A bloody shootout at the entrance of Afterlife? That was major news.
And not just one or two, but over a dozen people ended up dead. It wasn't long before a full contingent of NCPD officers swarmed the area.
Meanwhile, inside Afterlife, the Queen of the fixers, Rogue, emerged after being briefed on the incident.
"If anyone asks," she said, taking a slow drag from her cigarette before addressing the two women who had witnessed the entire scene at the door, "you tell them exactly what you saw. No embellishments."
"Understood," the two women replied with quiet nods.
Rogue was well aware of the recent city-wide uproar over the black-market braindance. Through her own channels, she'd also learned about the mysterious power possessed by Silver Wolf.
Under normal circumstances, she would have been intensely interested, even tempted to acquire it for herself.
But this was different. This situation had escalated beyond her reach. It had gotten too big, so big that even Arasaka was getting restless.
Rogue was fully aware of the unusual movements within Arasaka's intelligence division these past two days.
She was, after all, the legendary fixer who had once partnered with Johnny Silverhand. The fact that she was still alive and kicking after Johnny's infamous stunt was a testament to her own capabilities and survival instincts.
Rogue was smart. She knew there were some games she couldn't play. More importantly, there was no profit in getting involved for her.
The power within that black braindance was certainly miraculous, but you needed to be alive to enjoy it.
This was Night City. Arasaka's turf. And Yorinobu? He was the undisputed emperor.
Watching the police cars screech to a halt outside, Rogue took one last pull from her cigarette, stubbed it out in an ashtray, and turned away.
--+--
Meanwhile, Silver Wolf was lounging in the back seat of a vehicle, engrossed in a handheld gaming console, fiercely battling the monsters on screen.
But playing fair quickly frustrated her. After just a short while, she gave in, directly modifying the game's code and plowing through the rest of the level with god-like stats.
"See? Going on a rampage is way more fun," she mused, watching the end credits roll. "All those restrictions are just annoying..."
"If only real life were a game. Being able to tweak the data whenever I wanted... I'd love to just slice right through those corporate suits."
Genji, sitting beside her with his legs crossed, chimed in. Compared to the more seasoned Cole, Genji was younger and had been quite the gamer in his day.
Though, sometimes life changes in an instant. Before he knew it, he'd found himself utterly alone.
No, if it weren't for the Doc, he wouldn't even be alive now. Most of his body, save for his head and a small part of his torso, was cyberware.
Genji had a high tolerance, a natural talent. Anyone else would have likely gone cyberpsycho long ago.
"We're here, folks." Cole's driving was fast and efficient. Before long, he'd pulled the jeep up to a warehouse door. After scanning the area to ensure they weren't followed, he got out and slowly rolled the door open.
"Relax, no need to be so cautious. No one tailed us," Silver Wolf said with a shrug, noticing Cole's vigilance.
"Good to hear. Let's go. The Doc is probably waiting impatiently."
Soon, Silver Wolf followed Cole inside. Past the outer layer of clutter and disarray, Cole opened a hidden door, revealing a brightly lit laboratory.
It wasn't the sterile, orderly lab you'd see on TV. This one was haphazard, equipment and tools scattered about.
But Silver Wolf didn't mind. Everyone had their own habits. Sometimes, a messy space just felt right. A perfectly tidy one would feel unnatural.
"Hey, Doc, we're back."
At the sound of Cole's voice, the man intently focused behind a chair, using the mechanical arms attached to his back, jolted slightly.
In that moment of distraction, the experiment in front of him suddenly burst into black flames.
Sighing, the man muttered, "Ah... failed again."
He showed no anger, however. He simply swiveled the chair around and stood up.
It was then Silver Wolf noticed that while Cole called him 'Doc,' the man was towering, a good 185 centimeters tall. On his back were two sophisticated mechanical arms. Clearly, he'd been using them to assist with his experiment.
Machines were far more precise and durable than human hands.
"Well, well. Been waiting for what feels like an eternity. Finally, you're here. You can call me Rama. Or, you can be like these two lads here and call me... Doctor Spaghetti."
Despite his imposing build, Rama had a genial demeanor. Upon seeing Silver Wolf, he greeted her with a warm smile.
"You're the one who modded them?" Silver Wolf asked, curious, looking the man over.
People in this world treated cyberware as part of themselves, but the human nervous system had its limits. Both Cole and Genji had undergone extreme levels of cybernetic enhancement. An ordinary person would have lost their mind long ago.
While they were naturally gifted, reaching this level without expert guidance would have been impossible.
"That's right. Pretty good work, huh?" Rama grinned, flashing a set of white teeth. He was immensely proud of the modifications, perhaps even more than the recipients themselves.
"Yeah, not bad. There's still room for improvement, but considering your capabilities, it's quite impressive," Silver Wolf nodded, offering praise freely.
"Haha! So it seems you have your own insights into cyberware, do you?" The Doctor's eyes lit up at her comment, instead of taking offense.
"Not so much insights. Just that there are areas on their bodies that could be optimized."
As she spoke, Silver Wolf stepped closer to Cole and Genji. Her fingers danced lightly in the air for a few moments. Instantly, both men felt a noticeable sense of relief.
There was no physical change they could pinpoint, yet they felt inexplicably... lighter.
"Strange, what did you do?" Genji stretched, feeling refreshed and invigorated, looking at Silver Wolf with wonder.
"Nothing much. Just tweaked the compatibility between your cyberware and your bodies," Silver Wolf said offhandedly with a slight shrug.
While this world could install cyberware, the degree of integration was hit or miss. Some implants placed excessive strain on the user's nerves, eventually causing psychotic hallucinations—the root of cyberpsychosis.
What Silver Wolf had done was simple: she debugged their cyberware, perfectly synchronizing their nerves with the machinery. Now, using their implants felt as natural as moving their own limbs.
After all, no one goes insane from lifting a leg or waving an arm.
"What!?"
Beside them, Rama became intensely excited upon hearing her explanation. He hurried over to Cole and Genji, his hands moving over them, conducting an impromptu examination right then and there, seemingly forgetting Silver Wolf's presence.
While Rama's curiosity was satisfied, Cole and Genji felt distinctly uncomfortable.
Being thoroughly felt up by another man was just... weird, no matter who you were.
"Incredible..." After a preliminary check of their cyberware, Rama stepped back, awe-struck, looking as if he'd witnessed a miracle.
"In my sixty years, I've never seen anything like this. Even Arasaka's ultimate weapon, Adam Smasher, experiences some degree of rejection with his implants..."
In a way, the few data adjustments Silver Wolf had just made casually had elevated Cole and Genji's quality of integration beyond even the legendary Adam Smasher.
Of course, in terms of pure combat power, there was still no comparison.
Adam Smasher, as a human—or what was left of one—was among the top-tier existences in this world.
But only in this world.
"Sixty years? Adam Smasher?"
Rama's words piqued Silver Wolf's interest.
This man wasn't simple. He'd even seen Adam Smasher.
Everyone knew Adam Smasher was the personal bodyguard of Saburo Arasaka, the corporation's chairman. Unless on a specific mission, he was practically glued to Saburo's side. For this guy to have seen Adam Smasher, his former status must have been considerable.
"Ah, I forgot to introduce myself properly. I actually worked for Arasaka in my youth. I was a member of the research and development department. But that was twenty years ago..."
As he spoke, Rama shrugged.
"And then? Becoming an Arasaka employee already put you ahead of the vast majority. And the fact that you've not only seen Adam Smasher but, from the sound of it, even studied him... your position must have been quite high. So why end up like this?"
Silver Wolf rested her chin on her hand, her large eyes full of curiosity.
No wonder the modifications Rama performed on Genji and Cole were so effective, allowing them to operate freely in the city. If he was a former core researcher for Arasaka, it all made sense.
"Humans are creatures skilled at self-deception. For the first twenty years of my life, my world revolved only around money. Joining Arasaka, becoming a corporate employee, getting rich—that was my creed."
"For the next twenty years, I got my wish. I joined Arasaka and, thanks to my skills, successfully entered the R&D department. Invention after invention came from my hands."
"The feeling of being valued by the corporation was intoxicating. Back then, I thought that by sticking with Arasaka, I would eventually become the important figure I'd dreamed of as a child. And in a way, I achieved it."
A hint of bitterness tinged Rama's smile here.
"Until one day, my mother died. The woman who raised me single-handedly was gone. When I was young, my family was poor. It was my mother, working herself to the bone, who put me through university and into the company."
"But after joining the company, I threw myself entirely into my research. I didn't even have time to care for her. By the time I realized she had aged, the hardships of her youth had already given her an incurable illness. I didn't even know..."
"I took a long leave of absence then. After burying her, I went on a trip around the world. During that journey, I witnessed the hardships of life. I realized there were countless others out there with stories similar to mine."
"Compared to them, I was incredibly lucky. My mother hadn't met with some accident; she had supported me all the way through school and into my job."
"But many weren't so fortunate. So many people struggle with all their might, only to end up with nothing but broken health and lives unchanged. After that, I kept thinking, what was the meaning of all my efforts until now? Money?"
"The woman I worked so hard for, the one I wanted to give a better life, was gone. I had no interest in other women. For physical needs, you can just hire a joytoy. I had no patience to start from scratch with another woman."
"Plagued by these doubts... I returned to the company. And then... I was given access to the company's highest secret: the Relic. I learned that trapped within it was an unshackled soul: the legend of Night City, Johnny Silverhand."
"After learning about what he did, I understood. The root of all this tragedy... was the corporations themselves. I started thinking, could I do something too? So, I left the company and began planning in the shadows. Speaking of which... I've always felt I owed Cole and Genji."
As he said this, the Doctor looked apologetically at the two men.
"Their hometowns were both destroyed by corporations. And the weapons used to destroy them... were ones I developed."
"Maybe it's guilt, or maybe it's hypocrisy, but I saved them. And it's been us, together, until now."
"Silver Wolf, I know about your incredible power. With your ability, you could truly change things. Join us! Besides, if I'm not mistaken, the corps are already investigating you. With their resources, they might already know your identity. If they learn of your power, they'll go insane trying to get it!"
"So, you think the few of you can change the world?"
Admittedly, Rama's speech was compelling. But Silver Wolf wasn't swayed. Instead, after his invitation, she looked at him with keen interest.
"To be honest, I have no guarantees. Compared to those powerful figures, the three of us are far too weak. But... we don't need to change the world. We just need to become legends."
"Legends?" Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow. "Go on."
"War and peace are ultimately decided by the big shots at the top."
"And while they possess immeasurable wealth, they are also human. And humans can die. Saburo Arasaka, clinging to life for 150 years, is absolutely terrified of death."
"Our plan is simple: target the corporations, launch a decapitation strike! We'll risk our lives to take out the heads of these corps."
Rama spoke without a trace of concern for his own survival.
After all, crossing the corporations was practically a death wish anyway.
"And then?" Silver Wolf pressed.
"We'll become the new legends of Night City. Our deeds will be sung, our stories celebrated by countless punks and the disenfranchised. They'll walk over our bones, follow in our footsteps, and aspire to do what we did. At that point, our goal is achieved."
"I see. You want others to emulate you." Silver Wolf nodded.
"It's all we can do."
Rama smiled ruefully. They were well aware of their situation. From the very beginning, Rama, Cole, and Genji all knew this was a path with almost no chance of survival.
But they pursued it anyway.
Beyond revenge, they hoped to leave a path for those who came after. To let them know there was a final option. They might not succeed, but if even one person did, it would be unacceptable to the corporate elite.
After all, nobody wants to die, right?
Given time, the current state of affairs would inevitably change, and that change would be for the better.
"Well, one thing you said is correct. The corps are already investigating me. In fact, I've already taken out several netrunners they sent after me," Silver Wolf said with a nonchalant shrug and a sly grin.
"But there's one thing you've got wrong. I don't actually need teammates. You think I'd cooperate with you under corporate pressure? Have you considered the possibility that I'm not afraid of the corporations? Or maybe... I'm the one letting them track me?"
"Why? What good would that do you?" Rama was confused. Why would Silver Wolf do that?
"It's simple. Would you intentionally prevent a game from progressing? A key factor in advancing the main storyline is external pressure—the arrival of enemies."
"Right now... I'm actually looking forward to the main quest starting. Because then, I get to experience a more exciting and thrilling game."
"Perhaps... you're the biggest cyberpsycho of us all..."
Listening to her, Rama was momentarily at a loss for words.
Treating the real world as a game? Even having the audacity to treat the corporations as main quest targets to be farmed.
What could Rama even say? Was it sheer arrogance, or an inability to distinguish game from reality?
"This world is boring enough as it is. If I don't find something to do, I might just leave altogether..." Silver Wolf shrugged.
"Is that so? A pity, then. It seems we can't cooperate. But, if you ever need help, please don't hesitate to ask. I'll do everything in my power to assist you."
Silver Wolf's words were absurd, yet Rama had a feeling she was telling the truth. That she really could treat the corporations like a main questline to be completed...
Of course, if that were truly possible, he'd be nothing but happy.
"Hm? Who said I wasn't joining?"
Just as Rama's heart sank, Silver Wolf's words were like a ray of light piercing through the gloom.
For a moment, Rama stared at her, stunned, his expression utterly bewildered.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.