So, what should Karl do when he encounters someone on the street with high-risk cyberware—a person likely to become a cyberpsycho? Answer: N
So, what should Karl do when he encounters someone on the street with high-risk cyberware—a person likely to become a cyberpsycho?
Answer: Nothing.
Karl wasn't with MaxTac, and he wasn't part of the NCPD. If someone actually exhibited signs of cyberpsychosis, he wouldn't mind taking them down for the bounty. But if someone just walked by, equipped with high-risk implants and not showing any symptoms, there was no reason for him to get involved.
Even V from their squad only dealt with such trouble if it was part of a job.
Karl kept walking. But his earlier pause didn't go unnoticed. The woman with the Sunset Mantis Blades shifted her gaze toward him.
She noticed it—his glance.
Her senses were sharp. She realized that his gaze hadn't lingered on her face or any specific body parts; it had focused on her arms.
Just for a second. But the way he looked at her arm—like a blade piercing through it—made her feel exposed.
Did he notice my cyberware?
No… that gaze... he recognized it.
The Mantis Blades she had installed were a model discontinued in '69. And with just one glance, he had recognized them.
Could he be in the business too?
Her eyes locked onto Karl. What was once a gentle expression shifted into something more puzzled, then she stopped her pace. She turned and began walking after him, matching his stride almost perfectly.
Her footsteps overlapped with his perfectly, blending seamlessly with the sound of foot traffic. In the chaos of the street, no one else would have noticed the slight mismatch. But Karl did.
His pace didn't change. Not a single step faltered. He kept walking forward with a slight grin.
Karl wasn't one to seek out trouble. But if trouble came looking for him, he wouldn't mind indulging in it.
He picked up on her presence immediately and, with the tone of her footsteps, realized it was the same woman with the Mantis Blades.
Was this a coincidence? A misstep that synced with his pace?
A few more steps later, Karl was sure—it wasn't a coincidence.
She was following him.
But why?
No signs of ocular scanning or data intrusion. That meant his facial disguise chip hadn't been compromised.
The face he was wearing—Gaius—was one he used during his academy years. He dropped out early, and very few people would recognize it. Plus, none of his former classmates matched her age or appearance, so she wasn't reacting to his face.
Then why was she following him?
Could it be the quick glance he had given her earlier? The one he couldn't help but take when he paused for a second?
Karl began to suspect.
If that was the reason, then her instincts were incredibly sharp. But just because he had recognized her cyberware, she decided to tail him?
The Sunset Mantis Blades were an old, discontinued model. Prone to triggering cyberpsychosis. They were easy to pick up cheaply on the black market. So it wasn't like she thought Karl was a Scav after her limbs.
So what could be her reasoning?
Could she be a latent cyberpsycho? Did she start following him just because he recognized her gear?
Now that would be interesting.
Most people getting followed by a cyberpsycho would be in serious trouble.
But Karl wasn't most people.
Karl: Andy, want to earn some brownie points?
Andy: I'm working overtime. What now, Karl? Did you clean out some Scavs, Maelstrom, or Tiger Claws again?
Karl: Not sure yet. Might be a cyberpsycho.
Andy: Cyberpsycho? Karl, be careful. I'm on my way.
Karl: Sending you my location. Don't be late.
After sending the message, Karl stopped in a narrow alley in Watson.
"Thanks to Watson's lovely urban decay, there's always an alley nearby when you need one."
He turned around, facing the woman who had blocked the alley entrance.
With a bright, warm smile, Karl said, "Mind if I ask your name?"
"Trying to flirt?" she replied. "Not my thing. But whatever, I'll tell you."
She studied him briefly before responding:
"Melissa Rory."
Melissa Rory?
The name didn't ring a bell, but as Karl studied her more carefully, focusing on her face rather than her cyberware, something about her looked familiar.
Where have I seen her before?
As he thought about it, Melissa Rory opened her upper arm, and out came a vicious pair of Mantis Blades—gleaming wickedly in the dim alley light.
That posture—the way she raised her arms like a praying mantis ready to strike...
That's when it clicked.
Of course. Now I remember.
He'd seen her before.
Before coming to Night City, Karl had watched a braindance promo clip that showed this very woman—kneeling in the middle of a blood-soaked street, blades dripping with gore, surrounded by corpses. The ones sent to handle her?
MaxTac.
A confirmed cyberpsycho.
Facing the blade-wielding Melissa Rory, Karl decided to ask anyway:
"I'm pretty sure I don't have any beef with you?"
"You don't," she answered calmly, stepping closer.
"Then why—?"
"When you meet someone in the same line of work… sometimes you just want to see who's better."
There was a flicker of madness in her eyes she could no longer suppress.
"I can tell your hands are covered in blood too."
"I won't deny that," Karl sighed. "But picking a fight over something this dumb—"
He exhaled and muttered:
"Psycho."
-
-
-
🔥 Cyberpunk: The Relentless
📢 Chooms, Listen Up! 📢
You can now jack in and get 100 chapters ahead on Patreon for Cyberpunk: The Relentless! 💾🔥
Stay synced with the chrome, the carnage, and the chaos—early access is stacked and ready. 🧠💀
🔗 Join here: www.patreon.com/c/MrMagnus
👤 Patreon name: SrMagnus🐦 Follow on Twitter: https://x.com/SrMagnusBook
⚠️ Remember, I'll always post more chapters of the novel that gets the most Power Stones!