he possibly not know what these folks were thinking?Weren't they just wanting to watch the drama between David and Lucy? But did they have to go this far?However, although he thought that way in his heart, his body was very honest. He opened the car door and got out as well, instructing: "Falco, you drive back first.""Yes, yes... You guys sure are a buzzkill. I was originally planning to go grab a drink."Sitting in the driver's seat, middle-aged uncle Falco, dressed like a butler, shook his head regretfully, but obediently drove the car away.
Chapter 40He didn't want to get involved in this kind of youngsters' business.Besides, he was driving, so there was no way he could join in anyway....Watson, Northside.Evening had already arrived, and night was beginning to fall.The group of them was wandering aimlessly near the factories in Northside.Maine had his arm around Dorio, Kiwi followed behind with a look of someone watching a good show, and Pilar, as if infected by Jackie, had turned into a foul-mouthed chatterbox muttering all the way, which caused Lucy to involuntarily wear an expression of disgust.Only Rebecca kept striking up conversations with David."Hey, David.""What is it?""Thanks for coming to save me today.""Well, you're welcome." Walking along, David slowly crossed his arms behind his head and said leisurely, "You're my teammate, and my friend too. How could I possibly stand by and watch you die?""That's true, but I'm still very grateful to you, David."Rebecca walked beside him with a smile on her face, recalling everything that had happened back at Maelstrom."No matter what, I was still really touched that you charged into Maelstrom's lair all by yourself.""Really? But Lucy and Jackie deserve credit for that too."Even though he could have done it alone anyway."Hehehe… You're right."Rebecca chuckled, but she suddenly noticed that David had stopped in his tracks, and his gaze had grown somewhat solemn."David?"48. The wheels of history rumble along (2 / 13)"David?"Rebecca's cry immediately caught everyone's attention, and they stopped in their tracks and turned to look at David."What's wrong?""Look over there."He gently tossed his head and motioned with his chin towards the distance.Their gazes shifted accordingly, and they saw a very sloppy guy standing on a shipping container, urinating into an iron drum below."It's a cyberpsycho.""What did you say?!"David's solemn tone, coupled with the word cyberpsycho, made everyone become alert.However, the most baffled one of all was David.He had heard about this cyberpsycho some days ago when he brushed past the NCPD on the road.There was a wandering cyberpsycho near the factories in Watson's Northside who had killed quite a few patrol officers with just a launcher, yet had never been caught.He immediately guessed that this was the very one Maine and the others would encounter later on.For this reason, he had searched for this guy for a long time, and even called Regina just to find him.The goal was to take this guy out before Maine's crew encountered him.But unfortunately, neither Regina nor he himself had managed to find this guy.He hadn't expected that Maine and the others would run into him now."Maine, what should we do?" Dorio asked."Hmm…"Maine let out a murmur, falling into thought to weigh the pros and cons."Let's contact MAX-TAC and leave it to the professionals." Just as Maine was pondering, David suddenly suggested, "Last time on the monorail, the captain of MAX-TAC happened to leave me her number.""Yeah, let's do that."Hearing his words, Maine made an immediate decision.And David walked aside to start dialing Melissa Rory's number.Taking out this cyberpsycho wasn't a difficult task for their crew; even he himself could do it.But he didn't want to do that.After all, there were too many variables, and he didn't want to gamble with the lives of these lovely folks.Especially Pilar.Although this guy was erratic and a lech full of foul jokes, he was still a decent sort.At least to him, he was pretty all right.Therefore, if he could be saved, it was better to save him."Yo, kiddo, contacting me out of the blue—did you change your mind?"A very pleasant voice came from the other end of the line, but anyone in the know knew that this woman was a legendary cyberpsycho of Night City."It's not like that, Officer Rory…""Just call me Melissa.""All right, Officer Melissa, the thing is, I plan to add some performance stats to your record. A cyberpsycho has been spotted near the factories in Watson's Northside…"While he was communicating with Melissa, Maineand the others lowered their guard and began critiquing this cyberpsycho."Jeez, so loud.""And he's been peeing forever.""Annoying.""What is wrong with you? An idiot peeing in the middle of the street!" Pilar indignantly gave the international courtesy gesture to the cyberpsycho above.Seeing this scene, David didn't even know what to say.Indeed, this guy's peeing time really was very long, but did they really have to crowd around and hold a heated discussion about it?Especially you, Kiwi. What's with you, old spinster, saying it's annoying while your eyes never moved away?And you, Pilar, what the hell are you getting so worked up for?Is a cyberpsycho peeing in the street that rare?Just as he was contacting MAX-TAC and grumbling inwardly, Pilar had already run under the shipping container, clenching his fists and banging on the sheet metal."Stinky bastard, did you hear that?!"Banging the container so it made a loud thumping sound.He probably felt that his dignity as a male had been insulted?Because that cyberpsycho's pee stream was indeed very long and very loud, and there was no sign of stopping even now, just like a broken faucet that simply couldn't be shut off."Hey, hey, hey, Pilar, that guy is a cyberpsycho, get back here!""Yeah, you bastard brother, Maine is right, that guy is a cyberpsycho.""Asshole, still peeing!" As if he hadn't heard a thing, Pilar immediately reached out his upper arms to grab the edge of the container and climbed up.He even ran right up beside him, tapping the cyberpsycho's chest one by one with his slender mechanical fingers: "I'm talking to you, did you hear me?!""Listen up, you can't relieve yourself just anywhere here." He tried to teach the cyberpsycho what morality and common sense were like a teacher."You know what? This sidewalk belongs to us…""Hey, Pilar, get out of the way! Stay away from that cyberpsycho!!!"Everyone clearly saw that the cyberpsycho had inadvertently and quietly aimed one hand toward Pilar's chin area, but by the time they wanted to draw their weapons, it was already too late."Fuck, this moron!"Seeing this scene, David's pupils instantly constricted to pinpricks: "Sorry, Officer Melissa, there's a bit of an emergency here, I have to hang up. Please hurry over."He immediately hung up the phone and activated his Sandevistan."I have to make it in time!!!"Bang——Swish——Thump——Three sounds rang out simultaneously in a flash of lightning.They saw that the cyberpsycho had already flown backward, heavily slamming into the wall of the opposite factory building.Half a severed arm equipped with a launcher still remained on the container.But even so, he was still too late.Pilar's half face had been blown off by the shell fired from the launcher, his brain and modified shell clearly exposed, standing there motionlessly like a powered-down machine, life or death unknown."What the fuck…"He didn't even know who to curse at right now.Should he curse that cyberpsycho, or should he curse that moron Pilar.Why go provoke this thing for no reason? Isn't this fucking having nothing better to do?!"Bastard!!!"Rebecca completely went berserk, snatched Dorio's handgun, and started wildly doing American iaijutsu toward the dusty direction of the factory building."No one else has the right to kill him! The only one who can kill him is me!!!"Acting like a madwoman, watching her own biological brother die right in front of her.After shooting one gun dry, she would discard it and switch to another.Out of bullets? Then charge up there yourself!She was only thinking of one thing right now—taking down this cyberpsycho!"Watch out—"Bang——A shell shot out from the smoke and dust, trailing a slender exhaust flame as it flew toward Rebecca, reaching right in front of her in an instant.Swish——David moved once more, pulling Rebecca over and holding her in his arms, narrowly dodging the missile.A violent blast wave spread out from behind them."Calm down, Rebecca!""David…"Rebecca, held in his arms, seemed to recover a tiny bit of normalcy, but upon seeing the db-2 satarastrapped to his back, she went crazy again."Let me go!!!"She immediately broke free from his embrace, and while jumping out, snatched the electronic shotgun from his back, charging toward the cyberpsycho who was staggering out from the smoke and dust."Go to hell!!!"Bang——The fired steel nails missed by a fraction of a distance, hitting the cyberpsycho's shoulder and completely destroying the already armless shoulder.The powerful recoil also flipped Rebecca over, throwing her to the ground with bruises all over.But she didn't care in the least, climbing back up once more to dump out the empty shell casings and reload with fresh ammunition.
Chapter 41"I will definitely kill you!!!"49. Are you guys part of a cleanup crew? (3//13)"What a fool..."Seeing this, Maine cursed inwardly, attempting to deploy the launcher on his arm.But as luck would have it, the arm, which hadn't been maintained for a long time, malfunctioned at this moment and jammed."Damn it, right at this critical moment!"He slammed his arm fiercely, but it was still useless, and immediately turned his head and shouted: "Kiwi! Reboot Rebecca's system!""Yeah, yeah."Kiwi, hiding behind cover, had orange light flashing in her eyes, and Rebecca's head emitted a few electric arcs as if it were scorched, collapsing to the ground with a thud."David! Lucy! It's up to you two!""Leave it to us!"David activated the Sandevistan once again, instantly appearing in front of the cyberpsycho, raising his wolf claws high and bringing them down.Die, asshole!——Swoosh!"What the fuck?!"David suddenly let out a sound of surprise, seeming somewhat incredulous.The sharp blade did not cut off the cyberpsycho's head, but instead severed its other arm, with entangled wires spitting out sparks and electric arcs.In that very instant, the cyberpsycho also used the Sandevistan, and in the extremely slowed-down time, it actually managed to block his slash with its arm.Furthermore, a blade popped out from the position of its heel, stabbing toward David's chest.However, it was dodged by a backflip from him.However, what was most unbelievable to him was not how many implants this guy had installed on its body.But rather that this guy could actually keep up with his speed.It seemed the installed version was somewhat better than Zarya Hughes and Lieutenant James Norris."What the hell is the background of this guy?!""...!!"Lucy, who was trying to hack into the cyberpsycho's head, gasped sharply at this moment.Where on earth did so many military-grade ICE come from!!She had clearly forced her way through several layers of ICE blockades, but a huge bunch of dense doors popped out again to block her outside."Damn it!"Lucy, hiding behind a load-bearing steel bar, had fine sweat flowing down her forehead and slowly dripping.Her eyes constantly scanned the decryption game before her; her speed had already reached her limit at this point, but there were still many layers of defense waiting for her behind.She really hated this sense of helplessness.It felt just like the cyberpsycho she encountered on the tram when she first met David.This feeling couldn't help but make her recall when she was young, struggling to survive in the illusory Cyberspace to avoid those malicious rogue AIs, and later when escaping from the Arasaka Corporation, she could only watch helplessly as her partners died continuously.She had had enough of this feeling."What the fuck, I don't care where the hell you're from, I'm claiming your implants!!!"David popped out the wolf claws on his other arm, and at the same time used the Sandevistan again to accelerate.Seeing this, the cyberpsycho also used the Sandevistan in the same way, and from its calves, knees, and thighs everywhere, several blades and mantis blades ejected one after another.These blades occupied almost the entire leg.In the slowed-down time and space, the two began to collide.——Clang———Swoosh—Military-grade was still military-grade after all; mass-produced goods couldn't compare to experimental products at all.The moment they collided, the three blades on the right-hand wolf claws easily severed the cyberpsycho's thigh, as easy as a hot knife cutting through butter.Extremely smooth, without the slightest obstruction.The blades on its leg fell to the ground one after another like dropped gear.Losing one thigh, the cyberpsycho lost its balance and fell forward with its whole body, but its gaze landed on Lucy, who was hiding not far away."Heh——"Making an inexplicable chuckle with its mouth, before David could thrust his claws into its back, it suddenly kicked off the ground with one leg, transforming into a cannonball and flying toward Lucy.At the same time, the acceleration time of the Sandevistan happened to end.The sudden explosive force made the cyberpsychofly right in front of Lucy in an instant, and turning in mid-air, it raised its single leg and slashed toward Lucy.The sharp blade gradually enlarged in Lucy's sluggish eyes.It's too late..."What the fuck, you still dare to make a move on her?!"The next instant, David suddenly appeared directly above the cyberpsycho, plunging downward fiercely like a deity descending from the heavens.Squelch, the wolf claws sank into that person's back.At the same time, his fists followed closely.——Boom—The cyberpsycho's body was fiercely smashed into the ground.With a squeak! sound, the Kerenzikov embedded in its spine was forcibly ripped off by him.Scattered blood splashed into mid-air like gorgeous gems, sprinkling onto his body like a fine drizzle.The cyberpsycho also became like a robot whose power cord had been ripped out, the red light in its eyes instantly dissipating as it collapsed onto the ground motionless."Are you okay, Lucy?""..."Recovering from fear and surprise, Lucy slowly revealed a heartfelt smile: "I'm fine.""That's good..."With a thud, David sat down on the ground, finally letting out a sigh of relief as he wiped away non-existent cold sweat from his forehead."Damn, that was really close..."Just at that moment, if he hadn't hurriedly used the Sandevistan, Lucy probably really would have gotten hurt.But come to think of it, what on earth is going on here?He certainly didn't remember this cyberpsychobeing so strong; it was clearly pretty weak before...Looking at the completely chilled-out cyberpsycho, he felt somewhat puzzled.It seemed that ever since he arrived, everything had become different, and bizarre...Be it the cyberpsycho on the monorail; or Zarya Hughes in that bizarre ritual earlier; or this unknown cyberpsycho that had inexplicably become very strong now...——Bang———Bang———Bang—Right at this moment, gunshots rang out one after another again, splashing wisps of blood from the corpse.It was Rebecca.Not knowing when her system had recovered, and not knowing where she got a shotgun from, she was beating the corpse."Damn it, I'm the only one qualified to kill him...!!!"Continuously pulling the trigger, venting the overflowing anger in her heart, this anger had completely burned away her sanity, and her expression twisted hideously along with it.As if the next second she would transform into a second cyberpsycho.Even when the firearm in her hand emitted an empty-chamber sound, she had no intention of stopping."Alright, Rebecca."David, sitting aside, reached out to pull Rebecca, pressing his other hand onto her bolt."This guy is already thoroughly dead."Even though he said so, Rebecca acted as if she hadn't heard a thing.Seeing this, he couldn't help but sigh softly: "Sigh, rest assured, your brother... Pilar isn't dead yet..."Hearing this, Rebecca finally stopped, following his gaze to look upward.Only to see Pilar, who looked like a stopped robot, with his fingers trembling slightly at this moment, and his waist seeming to show signs of movement, looking somewhat bizarre.He looked like a cyber-zombie whose half-face had been gnawed off.Normally speaking, if an ordinary person had half their face blown off, it was basically equivalent to being dead.But who made this place the cyberpunk world, Night City?Such a thing was hardly surprising at all; as long as the brain and heart could still function normally, there was still saving grace.Just like that old bastard Adam Smasher, who didn't have two taels of flesh left on his entire body, wasn't he still living just fine?——Rumble—Right at this moment, a suddenly stirred-up strong airflow came from above the sky, mixed with a bit of scorching heat.A black armed AV emitting blue tail flames was descending.The pitch-black cabin door covered in mottled bullet marks slowly opened, and MAX-TAC members dressed like sword masters jumped down from inside, guarding the surroundings with heavy firepower.At the same time, waves of sirens sounded.A bunch of NCPD vehicles surrounded this place tightly, and skillfully pulled up police lines.Watching them all looking well-trained, David couldn't help but inwardly mutter:"You guys, are you turtles or what? Couldn't you have come earlier??? Moving so slowly one by one, you might as well just go straight to the medical center and be a cleanup crew!"No wonder he would say this; the battle was already over, and this group of combatants had just arrived.If this isn't a cleanup crew, what is?Regarding this, he was completely speechless.However, suddenly one MAX-TAC member dressed differently from the others walked through the crowd, stepping with light paces right in front of him."Yo, young David Martinez, how are you feeling?"Saying this, she removed her helmet right in front of him.Light brown wavy hair was unconstrained from the helmet and fell onto her shoulders, with an intoxicating smile curling up on her exquisite and beautiful face.This woman looked extremely pretty, but at the same time also made him feel unfamiliar.Who is this?However, that familiar voice instantly made him recall this woman's identity, exclaiming:"...You are Melissa Rory?!"50. Turn into a woman? This future is not the future I want (4/13)On the clean and tidy corridor, fully automated robots pushed stretcher beds one after another, and every few meters a drone could be seen floating overhead, responsible for maintaining order.Patients and doctors hurried past before their eyes, and colorful neon lights and bright illumination fell from the skylight-like ceiling, scattering onto them
Chapter 42But no one paid any attention to these things.They seemed very busy.The sweet female voice occasionally ringing out from the broadcast echoed through the chaotic and bustling lobby; with every chime, one could see someone holding a queue chip in the palms of their hands lighting up slightly as they were called to the corresponding department.This was the medical center in Watson, different from the makeshift hospitals of Redwood Psychiatric Hospital where Scavengers piled up like mountains.It was spearheaded by Night Corp and jointly funded by several mega-corporations, making it the top-tier medical clinic in all of Night City.Pilar was the one he had brought here, and he had even driven Maine's small sports car all the way here at breakneck speed.There was no way around it; that noble bunch of Trauma Team members, who save lives based on money, stated that an appointment in the queue was required, and unless you were one of their VIP daddies, they generally wouldn't dispatch.Therefore, he had no choice but to drive her over himself.That being said, bringing Pilar here was also out of necessity; that horrifying scar where half of her face was blown off would probably make Viktor shake his head straight away even just looking at it.After all, Viktor was just an "ordinary" ripperdoc, responsible only for installing cyberware and treating minor illnesses and injuries along the way.For severe injuries like this, he simply didn't have the corresponding equipment, environment, or assistants on hand, making surgery completely impossible.Come to think of it, this was his first time coming to this place.It felt... quite novel.The passing robots would occasionally thoughtfully offer him a cup of water, but the patients walking past him instead chose to detour as much as possible.For no other reason than that his current appearance was somewhat terrifying.Although the stains on his face had been washed clean, the mottled bloodstains on the yellow jacket he wore had already congealed, emitting a faint smell of blood outward.Not to mention that there were two beautiful girls sitting by his side like guardian deities—Lucy, the expressionless iceberg beauty, and Rebecca, the vicious and unhinged loli.These two people sat on his left and right, emitting an aura akin to ferocious beasts, naturally causing these patients to feel fear.Oh, right, there was also Dorio, who was as buff as a man, leaning against the wall.Maine and Kiwi were cooperating with the NCPD and MAX-TAC personnel to make statements.After all, the scene was a mess, and someone had to stay behind to explain.Therefore, the only ones who came here were the three of them.However, David Martinez, sitting on the chair in the waiting area at this moment, had somewhat chaotic thoughts.Several matters popping up in his mind were intertwined, somewhat disturbing his peace.First, there was the heavily injured Pilar; clearly, he had tried to change all of this, but in the end, nothing had changed.According to the doctor's statement, Pilar's hope was somewhat slim.Even if the surgery was successful, she would fall into a coma for a long time, and even if she woke up from the coma, she would probably be unable to engage in the mercenary profession in the future.Because her body would exhibit a certain degree of lack of coordination, which was an irreversible permanent injury.That is to say, Pilar could never participate in the team's activities again.Second, there was the matter regarding his mother, Gloria Martinez.If he hadn't sent Gloria Martinez to Redwood Psychiatric Hospital back then, but had come here instead, would he have been able to save GloriaMartinez?Although these things were done by his predecessor, this still became the matter that he found hardest to let go of.Furthermore, if Gloria Martinez had truly been successfully saved, would he have embarked on this path today?Or would he have continued to stay at school in order to become a corpo rat according to GloriaMartinez's wishes, letting Katsuo Tanaka bully him?Letting those young masters treat him with cold eyes?Would he still become friends with Lucy like this now?He didn't know.(Mom, oh my mom...)And third, which was also the last thing, was what Melissa Rory said to him at the scene."Not bad, clean and neat."Melissa, the gorgeous beauty who took off her helmet equipped with a swordmaster-like external cyberoptic, poked at the corpse—which was almost turning into minced meat—with her old-style mantis blades.Although this corpse had been beaten beyond recognition, relying on her seasoned experience, she still deduced the fatal blow within it—It was that the nervous system spine on the back was torn apart, leading to the death of this cyberpsycho.Although the removal position and technique might still be somewhat crude, to be honest, this was the first time she had seen such a clean and neat violent dismantling.Not only that, a smooth cut could also be seen on the left shoulder of that cyberpsycho.Visually estimated, the arm should have been severed by military-grade combat cyberware.Thinking of this, her gaze towards David Martinezbecame profound: "How is it, did you feel it? The feeling of life leaving his body, did you feel it?""...!!"Maine and the others looked at Melissa with incredulous eyes.For some reason, it was clearly a very ordinary sentence, yet it made them feel an inexplicable chill.Furthermore, she evaluated a corpse that had just been killed with such an indifferent tone.Is this what MAX-TAC is?However, Melissa didn't care about their gazes at all, instead quietly gazing at David Martinez, waiting for him to give an answer that would satisfy her."What are you talking about, I don't understand." He shook his head, denying this woman's statement.Even though what Officer Melissa in front of him said was very strange, one could even say bizarre, he still maintained that calmness."Is that so? That's really a pity."Although not getting the desired answer made Melissa somewhat disappointed, she still slowly revealed a mysterious smile and issued an invitation to him once again."Join us, David Martinez. I can tell that you and I are the same kind of person."Not knowing if it was an illusion, he always felt that this female officer deliberately emphasized the last few words.Only, Melissa seemed to feel that this statement wasn't enough, and immediately added: "Although you are still a bit naive right now, I believe you will grow up very soon.""That really is a pity, Officer Melissa." He shook his head again, "You and I are not the same kind of people."He glanced at the willow-leaf-slender, sword-like mantis blades on Melissa's arm, and then looked again at Melissa's exquisite face:"[Twilight] 2013 model mantis blades, a combat cyberware discontinued in 2069, am I right?""Uh-huh, nice eyesight. These were installed many years ago, and their precision makes me very nostalgic."As she spoke, Melissa couldn't help but raise the mantis blades on her arm, her eyes filled with affection and nostalgia."Is that so?" He pouted his lips, as if pondering something, and then spoke again: "However, as far as I know, the coordination between this model of mantis blades and the neural processor isn't very good, and it overstimulates the prefrontal cortex of the brain, which is why it was discontinued."His phrasing was very tactful, but only for those who didn't understand this model of mantis blades.Those who understood would understand what he said—This gadget was a standard configuration for cyberpsychos N years ago.And the message he wanted to express was—Don't lump me together with you, a former cyberpsycho.Melissa naturally heard the implication, but didn't show any anger.She merely put away the mantis blades on her arm, stepped out with that pair of slender legs tightly wrapped in leather tight pants that lost none of their fullness, walked up to him, slowly bent down, and looked into his eyes."Do you know? The reason why I don't change this pair of mantis blades."That pair of bright deep blue eyes was as deep as the deep sea, while also reflecting his slightly naive face."Whenever I look at them, it reminds me of the muscles, tendons, bones... and cyberware that they have cut through... That feeling is extremely wonderful, just like a hot knife cutting through butter."Her voice wasn't loud, very soft, without the slightest affectation, yet it clearly passed into everyone's ears.Those MAX-TAC members were okay, having a deep appreciation for their captain's madness.But the others didn't have it so good; feeling a deep chill crawl up their spines, they shivered involuntarily.This woman was simply a lunatic!A lunatic even more terrifying than a cyberpsycho!Even some NCPD personnel subconsciously moved back a few steps, trying to stay away from this female demon.Only, what they didn't know was that when Melissaspoke these words, a slight red light even flickered in her eyes.Fortunately, this was not a xuanhuan world, but a sci-fi world; otherwise, illusions of a mountain of corpses and a sea of blood would probably be generated behind Melissa right now."But you can only be a good person now, can't you?"David Martinez's counter-question, along with his completely unmoved expression, made the red light in her eyes instantly dissipate, and she nodded with satisfaction: "That's right, you're right."But then her tone suddenly shifted:"So, are you going to join us? We really need someone like you.""..."He gazed into Melissa's bright eyes for a moment, and couldn't help but sigh.This sentence had already been heard for the third time.Once on the monorail, and twice today."I say, Officer Melissa, what on earth about me is worth you being so persistent? Killing a cyberpsycho? I dare say there are plenty of people in Night City who can do that."Joining MAX-TAC was equivalent to becoming a civil servant, and it was also equivalent to latching onto Night Corp's thick thigh that could rival the Big Three corporations, true.However, right now he really didn't have this kind of thought.Furthermore, he was even more curious about the true thoughts of that woman, Melissa Rory."What you said is very correct, but..."Melissa's voice suddenly stopped, and she leaned into his ear and softly said: "Feeling a person's death, do you... really not like it? That very moment, his blood and temperature... but life has already been extinguished.""That kind of pleasure, that excitement, can you really refuse it?"Melissa's words lingered by his ear like a demon's whisper, humming and echoing in his heart.That feeling... thinking back carefully, personally destroying a complete individual, that adrenaline-pumping feeling, it really felt great.But actually, Melissa's words were nothing special, not even counting as bewitchment, and couldn't affect him at all.The most crucial part was the other party's subsequent words."Trust me, sooner or later you will become just like me.""Become... just like her?"David Martinez, sitting on the chair, unconsciously murmured this sentence out loud, but it was covered up by the noise emitted by the passing stretcher beds and the sound of the broadcast.Come to think of it, will I eventually turn into a woman...?This damn thing... isn't this a bit too creepy?!Because of this, he even shuddered.However, what he didn't notice was that the constantly changing expressions on his face were all seen by Lucy beside him.Quietly observing him from the shadows just like that.I don't know since when, her gaze could no longer leave this boy.Until now...51. Eating People Without Spitting Out Bones (5 // 13) Asking for First Subscriptions"Ding!"The red light of the operating room suddenly went out, instantly attracting their attention.A doctor wearing a white lab coat and full surgical gear pushed open the door and walked out from inside.But because the speed of closing the door was too fast, they couldn't see what the situation inside was like at all.
Chapter 43"Which one is Rebecca?"Hearing this, Rebecca exchanged a glance with Dorio, then walked over and began talking to the doctor.David Martinez still sat on the chair, glancing over from afar, but had no intention of going over.Anyway, they had already arrived here, and there was no need for him to do anything.Pilar's fate ultimately boiled down to only two paths——Either live or die, just like Schrödinger's cat.But the latter should be impossible.After all, the medical standards here were the most advanced; as long as you had a breath left, they could bring you back to life.The premise was that you could afford those exorbitant fees.Clack——Just then, Rebecca suddenly snatched the PDA from the doctor's hand, took a glance, and fiercely slammed it onto the ground.Immediately after, she cursed angrily: "Asshole, what kind of joke is this?!"Even Dorio, who took care of everyone like a nanny, remained completely silent without any intention of stopping her, just standing there with her head down in silence.Seeing this, David Martinez could no longer continue sitting there and hurriedly jogged over."What's wrong?"Rebecca still looked angrily at the doctor.Two drones had already flown over beside the doctor and issued a warning.[Warning, damaging public property is prohibited.]David Martinez glanced at Dorio immediately, but Dorio didn't make a sound either, only signaling towards the PDA on the ground with her eyes."What on earth happened to make you this furious..."Muttering to himself, he picked up the PDA lying face-down on the marble floor tiles and began to read it.You have to say, this thing was really sturdy; it didn't break after being slammed like that.But the next second, David Martinez wished even more that this thing had broken.The first things that came into view were the medical center's logo and name, as well as various terms of authorization, policies, laws, and regulations, as long and stinky as player guidelines and account statements.Sliding his finger gently down, the text flashed by rapidly, quickly reaching the very bottom, where the digital official seal and certificate of the medical center appeared.He then gently slid back up, and his entire being was completely shocked.Everything in between consisted of densely packed charges.These included, but were not limited to, surgical emergency care and manual services, from inspection items to equipment wear and tear, operating room and emergency room usage fees, ICU fees, future hospitalization fees, and follow-up treatment costs.Even various incidental expenses for the staff were included above.This was detailed to the point of extreme detail.But the problem was, what the hell did the staff's incidental expenses and equipment wear and tear have to do with Adam Smasher?And what's more, using the operating room and emergency room costs money too?!This kind of operation would make even Jews kneel upon seeing it, and capitalists weep even more; it would be a pity if they didn't go hang from lampposts.Although the various unreasonable charges inside had already shocked him enough, an even greater shock awaited him further down.At the very end of these densely packed charges was a total——"... Thr-Three hundred and fifty thousand euro?!"He was completely dumbfounded.350,000 euro was a truly mind-bogglingly shocking figure; this much money was enough to buy a very good sports car, almost touching the threshold of Rayfield, or rent an apartment in Charter Hill.In other words, clearly this hospital could just openly rob you, but they still graciously offered you a medical service.To pay this fee, he'd probably have to tear off one of his experimental-grade implants and sell it.No wonder Rebecca was so angry, and Dorio had fallen silent."Sir, if you cannot afford it, there is another set of options."Although the doctor's tone was flat, the disdain within it could not be concealed. Still, he took a new PDA from the nearby robot, operated it for a bit,and then placed it before their eyes.Although the price this time was still very expensive, it was at least over a hundred thousand euro cheaper.However, what the doctor said next made them hesitate once again."I personally suggest you do not choose this option; if you adopt it, the patient's chance of waking up will be significantly reduced."A single simple sentence cut off their retreat."What the fuck, this isn't curing an illness, this is clearly devouring people... the kind that doesn't even spit out bones."He muttered inwardly.But Rebecca couldn't hold back anymore."Dammit!" Rebecca tightly bit down on her small silver teeth, looking like a ready-to-pounce leopard.She immediately reached to pull out her carried pistol to blast this idiot doctor, but was held down by David Martinez."Don't act impulsively."He signaled the surrounding situation with his eyes.Aside from the two drones beside the doctor, there were also several surveillance cameras patrolling back and forth.This medical center probably also equipped netrunners.If they acted rashly, the next second they would either be riddled into a sieve by the drone's machine guns or remotely hacked and fried into idiots by a netrunner.Oh right, he had system protection, so he wasn't afraid of netrunners.But Dorio and Rebecca wouldn't be that lucky.Therefore, it was better to honestly pay up."Let's choose the previous option, but can we pay in installments? We don't have that much cash on us.""Of course, we can provide you with many installment plans."The doctor very thoughtfully pulled up other payment options for them.Depending on the down payment amount, it was divided into six or seven plans, the most expensive of which totaled 500,000 to be repaid.It was utterly unscrupulous to the extreme.But there was no help for it; who made this the best hospital in Night City?"Let's pool our money together; I have fifty thousand here."As he spoke, he pulled out his shard.This could be said to be all his belongings, and it was only enough after selling that cyberpsycho's military-grade cyberware.But for Rebecca's sake, if it had to be given, so be it."I have ten thousand here."Dorio also followed his example and took out her shard."I have... only five thousand here..."Rebecca said dejectedly.This was also all of Rebecca's belongings.After all, she belonged to the combat personnel, and the times her missions came up were few, so the money she was assigned was also very little.As for Pilar's side, don't even think about it—there wasn't a single cent.Pilar's money was basically all used by herself to buy all sorts of messy junk.But even so, they were still five thousand short of the lowest-tier down payment."Use mine; I have fifty thousand here."Just then, Lucy suddenly appeared beside them and handed over her little stash of savings."Lucy, you..."This made David Martinez feel somewhat surprised.If he remembered correctly, Lucy had saved this money to go to the moon, yet now she was taking it out to support them?For a moment, it left him not knowing what to say.However, not only him, even Dorio and Rebeccawere very surprised.You must know, Lucy's positioning in the team was as a backup netrunner, basically the same as Rebecca, with very few opportunities to appear in the field.But now, she actually pulled out fifty thousand all by herself..."Thanks... thank you all."Rebecca muttered softly, turning her head slightly as if feeling a bit embarrassed, her little face turning red."It's nothing, saving people is urgent."Lucy simply dropped these words and turned back to walk toward the seats.Without the slightest intention of explaining."Mm, I have received the money; please pay the remaining balance as soon as possible."The doctor took their shards and operated on the PDA for a while, returned the cleared shards to them, and then turned and walked toward an office.Seeing the doctor leave, the previous tense atmosphere also eased accordingly."Alright, David Martinez, I'll leave Lucy to you from here on." Dorio suddenly spoke up."Then you guys...""It's fine, it's fine, me and Rebecca here are enough, and this is Night City's best clinic, there's no problem."Dorio extended her massive palm, turned his body toward Lucy's direction, shoving him forward, and even gave him a thumbs up to cheer him on.Needless to think, everyone already knew about the things between him and Lucy."Alright then, call me if anything happens." He sighed helplessly."Rest assured, no problem, come on."Under Dorio's gaze, he walked up to Lucy."Hm? What is it?""Uh... nothing." He scratched his head foolishly, "How about... I walk you back."Lucy looked at Dorio and the others behind him, then glanced at him."Mm."Just simply giving a nasal grunt in reply, then she stood up and left with him.However, Rebecca, watching the two of them leave, had somewhat complicated eyes.Too many things had happened today.Not only was she saved by David Martinez, but now she also owed such a huge favor...This debt of gratitude, she probably couldn't repay it in this lifetime.52. The moonlight tonight is truly beautiful (6 / 13)---Time quickly reached midnight.The rich were still immersed in nightlife, while the poor had long since gone to sleep, preparing to wake up early the next day to have their grease squeezed out.Beneath this neon-shrouded night veil, David Martinez drove Maine's pink little sports car and sent Lucy back home.