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In the training room, Jax lay on a chair with his eyes closed, wearing high-end Braindance equipment on his face and several special sensor patches attached to his arms.
His skin was red and hot, and white smoke continuously emanated from Jax's body.
A moment later, Jax opened his eyes and made two or three grasping motions with his right hand. He sat up from the recliner, gasping for breath.
His hair was damp, and his eyes were bloodshot. Jax took a deep breath before standing up.
Don't misunderstand, Jax was not watching any restricted Braindance; he was undergoing special training.
Training needs a goal. For example, Rebecca and Maine took Tiger Woman as their training target, while Lucy and Sasha took Shoko as theirs.
Jax, naturally, also needed a goal, and the Braindance chip he had just used was specifically for combat training Braindance.
As Arasaka Michiko's personal "security team," from the moment they joined Danger Girl, these girls had already surpassed too many people in this world.
"No wonder the resource gap is so severe..." Jax gave a wry smile. Before coming to this fortress, he didn't even know that such training methods existed in this world.
Jax used to know that this world had all sorts of chips: joytoy chips, gun chips, knowledge chips.
An ordinary person, after installing a gun chip, could quickly master the use of various firearms and become proficient in that field in a short time.
But... wasn't this specification of Braindance chip a bit too much?
Jax unplugged the Braindance device and placed it into a groove on the back of the chair. With a gentle press, the pink Braindance equipment connected into the groove.
Then, Jax began to integrate the training results he had just obtained. Standing in place, with his finger on his chin, Jax muttered softly:
"Adam Smasher... under normal circumstances, his movement speed is about four times mine. His customized Sandevistan is equipped with various Arasaka-specific plugins.
But for me, the most deadly thing is the gravity device on him. When activated, due to gravity, his speed will be six or seven times faster than mine when I activate Potential Overdraft."
Jax processed the information he had obtained from that Braindance, and then the expression on his face gradually became a little distorted.
After activating the Potential Overdraft skill, his reaction speed had entered the legendary realm. With fifteen attribute points, he could barely find a few people in Night City who could compare.
And having always fought relying on his personal abilities, after entering the edgerunner circle, Jax was actually a little overconfident.
Killing the two wastelanders, the Fixer in the mansion, plus causing a ruckus in Japantown and killing Arasaka's high-level combat agents...
He found that he was actually very strong.
But now, looking at it, compared to truly top-tier legendary powerhouses, he was still far behind.
"And the most troublesome thing is that his physique is much higher than mine. I can't break his defense; I can only restrict him. But he can easily shoot a hole through my stomach with one hand. As expected of a monster with 96% cyberware..."
Shaking his head, Jax cast aside the distracting thoughts in his mind.
He didn't need to compare himself to Adam Smasher right now.
Because after the Night City nuclear incident, that guy had already sold himself to Arasaka; he was now the culmination of Arasaka's highest craftsmanship.
The world's most cutting-edge technological crystals were all on him. What could Jax, a penniless person whose whole body couldn't even sell for a few tens of thousands of credits, compare to Adam Smasher, who could chip off a few fragments from his body and sell them for over a hundred thousand?
The company's top-tier cyberware was all custom-made, and such high-end custom implants were simply not available on the market.
Therefore, hackers also found it very difficult to hack him, because just cracking the security protocol would take half a day.
Half a day... Adam Smasher could already kill you a thousand times over!
It's no wonder half of Night City's legends died at his hands.
Jax had also thought that if he changed his mind, became Arasaka Michiko's subordinate, and then installed cyberware into his body like crazy.
Then, with his current physical fitness, after two or three months of adapting to the cyberware, he would certainly be able to defeat Adam Smasher.
At that time, a legendary figure named Jax would emerge in this world.
But this idea immediately shattered like a bubble after understanding the implants on Adam Smasher.
Not only because of his two-year agreement with Michiko, but also because... Jax now understood why a monster as powerful as Adam Smasher would obediently follow Arasaka's orders.
Did you really think that the company, after spending so much money, nearly a hundred million in funds, to build a weapon of war out of you, wouldn't have a backup plan?
Disabling cyberware usage rights was just the most basic method; the more troublesome part was the company's subsequent measures...
Installing those custom cyberware was no different from entrusting your life to the company.
And if you use high-end cyberware from the market, most of those cyberware often have loopholes and flaws. Without the company's firewall security, they are easily hacked.
Therefore, cyberware is indeed the fastest way to become stronger, but it also carries huge risks.
As for V's situation... damn, her cyberware content, when maxed out, can even surpass Adam Smasher's.
The more he understood this world, the more he knew how strong legendary powerhouses truly were, the more Jax felt... that V in the game was a bug!
People like her shouldn't even exist in this world!
Can you find a second V?
Wiping the sweat from his forehead, Jax walked out of the training room and then entered the shower to wash up.
As hot water sprayed over his body, Jax's fatigue cleared by more than half. He planned to watch the Braindance two more times later... After all, after leaving this place, Jax would no longer have the opportunity to understand Adam Smasher so "closely."
In the early hours of the morning, Shoko was sitting in front of a large screen, drinking a beverage.
"Drinking a beverage? Replenishing sugar?"
Hearing the voice, Shoko turned around and saw Tiger Woman walking towards her.
"If the three of them come at me together, it's still quite troublesome for me, hmm, a minor trouble."
Shoko said softly. As she spoke, she quickly took two big gulps, swallowed, and then looked at Tiger Woman, continuing:
"Sasha is good at offense, a good candidate for a stealth agent. If the boss knew about her, the boss would definitely like this girl, both for her appearance and her abilities, she would be liked by the boss.
Lucy is very well-rounded. She has experience and seasoned maturity beyond her age. Her information integration ability is extremely strong, her thinking is agile, and her reactions are quick. This allows her to be the commander among the three, calmly issuing orders and attacking targets.
As for Kiwi... to be honest, she's not really outstanding, but she has one very good characteristic." Shoko said, smiling.
"What characteristic?" Hearing Shoko's laugh, Tiger Woman was a little curious.
Shoko rarely laughed, and when she did, it meant something genuinely made her happy and joyful.
She wouldn't feign a smile or force one, because Shoko simply had no emotional intelligence... even when asking the boss for money, she was always straightforward.
And just now, she didn't laugh when talking about Sasha and Lucy, but she laughed when talking about Kiwi?
"She is very cunning, truly very cunning. There was one time just now when I almost fell for her trick."
Tiger Woman was startled upon hearing this.
In the world of hackers, being deceived often meant failure... and failure was infinitely close to death.
Shoko continued: "At the same time, her ability to endure loneliness and pressure is also the strongest among the three of them.
Kiwi is not afraid of failure, unlike the other two, who would attribute their failures to non-systemic complex conditions after losing.
She can calmly accept her failures and admit her own shortcomings."
"In my opinion, this is a very powerful quality."
There was a hint of pleasure in Shoko's voice; she felt like she had discovered a treasure.
Is Sasha good?
Very good. A hacker who can master the Cyberpsychosis skill, no company would reject her if she applied. She would become a top agent because of this ability.
And she herself is the type of hacker who goes all out, with extremely strong frontal combat capabilities, able to fight without relying on high-end equipment.
In this regard, Shoko might not even be able to do it.
After all, combat hackers are... truly rare.
What about Lucy? Also very good.
Comprehensive and rich in knowledge, very experienced, with powerful information integration capabilities that allow her to quickly solve current problems and find the optimal solution most beneficial to herself.
As a hacker, this is a necessary ability, because hackers with slow reading speeds... often don't end up well.
And Kiwi?
She doesn't have Sasha's agent abilities, nor Lucy's knowledge and experience.
She is the most common type of hacker in Night City, somewhat excellent, but overall still mediocre.
But... this world doesn't lack geniuses. In Shoko's era, there were many, many geniuses, and now, geniuses have become even more numerous.
Because hacking has become a mainstream profession, with so many people worldwide and such a massive amount of data, geniuses are truly abundant.
Which hacker doesn't think they are a genius? Doesn't think they are unique among the crowd?
But Kiwi is different; she has never felt special, perhaps due to her experiences and encounters?
Therefore, in Shoko's eyes, it was people like Kiwi who were hard to find, and this, in turn, caught her attention.
"Oh, right, tell the boss that the money in this base might be running out again soon," Shoko suddenly said.
Tiger Woman paused, reached up to touch her pointed beast ears, and said, "Rebecca used about 1.7 million from me, but that was approved by the boss. So, how much did you use on your end?"
"Not much, equipment wear and tear doesn't cost much. The main thing is... Jax's side," Shoko said after thinking.
"What did he do?" Tiger Woman asked curiously.
She had gone to train Rebecca tonight and hadn't paid attention to Jax's matters.
"He used that chip," Shoko said seriously.
"Chip, wha... wait, damn it, you're not talking about the chip I know, are you?" Tiger Woman first froze, then her mouth twitched as she spoke.
Shoko nodded.
Seeing this, Tiger Woman's voice trembled slightly as she said, "He used that special Braindance chip that recorded Adam Smasher's combat footage?"
"How many times did he use it?! Once, right? It must have been once!"
Tiger Woman had also used that thing once, yes, just once.
She would never use it a second time, because the damage it caused to her mind was simply too great!
Moreover, to ensure the simulation's authenticity, that chip was specially made and had a limited number of uses. Exceeding the limit would cause the particles inside the chip to melt due to high temperature and overload, losing the sense of realistic simulation.
It also required external sensory equipment to stimulate the body with electricity, simulating trauma.
To put it this way, being killed in that Braindance was no different from truly experiencing death once.
After using it once, Tiger Woman fell into a coma. The immense shock of instant death caused brain damage, and she slept for three full days before recovering her mental faculties.
Shoko held out her hand, pointing three fingers at Tiger Woman: "Three times, no, it should be the fourth time now."
Tiger Woman: "?"
"Are you kidding me?! Killed by Adam Smasher four times, can his mind still hold up?" Tiger Woman roared directly.
Is that even reasonable?
She knew Jax was special, but... in the face of death, fearing death, dreading death, should be everyone's nature!
And even if you're not afraid of death, you use it four times in one night?!
What kind of physical fitness is this?
"How should I know how he does it? Anyway, tell the boss to transfer the money. That chip costs around 300,000 euros and can be used a total of twelve times.
I estimate that he will use it every day for the foreseeable future, and I've noticed that the time he spends in Braindance is getting longer each time, which means... the number of times he uses it each day will also increase."
"Will the boss agree? These people are simply money-sucking beasts..." Tiger Woman said with some melancholy.
"The boss herself said they could use the facilities as they wished, and she also agreed to replace Rebecca's cyberware, saying it was a small gift for Jax. So now that we're short on money, who else should we ask?"
"I go negotiate?" Tiger Woman pointed at her face.
"Then I go?"
"Forget it... the boss would get angry if you went. You don't even know how to talk," Tiger Woman sighed and said seriously.
"Jackie, I'm really troubling you again."
"It's nothing, don't be so polite. We're family."
In a skyscraper apartment in Santo Domingo, David sat on the living room sofa, watching the bear-like man at the dining table, who was eating with his head down.
He had a samurai bun, a leather jacket, a broad back, and was talking to his mother with a cheerful laugh while he ate.
"As long as those people from the 6th Street Gang come looking for you, contact me immediately, and I'll be there as soon as possible."
"But this can't go on forever. You have your own things to do, and the Moxes also need you, don't they?"
Gloria shook her head. She sighed and said, "The 6th Street Gang doesn't intend to harm me. Gunner sent people here simply to recruit me. If it really doesn't work out, I..."
"That won't do. You're one of us now," Jackie immediately said.
Staying in Night City instead of leaving with Maine's crew wasn't just to stay and protect his own people?
Jackie didn't need to worry about his mom, because his mom was a very capable person. Instead, the Moxes and Gloria were Jackie's top priorities now.
Eating the dinner Gloria made, Jackie looked back at David, thought for a moment, and then said, "David, how's school lately? Have you run into any trouble?"
"No, everything's fine," David shook his head and said.
He found the scene particularly strange... a second man appeared in his house late at night. Although Jackie was there to protect him and his mother, David still found it very strange.
However, Jackie already had a lover. This cheerful and straightforward man chatted with David about women, saying that the person he liked was named Misty, and she was a powerful psychic, blah blah blah.
But... it was still strange!
"Anyway, don't worry, everything will get better," Jackie said to Gloria.
"I hope so," Gloria nodded, saying softly.
She... was not as optimistic as Jackie.
She had already lost her job and now had no backing.
Therefore, for David's sake, Gloria urgently needed a job, and the 6th Street Gang's recruitment... to be honest, if Jackie hadn't been coming every day, Gloria might have already chosen to join the 6th Street Gang.
Her relationship with Maine's crew wasn't deep, and now that they had left Night City, Gloria wasn't against joining the 6th Street Gang.
But it was precisely because Jackie kept coming over that Gloria hesitated.
Compared to reality, so-called loyalty...
Forget it, let's wait a bit longer. Anyway, there's still enough money on hand.
Gloria thought this as she looked at the dazed David.
But David wasn't dazed.
With his head down, the young man clenched his fists.
Why... did his mother need others to protect her?
Why couldn't I protect my mother?
His cheeks puffed out, David gritted his teeth.
Will things... really get better?
"Boom!"
In the world of Braindance, Jax, holding a long spear, quickly lunged forward, stabbing five times in an instant.
But his body was suddenly subjected to immense pressure, his spine bent, and his legs felt like they were filled with lead, unable to stand.
Jax gritted his teeth and straightened his body, the long spear in his hand quickly changing.
A small shield appeared in Jax's hand.
"Bang!"
The enormous force that crashed into him sent Jax's body flying backward. This force... this wasn't even the force a heavy truck or armored vehicle could have; it was like being hit by a maglev car!
But as he flew backward, Jax tightly pressed his lips together, swallowing the metallic taste that surged into his mouth, while the shield in his hand changed again.
A black shadow flowed, and the shield transformed into a shotgun. He fired a shot, and countless sparks appeared in Jax's eyes.
With Potential Overdraft activated, Jax's eyes could barely keep up with Adam Smasher's speed.
In the past... he was the one flashing through others' worlds!
And now, Adam Smasher was flashing through his world!
Moreover, because Jax didn't have Sandevistan, he couldn't activate the time-stop world.
In the real world, Adam Smasher's flashes were sudden blinks, then sudden appearances, without any blue afterimages or garbled black lines.
If he had those things, perhaps Jax could predict Adam Smasher's position in advance?
Damn it... why think about such things?
"This, monster!"
With a low roar, Jax quickly transformed the Gunblade · Shadow Song again, the shotgun in his hand turning into a Katana for close-quarters combat.
The black and red Katana faced the giant iron fist directly. Jax was frantic yet calm.
"Boom!"
Jax's vision went black, and the immense pain made his whole body tremble uncontrollably.
"Ha!"
Getting up from the recliner, Jax panted heavily, a hint of excitement in his eyes. He died, but... he dared to come again!
With a smile still on his lips, Jax spread his arms and shouted loudly:
"I'm so damn strong!"
"I survived seven more seconds against that bastard Adam Smasher!"
Seven seconds in the real world, how many seconds was that in the time-stop world?
Forget it, he couldn't calculate it. After all, Adam Smasher's customized Sandevistan had special plugins, and he didn't know if those plugins enhanced the time-stop effect, so it was impossible to make an accurate estimate.
But... Jax felt himself getting stronger.
The overwhelming battles had always prevented Jax from finding his offensive rhythm, but in front of this monster, Adam Smasher, Jax gradually found his own unique combat method.
He... had become more proficient in controlling the Gunblade · Shadow Song!
There was still half a month left.
In half a month, Jax had to be able to contend with Adam Smasher for thirty seconds after activating Potential Overdraft!
Under the thirty seconds of Potential Overdraft, he had to find an opportunity to harm Adam Smasher!
Combat isn't just a simple comparison of stats. Is it guaranteed that whoever has higher stats will win?
Even high-ranking people can be shot dead by their damn mother! Wasn't Saburo Arasaka, that local emperor, choked to death?
Although the example might not be perfect, what Jax wanted to emphasize was that in so-called combat, stats alone don't determine everything.
After all, Morgan Blackhand was the best example.
Taking a deep breath, and rubbing his hair, Jax lay down again.
"Today... let's do five times first."
Enter, Braindance!
Adam Smasher,
I'm back again, damn it!
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