Chapter 107It was merely taking this opportunity to vent the dissatisfaction in his heart."Hey, look, there is movement over there again."Suddenly, Mitch's voice pulled the two people's gazes back to the battlefield.In the burning debris blasted to pieces by shells, David's figure emerged from the flames, slowly walking out like a demon crawling out of purgatory.Staring at the few remaining combat vehicles ahead, he slowly raised his hands to a 45-degree angle toward the sky, as if wanting to let the world feel pain."What is he trying to do?""I don't know, let's watch and see..."In the Badlands, with the raging fire burning behind him illuminating his figure, David held his hands high toward the sky at this moment, and the pitch-black palms composed of hyper-chromium alloy spread invisible ripples outward.His action made Mower, who had just finished off the skirmishers on the other side of the battlefield, stop the motion of flicking her blade.Fresh blood slowly slid from the end of the blade to the tip and dripped down, dyeing the yellow dirt deep red.Who knew how this battle of two against nearly a hundred people was fought, as it was inexplicably divided into two battlefields: one side was David and various heavy firepower vehicles, and the other side was Mower and the security personnel who got down from the bulletproof vehicles.Mower's side was considered settled; the only one able to stand on the entire battlefield was herself, with her face bearing a hint of fatigue while also mixed with a bit of indescribable excitement.And a tiny bit of a sense of relief and liberation.On David's side, accompanied by his action, the remaining basilisk, dump-truck Behemoths, and missile trucks also stopped attacking.Completely unaware of what on earth had happened."The breath of the wind has changed."Although Mower's voice was still as icy as ever, this time it revealed a tiny bit of confusion.The flying wind and sand slowly blew her black hair.I don't know if it was an illusion, but the wind and sand seemed to be gathering toward David's direction, and the free-floating charged particles in the air were also gradually being reeled in.It was as if a barrier of wind was forming around David, slowly rotating.Not only that, the scattered firearms on the ground, as well as the katana in her hand, seemed to be trembling slightly.An invisible force was tearing at them, trying to snatch the weapon from her hand."Sir, the enemy has stopped attacking, are we preparing to evacuate, or...""Continue attacking!"The commander's roar came through the communicator."Do not stop, continue attacking while you still can!"Inside the temporary command post set up in the compartment of a dump-truck Behemoth, the Militech commander's heart had been blinded by anger at this moment, and the expression on his face was distorted to the extreme."However... our losses are too heavy, if this continues...""It doesn't matter! Attack! Get that brat for me!"The commander clenched his fists tightly, slamming fiercely onto the control console, causing the screen to shake.How could he not know what the communicator said?The big screen was playing the footage of David Martinez, and he had seen the whole process.But even so, how could he stop now?This brat had killed most of the people in their unit, and if he returned empty-handed like this, he didn't know what kind of disciplinary action he would face.Perhaps, the next day he might appear in some reservoir or at the bottom of the sea, which was hard to say.Therefore, he must absolutely not give up.Even if the troops were wiped out, he couldn't stop!Troop casualties were a minor matter, but his life being in jeopardy was a big deal, and it was of the utmost importance!"Then connect me to all channels, I will command personally!""Yes, sir."The messenger who accepted the order began to send commands to various units, and the commander's voice rang out in the communication."All personnel listen up, pick up the weapons in your hands, take down that damned bastard for me, no need to hold back shells, launch all shells, take him down for me!"Receiving the order, the basilisk and missile trucks moved again, pointing their dark muzzles at David one after another, launching another volley.Boom boom boom—Swish swish swish—The bombardment of the basilisk and the roar of the missile trucks were like a wonderful symphony, and in less than a second, the sky was filled with a dense rain of missiles.But seeing this, not only was there no trace of fear on David's face, but instead a smile curled up."Thank you very much, I happen to be lacking these things."David, wrapped in the center of the wind and sand, gradually increased the diffusion of electromagnetic force with his raised hands.The wind and sand suddenly rose, forming a huge tornado sweeping across the battlefield, tearing at the debris everywhere, just like a bottomless black hole, ruthlessly sucking those debris and scattered weapons in.Decomposed into fragments, converted into screws and metal sheets, disappearing without a trace.Those flying missiles suddenly cut out under the influence of the electromagnetic force, and were all swept into the violent wind.The anticipated violent explosion did not happen; they just flew around the tornado, then were gradually buried and swallowed by the wind and sand, and finally disappeared.The commander inside the compartment was dumbfounded upon seeing this scene through the surveillance, shouting uncharacteristically: "What on earth is going on?!!!"According to his intelligence, Arasaka's implant could only manipulate electromagnetic force, so how did it suddenly start manipulating the weather?!The commander panicked, completely panicked, but had never heard of or seen such a thing!This is impossible!Weather weapons and the like, that stuff only exists in fantasy; even if they exist, they shouldn't appear on such a fragile implant!He refused to believe it.Therefore, he made the troops launch another volley toward the tornado, however, this time, just like before, there was no reaction at all, and it was only ruthlessly swallowed.Besides that, an anomaly occurred."What is going on?! The basilisk... the basilisk is suddenly out of control!""Here too, the missile truck's console has lost control!""The transport vehicle too..."The remaining troops successively sent abnormal reports, all their combat vehicles inexplicably stalling.At the same time, the tops of the combat vehicles were all covered by an inexplicable red circle, as if they had been marked.Rumble—Before everyone could figure out what had happened, a sudden massive gravity crushed all the combat vehicles into fragments.Fresh blood slowly flowed out from the scrap iron, just like squeezed tomato juice.The people sitting inside the vehicles didn't even have time to scream out.The crushed and shattered combat vehicles were attracted by an inexplicable magnetic force, floating up from the ground and flying toward the center of the tornado."What on earth... is going on..."With only the surviving surveillance screen left, the commander stared blankly at the tornado presented on the screen, slumped back into the swivel chair, completely dumbfounded.What on earth are we facing...Clang—Clang—Clank—Under the cover of the wind and sand, no one knew what was happening inside; they could only hear the clashing of metals and the sound of intertwined metals coming from within.That sound was as if countless metal blocks were torn apart, and then re-integrated and assembled.Thud—Suddenly, the earth began to tremble inexplicably, like someone's footsteps, but it only came once and then there was no more sound.At the same time, a pair of sharp claws broke through from the center of the storm, tearing open the hurricane barrier surrounding it like tearing thin paper, and the sky-reaching tornado disappeared without a trace just like that.A strange-looking monster with a matte black body appeared in everyone's field of vision."... Hey, old hag, what is that cyber lizard..."Rebecca, who had already escaped from the battlefield by taking an off-road vehicle, pointed through the glass at the mechanical monster several meters tall and asked subconsciously.Her eyes were already filled with shock.From the initial change in wind direction, to the subsequent uprising tornado, and those debris attracted over, finally forming such a monster...It felt not the least bit real, just like watching a sci-fi movie.But what could be more magical than the current era?Perhaps there is one right now..."Hmm... found it. That's a monster from movies filmed in the late 20th century and early 21st century. According to data, that lizard is called Godzilla, and the same mechanical form has appeared in movies, just with a different color...""No, I'm not asking about this! I'm asking where David ran off to! And how that monster popped out?!!"Kiwi: "..."You're asking me?I'd really like to know too, otherwise why don't you go ask David himself?However, Kiwi didn't say these words; she just gave Rebecca a look, letting her figure it out herself.Unfortunately, Rebecca didn't notice her gaze at all.She was still blankly staring at that strange monster.Not only them, even Mower who was at the scene was stunned in place looking at this cyber monster, her eyes filled with disbelief.Is this really a cyberskeleton?An experimental product developed by Arasaka—a military-grade implant?If its power were increased a bit more, it wouldn't be an exaggeration at all to call it a strategic weapon.I saw that monster slowly walking toward the last Behemoth of the Militech unit, and every time it took a step, the earth could deeply feel the heaviness of this step.This mechanical monster wasn't as tall as imagined; its entire body added up to a height of nearly ten meters in total.But the rugged thorns on its back, the thick sharp claws shimmering with cold light under the sun, and the sharp steel teeth in its mouth gave people a creepy feeling.Especially those eyes glowing with red light, nothing was more terrifying than that.It was as if staring right at a cyberpsycho, with only endless madness and the desire for slaughter revealed in those eyes.In contrast, that petite Behemoth transport vehicle was somewhat undeserving of its name; the name Behemoth comes from the giant beast in the Hebrew Bible.But now, compared to a behemoth like the mechanical monster in front of it, it was simply a little quail.Screech—Just then, this mechanical monster stopped its steps. A sound of gears turning came from its head, and its large mouth inlaid with steel teeth slowly opened.A large amount of electromagnetic current slowly gathered from the chest position, gradually converging towards the throat, and then condensed in the mouth, just like the electromagnetic rail on an electromagnetic railgun, transporting these electromagnetic forces.Subsequently, a dazzling blue-white beam of light spewed out from its mouth.Rumble—The Behemoth below was instantly melted by this charged particle cannon, leaving not even a shred of debris."I didn't expect this thing to be quite fun..."David, sitting inside the mechanical monster, looked at the surrounding digitalized dashboard with eyes full of excitement, as if he had found a novel toy.But his face was written all over with exhaustion.I have to say, whether manufacturing or operating this thing was simply too tiring, and the burden on the body was too heavy.
Chapter 108At the very beginning, he just had a sudden whim to ask the system if it could be done.As a result, the answer given by the system was yes.Moreover, with the system's blessing, it was actually built.As expected of the Fourth Disaster system, this is truly awesome.Presumably, even the manufacturer of the cyberskeleton, Arasaka Corporation, never expected that this thing could have such a usage.As for why the Godzilla image was adopted.When it comes to destruction, is there any image more suitable than this cool and badass Godzilla?It's just a bit miniature in size...However, the system also gave a corresponding warning: this form can only last for one hour, telling him to make good use of and seize the opportunity, and the energy currently collected can only support three charged particle cannons.After firing one shot, the energy display on the dashboard now only has one-third left.After three shots, this metal monster will stop operating, and then disintegrate into scrap metal on the spot, so the opportunity must be seized well."Forget it, let's hurry into the city and have a good party."David, sitting in the cockpit, vigorously shook his head, manipulating the metal behemoth as it wobbled toward Night City.Since they were going to destroy, they might as well destroy to the end.You must know that the most valuable things are all in Night City, especially Corpo Plaza, where all the corporations are.If a charged particle cannon goes down there, wouldn't it make a fortune?"Hey, Beard, look, that guy is moving!"Rebecca frantically shook the driver's seat, making Falco dizzy."Alright, alright, I see it, stop shaking."But Rebecca didn't care at all, and asked on her own: "What do you guys think David is planning to do by operating that thing?""Who knows, wouldn't it be fine to just follow and see." Kiwi suggested while operating her PDA.The PDA displayed that all data of the cyberskeleton was normal, and no abnormalities were found.However, everything David was doing now not only exceeded the limits of the cyberskeleton, but even exceeded human imagination."How on earth did you do it, David?"This made her somewhat interested in this mysterious boy.Who could refuse a teammate full of secrets and reliability?---[Welcome everyone to watch Safe and Sound, I am your Sheriff Doberman. Today, what I want to demonstrate is how to survive a cyberpsychoattack.]In a luxury sedan, the car television was playing a show called Safe and Sound.Although this show couldn't compare to News 54and WNS News, its ratings were quite good, just right for relieving boredom, and by the way, one could learn some little tricks that are usually useless and useless when needed."Hehe, is it cyberpsycho today? It sounds quite interesting."For example, the man driving the car used this show to pass the time.[While shopping, our good friend Mr. Perkins suddenly heard screams and gunfire.][His first reaction was to rush to the nearest exit, but that would be a huge mistake.][cyberpsychos are usually equipped with enhanced reflex implants and automated weapons, so it is absolutely impossible for you to outrun them. Then how should Mr. Perkins escape?]0"Mm-hmm, right, right, at a time like this, of course the first thing to do is contact the NCPD."The man slowly stepped on the accelerator, nodded casually, and answered the question on TV to himself.[If you look for the NCPD, that would be a huge mistake!][He should quickly find the nearest ADU around him, which is the so-called: Automated Defense Unit, and find a hiding place as close as possible. All ADUs have clear signs and are easy to find.][At the first sound of gunfire, the ADU will automatically activate. Its duty is to protect civilians, and if there is a chance, it will also eliminate the lunatic launching the attack.][During the ADU's activity period, Mr. Perkins should stay inside the cover. If he runs around, he might be accidentally injured by friendly fire.][Mr. Perkins might still want to call the NCPD, but this is neither necessary nor wise. At this moment, the ADU has already reported the attack to the authorities. More importantly, many cyberpsychos are equipped with surveillance implants, so they will hear your call—no matter how quiet the voice is, it's useless.]"Turns out there are so many tricks to cyberpsychos?"The man laughed indifferently, completely treating it as blowing wind past his ears.What the TV said was indeed correct; things like ADUs indeed have automatic alarm functions and powerful firepower cover.However, under normal circumstances, this kind of thing is just like a decoration, completely useless against cyberpsychos.Even if they wait for the NCPD to come, it's just to collect the corpses.If they wait for MAX-TAC, what they need to watch out for isn't just the cyberpsychos, but also that group of lunatics from MAX-TAC.Therefore, the best way to face a cyberpsycho is to pray that you don't encounter one.Thinking of this, the man smiled unconcernedly again.Thump——Thump——Thump——Just at this moment, the earth suddenly began to tremble rhythmically, and the echoing loud noise was like bursts of footsteps.This sudden tremor made his steering wheel somewhat out of control, crashing straight into the utility pole by the roadside."Fuck, my car!!!"Looking at his beloved car, whose front end was already smoking cyan smoke, the man instantly became furious, immediately turning his head to curse, but before even a word could be spat out, he was instantly dumbfounded by the scene before him."...Oh, my God, what wh-wh-what is that thing..."The man had been scared stupid.I saw a mechanical monster nearly ten meters tall running amok on the street, with rockets continuously launching from its back, exploding precisely on both sides of the street, and blocking cars underfoot were all crushed to pieces one kick at a time, regardless of whether anyone was inside.The Arasaka security vehicles running ahead, marked with the Arasaka logo, were either crushed into pieces by a single kick or accurately hit by rockets, leaving no possibility of escape at all.This scene was simply comparable to an international braindance blockbuster.[Please remember, once a cyberpsycho is discovered, be sure to find the nearest ADU.][If the attack you encounter happens inside a store or shopping center, you may get a discount or voucher. Don't forget to go claim it!][This episode of Safe and Sound ends here. Dear viewers, please be sure to live well!]The show had finished playing.But the man also came to his senses and happened to hear the last words."ADU, right, hurry and find an ADU."The man quickly unbuckled his seatbelt, his eyes searching everywhere for the traces of an ADU.What the fuck kind of vouchers, I don't care at all!I fucking just joined Arasaka on my first day, and I still want to live well!But after just one second, he revealed a despairing, miserable smile."...Can this kind of monster be considered a cyberpsycho? Even if the people from MAX-TACcome, it's useless, right."Looking at the activated ADUs on both sides of the street, not a single one was intact; they were blown up together with the buildings, revealing the private residences inside."...Hehe, fuck you."Boom——The man giving the middle finger, along with his car, turned into the most dazzling fireworks beneath the mechanical monster's feet.PS: Regarding this usage, I thought of it after seeing the 2009 Chinese domestic movie Kung Fu Cyborg.From the performance in the anime, if it's in a full-firepower state, it should be able to do things like sucking in vehicles.Here it just cheated a little bit with the help from the system.As for Godzilla and things like that, I thought about Gundam or the Hulk at first, but after thinking carefully, I still chose to use this image.Also, the cyberskeleton is not weak at all; it's just that David is too weak, and his body can't withstand it. Even in the anime, it didn't unleash its full power.This thing was originally prepared for Adam Smasher.Apart from the Sandevistan and thrusters, the big ghost on Smasher only had slightly stronger firepower, and even needed firearms for sneak attacks.If under equal conditions, I reckon the big ghost really couldn't beat the cyberskeleton.After all, the big ghost was manufactured more than fifty years ago, and the conditions were so harsh that only Smasher could install it.While the cyberskeleton is a new product, and even trying to prepare for mass production.Some personal insights, not knowing if they are right or wrong...And I don't know if this kind of thing has been written by anyone... whether it's a beaten-to-death cliché...Sorry, taking a leave today.As per the title, I don't know what I ate yesterday that went bad, woke up at three today, and my stomach has been blowing up ever since.It still hurts a lot now.Won't say more, going to stay in the toilet again right away, going to go check it out in a bit...To actually eat something bad in this season, I really don't understand.Sorry, extremely sorry!!!!...85. The Product Manager Urgently Summoned (7K)Inside Arasaka Tower."Militech's troops have all been wiped out, the target has entered Night City, the rescue team is in pursuit, but all failed."Douglas was watching the monitoring footage transmitted through the Pteranodon drone to broadcast live for Kate."This operation has alarmed all the corporations in Night City, and the mess is a bit difficult to clean up.""It seems we shouldn't have accepted Faraday's proposal; we were careless."Kate sat in the expensive seat, looking at the dusk scenery worth tens of billions or even hundreds of billions outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as the steel behemoth in the distance, the size of a soybean, moving toward this side.This office did not belong to her, nor did it belong to her boss V, but to V's superior, the true upper management of Arasaka Corporation—Arthur Jenkins.She was just taking advantage of the owner's absence to sit here and throw her weight around, fantasizing that after this incident she could truly sit here.However, judging from the current situation, her unrealistic fantasies were completely shattered.It's very simple; the impact and attention caused by this incident were too high, and almost all corporations were paying attention to all of this.The initial plan was very simple: let David put on the cyberskeleton to engage in combat with Militech's troops to achieve the purpose of collecting data, and finally wait for David to be killed by Militech's people, or when both sides suffered, have their rescue team step forward to bring David and the wreckage back for research.But now it seemed her idea was simply too naive.She misjudged David Martinez's strength, causing everything in the plan to deviate from its original route.However, the biggest accident was still the footage of the steel behemoth transmitted on the screen.Was that thing really the cyberskeleton?It's truly unbelievable.At first she didn't believe that was the cyberskeleton either, but after multiple signal comparisons and the drone continuously adjusting its position, it was confirmed.This is the cyberskeleton, no doubt.But a new problem came again: how on earth was this done?According to everything Kate knew, the cyberskeleton was originally designed for Adam Smasher. The corporation planned that after research, development, and successful experimentation, it would use the cyberskeleton as a blueprint to manufacture a lightweight (castrated) version in preparation for the next corporate war.
Chapter 109However, unexpectedly, everything now had exceeded her scope of understanding, the analytical scope of the database, and the application scope of the cyberskeleton.No matter how she thought about it, she simply couldn't figure out how David Martinez managed to apply the cyberskeleton to such an extent.Right now, all she could do was record this data and save it completely.When those higher-ups returned, she would at least have some explanation to give."Moreover, according to route calculations, there is a 74% chance he will come here."Douglas thoughtfully provided Kate with the latest intelligence analyzed by the computer."Here? Why?""Hard to say; he probably doesn't know about the connection between us."Douglas's words were very clear; this connection referred to the deal between Faraday and Arasaka, or more precisely, with their counterintelligence department."Damn it, contact the internal security department quickly.""Are you sure? The higher-ups will be alerted." Douglas still had some reservations; if possible, he didn't want the higher-ups to know about this matter."There's no other way. We must strike first, create a storm and hide in the dust, and finally find a way to shift the blame onto those idiots at Militech."Although she said that, Kate's heart was still extremely panicked, even a hundred times more anxious than Douglas.That kind of steel behemoth... If it really came to Arasaka Tower, then her life truly wouldn't be safe by then.The resulting losses were probably not enough to be repaid even if she were killed a hundred times over."...Damn Faraday, not a single thing is going according to plan."Douglas expressed his agreement. This incident had blown up way too much, to the point where it was completely irrecoverable...---Meanwhile, at the intersection of Heywood and City Center."Please stop your actions immediately right now."A large crowd of Overlords, Enforcers, and Ironclads blocked the entire street, while dozens of Griffin drones flew in mid-air. All of these things were standard equipment for the NCPD.It's just that this lineup was a bit extravagant.Even when facing cyberpsychos or certain heinous incidents, the NCPD had never been seen dispatching so many police forces.This was a completely unprecedented event.However, whether their calls played a role or not, the giant mechagodzilla stopped in its tracks, and the slender shadow cast by the setting sun enveloped everyone in front of it.Even standing there motionless, the sharp giant metal spikes on top and its towering, ferocious appearance that exuded unangered majesty were enough to chill people to the bone.Although the NCPD had seen quite a few mechas, and even had such things themselves, this was the first time they had seen one so tall and massive.Moreover, judging by its weight, it wasn't light. Just standing there, dense cracks emerged on the asphalt road beneath its feet, and they were gradually spreading.The lead sergeant instinctively swallowed a mouthful of saliva, mustered up his courage, stepped forward, and shouted through a megaphone: "Personnel inside the mecha, please come out and surrender, otherwise we will resort to extreme measures.""What, do you pieces of trash from the NCPD want to dance too?!"An electronically synthesized voice came from inside the mechagodzilla.Whether considering MAX-TAC or considering himself, it was simply impossible to use his own voice.Otherwise, there would definitely be endless trouble afterwards."I repeat, please come out and surrender immediately, otherwise we will resort to extreme measures!"The sergeant mustered up his courage and shouted again, but his momentum was clearly lacking.He had no other choice and was also quite desperate!It wasn't like he hadn't seen the burning Arasakasecurity vehicles behind this steel behemoth; being able to stand here right now was already pretty good.Still wanting momentum?Keep dreaming.Those Arasaka people didn't dare claim they could show any momentum in front of this thing, let alone them; not pissing their pants in fright was already considered a sign of decent guts.After going back, he would definitely find a way to curse out that fucking boss who gave the order.Damn it, is this thing something they can block?Even if MAX-TAC came, it would still be a struggle, right?!"Oh..."A murmur came from inside the mecha. David, sitting inside, roughly swept his gaze across the NCPD below.Then the corners of his mouth curved up slightly, his eyes revealing a hint of madness."In that case, all of you go to hell!!!"Along with the falling voice, the mechagodzillamoved once again, taking heavy strides and ruthlessly stomping toward the pile of so-called bulletproof police cars in front of it."Get out of the way!!!"I don't know who shouted that, but most people snapped out of their shock and hurriedly fled for their lives toward the sidewalks on both sides.Those who didn't react in time were instantly crushed along with those police cars into fragments and flesh paste under a single stomp, smeared against the soles of the mechagodzilla's feet. The full tanks of alcohol fuel instantly turned into brilliant fireworks splashing out from the soles.If you smelled carefully, you could even catch a stench of burning and the smell of roasted meat.Immediately after, David acted like he had gone mad, rapidly pressing the red button in front of him.Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh——From the launch hatches hidden beneath the spikes on its back, those rockets shot into the sky one after another as if they were free, then poured down like a torrential rainstorm."Hahahahahaha, all of you bastards go to hell!!! You bunch of son of a bitches!!! Hahahahahaha!!!"Manic laughter blended together with the sound of explosions.David had completely gone on a killing frenzy. Any NCPD officer brought within his field of vision would definitely take a high-tech rocket from Militech.Most people didn't even have time to utter wails or cries of agony, nor did they have time to say their last words, before being instantly blown to pieces by the rockets.If they still didn't die from that, they would welcome a second or even a third one.So far, temporarily no one had been able to withstand a second one.Soon, the entire street was blown to smithereens by him, the burning flames swaying slowly along with the wind pressure generated by the footsteps of the mechagodzilla.No bones left? Rivers of blood?These were completely insufficient to describe the current situation.The street, which exuded a hint of luxury amidst its pristine simplicity, was bombed into devastation. The smooth asphalt road and sidewalks were covered in deep craters, and the soil hidden beneath the roads was completely churned up.It wouldn't be an exaggeration at all to say that the Fifth Corporate War had broken out.Even the tunnels dug underground by Night Corpwere trembling slightly, as if they would collapse at any moment.But even just like this, David felt it wasn't quite satisfying enough, and this level of destruction wouldn't raise the bounty much.Therefore, he activated the gravity function built into the cyberskeleton.Hum——The arms of the mechagodzilla emitted a faint roar, and a dark red ring appeared on each of the arms, the light of the rings gradually deepening and becoming dazzling.At the same time, a red halo resembling a magic circle enveloped the sky above, as if foreshadowing that something was about to arrive.But unfortunately, the pattern on it resembled a warning line and was even labeled with words of caution.It was a technological product.Boom——Suddenly, the earth trembled, as if the entire street was swaying slightly.With the mechagodzilla as the center, everything within a radius of thirty meters was ground into dust, and a huge deep pit instantly appeared beneath its feet.The surrounding high-rise buildings presented smooth cross-sections, just like butter cut by a hot knife.One could even see some residents dumbfounded as they took off their braindance wreaths, looking at the newly opened open-air balcony of their homes.Crystal tears slowly slid down the corners of their eyes as they collapsed and knelt on the ground, just like little girls who had been bullied.It seemed they didn't really like this style of decoration.However, David, who did good deeds without leaving his name, was already operating the mechagodzilla and swaggering away at this moment.But before they had gone far, new guys blocked his path.Rumble rumble rumble——Seven or eight black AVs surrounded the mecha. Those were high-tech toys produced by Militech—the manticore. The matte alloy surface covered with mottled bullet marks was engraved with the words MAX-TAC.David: "???"Why was MAX-TAC here?Didn't Melissa promise not to dispatch?And this quantity... it was almost all of MAX-TAC's main force; all the combat personnel were probably here!Just as this thought popped up, a communication call came in."Hey, it's me." A familiar voice came through the communication.It was Melissa.But there was no roaring, no shouting, only an eerie calmness, and her usual scolding behavior was gone."What's wrong, Captain Melissa?"David had pretty much guessed the meaning of this phone call, but still chose to play dumb.And Melissa didn't beat around the bush at all, speaking bluntly: "David, I'll only ask you one question: is the person inside that mecha you?""Ahahaha, was I guessed? As expected of you, Captain."David's play-dumb laughter did not provoke Melissa's anger; instead, she let out an inaudible sigh."It really is you..."Judging by her voice, Melissa seemed very tired and troubled. "The impact caused by this incident is simply too huge. Both the NCPD and Night Corp are demanding our deployment. This time I really have no way to cover for you."It seemed Melissa had already negotiated with the corporate side.Indeed, even her superiors had no way to withstand this pressure any longer.If it were just striking against Arasaka, that would be one thing, but the current situation could be described as quite severe; the highest-level alert had been sounded throughout Night City.This could be said to be the greatest destruction inflicted on Night City since the Fourth Corporate War and the Free States War.Although MAX-TAC was called a state within a state and possessed extremely strong autonomy, this time, both sentimentally and reasonably, they should deploy to capture the criminal.There was simply no choice."Sorry for causing you trouble, Captain Melissa.""It's nothing. As for you..."Melissa's voice hesitated for a moment, but then she said solemnly: "David... No, David Martinez, now you have two choices. First, obediently submit and willingly come out from inside the mecha; second, put up stubborn resistance to the end and fight us.""You, how will you choose?""...Is there really no choice left?" David's voice became as calm as Melissa's.To be honest, if possible, he didn't want to fight MAX-TAC. After all, having spent so much time together, there was still some sentiment there no matter what.But he wanted even less to be captured like this without a fight; that wasn't his personality.However, Melissa's next sentence brought a turning point."It's not that there isn't one..."Melissa pondered for a moment, seemingly thinking of something: "David, I remember you have Optical Camouflage on you, right?""Yeah, that's right." David subconsciously nodded in response."Then let's do this. It just so happens that I haven't reported to the higher-ups that you did this, so there's still a turning point. You activate your Optical Camouflage right now and find a way to escape from inside the mecha, and leave everything else to me.""Right, don't think about taking revenge on Arasakaanymore either. If this continues, I really won't be able to protect you."Melissa offered him a solution that wasn't really a solution.
Chapter 110Realistically speaking, after such a long time of contact, Melissa Rory is indeed a person worth getting to know deeply.Although on missions and during regular training, she acts like a madwoman, in daily life she is really good to the people under her, and whether it's big or small matters that can be shouldered, she will step forward to help shoulder them.Especially toward David, it goes without saying.The debts he owes probably wouldn't even be enough to repay even if she gave herself to him in marriage.Even now, she is still helping him think of a way to escape.But this idea was rejected by David."No, Captain Melissa, I don't want to do this.""What did you say?"Hearing David's answer, Melissa's voice gradually rose: "David Martinez, you bastard... I can no longer shoulder this matter for you! Even providing cover won't work, and if it's really discovered to be you, I wouldn't have enough even with a hundred mouths to speak for you!""Although those maggots up top are fed until their brains are full of fat, they are not idiots, let alone morons, you know?!""I know, I know, Captain Melissa, listen to me finish, I have an even better method here, which can not only let me successfully escape and avoid responsibility, but also give Arasaka a hard time..."Speaking of this, a conspiratorial smile gradually appeared on David's face.As long as he coordinated with Melissa here, he didn't believe Arasaka wouldn't completely lose this time.---On the other hand, inside the office of Arasaka Tower.Orange light flashed in Douglas's eyes, seemingly communicating with someone.But the content of the communication made his brows furrow from time to time and relax from time to time."Okay, I got it."The communication was hung up just like that, and Douglas slowly spoke: "The people below sent the latest intelligence, with good news and bad news. Which one do you want to hear first?""..."Hearing this, Kate turned her body slightly and glanced at Douglas out of the corner of her eye.What time the hell is this, and he still has the mood to pull this?But after thinking carefully, she still chose to listen to the bad news first."The bad news is that the security force we dispatched was completely wiped out.""...What about the good news?" Kate asked, suppressing the urge to beat this bastard up."This incident has been identified as a cyberpsychocase, and MAX-TAC has already been dispatched to handle it. This can also be considered good news."There was a hint of relief in Douglas's voice.But after hearing this intelligence, Kate did not feel as relaxed as Douglas; instead, she became even more solemn, slowly rising from her expensive seat, striding with her slender legs, and slowly walking up in front of Douglas."...You think this is good news?""I think it is indeed the case. At least those people from MAX-TAC are willing to act, and the pressure we face will definitely be a bit smaller..."Douglas's voice grew softer and softer, until he finally couldn't speak at all.Because Kate's face had completely darkened.But she unexpectedly showed no sign of scolding. Instead, she turned around, turned her back to Douglas, looked at the scenery outside the window, and said softly:"This can no longer be explained away as collecting actual combat data.""That David... We must stop him from letting the situation deteriorate further."Otherwise, no matter how many lives they had, it wouldn't be enough to pay for it, especially at this critical juncture.The reason she agreed to Faraday's request before was also because of a major event about to happen in Arasaka.According to intelligence, Arthur Jenkins and their immediate superior V will return to Night City in the near future.Precisely because of this, she planned to make some contributions to successfully ascend to a higher position before these two came back to take charge of the overall situation. Otherwise, once that V came back, they would never have any chance again.But she didn't expect that it would cause such a big mess.Douglas understood this, but the crux of the issue was not here."Right now, he is a monster."A monster in the true sense, rampaging through Night City like a wild bull, and even the rescue team couldn't stop his pace."We have no choice now; we can only wait for the prosthesis to consume him completely." Douglasoffered a makeshift solution.Although everything in the data is still so stable, for the current Night City, or rather Arasaka, a weapon capable of dealing with that kind of monster simply does not exist."No, there is one person who can stop him.""Who?""Adam Smasher." Kate's lips curved into an attractive arc, "The killing machine of the Fourth Corporate War, the battlefield meat grinder, the man known as the cybernetic demon."This was the last line of defense she had prepared long ago.She originally didn't want to use it, but now it seemed she had to.Moreover, after calming down, according to her calculations, David's target might not be the corporation."What?! Are you serious?!"Douglas was taken aback. This Adam Smasher was basically synonymous with taboo within the corporation.As far as he knew, although Adam Smasher's position was not high—compared to them, he was merely a mercenary kept by Arasaka—only those of the Arasaka family could command Adam Smasher, or when there was some major event.With just their authority, could they really mobilize that monster?"Of course, although this is the worst-case scenario."This time, it was Kate's turn to become relaxed.As long as they had the ultimate weapon Adam Smasher, what if a fellow like David Martinez went off the charts?They hadn't never encountered guys wearing oversized mechs before; Militech had long since researched and produced such bipedal big toys, and in the end, they were still blasted to pieces by Adam Smasher.Even so, lingering concerns remained in Douglas's heart: "But even if we summon him...""Don't worry." Kate suddenly smiled and said mysteriously: "He has already arrived."Hearing this, Douglas looked toward the direction of Kate's gaze, only to see a guy whose whole body was modified into cyber-style implants, looking just like a robot, sitting on the sofa in the corner.Although the light in the corner was somewhat dim, one could still see that the man had a multi-tube rocket launcher hanging on his shoulder, as well as the matte black paint finish on his body, with huge palms drooping over his knees, as if stretching them out could crush a person's head.That was the "DaiOni" powered armor produced by Arasaka fifty years ago."Re-Really Adam Smasher..."Douglas's face was filled with shock.Adam Smasher, the legend-maker of Night City, the honorary product manager of the Afterlife, and Arasaka's special master chef, whose greatest specialty was making minced meat, meat patties, and ketchup.That legendary man actually appeared right in front of him!"Heh."Kate suddenly chuckled softly, very satisfied with Douglas's reaction."If I guess correctly, David's target shouldn't be us, but that traitor Faraday. Furthermore, the cyberskeleton was originally prepared for Adam Smasher, and it is most appropriate for him to settle things now."Speaking of this, Kate's voice suddenly stopped, and she turned her head and asked with a smile: "Your opponent is the cyberskeleton, how do you find this decision? Adam Smasher."Thump——Adam Smasher slowly rose from the sofa.The floor, heavily trampled by heavy footsteps, let out a moan."If all this is really as the data says, it's still worth me wasting time..."Adam, whose body had been modified until only a face remained, made a hoarse voice from the metal-sealed mouth position.The moment he just saw the transmitted data, the moment he saw that steel behemoth, he was indeed excited.Just like seeing his old rival Morgan Blackhand.Only a guy of this level was worth him taking action to wipe out, rather than those kittens and puppies, waste cyberpunk wanderers roaming the streets."Very good, I am very glad to see such a strong fighting desire in you, Adam Smasher."Kate gave a hypocritical praise, but did not receive any response.However, she did not feel annoyed either.Merely a dog raised by the corporation, there was no need to lower oneself to his level.Then she turned around and commanded Douglas: "In a moment, when the AV carrying Faraday arrives at the pier, you bring Adam Smasher there to meet him.""I'm going to meet him?"There was a hint of surprise in Douglas's voice, as well as a bit of dissatisfaction, questioning Kate's decision."You know what? Someone has to bear the responsibility for all these losses."Kate slowly walked up to Douglas, and with a condescending attitude, said lightly: "But that person won't be me, understand?""That fixer's contact with the corporation will stop at the pier, did you hear clearly?"Although Kate's voice was very soft, the sense of threat in her tone was not concealed at all.If he dared to refuse, he could be certain that this crazy bitch would definitely order Adam Smasher to kill him on the spot.Thinking of this, Douglas subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva, the crystal-clear sweat gradually covering his forehead gleaming brightly under the setting sun."Un-Understood."Rank truly crushes people.He somewhat regretted why he had agreed to this bitch to do such things against the corporation in the first place; if not for Tanaka and this bitch, he wouldn't have fallen into this plight.But now, whatever was said was already too late.Damned bastard bitch...86. Raid the AV? No, I'm going to raid Arasaka Tower! (6K)"You're sure doing this is useful?""Trust me, Captain Melissa. Leave everything to me.""...Alright, but you must remember, if you cause any trouble, no one will be able to protect you.""Understood, thank you."This was the final content of their communication."Brat, you've got so many sneaky ideas..."After the call was hung up, a smile inadvertently appeared on Melissa's face, except this smile was malicious and made one feel chilled to the bone.Just as if they had conspired about some earth-shattering event over the phone just now.But the fact was indeed so; if David's idea could be realized, he would definitely shift all the blame onto Arasaka.At the same time, the roar of the AV's engine gradually weakened as it slowly descended from high altitude, maintaining a position at the abdomen of the mechagodzilla.Accompanied by a heavy and weathered sound, the matte alloy hatch slowly opened.However, the scene before them caused the breathing of all MAX-TAC members to stall for a moment."This kind of thing..."Although they were once cyberpsychos themselves and had hunted down quite a few cyberpsychos—even those wearing mechs weren't something they hadn't seen—this level of...Honestly, it was the first time they had seen it.Whether in volume or magnitude, it was completely incomparable to past cyberpsychos; just that height of nearly ten meters was enough to give them a hard time, not to mention that metal shell that looked extremely sturdy.Just taking a single glance at it made one feel extremely shocked.However, only one person's expression differed from those of the team members and the leaders of other squads.That was Melissa Rory. The moment she saw this mech, she looked somewhat eager to try; she really wanted to experience the feeling of cutting through something like this."It must be wonderful..."
That look was just like Adam Smasher, having found a goal for life's challenges.However, she knew that this time probably wouldn't do, and she still had to play along with her own little guy.Thus, she took off the multi-linked helmet on her head that looked like a swordmaster's, and her cool brown, soft curly hair was released, spreading down her back.The howling gale rushed into the cabin, gently blowing her beautiful hair, stripping away a bit of her heroic and solemn demeanor, but adding a touch of sexiness and wildness.But the team members riding in the same AV understood——Their boss was going to get serious."Target spotted, eliminate the threat!"Melissa, in charge of this operation, curved the corner of her mouth and issued an order to all the MAX-TAC members.The other groups were fine; they had already picked up their firearms and prepared to attack, but only the members of Team One with Melissa became somewhat hesitant."Captain... are we really going to make a move?" someone asked tentatively and cautiously.Anyone in Team One knew full well who that person inside the mecha was.David Martinez, although young and the latest to join MAX-TAC, had a pretty good relationship with all of them.In fact, quite a few of them had been saved by David a few times.Now, saying they wanted to capture David, to be honest, made it somewhat hard to bring themselves to do it, more or less.Moreover, could this little bit of firepower of theirs pierce through this iron can?Please don't joke around, Captain!Let alone those carrying heavy machine guns, even switching to anti-materiel weapons couldn't do it!!!"Execute the order!"Melissa glanced at them slightly, then turned her head and replied.The emotionless voice made everyone unconsciously obey, raising their various firearms one after another."Sorry, little classmate David..."Everyone muttered silently in their hearts, then abruptly pulled the trigger.For a time, gunshots erupted together, muzzles spewing tongues of flame one after another. Sharp bullets flew out from the flames like sharp swords piercing the air, shooting towards the mechagodzilla.Clang, clang, clanging——Along with a series of metallic collision sounds, those bullets either smashed into pieces or bounced off on the spot.Unfortunately, let alone piercing the enemy's armor, the other party didn't even lose a flake of paint. Splashing fleeting sparks was the only proof of their existence.At the same time, everything happening here was also seen by the off-road vehicle parked in the corner in the distance."What do these guys want to do?"Rebecca was looking through the car window at the mecha being besieged, muttering subconsciously."You can tell just by looking; the MAX-TAC people already regard David as a cyberpsycho, and the entire city has also sounded a level-one alert, preparing to eliminate him."Kiwi recounted all this in the most flat tone, but her heart was not as calm as it looked on the surface.Sounding a level-one alert was rare in Night City. I remember the last time there was this kind of alert was during the Unification War between NUSA and the Free States, right?Yet now David had accomplished this all by himself..."So, what should we do next? David." Kiwi leaned against the car window and thought to herself."Damn old hag, I'm not blind, that kind of thing can be seen just by using one's eyes!" Rebecca suddenly maxed out her aggressiveness, baring her little tiger teeth: "I mean, aren't the MAX-TAC people on David's side?! How did they suddenly...""Because the David who did such a thing has already been expelled from MAX-TAC."Before Rebecca could finish speaking, Falco chimed in.But after seeing Rebecca's somewhat ferocious little face in the rearview mirror, he changed his tune: "No, I mean there's this possibility; perhaps those guys in MAX-TAC haven't realized that's David, and neither Arasaka Corporation nor Militech would bring this up..."Falco made a lot of sense.Whether it was Arasaka Corporation or Militech, they were still acting like cowards right now, keeping their mouths shut about this matter.On one hand, Militech launched a large-scale attack in the Badlands, and on the other hand, over at Arasaka Corporation, the cyberskeleton project couldn't let anyone know yet.Furthermore, that well-informed fixer Faraday was still wandering around outside.At least after completely eliminating Faraday, Arasaka Corporation would bring this matter up.However, that being said, the more Rebecca thought about it, the angrier she got."Damn it, I'm going to help David!" Rebecca shouted at the top of her lungs.Right away, she picked up the heavy machine gun in the toy box and her beloved pink-and-green painted shotgun Iron Ball, preparing to get out of the car, but found that the car door was locked tight."Falco! You bastard, open the door!""Calm down, little girl, it won't do any good if you go over there now, those are all MAX-TAC people over there." Falco stared at the black AV hovering between the buildings and continued: "If you go over there holding a gun like that, let alone helping, those MAX-TAC people will treat you as a cyberpsychoand shoot you dead on the spot."Going over like that right now really was just going over to deliver kills for them.Hearing this, Rebecca also calmed down a bit and instantly understood.Casually tossing the two pieces of heavy firepower to the side, she leaned unceremoniously against the seat, hugged her head, and shouted in a self-abandoning manner:"Ah~ ah~ I know, I know! Then what do you guys say we should do!""Well, let's wait and see for now. At least from the current perspective, nothing over there can threaten David's safety."Falco's gaze was still fixed on the towering mecha monster in the distance.Let alone a threat, the MAX-TAC people couldn't even break its defense so far.But what Falco was curious about was why the mecha operated by David stood there without moving at all?It neither launched an attack nor showed any intention of escaping.Could it be out of old affection, unable to bear hurting teammates he once partnered with?Not gonna lie, Falco truly lived up to someone who had seen great storms; a casual guess was half right.But the main reason David wasn't operating the mecha wasn't this; it was because he was currently answering a phone call."That guy has already boarded Arasaka Corporation's AV and is now heading to Arasaka Tower."A voice that was rugged yet carried a hint of deepness came through the comms.It was a call from Jackie Welles."Yeah, really sorry to trouble you, Jackie.""Amigo (brother), we don't need to talk about that between us. Besides, you put up the money and I put in the effort, it's a win-win for us, haha!""Right, you're right, Jackie. It was a slip of the tongue on my part."Jackie was still the same as ever, with that warmhearted big-brother demeanor.Looking rough around the edges, but actually very meticulous inside."However, I gotta say brother, are you really just going to let that bastard Faraday leave like this? Just let him head to Arasaka Corporation?" Jackie asked suddenly."What else? Could it be that I should kill a fixer?" David replied in a helpless tone, "You know, Jackie. In our line of work, the most important things are fixers and reputation, not to mention that mercenaries getting screwed over by fixers is a very common occurrence. If Faraday really died at my hands, then who would dare do business with me in the future?""Uh... you're right brother, but if it were me, I still couldn't swallow this anger." Jackie's voice became somewhat depressed.Indeed, what David said was right; mercenaries getting screwed over by fixers was common.Even if such a thing happened, one could only blame oneself for being unlucky and lacking discernment.However, being used as a bargaining chip to be sold to a corporation—anyway, if it were him, he definitely couldn't tolerate it.But David's next sentence caught Jackie's attention."Well, but speaking of which, can't kill him is can't kill him, but if some natural or man-made disaster accident happens and he dies outside, then you can't blame me, right.""Wait a minute brother, what did you say?!"Hearing this, Jackie seemed to have thought of something, and immediately widened his eyes and exclaimed: "!Dios mío! (Good God!) You wouldn't happen to want to make a move on Arasaka Corporation's AV, would you?""Mmm-hmm~"David meant neither to admit nor deny it.Stretching his legs slightly inside the cockpit and loosening his muscles, "Alright, let's leave it at that for now. I have things to busy myself with here, so I'll hang up first.""Fine, fine, you busybody. Hope we have a chance to cooperate next time, brother.""Rest assured, there definitely will be."At least his life would definitely not end in 2076.Without seeing that old bastard Saburo Arasaka die first, how could he possibly die?No, he had to live even longer, living well to accompany Lucy and accompany his partners."But before that, let's settle accounts with that guy Faraday first."David raised his head slightly, seeing through the screen that an Arasaka Corporation AV was slowly passing by overhead."That should be the one, no mistake."But he had no intention of shooting it down.Taking down an AV or something was a bit too petty. Going to Arasaka Tower and killing Faradayright in front of that group of people, and then having a good discussion about the true meaning of life with that product manager Mr. Adam Smasherwas his plan."System, is the thing I want ready?"[Ding, it has been completed, please check.]As the system prompt tone sounded, a familiar circular clover logo emerged inside the mecha, with a few large characters written next to it.[Arasaka]"Not bad at all."Extending his hand to gently stroke that Arasaka Corporation logo, he could clearly feel that unique micro-protruding sensation, identical to Arasaka's craftsmanship.Leaving this thing on the mecha, and by the way leaving an operation manual, so when people bolt later.If they really investigated it, by then even if Arasakajumped into the Yellow River they wouldn't be able to wash it clean."However, this is still not enough..."A strange smile slowly appeared on David's face, and he started up the mechagodzilla once more.Rumble rumble——I saw propulsion devices unique to AVs suddenly appear on Godzilla's back, arms, and under its feet. Under the blessing of the levitation devices, its heavy body slowly left the ground and rose into mid-air."What is this brat doing again?"Melissa, conducting a feint attack inside the AV, saw the floating steel behemoth, and a bad premonition instantly sprouted in her heart.And reality was just as her premonition dictated.I saw the mechagodzilla slowly open its mouth once more. Electromagnetic coils appearing out of thin air surrounded it, making sizzling sounds, and a powerful magnetic force instantly covered the entire area."Not good, the AV is out of control!!!"The pilots shouted in the comms one after another, and red alarms flashed inside the cabin."What?!"Hearing the shouting in the comms, Melissaimmediately cast her gaze toward the steel behemoth that had already flown to a position higher than them."This brat!"MAX-TAC's AV was affected by the strong magnetism and instantly lost control, swaying precariously in the sky like a drunken brawny man.Amidst the swaying left and right, boom! With a loud bang, it crashed into a building.The entire vehicle body was embedded in the building.But fortunately, there was no explosion, nor were there any casualties.It just lost its mobility for a period of time.However, this wasn't over yet, because the electromagnetic coils around the mechagodzilla that had flown into mid-air had disappeared, and all those strong magnetic forces and currents gathered in its throat.The splashing blue light gradually saturated its huge mouth, and then it suddenly spewed it out.Boom——A buzzing, piercing sound resounded across the sky.
Chapter 112A blue-and-white beam of light shot straight toward the towering buildings in Corpo Plaza.The Militech building, which was about the same size as Arasaka Tower, bore the brunt of the damage, its midsection blasted open with a massive hole in just a split second.Molten metal, scorched by the intense heat like hot caramel, slowly dripped from the breach before being completely vaporized by the electromagnetic beam.But this was not the end of the blast.Directly opposite the Militech building was Biotechnica.Just like its old friend, it was pierced through as well.Having only just been repaired not long ago, it suffered a second attack.Following that, like candied haws on a skewer, the beam pierced through countless buildings before finally vanishing into the distance.The losses caused by this wave caused his carnival payout to skyrocket by a huge margin.Everything destroyed along this path combined didn't even come close to the damage of this single attack."Tsk, if I had known it would turn out like this, I should have come to City Center earlier..."David Martinez gazed with lingering resentment at the interface floating out of nowhere before him, shook his head helplessly, and reached out to slap the red button beside him, which bore a clear warning label.A deafening roar suddenly echoed from the sky.The gigantic mechagodzilla disintegrated mid-air, transforming into countless fragments that scattered across the horizon like a meteor shower.Like a torrential downpour, they smashed against high-rises and streets, creating a loud, clattering racket.The core-like cockpit in the middle smashed heavily onto the ground, sinking deep into the exact center of the asphalt road.Fortunately, the crowds had already been evacuated; otherwise, with a spectacle like this, who knows how many more people would have been crushed to death.As for the mastermind behind all this, David Martinez himself had activated his Optical Camouflage mid-air, blending his entire body into the sky and background.Swoosh—A Monowire, so slender it was virtually invisible to the naked eye, hooked onto the corner of an ArasakaAV flying past in the sky."Nani?!"Due to a sudden jolt of the AV, Faraday, who was standing inside the cabin, suddenly stumbled and almost fell.However, all the light yellow champagne in his cup spilled onto his suit.Just moments ago, he had been sipping champagne while gazing out at the panoramic view of Night Cityin the distance, planning his future in his mind, completely ignoring the commotion happening at the edge of City Center below.They were just low-level cyberpunks, nothing worth paying attention to.He was a man destined to rule Night City and ascend to Arasaka's upper echelons!Yet the very next second, this inexplicable vibration occurred.And it even ruined his favorite maroon suit!"What the hell is going on?!!!"Faraday shouted toward the cabin.Unfortunately, this AV was autonomous, and his sex dolls didn't have independent consciousnesses either, let alone a threat-scanning mechanism, so absolutely no one could answer his question.Rip—Right at that moment, the screen on the AV door suddenly went dark.Not due to a malfunction, but because it was damaged.A crystal-clear Monowire passed through the door and penetrated the cabin, slowly cutting across the door like a sharp blade, acting just like a chainsaw and sparking fiercely against it.Moreover, the speed was surprisingly fast; in just these few seconds, a major portion of the door had already been cut through."Who is it?"Faraday slightly frowned, cautiously pulling out his pistol and aiming it at the cutting spot on the door.Even now, he still couldn't understand what was happening.Besides, this was an Arasaka AV—whose guts were big enough to dare attack it?"Could it be?!"Faraday suddenly thought of a possibility, his eyes widening in shock, but he immediately shook his head.How could that be possible!How could a brat like that possibly be a match for Arasaka and Militech!Even if he wasn't dead, he should be hunted down by Arasaka right now; how could he possibly appear here?However, the figure revealed through the torn-open door completely shattered that thought of his.Clack—A few fingers stretched out from the cut gap and tightly gripped the door, completely deforming the metal.Then, with a rip sound, the door was torn right open, and a violent gale instantly rushed into the cabin, blurring Faraday's eyes."How could it be you?! That's impossible!"Although his vision was poor, he could still see that the guy tearing open the door was none other than David Martinez."What's impossible about it? Surprised to find out that your dear old dad has come to look for you?"David used his wolf claws with one hand to secure himself outside the cabin, while his other hand grasped the torn wreckage of the door and casually tossed it down.A smile appeared on his face—one that could not possibly be any gentler yet looked utterly benevolent—as he gazed smilingly at Faraday.Yet it filled Faraday with dread.He didn't understand how this little bastard had appeared here, but now..."Bang!"A gunshot rang out.It was fired by Faraday.He decided to take out this little punk.But unfortunately, that bullet stopped right in front of David in a bizarre manner."Tsk, tsk, tsk. We're basically half-collaborators, you know. Is that how you treat your partner? No wonder your reputation out on the streets is so mediocre."David couldn't help shaking his head, letting out a gentle sigh.Ignoring whether Faraday welcomed him boarding this AV, his entire body swung smoothly and flew into the cabin."Get lost."He casually grabbed the collars of two sex dolls and applied a little force, tossing them straight out of the AV.With a splat sound, they fell into a bloody pulp, and his carnival payout increased by one.Seeing the amount update on the screen once more, the corners of his mouth couldn't help curling up slightly.Mosquito meat may be small, but it was enough to make one happy.Looking at Faraday on the other hand, he didn't seem quite as happy."Don't be nervous, Mr. Faraday. I'm just hitching a ride. Look at how scared you are—don't be afraid, sit down."He even patted the fingers that had just grabbed the collars, as if brushing off something extremely disgusting.To him, Faraday's sex dolls were indeed the most disgusting things.They shouldn't exist in this world."..."Faraday didn't respond.Even so, Faraday still didn't dare to act rashly.He just stood there motionless, letting the fierce wind whip his maroon suit, narrowing his eyes slightly as he stared at David."What are you going to do?"This time, it was Faraday's turn to receive no response.David sat comfortably in the plush leather chair, feeling the softness beneath him, feeling the breeze blowing against his face, and even had the leisure to pick up the champagne already poured in the liquor cabinet."Want some?"He was just asking.In less than a second, he withdrew his extended hand and took a small sip."Mhm~ truly upper-class."Sitting in an AV, tasting champagne, and gazing at the scenery of Night City—he had wanted to do this for a long time, but he hadn't expected it to be under these circumstances.However, it didn't seem to make much difference."This bastard brat..."Faraday gritted his teeth in hatred, but his gaze never shifted away from David for even a fraction of a second.He was terrified that this little punk would suddenly fly into a rage and kill him.So much so that the gun grip he tightly clenched became somewhat slick from his sweat.But when he saw the huge clover logo getting closer and closer, a look of contempt appeared on Faraday's face once more.Once they reached Arasaka Tower, his personal safety would be guaranteed.At that time, let's see how arrogantly this brat can act!At this moment, they were seven hundred meters away from Arasaka Tower.87. Faraday-chan and Adam-chan (6K)"Ah, they're here, they're here."Kiwi, sitting in the front passenger seat, suddenly spoke up.A familiar figure rushed over from outside the car, skillfully pulled open the door, and got in.With silver short hair reflecting the sunset's afterglow and a familiar jacket, anyone could tell at a glance that it was Lucy."Where's David? Where is he?"As soon as she got in, instead of greeting her old friends she hadn't seen in a long time, she asked about David's whereabouts.Yet everyone in the car looked at each other, and not a single person could give an answer regarding David.As for why Lucy appeared here?The story went back a few minutes.After David dismantled the mechagodzilla in mid-air, everyone in the car completely lost track of David, unable to contact him either; every call went straight to a busy tone.However, right at that moment, Lucy's call came in, asking about David's whereabouts.Because she couldn't reach David either—she had been trying to contact him for about an hour, but still couldn't get through.Falco then drove a bit out of his way to pick Lucy up in Watson.However, there wasn't just Lucy in the car now; even Sasha, who was wounded and a patient, was here.But as to where David was right now, none of them knew."He is heading toward Arasaka Tower right now."At this moment, Mower suddenly spoke up."...?! Who are you?"Hearing the words Arasaka Tower, Lucy's heart skipped a beat, but when she turned her head and saw the strange woman sitting on the other side of the back seat, a trace of wariness flashed in her eyes.This woman gave her a feeling that she was far from simple.As for in what way she wasn't simple, she couldn't quite put her finger on it.Anyway, a woman's intuition told her that this person was not ordinary."...Mower, he picked me up."
Chapter 113"Mower…?"Lucy repeated the name, suddenly remembering that David had indeed mentioned it to her, "You are Lieutenant Mower of Militech?""...That's already a thing of the past."Mower's flat tone fluctuated for the first time, resembling a barely audible lament."Then how do you know David is heading to Arasaka Tower right now?""..."Mower didn't answer Lucy's question immediately, instead turning her head to look at Lucy for a moment before saying quietly, "...He said it himself. Not long ago, he told me about his plan, and the final step was to head to Arasaka Tower."As soon as these words were spoken, the carriage fell into dead silence, and everyone's eyes fell on Mower.Among them, the most shocked and puzzled was still Lucy.Just how many things was David keeping from her!She was completely unaware of something like attacking Arasaka Tower...No, it wasn't that she was completely unaware; at least David had once told her about destroying Arasaka Tower.But back then, although she had tried to dissuade him, she had almost taken it as a spur-of-the-moment joke, and as a result, David actually went and did it."David..."Lucy involuntarily turned her head to look out the car window at Arasaka Tower, which stood like a pillar supporting the sky, her eyes filled with worry."But why is he going to Arasaka Tower?!"Mower's words not only aroused Lucy's worry, but also made Rebecca feel extremely puzzled."...I don't know."Mower shook her head regretfully.And because of such a simple sentence, what everyone wanted to say was choked right back."Damn it!"A muffled sound came from the carriage, as Rebeccakicked the car door fiercely, "Is this guy fucking crazy?!"Not only did Rebecca feel this way, Kiwi and Falcofelt the same, clutching their foreheads with headaches.Attacking Arasaka Tower or whatever, how is that any different from walking to your death?That was one of the colossal entities standing at the top of the world, with a market value of 890 billion eurodollars and over 595,000 employees!Even its Night City branch wanted to crush street cyberpunks like them as simply as crushing ants.Charging into Arasaka Tower single-handedly... To say David wasn't crazy really isn't very convincing."Um... everyone..."At this moment, Sasha, who had been completely transparent, suddenly spoke up and caught everyone's attention.Surrounded by everyone's gazes, the young girl said weakly, "Although the time I've spent in contact with David isn't very long, I think David wouldn't be such a reckless person. He must have his reasons for doing this..."At least judging from the matter of helping her deal with Biotechnica, the David in her cognition was a meticulous person.He wouldn't rashly go challenge Arasaka Toweralone.These words inexplicably eased the originally tense atmosphere, and at the same time, the group of people burst out with a chuckle, leaving Sashacompletely confused.Did she say something wrong somewhere?"That kid... not reckless? That's impossible; what normal person would bring only one person to storm Maelstrom's den?" Falco said with a smile."That's right, that guy is a lunatic sometimes." Rebecca chimed in as well, but adoration and memories surfaced in her eyes.When it came to storming Maelstrom alone, she had the most say, because that time was to save her."Yeah, David... is indeed very crazy sometimes."This was Lucy.Sighing as well.Even recalling that scene of her first meeting with David, the scene of killing a cyberpsycho, and later the scene of how he used his driving skills to outplay Tyger Claws on the road.All sorts of memories flickered in her mind like a revolving lantern, and the corners of her mouth couldn't help but curve into a happy arc.To say that wasn't crazy? Not reckless?How could that be possible."..."Hearing what they said, Mower didn't respond.She only slightly recalled that scene when she met David, and the subsequent scene where he considerately brought her to a ripperdoc for treatment.Reckless...To her, rather than reckless, he was more like a good guy.A rare good guy in Night City.Whatever David's purpose was, at least he saved her—that was an unquestionable fact.However, their attitude made Sasha even more baffled.Because among all the females present, except for Kiwi, basically all of them had experienced more or less events with David.However, although nothing had happened between Kiwi and David, after that private conversation, she understood David better than anyone else.He was a person who would use any means to achieve his goals.When necessary, he would cast aside all mercy and become cold-blooded and ruthless.But such a person in Night City was often more reliable than anyone else."Ah ah~ there's no help for it, let's go to Arasaka Tower too!"Suddenly, Rebecca proposed to everyone, "David really needs backup right now, right? Since he wants to go crazy, we'll go crazy with him to the end!"Snap!Rebecca heavily pulled back her bolt."And then punch him a few good times!""Yeah, that's right."This time, Lucy didn't refute Rebecca's proposal, unusually expressing agreement.As long as David is by her side, Arasaka or whatever is really nothing to be afraid of."..."Mower still didn't reply, but her tightly clenched fists and the orange glow rising on her knuckles already indicated her answer."Yes, yes! Let's go together to help David!"Among everyone present, Sasha, who looked the most fragile, also agreed.However, don't look at her as looking fragile; she was actually the craziest among them all.Because apart from her, no one else had ever dared to infiltrate a corporation like Biotechnica alone.Let alone successfully stealing data from inside and blowing up the Biotechnica building along the way."Beard, Kiwi, what do you guys decide?"Finally, she tossed the choice to the two people sitting in the front seats."Needless to say? Of course it's to go with you girls."This was Falco's reply, accompanied by that familiar smile."Eh~? I didn't expect your beard not to be the only spine on your entire body.""I'm afraid if I shave my beard, you'll fall in love with me."Regarding the matter of attacking Arasaka Tower, it was as if eating and drinking water; not a single person showed any look of tension.Falco even had the mood to joke with Rebecca."Hehe, shut up, idiot! Careful I'll kill you."Rebecca replied jokingly, and then threw the choice toward Kiwi: "What about you, old lady?""...You guys really are crazy." Kiwi helplessly clutched her forehead."Then do you plan to get out of the car here?""..."Kiwi didn't answer immediately, but looked through the car window at the already dimming sky. After hesitating slightly, she said, "...I hope you guys can be quick; I don't want to delay my beauty sleep.""All right! Falco, drive! Let's go crazy for once!!! Yahoo—"Rebecca's excited shouting seemed to infect the engine, emitting a beast-like roar.The off-road vehicle stepped on full power, racing wildly from Watson toward City Center."...What on earth am I doing?"Kiwi slowly lowered the car window, letting the fierce wind pouring in from outside tear at her light golden short hair, as if only this could calm her head down a bit.But even after doing this, she still couldn't figure out what was wrong with herself, and why she made such a choice.Perhaps viewed from a past perspective, it seemed completely unimaginable that she would make such an irrational choice.However, seeing that the companions in the car were all striving for the same thing, she inexplicably didn't want to refuse..."What is wrong with me..."---The sky gradually darkened, and the moon slowly rose."Hiss—"David took out Viktor's custom inhaler and took a puff, instantly feeling a bit more energetic.Truth be told, that form really caused too much strain on the body, and only by using the inhaler could his exhausted nerves get some relief.If not for the fact that the implants in his head were all military-grade or even experimental-grade, he wouldn't feel the slightest surprise even if such massive calculations burned out those components.Meanwhile, the AV that he and Faraday were riding in was now slowly slowing down, smoothly driving into the dock of Arasaka Tower."Oh ho, it really is lively."David glanced outward slightly, only to see the dock filled to the brim with fully armed Arasaka soldiers wearing heavy body armor.Arasaka-produced TKI-20 Shingen smart submachine guns were basically their standard equipment, and the pitch-black gun muzzles pointed one after another at the already broken door of the AV."This isn't what we agreed on, Faraday."Standing on the dock and surrounded by soldiers, Douglas's face turned pitch black in an instant.Only to see the person stepping down from the AV, besides Faraday wearing a jujube-red suit, there was also a young boy—a strange boy whose limbs were all implants made of black metal.That young boy was precisely David Martinez, as shown in the intel."You broke your promise. Not only do you not have the cyberskeleton and data, but you didn't even bring that netrunner."Douglas's voice gradually grew solemn: "Faraday, you dog that bites its master, do you know what the consequence of toying with Arasaka is?"Since the cyberskeleton did not exist on David Martinez's body, the matter of Faraday toying with Arasaka had already become a foregone conclusion."Is this really okay? Isn't this kid the experimental subject you guys wanted most? If you get him, can't the cyberskeleton experiment be carried out at any time?"Things having reached this point, Faraday even dared to use David as a bargaining chip, right in front of him.Damn it, isn't this old thing afraid of death?David expressed being shocked, angry, and wanting to laugh at the same time—it was his first time seeing a guy more arrogant than himself.But this guy was also a grasshopper after autumn; there wasn't much opportunity left for him to jump around."I am ordered to stop you right here, no matter what."Douglas slowly raised his hand as a signal, and instantly all the soldiers placed their fingers on the triggers, ready to fire at any moment."Hey hey hey, calm down."