"Silver Wolf, this feels dangerous. You sure you don't want us with you?"
Maine frowned, his gaze fixed on Silver Wolf.
"Nah, I'm going to see what tricks he's got up his sleeve."
"Lord Yorinobu only invited Ms. Silver Wolf. The rest of you were not included," the woman said flatly.
Her demeanor was reverent and polite when addressing Silver Wolf, but that courtesy vanished when she turned to the others.
Typical corp attitude, really. That ingrained arrogance was impossible to hide.
They thought wearing a company badge made them superior, but in truth, they were just lapdogs wagging their tails for their masters.
"Relax, just wait here for me. Even if it's a trap, they won't be able to keep me there."
Silver Wolf waved a hand, signaling the group to stay put, and then strode forward alone.
Her figure was gradually swallowed by the darkness before Maine and the others finally looked away.
"You'd better not be pulling any tricks," Cole's voice was low as he lit a cigar, the ember glowing in the dim light. "Or I promise, you won't last long enough for the Trauma Team to arrive."
The threat in his tone was unmistakable.
Even though he'd learned the truth from Silver Wolf, that didn't mean he had to be nice to corporate scum.
"Don't worry. Lord Yorinobu is approaching this with sincerity. And believe me, if he wanted to move against you, even with all of you here, you wouldn't escape Arasaka's reach."
The woman showed no trace of fear at Cole's threat, her reply just as calm.
"Hmph. You'd better be right."
Cole leaned against the wall, one hand resting on his holster, not moving an inch.
Meanwhile, Silver Wolf continued forward slowly.
Dark, narrow alleys lined the path, shadows thick enough to hide any manner of threat.
But to her surprise, Arasaka seemed to be playing it straight this time. She extended her senses, probing the area, but detected no presence other than a single figure inside the room ahead.
Mulling it over, she pushed the door open and stepped inside.
"Finally, we meet, Ms. Silver Wolf. I've been looking forward to this since the day I first learned of your existence."
Inside, a relatively young man stood to greet her.
Silver Wolf recognized him—Yorinobu Arasaka, the only son of Saburo Arasaka, and the current Emperor of Night City.
"Can't say the feeling's mutual. I'm not particularly interested in you."
Silver Wolf shrugged, her tone indifferent.
Instead of taking offense, Yorinobu actually chuckled softly, seeming amused.
Watching him, Silver Wolf tilted her head. "I don't get it. You really dared to come see me alone? Think I won't kill you?"
"Ms. Silver Wolf, I looked into your records before coming—only what's available since you arrived in Night City, of course. A few days ago, you rescued an injured mother and child on the street, took them to a hospital, and even cleared out a gang trafficking human organs there."
"And just from that, you decided I'm one of the good guys?"
Silver Wolf raised an eyebrow.
"Not at all. To be honest, Ms. Silver Wolf, I'm curious. Why had I never heard of you before? Someone with your... extraordinary abilities should be world-famous."
"You know I have powers that seem impressive to you. So, as a high-ranking Arasaka exec, why not mobilize the corporation's forces? Send your best to corner me, force me to submit?"
That was the part that intrigued her the most.
Even if Yorinobu believed she was "good," a man in his position wouldn't normally risk a personal meeting. People like him valued their lives too much.
"You're right, Ms. Silver Wolf. Until yesterday, that's exactly what I had in mind." Yorinobu nodded.
"So what changed your mind?"
"You did. Yesterday, you demonstrated your power—digitizing the clouds in the sky with a wave of your hand. Others might have missed it, but from the penthouse of Konpeki Plaza, I saw it clearly."
"I couldn't be sure it was you at first, but I recognized the data-stream particle effects, identical to those in certain black-market braindances."
"So you're not suddenly enlightened—you just realized you can't beat me."
Silver Wolf's eyebrow arched again.
"Exactly. With power like that, I've abandoned my earlier fantasies. My initial plan was to subdue you by force and make you hand over the secrets to that power."
"But since I can't defeat you, I thought it best to approach you with sincerity instead. Perhaps then, we might find... an alternative path."
Yorinobu spoke with a surprising lack of pretense.
It made sense, in a way. Once you accepted you were facing a monster, not a conventional opponent, recognizing your own position was the smartest move.
After all, Silver Wolf genuinely possessed the ability to carve a path of destruction through the entire world if she wished.
Honestly, in the previous two worlds, whether it was... well, the others... even if they could theoretically fight their way through, it would have come at a cost. But this world was different.
This was a tech-dominated world, yet its technology hadn't even reached interstellar levels. And, as luck would have it, this world also had netrunners.
This... this was Silver Wolf's comfort zone.
A playground. A pure, unadulterated power trip.
So, she was treating this world like a vacation.
Thinking about it, unless she stumbled into some truly bizarre realities, she could handle most worlds with ease.
The characters from the Honkai: Star Rail universe operated on a rather vast cosmological scale. As long as she didn't end up in some god-infested realm or a nightmarish prison like that one with the giants who treated planet-busting as a casual hobby, she'd be fine.
And even if she did, it wouldn't matter. She'd been stockpiling her points.
Being a hoarder wasn't a bad thing. You never knew when you'd need them for a particularly tough world.
The stronger your risk mitigation, the better.
"So, what do you want to do? Let's hear it."
"Simple. I want Arasaka dead."
"?"
A mental question mark popped up above Silver Wolf's head at his blunt statement.
She'd known from her prior research that Yorinobu hated the corps, but hearing it so directly in person was still a bit jarring.
It was like a foreign kid failing an English exam and screaming 'Death to foreigners!'...
"That's it? Mind telling me why? It's your family's empire, after all."
Silver Wolf was genuinely curious.
She certainly had the power to end this world's tragedies. Given the tech level here, she wouldn't even need to get her hands dirty. A custom-crafted virus could plunge the entire global network into chaos.
Her hacking skills were even more terrifying than the Herrscher of Corruption's.
If that Herrscher ever met Silver Wolf, it'd probably call her 'Boss.'
After all, Silver Wolf could literally drag the Herrscher of Corruption out of the digital realm and delete it.
"Family?"
A scornful smile twisted Yorinobu's lips. "Being born into a great family like this... I never felt like I had a home. Only cold calculation. My mother was such a gentle person... But never mind. It's pointless to dwell."
"Let's cooperate. I can provide you with anything you want—support, resources. In return, you destroy Arasaka. What do you say?"
Yorinobu stared intently at Silver Wolf.
"Just destroying Arasaka is too simple. But what happens after? I'm no fan of the corps, but you have to admit, they've absorbed certain societal functions. If they vanished overnight, the resulting chaos would be catastrophic."
"Then what do you propose?"
A flicker of disappointment crossed Yorinobu's face.
"Hmm... Let me think. I have an idea. I'll write a super-virus. It'll spread across the globe in an instant, hijack the world's networks, and then... it'll become a judge."
"It will specifically adjudicate corporate crimes. Anyone using corporate power to commit atrocities will face its judgment and receive their due punishment."
As she spoke, her enthusiasm grew. Yes, that was it. She'd write a virus program. She even had a name for it already: Neuvillette!
In the future, Neuvillette's task would be simple: scour the globe for crime and deliver judgment.
Those judged would be hunted down and punished.
Sentences could range from prison time to execution.
Although, given the general morality of people in this world, Neuvillette's execution rate was probably going to be pretty high...
Hmm, maybe she should pair it with an AI named Furina to announce the death sentences.
That sounded like fun!
"No. You won't get the chance."
Just as Silver Wolf was finalizing her plan, a frail, elderly figure slowly emerged behind them.
Outside, AVs descended from the sky, and countless MaxTac officers surrounded the building, layers deep.
Yorinobu's face paled drastically.
"Old man..."
He stared at the figure hobbling forward with a cane.
His father. The true power behind Arasaka. Saburo Arasaka.
"What are you doing here?"
Yorinobu's gaze was locked on Saburo, and it darkened even further when he saw the hulking figure following behind him.
Adam Smasher.
The world's most powerful solo combat unit. Night City was full of legends, and they all shared one final chapter: death at the hands of Adam Smasher.
Adam Smasher was the pinnacle of single-person combat power.
Most people who installed too much cyberware risked Cyberpsychosis.
Not Adam Smasher.
His entire body, save for his brain, was prosthetic. Yet, even with that level of modification, he hadn't gone insane. He could handle any grade of cyberware with ease.
For decades, he had served the corporations, eliminating one enemy after another.
"You thought you could keep this from me? Yorinobu, I'm disappointed. Don't forget the Arasaka name. As long as I live, Arasaka remains under my control."
"Now, step aside. I promise, if you do, I will let this transgression pass. I will not punish you. After all... with that miraculous power, immortality is no longer a dream! If this power can digitize the human form, then it must be reversible! I can use it to create a young body and achieve eternal life!"
Saburo's gaze burned into Silver Wolf, his greed completely unconcealed.
Immortality had always been his dream.
The more power he amassed, the more experiences he accumulated, the more Saburo clung to life. He was one hundred and fifty years old. His body was at its limit.
If he didn't find a path to immortality soon, he wouldn't last much longer.
But his persistence had paid off. He had found Silver Wolf.
Now, he had laid a trap from which there was no escape. No matter what, Silver Wolf would not get away!
WHOOSH!
At that moment, an armored figure blurred into the area at incredible speed, attempting to breach the perimeter.
His speed was so great that even the MaxTac squad couldn't react in time.
"Military-grade 'ware! Take it down!"
The experienced MaxTac officers recovered quickly and attempted to use quickhacks to disable the intruder's cybernetics.
But the cyberware Silver Wolf had modified was far beyond their ability to counter.
The figure—David—didn't even flinch, charging directly into the MaxTac formation.
Then...
POW!
A single punch sent a MaxTac officer flying.
The officer crumpled to the ground, motionless.
A joke, really. Silver Wolf had tweaked David's parameters to a terrifying degree.
Fists and kicks packing the force of dozens of tons—who could withstand that?
The MaxTac troops were elite, their cyberware shrugging off ordinary bullets. But against such overwhelming brute force, they might as well have been raw recruits.
Sandevistan?
No. To defeat them, he didn't even need the Sandevistan. Basic fists and feet were enough!
"I'll play with you!"
Just as David tried to close in on Silver Wolf's position, a figure of solid metal blocked his path.
Adam Smasher.
In the original timeline, even David equipped with the Cyberskeleton was like an ant before this man. After a brief struggle, David had been killed.
Of the team Maine left behind, only Lucy survived.
But that was the original story. With Silver Wolf's intervention, David was not destined to repeat that history.
"Move!"
"What if I refuse?"
"Then... I'll destroy you!"
[Cast Off!]
In an instant, David's speed multiplied. He vanished from Adam Smasher's view.
"What? Sandevistan? No... why is he so fast?"
As the corporation's ultimate weapon, Adam Smasher was also equipped with a Sandevistan—not some experimental model, but a top-of-the-line unit built with the most mature technology, far surpassing ordinary models in both speed and stability.
Yet, even when Adam Smasher activated his own boost, he couldn't keep up...
Too fast... he was far too fast!
Adam Smasher could only see afterimages. He swung his fists, trying to hit David, but every one of David's blows landed true, while his own attacks met only air.
As the world's strongest solo fighter, Adam Smasher's cyberware was incredibly heavy-duty. Even blows with the force of dozens of tons only dented it, without compromising its core functions.
Yet, despite that, David was thoroughly dominating him.
Pummeling him relentlessly.
"Is that all you've got? Adam Smasher... you're nothing special!"
David laughed, a feeling of intense satisfaction washing over him. He didn't know why, but seeing this monster struggle felt incredibly good.
"Seems your bodyguard isn't quite up to the task."
Silver Wolf shrugged, watching the fight.
"Adam Smasher is the strongest. No one has ever defeated—"
CLANG!
Before Saburo could finish his sentence, a massive piece of cyberware crashed to the ground at his feet.
It was one of Adam Smasher's arm assemblies.
"The words 'the strongest' are a curse. Those who claim it always end up humbled."
A light smile played on Silver Wolf's lips.
The next moment, to Saburo's horror, piece after piece of cyberware was torn from Adam Smasher's body during the intense battle.
Their high-speed combat was too fast for anyone but Silver Wolf to follow clearly.
Though the MaxTac forces also had Sandevistans, they were nowhere near the level of Adam Smasher's.
It wasn't until a metallic head rolled to a stop at Saburo's feet that he finally understood.
Adam Smasher, the invincible man, had been defeated.
Utterly and completely...
"Damn it... what is this kid?!"
Even reduced to just a head, Adam Smasher wasn't quite dead.
But a moment later, David appeared before it and stomped down, crushing the skull to scrap.
And so, the notorious mercenary who had plagued Night City for decades, the legend-killer, finally met his end.
"Open fire! Everyone, open fire!"
Seeing this, Saburo frantically ordered the surrounding MaxTac troops to attack.
He hoped to win through sheer numbers.
But to Silver Wolf, numbers were the most useless thing.
She simply tapped a few times in the air, and every MaxTac officer froze in place, unable to move.
The more cyberware they had, the more paralyzed they became.
"Now for you."
Silver Wolf looked at Saburo with keen interest.
"Stand by my side! I'll give you anything you want! You can't kill me!" Saburo, finally terrified, pleaded desperately.
It was only then he truly understood what kind of being he had provoked.
In this cyberpunk world, she was practically a god!
"Don't worry, I won't let you die so easily. Given the countless crimes you've committed... death ten thousand times over wouldn't be enough! Neuvillette. Judge him."
"As you command."
Neuvillette, the super AI Silver Wolf had just written, instantly integrated all the legal systems of the world and compiled a universal codex of law.
"Saburo Arasaka. Crimes: Murder, Framing, [Redacted]... War Crimes, and numerous others. Combined sentencing: Death. Execution stayed for one hundred years."
"Wait, a stay of execution? For a hundred years?"
Yorinobu looked puzzled, not understanding.
"Letting him die so easily would be letting him off the hook."
Silver Wolf curled her lips.
The next moment, Saburo clutched his head, screaming in agony as he collapsed.
An endless torrent of pain erupted from the depths of his mind—pain not physically inflicted, but generated and sustained directly within his consciousness.
"You might want to keep it down. This pain is going to last for a hundred years. Oh, and you like living so much, right? I just tweaked your physical data. From now on, you can live for another hundred years without food or water. So don't think you can cheat death. For the next century, no matter what, you will be unable to reach the truth of death. You will only sink deeper into suffering!"
This was the price of being an evil man.
--+--
Three days later...
The sudden emergence of the super AI Neuvillette took over the operation of the entire world. Under its control, the world became orderly. All resources and wealth were allocated appropriately by Neuvillette.
In this age of overflowing productivity, ensuring everyone had enough to eat was not an impossible dream.
Other nations had, of course, considered resistance. No one wanted their control usurped by an AI. But they found they couldn't breach Neuvillette's defenses.
Moreover, every networked device in every country was now under its control.
If Neuvillette wished, it could launch nuclear weapons and end the world at any moment.
Of course, Silver Wolf hadn't written that into its core programming.
Considering she would eventually leave this world, she had given Neuvillette a self-evolving code.
Even after her departure, it would continue to function without issue. Over time, it would develop more human-like understanding, eventually becoming a true "person."
But Silver Wolf had lost interest in what happened next.
Now, she stood atop the Arasaka Tower, a crisp wind whipping through her hair. Her single turbine hair accessory hummed softly.
Her journey in this world was over. She'd even over-fulfilled her objectives.
After spending three more days here, she found herself growing bored.
A game you've already beaten holds little value. So, Silver Wolf chose to move on to a new one.
"Goodbye, Night City."
--+--
The Afterlife Bar.
"Care for a new drink? A tribute to a new legend of Night City."
"Oh? I'll try one."
The man raised an eyebrow at the bartender's suggestion.
"What's it called?"
"The Silver Wolf. To date, Night City's one true... living legend."
"But... why is there no alcohol in this?"
The man asked, raising an eyebrow again.
"She just didn't care for it."
"A toast. To a brand new tomorrow."
--+--
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.