The muzzle flashed like a small sun in the darkness.
Spiraling bullets screamed through the cold night air.
A soft wind brushed across Arthur Vale's face.
For a brief moment, time slowed.
He knew.
The burly Scavenger leader was already dead.
The recoil slammed violently into Arthur's right hand. Pain tore through the web between his thumb and index finger. The flesh split. Blood seeped out instantly.
But he did not loosen his grip.
At that exact second—
The bullet struck.
The man was still bent forward, heavy machine gun raised, eyes searching the shadows.
He never understood what happened.
The next instant—
His head exploded.
Bone fragments and blood sprayed across the van's door.
He dropped straight down.
"Boss!"
"The boss is down!"
"Enemy attack! Run—!"
Arthur ignored the burning pain in his hand. His body was still weak. Flesh and bone, not steel.
But he needed this.
He needed to complete the special mission.
He needed Cyber Pioneer.
Sasha was still uploading a forced reboot command to disrupt nearby cyberware systems.
Arthur had no time to wait.
In one smooth motion, he switched to his modified rifle.
The barrel aligned.
He fired.
As the weapon kicked against his shoulder, a strange sensation spread through his body.
Light.
Sharp.
Exhilarating.
The world felt clearer.
The remaining three Scavengers barely reacted.
Arthur's shots were precise—surgical.
Three bullets. Three foreheads.
Each skull shattered cleanly.
Their bodies were thrown backward by the force, collapsing in unnatural angles.
Sasha's upload completed at that exact moment—
—but the Scavengers were already dead.
They never saw it.
A system notification pulsed across Arthur's vision.
[Revenge of Destiny Church – Complete.]
[24/24 Scavengers Eliminated.]
[Talent Acquired: Cyber Pioneer.]
[Cyber Pioneer Progress: 2/100%. Higher unlock levels will activate additional effects.]
Arthur lowered his rifle slowly.
He could feel it now.
Something subtle inside his nervous system.
Connections adapting.
Improving compatibility between flesh and chrome.
Not dramatic.
But real.
He opened team comms.
[Arthur: Clean the battlefield.]
Sasha's cheerful voice followed.
[Mission accomplished. You'll be busy now. I'll come find you for that drink sometime, Doctor… Season.]
Arthur smiled faintly.
She was smart.
And brave.
Both rare qualities in Night City.
---
Inside the factory, Bain and the others began searching the hideout.
They moved through rooms filled with blood, broken furniture, and half-destroyed cyberware equipment.
After a while, Bain's voice echoed from another chamber.
"Arthur! Over here!"
Arthur entered a room that looked like a slaughterhouse.
Three bodies hung from iron hooks.
Not dissected yet.
Not fully stripped.
Bain's face tightened.
"Arthur… they haven't been processed. They're…"
Arthur stepped forward and examined them carefully.
He observed torn earlobes—jewelry ripped off violently.
He saw distinctive tattoos across their arms.
He nodded slowly.
"These three are Valentinos."
Bain blinked.
Valentinos.
A powerful gang in Heywood.
"This… drags us into something bigger, doesn't it?" Bain muttered.
Arthur shook his head calmly.
"No. These bodies were either stolen after a shootout or quietly harvested. The Scavengers made enemies everywhere."
He looked at Bain.
"Take them to Heywood. Wolf Bar. Give them to Mrs. Welles—or to the priest. It doesn't matter. Just deliver them respectfully."
Bain hesitated.
"You want me to go alone?"
Arthur considered it, then nodded.
"Yes. And tell the others to gather all bodies from the operating room. Find refrigeration units. We're taking everything useful."
Bain understood.
This wasn't just revenge.
This was business.
---
Arthur entered the operating theater alone.
The metallic smell of blood was overwhelming.
He grabbed one Scavenger corpse and threw it onto the surgical table.
Without hesitation, he activated the disassembly tools.
His movements were precise.
Calm.
Almost elegant.
His blade moved like a butterfly—clean cuts, minimal waste.
Now that the targets were dead, extracting cyberware intact was far easier.
The others watched silently.
Some looked pale.
Some avoided eye contact.
Arthur felt nothing.
These men had butchered living people.
There was no guilt in harvesting the harvesters.
Two hours later, stacks of removed cybernetic implants were neatly organized.
Optical systems.
Arm reinforcements.
Subdermal plating.
Low-grade neural chips.
Most of it was junk—street-level quality.
Very little military-grade equipment.
Disappointing.
But still valuable.
He handed the packed cyberware to the team at the door.
If they left it behind, other Scavengers would eventually recover it and sell it on the black market.
Better that Destiny Church take the spoils.
Arthur was a ripperdoc.
He could repair, modify, and resell.
Profit would follow.
After finishing, he stepped outside and climbed into the captured Vito van.
Another prize of war.
He leaned back and closed his eyes briefly.
Then—
An unknown number called.
"Beep… beep…"
Arthur answered.
"Hello?"
A calm, smooth voice replied.
"Hehehe… My name is Sebastian Ibarra. But you may call me… Father."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
The priest of Heywood.
The most powerful fixer in that district.
Bain had delivered the bodies quickly.
Arthur responded evenly.
"Good evening. Arthur Vale. Some call me Season."
A quiet chuckle.
"I know who you are. You cleared a Scavenger nest and returned our boys. Though it was not a contract, we appreciate respect."
He paused.
"There's a saying—fallen leaves return to their roots."
Arthur smiled faintly.
"Respect goes both ways."
The priest continued.
"You and Bain are making noise. Visit Heywood sometime. We'll talk business."
After a few more polite exchanges, the call ended.
A transfer notification followed.
2,000 eurodollars received.
Note: Gratitude from the families.
Arthur stared at the number.
Reputation was more valuable than money.
But tonight, they had gained both.
---
He drove the Vito through neon-soaked streets.
Night City glowed.
Alive.
Hungry.
When he returned near their base, Bain arrived soon after.
But Bain looked… battered.
His face was swollen.
Bruised.
Arthur smirked.
"You got into a fight while delivering a package?"
Bain scratched his head awkwardly.
"I parked outside Wolf Bar. A guy with his hair tied in a bun walked up. I barely said anything before he started punching."
Arthur sighed.
"What did you say exactly?"
"I told him I was delivering bodies to Mrs. Welles."
Arthur closed his eyes briefly.
"…That man's name was probably Jackie."
Bain's eyes widened.
"You know him?!"
Arthur didn't answer directly.
Jackie Welles.
Protective.
Hot-blooded.
Loyal.
Bain had been lucky it ended with bruises.
Arthur stood up.
"You came back at the right time."
He looked at Bain seriously.
"Take the others. Go back to the Scavenger hideout. Strip everything from the operating room—tools, equipment, refrigeration units. Anything valuable."
He glanced at the horizon.
"If we wait until dawn, NCPD will secure the area."
And then—
The opportunity would be gone.
Bain straightened despite his swollen face.
"Understood."
As the team prepared to move again, Arthur leaned against the van and flexed his injured right hand.
The pain was still there.
But beneath it—
He felt improvement.
Adaptation.
Cyber Pioneer was active.
Only 2%.
But growing.
Arthur looked toward the glowing skyline of Night City.
This was only the beginning.
And Destiny Church had just taken its first real step forward.