Cyberpunk 2077 is what happens when capitalism hits the redline — and keeps accelerating.
In this world, corps have grown larger than nations. They control the military, the tech, and the very things people need to live. They own the top channels, the supply chains, the security, the narrative — while everyone else scrapes by under the weight of it all.
Night City's class structure has calcified into something almost permanent, and conflict leaks into everything like toxic runoff.
Even so, the place still obeys one simple rule: the strong eat first. Night City is a miniature of the entire planet — if the world were a forest, then Arasaka would be the aging king of beasts, wounded but still dangerous, while the other megacorps prowled as predators of their own.
If Vash wants to rise in this jungle, he needs more than guts — he needs an entry ticket. A foothold. A power base of his own.
That idea had been floating in his head since the day he set foot in Night City. Sure, he and Jackie joked about burning the city down and building a new order from the ashes — but turning that kind of talk into reality wasn't as easy as saying the words over drinks.
In the original 2077 storyline, the heist to steal the Relic is the turning point where everything breaks.
Bad intel from Evelyn. Dex's greed — trying to bite off more than he could chew. The job looked "simple" right up until it wasn't. T-Bug got traced and fried by Arasaka netrunners, and Jackie took a round in the gut during the chase — bled out before they could even reach safety.
You could say that's where all the rot surfaced at once.
But Vash could see another path.
He didn't just want to take the Relic — he wanted to use the chaos Arasaka would unleash afterward. Ride the wave of their retaliation, carve his name into the city's memory, and drag his own power into the light.
That was the ticket: not surviving Night City, but positioning himself to dominate it.
Plans stacked on plans in his mind, one after another, until even he felt the heat of his own ambition.
A man's heart is built for conquest, and when an opportunity like this sits right in front of you, you don't look away.
Time to witness.
Time to become.
Time to conquer.
Veni, Vidi, Vici.
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
At Lizzie's Bar, the moment Vash showed up at the entrance, Rita called out with her usual sharp grin, "V — haven't seen you in a few days. You good?"
"Never better."
He gave her a nod, slipped inside, and claimed a booth. After a while, Jackie finally rolled in — fashionably late, like always.
"Sorry, V." Jackie said as he dropped into the seat across from him, "Took me forever to explain things to Misty. Got held up." He lifted a hand, "To make it up to you — drinks are on me, mano."
Vash didn't argue, "Fine by me."
The server brought over the tequila they both favored. Vash didn't bother with small talk — just poured and drank. One glass, then another, the rhythm steady and silent.
By the time Jackie finished his first, Vash had already emptied three and was pouring a fourth.
Jackie watched him for a beat, then leaned in, "Something chewing at you? What's going on, hermano — talk to me."
Vash lifted his eyes, "Jackie… you trust me?"
Jackie didn't even hesitate, "Of course, choom. That ain't even a question. I trust you. Completely."
And it wasn't just words. They'd bled together more than once, backs to the wall, guns hot.
Vash's mouth twitched into a faint smile, "Dex is pushing again. We'll probably run the next job in a day or two."
Jackie nodded, excitement flickering across his face, "Konpeki Plaza. Snatching the Arasaka heir's toy. Never done anything that big in my life." He frowned, "But why the trust question?"
"It matters." Vash said, "Because this job? It's lethal."
"V, fortune favors the bold — ya know?"
Vash raised a hand, cutting him off, "This is more complicated than you think. Dexter DeShawn can't handle it."
That was as close to spelling it out as he was willing to get.
Jackie was slow sometimes, but he wasn't stupid. The grin faded, "You're saying the job's dirty. Something's off."
"I can't explain it in a couple sentences." Vash said, "When it's over, I'll tell you everything. But not now."
Jackie sat with that for a moment, then grabbed the bottle and took a long pull — half of it gone in one go. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, "Compared to that big black fatso? Yeah. I trust my brother. Whatever you say, V — we do."
Vash nodded once, "I'm meeting Dex tomorrow at the Afterlife. He'll run through his plan for the Relic. But like I said — he can't carry this. So after tomorrow… we follow my instructions. No deviations."
Jackie stared at him. That level of seriousness — cold, focused — was new.
Then he gave a firm nod, "Alright, V. I'm with you."
❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖❖
After sending Jackie to Viktor for a full cyberware tune-up, Vash headed for Judy's underground workshop.
Like always, she was buried in braindance work, fingers flying across her rig. The second she noticed him, Judy stopped mid-task.
"V!"
❖❖❖❖❖
T/N: Comment, give me Power Stones, like and favorite, it all supports me and makes me go foward with this. Appreciate my other stories as well, I guarantee the good work!
If you want 20 chapters ahead, smut chapters or spicy images of this novel for just $5, or enjoy a large catalog of good novels with excellent translations (free or starting at $1.5): MrBlackWing (you know where to search)
Take a look at the new book I'm translating on my profile, Umamusume Pretty Derb: I'm Just a Trainer! Its also on my website for $5 too!
That's it and happy reading! (-‿◦)