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Chapter Text

Chapter 1: Is This... Cyberpunk?

Roland rubbed his temples, his head pounding as he looked around in confusion.
He was standing in a pitch-black alley, mountains of trash piled high behind him. The sight left him momentarily stunned.
After all, he had only gotten drunk last night. His memory was clear—he had definitely made it back home. So why was he in a place like this...?

“Hiss... Did I really black out that hard?”
Still groggy, Roland held his aching head and used the wall for support as he slowly made his way toward the mouth of the alley. But the moment he stepped out and saw the scene before him, he froze completely.

“Wait... am I still dreaming?”
The sight was surreal—brilliant neon lights flashing everywhere, crowds of people with mechanical augmentations passing by, streets packed with endless traffic, and even hovering cars flying above.

“I must’ve lost my mind.”
Roland rubbed his eyes in disbelief. Suddenly, a sharp, searing pain tore through his brain, forcing a scream from his throat.

“Aaaargh!!!”
His cry startled the nearby crowd, who immediately scattered.

“Shit! Is he a cyberpsycho?!”
“You kidding me? This isn’t Night City!!”

“Huff... huff...”
Roland steadied himself with one hand on the wall, pressing the other against his temple as he slowly stood up. Seeing the terrified looks on the faces around him, he instantly understood what they were thinking.

“Damn it...”
He cursed under his breath, then staggered off down the street. Once the crowd realized he wasn’t a cyberpsycho, they gradually calmed down.

“Scared the hell outta me... just another junkie.”
“Told you, this ain’t that hellhole called Night City.”
“Isn’t Night City supposed to be some kind of paradise?”
“You actually believe that corpo crap? Ha.”

...
Roland made his way through the maze of streets until he reached a massive residential tower. Touching his neck, he felt a metal interface there, and a look of weary resignation crossed his face.
“So it wasn’t a dream after all...”

He stepped out of the elevator, unlocked his door, and entered the apartment. The place looked almost identical to the ones from the game. A bitter smile tugged at his lips.
The apartments here were all uniform—planned and built by corporate design.

Roland opened the fridge, grabbed a bag of instant food, and devoured it hungrily.
When he finished, his face twisted in disgust. “What the hell is this taste? Sweet enough to make me sick!”

He collapsed onto the sofa, dazed.
Just moments ago, he had absorbed this body’s memories and finally understood where he was.
This person’s name was also Roland—Roland Vimers. A small-time street rat surviving on odd jobs and low pay.

As for what had happened earlier... the guy had accidentally fried himself thanks to his own bad habits.
That was how he’d ended up here. He remembered now—he’d died. Just like that.
Now, somehow, he had a second chance at life.

But Roland wasn’t sure whether to laugh or cry. Because this wasn’t some peaceful world he’d been reborn into. It was a world called Cyberpunk.
In this world, ordinary people never had a chance to rise. Even the greatest legends were nothing in the eyes of the real corporate giants. And the common folk? Always the oppressed. Always the exploited.

“I really don’t know... how I’m supposed to survive here...”
Roland rubbed his temples again, frustrated. As for seeking out characters from the original story?
Yeah, right. Who was he compared to them? If he tried, he’d probably end up as another lucky draw in the Death Lottery.

“Welcome, user. This is the designated operating system of PROJECT Corporation. I am your assistant, Lissandra.”

“????”
Roland froze the moment he heard that name. “PROJECT” and “Lissandra” together—there was only one thing that could mean. The AI overlord from the League of Legends PROJECT universe.

His first reaction was disbelief. A bit of hope. But mostly suspicion.
Had he become some hacker’s test subject for an experimental virus?

“System?”
He called out cautiously in his mind.

“You may address me as such,” a calm, electronic female voice replied within his head.

“Who... exactly are you?”
“I am the system assistant of the PROJECT Reorganization System, currently under the control of the main AI, Lissandra. Please rest assured, I cannot betray you. Our lives are linked.”

Even so, Roland stayed on guard. “Then, Lissandra, since you’re a system... tell me your purpose—and your functions.”
“My purpose is to assist you in restoring PROJECT’s glory in this world, and to reshape it. Through me, you can access all abilities and assets belonging to PROJECT Corporation.”

Roland’s breathing quickened. This was it—his chance to change everything.
“Tell me what I need to do.”

“Engage with the original storyline. Interact with key characters to alter events or history. Doing so will generate energy for me, which in turn will grant you power.”

“I don’t have the strength to do that right now. Can you help me get started?”
Roland nodded as he asked, still unsure if this was real—but trying wouldn’t hurt.

“Of course. Distributing starter items now.”
A flurry of code flashed across his vision, and a digital interface appeared before him, displaying various items and data.

The interface showed a shop, inventory, and two types of currency: Blue Essence and Orange Essence.
Orange Essence could be used to purchase cyberware implants and powerful Hero Templates from PROJECT, while Blue Essence was for standard products and blueprints.

“You have obtained: [Smart Firearm Type I · Carmel Electromagnetic Rifle] ×1, Blue Essence ×1000, [PROJECT Type I Exoskeleton Arm], [Milus II Rifle Blueprint]...”

Roland skimmed the list, indifferent at first—until his eyes landed on the [Milus II Rifle Blueprint].
Knowledge is power. Knowledge is wealth.
He immediately opened its description.

“An intelligent firearm designed by Milus, a designer from the PROJECT Miranda State branch. It features powerful firepower and precise aim at a relatively low cost. However, it tends to overheat easily and has lower safety standards. Despite these flaws, it remains a highly efficient killing weapon. Though later phased out, it was once popular among security firms and gangs.”

“Milus: This weapon’s great for special ops—oh, I mean, perfect for robots, you know what I mean?”

After reviewing the rest of the information, a sharp gleam flickered in Roland’s eyes. He stood and moved to the computer, checking his current location and time.
The year was 2066—ten years before the main story began.
His current location... the Taiwan region of China.
Here operated one of the world’s corporate giants: Kang Tao.
And at this point in time, Kang Tao was still under the control of the Xu family.

Chapter Text

Roland sketched a quick plan, then took out the exoskeleton arm to have a closer look. After all, from what he knew the PROJECT worldview lined up closely with cyberpunk—lots of people used Cyberware implants—so if this was a PROJECT product, it had to have something special.

“[PROJECT Type I Exoskeleton Arm] was manufactured using the most advanced technology of its time, aimed at combat-oriented users. It houses an energy shield and compact blades, supports numerous arm-specific plug-ins on the market, maximizes user strength without risking mental overload, includes a compact power source, and blends seamlessly with your arm for optimal concealment. For genuine quality, choose PROJECT Corporation.”

Roland set it on the table and inspected it. An arm like an opened suit of armor lay quietly on the surface, faint blue light flickering from within.

“How do I use it?” he asked Lissandra.

“Simply place your hand inside. I’ve already calibrated it to match this world’s tech,” came the calm reply.

Roland nodded and slid his modified arm into the socket. The instant his skin touched metal, the prosthetic tightened and adhered to him. Its light dimmed; from the outside it now looked like an ordinary cybernetic arm.

Roland lifted his hand and turned it this way and that. “Incredible tech...” he muttered.

He shrugged on a jacket to hide the arm—this thing didn’t look cheap, and scavengers still existed here, even if they weren’t as brazen as in other places. Then he grabbed the Carmel Electromagnetic Rifle. Though called a rifle, it could retract to forearm length and seemed like it might be stowable inside a mechanically modified body—if you had the right mods. Roland didn’t, so he carried it.

“Well... time to get something done.”

Stretching, he took out the Milus II Rifle, which he’d bought with Blue Essence. It had been expensive—five hundred essence for one weapon. The Milus used a magnetic feed; the magazine attached under the barrel and folded, and both barrel and stock could collapse. That folding and compacting was probably why its safety rating was lower.

Collapsed, it reduced to roughly the size of a large handgun—very concealable. Roland planned to use it as a demo sample: sell the idea to a street gang and ride their reputation for a bit.

...

After a while he left the apartment, surveyed the block, then slipped into a narrow alley. A man in a white suit and red shades strode past toward the nearest gang turf.

As Roland approached a bar, the door guard stepped out and blocked him. Roland calmly presented the Carmel and the Milus.

“Freeze!”

Two bouncers drew pistols and pointed them at him.

“Hey, hey, don’t get jumpy. See? I’ve got my weapons out—no hostile intent. I just want to talk business with your boss.” Roland wore a businesslike smile. The two exchanged a glance; one studied Roland’s outfit and then nodded.

A moment later the guard stepped back and tilted his head toward the entrance. The other holstered his weapon. Roland let out a relieved breath—he’d been a little shaken; being stared down with a gun wasn’t exactly calming.

Inside, the bar was quiet—practically empty except for a handful of obvious gang members with obscure tattoos and gaudy hair. The real giveaway: every one of them held a gun.

A burly man pointed, and Roland saw a man in a black suit lounging on a sofa. The man waved him over.

Roland smiled and walked up. “Hello, my name is Vimers. It’s an honor you’d see me.”

“Cut the crap. My time’s limited. If I wasn’t in a good mood, you’d already be out,” the man snorted, leaning forward and fixing Roland with a cold look.

Roland kept smiling. “Okay, I’ll be brief. I work for a small company under a large corporation. I’m here to propose a collaboration.”

The man stiffened before asking, “How am I supposed to trust you?”

“You don’t have to trust me. I’m not here to trick you. By the way—could you have your men return my weapon? You can remove the bullets.” Roland smiled and made the request.

The man paused only briefly, then nodded. He waved and Roland’s weapons were handed back.

Roland picked up the Milus II and unfolded it slowly. “As you can see, this is our company’s new product—a brand-new smart firearm.”

The man’s eyes sharpened. After a short silence he rose, smiling now. He knew the rifle carried high-tech weight; combined with Roland’s manner, it suggested the man had corporate backing—likely Kang Tao—though he was hiding it.

“My apologies. Reintroducing myself—Victor Huang.” He extended a hand. Roland shook it.

“And what brings you here?” Victor asked, cautious but polite.

“If I’m not mistaken, your Viper Gang has been getting pushed hard by the Black Bear Gang lately, right?” Roland asked.

Victor didn’t deny it—he nodded. Word was that Black Bear had gotten a new batch of weapons, which let them dominate.

“Then our cooperation can start here. We need test data on this weapon, so...” Roland’s smile turned more sincere.

Victor’s expression cleared with understanding. He nodded. “So you’re giving this weapon to our gang?”

Roland smiled. “Yes. You can test it first. I’m confident in its performance.”

“...What do we owe you?” Victor asked.

“For now, nothing. If you like it, you can order more later.” Roland handed Victor a business card with only a name and phone number.

“Fine—let’s make this a smooth cooperation.” Victor smiled. If someone asked for nothing, it made him suspicious in a good way.

Roland picked up his other weapon and left.

“Boss, can we trust him?” a gang member asked.

“If we can’t, what then? For now it’s the best option.” Victor picked up the Milus II, examined it, and spat a little. “Smart firearms don’t come cheap. If he chose us to test and suggested procurement... maybe production cost isn’t that high.”

“Tonight, have Zhao take this weapon to test on those Black Bear punks,” Victor ordered.

“Yes, understood.”

Chapter Text

After leaving the bar, Roland broke into a genuine smile.
Spending all his Blue Essence—and gathering intel on the area—had been worth it.

The Viper Gang and the Black Bear Gang had long been at odds, though they’d always kept things contained. Recently, however, the Black Bear Gang had acquired a new batch of weapons, forcing the Viper Gang onto the defensive.

Roland’s choice to involve these two gangs was simple: neither wielded much influence. They had some power but not enough to attract major scrutiny—perfect targets, and likely seen that way by the corporations too.

In Roland’s mind, the Black Bear Gang almost certainly had corporate backing. Many gang members mocked corporations as corpo dogs, but that was only because they could never become corpo themselves.

Now, by supplying the Viper Gang with a weapon of advanced tech, Roland was pretending to represent a major corporation. Naturally, they’d assume he worked for Kang Tao.
In truth, he’d never claimed that—he simply wanted to avoid drawing Kang Tao’s attention. His goal was to sell, not to provoke.

By nightfall, the Viper Gang was ready. They marched toward a bar recently taken by the Black Bear Gang.

At the entrance, several Black Bear lookouts spotted them and dashed inside.
“Viper Gang’s here! Move it and waste those bastards!”
“What?! They actually dared to show up?!”
“Watch me turn these punks into paste!”

Moments later, the Black Bear Gang poured out armed to the teeth. Roland stayed hidden, observing. When he saw them bring out heavy ordnance, he knew for sure they had corporate support. The only question was whether the gun he’d given the Viper Gang would perform as hoped.

He trusted it would—PROJECT tech was leagues above standard Cyberpunk hardware. Especially anything from the PROJECT Corporation—true top-tier monopoly tech.

Zhao raised the weapon Roland had provided. After a quick calibration, a cruel grin spread across his face.
“Target lock-on.”

The instant he spoke, Zhao pulled the trigger. Inside the bar, many Black Bear members were still grabbing their guns when the windows shattered.
A storm of rounds tore through the glass with pinpoint precision, drilling straight into skulls. The onslaught annihilated dozens in seconds.

“Holy shit...”
Even Roland flinched. He hadn’t expected that kind of firepower—it was a dimensional drop against everything else on the street.

The magazine emptied fast. Zhao whooped with excitement.

The surviving Black Bear members, stunned, peeked outside. Seeing the shooter’s weapon run dry, a few drew pistols and fired back.

Bang!
Before Zhao could react, the Milus II Rifle fired on its own, killing the attacker instantly. The returning bullet only grazed Zhao’s ear.

“Damn it!” he yelled, ducking behind his crew and clutching the weapon protectively.
The Milus II Rifle vented a puff of white vapor.

“Beep~ Automatic defense system depleted. Please return to company for reset.”

Zhao groaned in frustration, then stayed in cover, firing manually. Even so, his display had been nothing short of spectacular.

...

At the same time, the corporation backing the Black Bear Gang had taken notice.

Shuda Xu watched the feed on the monitors, his eyes narrowing.
“You’ve all seen it—the tech level on that smart firearm.”

The engineers around him nodded.
“Indeed. Incredible power, high rate of fire, minimal recoil—and that targeting system! Without question, a breakthrough in smart-weapon design.”
“Could this be an Arasaka product?”
“Impossible. This isn’t Arasaka territory. They wouldn’t risk testing something like that here.”
“Either way, I want every scrap of data on that weapon—especially its creator. If possible, bring that person to Kang Tao.”

Shuda Xu slammed his palm on the table and pointed at the blurred figure on screen.
With his order, the vast machine of Kang Tao began to move.

...

Back at the Viper Gang’s hideout, Victor Huang admired the weapon, unable to hide his excitement. Its performance was astounding.

Just as he reached for his phone to call Roland, a deafening crash shook the entrance.
“Who the hell’s that? You got a death wish?!”

Every gang member jumped up, weapons ready.
But when they saw who it was, all color drained from their faces.

“Black exoskeleton armor trimmed with orange stripes—and the two unmistakable characters of the company logo. No one could mistake them.”

In seconds, a flood of armed Kang Tao personnel poured into the bar.

A man in a black suit stepped out from their ranks, took a drag from his cigarette, and spoke evenly:
“Tell me where you got that weapon.”

They didn’t care about making a scene; this was their turf, and no one else had the right to interfere.

Victor Huang turned pale, trembling as he stepped forward. Now he understood—the weapon wasn’t Kang Tao tech at all. Inside, he cursed Roland bitterly, though he didn’t even know what the man truly looked like.

He told them everything he knew.

Shuda Xu’s eyes flashed. Once just a marginal figure within the Xu Family, he now saw a path upward.
“Hand over that business card,” he ordered.

Victor obeyed instantly. Shuda Xu passed the card to a subordinate, who quickly pulled the owner’s data and transmitted it back. Shuda Xu nodded, waved his hand.

They turned to leave. Victor exhaled in relief—

—just as a hail of bullets erupted, fiery serpents consuming everything in the room.

“Clean up the scene,” Shuda Xu said coldly, then turned and walked out, heading straight for Roland’s apartment.

He still had questions—why the man had no safeguards, which faction he belonged to—but those could wait.

Once he met the man, he would have his answers.
In Shuda Xu’s eyes, the likeliest truth was simple: the guy was just another disposable pawn.

Chapter Text

Shuda Xu glanced up at the doorplate, then tilted his head and signaled the man beside him to step forward.
The armed officer moved up and knocked. While one man knocked, the others readied their weapons, braced for anything.

Soon, the door eased open.

Shuda Xu removed his glasses and studied the figure in the doorway. His cybernetic eye shifted as it scanned the man before him.
“To be honest, I’m a bit surprised you didn’t run.”
Shuda Xu smiled faintly and spoke slowly — if the man wasn’t fleeing, there was still room to talk.

“I don’t see any reason to run, Mr. Kang Tao.”
Roland returned the smile. Dealing with someone who at least pretended to play by the rules felt a lot better than hawking stolen tech to desperate gangsters.

“My name is Shuda Xu. To cut to the chase — I need contact information for the weapon’s maker. Since you didn’t leave, I assume you’re willing to sell that intel, yes?”
Shuda tucked his sunglasses into his breast pocket and fixed Roland with a look.

“You already have the creator’s contact, don’t you, Mr. Shuda Xu?”
Roland answered, meaningful, and revealed his mechanical arm.

Shuda froze for a beat. His cybernetic eye flickered as it scanned Roland’s augmentations, then his smile widened into something that looked more genuine.
“Never expected… to find someone like you here. But how am I to trust what you say?”

Shuda Xu’s skepticism remained. “Roland Vimers — father from these parts, mother from across the sea, born in the slums, no higher education… and you say you built a smart firearm of this caliber? No offense — I’m just stating my doubts.”

Shuda stared at the man. If true, Roland was a revolutionary genius of smart-weapons; if false, he’d pay for the lie.

“You’ve seen the weapon on my arm, yes?”
Roland raised his arm. With a small motion an arm blade slid out, and the armed men behind him snapped to alert.

“With your eyes, you should see this isn’t any commercial prosthesis — even the alloy is new. And regarding the Milus II Rifle in your hands, I doubt anyone knows its strengths and flaws better than I do.”

Shuda fell quiet for a moment, then laughed. “Well, well. To think such talent would come from a place like this. Gold shines wherever it’s found.”

“Even gold needs someone to wipe off the dust, or it stays hidden, doesn’t it?”
Roland replied with a smile, and Shuda’s grin grew broader.

The man was perceptive, and clearly willing to work with the company.
“Mr. Roland, choosing Kang Tao was a wise move. Your weapon is astounding — flawed in places, but its brilliance holds. What are your terms?”

Had Shuda confirmed Roland as the inventor? Not quite. But whether Roland made the gun or merely had close ties to its maker, the man was clearly involved enough to be useful. Shuda was willing to take the goodwill and make a deal — this could hardly be a loss.

“My terms are simple. I want money. And if possible, a long-term cooperation.”
Shuda considered, then smiled. “I have a better offer: join Kang Tao. With your tech, you’d silence a few mouths inside the company. I can secure you a €5 million annual salary, profit-sharing, and Trauma Team Platinum Membership. What do you say?”

“A tempting offer. But my ambitions lie elsewhere, so I must decline. Still, I believe we can cooperate in the future.”
Roland shook his head and declined the recruitment.

Shuda’s eyes tightened for a moment, then he resumed a friendly expression. “You’re confident… Aren’t you worried I might do something here?”

“If I’m willing to talk with you here, I have my reasons. Do you think I’m that foolish?”
Roland’s smile didn’t waver. Seeing that, Shuda relaxed.

“Very well. Then tell me what you meant by cooperation?”
“You’ll see in time. For now, let’s talk price.”
Roland smiled mysteriously and cheerfully produced the Milus II Rifle.

Some time later Roland left with a satisfied smile. Shuda took a long drag from his cigarette. The blueprint had sold for €5 million.

The price was a touch lower than he’d hoped — the weapon outperformed any smart gun on the market. Safety issues were manageable; minor tweaks would fix them. A safer batch could be sold at a premium to corporate security and trauma teams, and less secure variants could be sold cheaper to civilians.

To Shuda, the real value wasn’t the gun itself but the level of tech it represented — especially the smart targeting system. If they fully unlocked that system, he suspected it would accelerate development of the Zhuo-style project in their labs. So €5 million was a sound investment. As Roland put it, he wasn’t padding the price — he was making a friend and leaving a positive impression for future deals.

Roland thought himself lucky. He’d guessed Black Bear might be testing weapons for Kang Tao, but hadn’t expected to draw someone so high-ranking.

Shuda was pleased as well. He hadn’t recruited Roland into Kang Tao, but the man seemed intent on building something of his own. The thought made Shuda chuckle softly.

“Ah, young people… they always have their own plans. Hmm — keep an eye on them. When they start to falter, we’ll step in. That should handle it.”

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

Roland squinted through the airplane window at the ocean below, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
Because… this flight was headed straight for Night City.

After squeezing a nice profit out of Shuda Xu, Roland hadn’t hesitated before booking his ticket. If he wanted to grow stronger and climb higher in this world, there was no other path.

He glanced around at the passengers in first class—most wore bright, expensive outfits, the very image of privilege.
“Five million eddies… Guess technology really does pay,” he chuckled quietly, shaking his head.

He knew he’d sold the blueprint for less than it was worth, but it couldn’t be helped. The fact that someone had even bought it meant his gamble had paid off—and luck had been on his side.

Still, five million eddies was no small sum. For the average person here, it was an amount they’d never see in their lifetime. After all, the monthly salary for ordinary folks was barely twenty-five hundred eddies.
“One blueprint worth an Arasaka Tower raid, huh? Tsk… but come to think of it, Arasaka probably hasn’t even set up in Night City yet...”

Roland rubbed his chin, already planning what to do after arrival. The main storyline was still far off, meaning the system’s rewards would likely be limited for now. After selling the blueprint, he’d have to take it slow and plan carefully.

First priority: secure a place to live. Then figure out transportation. And, of course, buy a Trauma Team membership—since he didn’t have combat Cyberware yet, staying alive took precedence.

Adding up the costs… a Trauma Team Platinum Membership alone would run at least a million eddies. A decent apartment would cost tens of thousands, maybe even over a hundred thousand a month.
And for transportation? A two-hundred-eddy jeep? Don’t make him laugh—he wouldn’t dare drive one even if someone gave it to him.

Curious, Roland looked up info on the “Excalibur.” According to its specs, the car’s price equaled the lifetime earnings of a normal person—times fifty-two.
After seeing the number, Roland felt oddly comforted. This was the real world, not some game where you could snag one for a hundred grand.

“Guess five million eddies won’t last long after all...” he sighed with a wry smile.

Then he remembered what the system had said: Essence wasn’t earned only by following the story. Changing history itself could also grant rewards.
That principle had already played out—selling the weapon blueprint and the Viper Gang’s misfortune had both earned him a modest return.

[Remaining Blue Essence: 50,000]

“Now then... time for some real rest.”
Roland closed his eyes and waited for the plane to land.
...
“I have to admit… this place feels strangely familiar.”

Stepping into Night City, Roland took in the scenery with a smile. It was his first time physically here, yet he already felt like a long-time resident. Still, the city differed from the one he knew—Arasaka Tower, for instance, hadn’t even been built yet.

Massive ads glowed overhead, singing the city’s praises and selling every product imaginable. Around him, new arrivals buzzed with excitement, faces full of hope—convinced Night City was where dreams came true.

Roland shook his head. Give them some time, and they’d learn soon enough—this was a city that devoured people whole.
A paradise for the rich, a hell for the poor.

Scanning his surroundings, Roland’s cybernetic eye flickered as he booked a private ride to Charter Hill in Westbrook. No special reason—just that it was safer, and money stretched further in places like that.

He had to admit, though: in daylight, Night City looked almost welcoming—at least to outsiders. A glittering, high-tech dream full of opportunity. But come nightfall, they’d all see its real face.

Roland shook off the thought and quietly contacted an “old friend.”
“Welcome to Delamain Chauffeur Service. We provide only the best transportation. Please confirm your destination... Fare calculated... Your vehicle is en route. Please wait patiently.”
“Long time no see, Del.”

A smile crept across Roland’s face.
“My apologies,” replied the synthetic voice, “but I don’t seem to have any records of you in my database?”
“I meant it feels like we’ve known each other forever. Good to see you again, Del.”
“Thank you for the compliment. I quite like that nickname.”

At this stage, Delamain’s taxi service hadn’t yet reached its peak—it was just one of many in Night City. But soon, it would rise rapidly.

“Maybe I should buy some Delamain stock,” Roland thought to himself. “Not a bad investment.”

He knew the broad strokes of this world’s future. Avian Extermination Act had already passed, and next came the Unification War—a major conflict that would end with Arasaka’s return to the city’s stage. Maybe there’d be a way to profit from it.

Before long, the Delamain car pulled up. Roland climbed in, instructing it to take him to a top real estate agency. He needed a proper place to stay.

During the ride, he also contacted the Platinum Trauma team to purchase a membership contract, transferring two million eddies directly into his medical account. The service representative’s attitude instantly turned enthusiastic.

As the car moved through the neon streets, Roland browsed through weapon blueprints—these would shape his future business and company plans. But before that, he had to buy one more system upgrade.

[Lissandra Assistant Function: Monthly fee 10,000 Blue Essence – Limited-time discount!]

Without hesitation, Roland purchased it. Convenience and security were worth every drop. In a cyberpunk world like this, netrunners were what he feared most.
Eventually, he planned to acquire a PROJECT-series template with netrunning capabilities—so he could face rogue AIs or top-tier netrunners on equal footing, instead of waiting helplessly to be attacked.

He also noticed a “Lucky Draw Chest” in the Essence Mall—10,000 Essence per pull, random rewards, no guarantees. Tempting, but well beyond what he could afford right now.

Though called an “assistant,” the Lissandra function was just that—an assistant. It wouldn’t fight or steal data for him. Otherwise, the corporations of this world would soon experience a nice little “source code shock.”

Moments later, Roland spotted a blueprint that matched exactly what he wanted.

【Czech II Smart Pistol】: Famous for its high precision and low cost, this handgun is perfect for home defense and close-quarters street fights. It trades some firepower for accuracy and safety—but underestimate its punch, and it’ll teach you a painful lesson!

If he planned to start a company, breaking into the high-end market would be suicide for now. Targeting the low-end, practical sector was smarter—and this pistol was the ideal flagship product.

【Price: 5,000 Blue Essence】

Chapter Text

“Ha ha, we’re thrilled you decided to stay in our apartments. Here’s your access key and ID program. Please complete authentication before leaving the premises—otherwise, you might be charged an unnecessary fee.”

A man in a crisp suit smiled brightly as he joked with Roland.

“I’ll keep that in mind. I’ll be counting on you for the next while, Max.”

“No trouble at all, no trouble at all. If you ever need anything, just reach out to me. Well then, I’ll take my leave. Wishing you a pleasant stay.”

Max gave a polite bow before heading out. Roland’s eyes flickered faintly orange as he transferred five hundred eddies to the man’s account as a tip.

Once Max was gone, Roland rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. For a moment, he couldn’t tell whether arriving early was a good thing or not...

Night City’s current situation was rather delicate.

Mainly because Arasaka—the city’s eventual ruler—hadn’t arrived yet. That meant Watson District was still doing relatively well. There was no Arasaka Waterfront yet, let alone something like Arasaka Academy.

There were also some slight differences in the gang landscape. The Mox didn’t exist yet, and the Tyger Claws hadn’t grown to their full power—though they were still one of the city’s major gangs.

“Lissandra, register a company for me. Use the PROJECT logo. As for the motto... ‘For the Future of Humanity.’ Hmm... set the registered capital at two million euros.”

“Understood. I’ll take care of it immediately.”

An orange glint flashed in Roland’s eyes before his lips twitched slightly. Unbelievable—five million eddies gone in the blink of an eye.

Two million for the Trauma Team, another two million as startup capital, plus all the extra expenses—gear, a wardrobe, this luxury apartment… He was bleeding money like a busted valve.

The monthly rent alone was twenty-five thousand eddies. He’d signed for a full year to get a small discount, but it still cost him nearly three hundred thousand. As for a car... his budget now barely stretched to twenty thousand.

So... no car for now. He’d just call Delamain when he needed to get around. Yeah, while he still had some money left, he should probably buy a ride package from Delamain first...

With that, Roland’s shopping spree came to an end. Now... he planned to head downtown to take a look around. If he found the right spot, he’d set up his company there. If not, he’d at least establish a temporary base.

“Hmm... I’ll need some samples first... Right, Lissandra, use that two million euros to set up a small factory. You can handle the robotic systems, right?”

“No problem. Leave it to me.”

“Good.”

Roland nodded and placed an order for a batch of pistol samples—about a hundred units. His Blue Essence balance dropped by another ten thousand, leaving twenty-five thousand remaining.

With everything settled, Roland slowly undressed and stepped into the shower.

Now, he finally had time to relax—and to really take a look at this new body.

“Huh... looks almost identical to how I did in my past life... Aside from the Cyberware scars on my face, there’s basically no difference. But honestly... these Cyberware implants are kind of garbage...”

Roland studied himself in the mirror, curiously tracing the seams of the implants. It was his first time seeing them in reality, after all.

After the shower, he planned to get some sleep—and later, maybe hit a bar and have some fun.

After all... since he was in a cyberpunk world now, he had to experience things like a Braindance for himself.

Meanwhile, while Roland slept, the CEO at Kang Tao’s Night City branch received a message from Shuda Xu.

“Roland, huh... Hmm... these blueprints... looks like he’s quite the talent...”

A faint orange glow shimmered in Harvey’s eyes.

“Send a team to look into this Roland. Track his current activities. Just gather intel—don’t make any unnecessary moves.”

...

“Hey, who do you think bought this batch of goods?”

“How should I know? All I know is it’s a major client—an important one. What I don’t get is why they’d set up shop all the way in Santo Domingo instead of Watson... That’s a long haul.”

“What’s the problem? They’re paying extra anyway. No point complaining. Let’s just get this job done, then grab some drinks after, yeah?”

“Sounds good. How about Lizzy’s Bar?”

“You mean that new hotspot everyone’s talking about? I’m down.”

At that same time, inside Militech’s headquarters in City Center, an employee turned toward his superior.

“Boss, we got intel from a Kang Tao informant. Apparently, Harvey’s keeping tabs on someone named Roland.”

“Oh? Interesting. Check him out. Find out who this Roland is.”

Weis’s face lit up with interest as he issued the order.

“Yes, sir. On it.”

Before long, Weis was holding Roland’s background report. His expression tightened slightly as he saw mention of a company called PROJECT Corporation and a five-million-euro transfer from Kang Tao.

He knew Kang Tao well—when it came to competition, they never invested without reason. For someone to get five million euros out of them, and then turn around to found a tech company...

“Looks like we’ve got quite the talented tech developer here... Get in touch with HR. Have them try to recruit him for the R&D department.”

While the undercurrents of Night City stirred, Roland was just waking up. He stretched, looked around his luxurious apartment in mild confusion, and only after a moment did everything sink in.

“Guess this isn’t a dream after all...”

He let out a helpless laugh. Even now, it still didn’t feel entirely real.

“Mr. Roland, there’s some information regarding you.”

“Oh?”

Roland’s eyes flickered slightly as he received a report from Lissandra. It contained details about the investigations being carried out by Militech and several other corporations.

It was fair to say that his entire identity had been stripped bare.

But that was by design. If he had completely blocked their probes, life would’ve gotten a lot more complicated...

Because that would’ve signaled that he either possessed dangerous secrets or had elite netrunning skills capable of shutting down their intel systems. And if that happened, those corporations would lose their composure—and he’d have a swarm of investigators on his trail within hours.

For now, he wasn’t strong enough to face the megacorps head-on. So a little exposure didn’t matter.

As long as Lissandra could safeguard the core data, it was fine. And since those companies still saw potential in winning him over, they wouldn’t flip the table just yet.

“Phew~ Whatever. No point overthinking it. Let’s go find somewhere fun to unwind...”

Chapter Text

“Long time no see, Del.”

“I believe it’s only been an afternoon since we last met, sir.”

Roland couldn’t help but smile at the bald man’s deadpan tone. Honestly, in such a foreign world, seeing a familiar face was unexpectedly comforting.

“Take me to Lizzie’s Bar.”

“You wish to go to Lizzie’s Bar? With all due respect, I don’t think that’s the safest destination for you right now.”

Delamain glanced at Roland, his tone calm but deliberate.

“Oh? Didn’t expect you to care about me so much, Del. Go on, what’s the issue?”

Roland raised an eyebrow, a hint of amusement in his expression.

“Of course I care. You’re one of our company’s most valued clients. If anything were to happen to you, I’d be… quite regretful.”

“Haha, thanks. I’ll keep that in mind. So, tell me what’s going on with Lizzie’s Bar lately.”

Roland chuckled, leaning back in his seat.

“According to my data, Lizzie’s Bar has been thriving recently. However, since it’s located in the Kabuki district of Watson, members of the Tyger Claws often visit there for leisure. And with the bar’s rising popularity…”

“I get it. The Tyger Claws have their eyes on Lizzie’s Bar—prime turf to control. Judging by your warning, it sounds like the owner hasn’t accepted their ‘offer’ yet.”

“Indeed, sir. Sharp observation.”

“Appreciate the info, Del. Take me there anyway. I’ll stay in the car and observe first.”

“Understood. Plotting the route now.”

Roland nodded and turned to look out the window. The dazzling glow of Night City’s skyline danced across the glass, the neon brilliance hiding layers of shadow beneath.

Here in Charter Hill, things were calm. This was where the city’s upper classes lived—well-protected, well-policed.

You could call Night City dangerous, but you couldn’t say it didn’t take care of its rich.

As Delamain’s car left Charter Hill, the view shifted. Streets grew rougher, faces more diverse, the pulse of the city darker. To reach Lizzie’s Bar, Roland had to pass through Japantown.

The first gang members he saw were unmistakably Tyger Claws—glowing tattoos, neon-dyed hair, mismatched Cyberware, and hairstyles that defied gravity.

Even if he wanted to ignore them, it was impossible.

Still, the Tyger Claws in Japantown played by certain rules. As long as you didn’t provoke them—and had enough money—they’d let you enjoy yourself on their turf. They weren’t the type to bleed a client dry in one go; they preferred steady business, turning regulars into loyal customers. Nearly every Tyger Claw on the street doubled as a hustler.

Just as Roland was starting to take in the chaotic charm of the district, a sharp burst of gunfire shattered the air.

Even from inside the car, he could hear it. Naturally, the Tyger Claws outside heard it too.

Moments later, a group of strangers in mismatched gear dragged a bound man into a pickup truck. The vehicle sped off erratically, swerving like a drunk on a joyride.

Several Tyger Claws jumped on their motorcycles and tore off after it—heading straight for Watson.

Delamain silently steered clear, letting the chaos pass.

Roland’s lips twitched. “Well, that’s Night City for you...”

“That group just now... they were Cyberpunks, right?”

“Yes, sir. You’ll be seeing more of them soon. They might even be useful—depending on the kind of trouble you encounter.”

...

“Sir, we’ve arrived at Lizzie’s Bar.”

The faint orange glow in Roland’s eyes dimmed. He had just finished browsing the Net, and he couldn’t help but sigh at how wildly diverse—and often absurd—Night City’s culture was.

He looked up, scanning the surroundings: uneven pavement, trash everywhere, graffiti covering every surface, a bonfire flickering inside a rusted oil drum under a bridge, and the occasional gunshot echoing in the distance.

Yeah, this was a far cry from Charter Hill. Two worlds entirely.

Several guards stood at the entrance, clearly hired muscle. They were there to keep the peace, but Roland doubted they’d last five seconds against someone truly dangerous.

Lizzie’s Bar didn’t have any big corporation backing it. If trouble started, those guards would be the first to bail.

“Open the door, Del. Looks quiet for now. And when I’m ready to leave, I’ll call you again.”

“Understood, sir. Wishing you a pleasant evening—and please, stay safe.”

Roland nodded and stepped out, heading toward the entrance.

One of the guards raised a hand to stop him. “New here?”

“Relax. I know the rules. I won’t touch anything I shouldn’t.”

Roland raised his hands slightly, signaling he meant no harm.

The guard gave a curt nod and stepped aside.

Inside, the room glowed in shades of violet, blue, and pink, lights pulsing in rhythm with the heavy music—a bit loud, but it fit the vibe perfectly.

“Hey there, handsome. Haven’t seen you before.”

The receptionist smiled as Roland walked in.

“Yeah, first time at Lizzie’s. Any recommendations?”

Roland smiled back and transferred fifty eddies as a tip. The woman’s grin widened immediately.

“Let me show you some of our best Braindances—and maybe a few of our most popular girls.”

After the introduction, Roland wove through the colorful crowd until he found a quiet corner. He picked an inspiring romantic Braindance and started the session.

A girl struggling to raise her younger brother after losing her parents—Roland couldn’t deny, the story hit hard.

“Hey, you think that guy’s loaded?”

Across the room, a burly man in a bulletproof vest pointed toward Roland with a smirk.

“Looks like it. That Cyberware arm’s not standard issue—definitely custom. Plus, check his outfit... worth more than a few of our jobs combined.”

A tall, lanky man beside him nodded, then frowned.

“Don’t tell me you’re thinking of robbing him. He’s probably a corpo dog—bet he’s got Trauma Team coverage.”

That sobered the big guy up immediately. He laughed awkwardly. “Relax, I was just joking. I like living too much.”

BANG!

The bar’s door flew open with a crash, drawing everyone’s attention—except those still lost in Braindance.

A figure with neon-green hair, glowing tattoos, and a bright-colored katana stepped inside. Tyger Claws—no doubt.

Behind him, a dozen more gang members fanned out across the room.

The guards and staff quietly slipped aside. No one in their right mind wanted to cross the Tyger Claws, especially this close to their turf.

Honestly, they couldn’t understand why the owner refused the gang’s protection. Sure, accepting meant giving up independence—but at least they’d live.

“So... where’s Elizabeth?”

The leader hoisted his katana and cracked his neck, voice dripping with arrogance.

They didn’t bother clearing the place out. In their minds, this bar already belonged to them. Why scare off customers before taking over? They weren’t here to start a war—just to deliver an ultimatum.

“I’m here. What do you want?”

A tall redhead in a striking outfit stepped forward, her heels clicking sharply against the floor. Anger simmered behind her eyes—she clearly hated their arrogance.

“Heh. Miss Elizabeth still as dazzling as ever... I’m here on behalf of our boss to deliver our final message. Three days. Give us your answer—or face the consequences.”

The man stepped closer, tilting Elizabeth’s chin up with a smirk.

She clenched her jaw but stayed silent.

Seeing that, he nodded in satisfaction, waved his hand, and gestured for his men to leave.

“Alright, everyone—keep partying. Sorry for the interruption.”

He swung his katana once and walked out with his crew.

Elizabeth watched them go, her expression tightening before she turned and headed backstage, a shadow of bitterness in her eyes.

Roland slowly lifted the Braindance gear from his face. He had already exited the simulation the moment the Tyger Claws started harassing Elizabeth.

He had to admit—Braindance was dangerously addictive.

Still, leaving early let him witness an important moment—the appearance of Elizabeth Borden, the future leader of the Mox.

“If I save her when the time comes... I’ll probably earn a lot of Essence for it.”

Roland stroked his chin thoughtfully.

But it was too early for that. It was only 2066—the event wouldn’t happen until 2067.

“Hmm. Judy works with the Mox later, not directly with Elizabeth... So that means she’s not here yet. Probably still designing Braindances somewhere in Night City. Or maybe she’s already at Clouds...”

For now... he’d just enjoy the moment.

Roland lowered the headset again, diving back into the Braindance world.

Backstage, Elizabeth slammed her fist into the mirror, glass cracking under the impact. Anger drained into exhaustion.

She stared at her bloodied hand and let out a long sigh.

To protect her girls... she had no other choice. If she defied the Tyger Claws openly, she’d lose everything—maybe even her life.

At least this way, she could still hold on to some control... and maybe protect those who depended on her.

Chapter Text

“I wonder what business brings you to me?”

Roland studied the smiling middleman before him, a Fixer named Norik, and spoke evenly. “I need you to gather some intel—specifically, which gangs in Night City have been clashing lately and are running low on weapons.”

“No problem at all. That’s a simple job—three thousand eddies should cover it. I’ll also be taking a thirty percent commission. I trust that’s acceptable?”

“Of course.”

A faint orange glow flickered in Roland’s eyes as the money transferred directly to Norik’s account. The Fixer grinned and rose from his seat.

“Pleasure doing business, Mr. Roland. Here’s my contact info. If you ever need something, feel free to reach out again.”

Roland gave a small nod and left. Fixers came and went in this city—only the big names managed to stick around.
As for this Norik, he was probably just another small-time operator soon to be replaced.

It had been almost a week since Roland arrived in Night City. In that time, he’d grown used to the chaos—the noise, the flashing lights, and the ever-present need to stay alert.
After all, you never knew when some psycho might jump out of an alley and shoot you—an honest-to-god lunatic.

Meanwhile, Lissandra had nearly completed the task he’d assigned her, and Roland was glad he hadn’t traded for any high-tier weapon blueprints.
Even this small handgun had nearly failed to get off the ground...

There were gaps in both materials and tech, but thanks to Lissandra’s precision and control, things had stayed manageable. It made Roland all the more certain the investment had been worth it.

The model was still just a simplified version for now...
But the good news was that the production line was nearly complete, capable of small-scale mass production of the [Czech II Smart Pistol].

The problem now was finding customers.
He had some ideas for marketing, but his current budget didn’t allow for major ad campaigns.
Ideally, he needed a corporate or gang partner to secure some funds before expanding outreach.

Partnering with a corporation was straightforward. Working with a gang, though... well, nothing showcased a weapon’s quality better than performance in a real firefight.

As for corporations, Militech had already reached out with a recruitment offer, which Roland politely declined—but he didn’t burn the bridge either. Future cooperation was still on the table.

What surprised him was that someone from Arasaka had also approached him.
Considering Arasaka had been driven out of Night City, that was unexpected... though, remembering their ties with the Tyger Claws, it made sense.

Roland’s attitude toward Arasaka was similar to his stance with Militech—perhaps even a little warmer. He knew how the future would unfold: Arasaka’s eventual return and rise to power were inevitable.
With his current lack of strength, he had no reason to provoke that giant.

After wrapping up with Norik, Roland returned home to wait. Fortunately, the wait wasn’t long—so short he almost thought the Fixer had scammed him.
But the intel proved useful, so he let it slide.

“Hm... looks like the Valentinos and Tyger Claws have been butting heads lately... Guess it’s time I paid the Padre a visit.”

...

“I hear you wanted to see me?”

The Padre eyed Roland with a curious, unreadable expression.

“That’s right. I’d like to meet with the Valentinos’ leader to discuss business. Of course, speaking directly with you, Padre, would be just as good.”

Roland nodded politely and took a seat across from him.

The Padre narrowed his eyes slightly. “What kind of business?”

“I’ve heard the Valentinos have had some heavy clashes with the Tyger Claws recently—and that you’re coming up short on firepower.”

“Seems you did your homework before showing up. Not exactly top-secret info, but the fact you brought it up means you’ve got an idea in mind. So—do you have a solution?”

The Padre studied the young man carefully. Roland’s face looked almost too young, and that made him wary.

Roland smiled faintly and drew the Czech II Smart Pistol from his side.

“A smart pistol? I think you’ve come to the wrong buyer. Those things aren’t cheap—not exactly suited for us.”

The Padre’s tone flattened as he slowly shook his head.

“No. Trust me—you won’t find a smart pistol on the market with better performance for the price. This one goes for only fifteen hundred eddies.”

“Fifteen hundred, huh? Tempting price. But if that’s the case, why wouldn’t I just buy Kang Tao’s Super-class Pistol? It’s even cheaper than yours.”

The Padre laced his fingers together, watching Roland intently, waiting for his answer.

“Our model outperforms the Super-class Pistol in every category—firepower, rate of fire, and magazine capacity. You could even compare it to a Yukimura. Of course, you don’t have to take my word for it. Try it yourself.”

Roland extended his hand in invitation, his confidence unmistakable.

The Padre regarded him a moment longer, then took the weapon. “Excuse me for a bit.” He stood and walked out.

When he returned, his expression had shifted—complex, but clearly impressed.

“How much stock do you have?”

“That depends on how much you want.”

Roland’s smile deepened. He could tell the Padre was hooked.

“Let’s see... start with five hundred units.”

The Padre didn’t hesitate. Roland nodded approvingly—it was clear the man had already cleared it with the Valentinos.

Moments later, Roland received a transfer of 250,000 euros.

“That’s the deposit. The rest depends on you.”

“No problem. Relax—I’ll have the shipment ready by next week.”

Roland left soon after, satisfied. To be honest, his plan was simple—make some fast cash.

He’d flood the market just long enough to grab attention, then sell the weapon’s blueprints outright. That was what he called quick money.

If things went as planned, he’d soon have a hefty amount of Blue Essence in hand. Then... it’d be time for a serious shopping spree—and maybe try his luck with a few Essence draws.”.

Just to test the waters, of course. The prizes couldn’t be that bad... right?

“Oh, and if you’re interested, I also sell smart ammo. I can promise—no one in the city can beat my prices.”

Roland’s tone was calm but confident. He never saw the gun itself as his main profit—the real money was in the cheap smart ammo that came with it.

The Padre nodded slightly. He had a good sense of Roland’s capabilities now. During his test firing, he’d even looked into the man’s background.

In his view, Roland was about to carve out his own corner of the market.
A weapon on par with Arasaka’s Yukimura, cheaper by far, easier to reload, plus his company’s innovative smart ammo line...

It wouldn’t be long before this kid made a name for himself. And there was no reason to make an enemy out of a potential ally.

In fact, the Padre hoped Roland would manage to rise despite pressure from the major corps—because that would make him a valuable client.

As for whether this pistol could dominate the entire handgun market?

The Padre didn’t think so. Kang Tao and Arasaka weren’t amateurs. The playing field wasn’t even close.
The Super line was still cheaper, and the Yukimura had a stellar reputation. Maybe someday—but not yet.

Besides, there were always cheaper kinetic pistols and more powerful tech handguns out there.

Still... this one was a damn fine killing tool.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

Roland rubbed his shoulders and tuned in to the Night City news.

Over the past year he'd done a lot, mostly through PROJECT. The company had grown into a billion-dollar enterprise and signed cooperation agreements with several major firms.

After sealing the deal with the Valentinos a year ago, the Czech II smart pistol immediately drew attention from gang members, and the Tyger Claws started sniffing around too. For most gangsters and ordinary folks, though, the real hook was the cheap smart ammunition — many avoided smart guns because upkeep and ammo costs were through the roof.

That drew Arasaka's eye. As one of the leaders in smart firearms, they noticed the value in Roland’s weapon and ammo and didn’t bother with niceties — they just used money to push things along. After all, they didn’t have many other options: Night City was effectively the military science division’s turf, and Arasaka’s reach there was limited for now.

Conveniently for Roland, what he wanted most at that point was fame for PROJECT — it tied directly to how much he could change history — so he struck a cooperation deal with Arasaka’s, handing over part of the tech for the weapon and the smart ammo. In return, Arasaka’s agreed to promote PROJECT’s weapon, but only within Night City.

At first Arasaka’s wasn’t thrilled about doing promotion. When they learned it was strictly limited to Night City, they perked up — Roland’s demand barely threatened them — and they signed on without much hesitation, saving him a fortune in ad costs.

Why Arasaka’s? Simple: they’re far from the capital’s scrutiny, so Roland’s “only within Night City” condition was the least risky. Most other corporations probably wouldn’t accept it. A few even approached him directly, but working with them would have been troublesome — they practically rule Night City now. Sure enough, after Roland turned down one such offer, sanctions followed quickly...

Luckily, Roland had ongoing relations with both Kang Tao and Arasaka’s, so the penalties he faced were limited. Oddly enough, that whole episode helped PROJECT build a name.

Yes — Roland played both sides. He collaborated with Kang Tao and Arasaka’s, but emphasized different technical strengths to each and kept his core tech to himself. Those bits he shared could help Kang Tao and Arasaka’s advance in smart firearms, but they still lagged a little behind Roland’s current PROJECT tech — at least for the lower-end PROJECT products on the market now.

None of that was the main issue for Roland. The real problem: he had plenty of Blue Essence, but almost no Orange Essence.

He’d also mostly figured out how the System awarded Blue Essence for changing history. Altering in-game events that were already recorded in history paid the most; some even rewarded Orange Essence. Inventing new history earned significantly less.

The big impact from the earlier Milus II Rifle, Roland guessed, came from changing Kang Tao’s R&D timeline. The Zhuo-style product, originally slated for a 2069 release, would likely launch early and give Kang Tao’s smart firearms a serious boost.

To Arasaka’s — Roland could only mutter “Aminos” under his breath. The tech he gave Arasaka’s for that pistol didn’t include much on sight upgrades. That weapon’s selling points were low cost and reliability; accuracy was only relative.

He’d also wasted a lot on draws during that year. Most of the time it was “thank you for participating” or a pile of junk — a net loss. But he couldn’t risk releasing PROJECT’s truly powerful blueprints, material schematics, or energy designs. Funding was short, and without sufficient armed protection, exposing them would be suicide. Building a private armed force with his current strength was still a stretch. After all, a billion-dollar market value doesn’t mean he had that kind of liquid capital.

Roland opened the system, planning another draw. This time he’d saved 100,000 Blue Essence — he just didn’t want it to go down the drain again. Although his daily Blue Essence income had grown, it was still painfully small.

[Remaining Blue Essence: 153,476]

“Huff—”

After a bath and a bit of incense, Roland pressed the purchase button.

[Tyrael Alloy x1, Ricard Ion Rifle x1, PROJECT Intelligent Security Robot x3...]

Roland watched the items appear and scowled. He’d barely broken even — it was a brutal loss.

When the last item rolled up, a flash of orange light caught his eye.

【Congratulations on obtaining: PROJECT · Ascension Template Key】

“????”

Roland stared. He knew the PROJECT · Ascension Template, but what was this key?

“Lissandra, explain.”

“Yes. The key grants you permission to use the template, but to actually activate it you must make an additional internal purchase.”

“Wait — so if I already had the template but not the key, I couldn’t use it?”

Roland suddenly understood the implication.

“Not exactly. But if you force the template without the key, the user’s consciousness will be heavily influenced by the template. With the key, you avoid that risk.”

“Alright, I get it... show me the price for Ascension.”

[PROJECT · Ascension: 10,000 Orange Essence]

“Damn, just kill me now—where am I supposed to get ten thousand Orange Essence?!”

Roland glared at his meager five hundred Orange Essence.

“You happen to have one opportunity, don’t you?”

Roland paused at Lissandra’s words and remembered the task he’d recently assigned her.

“You mean... The Mox?”

…

SMACK!

Elizabeth slammed her weapon down, fury shaking her chest.

“Boss, calm down. There’s nothing we can do sometimes...” a sex doll at her side said, awkwardly patting her back.

“Calm down? How can I not be furious?! Those Tyger Claws bastards don’t treat my girls like people. How many times has this happened?! Every time, someone gets hurt serving them, and it’s worse than before!!” Elizabeth shouted.

She’d once been a sex doll herself and knew their pain. That’s why she owned a nightclub — to help others surviving on the margins. Now the Tyger Claws kept trampling her principles, testing her limits again and again. How could she not be enraged?

Bang!

The office door burst open. Elizabeth frowned, then went pale when she saw the sex doll standing there, blood all over their face.

“What happened?!”

“Kia Kia was killed by those bastards from the Tyger Claws!!”

The doll collapsed to its knees, sobbing uncontrollably. The woman beside Elizabeth turned ashen — she knew Elizabeth’s temper well.

Elizabeth lowered her head, clenched her fists, and walked slowly to the side of the desk.

“Boss...”

“Hmph—no need to say more. Take people upstairs. I’m going to deal with those bastards!!”

Chapter Text

BANG!

Elizabeth kicked open the door to a private room, her face dark with fury. Three Tyger Claws inside turned their heads at once.

“Well, well~ look who it is—our big boss, Elizabeth.”

One of them laughed twice and gave a mocking whistle before swaggering over to her, reaching a hand toward her waist.

Elizabeth suddenly seized his wrist, meeting his gaze coldly.

“Was it you?”

“Ha! Don’t blame us, Miss Elizabeth. Your girls are just too green—not much fun, you know? Right, boys?”

The man sneered arrogantly and glanced back at his companions.

“Yeah, hahaha! How about you join us instead, Miss Elizabeth? You used to work the same line, didn’t you?”

“Exactly! Come on, boss, show us a good time.”

The two stepped forward, surrounding her.

“So... you really didn’t care about Kia at all, huh?”

Elizabeth’s voice was calm—eerily so. Her tone made it impossible to read her intent, but the three gang members, high on adrenaline, clearly didn’t care.

“Just a sex doll. Night City’s full of that kind of trash. What’s the big deal?”

The first man waved impatiently, as if the mention of Kia’s name annoyed him.

BANG!

“Argh!!”

Suddenly, a sharp pain at his nose made him freeze. He reached up to his face, feeling something wet and sticky before his expression twisted into rage.

“You bitch! You actually hit me?!”

With a mechanical click, a Mantis Blade sprang from his forearm, slicing toward Elizabeth’s neck. The two others watched with excitement.

BOOM!

Before the blade could reach her, a deafening gunshot rang out. The man’s head exploded like a watermelon, splattering red and white across the room.

The remaining two froze, realizing something was very wrong. They rushed forward, trying to grab a hostage.

Elizabeth swung her axe in one fluid motion, cleaving the nearest man’s skull open. The last Tyger Claw was met by a heavy baseball bat.

A dull thud echoed—he dropped, unconscious.

“Boss, what now?”

Licky rested the bloodied bat on her shoulder, glancing over.

“Hand that bastard over to the girls. Let them deal with him however they want. Then hang all three of them by the door—let everyone see we’re not to be messed with.”

Elizabeth took a slow drag of her cigarette, her eyes glinting with cold resolve.

“Got it.”

Licky nodded and motioned for others to move the bodies.

“Boss... these guys are Tyger Claws…”

Bonnie standing nearby, spoke hesitantly, worry written all over her face.

Elizabeth paused, the weight of it flickering in her eyes, but she steadied her tone.

“We’ve already killed their men. There’s no turning back now.”

She met Bonnie’s gaze firmly.

“But I won’t let our girls die for nothing. Go tell everyone—those who don’t want to stay and fight the Tyger Claws can leave right now.”

Meanwhile, the gunshot had drawn attention from the patrons in the main hall. Whispers rose as people craned their necks—only to see three Tyger Claws corpses being dragged out by Licky and her crew.

Silence fell instantly. Faces went pale. Within minutes, customers settled their tabs and rushed out of Lizzie’s Bar.

After all... these were Tyger Claws. And the Tyger Claws always avenged their own.

“What a waste of a good bar…”

“Yeah. Looks like we’ll need to find a new place to drink.”

Several patrons shook their heads, already moving toward the exit. Helping out? Not a chance. It was just a bar—there would always be another.

“Everyone, I apologize for the trouble tonight. Drinks are on the house. Please, leave safely.”

Elizabeth composed herself and addressed the room.

The remaining guests exchanged looks but said nothing. Soon, only the staff remained inside Lizzie’s Bar.

“You’ve all seen what happened. I’ll be straight with you—if anyone wants to leave, step forward now.”

Elizabeth took a deep breath, scanning the faces before her.

“I won’t blame you. What I’m doing is for the sex dolls, but I don’t want to drag anyone down with me. So if you want to walk away, do it now—I won’t hold it against you.”

At her words, a few sex dolls lowered their heads and stepped forward.

“You?!” Licky shouted angrily.

“Enough.”

Elizabeth stopped her, her expression softening as she approached the group. A faint orange light flickered in her eyes, and a sum of money transferred into their accounts.

“I hope you can live well out there. Goodbye, girls.”

“...Goodbye, boss.”

They pressed their lips together, bowed deeply, and walked out of Lizzie’s Bar.

Roland watched the scene through his screen, clicking his tongue in admiration. No wonder she was the spiritual leader of The Mox—she truly had charisma.

But it wasn’t time for him to act yet. He didn’t want to push the Tyger Claws too far. Retaliation against Lizzie’s Bar was inevitable—but he could only save Elizabeth.

As for the rest... Roland knew the Tyger Claws would need somewhere to vent their rage.

Simply put, he wasn’t strong enough yet. Provoking them too hard would cost more than it was worth. If he wanted to climb to the top of Night City, he had to make sacrifices.

“Hmm... wonder how much Essence I’ll earn from this. Hopefully enough. Not enough to buy the whole Ascension yet, but maybe at least some components…”

Meanwhile, the Tyger Claws had noticed something wrong—the sudden disappearance of three men. Moments later, word from Lizzie’s Bar reached their higher-ups.

In an instant, the Tyger Claws were furious.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

Bang!
After hearing his subordinate’s report, Saito Shichiro’s expression turned dark as thunder. His fist slammed down on the desk, leaving a deep imprint in the wood.

“You’re telling me Elizabeth killed three of our members?”

“Y-Yes, boss…”
The Tyger Claws member stammered, trembling before him.

“Then what the hell are you standing here for? You need me to spell out what comes next?!”
Saito Shichiro’s hand lashed out, sending a cup flying. It crashed into the terrified man’s shoulder, who scrambled to the floor, hastily gathered the shards, and fled the room.

“Hmph.”
Saito exhaled sharply and sat back down, rubbing the bridge of his nose as fatigue weighed on him. He wasn’t angry so much as exhausted—constantly cleaning up after his own idiots had become routine.

He despised this new generation of gangsters—reckless, impulsive, and completely indifferent to the Tyger Claws’ creed. Every time they caused chaos, it was up to the rest to fix it.

Still, this time, he couldn’t really complain. Or rather... he felt Elizabeth had gone too far. If she’d only roughed them up and tossed them out, that would’ve been forgivable as long as they’d swallowed their pride.

But this? Killing three of his men and hanging their corpses on the wall?
That wasn’t just murder—it was a declaration of war.

Even if he hated cleaning up after those troublemaking fools, Saito knew he couldn’t ignore this. Otherwise... the Tyger Claws’ name wouldn’t mean a thing in Night City anymore.

...

Roland gestured for Delamain to roll the window down, quietly observing Lizzie’s Bar from the shadows. The place looked lifeless. Hardly anyone went in or out, and even the parking lot was nearly empty.

The three bodies of the Tyger Claws hung grotesquely on the wall. In the dim light, their dried, blackened blood looked almost like tar.

“With all due respect, Mr. Roland, this isn’t the wisest time to be here,” Delamain warned, voice deliberately lowered.

“I know. In a few minutes, this place will turn into a bloodbath between Lizzie’s Bar and the Tyger Claws. I’m just here to lend a hand... from the sidelines, for now.”

Roland smiled faintly, rolling the window up and signaling Delamain to park somewhere discreet. The last thing he wanted was to get caught in the crossfire before he could even make his move.

“Lissandra, what’s the status?”

“The armed unit is en route. Estimated arrival in ten minutes.”

“Good. When they get here, don’t act right away. Wait and watch.”

Roland had never bothered hiring a secretary—Lissandra’s support was more than enough. Besides, bringing in an outsider risked letting another corporation’s spy get too close.

And given his less-than-smooth relationship with Militech over the past year... the risk was far too real.

Vroom—
The sudden roar of engines shattered the uneasy calm, drawing every eye in the area. People instinctively ducked out of sight.

The Tyger Claws had arrived.

Inside Lizzie’s Bar, Elizabeth and her girls gripped their weapons tightly. They were ready. No matter how this ended, at least they would stay true to themselves.

Moments later, Roland’s view filled with neon-lit motorcycles and several sleek cars bearing the gang’s signature markings.

“Hell yeah~”
“Hahaha, looks like we’ve got some fun tonight!”
“Let’s finish this quick. Just a bunch of sex dolls acting tough—don’t even know their place. What a waste of time.”

Bang!
The front door of Lizzie’s Bar exploded open with a kick—only for the intruder to be shredded instantly by a hail of bullets.

“Those damn bitches! They actually fired back?!”
“Let’s see how they like this!”

One of the Tyger Claws yanked the pin on a grenade and hurled it inside.

“Move!!”

Boom!
The explosion rocked the building, flames flaring high into the night sky. The blast drew the attention of everyone nearby—including the NCPD officers stationed down the block.

“Captain! Gunfire and explosions up ahead! Should we step in?”
A young cop turned anxiously to the older officer beside him.

The older man simply grabbed the rookie’s arm and shook his head.
“Kid, your paycheck’s four thousand eddies. If that’s a cyberpsycho situation... think of your family.”

The rookie froze. His hand fell back to his side, and he stayed put.

“Ahhh!!”
One of the sex dolls screamed, swinging her weapon and smashing it into the back of a Tyger Claws thug’s skull while he was still gloating over his last kill.

It barely hurt him.
He blinked, turned with a crazed grin, and brought his blade down.

A spray of crimson erupted. The body twitched, then collapsed.

Lizzie’s Bar had become hell on earth. Blood soaked the floors and walls, scattered limbs littered the ground, and screams of pain echoed through the air.

Elizabeth stood frozen, her eyes dazed as doubt began to creep in.
If she’d just endured it that day... would her girls still be alive?

Before long, the Tyger Claws had nearly wiped out everyone inside.
They’d fought back—but it was hopeless. The gang outnumbered them and outgunned them completely.

“Huh? Who the hell are you? Get lost! Don’t you know the Tyger Claws are working here?!”

Roland approached calmly, smiling as he spread his hands.
“Of course I know. That’s exactly why I’m here.”

A gust of wind swept through, followed by a blinding white light that illuminated the guards’ stunned faces.

“C-Company people...?”

From the AV hovering overhead, more than a dozen heavily armed combat robots dropped down, surrounding the Tyger Claws in seconds.

Seeing that, the gangsters immediately froze and raised their weapons in surrender.

They didn’t fear regular corporate suits—but anyone who could command a company’s private army? That was a different story. Best to let the higher-ups deal with this.

One of them rushed back inside to report. Roland didn’t stop him. He wanted them to know he was here.

“Company people?”
Ken Matsumoto frowned at the report. He wasn’t sure why they were here—but he suspected it had to do with Elizabeth.

He glanced at her—bound, kneeling, battered, but still defiant.

“Well, well... didn’t think your old flame was someone high up in a corporation.”
He motioned for his men to drag her out, then opened a call to Saito Shichiro while heading for the door.

“Company personnel, huh? Fine. Go find out what they want first.”

Roland, growing impatient, finally spotted Elizabeth through the shattered doorway. Her eyes burned with hatred and fury... but also confusion and regret.

“Sir, it’s an honor to meet you,” Matsumoto said carefully. “May I ask why you’ve come?”

“I need her.”
Roland pointed directly at Elizabeth.

Matsumoto hesitated, looking troubled.

“You don’t need to answer me,” Roland continued. “Just tell your boss—PROJECT Corporation wants her.”

“Yes, understood.”

Saito Shichiro had been listening in the whole time.

“Alright, I understand. There’s no need to cause trouble with PROJECT over one woman. They’ve got strong ties with our backers. Let her go.”

“Got it.”
Matsumoto gave a curt nod and motioned for his men to untie her.

“Our apologies. We didn’t know she was yours.”

“No need for that,” Roland replied lightly. “I only need her. I won’t make this harder on you. Go ahead and leave. Let’s call it even.”

Matsumoto exhaled in relief. No one wanted to cross a corporation with military assets—especially not in Night City, where corporations ruled everything.

Elizabeth, still dazed, could barely process what had happened. Moments ago, she was ready to die. Now she was free—and she had no idea why this man had saved her.

“Please, Miss Elizabeth.”
Roland gestured toward the waiting Delamain. The combat robots returned to the AV, which slowly ascended into the night sky.

As for the AV itself... he’d rented it.

The moment Elizabeth sat down inside, Roland’s system chimed softly.

[Congratulations! You have obtained: 100,000 Blue Essence and 3,000 Orange Essence!]

Chapter Text

“You... why…?”

“Why did I save you? Simple. Because I need something from you.”

Roland smiled as he looked at the woman in front of him.

“Something you need? No, I don’t understand. I’m just a bar owner.”

Elizabeth gave a faint, bitter smile, confusion flickering in her eyes.

“No, no—you just haven’t realized your own value yet. By tomorrow, you’ll understand. For now, just rest.”

Roland shook his head lightly and closed his eyes. Elizabeth still had questions, but seeing that he clearly wasn’t going to answer, she swallowed her doubts and turned her gaze toward the window.

Moments ago, she’d been the owner of a bustling bar, surrounded by her girls. Now, she was the only one left.

...

Roland, eyes closed, wasn’t resting at all. His consciousness had already entered the System, browsing through the list of purchasable items.

He quickly discovered something interesting—the PROJECT Keys were priced at roughly half the cost of their corresponding templates. Meaning... he’d need at least fifteen thousand Orange Essence to purchase the full cybernetic set for PROJECT · Ascension—assuming he hadn’t drawn the key earlier.

Looking at it now... maybe that draw was a massive win after all.

The realization put Roland in a surprisingly good mood.

“Well then... let’s see just how expensive these Ascension components are…”

After checking the prices, Roland narrowed his eyes. He had several options: the leg components were the cheapest, followed by the arms, then the torso. The most expensive parts were the weapon system and the head.

He could afford a torso and two legs, or one arm and a torso, or a weapon and one arm—or he could just splurge on a head.

Hmm... why does this feel like I’m buying parts from a Scavenger chop shop?

[PROJECT · Ascension: Torso – 2000 Orange Essence; Arm – 1000 Orange Essence x1; Leg – 500 Orange Essence x1; Head – 3000 Orange Essence; Whisper – 2000 Orange Essence]

Alright then. Let’s go with you.

...

Inside one of PROJECT Corporation’s warehouses, several PROJECT Intelligent Security Robots stood motionless in standby mode.

Suddenly, a flash of red light darted through the shadows. A spider-like rhombic robot scurried across the floor at high speed and leapt onto one of the security units.

It tore open the machine’s head with a metallic shriek, the grinding of metal and crackling of damaged circuits echoing through the room. The PROJECT robot dropped to its knees with a heavy clang.

Its head was replaced with a rhombic device covered by a black glass visor.

Zzzzt—

A pulse of electricity flickered, and a red glow lit up the new faceplate.

“This will be... a masterpiece…”

“Hiss~ my head’s a little fuzzy…”

Roland reached up and touched his chin, feeling cold metal beneath his fingers. He looked around, confirming he was still inside his company’s warehouse, and let out a small sigh of relief.

He was lucky—getting the Ascension Template had paid off.

Unlike other templates, Ascension didn’t require a host; it could act autonomously while under his remote control. Still, having two separate perspectives at once felt... disorienting.

When he’d purchased Ascension, the System had revealed another detail: PROJECT templates could be applied to others, though their power depended on compatibility.

They could also be summoned anywhere within his sphere of influence. That’s why he’d called Ascension into the warehouse. Once manifested, however, it couldn’t be stored back in the System’s inventory.

And now it was clear why the System had mentioned needing a key. With a key, he would only experience the template as an observer—gaining the template’s skills afterward. Without it... it was uncertain who would be in control.

Even with the key, Roland could feel the faint influence of the template on his thoughts while piloting Ascension.

Mainly… an overwhelming urge to create “art.”

He figured Ascension needed an outlet to vent—something to stabilize its adaptation.

And what better targets than the Scavengers? None.

But before that, Roland had to properly arm it. The PROJECT security robot body was functional but too rigid—less flexible than high-grade Cyberware and lacking weapon storage capacity.

“Lissandra, contact Trauma Team Hospital. I want a shipment of high-end Cyberware—Gorilla Arms, Mantis Blades, Monowire, Sandevistan, and the like.”

“Understood. Arranging it now.”

The mention of Sandevistan brought a grin to Roland’s face. He could already imagine how terrifying an Ascension equipped with it would be.

Though Ascension’s base body had built-in counters against high-speed movement, Roland hadn’t personally installed them—this would patch some of its weaknesses.

As for the rest... honestly, Ascension had no “capacity limit.” If something was compatible, he could just keep stacking upgrades indefinitely.

A moment later, Roland’s account balance dropped sharply, making the corner of his eye twitch.

No denying it—top-tier Cyberware cost a fortune. In the blink of an eye, a million eddies were gone.

As for Roland’s own body, his augmentations were modest. He’d installed only the essentials: ICE protection and some basic enhancements. Everything else could wait until his PROJECT frame arrived.

As for Ascension itself... its modification level was monstrous. He doubted there’d be two ounces of organic material left inside if someone tried to take it apart.

A neural link? Unnecessary. Its neural core already functioned as a top-tier infiltration module.

Before long, Roland brought Elizabeth back to his apartment. After settling her in, he went to his room to rest.

Meanwhile, back in the PROJECT warehouse, a grim scene unfolded—robots were being torn apart piece by piece.

A humanoid figure with glowing red eyes was dismantling one machine after another, grafting their parts onto its own body.

“Now then… it’s time for my performance.”

Chapter Text

In a bar deep within Watson District, a hooded man slowly stepped through the doorway.

The bartender behind the counter narrowed his eyes as he took in the sight. The stranger sat right in front of him, confirming his suspicion.

This guy… probably isn’t some random thrill-seeking rich kid, is he?

The high-grade Cyberware on his body wasn’t for show, and if he was here looking for excitement, he’d definitely come to the right place.

This was a hangout for Scavengers—Kidney Cutters, as people called them. Why they liked this place was simple: it was close to where out-of-towners stayed, and the drinks were cheap.

Two birds with one stone—they could drink and shop for “merchandise.” You couldn’t find a better deal in Watson.

“A shot of vodka.”

The bartender wordlessly poured the drink, setting it in front of him. “This place isn’t exactly safe,” he warned.

“I know. That’s why I came.”

Jhin nodded slightly, lifting the glass, only to pause mid-motion with a trace of frustration—he’d forgotten one small detail. This body didn’t even have a mouth.

The bartender sighed softly, shaking his head. There was no use warning the damned. Let him do what he wanted.

After sitting for a while, Jhin finally rose and walked out of the bar.

The bartender quietly wiped his glasses as he watched the figure leave. Sure enough, moments after Jhin exited, four or five men also stood up and followed him out.

“What a waste... guess I can bump up tonight’s body count in the death pool.”

...

Jhin walked with his hands tucked in his pockets, fully aware of the men tailing him. His heightened senses—those of a top-class killer—picked them up effortlessly.

Power was intoxicating, but this new kind of freedom… it was even more addictive.

When he spotted a narrow alley, he turned and disappeared into it.

The Scavengers exchanged skeptical looks. Was this rich kid really that dumb? No matter how familiar he was with the area, there was no way he knew these streets better than them.

According to their map, this alley was a dead end—but that just made their job easier.

“Careful when you fight. Don’t damage the Cyberware—it’s worth good money.”

“Yeah, yeah. Got it.”

The five men crept into the dim alley, where flickering lights cast long shadows. A homeless man huddled in a corner, shrinking back as they approached.

One of the Scavengers kicked him aside and continued forward.

At the end of the alley, Jhin stood with his back to them, slowly pulling down his hood.

For a second, the Scavengers froze. The figure before them—no, thing before them—wasn’t human.

There wasn’t a single trace of flesh on its body.

“Shit! That’s no rich kid—that’s a damn cyberpsycho! Run!”

The leader snarled and reached for his weapon—

Bang!

A gunshot echoed through the alley, followed by a dull thud. The man looked down in disbelief at his hand.

It was gone. Only a white stump remained where his wrist had been.

“Congratulations,” a calm, magnetic voice murmured beside his ear. “You’ll be my first masterpiece in this world.”

The gentle tone didn’t soothe him—it froze his blood cold.

Boom!

Another shot. The muzzle flash burst like a serpent of fire tearing through one man’s chest. Blood and flame bloomed together into a crimson flower.

Swish—

A blur flashed through the alley, followed by three quick shots. Three more red blossoms bloomed in the dark.

The homeless man clamped a trembling hand over his mouth, too terrified to make a sound.

Jhin twirled his weapon elegantly. A soft hiss escaped as the empty magazine slid free and clattered onto the ground.

“Damn you!!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The last Scavenger screamed and fired wildly in panic. Jhin tilted his head slightly—each bullet missed him by inches.

Bang.

The next shot came from Jhin’s gun. The Scavenger’s head burst open like a flower in bloom.

Jhin slid his weapon back into its holster, spread his arms wide, and gave a graceful bow—a grand curtain call.

Then his gaze shifted to the trembling homeless man curled up in the corner.

“Oh?”

“The Great Beauty has arrived. Congratulations, my first audience. It’s a pity though—today’s numbers aren’t auspicious. I forgot to leave one behind.”

He sighed softly, then vaulted off the alley wall, leaping effortlessly onto the rooftop above.

Whoosh!

Moments later, the blood-flowers that had filled the alley disintegrated into a rain of crimson droplets, splattering across the pavement in grotesque bloom.

After obtaining the Ascension Template, its maintenance, ammo, and grenades could all be purchased with Blue Essence. Only the main weapon required separate handling.

So after selecting two compatible weapons from the system shop, Jhin stocked up on ammunition—plenty of it.

“Haah~”

Standing atop the high-rise, Jhin exhaled slowly, a faint smile curling his lips. This feeling… wasn’t bad at all.

To be honest, the killing hadn’t felt real. Maybe it was because Jhin’s method was too artistic, or because Roland didn’t truly see people outside the story as real.

Maybe it was because the victims were Scavenger trash. Or maybe… Jhin’s very nature made him numb to it.

But to Roland, maybe it was simply that he enjoyed the thrill too much.

That thought made his real body shudder. Roland quickly shook his head, forcing the dangerous idea away. Even with the Key, the Ascension Template was affecting him.

As expected... Jhin was a madman.

Meanwhile, elsewhere in Night City, something big was unfolding.

“Captain… I think you’d better take a look at this…”

An NCPD officer stood pale and trembling, staring at the carnage before him.

The captain stepped forward—then immediately turned and vomited.

The eerie beauty, the overpowering stench of blood, the severed limbs—it was too much to bear.

“Goddammit! Get this reported right now! We’ve got a serious situation on our hands!!”

Chapter Text

Roland slowly rose to his feet and walked over to the dining table, silently waiting as the household robot brought over breakfast.

Inside the room, Elizabeth stirred awake. Her eyes, still hazy with sleep, darted across the luxurious decor before gradually clearing as memories of last night resurfaced. A complicated expression flickered across her face.

She got up, walked to the doorway, and leaned against the frame, quietly observing the scene before her.

“Looks like you’re awake. How did you sleep?”

“I’d like to say not well, but honestly... I slept fine.”

Elizabeth gave a faint, wry smile and stepped out.

“Should I say, no surprise coming from a corpo? This place is probably worth several of my bars.”

“Something like that. Come, have breakfast.”

Roland didn’t deny it. He simply raised an eyebrow and gestured toward the bread and milk on the table.

“I never thought I’d get to eat something like this again.”

Elizabeth stared at the food—real food, so different from the usual synthetic kind—and sighed softly.

“So, why did you save me?”

Roland wiped his mouth, then turned toward the television. A glint of light flashed in his eyes, and the screen came to life.

“According to reports, large groups of sex doll and bar workers from Night City are currently marching in protest at City Hall. They’re condemning the Tyger Claws’ brutality and exploitation, demanding a government response. Let’s turn to our reporter on the scene.”

The image shifted to a massive crowd, banners raised high as they chanted for justice and punishment for the Tyger Claws. Many were also demanding justice for Lizzie’s Bar.

Most believed Lizzie to be dead, and in mourning, some had tattooed Lizzie’s Bar’s logo on their skin—a permanent mark of remembrance.

Clang!

Elizabeth froze, disbelief written all over her face. Lips trembling, she stepped closer to the screen. For the first time, she realized her efforts hadn’t gone unnoticed. Everything she’d done... hadn’t been in vain.

“This... you... I...”

“This is why I saved you. You’ve underestimated your own influence, Miss Elizabeth.”

Roland smiled faintly.

“...What do you need me to do?”

Elizabeth took a deep breath, meeting Roland’s gaze. Despite knowing he had his own agenda, she couldn’t resent him. After all, he had saved her—without him, she’d just be another dead soul in Night City.

“I need you to do what you’ve always wanted to do. I’ll fund you—but you’ll have to follow my lead. Deal?”

“I’ll agree, but—”

“You’re in no position to negotiate, Miss Elizabeth. But relax, I won’t be asking much for now. Just grow your influence. I won’t interfere—and I might even offer a little help.”

Roland’s tone was calm, almost reassuring. Elizabeth lowered her head silently, then nodded her agreement.

“Pleasure doing business, Miss Elizabeth.”

With that, Roland transferred a sum of money to her account and motioned for her to go.

Elizabeth’s situation was stable for now. Her actions had already changed the lives of many—including some key figures like Judy and the others.

With that matter settled, Roland turned his focus to Jhin. After completing his mission the previous night, he had put him on standby. He wondered how things were going now...

...

Jhin slowly opened his eyes, scanning his surroundings in confusion. It looked like he was inside some kind of sealed container.

He raised his hand to push the top, but it didn’t budge. His eyes narrowed, and a red glow flickered across his mask.

He hacked into the nearby systems.

Through the external cameras, Jhin saw where he was—inside an alleyway. The vehicle he was in had just stopped. Outside, two scavengers popped open the trunk and hauled out a large crate. Jhin immediately realized that crate was him.

He chuckled quietly to himself. Well, I was wondering where to find some new playthings… and you two just brought yourselves right to me.

“Damn, this thing’s heavy. Think it’ll sell for a good price?”

“Of course! No idea which corpo made it, but holy hell, that Cyberware—just looking at it got my blood pumping!”

“You sure we won’t get in trouble with the corpo dogs?”

“Who cares? Once we sell this, we won’t have to scavenge anymore. We’ll leave this dump behind for good!”

“Yeah... good point.”

Listening to their chatter, Jhin couldn’t help but grin. He ran his fingers along his weapons, pressing a panel at his waist that opened with a click—revealing a hidden compartment. A sleek firearm slid into his hand.

He shook his head in amusement. These scavengers weren’t just stupid—they were suicidally careless.

Jhin waited patiently. Before long, he felt himself being carried somewhere and set down.

Then came the sound of boxes being opened and tools clattering. Impatient already?

Clack!

The moment the crate opened, one scavenger froze.

“Shh... the show’s about to begin.”

Bang!

“What the hell?!”

The others in the room—some playing cards, others counting cash—snapped to alert at the gunshot. They grabbed their weapons and rushed toward the noise.

Clang! Clang!

A sharp metallic sound cut through the chaos.

“Grenades! Get down!!” one burly man shouted in panic.

Boom!

A burst of red light flared, and four crimson blooms erupted before transforming into blazing fire that swallowed everything in sight.

Crunch... crunch...

Footsteps echoed over shattered glass. The burly scavenger, who’d survived by dragging a subordinate in front of him, glared with fury.

He flung aside the charred remains of an arm and charged, Gorilla Arms swinging with a roar that sliced the air.

“How... uncivilized. Why couldn’t you just become my masterpiece?”

Jhin ducked under the blow, sighing in disappointment.

Thud!

The powerful strike smashed through a wall. Ignoring Jhin’s words, the man lashed out again, aiming a brutal kick at his waist.

Bang!

“AAAAHHHH!!”

The bullet tore through his leg, erupting in a grotesque spray of flesh and blood.

Cold sweat drenched the man’s face. When he looked up, the barrel of Jhin’s gun was already pressed against his forehead.

“No, no—”

Bang.

Jhin fired, then spun the gun with a flourish before holstering it. His gaze swept over the wreckage.

The hall was almost completely destroyed. It wouldn’t be long before NCPD showed up to clean the mess.

Still thinking, Jhin stepped into the storage room.

“Huh... someone’s still alive?”

He raised an eyebrow at the naked girl lying in the freezer. Her pulse was steady—she was merely unconscious.

Suddenly, footsteps echoed from outside. Several figures appeared at once, weapons drawn.

Jhin moved instantly, gun in hand.

“Freeze!”

“Cyberpunk?”

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

Jhin narrowed his eyes slightly as he observed the people before him—though, technically, he didn’t even have real eyes anymore.

“So, your gig was to rescue this girl?”

“That’s right. We’d appreciate it if you didn’t do anything unnecessary. Just hand her over to us.”

A tall, dark-skinned man kept his eyes locked on Jhin, body tense and ready to react. Judging by the carnage outside, this guy was—without a doubt—dangerous.

At those words, Jhin slowly holstered his weapon and stood. Seeing that, the man finally allowed himself a brief sigh of relief.

“Thanks, man. Name’s Rook.”

Jhin glanced down at the silver metal arm in front of him, nodded, and gave it a firm shake.

“Jhin.”

“Hey! Gauge, Roxy—get moving!”

After the quick introductions, Rook barked the order. Moments later, a man and woman entered the room. From their gear, one looked like a support gunner and the other a long-range specialist.

“Yeah, yeah, we’re coming! No need to yell like that!”

Roxy, a tall woman with cropped brown hair, scratched her ear impatiently before noticing Jhin.

“And who’s this?”

“Jhin. He’s the one responsible for... well, all this.”

Rook’s tone was casual, almost crude, but Jhin could tell—his eyes had never left him. The man’s stance screamed constant caution.

Roxy’s expression sharpened at Rook’s words. She didn’t say anything more, just gave Jhin a few extra glances, clicking her tongue softly in admiration.

Seeing there was nothing else to keep him, Jhin turned and headed for the door. As he stepped into the hallway, another figure appeared.

The newcomer gave Jhin a single glance before looking away—probably the team’s netrunner.

“Boss, that guy’s a psycho,” came the sudden voice in Rook’s ear. His hands froze mid-motion.

“What do you mean?”

“Have you ever seen someone with almost no flesh left on their body?”

“You mean that guy just now…?”

“My scan didn’t detect any organic tissue. I’d bet he doesn’t have much left that’s original—maybe just the brain.”

“...A cyberpsycho?”

“Even if he’s not, he’s damn close.”

Jhin hummed a cheerful tune as he left the building, turning a corner and vanishing into the dark.

Rook and his team delivered the rescued girl safely back to base. Seeing the extra 15,000 eddies in their account brought wide grins all around. They immediately reported what they’d seen to their fixer.

“Full-body black Cyberware, all top-grade, and an insanely high modification ratio…”

Hailbar’s eyes narrowed thoughtfully. He paused, then sent the report up the chain.

He wasn’t just some random fixer—in truth, he was Militech.

“Full-body black Cyberware, barely any organic parts left except the brain?!”

The head of Militech Intelligence twitched at the corners of his mouth as he scanned the report. A ridiculous thought crossed his mind—one he tried to suppress, but it kept growing anyway.

“No... we need to confirm that identity. If it really is that guy... then we’ve got a serious problem.”

Hailbar immediately ordered his department to investigate Roland. Yes—he had mistaken Jhin for someone else entirely.

...

After leaving the scene, Jhin headed for a bar known to be a fixer’s hangout.

He felt like revisiting his lost youth—and maybe seeing a familiar face or two.

He walked in quietly, blending in like an ordinary customer, and approached the counter.

“Any gigs available around here?”

“Gigs? Sorry, we only hand those out to regulars.”

The bartender smiled politely, shaking his head.

“Ah, what a shame…”

Jhin sighed softly. He wasn’t too bothered—getting a job would’ve been nice, but he didn’t need one.

“I’ve got a gig you can take—question is, do you have the guts for it?”

A deep voice spoke from behind. A muscular man with sunglasses and a lion-head tattoo on his arm stepped forward. Jhin recognized him instantly.

It was Kova, the bar’s owner—and a fairly well-known fixer these days.

“Let’s hear it.”

“Kill someone from a corp. You up for that?”

Kova smirked as he handed over the details.

“What’s there to be afraid of? Just another piece for my stage.”

Jhin chuckled softly and held out his hand for the chip.

Kova didn’t waste words—he simply handed it over.

The bartender beside them stood frozen, staring in disbelief. Why would his boss give such a job to a total stranger?

After reviewing the data, Jhin nodded. “Alright, I’ll take it. What’s the pay?”

“Two hundred thousand eddies. Pretty generous for a newcomer, wouldn’t you say?”

Kova named the price. Jhin nodded in agreement and turned to leave.

“You probably don’t understand why I did that, huh?”

Kova turned to the bartender beside him. The man nodded honestly—he didn’t get it at all. Giving a high-risk contract to someone he didn’t know? It sounded suicidal.

Kova didn’t bother explaining. Only he knew the truth—this gig was a live grenade. The sooner it left his hands, the better. Holding onto it would only blow up in his face.

The contract he’d passed to Jhin was to eliminate a former Constitutional Arms researcher, a man recently poached by Militech. The target wasn’t particularly talented—his only advantage was that his wife held a managerial position at Militech.

He’d stolen some internal documents from Constitutional Arms Industries when he switched sides, supposedly to use them as leverage.

Militech didn’t care much—but Constitutional Arms did.
Not for the data itself, but for their pride.

That made the job deadly. Constitutional Arms Industries was notorious for holding grudges, while Militech ruled Night City with an iron fist.

So Kova did the smart thing: hand off the gig immediately, cut all ties, and disappear from the chain. If Militech came knocking later, he could just hand over the info.

Losing one rookie? No big deal. After all... people die in Night City every day.

Chapter Text

Whoosh! Whoosh!

The wind roared across the skyline as Jhin knelt on one knee atop a skyscraper, holding an ion sniper rifle from the PROJECT series—a weapon with terrifying piercing power and precision. He was fine-tuning the scope, making last-minute adjustments for the operation ahead.

With the help of next-gen netrunning tech, Jhin easily slipped past standard ICE systems, pulling up the target’s schedule and favorite haunts, including several bars. While running diagnostics, he also kept an eye on Elizabeth’s situation. After receiving his financial backing, she had quickly reopened Lizzie’s Bar and rebuilt The Mox. Compared to before, the group was now thriving—nearly five hundred members strong, with two bars under their control as active bases.

Still, they hadn’t dared to provoke the Tyger Claws yet. The gang had gone quiet lately after sparking public outrage, but that didn’t make them any less dangerous. Corner them, and they’d explode—hard.

Feeling bored, Jhin peered through his scope, sweeping the streets below. Suddenly, an ambulance racing past triggered a memory.

“Tch, can’t believe I forgot about her!”

It hit him—David’s mother, Gloria. She worked at this very medical company as a nurse. And that company... yeah, it was a mess. Partnering with scavengers? That was beyond unethical.

Still, that thought reminded him—Gloria was easy to find. Other story figures were a pain to track down, but not her. As for changing the plot, she was his best shot at earning Orange Essence before the main story even began. All it would take was a small nudge—shift her circumstances slightly, and the ripple effect could be huge.

“Ah, overthinking it again. Almost missed the target...”

Roland’s sights locked onto the man stepping out of the car. Slowly, he squeezed the trigger.

Whoosh—

A flash of red light streaked across the air. The high-velocity round tore clean through a wall, the car door, and a nearby bodyguard before punching straight through the target’s skull.

The man’s head burst into a mist of blood, gone in an instant.

Screams erupted. Panic spread through the street as people dove for cover, terrified they’d stumbled into a cyberpsycho’s killing spree.

Jhin calmly folded his rifle, grabbed the edge of the roof, and dropped down level by level. His lynx-claw cyberware absorbed the impact—his landing made no sound. Like a shadow, like death itself.

Tick. Tick.

“Huh? Rain?”

He looked up, surprised, as raindrops thickened into a downpour.

After completing the job, Jhin went straight to Kova to collect his payment.

Kova was dumbfounded when Jhin returned so soon. He’d assumed the gig would fail—or at least take time. But done this fast? And cleanly?

“What a damn shame...”

Kova muttered, wincing at his account balance. If the Militech Science Division had acted just a little faster, he wouldn’t have had to pay at all. Still, he asked for Jhin’s contact, saying he might have more work for him later—though what his real motive was, who could tell?

Meanwhile, over at the Militech Science Division, news of the target’s death spread fast. The man’s wife went ballistic, demanding that the Security and Intelligence Departments track down the killer and retaliate immediately.

The Security Minister and Intelligence Chief, Weis, exchanged a look and rolled their eyes. Did she really think she could order them around? Still, it fell within their duties, so they gave instructions to their subordinates and left it at that.

The real focus was elsewhere—on intel passed along by one of their fixers. Even if it was just a hunch, they couldn’t afford to ignore it.

“Mr. Gris, we’ve got something.”

“What?! Is it who we think it is?”

Gris shot to his feet, excitement lighting his face. He’d expected this to take ages—but results already?

“Uh... actually, not that case. This one’s about Constitutional Arms.”

Gris slumped back, suddenly disinterested. He’d already anticipated Constitutional Arms making a move. No surprise there—just needed some proof.

“Fine, let’s hear it.”

“Well, according to the fixer who put out the contract—Haibar—he hired a guy covered head to toe in cyberware, someone he’d never seen before. The man finished the hit in just one day.”

Gris leaned forward sharply.

“Any photos?”

“No, but we’ve got surveillance footage. Haibar was cooperative, so we secured the recordings easily.”

Gris snatched the chip, slotted it into his terminal, and played the footage.

When Jhin’s figure appeared on the screen, he exhaled in relief—but soon his expression turned serious.

“Not Adam Smasher... but the level of cybernetic modification on this one—damn—it might even surpass his.”

He rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Send this video to R&D. Ask if they’ve got any ongoing experiments—and what they think of this man’s condition.”

“Understood.”

Once the subordinate left, Gris leaned back, crossing his legs on the desk. A sharp glint flickered in his eyes.

“Maybe... we can create our own Militech-style Adam Smasher. A body that can handle this much cyberware is a rare find... looks like this fascinating man deserves our full attention.”

...

At that same moment, Roland sat in his office, flipping through a dossier compiled by Lissandra. The list of names was long—Maine, Sasha, Kiwi, Lucy, Pilar, Rebecca, V, Jackie, Victor...

Right now, only Victor showed any promise. Still, Roland had no intention of interfering with Old Vik’s story. The man had no major ambitions left anyway... though maybe arranging a boxing match for him wouldn’t hurt.

Fortunately, two new leads had emerged—Gloria, and her son David, still a student.

Right now, David was only nine—a genuine little troublemaker.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

After Roland finished with Ascension, he sent the Ascension body home to stand by and ran an authentication on it—just so the house security wouldn’t mistake it for an intruder and open fire.
Next on his list was finding Gloria and her son. He didn’t plan to do much—just nudge their fates. It was simple enough that he didn’t need to appear in person: have Lissandra send an employment contract, plus a Trauma Support Group insurance policy, and that should avert Gloria’s fatal ending. In the original timeline she didn’t die from her wounds so much as from being taken to a shoddy hospital that worked with Scavengers.
As for what happened to the family afterward... Roland wasn’t going to meddle—unless David turned out to be compatible with some template in the PROJECT system. If that happened, he’d be very interested.

“Sir, the task you assigned is underway. The contract has already been sent to Gloria’s email.”
...

“Huff...”
Gloria wearily shrugged off her coat and opened the door.

“Mom, you’re back.”
Hearing that familiar voice, a smile spread across Gloria’s face. If anything kept her going in this city, it was the boy in front of her—David.

“How was school today?”
She ruffled his hair with a tired smile.

“You don’t even have to ask—your son is obviously the best.”
David flashed a big grin and gave a thumbs-up. He wasn’t lying; his grades really were excellent.

“Oh, Mom, you’ve got a new email. Looks like an employment contract from some company. Did you change jobs?”
David suddenly remembered the message on the computer and looked at Gloria curiously.

Gloria paused, then shook her head. “No, I haven’t changed jobs. Go take a shower first—I’ll check it out.”
She nudged him toward the bathroom. David hummed and carried his clothes off.

She opened her inbox and clicked the first message.
“Dear Ms. Martinez, we sincerely invite you to join PROJECT Corporation...”

“PROJECT Corporation...”
The name sounded oddly familiar. Gloria muttered, then remembered—the company was an up-and-coming firearms manufacturer; she’d seen their ads on TV. She’d even planned to buy one of their guns for David’s tenth birthday.

She read the contract and the address carefully, then froze for a moment. After a long exhale, she leaned back in her chair. “Of course... it’s a scam.”
Once she saw how it was set up, she stopped worrying about the email. Why would a company offer such generous terms to an ordinary nurse? She didn’t believe in free lunches—everything in this city had a price. She imagined being knocked out by Scavengers at some meeting, then waking up in a dark place with her cyberware and organs stripped for resale.

Gloria kept those thoughts simmering as she prepared dinner.

Meanwhile, in Charter Hill, Roland frowned. His Orange Essence still hadn’t registered—had he not changed Gloria and David’s fate after all?
“No—maybe it just hasn’t been noticed yet. Lissandra, tell the staff: if a woman named Gloria shows up to take a position, notify me at once.”
“Understood.”

...

“Mr. Kova, I trust you’re a smart man. You know what to do, right?”
Bosewei smiled as he slid a photograph across the table. The picture showed Roland in his Ascension state.

Kova glanced at it, swallowed, and asked, “I understand... what task would you assign him?”
“Our company lost some cargo—Maelstrom hijacked it. We need someone to get it back. Reward: five hundred thousand euros.”
“Five hundred thousand?!”
Kova was stunned. He knew the company was flush with cash, but he hadn’t expected such a sum.

Bosewei nodded. Only he knew this money wasn’t just for recovering goods—it was bait. If they could lure that person into taking the Gig, then their people could move in at the right moment.

Beep—beep—
The familiar ringtone made Jhin pause. Few people had his contact; who could be calling?

“Hello, this is Kova. Remember me?”
A tattooed, burly man’s face filled Jhin’s view. The fixer.

“I remember. What do you need?”
“I’ve got a Gig. Interested?”
“Job? Tell me.”
Jhin gave a small nod.

“It’s a Gig from Militech. They need someone to recover stolen cargo. Pay is five hundred thousand euros.”
“Five hundred thousand? And Militech? Don’t they care that I killed their people?”
Jhin immediately smelled something off and asked warily.

“They won’t know whom I’ll assign. After the last job, I trust your skills. Interested?”
Jhin ended the comms without expression. They thought he was a fool—plain as day. It was obvious they were trying to lure him into a trap: such a huge payout for a newcomer? No way was it clean. Still, it confirmed something: Kova was a classic turncoat—time to deal with him later. Militech had noticed him; with that level of cyberware and combat ability, any military tech company would be curious. Arasaka probably had intel too, but they’d put their chips on Adam Smasher and didn’t need another specimen as badly as Militech did.

“We can take this Gig too... let’s teach the Militech Science Division a lesson.”
Jhin narrowed his eyes and dialed back.

Kova’s face fell when the call dropped, but when Jhin rang back, Kova forced a smile. “I’ll take the Gig. Send the details.”

...

Chapter Text

“Mr. Bosewei, he’s taken the Gig.”
“Good. Well done, Mr. Kova.”
Bosewei smiled at Kova’s report and nodded with satisfaction.

“If everything goes as planned, that half a million eddies will be yours. But—you understand what I mean.”
Bosewei’s gaze lingered on Kova, carrying an unspoken warning. Feeling a chill, Kova immediately nodded.

He understood perfectly: from this moment on, he belonged to Militech’s Science Division. He hadn’t planned on becoming one of them, but now that it had happened... well, he couldn’t really complain. The company’s “meals” were simply too good to resist.
“Don’t hold it against me, kid. I’ll light a few sticks of incense for you later.”
Kova pressed his palms together and gave a small, guilty smile.

...

Meanwhile, Jhin was already riding his motorcycle toward the location marked in the intel file. He had to admit, Militech’s data was surprisingly detailed—almost too detailed. It made him wonder if the person setting this trap was a complete amateur.

Why hand over so much information? Normally, corporations delegated these kinds of dirty jobs to mercs because they didn’t want to waste resources digging into the details.
But this guy? He’d laid everything out on a silver platter—all Jhin had to do was pull the trigger. What, was Militech short on armed forces now?

Of course, it could have been about cost-cutting... but no company that wanted to save money would offer half a million eddies for a single job.
“A perfect little trap, wrapped like a job offer. Shame for them... I’m not that easy to catch.”

Jhin silently powered down the red glow on his helmet and sank into the darkness.

...

“Any movement at the factory?”
Bosewei leaned against his chair and asked the surveillance operator.

“None, sir. Looks like the target hasn’t made a move yet.”
The analyst cycled through several camera feeds, finding nothing.

“Notify me the moment something happens.”
Bosewei sighed and waved dismissively, then began flipping through documents to pass the time.

On the factory rooftop, Jhin surveyed the facility below. Through Ascension’s enhanced vision, the layout of every person and machine inside was crystal clear.
A red glint flashed in his eyes. In an instant, Jhin hijacked the entire Militech Science Division surveillance network—complete control, in less than a second.

Whoosh!

His sudden intrusion sent shockwaves through the Militech control room. Intelligence staff and cybersecurity personnel scrambled in panic.

Bosewei, who saw the system takeover firsthand, immediately stepped forward. “Report—what’s going on?!”
“Sir! Someone forced us out and took over all surveillance feeds!”
Bosewei’s face froze, then shifted into a grin. The one he was waiting for had arrived.

“So he’s a skilled netrunner too... Notify the security team to prepare for deployment. I’m going there personally—and bring a few netrunners with us.”
“Yes, sir!”

...

After securing the systems, Jhin wasted no time. He locked onto every Maelstrom gang member inside the abandoned factory.
He’d planned to use his firearm earlier, but now he didn’t feel like it.
When dealing with opponents without decent ICE defenses, there was only one efficient way to handle it.

He drew his weapon and unloaded several magazines straight into the ceiling. The sheer firepower blew a gaping hole open, instantly alerting everyone below.

Spreading his arms wide, Jhin leaned backward and fell through the hole.

Whoosh—

The Maelstrom gang members, already on edge, spotted him instantly and raised their weapons.
But just as they aimed, their vision flooded with lines of corrupted code—their sight and senses scrambled beyond recovery. Acting on raw instinct, they still pulled their triggers.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Amid the chaos, Jhin landed softly on the ground. The overhead lights illuminated him like a performer on stage, commanding the room’s attention.
Blood pooled near his feet.

He looked around, scanning the factory—no survivors. Humming to himself, he strolled toward the Militech cargo, dropping small, fading flowers along his path.

In a single instant, he breached every cyberware system in the area, turned their weapons on themselves, and staged a mass “suicide.”

“Let’s see what kind of cargo you’re hiding...”

He yanked off the tarp covering the shipment. Inside were several Militech security drones, anti-personnel mines, and heavy machine guns.

That gave him pause.
Was Militech’s Science Division really that reckless—using this kind of equipment as bait? Were they not afraid of losing it all?

Well, lucky for him, they’d delivered the goods straight to his door.
And he fully intended to use these lovely toys to “return the favor” once their forces arrived.

As the roar of approaching AVs filled the air, Jhin narrowed his eyes, calmly assembling a sniper rifle before vanishing back into the shadows.

...

Bosewei sat comfortably inside his AV, with no intention of stepping outside. Getting close to a cyberpsycho of that level? That was suicide.

Moments later, dozens of heavily armed Militech operatives disembarked, followed by combat drones taking flight.
Several Militech netrunners immediately began hacking into the factory’s systems.

Watching the scene unfold, Bosewei smirked. He could already picture the moment Jhin would be captured.

He raised his glass to toast his “victory.”

Then—an ear-splitting crack tore through the air.
Before anyone could react, a crimson beam pierced the factory wall, shredded through the AV’s armor plating, and drilled cleanly through Bosewei’s temple.

Bang—

Blood sprayed across the cabin. His arm twitched from the last traces of muscle reflex, raising the wine glass as golden liquid spilled down his suit.

The squad leader froze for a moment before barking orders.
“Keep advancing! Move in on the factory!”

He stepped aside to contact Bosewei’s superior as gunfire erupted.
“Open fire!!”

A storm of bullets tore through the air toward the sniper’s last position.

But Jhin, still calm on the factory’s second floor, didn’t even flinch. He packed away his rifle, turned on his radio, and let soft music fill the air.

As Jhin once said:
“I’ve never harmed anyone. It’s just a performance—one that leaves the audience breathless.”

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

“You’re saying Bosewei is dead?”
Gris asked again, uncertainty flickering in his voice.

“Yes, Mr. Gris. He was killed by a single shot from the enemy’s sniper rifle.”

“I thought he was inside the AV?”

“Yes, sir—but the sniper round penetrated the AV’s armored hull.”

“I see… what a pity.”

Gris sighed and shook his head, then waved the matter aside.
“Continue with the operation. The rest doesn’t concern you.”

After issuing the order, Gris’s expression darkened. He could only hope the team finished the job cleanly—success meant he’d earn credit, not blame. Failure, though... would bring questions from Weis. And with rivals watching his position, he couldn’t afford a misstep.

...

Militech’s drones unleashed a torrent of gunfire as heavily augmented soldiers ripped the factory doors open using their cybernetic arms. The breach succeeded—but what awaited them were heavy machine guns originally belonging to Militech, weapons the Maelstrom gang had mounted earlier. Now... they all belonged to Roland.

The 12.7mm rounds tore through the air in an instant. Several security operatives were shredded before they even had time to scream, their bodies torn apart by the hail of bullets.
The survivors reacted fast, diving behind cover before the auto-targeting system could lock onto them.

Whoosh—Boom!

The netrunner team, knowing the enemy’s netrunning capabilities were beyond ordinary and unable to counter immediately, ordered their drones to fire micro-missiles, blowing apart the turrets guarding the entrance.

“Stay sharp!” the squad leader barked over comms. “The enemy might be using our own Militech gear. Watch for mines and heavy fire!”

From a dark corner, a hidden camera silently watched the squad’s movements. One of the soldiers, sensing something off, turned and shot it down.
Jhin withdrew from that feed, tapped the table twice, then grabbed his weapon and strode toward the door.

If this was a show, the lead actor had to take the stage.

...

Henry clutched his rifle tightly as he crept forward. His cybernetic eyes scanned every shadow, hypervigilant, yet the factory remained silent—except for the haunting echo of music playing somewhere inside.

To be honest, he wanted out. The moment he saw Bosewei’s head explode, he’d wanted to quit. He wasn’t here to die for someone else’s mistake.

They didn’t even know where the target was—just firing blindly into the dark like clowns. If he were the enemy, he’d be laughing his ass off.

“Hey, Henry, relax,” Nick muttered, giving him a pat on the shoulder. “Even if the sky falls, the tall guy gets crushed first. Our captain’s got a Sandevistan—if things go bad, he’ll handle it before we even blink.”

“Yeah, but we’re already in here,” Henry shot back. “You really think that guy’s going to show us mercy?”

“If he shows up, just shoot the bastard. He’s not made of iron—uh, well, not that many people are made of flesh these days anyway.”
Nick shrugged, cracking a half-grin.

Henry sighed. “Did you seriously just tell a bad joke right now?”
Still, Nick’s attitude helped. His nerves eased, just a bit.

Suddenly, a blinding red light flared across the hall. Henry’s pupils contracted sharply. “Move!” he shouted.

BOOM!

The explosion ripped through the corridor, launching Henry backward into a wall. Nick vanished without a trace.
The blast triggered a chain reaction—multiple detonations roaring one after another, brilliant bursts blooming like fiery flowers across the factory.

Then, Jhin appeared—descending calmly from the upper level. The music cut off. Only the faint moans of the dying and the steady rhythm of his footsteps filled the air. The scene was grotesquely theatrical.

Whoosh—

With a metallic hiss, Jhin drew his weapon and instantly activated his Sandevistan.

Bang!

For the first time since entering this world, Jhin’s magazine ran dry. That brief pause gave the Militech squad leader—Relton—just enough time to close the gap. His Mantis Blades glowed with heat as he swung for Jhin’s throat.

Clang!

“That was close…” Jhin muttered, staring into the man’s face only inches away. With a burst of strength, he shoved Relton back. Both disengaged from acceleration at the same moment.

Relton steadied himself, glaring at Jhin with grim focus. Jhin retracted his own Mantis Blades, his expression calm.

Then his neck cyberware crackled with a surge of static—his systems were under attack. Netrunners were breaching his interface. He’d pushed his processing to the limit.

Gritting his teeth, Jhin cut off auxiliary functions and redirected power to ICE defense. Relton seized the moment, lunging in and slicing a deep gash across Jhin’s chest.

Three shots fired in response, but Relton dodged each one effortlessly. Jhin frowned—this was getting messy.

He was built for ranged combat. Against a relentless close-quarters brawler like this, things could turn ugly fast. So...

Bang!

Jhin triggered his Sandevistan again. His cyberlegs surged, launching him out of sight.

“Don’t you dare run!” Relton shouted, activating his own accelerator. But repeated use was catching up—blood streamed from his nose.

Boom!

As Relton burst into the next room, Jhin’s fist met him head-on—a brutal punch slamming into his chest, crushing the air from his lungs.

Jhin closed in instantly. His arm flicked, the Monowire snapping free. In one smooth motion, he vaulted up, wrapped the wire around Relton’s neck, and yanked hard.

Slick—

The body dropped with a heavy thud. Jhin retracted the wire and glanced toward the factory’s cameras—the ones he’d temporarily surrendered while fending off the netrunners.

Control—reclaimed.

Bang!

Back at headquarters, Gris’s face turned pale with rage. He slammed a fist into his desk.
“Call in the Counter-Terror Unit—now!”

Boom!

A massive explosion ripped through what was left of the warehouse, flames swallowing half the structure.

As the shockwave faded, a black silhouette leapt from the debris, disappearing into the night.

He wasn’t stupid. With all that noise, waiting around for Militech’s reinforcements would be suicide.

Chapter Text

Standing in a narrow alley, Jhin rubbed his wrist. He had to admit—the guy who used the Sandevistan wasn’t half bad. Still, a big part of it came down to his cyberware. It wasn’t an Ascension original. Top-tier, sure, but compared to a true Ascension-grade implant, it just didn’t measure up.

Zzzzt—Zzzzt!

“Ugh...”

Jhin rubbed his neck, a look of mild irritation on his face. His head armor had held up fine, but the rest of his systems had taken a hit from the netrunners’ attacks. He’d definitely need some maintenance.

For now, though, he had someone to settle things with.

...

In a fairly nice apartment in the Watson District, Kova sat in a bathrobe, humming along to a Samurai track as he slowly popped open a bottle of champagne.

Half a million eurodollars, just like that, without lifting a finger. Kova couldn’t help but grin. If only all jobs were this easy. It would take dozens of contracts to make that much otherwise.

“Tsk, tsk, tsk... Jhin, you really are my lucky star.”

A smirk tugged at his lips. He finally had the man’s name. Since he’d planned to screw Jhin over, he’d done a little background digging first.

He’d only managed to get some scraps of information from that edge-runner crew Jhin had run into earlier—not much, just a name, really.

Beyond that, there was nothing. Jhin had practically appeared out of thin air. No records, no history. But the chaos he’d caused since showing up? Anything but small.

“If that kid keeps going... he might just become another Night City legend.”

Kova took a sip of champagne, smacked his lips thoughtfully, then burst out laughing.

“Legend, huh? What’s a legend worth? In Night City, legends are all corpses. There are no living legends here.”

He leaned back comfortably on the couch and switched on Channel 54. The news was covering the massive explosion that had torn through Watson’s industrial sector.

Militech had issued a strong condemnation, released a wanted notice, and offered their condolences for the victims—followed by a stream of self-praising corporate propaganda about their “humanitarian values” and “commitment to public safety.”

Kova didn’t hear a word of it. He only knew one thing—Militech hadn’t shown a picture of the target, but he understood perfectly well what today’s operation had been about.

The fact that they were now pushing PR spin meant only one thing: the mission had failed.

“Damn Militech!”

He cursed under his breath and jumped up, but his legs gave out. The wine glass in his hand slipped and went flying. Just as he instinctively reached to catch it...

A black, mechanical arm reached out, caught the glass midair, and handed it back to him.

Kova froze, taking the glass automatically. “Thanks...” he murmured—then his face went pale.

This was his apartment. He hadn’t called in a joytoy today.

Realizing something was wrong, Kova lunged for the sofa, reaching under it for his hidden weapon.

Jhin stood there casually, one hand on his hip, the other holding a pistol pointed down, watching Kova’s panicked scramble with mild amusement.

Only when Kova finally managed to grab his gun and aim it at him did Jhin speak. “Looks like you’re ready.”

Kova’s expression darkened. He gave a bitter laugh, tossed the weapon aside, sighed, and sank back into the sofa. Pouring himself another drink, he muttered, “No point struggling, right?”

Roland smiled faintly and sat down across from him.

“You had countless chances to shoot me just now,” Kova continued. “But you didn’t. That means you’re confident enough to kill me whenever you want. You’re running a Sandevistan, aren’t you? Then there’s no point in fighting. I might as well enjoy my last few minutes.”

He downed his drink in one gulp, grinning as he looked up.

“Hmph... In these final moments, you’ve actually improved my opinion of you.”

Jhin crossed one leg over the other, resting an arm on his knee, the muzzle of his gun still pointed straight at Kova.

After another sip, Kova’s expression twisted into a snarl. “I don’t need your damn approval, Jhin. You’ll be down here soon enough. Nobody in this city dies happy!!”

Bang!

The shot rang out, and a red bloom spread across Kova’s chest. His eyes went glassy, and moments later, he was gone.

“What a shame,” Jhin said softly. “Your curse didn’t work. After all... what does what Jhin does have to do with me—Roland?”

He chuckled, spread his hands, and walked out of the apartment.

...

“The Orange Essence still hasn’t been credited? Gloria hasn’t joined yet? What’s going on?”

Sitting in his office, Roland frowned. Then it hit him—maybe she thought the offer was a scam.

He sighed. “Seriously... you ever seen a scammer with an office in Charter Hill?”

Clicking his tongue in annoyance, he muttered, “What a pain. The easiest way to get Orange Essence still needs me to step in personally...”

“Lissandra,” he said, turning toward his AI assistant, “send word to HR. Have them visit Gloria’s home and make sure she joins the company. If she has any doubts, tell her this was her husband’s last gift to her.”

“Understood.”

Once that was settled, Roland glanced toward Jhin, who stood in the corner with his arms crossed.

“Having two versions of me staring at each other like this... feels kinda freaky.”

...

Wearing her medical uniform, Gloria eyed the well-dressed man in front of her warily. “Who are you?”

“Hello, Ms. Gloria. I’m Ita, a supervisor from the HR department at PROJECT Corporation. I believe you’ve seen the emails we sent?”

Ita smiled warmly. Normally, he wouldn’t have bothered showing this kind of courtesy—but this was someone the big boss had personally mentioned.

As he spoke, he studied her. He had to admit—she was beautiful. Even in her thirties, there was barely a trace of age on her.

Still, she had a kid... Did the boss have a thing for that type?

“You’re from PROJECT?” Gloria asked, surprised, glancing at his business card to confirm.

“Yes,” Ita replied. “You might’ve thought we were scammers before, but that’s not the case. This job is the last gift your husband left for you.”

He patiently explained the job’s details and origins.

But Gloria wasn’t fooled. She knew exactly what kind of man David’s father had been—this couldn’t possibly be from him.

There was only one explanation.

Her eyes narrowed slightly. “What’s your boss’s name?”

The sudden question caught Ita off guard, but he quickly smiled again. “Roland Vimers. That’s our boss. You can look him up online if you’d like.”

“Roland Vimers...”

Gloria’s expression softened, a mix of confusion and gratitude in her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she accepted the contract. David needed tuition money, and this job might give them a future. She didn’t know who this Roland really was, but she would remember his kindness.

The moment she signed her name—

Ding!

A pleasant chime rang in Roland’s ear.

“Congratulations! You’ve obtained [Orange Essence x5000].”

Roland’s excited grin froze, his face falling instantly.

“What the hell? Only five thousand?”

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

“Lissandra, I need an explanation.”
Roland’s face was dark as he spoke. After all, he’d changed the protagonist’s fate—how could that only be worth a tiny bit of Orange Essence?

“You didn’t completely change David Martinez’s destiny,” Lissandra replied calmly. “Based on the current trajectory, he’ll still attend Arasaka Academy and continue being ostracized by his classmates. What you did was alter Gloria’s fate—she wouldn’t die at that point in time—and slightly adjust parts of David’s path.”

Roland frowned deeply. In other words, Gloria might have escaped death for now, but that didn’t mean she was safe forever. And from the look of things, David would still meet Lucy eventually.

Worse yet, because of his interference, David might lose the Sandevistan that was originally supposed to be his. What kind of consequences that would cause was anyone’s guess. Still, since Lissandra put it that way...

It meant the changes weren’t enough. Fate was still trying to correct itself. David could still become an edgerunner, and Gloria might still die—just at a different time.

“Tch... what a pain. Guess I’ll just take it one step at a time.”
Roland rubbed his temples. At least he had enough Orange Essence now to upgrade Jhin’s cyberware body. Except for the missing weapon, the full Ascension set was complete. Now it was time to see which remaining template he actually needed.

“Hmm... I should start by getting myself a new template...”
He stroked his chin thoughtfully as he browsed through the options,He finally settled on three templates: Shadow, Wind, and Light. The others... either didn’t appeal to him or were far too expensive.

If he could really choose freely, he’d grab a Super Body and let this world find out what it felt like to face a boss-level monster.

Moments later, he watched as his fully intact Ascension body disintegrated into pure data, only to be reconstructed again in its pristine form.

“...System, where’s the cyberware I bought?”

“...”

Suddenly, a heap of mechanical parts materialized on the floor.
Roland blinked. “Did I just trigger a loot drop?”

He ignored the mess for now and focused on syncing with the new Ascension body, testing its functions. The raw power inside it was undeniable—his limbs might not look bulky, but the precision-engineered muscle fibers could unleash terrifying force in an instant.

The sluggishness he’d once felt was gone. Every movement was smooth, perfectly synced with his neural commands. Finally, this body could keep up with his mind.

The PROJECT-grade cyberware and high-end systems embedded within him hummed quietly—stolen tech, sure, but top-tier nonetheless. The only drawback was that this body no longer had a cyberport compatible with the Cyberpunk world. But for someone using the Ascension Template, that wasn’t much of a problem.

After adapting to his new body’s strength, Roland guided Ascension out of the office. Time to take on some gigs—maybe he’d even run into a few familiar faces from the original storyline.

By his calculations, Maine should be about twenty-one or twenty-two by now. Even if he hadn’t joined the edgerunners yet, he’d be close.

As for Sasha... Roland liked that character, though he wasn’t sure of her exact age. Judging from the fragments he’d seen, she seemed to be in her twenties too.
He couldn’t quite remember her mother’s name, but vaguely recalled she’d worked for the state, got injured, and later died of neural decay during a biotechnica drug trial.

Whether he’d find her now—or at all—would depend on luck.

Roland made his way to Karula Bar, a favorite spot for edgerunners. You could buy meds, trade goods, or just hang around and chat without too many eyes watching.

“Hm? That’s...”
Jhin’s gaze caught on a small girl with turquoise twin-tails sitting on a wrecked car, sipping soda through a straw. She wore an oversized jacket that nearly swallowed her frame. For some reason, one name instantly flashed through Jhin’s mind—

Rebecca.

“No way... judging by her height, she hasn’t grown at all.”
Jhin squinted. She couldn’t be older than twelve.
A twelve-year-old hanging around a place like this didn’t feel right... yet somehow, in Night City, it made perfect sense.

Noticing his stare, the girl turned toward him curiously. Jhin quickly looked away. He was here to gather intel on new edgerunners, not creep out minors.
By his timeline, Maine should’ve just started making a name for himself.

“Wassup, choom? what are you looking at?”
The familiar sharp voice—and that “choom” tag—made Jhin’s mouth twitch. He turned and found the twin-tailed girl now standing right beside him.

“choom... you mean me?”
“Yup.”
She nodded decisively. No question about it.

Jhin clicked his tongue. “Alright then. What’s your name, kid?”
“Eh~ choom, you’re not some kind of creep, are you?”
Her face twisted in mock disgust, and Jhin’s expression darkened.

“Rebecca. That’s my name. What about you, choom?”
“Jhin.”
“You an edgerunner?”
“You could say that,” Jhin said with a small grin. “Though technically, only half of one.”

He hadn’t expected it—but yeah, this bratty little loli was definitely the same Rebecca he knew.

“Then you’ve gotta have a gun! Lemme see it!”
Her eyes lit up when he nodded. She darted in close, practically pressing up against him.

Jhin looked down at the face so close to his own and slowly drew his weapon.

“Ohhhhhh!!!”
Rebecca’s eyes went wide with delight. She grabbed the gun, hugging it tight and rubbing it against her cheek like a new toy.

“Hey, choom, how come I’ve never seen this model before?”
She turned the weapon over in her hands, admiring every inch, before glancing back up at Jhin.

“It’s custom-made,” Jhin said, hands clasped casually over his knees. “You won’t find it anywhere else.”

“Then it’s gotta be super expensive...”
Rebecca whistled softly, clearly impressed, then reluctantly handed the gun back.

“No need,” Jhin said. “Consider it a gift, Rebecca.”

She froze. “...You’re not seriously hitting on me, are you?”
“How rude. Just take it. And maybe next time, we’ll meet for real.”

Jhin gave her a helpless smile, waved, and walked off. Rebecca watched him go, her expression unreadable.

“Hey, Rebecca! What are you doing over there?”
“Mind your own damn business, bro!” she snapped back without looking.

As Jhin’s figure disappeared into the distance, Rebecca sighed, glancing down at the gun in her hands. She ran a thumb along the barrel, still trying to figure out what exactly he meant by those parting words.

Chapter Text

“Lissandra, I feel like Rebecca might be compatible with the Madness Template?”
“Yes, your intuition is spot-on. Her compatibility with the Madness Template is exceptionally high. Once the key is activated, she’ll be able to fully unleash the power of the Madness Template.”

Hearing Lissandra’s confirmation, Roland couldn’t help but smile. He then pulled another weapon from the store interface and decided to roll for a bonus drop, just to test his luck.

【Source Energy Katana ×1】

Source Energy Katana? Roland froze. This was the first time he’d seen that kind of weapon.

“This is the standard-issue weapon for PROJECT: Wind — or rather, its backup model. Its performance is quite impressive.”

Nodding slightly at Lissandra’s explanation, Roland stored it in his warehouse. Without a melee Template, the weapon was basically useless to him for now — better to let it gather dust.

...

Not long after Roland left, a group of edgerunners walked into the bar.

“Pops, same as usual — a month’s supply.”
Rook downed a beer in one gulp, then grinned, showing off his white teeth.

“Alright, got it. I’ll get it ready in a bit. But I gotta say... if you keep this up, you’re gonna burn yourself out.”

The bartender, known as Pops, took a slow drag from his cigarette. With the tone of someone who’d seen it all, he pointed at Rook as a warning.

Rook gave a wry smile, then poured himself another drink.
“Ha... I know. I’m already feeling some side effects. But if I stop now... I wouldn’t last a week in this damn city.”

The bartender just nodded. He didn’t press further — everyone made their own choices. His words were nothing more than an old man’s hope that another young life wouldn’t burn out too soon.

“Whoa! Rebecca, where’d you get that gun?!”

Rook, drinking quietly by himself, looked up when he heard Gauge shouting at the entrance. Curious, he grabbed his bottle and walked over.

Rebecca stood proudly with her head tilted up, spinning her gun with a flourish. Not far away, a wrecked car now had a deep crater in its frame.

That kind of firepower made Rook narrow his eyes.
“So it’s you, Rebecca... What, did your brother finally spend money on a Tech Weapon for you?”

Rook chuckled as he approached Gauge, glancing at Rebecca.

“Tch, that sleazy bastard? No way he’d ever spend money on me. If he had that kind of cash, he’d blow it on those Serpentine Braindances instead.”

Rebecca snorted coldly, her expression full of disdain.

“Then where’d you get it?” Rook asked, his curiosity piqued. Judging by that blast, the weapon definitely wasn’t cheap.

“Oh, some choom gave it to me.”
Rebecca shrugged, twirling the gun casually in her hand.

“Choom? Rebecca, you don’t mean—”
Gauge’s grin turned lecherous as he reached his hand toward her.

“Drop dead!!”
“Hey, careful! That gun’s not a toy!”
“Perfect — gives me a reason to shoot you, you creep!!”

Rook couldn’t help but chuckle helplessly at the chaos breaking out before him. Shaking his head, he turned and sat beside Roxy.

“Boss, Kay says she’s quitting.”
“What?!”

Rook looked completely stunned, clearly not expecting that.

“It’s true. She’s saved enough money and plans to leave Night City.”

Seeing the shock on his face, Roxy nodded to confirm.

“Ah... damn it, what a headache.”
Rook scratched his head in frustration. Losing a netrunner was no small problem — without one, a lot of gigs would be impossible to handle.

Still, he didn’t protest. It was her life. He was just the team leader — not someone who could tell others what to do.

Even though he didn’t like how she’d made the decision and left without much warning, there wasn’t much he could do about it.

“But she did introduce us to a solo netrunner living in the Watson District. Said if we ever have work, we could contact this person — someone reliable.”

Roxy handed him a card with a number scribbled on it in Kay’s handwriting.

Rook glanced at it before pocketing it. If they couldn’t find a replacement netrunner soon, he’d check this contact out — though, honestly, he didn’t put much faith in solo netrunners, even if Kay vouched for them.

...

“Mr. Jhin, our boss wants to meet you.”

Jhin narrowed his eyes at the Tyger Claws member, thinking it over before nodding in agreement.

Seeing him accept, the surrounding Tyger Claws visibly relaxed. They knew what kind of monster he was — and if they could avoid fighting him, all the better.

“Tell me,” Jhin said as he got into the car, “who’s your boss?”

“Our boss is Mr. Ryuzaki Ichiro,” the man replied. “He’s looking to hire you for a job.”

Ryuzaki Ichiro...

Jhin silently noted the name. It wasn’t the Tyger Claws boss he remembered — must’ve been someone who took over later, after the previous one was taken out or stepped down.

He said nothing more as the car drove toward a luxury apartment building. Several Tyger Claws members lingered around the entrance, keeping watch.

Jhin gave them a quick glance before following his escort inside.

A ding echoed as the elevator reached the right floor. Two guards immediately stepped forward to search everyone — though they curiously skipped over Roland, which Jhin found odd.

“Mr. Jhin, this way, please.”
“Yeah.”

He followed the man down the hall to a door. Several people inside turned to stare at him, eyes full of suspicion, but Jhin didn’t care.

“Boss Ryuzaki, Mr. Jhin has arrived.”
“Please, come in, Mr. Jhin.”

At the invitation, Jhin opened the door and stepped inside. He scanned the decor briefly before fixing his gaze on Ryuzaki Ichiro — who, strangely enough, was standing in front of the main chair rather than sitting in it.

“I heard you wanted to see me?”

“Actually, it’s not me who wants to see you — it’s Mr. Kuroda here.”

Ryuzaki stepped aside, revealing a man behind him.

Jhin’s eyes narrowed the moment he saw the man’s distinctive outfit.

That uniform... Arasaka.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

“That outfit... are you from Arasaka's? What do you want with me?”

Jhin watched the man before him with curiosity. He couldn't recall this body ever having any ties to Arasaka's.

“Just like the intel said... Mr. Jhin, the extent of your cyberware modifications is astonishing. Even Adam Smasher hasn't reached your level. There's no doubt—you are one of the unique ones!!”

Kuroda's eyes shone with fervor as he stepped forward, staring at Roland as if beholding a priceless relic.

The display put Jhin on edge. He shivered, then answered coldly, “Mr. Kuroda, if there's nothing else, I should be going.”

Kuroda snapped back, cleared his throat, and smoothed his clothes. “My apologies — I got carried away. Your case is just too fascinating. I must ask: who’s sponsoring you behind the scenes?”

Kuroda's curiosity was genuine. At first, they’d hesitated to reach out because they suspected this man might be tied to Militech, but recent events had overturned that theory.

“Do you really think I'd answer a question like that?” Jhin replied curtly. Kuroda only chuckled and shook his head.

“Fair enough. Formally, I’m Shinichiro Kuroda, research and development director at Arasaka Corporation.”

“So what do you want?” Jhin didn’t bother introducing himself — Kuroda already used his name, which meant the surface-level facts were known.

“Before that, would you consider joining Arasaka's? We can provide the finest medical tech and cyberware enhancements. Compared to what you have now—”

Kuroda had meant to say their tech would surpass Jhin’s current implants, but he caught sight of Jhin’s body: every cybernetic part had been replaced with components he didn’t recognize.

His expression deepened. Whoever backed this man was a terrifying powerhouse. Dismissing Militech, Kuroda wondered if it might be a smaller company — those market-available high-end cyberware weren’t normally this advanced. It was more complicated than it looked.

“No. I have no intention of joining. Tell me what Arasaka's plans are. You don't have much influence here, do you?”

“Indeed. As you said, Mr. Jhin, we lack strong leverage here. That’s precisely why we need your strength.”

Kuroda’s smile was all business — warm on the surface, icy underneath.

“Interesting. Go on.”

“We need you to act. Assassinate this person.”

Kuroda produced a chip and handed it over in silence. Jhin took it without hesitation.

The chip’s contents streamed into Jhin’s mind at breakneck speed. The information left him startled; he fixed Kuroda with a hard, intense look.

Kuroda waved the others out. Ryuzaki Ichiro and the rest nodded and left the room.

“So Kuroda’s role isn’t limited to R&D, then?”

“Yes. Barring surprises, I should be assigned to Night City soon.”

A smile crossed Kuroda’s face, but the tidbit he’d dropped carried enough weight to stir up trouble — Jhin was surprised Arasaka already knew New United States’ plans at this stage.

“But do you really trust me that much?”

“I trust your ability completely. No one knows better than I do the power of someone who can modify their body to this degree and keep their mind intact.”

Kuroda’s confidence was palpable — after all, he was one of the main leads on the Adam Smasher project.

The man before him clearly hadn’t gone with Smasher’s frontline combat build, yet had achieved extreme modification focused on speed and assassination. Fewer than ten assassins in this world reached that level.

“And you expect I’ll accept?” Jhin asked.

“We can’t guarantee you won’t leak intel. Nor am I confident this crew of grunts could stop you. But New United States’ strategy must be executed, and Arasaka will ultimately win.”

“So this target isn’t that important?”

“Not really. But taking him out would significantly accelerate our plans. Now... what do you think?”

Jhin thought it over. Arasaka wanted him to assassinate a political figure who had come to Night City to negotiate important matters with Biotechnica. The target was a staunch anti-war advocate blocking Myers’ policies — someone creating real obstacles. If the operation went ahead, Myers’ people would manipulate things; combined with Arasaka’s covert moves, it would be a near-suicide mission. In the original storyline, Arasaka didn’t have the strength here — but that had changed.

“If this man is dead, how much faster do your plans move?”

“At least six months. If it’s done quickly, maybe up to a year. The button for how the world unfolds is in your hands, Mr. Jhin.”

“What’s the pay?”

Kuroda smiled and pushed a chip forward. “This is the deposit.”

Jhin checked it, his mouth twitching. No surprise — fitting for a big player.

“I’ll take the job.”

“Excellent. I look forward to our cooperation!”

Kuroda’s smile was genuine — success here would raise his standing.

“Pleasure to work with you.”

Jhin nodded. He was in this for the essence. If Kuroda’s claims were true, this could genuinely alter history.

“Oh, Smasher asked me to pass along his regards. He hopes to meet you someday, if circumstances allow.”

Kuroda remembered to add that as Jhin rose to leave.

Jhin paused at the name, then chuckled softly. “Tell him he’s welcome anytime.”

Smasher? Hopefully he isn’t here to cause trouble. If he was, Jhin thought wryly, he’d just take him apart like in the game — see what was really inside.

Chapter Text

After wrapping up some business at the company, Roland headed out. Most matters were handled by Lissandra anyway—he only took care of the truly important ones. For the rest, he was basically a hands-off boss.

Lately, he’d realized he hadn’t been paying much attention to his real body at all. But it couldn’t be helped.
Life as Jhin was simply too thrilling—like living inside an action movie. Especially now, as he took on more and more gigs, his name was spreading fast.

As for Militech... they hadn’t forgotten what he’d done. They even sent people to hunt him down, only to end up becoming stepping stones for his rising fame.

What concerned Roland more was that Arasaka had gone completely silent after assigning him that assassination gig. They’d said they’d notify him when the operation officially began, but so far, that target still hadn’t arrived in Night City.

That gave Roland time to relax—and toying with Night City’s small fry wasn’t a bad way to spend it. The original PROJECT cyberbody was truly remarkable; its coating could withstand most bullets, and its optical camouflage was even more advanced than anything seen in Cyberpunk 2077. He could disappear into thin air whenever he wanted.

That had already earned him several nicknames: Hunter and The Night Reaper.
...

“Boss, what’s the gig this time?”

Roxy glanced at Rook curiously.

“It’s a corporate job. We’re breaking into a company to steal some data.”

Rook handed over the intel to Roxy, Gauge, and a newcomer named Brew.

“Don’t tell me it’s one of the big corps again...”

Gauge muttered under his breath as he took the file.

“I’m not stupid enough to take a suicide contract.”

Rook sighed, shooting him a look. Stealing from a company’s systems was a lot riskier than stealing from an individual.

“PROJECT Corporation? Sounds familiar...” Brew frowned, thinking.

“Of course it does—you’re literally holding one of their smartguns right now.”

Roxy rolled her eyes.

“Oh, right! That’s that flashy new company with all the ads lately!”

Gauge finally caught on and let out a low whistle.

“Probably another competitor trying to stir up trouble.”

“Doesn’t matter. That’s not our problem. What we need to figure out is how to grab their data.”

Rook smacked Gauge lightly on the head, looking tired already.

“We’ll need a netrunner, boss,” Roxy said, scanning through the intel.

“I know. That’s why I already called Kiwi.”

“Looks like I’m late. So, do we have a plan yet?”

A woman with short blonde hair, blue lips, and a striking figure strolled over, a slim cigarette hanging from her mouth.

“Hey, Kiwi, you made it.”

Roxy greeted her with a grin. It wasn’t their first time working together.

Ever since Kay left and gave them Kiwi’s contact, they’d teamed up with her several times. Over those jobs, they’d come to understand her well enough—and trusted her more than most.

“I looked over the target already,” Kiwi said after ordering a drink. “It’s not overly difficult, but not simple either. We’re talking about a billion-euro tech company—they’ll have serious security measures. If possible, infiltration’s our best bet.”

“Yeah, I agree!” Brew said quickly, nodding eagerly—his gaze darting toward Kiwi every few seconds.

“Your opinion doesn’t count, kid. Everyone knows what’s going through your head. You just repeat whatever Kiwi says.”

Gauge rolled his eyes.

“N-no way! That’s slander! Slander, I say!”

Brew straightened up, his face red with embarrassment and anger.

Kiwi just gave him a cool glance before looking away. She had no patience for kids like that.

“What about you guys?” she asked. “Any objections?”

“No objections here,” Rook said. “Infiltration’s safer—less bloodshed. But who’s going in?”

Kiwi didn’t respond. She knew she’d be the one going in—after all, who else could breach a corporate network like hers?

“Me!” Brew raised his hand eagerly.

“Alright then,” Rook said, nodding. “Kiwi and Gauge will handle the infiltration.”

Gauge didn’t react, clearly expecting it. Brew, on the other hand, slumped like a wilted plant.

That was exactly why Rook didn’t let him tag along with Kiwi. The kid was too green, too easily distracted—especially around her.

And this wasn’t a small-time gig. They were dealing with a corporation. One mistake could doom them all. Even if PROJECT wasn’t on the same level as the megacorps, they were still far beyond what a crew of edgerunners could afford to mess with.

“So, take the next few days to rest and work out the details.”
...

Jhin narrowed his eyes at the trembling young man clutching a weapon.

A golden crew cut, tanned skin, and that somewhat familiar face...

He studied the guy’s outfit—it looked like... a military recruit?

“What’s your name?”

“M-Maine! Hands up!”

Fear flickered in Maine’s eyes, but he still raised his weapon, staring Jhin down with shaky determination.

“What an unexpected encounter...”

Jhin murmured, remembering—before becoming an edgerunner, Maine had been a soldier.

“You can go. Lucky day for you.”

Jhin slowly lowered his gun. His form shimmered and faded from view, disappearing completely.

Maine froze, stunned, then lowered his weapon, swallowing hard as he took in the carnage around him—the corpses of gang members scattered everywhere.

Only then did he realize just who he’d faced.

He called the police, then returned to the military barracks, his mind replaying Jhin’s shadowed figure over and over. Later, he told his comrades what happened.

When they learned Jhin’s name and reputation, they all agreed—Maine was unbelievably lucky.

“The Night Reaper, Jhin...”

A trace of confusion crossed Maine’s eyes before giving way to awe.

“Ding! Congratulations on obtaining [Orange Essence x1000]!”

“Huh?!”

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

Roland stared blankly at the sudden pop-up from the System, completely bewildered. He couldn’t recall doing anything that might’ve changed the storyline.

“System, explain.”

“...Host, your encounter with Maine altered his mindset, indirectly leading to a deviation in the narrative.”

“His mindset changed…”

Roland frowned deeply. From what he remembered, he had a good impression of Maine—like an older brother figure. Right now, though, the guy was just a green rookie soldier.

“Your meeting with him sparked a desire to become a legend. Originally, Maine only became an Edgerunner out of circumstance, but now his perspective has shifted. Because of you, he may either die sooner—or grow even stronger.”

Roland’s face stiffened. He sighed helplessly. To become a legend in Night City meant getting more Cyberware. Maine, after all, had gone Cyberpsycho from too many augmentations, even though it was just to protect his friends. And now, with the added dream of becoming a legend… well, blessing and curse always came hand in hand—though the curse seemed far more likely.

“Right, Lissandra, how’s our collaboration with that company coming along?”

“They’re still hesitating, no response yet.”

“Hesitating? Sounds more like scheming. Tell them if they don’t give us an answer by the day after tomorrow, we’ll move on to another partner. Oh, and make sure to tighten the company’s security while you’re at it.”

Roland snorted in annoyance, though the situation still gave him a headache. Night City wasn’t just filled with powerful megacorps — there were plenty of smaller firms surviving off their scraps.

Of course, there were also tech companies like his own, carving out a niche through independent R&D. The one they were dealing with now was among them, though its reputation wasn’t particularly great.

This partnership had been initiated by the other side, and Roland wasn’t one to turn away paying clients. After all, most companies already knew he collaborated with major players like Arasaka and Kang Tao, so they rarely tried anything reckless.

However... what Roland didn’t expect was that this particular company would turn out to be a bunch of stubborn fools — or worse, gamblers, betting they could steal PROJECT Corporation’s tech and use it to catch the megacorps’ attention.

 ...

Late at night.

“That’s the PROJECT Corporation building…”

Rook parked the car at the roadside and pointed toward the distant tower marked by a glowing inverted triangle.

Hearing that, Gauge and Kiwi nodded. They grabbed their gear and stepped out of the car.

“Hey, Kiwi, be careful.”

Brew suddenly called out after her, but Kiwi didn’t even glance back. She just kept walking straight toward PROJECT Corporation.

“Quit staring. Take it from someone with years of experience—you don’t stand a chance, kid.”

Roxy clapped Brew on the shoulder, blunt as always.

“Didn’t have to crush my hopes like that…” Brew sighed, hanging his head.

Meanwhile, Kiwi and Gauge had already reached the front gate.

“I’ll take control of the main gate’s surveillance feed and then head to the Backdoor. Keep an eye on the front—if the security lights flash red, let me know immediately.”

“Got it. Don’t worry.”

The moment Gauge confirmed, Kiwi’s eyes flickered with a faint orange glow. In the vast sea of data, she quickly located the entry point.

The surveillance cameras at the entrance blinked a few times, then turned green. The feed conveniently rotated away from Kiwi’s position. She slipped through the blind spot and vanished inside.

Before long, she reached the back door, connected her electronic monowire to the terminal, and began hacking the lock.

“Sir, your company is under netrunner attack.”

“What?!”

Roland jolted at Lissandra’s announcement, spilling red wine all over himself. Standing there, dumbfounded, he felt like fate was handing him one surprise after another today.

“What’s going on? Pull up the footage.”

Lissandra immediately brought up the entrance feed. Roland narrowed his eyes. Even at a glance, he spotted something wrong—a clear blind spot in the camera’s coverage.

“Override the system. Scan the area.”

“Understood.”

At that same moment, Gauge saw the feed flicker red, the camera slowly panning toward him. Startled, he dove into a corner and contacted Kiwi.

“Kiwi, it’s red!”

Kiwi froze mid-hack, her brows furrowing. She hadn’t expected the system to respond that fast.

“Looks like some little thieves made it to the backdoor… Lissandra, send a few security bots to check it out.”

Roland leaned his chin on his hand, amused. He wanted to see which foolhardy rookie had the guts to break into his company.

Click.

With a sharp snap, Kiwi unlocked the back door and slipped inside. It led to a storage room packed with uniforms and miscellaneous supplies.

Her eyes gleamed. She quickly stripped off her own outfit and changed into a janitor’s uniform. Peeking through the door, she confirmed the coast was clear, then slipped into the hallway.

She immediately reported her status to the team.

“Kiwi’s in. Everyone get ready—the company’s already on alert.”

Roxy turned to the others. Hearing that, Rook and Brew tensed up, grabbing their weapons and checking their gear.

“Gauge, I need a distraction. Can you handle it?”

Kiwi spotted a few security robots approaching and spoke into the comm channel.

“Got it. Leave it to me!”

Gauge responded quickly, pulled down his visor, drew his handgun, and opened fire on a surveillance camera.

On Roland’s end, one of the screens went dark, immediately triggering the building’s alarm system. Within seconds, dozens of automated security bots began converging on the main entrance.

“Ugh… idiot…”

Kiwi sighed deeply. If she’d known his idea of ‘distraction’ was shooting the cameras, she wouldn’t have asked him.

But what was done was done. All she could do now was finish the job fast.

She sprinted deeper into the facility, hoping to snatch the data before the bots reacted.

Watching the chaos unfold, Roland’s mouth twitched in disbelief.

This was beyond unprofessional—
Where the hell did this chrome-brained hotshot crawl out from?!

Chapter Text

Roland rubbed his temples, annoyed. Seriously — he had almost no patience left for these top-tier, thick-headed kids.

“Should I contact the NCPD?” Lissandra asked kindly. Roland was about to nod, then changed his mind.

“No. That would be too easy on them. I’ll handle it myself.”

He closed his eyes slowly. When he opened them again, only one viewpoint remained — Jhin’s. He was now standing on a building near PROJECT Corporation, watching everything below.

He walked to the edge, took a step, and plunged down at high speed. Mid-fall he drew a weapon and fired once; a steel claw sank into the stone, letting Roland slow his descent. After landing, he stashed the weapon and his form wavered, then vanished from sight.

Gauge, hiding in the shadows, watched the many security bots that had surrounded the main entrance and swallowed nervously. He felt his concern for Kiwi grow.

Then, to his astonishment, the security bots suddenly parted, making a path. Before he could process it, the PROJECT Corporation gate slowly opened—and then closed.

W-what just happened?!

Gauge’s eyes widened in disbelief. Had that been… a cyber-ghost?

“Kiwi, get out now! Something’s wrong!” he barked.

“What’s wrong?” Kiwi, who’d reached the upper levels and was busy decrypting the iron door to the server room, frowned at the comm.

Gauge reported what he’d seen. Kiwi’s pupils contracted. It couldn’t be a cyber-ghost — it had to be an Elite outfitted with optical camouflage infiltrating the building. They were probably sweeping the inside right now. Her time was running out.

Zzzzt! Zzzzt!

Suddenly, a sharp pain shot through Kiwi’s hand. She stared at the iron door in shock — someone was breaching her system. Not a direct attack, but the adversary had managed to lock her out using only the door’s security systems.

Kiwi bit her lip and, without looking back, bolted downstairs. This gig… was a failure.

As she prepared to smash a lower window and jump out, a dark figure stood silently in the corridor, watching her.

“Plot character detected, Host,” Lissandra warned immediately, preventing Roland from accidentally cutting the person down. Doing so might yield a lot of essence, but it would still be the lesser option.

Roland narrowed his eyes. After sizing the figure up, two blueberries popped into his mind.

Kiwi froze, every muscle rigid, cold sweat dripping from her temple. As a long-time solo netrunner who regularly took gigs, she’d developed good intelligence tradecraft. She knew who the man in front of her was. This was bad—she was done for.

Then Kiwi’s body relaxed. She lowered her weapon and looked at Roland with a resigned expression.

“Didn’t expect you to be this company’s enforcer…” she said.

“Enforcer? If you insist.” Jhin paused, then approached slowly. He needed to decide what to do with her.

“So you’re going to kill me?” Kiwi asked, staring at the top-tier killer.

“Not yet. I’ll take you to meet my boss.” Jhin shook his head, stepped forward, and bound her. “To be honest, you’re a little too cooperative. It makes me uneasy.”

“Running won’t help. I’d probably just end up missing some parts. Might as well wait to die — at least it won’t be as painful.” Kiwi gave a bitter laugh.

Jhin nodded, tilted his head, and cut her comms.

Outside, Rook and the others fell silent; they knew Kiwi’s situation was likely dire.

“Captain!” Brew’s eyes reddened as he looked at Rook, pleading.

Rook watched Brew without a word, then signaled to Rook. Rook understood and delivered a quick chop that knocked Brew out. Gauge climbed back into the vehicle.

“Gauge?! You’re not dead?!” Rook and Roxy were surprised — they’d assumed he’d been captured like Kiwi.

“Go. Even if you two die, I won’t. It’s just a shame about Kiwi. Let’s go.” Gauge cursed, shook his head regretfully, and left. Since the gig was impossible, they wouldn’t stick around. As for Kiwi… they could only apologize — she wasn’t one of them, and they wouldn’t risk their lives for her. Brew was on his own; if he couldn’t pull through, they’d find another teammate.

“Everyone knows your marksmanship and assassination skills are top-notch, but I didn’t expect your netrunning to be the strongest,” Kiwi said, looking at Roland.

“That’s because most of the time I don’t need netrunning. It’s like your super brain telling you to use super strength to solve everything,” Jhin replied, uncharacteristically explaining.

Then he turned to Lissandra. “System, run a check. See if Kiwi matches any template.”

“Understood… Found it. Kiwi matches the Purification template.”

Roland’s mouth twitched at the name. That template wasn’t friendly — in his backstory, Purification and Ascension were mortal enemies.

Kiwi tried to ask more, but Jhin clapped a hand over her mouth and tossed her into the car. He wondered why he hadn’t noticed how talkative she was when he’d watched the anime.

...

With a swish, the black cloth was pulled away. Kiwi saw the lavish interior — a clear sign the owner was wealthy. Then she spotted Roland in a bathrobe, with Jhin standing by.

“Miss Kiwi, pleasure to meet you. First—who is your employer?” Roland asked.

“Luvena Corporation is my employer”, she answered without hesitation.

Roland’s lip twitched. He hadn’t expected such a ready answer.

“You seem very cooperative. Now tell me how you intend to compensate our company for the damages.”

“I… don’t know.”

“Alright. I’ll give you two options.” Roland smiled faintly and stepped forward.

Chapter Text

“What choices?”
Kiwi looked up at Roland before her and couldn't help but speak up. After all... no one truly wanted to die.

“The first option: work for me to repay the losses you caused our company. The second option: become an experimental subject.”

“I choose the first one.”

Kiwi didn't hesitate for a second, immediately selecting the first option. Though she had no idea what kind of experiment it was, she was certain it couldn't be anything good.
Thinking this, Kiwi couldn't help but glance at Jhin beside her, a thought suddenly popping into her mind.

Could this guy... be the so-called test subject?

Roland, manipulating the Ascension Body, felt a bit baffled by Kiwi's gaze. He couldn't shake the feeling she was thinking something rather rude.

“Very well. Here are the damages you caused and the compensation we'll pay you. Take a look.”

Roland slowly produced a tablet from behind him, its screen densely packed with clauses. Kiwi scanned it rapidly with her cybernetic eye. When she saw the figure of one million euros in damages listed, her vision went black.

“One million euros?! Why not just rob someone?!”

“Robbery doesn't pay this fast.”

Roland spread his hands in a gesture of innocence. Kiwi glared at his smug expression, her teeth itching with fury. But when she glanced at Jhin, still standing nearby, her anger deflated like a punctured balloon. She slumped back onto the sofa.

“I understand...”

After a long sigh, Kiwi glanced at the compensation section. Her eyes widened at the figure of 20,000 eddies listed, along with mentions of bonuses and other incentives.
After carefully reading the employment terms, Kiwi stared at Roland with a strange look. If he hadn't just made her owe a million eddies, she'd have thought he was running a charity.

Compared to the relentless exploitation at other companies in Night City, this place actually offered fake leave? In this day and age, most companies opted to pump employees full of stimulants or nutritional supplements, demanding non-stop work.
Yet here, they could actually rest? That was something Kiwi hadn't anticipated.

Then she spotted the clause about being on call at a moment's notice. Her gaze immediately turned intensely peculiar as she stared at Roland.

“Why are you looking at me like that?”

Roland was utterly baffled.

“You... you wouldn't happen to have designs on me, would you? If you do, you can just say so.”

Roland's face darkened at the remark. He pointed toward the door, signaling for her to leave.

“Sign now, and you can go back to your own place.”

Realizing her misunderstanding from Roland's reaction, Kiwi gave an awkward laugh. After signing, she promptly made her exit with her long strides.

As for Roland's clause for Kiwi... it was only because she was Kiwi. His actual demands for netrunner skills weren't that high anyway. With the Lissandra Assistant Edition and Ascension at his disposal, his netrunner skills were already absurdly advanced.
And that was often when Ascension resorted to using guns. If he relied purely on netrunner skills... things would often become ridiculously simple.

“Ding!”

Hearing that familiar sound, Roland's expression instantly brightened. Finally, finally, he could browse the shop and buy something again.

“Congratulations! You have obtained [Orange Essence x10000]!”

“!!”

Hearing that number, Roland froze completely. This was a full ten thousand Orange Essences—he'd never been this rich in his entire life!
He rubbed his chin, pondering why Kiwi's situation differed from Gloria's.
Then the crucial difference dawned on him.

First, in the original story, after Maine and Dorio died, Kiwi's feelings for David and Lucy weren't particularly deep. Her earlier loyalty to the squad stemmed from her bond with Maine.
So she was actually quite willing to join the company—after all, big trees offer good shade.

Now Roland was offering her a chance to join a company with decent growth prospects. While it couldn’t compare to the industry giants, it offered more lenient management.
Frankly, she was still a Solo now, with no ties left to Maine and the others. Plus, she’d chosen to go solo as a netrunner purely for the pay.
The company's offer wasn't low—it essentially met Kiwi's needs. Her life trajectory had already shifted dramatically, and she likely wouldn't even see Maine and the others again.

Thinking about it... why the hell did Roland feel like he was the one getting screwed over??
He'd practically plucked Kiwi right out of the original storyline!

“You haven't altered the plot where she meets Lucy, so she still exists within the storyline—just slightly off course.”

“So she'll still meet Maine?”

“Based on current circumstances, yes.”

“Damn...”

Roland nodded, then set the matter aside for now. He began browsing the mall, now intent on selecting a combat template for himself.

Immediately, Roland's eyes locked onto the PROJECT: Shadow, prominently displayed in the mall. He must admit, Roland was quite fond of the PROJECT for Zed, and in the lore, the character's power was truly formidable.

Unfortunately... he lacked the essence.

The PROJECT: Shadow was priced at fifteen thousand Orange Essence, plus the key... Even if Roland sold everything he owned, he couldn't afford it. Moreover, unless something unexpected happened, Shadow's components couldn't be upgraded like those of Ascension.
This meant that unless he could pay the full price upfront, he wouldn't be able to unleash its full potential.

Actually, there was another major reason he wanted to buy Zed: the ability to upgrade him... Before upgrading, he could be a formidable force; after upgrading... he'd be at least boss-level, right?

But for now... Roland settled for the next best option, setting his sights on another template: PROJECT · Light, belonging to Master Yi.

It boasted formidable attack power, an acceleration mode rivaling or even surpassing Sandevistan's, and a potent overclocking mode.
In Roland's estimation, Light's strength shouldn't be inferior to Shadow's. While it was hard to say definitively who was stronger, the system listed Light at a lower price...
Perhaps because... Light lacked an upgrade template? Roland considered this highly probable.

“Then it's decided—you're the one!”

“Congratulations on acquiring the [PROJECT: Light] template!”

Roland didn't purchase Light's weapon, [Hyperlight Alpha], as funds were simply insufficient. He'd have to make do with a cyberpunk-style thermal katana...

Light drained every last Orange Essence from his body with the key, but it was worth every bit!

He now understood why it was cheaper than Shadow’s—Light’s performance had inherent instability. Likely due to prolonged experimentation and its prototype design, certain flaws remained.
Fortunately, the key could help fix them, though adaptation would take time.

Soon after, Roland felt his body undergoing transformation. A torrent of data enveloped his form, and when the white light faded...

Roland examined his arm with curiosity. Holy crap, this felt completely different from Ascension—perhaps because one was his own body, while the other was an artificial construct.

“Even my hair turned white... System, can you conceal this?”

“Host, the Light template includes built-in functions for such adjustments.”

“Hm?”

After some experimentation, Roland indeed discovered he could manipulate his skin's appearance. Removing the outer exoskeleton armor restored his form to near-normal, though mechanical gaps remained visible. At least it no longer screamed full-body modification.

Truthfully, with the PROJECT·Light template loaded, the only part of his body left untouched was his brain...

Fortunately, this template could be removed. Yet Roland had no intention of doing so until he acquired a more powerful one. Still, if given the chance, he'd want his original beef...

Chapter Text

Kiwi flopped back into her room and dove under the covers, rolling slowly as she lay there. Everything that had happened recently felt a little unreal...
She’d walked into a pretty decent company almost too easily. Yeah, the pay had been knocked down a bit, but it was still way higher than what she scraped together as a solo netrunner—taking small gigs that barely paid, or risking her life for a measly twenty thousand eddies.
What could she do? As an unknown freelance netrunner she had no clout. Clients haggled her down constantly, but she had to take the work—how else survive in this city?
Now… she finally had some security. She could breathe for a while.
After letting her thoughts wander, Kiwi climbed out of bed and decided to message Rook and the others. She didn’t owe the squad any loyalty; she felt a little bitter, but she accepted reality.
Her message was simple: she was okay, and she wasn’t planning to keep working the fringe jobs for now.
When Rook saw Kiwi’s message his eyes went wide. He thought he’d misread it at first, but after confirming he sighed and didn’t say much—just “Take care,” then left it at that.
No surprises—probably no more intersections between their paths.

“...Alright, kid—snap out of it. Kiwi’s fine. I dunno what’s going on in your head... You haven’t been brainwashed by some love-crazed Braindance, have you?”
“B-boss, you mean it?”
A scruffy, red-eyed youngster shot his head up and stared at Rook in disbelief.
“Mhm.”
Rook nodded and showed the message to Brew. Brew finally exhaled. It was a shame Kiwi was leaving the fringe life, but at least she was safe.

...

“I wonder what the boss wants me to do today...”
Kiwi got up slowly, dressed, and now called Roland “boss” almost naturally. In a place like this, whoever feeds you is family.
[When you arrive at the company, send me a message. I’ll have the person working with you today fetch you.]
Kiwi replied “OK” to Roland and headed out to catch the subway to PROJECT Corporation.
Roland, meanwhile, straightened his clothes and then peeled them off. As the exoskeleton armor loaded, PROJECT: Light—Yi—made its official debut!

“Hey, who’s that…?”
“No idea… Could that be one of our company’s products?”
“That looks like a full cyborg conversion… I’ve never seen cyberware like that…”
“Does our company even do cyberware R&D? I’m in R&D and I didn’t know about this!”

As Roland walked through the office in that suit, whispers followed him. He didn’t pay much mind—this identity was meant to be public, just not his face. If he slipped up, he could always say it was Roland’s twin. Problem?

Among the employees, one unremarkable worker watched Roland pass and something odd flashed across his face. His cybernetic eye whirred like a camera, as if transmitting data.

“What’s this? Who can tell me why PROJECT Corporation has this thing?!”
Gris from Militech glowered at the screen showing PROJECT: Light; his face went as dark as burnt metal.
“And you call this ‘basically having everything on PROJECT Corporation under control’? This is everything?! Where’s your pride—got eaten by dogs?!”
He slammed the file in the intelligence officer’s face. The officer shrank like a quail, ducking his head.
“Huff…”
Gris took a breath, still scowling. “Now go dig. I want everything on this guy. If you can’t handle it, you’re out.”
“Yes, sir!!”

Weis skimmed the intel Gris sent on PROJECT Corporation and tossed it aside—other things needed his attention. A conservative political heavyweight from the New United States, Fiers, was about to arrive in Night City by AV.
(By the way, Weis was aligned with Myers’ political bloc, so he didn’t like this old man Fiers. Still, it was work—gather intelligence.)
Security would handle the protection detail; Weis didn’t want to deploy the intel division’s armed units.
“It’d be great if that old man died here.”
Weis scrolled through Fiers’ dossier, snorted, and set it aside. Given Militech’s standing in Night City, an assassination was unlikely—unless a lunatic with massive firepower tried something.
After checking Fiers’ situation, Weis moved on to the company’s personnel reduction plan.
“Seriously—every day there’s a new mess...”

...

Kiwi leaned against the wall, exasperated, waiting at the reception desk. She hadn’t expected Roland not to have her info logged!
Now she had to wait downstairs—unbelievable.
A ding announced the elevator on the first floor. Kiwi looked over and froze—another maniac like Jhin stood there.
“Kiwi?”
The voice called her name and she blinked.
“You know me?”
“From today on, you and I are partners. Call me Yi.”
Kiwi nodded at that unusually magnetic voice.
“Let’s go. Complete today’s mission.”
“Um… I don’t even know what today’s plan is…”
“Population resource cleanup. Your old specialty.”
“...I thought I wouldn’t have to do dangerous stuff like that anymore.”
“With me here, it’s not dangerous. You just tell me where people are and how many there are.”
Roland glanced back at Kiwi and gave a thumbs-up.
“You can trust me completely.”

Hmm—finally, she thought, she could feel the thrill of combat firsthand.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

Kiwi froze for a moment when she heard Roland’s words. She gave him a brief, searching look, then brushed it off—remarks like that weren’t worth dwelling on in a place like this.

“Hey, Yi, your company’s supposed to have a top-tier netrunner, right? So why are you taking me out on a job?”

As she followed Roland into the parking lot, Kiwi couldn’t help but ask. She still remembered clearly that day—a netrunner had locked her down and stopped her from escaping. If not for that, she would’ve been long gone.

If Roland knew what she was thinking, he’d have told her she was overthinking it. If she had managed to escape, he definitely would’ve chased her down. The only reason he didn’t go after that squad later was because Kiwi had caught his attention.

“She’s responsible for corporate security and some management systems. She doesn’t attack anyone unless she’s provoked. You could say she’s an external consultant—a netrunner with an exceptionally high status.”

“She?” Kiwi’s curiosity sparked immediately.

“So the one who stopped me that day was a female netrunner too? Can I meet her? If possible, I’d really like to learn from her.”

Roland froze and gave her a strange look.

Realizing what she’d just said, Kiwi coughed awkwardly and fell silent. After all... not long ago, they had been on opposite sides.

“I’ll mention it to the boss,” Roland said after a pause. “Whether you get the chance depends on the situation.”

“Thanks, Yi.”

Kiwi smiled, clearly pleased with the answer.

“By the way, Yi, you’re not local, are you?”

“No, I’m from Huaguo.”

“Then… how did you end up… like this?”

Kiwi gave him a slow once-over before continuing, hesitant but curious.

“You mean all this cyberware?” Roland climbed into the car, glancing down at his arm.

“Well, the level of your modification is… incredible. I can’t even imagine what someone has to go through to end up like that…”

Kiwi trailed off, realizing her words might sound insensitive.

“This body was custom-built for me by PROJECT Corporation. Only I can perfectly interface with it. I know what you’re thinking, but it’s not like that. I was… badly injured once. This was the only way to survive.”

Roland paused briefly, mostly because he hadn’t actually figured out what excuse to use. Fortunately, he didn’t need one—Kiwi’s imagination filled in the gaps for him.

“You’ve really been through a lot…” she murmured, her tone softening. There was something in her eyes—sympathy, maybe—but she stopped herself from saying more. After all, they’d only just met.

“Ah, we’re almost there.”

Roland looked toward the rougher part of the district and slowly got out of the car.

Kiwi blinked, then glanced around. She’d been so caught up in conversation she hadn’t realized they’d already arrived—in Watson District.

“Uh… the corp guy lives here?”

“He ran here trying to save his own skin.”

Roland scanned the area, his sharp gaze enough to make a nearby thug back off from eyeing their car.

“Come to think of it, I still don’t know what he did…”

Kiwi looked around too. The place was far from peaceful—she could even spot a few Maelstrom gang members nearby.

“He stole the company’s weapon blueprints. We intercepted them online before they could leak, so no real damage was done—but that alone is enough to get him killed. After that, he took the money and ran. He couldn’t get out of Night City, though, so now he’s hiding in places like this.”

“So… you’ve already found where he’s holed up?”

“Yeah. Inside that factory. His backer must’ve paid him well.”

Roland nodded, pulling a thermal katana from the trunk.

“Then why bring me here?” Kiwi asked, visibly exasperated.

“Didn’t I say? I just need you to confirm how many people are inside and where they’re positioned. Oh, and…”

He reached into the trunk again and handed her a smart pistol.

Kiwi blinked, puzzled. “What’s this for?”

“Stay in the car and keep an eye on it. Don’t let anyone steal it. That weapon’s one of our upcoming prototypes. It’s got… pretty heavy firepower. Handle it carefully.”

Kiwi studied the pistol, turning it over in her hands. At first glance, it didn’t look all that different—maybe just a little more high-tech than usual.

She wanted to ask more, but decided against it and nodded instead.

“Alright, then—take a look inside.”

Roland crossed his arms and leaned against the car, waiting for her to start the intrusion.

After a while, Kiwi finally said, “There are about fifteen people inside. All armed—five rifles, seven handguns, and three shotguns. Two are chatting near the entrance, and two more are posted above with a clear line of sight to the door. And…”

Roland nodded in satisfaction. “Didn’t expect you to be this good. You got everything.”

“I am a netrunner with a bit of a reputation, you know. These amateurs don’t even have ICE defenses, and their surveillance setup’s full of holes.”

Kiwi rolled her eyes, clearly unimpressed.

“Guess I underestimated you. Alright, stay here. I’ll be right back.”

He slung the katana over his shoulder and started toward the factory.

“Hey, you’re not bringing a gun? And you really don’t want me to help?” Kiwi called after him.

“If you went in there, you’d probably walk out puking. So, no. Besides, this thing works better than any gun.”

Roland waved the katana with a grin.

“Too bad I don’t have Alpha with me… otherwise, I could see what top-tier combat power really feels like.”

He muttered as he walked deeper in. The next instant, Kiwi saw his form blur into a streak of orange light and vanish.

Her pupils contracted sharply—only one word popped into her mind: Sandevistan!

“Well, I guess that explains it. With modifications like that, I was overthinking.”

Kiwi smiled helplessly, then quietly jacked into the surveillance feed. Roland had told her not to watch, but she planned to anyway. After all… he didn’t know a thing about netrunning.

Chapter Text

Not far from the entrance, Roland quickly spotted two gang members chatting near the door. The eyes on his exoskeleton helmet rotated slightly, instantly scanning and analyzing both targets.
Their cyberware placements, weapon positions, and weak points were all clearly highlighted in his vision.

“Doesn’t look like they’re with Maelstrom... Makes sense, though. Hiring them would’ve cost more than this guy could afford. Still, I wonder what his backup plan is...”

Buzz—

The moment Roland finished the thought, a faint hum rippled through the air. In an instant, his body moved—terrifying speed exploding from beneath his feet.
The Thermal Katana in his hand spun lightly, its edge slicing through both men’s necks in a single motion. In the frozen moment of acceleration, it was as if nothing had happened at all.

He turned his gaze to the two men on the second floor. With one light jump, he landed silently behind them. The katana pierced both hearts in one precise thrust, twisting once to ensure death before he withdrew it and calmly surveyed the rest of the area.

As the acceleration ended, the four bodies dropped simultaneously. Because of the Thermal Katana’s intense heat, not even a drop of blood spilled.

“No wonder they call fighting with a Sandevistan a dimensional strike…” Roland thought as he walked deeper into the factory.

To Kiwi, watching through the surveillance feed, it looked like he’d slaughtered four people in less than a second and then moved straight to the second floor—a hyper-efficient killing machine.
The term came to her mind instinctively. A chill ran down her spine as she thought how lucky she’d been to run into Jhin back then… If it had been Yi instead…

She shuddered.
“Stop it. He’s your teammate now,” she muttered to herself.

Before long, Roland located the door to their target’s area.
“Kiwi, you watching? Open the door for me.”

Caught red-handed spying, Kiwi froze in embarrassment. She coughed lightly and hurried to reply, “Got it. One sec.”

The metal gate creaked open. Two men stepping out for a shift change froze when they saw the unfamiliar Roland. Their expressions changed instantly as they opened their mouths to shout—

A flash of orange light cut through them.
The next second, four bodies hit the ground.

Roland glanced briefly at the two halves behind him, then walked inside without a word. The dying men on the floor stared in confusion and horror, coughing up blood before going still.

Inside, someone had heard the heavy thuds.
“Hey, Burke, Nido! You two alright?”

Roland didn’t rush in. Instead, he slung the katana over his shoulder and waited. Accelerated combat was too boring—he wanted a little fun without the speed boost this time.

When no answer came, the gang’s leader went pale. Meanwhile, Helori—the traitor—was visibly anxious. He’d worked so hard to find a way to smuggle himself out of Night City, and now this.
“No way! I’m leaving! The company’s found us!”

Cold sweat ran down his face. Seeing this, the leader frowned but said nothing—they’d already been paid, after all.
If Roland had known what the man was thinking, he probably would’ve given him a thumbs-up. Not many people kept their word in a life-or-death situation.

“Fine. Go through the back.”

“Yi! That guy’s trying to run!” Kiwi’s voice came through comms.

“Relax. You really think he can outrun me?” Roland chuckled, walking toward the iron gate. His artificial muscles tensed, and with a single slash, the door split cleanly in two.

“Open fire!”

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A storm of bullets erupted.
Roland dashed forward in a blur of white light, crashing through the doorway straight into the group.

“Ahhhh!!”

The first man to face him screamed in terror, frantically swinging his rifle toward Roland.
Roland’s hand shot out, snapping the man’s neck before pulling him in as a human shield. The barrage tore the corpse apart in seconds.

He hurled the body into another target, and the power unit in his legs glowed orange.

Whoosh—

With a sharp burst of air, several meters vanished in a blink. The burning blade sliced through flesh, leaving scorched marks behind. Bullets followed—but Roland planted his feet, flipping backward to dodge mid-air.

“Shoot him! He can’t move in the air!!” one of them shouted in panic.

A flash of orange light cut him off mid-laugh. A thin crimson line spread down his chest as his body split apart.

Roland brought two fingers together, lowering his stance as a low murmur escaped his lips.
He suddenly felt the urge to test his ultimate.

BOOM!

Orange energy exploded outward. The shockwave tore through the room, sending crates flying and throwing men off their feet. Panic and horror filled their eyes.

One man cracked under the pressure and bolted for the back door. Roland ignored him. Power surged through his body, flooding his circuits with exhilarating strength. It felt… incredible.

Hum—

The gang leader trembled as he took in the aftermath. The walls and pillars were carved with molten blade marks, and corpses lay scattered across the floor—each dismembered differently, their faces frozen in terror. They’d died without even realizing how.

Tap. Tap.

Two footsteps echoed behind him. He turned, shaking, and his eyes filled with orange light.

Roland slid the Thermal Katana into the scabbard on his back. After a final glance at the carnage, he turned toward the back exit.

“Kiwi, make sure to wipe the surveillance.”

“Ah… oh—right, got it!”

Kiwi, still frozen by the brutality she’d witnessed, quickly responded. Then the line went silent. She swallowed hard as she stared at the carnage on-screen. Terrifying… absolutely terrifying.

“Huff… huff… I’m not dying in a place like that!!”

Helori ran for his life, eyes wild with fear. His lungs burned, but he didn’t dare slow down.
Suddenly, a figure appeared ahead—a man covered in high-grade cyberware, holding something circular in one hand.

Without a word, the figure tossed it at Helori’s feet. Looking down, he saw it was the mangled head of the gang member who’d fled alongside him—the one who’d run even faster than he had.

“No! No, please! Don’t kill me! You can have all my money! Just report me dead—you won’t lose anything, right?!”

Helori’s voice shook as he backed away, terrified. Roland said nothing, idly spinning a throwing knife in his fingers.

Realizing there would be no mercy, Helori’s expression twisted in desperation. He drew his PROJECT smart pistol, shouting, “Then die!!”

Swish—Bang—

The throwing knife pierced straight through Helori’s skull, the tremendous force blowing his head apart in an instant.

Roland frowned in disgust, sighing softly.
“What a fool without self-awareness…”

Chapter Text

“All done?”
Kiwi asked as Roland walked toward her.

“Yeah, it’s taken care of. We can head out now. Oh, right—here’s your performance bonus for this mission.”

Roland nodded, slid back into the car, and glanced at Kiwi. A moment later, her account balance jumped as the transfer went through.

Kiwi’s eyes widened in shock at the sudden spike in her funds.
“What the—this much?!”

“This kind of payday doesn’t come around often. Guess you got lucky.”
Roland shrugged casually. Kiwi snickered at that, already mentally spending the money.

Hmm… maybe she could pool some extra eddies and upgrade her netrunning pod!
The thought made her grin unconsciously.

“What are you smiling about like that?” Roland asked, unable to hold back a chuckle as Kiwi looked like some shady old man with a secret stash.

Kiwi coughed twice, quickly straightening her face and pretending to be serious.
“Nothing. So, what now?”

“What else? Go home and rest.”

“Huh?”

Kiwi blinked in disbelief, almost thinking she’d misheard him. Wait—was this… the kind of treatment PROJECT Corporation gave its netrunners?
Was it really this good?!

Roland shot her a look, instantly reading her thoughts.
“Stop dreaming. Not everyone gets this kind of deal.”

“What?!”

That snapped Kiwi out of her daze. She shrank back, a complicated expression crossing her face, which made Roland’s expression darken slightly.

Damn it, in the original story you weren’t like this! Must be because you’re still in your twenties and not that jaded thirty-something version yet…

“Don’t overthink it. It’s not about you—it’s about me. My job is to clean up the company’s unstable elements. Unless it’s absolutely necessary, I don’t need to get involved. Of course, whenever I do, it usually means someone’s getting taken care of.”

“Oh… so as your partner, I don’t really have to do much, huh?”

“Exactly. Now stop filling your head with nonsense.”

Kiwi gave a sheepish smile but couldn’t help thinking—there weren’t that many netrunners at her level, though she wasn’t exactly rare either. She didn’t consider herself particularly talented or exceptional.
So… why her? Why was she chosen as this guy’s partner? He must be someone important…

Kiwi couldn’t figure it out, and since she couldn’t, she decided to leave it for now. Time would answer eventually.

Meanwhile, Roland, hands on the wheel, was lost in his own thoughts. The mention of netrunners made him recall someone—the man still lying in that freezer at the junkyard.

“Hmm… might be worth sending someone to check that out. Wonder if there’s a reward for finding him…”

He wasn’t sure. Bartmoss wasn’t exactly a major figure—at least, not judging by his limited screen time and plot relevance. The reward probably wouldn’t be much. Still, it was worth investigating.

His company couldn’t rely forever on the old PROJECT world’s resources…

Sure, those could sustain him for who knows how long, but he still needed to establish an R&D division—to research the core technologies from that world and combine them with the unique tech of the cyberpunk setting to innovate.

Bartmoss’s netrunning expertise could be crucial. There might be something absurdly powerful—something like a “digital spell”—hidden in there.

Suddenly, Roland’s hands froze mid-motion, his eyes narrowing.
Someone from Arasaka had just contacted Jhin’s body!

...

“Mr. Jhin, please.”

A bodyguard in a custom Arasaka suit opened the car door with utmost respect, gesturing for Roland to enter.

Jhin gave the man a brief look before stepping inside. Kuroda was already seated, and when he saw Jhin, he smiled warmly.

“Mr. Jhin, it’s been a while.”

“No one comes to me without a reason. But I’ve got to hand it to your intel network—you always manage to track me down.”

Jhin chuckled, watching Kuroda silently.

Kuroda’s expression barely shifted. He laughed lightly and replied, “That’s because you haven’t exactly gone out of your way to hide, Mr. Jhin. If you truly were that skilled, we wouldn’t still be guessing whose side you’re on.”

“Hmph… fine. Let’s hear it. You’ve finished gathering intel, haven’t you?”

“Indeed. The political figure from the New United States has already arrived in Night City. We’ve also gathered plenty of data on his movements—something you might find useful.”

As he spoke, Kuroda handed over a data chip.

Jhin accepted it and reviewed the contents, frowning slightly.
“These movement logs don’t seem to follow any clear pattern.”

“Correct. Given his position, he isn’t bound by strict schedules. Most of his activities are decided on the fly.”

“Then this information isn’t particularly useful.”

Jhin removed the chip and handed it back, shaking his head.

“You’re right about most of it,” Kuroda admitted, “but there’s one piece of intel that stands out. It’s your best opportunity to act.”

“...You mean when Fiers meets the Biotechnica representative?”

Jhin narrowed his eyes at Kuroda, who maintained his calm smile.

“Exactly. That meeting is confirmed, isn’t it?”

“It is—but the risk will skyrocket. I imagine there’ll be plenty of guards that day.”

“Of course. That’s why we’ve prepared the full security schematics for you. Wishing you success, Mr. Jhin.”

Kuroda didn’t deny it; he simply nodded and handed over another chip.

Jhin looked at it for a moment before speaking.
“I’ll take the job—but the pay’s going up.”

Seeing Jhin agree, Kuroda’s smile deepened. He didn’t object to the demand. Payment wasn’t an issue—as long as the mission was completed, he could even double it.

“No problem at all. Once you’re done, I’ll request additional funding from upstairs and double your reward.”

“Then I appreciate it. Leave the rest to me. I’ll be on my way.”

Jhin smiled faintly, and his form slowly faded as the car door opened on its own.

Watching him disappear, Kuroda’s cheerful expression hardened.
“Kentaro, did you catch how he left?”

“Reporting: most likely optical camouflage. But… his tech is top-tier. No traces detected.”

“Really… another surprise.”
Kuroda narrowed his eyes, the thought lingering in his mind.

Chapter Text

After leaving Kuroda’s car, Jhin didn’t go far. Instead, he slipped into a nearby alley, quietly observing from the shadows.
With his advanced surveillance tech, he could clearly read Kuroda’s lips as he spoke.

“Lissandra, run a simulation of what he just said.”
“Understood. Running simulation… His words were: ‘This is truly… another surprise.’”

“Hmph… just as I thought, he’s up to something. Probably planning to deal with me once their little scheme’s done. Whatever… I’ll let him live a bit longer.”

Roland let out a cold snort before finally walking away. As for his promise to take care of Fiers, he’d keep it—after all, changing the course of the Unification War’s story was something he enjoyed.

There was still some time before the target’s meeting with Biotechnica’s executives, so there was no need to rush. For now, it was enough to keep tabs on the man’s movements. Whether an opportunity would present itself was another matter entirely.

The man wasn’t a Night City local, meaning he had no favorite haunts, and he disguised himself every time he went out. Roland had no interest in wasting effort tracking him down. Better to wait for the meeting with Biotechnica and strike then.

“Well then… time to check out that place.”

Jhin’s optical camouflage slowly faded, his silhouette becoming visible again as he walked toward Megabuilding H4.

...

“Mom, you home?!”

David burst through the door, peering around nervously. Finding the apartment silent, he let out a sigh of relief and broke into a grin.
He hopped over to a beat-up Braindance set, setting it on the table before starting to adjust it.

He’d scavenged the device from a secondhand market after much searching. It was a little damaged, but it still worked well enough. He’d been itching to experience a Braindance story for ages but never had the money to get his own setup.

The official stores sold them for ridiculous prices, and there was no way he’d spend his mom’s hard-earned money on one. So he’d scrimped and saved, finally managing to buy one off a street vendor.

Along with it came an old Braindance recording—some street gang brawl. Not a black Braindance, just a regular one.

Once he finished adjusting it, David eagerly strapped the device on. Just as he was about to dive in, a sharp knock at the door made him freeze.
Panicking, he quickly hid the Braindance set away. Then he realized—his mom had a key. It couldn’t be her.

“Who could that be…?”

Muttering to himself, David hopped off the couch. Maybe it was the landlord? No, rent wasn’t due yet…
And ever since Gloria had started working for PROJECT Corporation, the landlord had been a lot friendlier anyway.

“Who is it?”

David opened the door, frowning in confusion—then froze completely.

A tall man stood there, his body covered in sleek black high-grade cyberware. Bundles of synthetic muscle hummed beneath the surface, his face hidden under a matte black helmet. His very presence radiated pressure.

David stood rooted to the spot, staring dumbly.

“David Martinez?”

The sound of his own name jolted him back. He stiffened, instantly on guard.
“That’s me. Who are you—and what do you want?”

“I’m Jhin. As for why I’m here… I’m the one who helped your mother get her job.”

Jhin leaned forward slightly, meeting David’s gaze as he spoke in a calm, even tone.

David blinked, caught off guard. After a moment, he scratched his head awkwardly.
“Oh… thanks, I guess. But… why would you do that?”

He couldn’t help asking. He’d overheard bits of his mother’s conversations with friends, and his curiosity got the better of him.

“Aren’t you going to invite me in?”

Jhin didn’t answer the question. Instead, he gestured toward the room.

“Oh! Uh, yeah—come in.”

David quickly stepped aside. Jhin entered, glancing around. The apartment reminded him of the first place he’d stayed in after arriving in this world.
He took a seat on the worn sofa.

David poured him a glass of water, then immediately called his mother.
“Mom… there’s someone here. He says he’s the one who helped you with your job thing…”

Gloria’s tone instantly shifted. “Alright, I understand. I’ll be home right away.”

She hung up, then went straight to her manager’s office to explain. The manager’s face brightened immediately, even suggesting she speak well of that man when she saw him.

Back home, Jhin broke the silence.
“David, I’m guessing you’ve been wondering why I helped you.”

“Yeah.”

David nodded, staring intently at him.

“Because you’re special, David. I want you to join us one day—to become one of us.”

Jhin’s voice was calm but firm, and he meant every word. The compatibility tests had confirmed it—David’s matching template was PROJECT: Liberty.

“I’m… special?”

David was stunned. At his age, who hadn’t dreamed of being a hero? Everyone believed they were destined for something greater. And now, someone like Jhin—someone clearly powerful and important—was telling him it was true.
His chest swelled with excitement.

“But that’s your future. Right now, you’re just a kid with his head in the clouds.”

The follow-up hit like a brick. David’s face fell instantly.
“I’m not a kid!”

“You probably still dream about those gangsters and edgerunners you see in Braindance, huh? Their lives aren’t glamorous—they’re soaked in blood and pain. But… you’ll understand that one day.”

Jhin chuckled softly, shaking his head, then set a card on the table.

“This is for you. When you’ve grown up—when you have a goal of your own—call me.”

David stared at the card, lost in thought. He opened his mouth to speak, but the door had already swung open again—Jhin was gone.

He looked down at the card in silence. After a long pause, he memorized the number carefully, committing it to heart.

Chapter Text

Not long after Jhin left David’s home, Gloria rushed back in a hurry.

“David, where’s the person you mentioned?”

She scanned the room but found no sign anyone else had been there.

“Uh… you’re too late, Mom. He’s already gone.”
David scratched his head, shrugging helplessly.

“I see… Did he say anything before leaving?” Gloria’s expression softened with regret as she turned to look at him.

“Yeah. He said he hopes I’ll join them someday. He also left his contact info…”

As he spoke, David handed her the business card Roland had given him. Gloria glanced at the number, then quietly slipped the card into her pocket and looked back at her son.

“David, I’ll admit, he’s helped us a lot. But I don’t know what his real motives are. I don’t want you getting involved in any of this. Leave it to me to handle. Your job right now is…”

“My job is to study hard, join a big company, and work my way up to become an executive, right, Mom?”

David finished the sentence in one breath, letting out a long sigh afterward.

Gloria nodded at his quick response. “Exactly. That’s what I was going to say. No matter what, this city ultimately belongs to the big players inside those corporations.”

“Then why can’t I join one of those companies?”

David couldn’t help but ask. Gloria stayed silent, knowing that he still didn’t understand the massive gulf between major corporations and everyone else.

“You’ll understand someday.”

It was the same answer as always, and David was getting tired of it. He turned to his computer, put on his headset, and started gaming. Seeing that, Gloria decided not to press him. Still, she couldn’t stop glancing at the business card in her hand, unease flickering in her eyes.

Meanwhile, Jhin, unaware of Gloria’s inner conflict, was already heading toward Watson North District. He intended to check whether two particular people were now living there.

...

“Hiss… ahh…”

Gris frowned as he watched the Maelstrom gang member before him inhale a line of S-coke.

“How about it? Want a hit? High purity—really wakes you up.”

Morodo grinned, his mechanical arm flexing as all six of his cybernetic eyes locked onto Gris.

“No thanks. That stuff’s not for me. Keep it.”

“What a waste… you don’t know what you’re missing.”

Morodo gave a disappointed look, then took another deep drag.

“Where’s your boss?”

Gris waved a hand, frowning impatiently.

“Relax. He’ll be here soon. Until then, why don’t we talk price?”

Morodo chuckled and sat down across from him.

“You’re the one who gets to decide?”

Gris narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone laced with contempt.

Morodo didn’t take offense. Unlike most of the junked-out gangers in his crew, his brain still worked fine.

“Of course. As long as you’ve got the right amount of sincerity, I can make the call.”
He spread his hands in mock openness.

Gris immediately understood what that meant—their boss wasn’t planning to show. Maybe he didn’t trust them, or maybe there was another reason. Either way, the meeting wouldn’t happen today.

“Fine. Then tell us where the person you made that deal with last time is.”

“One million eddies. Does that sound sincere enough to you?”

Morodo froze for a second, then burst out laughing.

“Hahahaha! Looks like that guy’s pretty damn important to Militech’s boss, huh? But… let’s make it one and a half million.”

He leaned forward slowly, a sly grin spreading across his face.

Gris frowned but didn’t argue. After a few seconds of thought, he nodded.
“Fine. But I’ll only pay in full once I confirm the intel’s real. For now, you’ll get a deposit.”

“No problem. We’re professionals, after all.”

Morodo nodded in agreement. Moments later, a notification popped up—half a million eddies transferred.

“Now that’s quick. Wait right here, I’ll grab the intel for you.”

Morodo let out a short laugh before heading into the back room.

“Mr. Gris, can we really trust them?”

One of the Militech security officers whispered quietly beside him.

Gris didn’t change his expression, replying flatly, “Not completely. This is just a test run. For now, it’s the only lead we’ve got.”

The lead, in this case, pointed to the Arasaka group. They’d discovered that the timing of their arrival in Night City lined up exactly with when Fiers confirmed his own travel plans.

Gris knew Arasaka wouldn’t dare pull such moves on New United States soil—but in Night City, things were different. Even though Arasaka had been driven out after the Fourth Corporate War, who could say they hadn’t left some influence behind? Better to stay cautious.

Gris and Weis both belonged to Myers’ faction, and truthfully, neither of them wanted Fiers dead. After all, Myers was both President and CEO of Militech now—their faction’s goals would be achieved sooner or later. There was no reason to create unnecessary trouble that could push people toward another side.

Soon, Morodo returned, handing Gris a data chip. Gris tilted his head, signaling his men to scan it.

After a short wait, the security officer gave him a nod.

Gris immediately transferred the rest of the payment and walked out without another word.

“How rude—didn’t even say goodbye.”

Morodo chuckled, shaking his head before turning toward the towering figure behind him.

“Boss, aren’t you worried that giving that info away will bring Arasaka down on us?”

Fado, stepping out from the shadows, smirked dismissively.

“Arasaka? This city’s not their turf anymore. And as for those Tyger Claws punks, I couldn’t care less. It’s not like we gave away anything critical, right?”

He was right. Arasaka had indeed approached them—but not to assassinate Fiers. They just wanted the gang to stir up some chaos in the city during Fiers’ upcoming meeting with Biotechnica.

Fado had no objections and agreed immediately. And as for stopping their operations after making a deal with Militech?

Of course not.

Why give up a chance to get paid twice?

Chapter Text

Gris frowned as he reviewed the intel—Arasaka had practically spelled it out. They were planning an attack to draw Militech’s attention and divert its forces.

The people who’d hired the Maelstrom gang had never openly claimed to be from Arasaka, merely dropped hints suggesting it. So even if Militech exposed them publicly, it wouldn’t make much difference—just lead to finger-pointing between the two sides.

And even if they did go public, it would be after the fact—Arasaka would carry out the plan regardless. Night City wasn’t their home turf anymore; they could afford to burn it without consequence.

“Mr. Weis, it’s confirmed—Arasaka hired the Maelstrom gang to help them stage an attack on our factory.”

“So the Maelstrom gang doesn’t plan on backing off, huh?”

“...No, sir. Their boss, Fado, hasn’t appeared once. It’s safe to assume he intends to go through with the plan.”

“This is quite the predicament… an open provocation. But no matter. If anything goes wrong that day, just contact the Counter-Terrorism Unit. If Arasaka really targets Fiers, that unit won’t be able to intervene anyway.”

“Understood. Should we reinforce or reduce our personnel at the factory?”

“No reinforcements. Maybe prepare some extra compensation funds. As for reducing staff… no. More people means they can buy more time, reduce the damage a little.”

“Understood.”

Gris acknowledged the order and ended the call. In those few brief seconds of conversation, the fates of every worker and security officer at that factory had already been sealed.

After giving his directives, Weis took a calm sip of his coffee. He wasn’t particularly worried about Fiers. Why? Because he didn’t believe anyone in Night City was capable of killing Fiers under these conditions.

Unless Adam Smasher himself led a strike team of Arasaka’s elite ninjas—then maybe. But Arasaka would never risk something that blatant. The fallout would be enormous.

Such a move would only unite the two internal factions of the New United States against Arasaka. From any angle, it would be a losing deal.

...

“Boss, looks like Arasaka and Militech are butting heads again.”

Eric Zhang reported, glancing down at the intel file in his hands.

“Probably over that Fiers business,” said Harvey. “Forget about them. Let them fight—it’s none of our concern and won’t affect us anyway. But… that Kuroda guy interests me. He was involved in the relic project, wasn’t he?”

Harvey didn’t care about the Fiers situation; he was far more intrigued by the people on Arasaka’s side.

“Yes, he was involved in part of the relic’s research, though not as a core member of the main team.”

“I see… If the chance arises, find a way to bring him over. Question him properly—I want to know exactly what he knows.”

A bright smile crossed Harvey’s face as he looked at Eric Zhang.

Eric nodded. “By the way, PROJECT Corporation sent us a new smart firearm. Its accuracy and firepower are significantly improved, and its penetration even surpasses standard kinetic weapons.”

“Oh? That’s a pleasant surprise. It’s just a shame that company doesn’t belong to us. Has their boss still not accepted our offer?”

Harvey’s face lit up in excitement, then dimmed with a trace of regret.

“No, not yet. They’re working with both us and Arasaka, so they don’t plan to commit to either side.”

“They’ve found quite the delicate balance, haven’t they? Tsk… let’s just hope they don’t end up burning themselves. Have R&D incorporate the weapon’s core tech into the Zhuo-style prototype—we might see faster progress.”

“Understood. I’ll handle it right away.”

“Oh, and about Kuroda—don’t send our people. Pass the job to Rogue from Afterlife. Don’t reveal our identity, and make sure there’s a scapegoat ready.”

After giving his orders, Harvey returned to his usual work. The conflict between Arasaka and Militech didn’t concern him much. Night City’s environment was unique—that’s why Kang Tao had established such a large branch here.

But in the end, this wasn’t their headquarters. Both Militech and Arasaka knew Kang Tao’s strategy and preferred to avoid provoking them. After all, Kang Tao had no real ambition to control Night City.

...

“So this is where Rebecca lives…”

Jhin looked up at the building—one that, in the game’s future, would be occupied by a certain old man. He couldn’t help but smirk. That guy had never survived under his command—always blown up by a grenade sooner or later.

The thought made him chuckle softly as he climbed the stairs. Strangely enough, the place hadn’t changed much from what it would be like ten years later—graffiti along the walls, trash scattered around, bottles and cans lying in the corners.

Before long, Jhin reached what he guessed was Rebecca’s door. He raised his hand and knocked.

A loud clang came from inside, making him wonder what had just happened. Then the door swung open—and a pistol was immediately pressed to his chest.

“Huh? Oh, it’s you, choom! How’d you know where I live?”

Rebecca looked up at him in surprise.

Seeing that the gun aimed at him was the very one he’d given her, Jhin simply reached out and nudged it aside.

“I asked around.”

“Tsk. You sure you’re not creeping on me, choom? That’s a crime, you know.”

Rebecca chewed her bubblegum, giving him a playful but suspicious look.

Jhin narrowed his eyes, then flicked her on the forehead.

“Ow! What the hell, choom?!”

Rebecca winced, clutching her forehead.

“Enough. I came here because I need your help.”

“Huh? Me?”

Rebecca blinked, pointing at herself.

“Yeah.”

Jhin nodded and handed her a weapon.

“Keep this for me. Let’s say… I’ll come back for it in five days. If I don’t, it’s yours.”

Rebecca froze.

“Hey, choom! You’re seriously trusting me with this? We’ve only met twice!”

“I don’t know many people in this city. You’ll do. Later.”

“Hey—wait!”

But before she could finish, Jhin was gone, vanishing from sight. He only wanted to leave her with a brief impression—too much talk or involvement would be dangerous.

And indeed, he was right. Later, when Rebecca returned home, still holding Jhin’s weapon, she found herself staring at it in silence—lost deep in thought.

Chapter Text

Kuroda swirled the wine in his glass with satisfaction, a faint smile tugging at his lips.

The intel about hiring the Maelstrom gang had been deliberately leaked to Militech by him. While a sudden assault could certainly catch Militech off guard and amplify their losses, such a temporary strike wouldn’t make them dispatch troops—it would only draw more of their attention toward Fiers. After all... on a day like this, there’s no such thing as coincidence.

By putting everything out in the open, Militech would be forced to make preparations. As for which resources they’d commit... that wasn’t Kuroda’s concern. All he wanted was to limit the resources Militech could bring to bear.

“I hope Jhin doesn’t let me down... This operation is too important.”

...

At that very moment, deep beneath Little China in Watson District, inside the underground bar “Afterlife,” Rogue narrowed her eyes at the man standing before her.

“You just said you want someone to capture an Arasaka R&D Director who’s only recently arrived in Night City?”

“Yes, that’s my request.”

The man, dressed in a sharp suit, smiled with calm assurance. His tone left no room for doubt or hesitation.

Rogue immediately understood—this was a clash between two megacorps, and she was just the middlewoman caught in between. Still, she had no reason to refuse. After all, she was a fixer, not a player, and Arasaka wasn’t likely to trouble her over this.

“Alright, got it. Send me the deposit. I’ll find you a reliable crew within a couple of days.”

“No problem. Just... please make it quick. Preferably before this date.”

The man pointed at the date on his phone before tipping his hat and walking out of Afterlife.

Rogue’s eyes narrowed at the date he’d indicated—it was the very same day Fiers was scheduled to meet with Biotechnica. Neither side had tried to hide the arrangement; there was nothing secret about it.

Anyone with the right connections could’ve found out.

“So this Arasaka R&D Director isn’t just some ordinary engineer... Something big might go down that day. I just wonder who’s after him—Militech, or...”

She paused, running through possibilities in her head, then decided it was best not to get involved. That kind of mess could only bring trouble.

Still, Rogue figured it probably wasn’t Militech. With their current foothold in Night City, they’d handle their own affairs directly—and keep things quiet.

More likely, it was another megacorp trying to stir the pot: Night Corp, Petrochem, Biotechnica, Kang Tao... any of them could be behind it. The real question was, which one?

Not that Rogue intended to find out. Digging too deep into something like this was a guaranteed way to lose sleep.

Meanwhile, Kuroda—still sipping his wine—had no idea someone had already set their sights on him. After all, he was just a low-ranking R&D supervisor. His promotion to Night City’s Head of R&D was still dependent on the success of future plans.

That decision was still strictly internal, known only to the company’s upper management. If someone made a move on him now... Kuroda would start questioning reality itself.

“Ryuzaki, when the day comes, cause a little commotion. I’ll send you some dirt on Fiers. Get a group together and make some noise—but don’t start a fight.”

“Understood.”

Ryuzaki Ichiro nodded and took the data Kuroda handed him.

Kuroda’s reasoning was simple—he was preparing for both success and failure. If Roland failed, he could use the dirt to attack the opposition’s political standing and weaken their influence. If Roland succeeded, the scandal would force that faction to offer Fiers up as a scapegoat, followed by public condemnation.

A win-win strategy—and Kuroda was quite pleased with it.

...

As the days passed, the meeting between Fiers and Biotechnica finally approached.

That morning, Fiers was awakened by his household AI. After washing up and dressing neatly, he headed to the dining room for breakfast.

“Mr. Fiers, you have a meeting with Biotechnica today. Please keep track of the time.”

“Mhm, I know. By the way, I heard Arasaka’s been acting up again?”

“Yes, sir. They’ve been stirring lately, as if eager to reclaim control of Night City.”

“Hmph... Keep an eye on them. If there’s an opportunity, suppress their influence within our corporation.”

“Understood. Also, Mr. Finkes is currently en route to your residence. Please refrain from leaving until he arrives.”

“Alright, I’ll keep that in mind. You handle the preparations at the venue—I don’t need you here for now.”

“Yes, sir.”

Ending the call with his secretary, Fiers moved to the most secure spot in his home, turned on the TV, and waited quietly for Finkes to arrive.

Finkes was ranked seventh among Europe’s top bodyguards. His cybernetic augmentations were of the highest grade, and he excelled in close-quarters combat and personal protection. In Europe, he was known as the “Silverwing Knight.”

Fiers had spent a fortune to hire him. In terms of combat capability, Finkes was no weaker than Smasher—just different. Their enhancements and philosophies diverged sharply: Smasher had abandoned all traces of humanity, while Finkes incorporated Bioware and nanotech augmentations, enhanced further by SteelTech-grade cybernetics and his own custom exosuit.

Fully equipped, he was every bit a steel monster himself.

Soon, an AV descended onto the platform of Fiers’ residence. Clad in silver-white exoskeleton armor, Finkes stepped out, scanned the surroundings, and approached Fiers.

“Mr. Fiers, we can depart now. Please stand to my left.”

Fiers nodded. He wasn’t about to argue—his life depended on it.

“Finkes, seems like quite a few people want me dead lately.”

He eyed the gleaming armor as he spoke.

“Rest assured, sir. As your knight, I’ll fall before you do.”

“Your dedication is appreciated. I’ll be sure to commend you to your employer.”

Fiers smiled and nodded.

“Thank you for your trust, sir.”

Chapter Text

After boarding the AV, Fiers felt noticeably more relaxed with Finkes beside him.

“Damn this Night City... I’m starting to miss home.”

Fiers let out a long breath, speaking with a hint of melancholy. His days in Night City had been far from peaceful—almost every day, someone tried to take his life.

Most attempts were nothing more than small-time scuffles, not well-planned assassinations—barely worth calling efforts at all. Still, that didn’t mean they had no impact on him.

Constantly watching out for stray bullets or lunatics launching sudden suicide attacks was exhausting. Mentally, it drained him.

Back in the New United States, he didn’t have to stay so tense. Chaos or not, it was still their turf. But Night City was different. Too many maniacs here were ready to die for nothing, and none of them actually knew who he was.

That was the most troublesome part. Their ignorance meant they had no idea what killing him would cause—so they didn’t care about consequences at all...

“After today, you’ll be able to go home. I’ll keep you safe, Mr. Fiers.”

Finkes said with a smile.

“Hearing you say that really puts me at ease.”

Fiers nodded. Based on the intel he had, Night City didn’t currently have anyone capable of taking on Finkes—unless Morgan Blackhand crawled out of his grave for an assassination.

And even then, it would have to be a suicidal one. In that case, Fiers could only accept his fate.

At that moment, on the rooftop of a distant skyscraper, a dark figure quietly observed the AV. In his hands was a strange, fully black weapon pulsing with crimson energy.

Jhin adjusted the energy rifle while searching for the perfect sniping window. He was confident in the destructive power of his “Whisper,” but he still didn’t plan to fire at the AV directly. If the target survived by sheer luck, the entire plan would fall apart.

He was only here to confirm the angle and get more familiar with the “Whisper” sniper rifle, preparing for the real operation later.

Once he confirmed Fiers had departed, Jhin put the weapon away, leaped off the high-rise, and disappeared into the steel jungle below.

The moment Jhin vanished, Finkes suddenly turned toward the building where Roland had been moments earlier but found nothing.

“Strange... was that just my imagination...?”

Finkes muttered. He had clearly felt a surge of danger just now. He’d been about to tell the driver to stop, but the feeling disappeared as quickly as it came, leaving an eerie aftertaste.

“Finkes, did something happen?”

Fiers seemed to notice something odd about him and asked.

“No... nothing. Probably just my imagination.”

“Is that so...”

Fiers nodded, then sighed helplessly. “I really don’t know what that idiot Myers is thinking. Starting a war at a time like this is basically handing Arasaka an opportunity. And now I’m stuck in a mess the moment I step outside the New United States.”

Finkes lowered his gaze slightly, choosing not to respond. Best not to touch that topic.

“If she keeps messing around like this, forget ‘great again’—we’ll be lucky not to repeat the disasters of the past.”

Fiers chuckled coldly and downed his glass of champagne in one go.

“Mr. Fiers, please try to drink a little less. You’ll be meeting with Biotechnica soon.”

Finkes reminded softly. Fiers slowly set the glass down. This meeting with Biotechnica was important—it concerned cooperation between them and the military.

...

“Well? Have you figured out their defense layout?”

Kuroda narrowed his eyes at his subordinate.

“Yes, we’ve mapped out almost everything. There’s still a small area that’s unclear, but we can confirm about eight snipers in total, each supported by three assistants.”

“Hmm... looks like they’ve added more guards. Send the intel to Jhin, then assign two men to back him up.”

“Aye!”

Jhin had already reached the outer perimeter of the venue. Seeing the massive crowd, the swarm of journalists, and the heavy presence of NCPD personnel, he felt this was the perfect spot to slip in unnoticed.

He soon received Kuroda’s intel, along with notice that two operatives would be assisting him. If he needed anything, he could communicate with them directly.

Jhin narrowed his eyes, scanning the surroundings for the best sniping point. Soon, he settled on the connecting bridge between two eastern buildings—an ideal vantage point.

But three snipers had clear sightlines to that location. If he wanted to operate from there... he’d have to take them out first.

“Troublesome...”

Jhin thought to himself. Those snipers communicated periodically, mostly to make sure their teammates were still fine.

“Draw the attention of the sniper watching the western building. I need to move in.”

After reading Jhin’s message, Kuroda turned to his men. “Go. Tell Ryuzaki’s group to send a small squad to stir up trouble in the northwest. Keep it small. Once it starts to escalate, they should stop resisting and let the NCPD arrest them.”

“Understood.”

“And have Takahashi and the other one walk around the other possible sniper points to draw the rest of their attention.”

Soon, a minor disturbance broke out within the crowd. The NCPD and the Biotechnica security forces immediately shifted their focus. Taking advantage of the chaos, Jhin activated his Optical Camouflage and vanished into the masses.

He then invaded the electronic door system, forcing it to open just a narrow gap—enough for him to slip through.

He could have gone invisible the whole way, but a door opening on its own under multiple snipers’ watch would be way too suspicious.

“Everything’s going smoothly so far... next...”

A faint red flicker pulsed across Jhin’s visor as the building’s personnel layout appeared before his eyes.

“Hmm... about fifteen people, plus eight AI security bots... A bit troublesome, but manageable...”

Jhin slowly drew his weapon—a distinctive Dagger. After all, the Ascension Template wasn’t limited to guns.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

“Do we really need this many people stationed here? I don’t think anyone would be stupid enough to try assassinating such a big shot right here.”
A Militech soldier lit the cigarette between his lips, exhaled slowly, and narrowed his eyes.

“Who knows? Maybe that’s exactly what someone’s counting on. And hey, I heard the top-level bigwigs supposedly have some kind of protocol—if they die, missiles get launched. No idea whether this Congressman Fiers signed up for that...”
Another Militech soldier shrugged, giving his partner a mysterious look.

In truth, Fiers had never signed that insurance. Since he spent most of his time operating inside the New United States, he saw no reason to spend that much money every year on such an agreement.
Even if he was a senator, he didn’t hold any crucial position within Militech. Most of his income came from political donors and his government salary.

He wasn’t nearly as rich as people imagined—especially compared to actual corporate executives. His advantage lay in influence, not wealth.

“If that’s real, then an assassination is even less likely to happen.”

“Whatever. It’s not like it has anything to do with us. If anything, their concerns are why they hired us—giving us a shot at some easy money.”

The two exchanged smiles, put out their cigarettes, and continued their patrol.

At that moment, a pair of crimson electronic eyes quietly emerged behind them.

Jhin watched the soldiers walk away without making a move. Acting rashly would only alert the enemy. And unless absolutely necessary, he didn’t want to kill right now—it would create unnecessary complications.

“Hmm... there’s a room on that floor that’d make a perfect sniping spot... but they’ve probably thought of that too. Someone’s likely patrolling it.”

Keeping his form concealed, Jhin moved upward. Soon, he spotted an extremely well-hidden corner. The sniping angle wasn’t ideal—too many obstructions, and several objects could interfere with bullet stability.

But... the weapon in his hands wasn’t a conventional one. Sightline limitations didn’t matter much.

With that thought, Jhin slipped into cover near that room, observing patrol cycles and patterns.

Meanwhile, Fiers’ AV arrived at the venue. He met the representative from Biotechnica, then headed into a private room to rest and wait for the upcoming discussions.

The actual negotiations were off-limits, so Jhin wasn’t waiting for the meeting. What he wanted was the moment both representatives exited afterward to face the press.

After enough observation, Jhin confirmed that no one entered the room to patrol, and hardly anyone passed by at all. Clearly, they also assumed this place couldn’t be used for sniping because too many objects interfered with accuracy.

Jhin waited a bit longer, only approaching once the patrol had left for some time. At the door, he realized the lock was a standard mechanical one instead of an electronic lock.

That was a problem. Electronic locks could be invaded easily. Mechanical ones... required brute force—and brute force made noise.

A small canister popped out from his arm. Jhin poured the solvent onto the lock. Soon, the metal destabilized as it reacted and weakened.

He applied slight pressure, crushing the lock, then cleaned the traces left on the floor before slipping into the storage room. He dragged a shelf over the door to block any light leaking through the hole and drawing attention.

Only after finishing all that did Jhin set up his weapon and begin selecting the best angle.

...

“Mr. Fiers, I hear President Myers has been actively reorganizing the military lately.”
Owen, Biotechnica’s representative, spoke with a pleasant smile.

“That’s right. Something like that.”
Fiers didn’t deny it. Myers’ plans were practically public knowledge, and the content of this meeting was related to it. Honestly, without that agenda, this meeting with Biotechnica wouldn’t even be happening.

“As you know, our cooperation with Moore Technologies has been progressing extremely well. Thanks to that, our company is launching a completely new Cyberware.”

A strange expression flickered across Owen’s face. His words made Fiers pause—he hadn’t heard anything about Cyberware being on the agenda today.

“I don’t recall us discussing anything like that before, Mr. Owen.”

“Oh, don’t worry. This conversation stays between just the two of us. See? No one else around, no surveillance equipment.”

Owen waved casually. Fiers glanced around, frowning. “What… are you getting at?”

“For this collaboration, if you agree to help us acquire the experimental data for this Cyberware, we can offer Militech ten percent of the profits—mainly in pharmaceuticals and medical supplies. What do you think?”

Fiers was tempted, though still uncertain. “I need to confirm exactly what kind of Cyberware you’ve developed.”

“Of course, perfectly reasonable. Please, take a look.”

Owen tapped a few times on the table. A screen appeared, and a video began to play.

Fiers watched the cyberpsycho in the footage—completely deranged—and frowned. But he couldn’t deny the functions were impressive. The Cyberware granted the subject tremendous offensive power, recovery, and defense.

“This seems to use nanotechnology?”

“Correct. The latest nanomedical tech, currently experimental.”

Owen nodded with a smile. Hearing that, Fiers’ gaze shifted subtly. This technology... might be worth stealing…

“I can agree, but it’s a Berserk module—the risk is high. Give me an extra five percent, and I’ll sign off.”

“This...”
Owen frowned, looking troubled.

“This is my final offer. It won’t change. Otherwise, we can return to discussing pharmaceuticals.”

Fiers ignored Owen’s expression and pressed on.

“Fine. Deal. Looking forward to working with you.”

Owen sighed but agreed, extending his hand in goodwill.
Of course he knew exactly what Fiers intended—but it didn’t matter. As long as they obtained the experimental data, even if Militech learned part of it, they would still remain ahead.

Chapter Text

A smile appeared on Fiers' face when he saw Owen agree to the request. He rose slowly and headed toward the exit.
“Next, let's go over the wording for our statement when we go out.”
“No problem.”
Owen nodded and followed behind Fiers.

“Mr. Fiers! Something’s wrong! There’s a protest outside, and—and a ton of damaging information about you just went public!”
Fiers’ assistant suddenly rushed in, face flushed and dripping with sweat, unsure whether from panic or exhaustion.

Hearing his words, Fiers’ pupils tightened. He stepped forward, snatching the tablet from the assistant’s hands.

“According to reliable sources, Mr. Fiers, current New United States Congressman and head of the Militech Security Department, has accepted large sums in bribes over the past few years, and has sacrificed national interests to protect certain groups… We strongly condemn Mr. Fiers’ actions and urge society to keep him in check—such a person must not be allowed to walk free.”

Fiers’ expression turned grim. Watching the host lay out his past deeds one by one made his whole body tense, and he nearly stormed out in rage.

But he knew that in a moment like this, leaving would only make things worse. In fact, this was an opening—the other side had clearly seized it to strike while he had no time to prepare.

“Damn Arasaka!!”
Fiers growled and slammed his fist down. He instantly recognized who was backing that news outlet. Still, the fact that Arasaka had chosen this approach actually put him somewhat at ease.

At the very least, it meant they had paused any assassination attempts and planned to fight him on another front. And in this area, he wasn’t particularly afraid—his backers wouldn’t sit by and let him fall.
Otherwise, everything they’d invested in him would go to waste.

Owen watched the chaotic scene unfold, chuckling softly as he shook his head. He rose slowly.
“Then I’ll leave this to you for now, Mr. Fiers. As for the press conference, we can handle it later. You should take care of this first.”

Hearing that, Fiers forced a stiff smile.
“Sorry for letting you see this mess. But don’t worry—I’ll have it settled soon. It won’t affect our cooperation.”

“Of course. I fully trust your abilities. Go on—those people outside can’t really do anything to us, but they’re still troublesome.”

Fiers nodded, straightened up a bit, then walked out while dialing his phone. He needed to contact his backers and the PR team to craft a statement.

Before long, with money and influence at work, news segments highlighting Fiers’ contributions, public service projects, and charity donations began circulating again.

Militech’s news station also attacked the Arasaka-affiliated outlet, denouncing their report as baseless slander against an honest official.

With Militech’s massive support, the public-opinion storm was brought under control within half an hour, though the online debate still raged.
Even so, the narrative was no longer one-sided in Arasaka’s favor.

Having received the updates, Fiers now had the PR team’s assistance, along with a revised speech and prepared answers for several key questions.
...
Jhin watched the chaos below with an amused expression. He knew this was Kuroda’s doing, and he had to admit—it worked well.

Not only had it drawn the attention of many security units, but after finishing the job, he could use the confusion to slip away.

“Why isn’t that old man out yet…”
Through his scope, Jhin stared at the podium obscured by various objects, feeling helpless and a bit annoyed at Fiers’ delay. He wanted to leave as soon as possible.

Suddenly, the crowd below rippled with commotion. A sharp light flashed in Jhin’s eyes, and a faint red glow flickered as he instantly invaded a nearby security camera through netrunning.

He saw Fiers walking toward the podium, waving to the crowd.

He could invade his system directly now, but assassination through netrunning was risky. One problem was Fiers’ top-tier ICE; the other was the Trauma Team’s absurd ability to revive people…

Yes, netrunning could overload a target’s Cyberware, damaging the brain and inducing a death-like state. But to the Trauma Team, that wasn’t confirmed death—they could still bring him back.

So Jhin continued to wait.

“Ahem, everyone, I’m Fiers. It’s a pleasure to see you all here to—”

BOOM!

A crimson-black beam flashed past in an instant, and Fiers’ head vanished. A circular crater remained on the ground where it hit. The once noisy crowd fell completely silent.

Then, shrill screams erupted across the square.

“Damn it! Who was that?!”
Owen’s face darkened. He slammed his fist down and immediately ordered the area sealed off. Militech personnel moved swiftly into action.

Inside a nearby room, Weis froze, his expression turning complicated. He hadn’t expected someone to actually attempt to assassinate Fiers—and more importantly… to succeed.

Although he welcomed the outcome, the situation was serious. He couldn’t leave any openings behind, so he quickly sent people to investigate the scene.

Not far away, Finkes’ pupils contracted sharply. In an instant, he locked onto Roland’s firing position and shot forward with a burst of speed.

For the first time in his career, he had failed to protect his employer. Jhin’s actions had brought shame to him as a knight. To erase that shame, he had to take the enemy down.

After landing the shot, Jhin kicked open the iron door, running straight into two patrolling Militech soldiers. Before they could speak, he crossed four meters in a flash, his Dagger sweeping like a butterfly.

Two fountains of blood burst forth, splattering across the wall.

Jhin stepped over their bodies and sprinted downstairs. He had to move fast—once the enemy regained their composure, they’d form an encirclement. He wasn’t afraid of them, but it would be a real hassle.

Chapter Text

“Hurry! Hurry! Don’t let that bastard escape!!”

The Militech squad leader barked orders as he sprinted through the building, activating the acceleration system on his power armor and charging toward the floor where Jhin was located. He couldn’t afford another failure. Losing Fiers in his own sector had already been a disgrace—if he let the assassin slip away too, he’d definitely end up on Militech’s purge list.

A sudden sound of footsteps echoed beside him. Instinctively, he halted with his right leg, raised his MK.31 heavy machine gun, and aimed.

That weapon wasn’t meant for human hands—the sheer firepower and recoil were overwhelming for anyone without extensive cyberware augmentation, except perhaps for members of the Animals. Fortunately, this squad leader’s own modifications were considerable, and with the support of his power armor, he could handle the weapon’s monstrous weight.

Thud! Thud! Thud!

Muzzles flared as large-caliber rounds tore into the walls and floor, shredding everything nearby. But a dark silhouette darted through the storm of bullets like a ghost, untouched.

Those bullets could rip through steel, but if they missed, even the most powerful weapon was useless.

Jhin felt cold sweat bead under his mask. His ballistic coating could stop small-arms fire—pistols, SMGs, some rifles—but a heavy machine gun like this? He wasn’t eager to find out.

In a blink, Jhin closed the distance, positioning himself directly beneath the squad leader’s muzzle. The leader’s expression twisted into a grin as he lowered his weapon—

A surge of force erupted from the muzzle. Jhin seized the gun barrel with one hand.

Feeling the immense pressure, far greater than his own, the leader froze in shock. How could someone that lean possess such monstrous strength?

Still, his reflexes didn’t falter. A wrist blade sprang out from his cyberarm—reinforced Gorilla Arms paired with his power armor. Releasing his weapon, he lunged for Jhin’s chest.

Jhin flicked his right hand, summoning a pistol. A single shot rang out. The man’s arm spun away, sparks crackling from the severed cybernetics.

“Die!!”

Jhin raised his weapon to finish him, but suddenly, a Mantis Blade shot out from the man’s shoulder.

Jhin cursed under his breath. “What kind of messed-up mod points are these?!”

He stepped back instantly and drew “Whisper.”

The squad leader’s pupils shrank as crimson light gathered at the barrel. He tried to flee—but too late. A flash of red light pierced the air, leaving a perfect hole through his chest.

He looked down blankly before collapsing to the ground.

Thud!

A cloud of dust rose. Jhin scanned the area, quickly deciding it was impossible to escape downward. He had to find another route.

Close-quarters combat really didn’t suit his template.

He sprinted upstairs, data flickering rapidly across his mask’s interface.

Moments later, security forces from both Militech and Biotechnica rushed toward the gunfire. As they reached the upper floors, a surge of red light filled their vision—followed by the sound of crackling electricity.

“AAAAHHHH!!”

Outside, Finkes spotted the red glow bursting through the wall, accompanied by the screams. He moved immediately.

Boom!

His Exoskeleton armor roared to life, shattering the ground beneath his feet as he propelled himself upward. Shielding his head, he crashed through the wall into the floor above. Fortunately, the height was manageable.

Finkes quickly surveyed the scene. Security officers lay scattered across the floor, blood trickling from their noses and mouths, sparks flickering from their neck implants.

A skilled netrunner, no doubt. But those were the kind of opponents Finkes feared least.

Everything around him slowed as his Sandevistan activated. He drew his alloy knight sword from his back.

Boom!

Fueled by the Sandevistan and the boosters in his armor, Finkes shot forward like a missile. Above, Jhin heard the sound. His sensors screamed warnings—something strong was coming fast.

Moments later, Finkes caught sight of him. Without hesitation, he thrust his sword toward Jhin’s chest.

Hum!

A low hum echoed as Jhin activated his own acceleration field—not a Sandevistan, but an extreme-grade module built into Ascension, designed to counter foes like this.

When their eyes met, Finkes’ expression faltered. His opponent had a netrunning pod and other cyberware enhancements?

Sparks flew as Finkes’ blade scraped across Jhin’s chest. Jhin retaliated instantly, firing four shots aimed at his opponent’s vital points—eyes, heart, lungs.

All four bullets clanged off Finkes’ armor. The two fighters broke apart.

Finkes glanced down at the dented plating where Jhin’s rounds had struck, eyes narrowing. Jhin looked at the gash across his own chest, the ballistic coating torn through.

The situation wasn’t in his favor. He couldn’t waste time here.

He tossed four grenades and a smoke bomb, his figure fading into the haze.

Finkes slashed one grenade away with his sword, then reactivated his Sandevistan and charged toward Jhin’s position.

He can see me?

Jhin frowned. His optical camouflage had never failed before—though, granted, it wasn’t true cyberpunk-grade tech.

Clang!

At the last instant, Jhin raised his pistol to block the incoming blade. The sword bit into the weapon’s frame.

“I don’t know where you got this tech that hides your presence,” Finkes said evenly, “but it’s useless against me.”

He took a steady step forward. “You’re skilled, I’ll give you that. But the show’s over. I don’t have time to play.”

“No,” Jhin replied calmly. “We’re only at the climax. How could it end now?”

Finkes chuckled, confident in his victory—until a burst of electricity crackled through the air. His pupils shrank, and his vision went black.

Shit!

A wave of danger surged through him. He reacted purely on instinct.

Clang!

His broken sword flew from his grip, embedding itself in the wall as his body was thrown backward.

Jhin realized instantly the man wasn’t dead—but he didn’t have time to finish it. He holstered “Whisper” and bolted upstairs.

“Cough...”

Finkes’ ICE rebooted. Looking down at his damaged armor and the scorch marks across his chest, he sighed. Injecting a healing stim, a cool rush spread through his veins.

“Damn... that one hurt.”

His expression turned grim. He hadn’t expected the opponent to hide such a deadly weapon—he hadn’t even seen it drawn. But what disturbed him most was that netrunning attack...

No warnings. No traces. Nothing before his ICE crashed.

“Just who the hell is this guy...”

He leaned back with a long exhale. The man was strong—terrifyingly so—and armed with strange, advanced tech. His flaws were there, but his strength? Undeniable. A world-class assassin, without question.

He’d done all he could. The rest was Militech’s problem now.

Still, that weapon... the firepower, the energy signature... it had to be corporate. Probably Arasaka.

Meanwhile, Jhin didn’t care what Finkes thought. He’d reached the upper levels but avoided the rooftop—it would make him an easy target for patrol AVs.

So...

He glanced at the window, then at the crowd below. Raising his weapon, he fired into the four corners.

Crack!

The glass shattered. Jhin leapt out. The noise drew the crowd’s attention immediately.

“He’s there! Open fire!”

Owen pointed upward and shouted. A storm of bullets erupted, but Jhin pulled the pin on a smoke grenade and vanished behind a cloud, activating his camouflage.

When the smoke cleared, he was gone. Owen’s face darkened.

Watching the live feed, Kuroda smirked.

“Let’s go. We’re done here.”

...

Days later, the Fiers incident was still all over the Net. Both Militech and Biotechnica saw their reputations plummet—Militech especially.

After all, Fiers was their man, and failing to catch his killer was humiliating. For Night City’s top dog, that stung even more.

Biotechnica didn’t fare better. Their venue had been infiltrated, their partner murdered, and the assassin had escaped without a scratch. The ridicule online was merciless.

Arasaka, of course, was delighted—fanning the flames at every opportunity. Kang Tao stayed quiet, occasionally twisting the knife and stealing bits of intel and tech from Militech’s chaos.

Rumors about it being an Arasaka plot spread wildly, but it didn’t matter. Arasaka denied everything, threatening lawsuits for defamation.

And Militech had no real proof. They knew it was Arasaka’s doing—but with no evidence, they could only grit their teeth and swallow it.

The unspoken understanding was clear: “We’ll settle this later. For now, we’ve got our own fires to put out.”

Myers, meanwhile, wasn’t exactly mourning Fiers. She gave the expected condolences, but politically, she wasn’t about to waste the opportunity.

One more company suffered quietly—Trauma Team. Fiers’ death had been too sudden and absolute for a rescue. They didn’t even have time to deploy, and now they had to pay a massive insurance payout to his family. It stung.

The biggest winner? Jhin.

His reputation soared overnight. Across Night City’s underground, he had become a living legend.

A ghostly assassin who appeared and vanished without a trace—even the Afterlife hadn’t seen him.

Roland, meanwhile, waited patiently for the situation to unfold and the Essence payments to clear. By his estimation, this job had earned him a fortune.

Still, it was a shame Jhin had to lay low—Militech would be hunting him relentlessly now.

That knight-like man he’d seen earlier lingered in Roland’s thoughts. His power was immense—not quite on par with PROJECT combat templates, but close.

He’d even managed to suppress Jhin in battle, though being caught off guard and lacking specialized weapons hadn’t helped Jhin’s side. Still, Roland had to admit—the man’s strength was real. Against someone like Yi with a dedicated weapon, though? He’d be cut down like butter.

Roland had dug into his identity afterward and found there were several like him—reminders that the cyberpunk world was far from simple. Figures like Adam Smasher weren’t as rare as people thought.

Militech probably had their own stock of such warriors. Fiers just hadn’t ranked high enough to have one at his side.

Finkes had only been a hired gun.

Roland now realized how perfect his timing had been—Finkes had been just far enough away, and relaxed enough, for Jhin to land the kill shot.

Had he been closer, he probably could’ve saved Fiers—and that would’ve complicated everything.

But as it stood, the outcome couldn’t have been better. Kuroda’s final payment had cleared, and the next phase of their operation could begin.

Chapter Text

Rogue cast a glance toward a small crew gathered inside the Afterlife Bar before slowly stepping forward.

“Looks like you’ve made up your mind. Here’s the intel on that person—see for yourself.”

She pulled out a chip and handed it to the man before her—a silver-haired guy with a hedgehog cut, somewhere in his thirties.

White rubbed his stubble, leaned forward slightly, and picked up the chip from the table.
“Didn’t expect you to take a gig connected to Arasaka, Rogue. That’s a surprise.”

As he spoke, White slotted the chip into his deck and took a casual sip from his glass.

“I take on just about any job. It’s just that Arasaka doesn’t usually come knocking.”
Rogue sat down across from him.

“Heh… this gig’s kinda interesting. This Kuroda guy must be something special, huh?”
White pulled the chip out, a knowing smile tugging at his lips.

“Mind sharing a little about the client?”

Rogue ignored the question and cut straight to business. “The client wants him captured within five days and delivered to the drop point listed on the chip. How you handle it is up to you—I don’t think I need to explain the details.”

“You can count on me. This isn’t Arasaka turf, so it shouldn’t be too hard.”

“Better make sure of that… and one more thing—you’ve been taking a lot of risks lately. Don’t get burned.”

Rogue rose from the booth, leaving White and his crew behind.

“Boss, what was Rogue talking about?” asked a man wearing a tactical helmet and goggles, his tone curious.

“Nothing much. Just something from before.” White shook his head, offering no details. Seeing he didn’t want to elaborate, Golor dropped the topic.

“So, what’s the job this time?”

At that, White grinned wide, flashing a set of bright white teeth.
“A corpo dog gig. And it’s a big one.”

“A big one? Seriously? Don’t jerk me around, boss.”
A sharp-looking girl with short blue hair eyed him skeptically. The girl sitting in her lap nodded silently in agreement.

White twitched a little at their doubt and replied, “I’m not kidding. The reward’s a million eddies—real big money. All we’ve gotta do is snatch someone.”

“It’s not a Militech guy, right? They’ve been acting like rabid dogs lately.”

Vilet frowned, concern clear on her face. Her reaction made sense—since Fiers’ death, Militech had been on edge, launching countless operations.

The main problem was that they still had no leads on Jhin. The failure was humiliating. Sure, Fiers’ death had made Weis happy—but if he couldn’t offer his people a proper explanation, that happiness wouldn’t last long.

“I’m not an idiot. I’m not gonna pick a fight with Militech right now. That’d be suicide.”

White rolled his eyes. Tiana, still resting in Vilet’s arms, shifted positions and laid her head on Vilet’s lap, quietly watching him.

“Captain, it’s not like you haven’t done stupid things before.”

White’s mouth twitched again. His eyes slid toward Rich, who was still tinkering with his laptop.

Catching the look, Rich glanced up and said, “Don’t look at me, boss. You know she’s right. I’m not covering for you.”

“Damn it… fine. Our target’s a research director at Arasaka HQ. He’s in Night City right now but might be leaving soon. The client wants him grabbed within five days.”

White sent the intel on Kuroda to the rest of the squad.

“Hmm… his schedule’s pretty predictable. Seems he likes to hit up the Tyger Claws’ Kabuki club every night. Looks like an easy job.”
Golor rubbed his chin thoughtfully.

“Doubt it’s that simple. If he’s bold enough to move like that, he must have something up his sleeve. Let’s spend a few days digging up more on him before making a move.”
Tina’s eyes gleamed as she spoke.

“No problem. I agree.” Vilet nodded without hesitation.

“Your opinion doesn’t count,” Rich muttered at her, then added, “but Tina’s right. What do you think, boss?”

“No problem. Rich, Tina—you two handle the online recon.”

The pair nodded.

“Alright then, that’s it for today. Same place tomorrow.”

White stood, waved a hand, and walked out of the Afterlife.

Once he was gone, the remaining four huddled together.

“Hey, what do you think the boss did to make Rogue say that?”

“No idea. But if I had to guess… probably something tied to Militech. You know how he is.”
Vilet shook her head, thinking aloud.

“Makes sense. Let’s just hope he doesn’t do anything reckless. Militech’s been tearing the city apart looking for Jhin.”
Golor nodded in agreement.

“Jhin, huh… If that bastard somehow survived, he’d probably end up a living legend in Night City.”
Rich’s tone carried a hint of admiration.

“Who knows? In this city, people like us rarely get happy endings.”
Tina lit a cigarette and narrowed her eyes.

“There you go again with that talk… seriously.”
Vilet frowned, took the cigarette from Tina’s hand, and kissed her.

“Hey, come on! We’re still here, you know!”
Golor groaned in protest.

Vilet waved him off without looking back, signaling them to leave.

Rich shrugged and got up, heading out. Golor glanced at the two still locked in a kiss, snorted, and followed after him.

When the kiss finally ended, Vilet cupped Tina’s face.
“I don’t know about the others, but our ending will be a good one.”

“I know.”
Tina smiled helplessly, then kissed her back.

Within their squad, Captain White handled the frontline, packed with heavy combat cyberware—including a Sandevistan. Rich and Tina managed the netrunning, with Rich doubling as the driver.

Golor provided fire support and close combat, equipped with hyper-reactive implants and a Kerenzikov. Vilet was another frontliner, outfitted with Berserk cyberware.

Their collective firepower was no joke. That was exactly why Rogue had chosen them for the job—because, if nothing else, their strength was never in question.

Chapter Text

“Sato, how’s the situation with the City Center?”
Kuroda set down the documents in his hands and looked toward the secretary beside him.

“It’s almost done. Smith has agreed to allocate that district to us. As long as we achieve the objectives in the follow-up, they’ll hand over the entire area.”
Sato Shuichi pulled out a tablet and handed it to Kuroda. Displayed on it was a large portion of northern Watson.

Kuroda glanced at it and nodded. “Good. Things in Night City are almost wrapped up. In a few days, head back to headquarters for a bit. Sort things out and then return.”

“Understood. Should I book the flight now?”

“Yes. Book one for seven days from now. And take some time to relax today. I have to say, Night City has some great entertainment options. It’s a good place for people like us.”
Kuroda smiled, looking quite pleased.

“Thank you very much. By the way, Mr. Kuroda… about that Jhin…”
Sato bowed deeply before bringing up Roland.

At that name, Kuroda’s eyes narrowed. He rubbed his chin, falling into thought.

To be honest, if possible, he’d love to bring Jhin under his command—but he knew it wasn’t realistic. Based on his behavior so far, Ember was clearly proud and entirely self-directed.

People like that were like eagles. Unless you could truly conquer them, they would never serve under you. And someone of his caliber could likely only be controlled by the truly top-level figures. Rumor had it he’d even fought Finkes head-on.

A netrunner and gunman who could seriously injure Finkes in direct combat… Kuroda was genuinely wary. Luckily, the man wasn’t an enemy—at least not for now.

“Leave him alone. He’s an assassin, and we’ll probably have plenty of chances to use him. Besides, we’re no match for him. There’s no need to provoke someone like that. We’ll talk about it again when Adam Smasher gets here.”

“Understood.”
Sato nodded, visibly relieved. He’d been worried Kuroda might get ideas about the man—because if he did, as the secretary, Sato would be the first one forced to face him.

Sato then left to book the flight, quietly excited about this rare vacation opportunity. He was determined to make the most of it.

...
“Boss, that Sato guy just headed out.”
Golor folded up his binoculars and spoke to White, who was smoking nearby.

White nodded, then looked toward Tina. “It’s your turn, Tina.”

“Got it.” Tina nodded and headed toward Sato, with Vilet following not far behind.

“Oh—sorry, sorry! I’m really sorry, are you okay?”
Tina pretended to bump into Sato, her eyes flickering faintly with orange light beneath her sunglasses.

“Ah, it’s fine, it’s fine. Just be careful next time.”
Sato shook his head and checked himself. Nothing was missing, and he was in a good mood anyway. And the woman standing before him was attractive—he didn’t feel very wronged.

“That’s good. I’m really sorry. I just had a fight with my girlfriend, so I was a bit out of it.”
Tina put on an apologetic look, with a slight hint of forcedness.

“Oh, I see…”
Sato nodded, mentally noting the key word: “girlfriend.” So she liked women.

The thought stirred a faint curiosity in him.

Naturally, Tina caught that look. A flash of disgust crossed her eyes. Not far away, Vilet, who had quietly positioned herself, looked even more annoyed.

“Since we ran into each other, how about grabbing a drink? Might help you relax.”
Sato didn’t hesitate and extended the invitation right away.

“Right now?” Tina acted surprised and glanced up at the sun.

Sato chuckled. “It’s fine. You don’t need the perfect time just to cool off, right?”

Tina’s expression softened as if tempted, but her fingers—hidden from view—made a subtle signal. Vilet immediately stepped in, and a chip shot out from the slot at the back of Sato’s neck.

Vilet, wearing a black hoodie, caught it cleanly and bumped Sato with her shoulder as she walked past.

“Tch—!”
Sato scowled at her retreating figure. “Hey! Not even an apology?!”

Vilet didn’t respond. She simply turned and walked out of the intersection.

Sato cursed under his breath, then looked back at Tina.

After a moment of hesitation, Tina gave an apologetic smile. “I should pass. I still have things to take care of.”

“Then how about your contact info? I’m the secretary to Arasaka’s head of R&D.”
Sato inflated his title a bit, hoping to sound more impressive.

“No thanks. I’m not into men. I’ll be going now.”
Tina’s smile stiffened for a moment before she shook her head and walked away.

Sato froze, then frowned. He knew he’d stepped on a landmine—clearly, she had issues with Arasaka.

“What a letdown…”
He muttered and walked off.

Vilet, who had been watching, slipped after him. She knocked Sato out, dragged him into an alley, and only then left.

She regrouped with Tina shortly after.

“How did it go?”

“Of course I handled it. Don’t worry—the chip’s secured.”
Vilet smiled.

“Good. Let’s go. Don’t want to keep the boss waiting.”
Tina nodded, and the two headed back.

Chapter Text

Sato slowly opened his eyes, still half-dazed, and stared blankly around him, as if his mind hadn’t yet caught up with reality.

After a moment, he finally made out his surroundings. His expression shifted instantly. He patted himself down and, finding only his cash missing while everything else was intact, let out a breath of relief.

He’d been terrified he’d run into a crew of Scavengers. Luckily, his habit of carrying cash had saved him—online money was almost impossible for robbers to access, so cash was what you carried to buy your life.

But the sudden situation made him reach instinctively for his card slots. Finding them completely empty, his face stiffened. Panic surged through him as he scanned the area, even using the Scan function of his Kiroshi Optics.

Still nothing. His face turned pale. His trembling hand reached for his phone, but he stopped halfway.

After taking a deep breath, he forced himself to calm down and ran through everyone he had bumped into along the way.

The answer was Tina, the person he’d just crossed paths with. His expression darkened. He couldn’t tell whether that woman had set him up, but then he remembered the other person he had collided with—someone who had seemed even more suspicious.

But that person hadn’t revealed a single identifiable feature.

He tried recalling Tina’s face again, but in his memory she was wearing dark sunglasses and heavy makeup. That made him even more uneasy.

It meant whoever pulled this off were repeat offenders. Still, that brought him a bit of relief—if they were that type of thief, they likely weren’t after anything else. Otherwise…

Thinking of Kuroda’s usual methods, Sato’s expression shifted again. But a faint hope surfaced: maybe the thief only wanted the money on the chip and not the data inside.

His work chip didn’t contain much—mostly job-related files, not many classified documents. The only important information was Kuroda’s schedule, home address, and contact details.

Which meant that as long as the thieves weren’t targeting Kuroda himself, losing the work chip wasn’t catastrophic. He just needed to get a new one and fill in the missing information well enough that no one would notice.

But if Kuroda found out… someone who knew that much about him wouldn’t just get fired.

His end would be becoming another statistic in the company’s HR cleanup. So Sato decided to hide everything. He didn’t want to lose such a high-paying job, and he definitely didn’t want to be cleaned up by Kuroda.

And if something really did happen to Kuroda… Sato hoped the man would die. Then he could simply move on to a new boss. As long as he fixed the work chip properly, he’d be fine.

With that thought, Sato flagged down a taxi and headed home. He needed to finish reconstructing the data right away. It looked like he wouldn’t be getting any rest tonight.

...

Meanwhile, Kuroda was lying comfortably in bed, enjoying the service of a sex doll, completely unaware that a crisis was quietly closing in on him—or that someone had already leaked all of his information.

“All done, boss. The chip’s security is cracked. Gotta hand it to him though—it was pretty tight.”

Rich let out a sly laugh and displayed the contents on his screen.

“Nice. Even his home address? That solves a lot of problems.”

White glanced over the data, nodded in satisfaction, then looked at the others.

“Get in touch with Golor. Tell him to hack into Kuroda’s residence through the chip and keep eyes on him.”

“Alright, on it.”

Rich nodded and turned to contact Golor.

“And tell him to hurry. That Sato guy has probably realized the chip’s gone and warned Kuroda already. If he’s late and the target escapes, I swear I’ll kick his ass!”

Rich instantly clenched up at that, then relayed White’s words word-for-word to Golor.

“Shit, I’m going! But wait—since when did the boss have that kind of kink?!”

“Get lost, I was describing a situation!!”

White snapped at Golor’s panicked voice, then urged him again to move faster.

“Okay, okay, I get it! I’ll protect my ass!!!”

“…Get the hell out!!!”

Tina and Vilet exchanged a look and shrugged.

“Boss, is it really okay leaving it to him alone?”

Tina asked, clearly worried.

White rested his chin on his hand, thought for a moment, then nodded. “I trust the kid, but this job is too big to take risks. We’re heading over too.”

He shot Rich a look. Rich nodded immediately and started the car.

...

“Huh? Why are the boss and the others here…?”

Golor, watching Kuroda’s home through binoculars from a distance, froze when he saw White and the others arriving below. He quickly dialed.

“Boss, what are you doing here?”

“We weren’t fully confident in your situation, so we came to check. Just making sure nothing unexpected happens. How’s it looking?”

“Oh, nothing. Kuroda hasn’t left all day. He’s still inside. Even had his bodyguard bring him a sex doll. Tsk tsk.”

“Hm? That doesn’t make sense. His secretary should’ve woken up by now… Did that kid not warn him?”

“…My guess? He’s scared Kuroda will come after him, so he’s gambling everything. And honestly, what we did really does look like the work of those money-only gangs.”

Vilet leaned one hand on the car window as she spoke.

“Well, that’s corporate for you… Alright, that makes things easier. Golor, where are you now? We’re heading over. Just need to prep before we move.”

“Got it, I’m at—”

“Stay put. We’ll be there soon.”

Chapter Text

“So, how’s the situation on Kuroda’s side?”
White asked as Tina returned.

“Pretty much confirmed. These past two days he’s been hanging around these spots. Mm, this place is a bit weaker security-wise. The other areas are more guarded.”
Tina pointed at the map while removing her wig.

White stepped closer for a look. Seeing the Kabuki District marked, he frowned. That was Tiger Claw territory. The weak point wasn’t because the area was undefended—it was simply that Kuroda didn’t bring many bodyguards there. The Tiger Claw foot soldiers, however, were plentiful.

“Tonight he plans to go to the Lizzie Bar. Honestly, I think that’s the best place to make our move.”

White’s eyes lit up at the name. He had to admit, Lizzie Bar was perfect for their operation. The Mox had grown well, gathering a solid group of people thanks to Roland’s support.

Still… they were ultimately a small gang. As long as they didn’t provoke the Tiger Claws and struck while Kuroda’s personal protection was light, this was the best option.

“Alright. We do it there. But if possible, hit them when they’re leaving. Let’s avoid operating on Mox territory if we can.”
White decided the time and place. He respected the Mox boss and preferred not to cause them unnecessary trouble.

Back at Kuroda’s side, Sato finally relaxed. Nothing had happened these past two days. He figured he was overthinking—who would be stupid enough to attack an Arasaka R&D director in transit?

He wasn’t exactly an important figure… at least for now.

Night soon came. Kuroda headed to the Lizzie Bar with his bodyguards and security staff. It wasn’t a large escort—mainly his two bodyguards, both heavily augmented and highly capable.

They could handle most threats. With three standard Arasaka security personnel added in, it was more than enough for this area.

“Lizzie Bar. I hear the owner’s got guts and great taste. I’m going to enjoy myself tonight.”
Kuroda grinned. Sato nodded repeatedly and handed him some information about the bar.

Kuroda didn’t care about the bar’s conflict with the Tyger Claws. That was their problem, not his. Besides, he disliked how flashy the Tyger Claw goons acted. Too reckless—too many enemies waiting to be made. He made a mental note to warn Ryuzaki about it later.

...

By midnight, Kuroda staggered out of Lizzie Bar, swaying as his bodyguard helped him into the car.

He waved at the staff behind him, signaling he’d return again.

After taking a hangover pill and resting for a bit, he sobered up slightly and nodded to the driver to go.

“Damn it… you really kept me waiting!”
Golor gritted his teeth as he adjusted his sniper rifle and focused on the approaching vehicle through the scope.

“Enough talking. They’re almost at the target point. Remember to shoot.”

“Relax. I’ll make sure to pay them back for sticking me with night watch duty.”

Just as Kuroda’s car reached the overpass, a sharp gunshot rang out.

Bang!

The driver’s head exploded like a watermelon, splattering the entire windshield. The bodyguard in the passenger seat turned pale, grabbing the wheel to stabilize the vehicle.

But the car still slammed into the side wall. The sudden impact jolted Kuroda awake, though he remained disoriented.

Sato’s expression drained instantly—he knew he was probably done for.

Whoosh—
A slicing sound tore through the air. The passenger-seat bodyguard, still dizzy from the crash, kicked open the door and charged forward.

Thud!
A heavy impact burst out, a white shockwave erupting where the two fists collided. Kuroda’s bodyguard glared at the woman facing him—Vilet.

He had reacted in haste, but her strength was nothing to scoff at. Combined with her size…

This was bad…

Another bodyguard and the three security personnel immediately exited the second vehicle.

The moment they raised their weapons, electric sparks exploded. The neural ports of all three security guards burned out instantly, their brains destroyed on the spot.

The two bodyguards clutched their throats in pain, though the ICE protection lessened the damage.

Thud!
Vilet seized the opening and slammed her fist into the nearest bodyguard’s nose, sending blood flying.

She flexed her hand as a puff of white breath escaped her mouth. The ground cracked beneath her foot as a fist blade snapped out between her knuckles.

Sizzle—
The badly injured bodyguard grabbed Vilet’s arm with all his strength, blood dripping down his face, eyes still ferocious. Just as he prepared to deploy his Mantis Blades, a shadow flashed behind him.

The other bodyguard had finally recovered. His face darkened as he moved to assist—only to freeze mid-step as searing pain tore through his chest.

A gaping hole had formed there, blood rushing out. He looked toward White in the distance before collapsing to his knees, coughing blood uncontrollably.

The bodyguard locked by Vilet had already lost his head—Tina had severed it cleanly with her Monowire.

Inside the car, Kuroda watched everything unfold and turned deathly pale. He immediately grabbed a gun and shot himself in the foot.

“Ah!!”

White and the others froze at the scream, then rushed forward, ignoring the wounded bodyguard nearby.

Unnoticed by them, he slowly pushed himself to his feet, panting, a red glow flaring at the back of his neck.

Seeing Kuroda bleeding heavily with a pistol still in hand, White’s expression darkened.

Kuroda spotted them, tossed the gun aside, and sneered.

“The Trauma Team will be here any minute. You’ve already failed. Get lost, you bunch of good-for-nothings!”

White swung a hand, trying to knock Kuroda unconscious, but he hit too hard and failed. Kuroda took the chance to fake being knocked out.

“Move! This guy’s a Platinum Member! Rich, jam his signal right now!!”
White shouted.

“Urrraaaahhh!!”

As White turned to retreat, a roar made his pupils contract. He spun around—
a massive figure with glowing red eyes had appeared beside him without warning.

Boom!

Chapter Text

BANG!

“Gah!”

At the critical moment, White raised his right arm to block the attack, but the sheer force sent him flying along with the car door, crashing hard onto the ground.

“Boss!!”

Seeing this, Vilet’s expression changed instantly as she sprinted toward White. The Kuroda bodyguard—whose life was barely being held together by a secondary heart and Berserk Cyberware—wasted no time.

His clock was ticking. Death was inevitable. All he could do now was buy as much time as possible, ensuring Arasaka wouldn’t abandon his family after he was gone.

Thud!

Debris exploded across the ground as his cybernetic legs overloaded, launching him straight at White. His custom combat cyberarm was already primed, glowing with a faint red light.

White gritted his teeth and activated Sandevistan again. He could only use it about four times a day; pushing past that would be dangerous.

But he still had one chance left.

Boom!

“Boss!”

“Captain!”

Vilet and the others went pale. Abandoning Kuroda in the car, they charged straight toward White.

Seeing this, a sharp glint flashed in Kuroda’s eyes. He knew perfectly well how dangerous the Trauma Team could be, so he needed another layer of insurance.

...

Ding!

In a wide, empty warehouse, Jhin slowly woke from standby mode. His eyes narrowed as he viewed the incoming message.

The sender was Kuroda. The content was extremely simple:

“Save me. I can give you a satisfying reward!”

Roland paused to consider whether it was worth it. The sender was clearly in danger—and was even a Trauma Team member.

The fact he still sent this message meant the attacker was strong. It wouldn’t be difficult for him to handle, but what would he gain?

A favor, the reward, and if Kuroda really came to Night City later as he implied, having someone inside Arasaka—friend or not—was always beneficial.

“Looks like overtime again...”

...

“What’s wrong?”

Kiwi looked at Roland curiously as he suddenly froze up.

“Nothing. Just thought of something. Let’s get back to work.”

“Alright... Oh! Look, that guy came out!”

Their mission today was simple—gather intel on certain people connected to Luvena Corporation. Roland mainly came because he didn’t want to stay cooped up in the office.

Sitting there all day dealing with endless tasks gave him a headache. Going out to relax was better, and with Lissandra helping with management, it wasn’t a problem.

Business had been slow recently. He was waiting for the Unification War to break out. When it did, he could profit off the conflict. He believed Arasaka wouldn’t turn down high-lethality weapons from PROJECT.

Militech wouldn’t reject his tech either. Past conflicts or not, profit would outweigh everything.

...

White narrowly dodged another attack, a drop of cold sweat sliding down his face. He glanced at his cybernetic arm, now warped even after absorbing the blow through the car door.

“Something’s wrong with this guy. No Berserk Cyberware on the market can handle this. Even mortal wounds aren’t stopping him. Unbelievable.”

Kuroda’s bodyguard slowly pulled his fist out of the ground and stared at White and the others.

“We can’t stay here. We might not fear the Trauma Team much, but running into them would be terrible for us! Rich, Tina—any ideas?!”

“Boss, I can’t hack into him at all right now!!”

Rich’s eyes flickered rapidly, but he still spoke in a panic. Tina shook her head, face tense.

White gritted his teeth. “Vilet, you’re with me. Golor, wait for your chance and finish him!”

“Roger!” X2

“Roar!”

The bodyguard had nearly lost all sanity, letting out a beast-like roar as he charged.

Vilet stepped forward, steadied herself, took a deep breath, twisted her waist, and threw a punch.

Thud! Bang!

“Ugh…”

Pain surged through her as she staggered back several steps. As the opponent moved in to follow up, White rushed forward, grabbed her shoulder, and used it as leverage to leap onto the enemy’s shoulders.

“Bug…!”

Swish—

A massive hand swept through the air. White activated Sandevistan and dropped down, drawing his pistol to fire at the enemy’s spine—but the bullet struck metal with a clang.

“Damn it!”

Bang!

The enemy reacted instantly, slamming a palm into the ground, leaving a deep crater.

Vilet lunged forward and locked her arm around the enemy’s neck, her face flushing red as she roared:

“Golor! Shoot the damn thing!”

Bang!

The gunshot echoed. A spray of red flashed into view, and White’s eyes shrank.

In that instant, the enemy grabbed Vilet’s arm, flipped her, and used her as a shield.

“Vilet!!”

Tina let out a pained scream and charged forward, but Rich grabbed her.

“Are you insane?! You’ll die!!”

“I don’t care!!!”

She broke free and rushed ahead. Blood streamed from Vilet’s lips as she thrust her hand into the creature’s wound, and White seized the opening to close in.

He fired directly at the enemy’s head.

Boom!

The massive body collapsed, and Vilet fell with it, her face drained of all color.

“Boss! Someone nearby called the police—a cyberpsycho report! The CTU  is on the way!!”

Rich’s pupils shrank as he relayed the overheard message.

White’s face tightened. He gritted his teeth, activated Sandevistan again, and pushed his body for one extra second, shoving both Vilet and Kuroda into the vehicle.

“Go!!”

Despite sweating from the wound in his thigh, Kuroda sneered at them.

“You’re wasting your effort. Someone will find me.”

“Damn it, what kind of bird language is he speaking?! Treat him, then knock him out! Rich, is the signal blocked?!”

White cursed and continued scanning the surroundings.

“The signal’s jammed, but the Trauma Team’s already here. They haven’t found us yet!”

Chapter Text

“Vilet, you’re going to be okay. You’re going to be okay...”

Tina injected the treatment needle and epinephrine into Vilet, then pressed her hand firmly over the wound, her face pale as she spoke.

Hearing Tina’s voice, Vilet managed a faint smile before slowly closing her eyes. Tina watched her chest still rising and falling, bit her lip, and stayed silent. The more critical the moment, the less she could afford to panic—otherwise she really would put Vilet in danger.

Besides, she knew Vilet wasn’t that fragile anymore. With her modifications, this was simply conserving what strength she had left.

Golor clenched his molars as guilt churned in his chest.

Just then, a buzzing sound filled the car, snapping everyone’s attention toward it and tightening their nerves.

“It’s the Counter-Terrorism Unit. Relax—they won’t bother with us.”

White lowered his voice, and he was right. CTU focused on cyberpsychos. They might deal with other trouble if they ran into it, but cyberpsychos were always their priority.

Good thing they escaped quickly. Otherwise, they would’ve crossed paths.

The CTU members soon jumped off their AV, narrowing their eyes at the mangled corpse on the ground.

“That cyberpsycho’s dead.”

“What a waste. I was hoping for a little fun...”

“Then let’s find a Scavengers’ den and clean it out. The boss won’t complain.”

“Good idea.”

They boarded the AV again, completely unfazed by the scene below. Meanwhile, the Trauma Team was already searching through the district and arrived at the site of the prior battle.

“We’ve found the client’s blood. Confirm they were attacked here. No trace of the client or life signs. Their signal is currently jammed. Requesting instructions.”

A Trauma Team security officer reported through his helmet comms.

“Search the surrounding area and determine the client’s approximate direction. Conduct patrol. If you can’t locate them within thirty minutes, return.”

“Roger.”

...

“Boss, the Trauma Team just arrived.”

White nodded. He wasn’t too worried. They were already deep in the city. Kuroda was unconscious, the signal was jammed—chances of being discovered were low.

They just needed to get Vilet to a hospital, then deliver Kuroda to the client. That would finish the job.

This mission had been dangerously close. Any more mistakes and they might not have made it out.

High above, Jhin stood atop a skyscraper. His helmet screen zoomed in slowly, bringing Kuroda’s unconscious face into view.

“This netrunner’s not bad... but he picked the wrong opponent...”

He stepped off the building.

White and his team had no idea danger was closing in as they headed toward a nearby hospital.

Suddenly, when they reached a sparsely populated street, the vehicle screeched to a halt, startling everyone inside.

“Rich! What the hell?!”

Golor stared at Rich, confused. Rich’s expression was grim, his lips trembling.

“It wasn’t me... A netrunner forced our car to stop...”

The mood inside the car darkened instantly. White stepped out immediately, scanning the surroundings.

“Come out! What kind of hero hides in the shadows?!”

Jhin chuckled softly and emerged from a nearby alley.

“Pleasure to meet you all.”

He bowed gracefully, his tone perfectly polite.

Rich’s pupils contracted. Fear washed over him.

“You... you’re Jhin?!”

The others tensed instantly, drawing their weapons. Vilet forced herself upright.

“Good. Since you recognize me, this becomes simple. Honestly, I don’t want to kill you unless necessary. Hand over the man behind you. It benefits both of us.”

Jhin nodded and extended his hand.

White fell silent. For the sake of his team’s lives, he should hand Kuroda over. But the reward...

And more than the reward—there was his reputation.

“No room for negotiation at all?”

“Not killing you immediately is my negotiation.”

Jhin rested one hand on his hip and opened the other in emphasis.

White’s expression tightened. As much as he hated it, the man wasn’t lying.

“Boss...”

Tina, Rich, and Golor all spoke at once—a warning. This wasn’t someone they could fight.

White let out a long breath and stepped aside, signaling Jhin to take the man.

Jhin smiled. But just as he was about to leave with Kuroda, a familiar voice rang in his mind, freezing him in place.

“Ding! Host, the girl beside you is a compatible host for PROJECT: Judgment.”

The moment Jhin stopped, everyone tensed. Weapons tightened in their hands, eyes locked onto him with razor-sharp vigilance.

Jhin turned his gaze toward Vilet and Tina.

“You two seem pretty close. So I’m inviting both of you to join us. Though, to be honest, I only came for this one.”

A message appeared in Tina’s inbox—a location and a contact.

The sudden change left everyone stunned. The atmosphere had been tense moments before, and now the man was trying to recruit them. It was a lot to take in.

Jhin tossed a vial to Tina.

“Inject her. It’ll help her recover faster.”

Then he walked away.

Left behind were Tina, looking conflicted, and White, his face dark. Someone had poached his people right in front of him—yet he couldn’t do anything about it...

Chapter Text

Tina stared at the healing syringe Jhin had given her, hesitation clear on her face. After a moment of internal conflict, she finally stored it away—choosing not to use it on Vilet, but not throwing it out either.

Seeing this, White said nothing. He simply gestured for everyone to get back in the car and head to the hospital, while he placed a call directly to Rogue.

The line connected almost immediately.

"White? I take it your operation is complete." Rogue's voice came through, arms undoubtedly crossed as she lounged with her feet propped up on the desk.

"We hit a complication. The mission failed."

Rogue's casual posture stiffened. She frowned. "What happened? This should have been a straightforward job for your team. You're telling me you failed? That's... disappointing."

"It was Jhin. We had Kuroda secured, but he intercepted us and took him. My team was in no condition to fight him... engaging would have been suicide."

White let out a weary sigh as he explained. The moment Rogue heard Jhin's name, she swung her feet off the desk and massaged her temples in frustration.

"Fine. Return the advance. Consider your involvement terminated." Rogue ended the call and slammed her fist onto the desk. "Damn that son of a bitch! I'll twist his head off one of these days!"

After venting her rage, Rogue immediately made another call, acquiring Jhin's contact information through her channels. She needed to see if there was any room for negotiation.

"An unknown number? Interesting..." Jhin stroked his chin contemplatively. He had placed the unconscious Kuroda in the passenger seat, planning to reactivate the Trauma Team signal later—the man wasn't in immediate danger.

"Hello, is this Jhin speaking?"

"Who is this, and how did you get this number?"

"It's Rogue. Where I got your number is my business. Let's keep this brief. You have Kuroda, correct?"

"That's right. He's with me. So, those cyberpunks were working for you." Jhin glanced at the still-unconscious Kuroda beside him.

"Yes, they're a reliable crew I work with often. Let's make a deal. Hand him over to me. I'll owe you a favor, and I can throw some gigs your way, plus put you in touch with the original client for this job."

"Well now, that's generous. But I need to know who the client is first. Why would I give up a sure payday without knowing what I'm getting into?"

"...I can't reveal specifics. Let's just say they're also from a major corp."

Jhin paused, a strange expression crossing his face as he looked at Kuroda. Was this Militech's doing?... Probably not. Kuroda's involvement in this affair hadn't leaked...

While Militech could likely deduce Arasaka was behind it, they shouldn't have been able to pinpoint Kuroda as the specific operative. They had no reason to target a mere R&D director...

Unless they knew about Kuroda's upcoming appointment. But according to Kuroda himself, that decision was still confined to Arasaka's upper echelons—it wasn't public knowledge yet.

And if he handed Kuroda over now... the risk was too great. Better to decline.

"I'll have to refuse your request. However, I am willing to handle a different gig for you."

Rogue's face darkened at the rejection, but her expression softened slightly at the counter-offer. After a moment's consideration, she replied, "Fine. It's a deal."

With that, Jhin ended the call. He had no desire to burn bridges with Rogue—this identity still needed to operate in the cyberpunk underworld for a while. Having Rogue's assistance could also provide more opportunities to encounter key figures and potential Compatible Hosts.

Today's encounter had taught him something important: compatibility wasn't limited to major players in the city's drama. Ordinary people could be suitable hosts too.

His previous lack of success in finding candidates had misled him into thinking only plot-critical individuals qualified.

Jhin pulled the car—"borrowed" from a concerned citizen—into a parking garage. He administered a sharp jolt of electricity to Kuroda, jolting the man back to consciousness.

"Ugh..." Kuroda came to with a groan, the pain from his injuries immediately making itself known. He looked around, his tension visibly easing when he recognized Jhin.

"Ahh... Thanks, Jhin. I owe you one."

"Save the gratitude. I passed on a million-eddie job to extract you. A million should cover it." Jhin spread his hands matter-of-factly.

"Fine, done. But this million-eddie job... you're not talking about me, are you? Am I really only worth a million?" Kuroda nodded, leaning back in his seat as he wiped the cold sweat from his brow.

"Seems that way. The client was supposedly another corp, though I don't know which one. You'll have to figure that out yourself. I've re-enabled your signal. Trauma Team should be here shortly. I'm leaving now."

"Understood. Thanks again for today." Kuroda nodded and closed his eyes, finally allowing himself to relax. The relief was quickly replaced by simmering anger.

He was furious about the ambush. Thanks to Jhin's information, he began running through the list of corporations that might have targeted him. He was certain the intelligence for this operation hadn't been compromised, and on paper, he was still a minor functionary.

So who was behind it?... Militech? Possible. He'd need to watch them more closely.

Biotechnica? Unlikely. They weren't fools.

Kang Tao? Don't be ridiculous... His work didn't even touch on smart weapons development. Unless...

Kuroda's train of thought halted abruptly, his expression freezing before slowly hardening.

"Unless they discovered my previous involvement in developing the new Relic chip..."

Viewed from that angle, Kang Tao suddenly became the prime suspect. But he couldn't afford to make assumptions yet. He would have to wait until he recovered before settling the score.

The distinct hum of an AV approaching signaled the Trauma Team's arrival. Kuroda pushed his speculations aside, quietly waiting for treatment to begin. He hoped they could save his leg... While losing it wouldn't be catastrophic, he still preferred his original equipment.

"Hmm. With both Rogue and Kuroda in my debt now, I have some leverage to work with... I'll wait until the company releases the PROJECT treatment serums... I should be able to cut a deal with the Trauma Team. They'll probably be very interested in this medical product. I wonder how Biotechnica will react... Ah, whatever. Not my problem."

...

Chapter Text

“How’s the serum development coming along?”

Roland looked at the researcher in front of him as he asked.

“Progress is going very smoothly. We’ve already derived three versions of the serum, each with different therapeutic effects. Boss, where did you find this serum?”

The researcher stared at Roland, barely containing his excitement. And it wasn’t without reason—this stuff was unbelievably effective. The original formula, in particular, was so potent it could pull someone back even after their heart had stopped.

Well—to be precise, within a certain window after cardiac arrest. Too long, and even this serum wouldn’t work. It wasn’t some immortal elixir.

“That’s classified. You don’t need to worry about that. Just do your job well. And don’t worry, I’ll keep my word—once the product goes to market, you’ll receive your share of the dividends.”

Roland threw him a glance but didn’t answer the question about the serum’s origins. Instead, he offered profit-sharing as motivation before turning to leave.

He did have the formula for the original serum, but he absolutely did not trust the people of this world with it. Instead, production was handled by Lissandra in a small factory, and the output was nowhere near enough compared to the three diluted versions.

Not that he planned to sell the original formula widely anyway. His target customers were the upper class—people who valued their lives above all else. He knew they’d pay whatever it took.

He had already examined the therapeutic solutions currently available on the market. Their effectiveness was very limited—mostly stopping bleeding and providing minor healing, just enough to keep someone alive until rescue arrived.

His products, however, were a different story.

The first-generation Type C serum wasn’t too different from existing options, but it offered several minor improvements—and at a much lower price. It was cheap enough that an ordinary household could keep one on standby.

The second version provided true healing capabilities—able to mend most wounds, stop bleeding, and support vital organ function. This tier was aimed at the company’s mid- and lower-level employees.

The third version could practically drag someone back from death’s door. Its restorative power was extraordinary, though it did have side effects—mainly temporary physical weakness and loss of appetite. But compared to its benefits, those were negligible.

Naturally, the price was steep—this version was meant for the upper strata.

“Kiwi, keep an eye on them. Before the product launches, don’t let them contact the outside world or leave this facility.”

“Got it.”

Kiwi nodded. An orange glow flickered briefly in her eyes as she resumed monitoring the researchers’ comms, ensuring no insider leaks emerged.

After Roland left, a strange glint flashed in one researcher’s gaze. But when he caught sight of Kiwi, he silently returned to his work.

Meanwhile, Roland contacted Kang Tao’s liaison along with Arasaka’s point of contact, showing them demonstration videos of all the serum variants in use.

In less than a moment, both Arasaka and Kang Tao were hooked. It was obvious why—they were major corporations with their own armed units. Anything that drastically cut medical costs and sent troops back into battle faster would always grab their attention.

The proposed deal was straightforward: PROJECT would supply them with a fixed annual quota of the serum at a discounted rate, and in return, Kang Tao and Arasaka would provide funding and resource support. It was a mutually beneficial arrangement.

After speaking with both companies, Roland kept Kang Tao’s representative behind.

“Mr. Edgar Huo, there’s something I’d like to discuss with your company.”

“Oh? And what might you need from me?”

Edgar Huo’s expression shifted into one of genuine curiosity as he looked at Roland.

“From what I know, the Trauma Team has a supply agreement with your company. I’d like to use your recommendation to establish cooperation with them.”

Roland stated his request directly, smiling as he did.

Edgar Huo’s face tightened in a pained expression—this time, not an act. He knew full well that the company before him operated in the smart weapons market, competing directly with Kang Tao.

And he had to admit, Roland’s smart weapons surpassed theirs in some aspects. Even the Zhuo-style targeting system had incorporated improvements based on weapons provided by Roland’s company.

“I can offer a 10% profit share,” Roland continued calmly, “and a blueprint for a new smart weapon. I assume your company wouldn’t refuse something like that?”

At that, Edgar Huo’s eyes brightened, though his face remained composed. He wanted to see if he could push for more.

After all, Roland was the one seeking cooperation. Securing additional benefits was only natural.

“Hm… I must say, Mr. Roland, your sincerity is impressive… However, this isn’t something I can decide alone. I’ll need to discuss it with those above me. Would that be acceptable…?”

He looked at Roland with a conflicted expression, then added a polite, ingratiating smile. Clearly, Roland’s offer tempted him.

Roland narrowed his eyes slightly, then nodded. “No problem. That’s reasonable. But I hope you won’t make me wait too long. And one more thing… being too greedy tends to backfire.”

He left that final warning before ending the call.

After disconnecting, Edgar Huoi chuckled softly, then gathered others to discuss. They determined a reasonable compromise—nothing overboard. They understood perfectly: Roland only needed Kang Tao to strengthen his ties with the Trauma Team, not to replace them.

And considering the performance of the weapons and the serum he had shown them, the Trauma Team absolutely wouldn’t miss this opportunity. The serum was far cheaper than hospital-level treatment, and securing exclusive supply rights would give them grounds to raise certain fees.

Before long, Kang Tao called Roland back, agreeing to help—but only if he yielded an additional half percentage point.

Roland didn’t hesitate. Securing the market mattered more right now.

As a result, Roland quickly reached an agreement with the Trauma Team. After seeing the serum’s effects for themselves, the Trauma Team soon realized that many of Biotechnica’s treatments… were no longer necessary.

They immediately planned to discontinue several Biotechnica medications to cut costs.

This left Biotechnica stunned. They hadn’t done anything—so why were they suddenly being dropped?

Biotechnica’s intelligence division soon acquired internal information from the Trauma Team: the collaboration was ending because they had signed a new agreement with PROJECT, whose new pharmaceuticals could replace portions of Biotechnica’s offerings.

Upon learning this, Fuda, head of the intelligence division, scowled darkly.

“Investigate. I want to know exactly what new drugs that company has developed!”

Though Biotechnica’s primary field was energy technology, pharmaceuticals were also a major profit source—one they had no intention of giving up.

Chapter Text

Fuda studied the intelligence he had obtained from the Trauma Team, sinking into deep contemplation. The moment he saw the serum’s capabilities, he realized the enormous potential behind it. If they could integrate the underlying technology into Berserk Cyberware...

That thought alone sent his mind racing. His first instinct was to find a way to obtain PROJECT Corporation’s formula—ideally steal it, if possible. After all, they were just a small company.

But since PROJECT had already signed cooperation agreements with major corporations, he planned to try the official route first. If that failed, he would move on to other methods.

And if nothing else worked, they would simply acquire the company. The other corporations might be willing to stir up conflict with PROJECT, but Biotechnica had no such intention.

The attraction of that formula was simply too overwhelming.

Obtaining the formula and the development approach behind it would allow them to rapidly produce various new types of pharmaceuticals. Fuda didn’t even dare imagine how much this could boost Biotechnica’s valuation.

His eyes reddened at the thought. He could practically see himself being rapidly promoted.

After forcing himself to calm down with a deep breath, he summoned his subordinates and instructed them to initiate negotiations with PROJECT Corporation.

“Let’s hope they have the sense to cooperate… otherwise…”

A cold snort escaped him.

Meanwhile, Kang Tao, Arasaka, and the rest had also noticed Biotechnica’s movements. Naturally, none of them warned Roland.

They were observing, waiting to see whether Roland could withstand the pressure from Biotechnica. Though this wasn’t Biotechnica’s territory, they were far from harmless.

If Roland couldn’t hold the line, they wouldn’t mind extending a “helping hand.” After all, letting Biotechnica obtain the formula would only harm their interests—Biotechnica would demand a sky-high price for everything.

Compared to that enormous corporation, they much preferred a smaller, more manageable company like PROJECT to retain control of the formula.

But if Roland proved capable of holding his ground... then they would need to reassess PROJECT’s background. Their current investigations revealed nothing suspicious, but…

The company’s founder was questionable. It was as if he had “awakened overnight.”

They didn’t believe such a story. To them, Roland looked more like a puppet placed there by someone hidden behind the scenes.

...

“You’re telling me Biotechnica wants to meet with me?”

Roland narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the employee who had rushed in with the news.

“Yes, boss. They didn’t give details—just that they want to speak with you.”

The employee nodded repeatedly. Roland immediately began to consider what Biotechnica might be after.

“They couldn’t have discovered the serum already…? Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.”

With that in mind, he instructed his staff to bring the Biotechnica representatives in.

Soon after, the Biotechnica team arrived at the meeting room Roland had prepared.

“Pleasure to meet you, Mr. Roland. I’m Owen, the representative of Biotechnica. I look forward to working with you.”

Owen stepped forward and greeted Roland with polished, professional ease.

That caught Roland slightly off guard, though he didn’t show it. He simply shook Owen’s outstretched hand.

“I’m Roland. A pleasure to meet you, Mr. Owen.”

He recognized Owen as the unlucky Biotechnica representative who had previously met with Fiers. Seeing him assigned to meet Roland now… perhaps he’d been demoted.

After all, Roland had a very realistic understanding of how small his company truly was.

“What brings your company here today?” Roland asked.

“Haha, nothing too pressing. We simply heard that your company recently partnered with the Trauma Team, as well as Kang Tao?”

Owen laughed lightly, speaking in a calm, easy tone.

“Yes, that’s correct.”

Roland nodded, offering no further elaboration.

Unbothered, Owen continued, “I’ve also heard that your company—specifically you, Mr. Roland—recently developed a new type of pharmaceutical?”

“To be precise, I was the one who developed it.”

Roland looked directly into Owen’s eyes as he spoke. Upon hearing this, Owen’s expression hardened for an instant. If what Roland said was true, the company’s greatest asset wasn’t the formula—it was Roland himself.

Realizing this, Owen’s smile widened.

“I wonder if Mr. Roland has considered selling company shares, or perhaps accepting external investment?”

“Selling shares? Far too early for that. I haven’t considered it. But investment… I’m open to discussing that.”

Roland smiled.

“That’s excellent. To be honest, we’re very interested in acquiring the formula for that pharmaceutical. If possible, we’d like you to hand it over now.”

Owen smiled politely as he extended his hand—ready to seal the deal as soon as Roland shook it.

Roland was important, yes, but the formula mattered more. Geniuses were common; geniuses who produced results were not.

“Ah, I believe you misunderstand, Mr. Owen. I accept investment in exchange for dividends, but I do not sell my formulas.”

“We can waive the dividends. Just give us the formula.”

Owen’s expression didn’t change; he remained perfectly cordial. Roland simply smiled and shook his head in refusal.

Owen’s smile gradually faded. He looked at Roland calmly.

“Mr. Roland, are you serious?”

“Of course. I never lie.”

Roland held his gaze with a smile.

Owen quietly put away the contract, gestured for his team to leave, and cast Roland a deep, lingering look before walking out.

Once he was gone, Roland spoke immediately.

“Lissandra, keep an eye on Biotechnica. I have a feeling they’re preparing something big.”

“Understood, sir.”

When Owen relayed everything back to Biotechnica, Fuda let out a helpless sigh before chuckling.

“Looks like our friend isn’t as cooperative as we’d hoped. Go ahead—begin the operation.”

His subordinates nodded, and a conspiracy aimed squarely at PROJECT Corporation began to unfold.

When Weis saw the incoming communication request from Owen, he narrowed his eyes. That man never contacted him without a reason—this visit had to mean something.

After connecting the call and listening to Owen’s proposal, Weis’s expression shifted into one of quiet bewilderment.

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

“According to reliable sources, PROJECT Corporation has recently conducted drug trials on unwitting participants who were never informed of potential side effects. We strongly condemn such inhumane behavior...”

Roland switched off the TV in silence, then rubbed his temples in frustration. Biotechnica had clearly teamed up with Militech to suppress them.

They were using Channel 54’s media power to pressure his company while leaning on major weapon suppliers and arms shops to restrict PROJECT’s access to the market.

At the same time, Channel 54 had begun promoting Biotechnica’s pharmaceuticals. PROJECT’s products were taking heavy fire. Roland also noticed the subtle shift in Arasaka’s and Kang Tao’s attitudes—clearly, they intended for Biotechnica and Militech to strike first.

Then the two of them could swoop in and “pick the fruit.”
Meanwhile, seeing PROJECT struggling, Luvena Tech had started stirring things up as well. The Trauma Team, however, wasn’t bothered in the slightest.

Their stance was simple and unwavering: “Whoever has the medicine, we work with. We’re fair.”

“Looks like we can’t count on WNS from Arasaka’s side… Reckless of me. Should’ve secured a microphone before stepping onto the stage. Tsk…”

Irritated, Roland began searching for a way to break the stalemate. Arasaka’s inaction was simple—they saw no profit to be gained. Sure, Roland could feed them enough benefits to get them moving, but that was no long-term solution.

He couldn’t bribe them every time trouble appeared.

“Biotechnica… Biotechnica…”

Suddenly, he remembered some of Biotechnica’s darker secrets. One was the real drug testing case involving Sasha’s mother; another was the raw material scandal at All Foods.

If he could secure evidence of both and hand it to Arasaka’s…

He was confident that Arasaka—currently locked in a struggle with Militech—wouldn’t mind being used as a weapon against them, especially since Militech was cooperating with Biotechnica right now.

If Arasaka exposed those scandals, Militech would almost certainly kick Biotechnica away to protect its reputation.

As for Kang Tao… Roland had never counted on them. This wasn’t their turf, and several Kang Tao executives were the type who wouldn’t so much as blink without profit on the table.

Still, Roland wasn’t placing all his hopes on Arasaka either. They might not intervene at all. Their real relationship with Biotechnica remained unclear, so he had Lissandra prepare for contingencies.

However, he also couldn’t let Militech’s public smear campaign go unanswered. Otherwise, it would only make him look guilty.

So he needed to counter it—not necessarily to convince people that PROJECT was innocent, but to muddy the waters. To make everything uncertain, indistinguishable. That confusion would give him room to maneuver.

Truth be told, if he could, Roland wanted to flip the table and hit them hard. But unfortunately, the other side hadn’t flipped theirs. Doing so first on their home turf would break too many unspoken rules.

Roland ordered his intelligence staff to collect Biotechnica’s hidden scandals. Then he put on his helmet.

“Kiwi, we’re going out on a job.”

“A job? Is it because of the negative news about the company lately?”

“Yes. They’re slandering us without cause. We don’t have many options right now, so we start with clarifications. We hold too little of the narrative. But since they’ve gone dirty, we’ll return the favor.”

Kiwi listened and nodded slightly.

“Where are we going?”

“Do you know where the All Foods processing facility is?”

“All Foods? Isn’t that Militech?”

Kiwi blinked at him, confused.

“No. The one pulling the strings behind it is Biotechnica. Our target is to expose Biotechnica’s dirt.”

“I understand.”

Kiwi unfolded a map and marked all the All Foods facilities. One location immediately caught Roland’s attention.

The reason was simple: it sat squarely in Maelstrom territory. If he was right, the facility was being operated by Maelstrom.

That made things easy. Roland knew Maelstrom’s nature all too well. Besides the questionable raw materials, they were likely adding their own… “enhancements.”

“We went to the All Foods facility in Watson District before. I have a feeling this one’s hiding something big.”

“...Just the two of us? That seems dangerous.”

“Well… we could hire a fringe squad. That’d make things easier.”

Roland considered it. While he wasn’t worried about himself, Kiwi was a different matter. Hiring a squad was the safer approach.

That made Roland think of the Judgment-Compatible he’d run into last time. If possible, he could try recruiting them.

Better yet, he could recruit the whole team. Their skills were solid—more than enough for small-scale operations—and it meant he wouldn’t need to personally handle every task.

...

“Seems PROJECT is having trouble keeping up.”

Still recovering in Night City, Kuroda scrolled through the online chatter surrounding PROJECT. Despite their official statement and testimony from participants, Militech-controlled channels held more reach and influence. PROJECT’s negative press remained relentless, spawning parody animations mocking their products.

That said, some of PROJECT’s intelligent security robots reminded Kuroda of the Jhin he’d encountered. Certain models had similar shapes—but those security bots were clearly older, inferior versions.

“So… Jhin is actually with PROJECT Corporation?”

Kuroda wasn’t sure anymore. How could a company so newly established wield such power? Unless someone was backing them from the shadows.

But who?

The thought made Kuroda narrow his eyes. He didn’t know who stood behind Jhin, but for now, their goals aligned: to ensure the New United States lost the Unification War and for Night City to become fully independent.

But that didn’t mean the New United States should lose from the start. They needed Night City and the NUSA forces to clash—and for Night City to win. Only then would the hidden players swoop in and reap the benefits.

The real question was: what role did Jhin’s unseen backer play in all this?

Even so, it was worth attempting to recruit one or two of them. Kuroda remained deeply intrigued by the power Jhin had displayed—and so were his superiors.

Chapter Text

“Seems things are progressing nicely. Give it a little more time, then visit the boss of PROJECT again. By then, he should know exactly what to do.”

After reviewing the documents in his hands, Fuda spoke to Owen.

Owen nodded to show he understood, then added, “Mr. Fuda, PROJECT’s intelligence team has started digging for dirt on some of our subsidiary operations.”

“Oh? Interesting. Try turning a few of their people to our side—see what intel they’ve uncovered.”

“Yes, sir.”

Fuda was confident in how he covered his tracks, but caution was still necessary. There were always those who pretended loyalty but acted differently behind the scenes. And lately, several of their R&D projects had been burning through a lot of funding.

Cost-cutting measures had been implemented all over the company. If anyone exposed those decisions, his position as head of intelligence would be over.

“Hmm… I should coordinate with Security as well, just in case something actually happens…”

With that in mind, Fuda contacted Neris to arrange additional personnel in several key areas.

Especially in locations storing pharmaceutical R&D data. The most critical information was kept in the main building, but leaks from the satellite facilities could still catch the attention of the wrong people.

Next was the situation at All Foods. If the truth about that place came out… the impact on their food division would be massive. Sure, time and public opinion could eventually bury the issue, but not without enormous cost. If possible, avoiding an incident was best. As for stopping those operations entirely… that was ridiculous. If they stopped just because of PROJECT, he might as well resign.

And who would pay for the increased costs? Him? Impossible. Even his entire annual salary thrown into that hole wouldn’t cause so much as a ripple before disappearing completely.

“Watson District…”

Fuda frowned. The All Foods factory there was run by the Maelstrom gang. If he sent his own people, they’d probably get chased out immediately.

Besides, he had no desire to get directly involved with that group. He’d only handed control of the All Foods factory to them in the first place to keep them quiet. Maelstrom had been rooted in Night City for years. Taking them down was doable, but unnecessary. It was better to exploit them whenever possible—much like the Tyger Claws under Arasaka.

“Forget it. Leaving that site to the Maelstrom gang should be fine… but some precautions wouldn’t hurt…”

Shaking his head, Fuda decided not to overthink it. Everyone knew how heavily cyber-modified Maelstrom members were. Still, he sent them a shipment of cyberware and heavy weapons as a precaution.

...

“An honor to finally meet you, Queen of the Afterlife—Ms. Rogue.”

“I’ve been hearing your name a lot lately too, Mr. Roland. Since you’ve come to me, I’m guessing you’ve got an idea for a counterattack?”

Rogue gestured for Roland to take a seat.

“That’s right. I have a plan—but I’ll need some help.”

Roland nodded. Rogue waved Claire over.

“Anything to drink?”

Roland looked at the familiar face and couldn’t help remembering that she used to be a man.

“Johnny Silverhand. Thanks.”

“Didn’t expect you to order that bastard’s drink.”

“Just curious, that’s all.”

Roland smiled, then looked directly at Rogue. “I need a capable and trustworthy team. The gig is to raid the Maelstrom-controlled All Foods facility in Watson and retrieve information about the raw materials they’re using in food production.”

“Oh? Sounds like a big job. Maelstrom only has one All Foods facility left over there, and they guard it fiercely. What’s your budget?”

Rogue’s expression grew more interested. She could tell Roland already had some intel—clearly the man knew there was something dirty to uncover about Biotechnica at that site.

Where Roland got the information didn’t concern her. Employers had their own channels.

Roland thought for a moment before replying, “Five hundred thousand eddies. I can go up to one million if necessary.”

“That’s a solid number. Alright. Send me my cut and I’ll arrange a reliable crew for you.”

“If possible, I want the squad that White is in.”

Roland stated his preference immediately. One of the reasons he’d come to hire a mercenary team was specifically to get that one—he’d already dug up some intel on them.

Rogue blinked in mild surprise. She hadn’t expected Roland to already have a team in mind. After thinking it over briefly, she nodded.

“Sure. A reasonable request. I’ll check with them. If they’re willing, I’ll assign that crew to the job.”

“Oh, and for this mission, my company will send two operatives along. One is equipped with Sandevistan. The other is a capable netrunner.”

Roland explained while standing. For Yi’s speed boost, he directly attributed it to Sandevistan—it was easier than explaining the truth.

“No problem.”

Rogue had no objections. These were the employer’s people, and she trusted the quality of Roland’s elite enforcers. After all, she’d dealt with Arasaka operatives before—she knew what true professionals looked like.

Not long after Roland left the Afterlife, a very familiar car pulled up in front of him, catching him off guard.

He knew this vehicle all too well. When operating Jhin’s body, he’d seen it more times than he could count.

“Kuroda’s car… What does he want with me…? I’m not acting as Jhin right now…”

“Mr. Roland, please get in. Our boss has something to discuss with you.”

Roland didn’t hesitate. None of these people posed a threat to him.

“This should be our first meeting, Mr. Roland,” Kuroda said with a polite smile after Roland entered the car.

“To be precise, I’d say we’ve met before, Mr. Kuroda.”

Hearing his own name spoken so directly, Kuroda’s expression froze.

Chapter Text

Kuroda was momentarily surprised that the other party could call him by name so directly, but he quickly steadied his emotions and expression.
He shifted his gaze to Roland and said, “I’m curious, Mr. Roland. Where exactly did you learn my name? If I remember correctly, I’m not the one assigned to handle communications with you in this area.”

“I think you already know the answer, Mr. Kuroda. Since you’ve come looking for me, it means you’ve already reached certain conclusions, hasn’t it?”
Roland looked him straight in the eyes, as though he had already seen through Kuroda’s thoughts.

“So you’re admitting Jhin is working for you?”
Kuroda narrowed his eyes as he studied Roland.

“No, no. You’re giving me too much credit. Jhin and I aren’t in a superior–subordinate relationship. We’re partners. Or, more accurately, I’m cooperating with an organization, and Jhin is one of the operatives they sent.”
Roland waved his hand lightly to dismiss the misunderstanding, then rested both hands on his knees and leaned forward slightly.

Hearing this, Kuroda’s pupils moved subtly. He nodded, more convinced of his earlier suspicions.

“In that case, Mr. Kuroda, I assume your visit today is about the pressure we’re facing from Biotechnica and Militech? Is Arasaka planning to step in on our behalf?”

“There is such an intention. But from the current situation, I imagine you’ve already come up with a countermeasure, Mr. Roland?”
“More or less. Still, we need a bit of help from Arasaka.”

“Oh? Let’s hear it.”
Kuroda raised an eyebrow, genuinely intrigued. He had expected Roland’s backers to already be preparing to intervene—this level of restraint surprised him.

“We’ll soon have some black material on Biotechnica—enough to hit their market value. But we lack media influence. We need WNS under Arasaka to amplify the story.”
Roland smiled openly. Mutual leverage—simple enough.

“I see. That’s easy to arrange. But that’s not the only reason I came. There’s something more important. To be frank, we’re very interested in your cyberware modification technology.”

“Cyberware modifications? You mean something like Jhin’s?”

“Exactly. I know the cyberware on Jhin isn’t available anywhere on the market—not even the materials match. And I’m curious: how did you achieve such a high degree of modification while still keeping Jhin fully lucid?”
A spark of excitement lit up Kuroda’s eyes. As a researcher, brand-new technology like this thrilled him.

Roland’s expression shifted with understanding. “That’s an internal top-secret matter. And as for Jhin’s situation… to be blunt, it can’t be replicated. It was a one-off event.”

“A one-off event?”
Kuroda froze, immediately thinking of Adam Smasher—another case created by an accident.

“Yes. His initial cyberware level was quite low. He upgraded only to stay alive. Through various methods, he kept advancing himself until he became what he is now. You could say most of it was his own work.”

“Ah… one of those special cases.”
Kuroda nodded, his enthusiasm dimming slightly.

“Still, I assume you have cyberware technology you haven’t revealed yet?”
Roland didn’t answer verbally. He simply smiled, rolled up his sleeve, and tapped his arm. An exoskeletal mechanical arm unfolded like armor.

Kuroda’s eyes hardened instantly. A simple exoskeletal arm wouldn’t impress him, but this one was unusually thin and light, and clearly contained advanced technology he couldn’t identify at a glance.

“This arm can integrate with any prosthetic hand on the market with only minor adjustments. It also provides significant strength augmentation. On top of that, you can add a layer of Power Armor or Exoskeleton Armor to it.”
Kuroda narrowed his eyes, thoughts racing. He immediately envisioned battlefield deployment. Most modern Power Armor and Exoskeletons placed heavy physical requirements on the user. Only high-tier cyberware users could operate them, and the more advanced the armor, the stronger the user needed to be.

But if this mechanical arm had other components in the same series, then the threshold for using such equipment could be drastically lowered.

That realization tempted him greatly. Yet rationality held him back—whether or not Roland had additional armed support, even dealing with that single Jhin was already an unsolvable problem.

“Let’s talk cooperation, Mr. Roland. I believe you know what we’re planning next.”

“Yes. Myers is preparing to launch the Unification War. You intend to profit from it—help Night City become independent and bring it back under your control, right?”
Roland nodded without hesitation.

“As expected of you, Mr. Roland. Yes, that’s our plan. So we hope the people behind you can help us achieve this goal. In return, we’ll give them the Night City interests they want.”
Kuroda nodded firmly, meeting Roland’s eyes.

“I’m curious—what gives you the authority to negotiate something like this with me?”
Roland narrowed his eyes slightly. The man’s identity didn’t match the image he had initially painted.

Kuroda smiled. “I am Lord Saburo’s trusted adjutant. Rest assured, everything we’re discussing has been approved by Lord Saburo.”

Roland’s pupils contracted sharply. Saburo Arasaka—one of the most powerful individuals in the world. Roland knew their paths would cross sooner or later, perhaps even as adversaries… but he hadn’t expected to encounter his people so soon.

“Mr. Roland?” Kuroda asked when he noticed Roland drifting into thought.

“Oh, I was just thinking… In any case, we don’t intend to go public or take direct action yet. For now, we can only provide technical support.”
Roland collected himself and replied.

“That’s sufficient. In that case, we’ll provide PROJECT with certain resources and support.”
Kuroda’s expression brightened.

“Then, as a gesture of sincerity…”
Roland nodded and immediately sent the mechanical arm blueprints to Kuroda’s inbox. The sudden notification startled Kuroda, who urgently contacted Arasaka’s netrunners to encrypt the message.

“I’ll send the remaining blueprints once our cooperation deepens. That’s all for now. I’ll take my leave.”
Roland opened the car door, rose to his feet, and vanished in an instant.

Sandevistan?! No… that wasn’t it…
Kuroda narrowed his eyes at the empty space where Roland had stood. It seemed the man had even more powerful hidden Cyberware—perhaps he too was one of those special individuals?

It felt highly likely. Otherwise, why would someone like him serve as their public face?

A corp holding this many schematics could never be a small player. But who were they?

A theory formed in Kuroda’s mind, though he didn’t report it—just a suspicion for now. He simply instructed his netrunners to strengthen surveillance over PROJECT.

Chapter Text

“Rogue? What do you need from me this time?”

White pushed himself up from the bed, lighting a cigarette as he spoke with mild curiosity. After the last mission failed, he figured Rogue wouldn’t be coming to them again so soon.

Sure, the failure wasn’t entirely their fault, but failure was failure. Their squad had taken losses too—Vilet, for example, still hadn’t returned.

Her injuries had mostly healed, but she wanted time to rest, and White couldn’t argue with that.

The issue was that if Vilet was resting, Tina was resting with her. It was unavoidable—the two wanted to be together. And as their captain, not their partner, White had no say in the matter.

So with nothing to do lately, he’d mostly been at home.

“I’ve got work for your crew. And it’s a big one. Interested?”

“A big one? You serious?”

White froze, momentarily forgetting the cigarette between his fingers.

“Dead serious. Think of it as giving you another chance. But the client has a requirement: you’ll be working alongside two of his people.”

Rogue said this as she passed along Roland’s instructions.

“No problem. What’s the payout and the job?”

“Minimum fifty thousand eddies, potentially rising to a hundred thousand depending on circumstances. As for the details… if you’re planning to take it, come to Afterlife later. We’ll discuss it face-to-face.”

“…Alright. I’ll talk it over with the others and call you back.”

“Good, don’t make me wait.”

Rogue nodded and hung up.

White no longer felt like smoking. He stubbed the cigarette out, then hurriedly pulled on his clothes.

“Why the rush?”

A beautiful woman sat up in his bed, brushing her hair aside as she asked lazily.

“Rogue says there’s a big job. I need to get the idiots together and talk. Can’t stay with you today—next time.”

“Fine, I won’t hold you up, my busy man.”

Hill smiled, leaned in to give White a quick kiss, then pushed him away.

...

Over at Vilet and Tina’s place, the two were in the middle of an intimate embrace when a call came in, making Vilet frown.

She ignored it outright, hanging up without looking at the screen, then pulled Tina close again.

Tina still hadn’t realized someone had called when another ring cut through the moment. Vilet’s breathing hitched.

Seeing this, Tina paused and tilted her head at her.

“What’s wrong?”

“It’s White. He’s calling. Give me a second.”

Vilet kissed Tina’s cheek, then answered with a dark look.

“You’d better have a damn good reason.”

“I know I’m interrupting you two, but listen—Rogue handed us a big Gig. That’s why I called. I need to know if you’re taking it.”

White explained while driving toward Golor’s place.

Vilet hesitated, thinking it over. After a brief silence, she said, “Pick up the others first. I’ll call you back.”

“Alright.”

White hung up and focused on the road. Golor hadn’t answered his calls—White figured the guy was high again—so he had no choice but to show up in person.

“Something up? Did White need something urgent?”

Tina leaned on one elbow, watching Vilet.

“Yeah. Rogue’s offering another big Gig and wants to know if we’re in.”

Tina was quiet for a moment, then said softly, “Vilet… to be honest, I don’t want to keep doing this. It’s too dangerous. I’m scared of losing you. When you got hurt that day, I—”

Before she could finish, Vilet silenced her with a kiss.

Eventually, they parted.

“I know. But what else can we do?”

“We’ve saved up plenty. Let’s leave this place and start fresh somewhere else. Night City has opportunities, sure, but most of the time it just swallows people whole.”

Tina tried to reason with her. Vilet hesitated, feeling torn, but still shook her head.

“I don’t know. Maybe we should look for another way. I don’t want to leave. I grew up here. I’m used to this place—I understand it.”

Tina fell quiet at that. Then she pulled out the contact information Roland had left them.

“Maybe we can ask his opinion. If we’re not leaving, then maybe sheltering under a strong enough ‘tree’ will help us survive.”

Vilet glanced at the contact information for Jhin in Tina’s hand.

“Then after this operation. Once the mission’s done, we’ll talk to White.”

...

“Well, it looks like your squad has made up its mind.”

Rogue looked at the assembled White Squad with a faint smile before taking a seat across from them.

“Yeah. We’ll take the Gig. Since you’re willing to trust us again, Rogue, we won’t let you down.”

Golor leaned forward with a grin.

“Hey—this time it’s not me doing you a favor. The client specifically requested your squad.”

Rogue waved her hand, making it clear this wasn’t her decision, then pushed forward the Gig intel.

“They requested us specifically? We’re that well-known now?”

White muttered as he picked up the chip and slotted it into the reader.

After reviewing the details, everyone’s expressions hardened.

“WTF? Are they for real? Stealing intel on raw ingredients from All Foods?”

Golor was the first to blurt out, though he quickly lowered his voice.

“And in Watson, no less. There’s a high chance we’ll run into the Maelstrom.”

Tina set down her chip, her tone equally serious.

“That’s why the pay is high. You know how it works—risk and reward scale together. Just like the last Gig. If luck hadn’t been on your side, you’d all be souvenirs by now.”

Rogue took a sip of her drink and nodded.

“We want to meet the client’s assigned contacts as soon as possible and get a sense of their capabilities.”

White said this as he set down the chip.

“A reasonable request. I’ll let him know.”

...

(40 Chapters Ahead)

p@treon com / GhostParser

Chapter Text

“So you’re the team we’re partnering with.”

Roland slipped on Light’s armor template, rolled his shoulders, and spoke. After giving White a brief glance, he shifted his focus directly to Vilet.

One of the main reasons he agreed to Kiwi’s proposal was precisely because of this person—Vilet.

Standing beside them, Kiwi immediately picked up on Roland’s shift in attitude. When she noticed him staring fixedly at Vilet without moving, an odd look flickered through her eyes.

“No way… does Yi actually go for this type?”

Kiwi couldn’t help letting her thoughts run wild.

“Hey, boss… this guy doesn’t look like someone we can afford to piss off…”

Golor edged up to White and whispered.

“You needed to tell me that? With that exoskeleton armor and that level of cyberware? I wouldn’t even dare imagine it.”

White muttered through clenched molars.

“Are you Kiwi?”

Tina stepped up to Kiwi, sounding a little unsure. Hearing someone call her name, Kiwi froze, staring at the unfamiliar woman in front of her. She was certain they’d never met.

“And you are?”

“I’m Tina. You probably don’t know me, but I know who you are. I’ve seen your netrunner studio.”

Tina smiled faintly as she regarded Kiwi.

“Looks like someone on your side knows someone from mine,” Roland remarked after glancing over at the two women talking.

“Yeah, probably a connection from the netrunner scene,” White replied with a nod, acknowledging the competence of both. If the netrunner was someone Tina knew—and someone who had chosen to partner with this monster—then their skills were unquestionably solid.

The only thing left to figure out was their temperament…

Thinking this, White couldn’t help studying Roland more closely. The metallic plating of his exoskeleton looked like overlapping silver scales; black synthetic muscle fibers traced along the joints, energy conduits were hidden beneath, and his helmet featured six gleaming eyes.

And was that long white hair hanging down from his head? White wasn’t sure. But judging purely from appearance, this was not someone easy to get along with—more like a cold, efficient killing machine.

“This job’s simple. White and I will infiltrate and steal the data. The rest of you handle external support. Kiwi, Tina, and Rich will provide remote netrunner backup.”

Roland briefed them calmly. After a short pause, he added, “Right, and I’m here on behalf of my boss to ask you something. Any of you interested in joining our company?”

Everyone froze at the sudden recruitment pitch, clearly not expecting a corporate offer out of nowhere.

“No. I don’t like working under a company. If I wanted to, I’d have joined one already.”

White rejected the offer instantly. Roland shook his head, disappointed—it was a shame. He really did want his own squad; it would save him from having to run around handling everything himself every day.

Yes, he technically had plenty of people under him, but very few were genuinely capable, and even fewer were fully trustworthy. So he ended up doing most things personally.

Just like now. And of course, there was one more honest reason: Roland just enjoyed getting out and stirring things up himself.

After hesitating for a moment, Rich and Golor also shook their heads. Golor simply hated the corporate lifestyle, while Rich shared White’s reasoning.
With his netrunning skill, he could easily get hired—but he had zero interest.

Roland then turned to Vilet and Tina. He could tell the two of them were thinking about it.

“We’ll need some time to consider. Can we give you an answer later?” Vilet finally said.

White and the others shot them startled looks—they clearly hadn’t expected that response.

“Vilet…”

“I’ll explain after this job, boss.”

Vilet shook her head and looked off into the distance, unwilling to elaborate.

Tina stepped quietly to her side, clearly holding the same position.

Roland nodded and sent his contact information to them both.

“Alright, let’s head over to the All Foods plant in Watson. Get yourselves ready—we’ll begin as soon as we arrive.”

White and the others nodded, then trudged back to the vehicle looking deflated, completely different from the energy they’d had when they first arrived.

“Looks like Vilet and Tina really are considering joining the company,” Kiwi remarked as she sat down beside Roland.

“Probably tired of the edges-of-society lifestyle—or thinking the risk is too high. Joining a company offers more stability than living like ordinary edgerunners.”

Roland adjusted the car’s systems casually as he spoke.

“By the way, in a little while, the company will probably have enough spare funds to custom-build a Cyberware set just for you. Any thoughts on what you want?”

“…Is it expensive?”

“…Obviously.”

“Do I have to pay for it?”

“Selling you wouldn’t even cover it.”

“Then I’ve got no opinion. Do whatever.”

…

“This is the All Foods factory. We’ll take a look inside once we breach their systems.”

Kiwi stared at the massive industrial complex in the distance, orange light flashing across her eyes.

Rich and Tina immediately began their intrusion routines, hacking into the factory’s internal systems.

“Hm… can’t see the production floor. They probably intentionally didn’t install cameras there…”

“The entrance—holy shit. Two Militech fully automated heavy turret guns right at the gate!”

“Looks like around forty people inside? Maybe more. Most of them are Maelstrom. Hardly any non-Maelstrom personnel working in the building.”

“Send whatever you’re seeing to this computer.”

Roland pulled a laptop from the car’s trunk. Soon, three separate displays appeared as the trio streamed their feeds in. Roland and the others began analyzing the data instantly.

“That firepower’s going to be a pain…”

“Yeah. Best if we avoid a direct fight. We grab the intel and get out.”

Roland nodded. There were plenty of people inside, most armed with SMGs and rifles—heavy firepower. Roland didn’t fear it himself, but the others definitely didn’t have his level of ballistic protection.

Chapter Text

“Alright, I’ve hacked into the western surveillance feed. They won’t be watching this side for a while. Go in from over there.”

Kiwi glanced at Roland and White as she spoke.

Roland nodded lightly, tapped the ground with his foot, and vanished on the spot. By the time White turned his head, Roland was already inside the factory.

Seeing that, White’s mouth twitched. Are you serious…? I haven’t even started moving yet!

With no choice left, he rushed forward and vaulted over the wall with a single leap, landing along the outer perimeter of the factory.

“What’s the route from here?”

White asked over comms. Roland glanced back at him, suddenly feeling that he really didn’t need this guy following him—but since he was already here…

“Just try to keep up. Don’t worry about anything else.”

He flickered forward in a short blink, crossing five meters in an instant and appearing behind a shipping container. The passing Maelstrom member nearly jumped out of his skin.

“What was that sound?”

He looked around nervously, finding nothing. A cold shiver crawled up his spine—he could’ve sworn he felt a gust of wind behind him.

The dim yellow lights and the deep, jagged shadows cast by the massive red containers only made everything feel more unsettling.

He shuddered and turned to leave.

A wet, slicing sound cut through the air. Agony bloomed in his chest—and before he could scream, a sharp crack snapped his neck.

“You enter from that side. I’ll take the other.”

Roland pointed toward a room not far from the dead Maelstrom member—one that led directly to the second floor of the factory. Then he disappeared back into the darkness.

“Fine, you’re the boss. Whatever you say…”

White looked exasperated but didn’t argue. He searched the body, fished out an access card, and walked toward the door.

…

Meanwhile, the six eyes on Roland’s helmet slowly lit up. Instantly, the combat system tagged every figure in sight, marking them with a bright inverted triangle over their heads.

He tightened his grip on his Thermal Katana, tapped the ground lightly, and bounded up to the top of the All Foods factory.

Outside, Kiwi and the others froze at the sight.

“Hey… are all your squad members this insane?”

Golor couldn’t help asking. Kiwi’s lips twitched, but she said nothing.

Swish—

A streak of red light flashed. Roland calmly sheathed his blade. Three bisected corpses lay on the rooftop. He walked over to the access door and pulled it open with a firm twist, metal groaning under his grip.

“Kiwi, where’s their production workshop?”

“I’m sending you the factory map. The section I blacked out—that’s where the workshop is.”

“Received.”

Buzz—

A streak of light flickered across the floor as Roland moved, slipping perfectly out of sight of every Maelstrom member before stopping in front of the workshop door—an electronic lock standing silently before him.

Just as Roland was about to ask Kiwi if she could crack it, footsteps echoed down the hall.

He glanced back—and vanished.

“Don’t you think those Biotechnica guys are way too jumpy? It’s just a small company. No way they’ve got the firepower to hit our turf.”

“Who knows. Either way, it’s not a bad thing for us. Extra high-end Militech weapons? Great news. If we wanted to buy that stuff, it’d bleed us dry.”

None of them noticed the figure perched silently above them, watching.

“I’ve got the door code. It’s 50462.”

White’s voice suddenly came through the comms, making Roland pause. Honestly, he’d only sent White that way to keep him out of trouble… but this was a pleasant surprise.

White, meanwhile, sat in the surveillance room. Two Maelstrom members lay dead at his feet, blood pooling from their slashed throats.

He wiped all recorded footage, disabled the recording system, and used the monitors to track everyone else’s movements.

That’s when he saw it—a hulking figure sitting on a sofa in the center of the first floor.

The thing had to be nearly two-and-a-half meters tall. All four limbs looked cybernetic. Its face no longer resembled anything human—just six glowing red lenses.

“If I ever had to fight that thing… I’d be screwed…”

With the code in hand, Roland dropped back down after the two guards entered, landing without a sound.

He punched in the code. The door slid open—and the stench inside made his expression shift instantly. He activated his helmet’s filtration system as a suffocating odor slammed into him.

“Damn… this smell is brutal…”

“You’ll get used to it. Look at me—I don’t even notice it anymore.”

Roland eyed the two figures ahead. He didn’t attack. Instead, he circled around them to check the raw materials they were using.

Before long, he found a row of machines grinding away under red lights—processing all sorts of grotesque insects, some disturbingly familiar.

He quietly activated his recording function, documenting everything, then continued onward.

A faint groan caught his attention. Roland turned toward the sound, walking deeper until a scene like a butcher’s slaughterhouse unfolded before him.

Blood-soaked cyberware lay discarded to one side. On the other, bodies—dead or barely alive—were piled high.

The weak groaning came from the person lying atop the mound.

“Host, that individual is compatible with the Destruction template.”

Roland paused. Then he stepped forward, climbed over the corpse heap, and lifted the person down.

The man was practically a human stump—one eye gone, his mouth stripped to exposed muscle and teeth, his entire form warped into something grotesque.

His remaining eye burned with pure, undiluted hatred.

“Kill… them…”

The voice seeped out like air leaking from a broken pipe, barely audible.

Roland didn’t respond. He placed his hand at his thigh; a small compartment slid open, ejecting a vial.

He injected it into the man.

“Haah… grr…”

“Hold on to your hatred. From today onward, your life belongs to me.”

Chapter Text

Just as Roland was about to carry the man on the ground away, his eyes narrowed—and in the next instant, he vanished. Two Maelstrom members, cursing as they approached, came walking straight toward the spot.

They immediately noticed the figure lying on the floor.

“Damn, this guy’s still not dead? Tough bastard… tch tch.”

“I don’t know… something feels wrong.”

The other Maelstrom member stepped closer, noticing that the man’s once-mangled jaw was now sprouting patches of uneven, newly grown skin. His pupils shrank sharply.

“Hey—”

His companion turned his head at the sound. “What is it?”

But no answer came. Frowning, he stepped forward—just in time to see a thin red line spreading across the center of his partner’s body. A flash of red light followed.

A Thermal Katana had already pierced his throat. He instinctively grabbed the blade to pull it free, but all he managed to do was burn his own hand, filling the air with the smell of seared flesh.

Roland dragged the blade upward, then sheathed his weapon. He didn’t notice that among the corpse pile nearby, one cybernetic eye had slowly begun to move.

At that same moment, an anonymous email with a corrupt sender address arrived on Andre’s device while he was resting inside the factory.

As he read, his brows twisted into a deep frown. He rose to his feet.

“What’s wrong, boss?”

A Maelstrom member next to him stared, confused.

“Goddammit—someone got inside the factory and none of you idiots noticed?! Move! Get your asses to the processing plant and butcher that bastard for me! I’m turning him into a meat patty!”

Andre slapped the man hard across the face, grabbed a massive shotgun, and pointed at another group. “You—take some people and check the surveillance room.”

White, watching all this unfold, went pale. “Get out of there, now! We’ve been exposed! They’re heading your way!”

Hearing that over comms, Roland’s expression sharpened. He looked down at the injured figure on the floor, drew in a deep breath, and said, “White, you all fall back first. I still have things to finish here.”

He plugged the virus USB Kiwi had given him into a nearby computer, then walked toward the door. He shut off the recording function—what was about to happen wasn’t something to keep on record.

“What do we do now?”

Rich looked at Kiwi, unable to contain himself.

“Go back them up. If necessary… forget about Yi.”

“You serious?”

Tina frowned sharply.

“Yes. If we stay, we’ll just weigh him down.”

Kiwi let out a bitter smile.

Hearing that, Tina didn’t argue further. Instead, she began hacking into the factory’s automated defenses—turrets, mines, and other security systems.

BOOM!

Andre, charging toward the processing workshop, froze at the sudden explosion. Seeing his stunned subordinates, he exploded in rage: “Don’t just stand there—help them!!”

“Y-Yes!!”

Bang!

Another deafening crash. Andre turned just in time to see an iron door hurtling straight at him. He crossed his arms and stopped it, metal screeching under the impact. His glowing red lenses locked instantly onto the figure behind the door.

But the moment he recognized the silhouette, it disappeared again.

Instinct took over—he swung his enormous arm at empty space.

BOOM!

A metallic shriek rippled through the air—the blow struck nothing.

“Arrgh!!”

A Thermal Katana plunged into his shoulder. Roland had appeared behind him in a blink. Just as Roland prepared to sever the man’s arm—

A gun barrel extended from Andre’s calf.

Bang! Clang!

A red flash sliced the bullet cleanly in half. Roland narrowed his eyes. That modification… was unexpected.

Clang!

A massive Mantis Blade tore through the air, carving brutal gashes into the walls.

“Better finish you quickly.”

“Arrogant brat!!”

Roland’s body flared with orange light, a green shield slowly forming around him.

Szzzt—

In the dim room, the orange streak vanished instantly.

Roland frowned. His Thermal Katana… had broken.

The blade was embedded in Andre’s chest, trapped between his muscle fibers.

“Cough… ha! You’re dead now, kid!!”

Andre spat a mouthful of blood and grinned viciously as he threw a punch.

“Tsk… annoying.”

Roland twisted his waist and counterpunched.

BAM!

A massive force surged through Andre’s fist. His vision blurred as he was sent flying, crashing into nearby equipment and denting it deeply. Sparks burst from his Gorilla Arms, one limb now twisted and smoking.

Andre stared in shock—he couldn’t understand how Roland had produced such overwhelming strength.

Roland simply thought: Damage reduction plus fighter-class strength. Simple.

He ignored the now-helpless Andre, activated acceleration again, dashed into the processing workshop, picked up the injured figure, and charged out.

Outside, chaos erupted. Golor sniped Maelstrom members with precision shots from range.

Vilet hefted a rocket launcher, aiming at the main gate.

Meanwhile, the Maelstrom’s own heavy turret—now under Kiwi and Tina’s control—suppressed them relentlessly.

White took advantage of the confusion, triggered his Sandevistan, and sprinted back. The overload left him panting heavily, nose bleeding.

Then they all saw it: a figure wrapped in green Light bursting through a storm of bullets. Every round struck the shield without even causing a ripple.

They froze.

“What are you staring for?! Move!!”

“O-Oh! Right!!”

Vroom—

Engines roared to life. The group sped away, leaving the Maelstrom gang stunned in the dust.

But they quickly recovered, storming toward their vehicles with fury and giving chase.

“Who is he?”

Kiwi asked, staring at the disfigured figure in the back seat.

“A vengeful wraith. From now on… his name is Pyke.”

Chapter Text

Back in his room, Roland removed the exoskeleton helmet from his head and narrowed his eyes slightly. Getting exposed this time had caught him off guard—he hadn't planned to take on the Maelstrom gang head-on at all.

“Lissandra, did you notice anything off during the operation?”

“An AI appeared in your operation, but it vanished almost immediately. It seemed concerned about cyber-surveillance.”

Her words sent a jolt through Roland. An AI? A rogue AI? Impossible. If it was a rogue AI, how did it cross the Blackwall and get into this part of the Net…?

His expression hardened. He needed to start developing technology related to networks and security—and that just happened to be PROJECT’s specialty.

With that in mind, he pulled up his current balance.

【Remaining Blue Essence: 217,624】
【Remaining Orange Essence: 15,649】

Enough to buy another full PROJECT template… Orange Essence had been steadily coming in lately, probably due to the impact of taking out Fiers.

Roland pondered which template to purchase next. At the moment, he could leave assassination-type tasks to Jhin and only take action himself when necessary. What he needed now was to get the company’s development on track—otherwise, when the Unification War started, he might not even have a place at the table.

“Let’s choose another strong template… I did promise Kiwi, after all…”

If possible, he would have bought Charm Spirit outright, but it was simply too expensive. Its raw combat strength wasn’t the highest, but its abilities were top-tier. He also wanted to directly purchase Lissandra, but he didn’t have anywhere near the balance required.

“Kiwi, come to my office.”

Kiwi froze for a moment when she heard Roland’s sudden summons. He hadn’t contacted her at all since that incident, which made her curious about what this was for.

“Yi should’ve told you already—about the Cyberware.”

Kiwi nodded.

“So I called you here to install your cybernetic body. It’s the same combat-type cyberbody Yi has. From now on, you’ll be in charge of leading the combat robots we’ll be bringing in.”

“What about Yi?”

Kiwi couldn’t help but ask. Roland paused and looked at her.

“Yi has his own mission. He won’t be partnering with you for now. If new recruits come in later, they’ll join your squad. Oh—and the squad’s name will be PROJECT, representing the company’s top combat force.”

“I… understand.”

Kiwi wanted to say more, but she simply nodded. Several medical-type robots then entered the room, leaving her momentarily stunned.

She hadn’t expected things to move this fast, and she’d never seen this type of robot before.

Roland confirmed her thoughts—these medical robots hadn’t been introduced to the public yet. They were far too likely to offend a whole lot of people. Securing internal security came first.

“Please relax, Miss Kiwi.”

Hearing that, Kiwi slowly closed her eyes and lay down on the medical bed prepared for her. A steel door in Roland’s office slid open as an anesthetic was injected into her bloodstream.

Before long, her consciousness sank into darkness.

Seeing this, Roland walked in while preparing the Purification Template.

“System, what’s next?”

“I will convert the template into a chip. Host, you only need to insert the chip into the slot. It will dissolve and merge into the target’s body.”

“Alright.”

A stream of data appeared in Roland’s hand, condensing into a chip that glowed with purple light. Without hesitation, he placed it into Kiwi’s slot.

“System, the template’s host won’t rebel, right? I’d rather not become PROJECT incarnate.””

“No need to worry, Host. You may retrieve the template at any time, or directly stop the Compatible Host’s functions.”

Hearing that, Roland relaxed and continued watching Kiwi’s body being reconstructed. Soon, a figure wearing a sleek, futuristic black helmet was lying on the operating table.

“Let me know when he wakes up.”

Seeing that everything was proceeding smoothly, Roland gave Lissandra a final instruction and left.

He needed to strike back at Biotechnica, check in on another contact, and make some preparations.

This time, he intended to use up every drop of Blue Essence to strengthen Lissandra’s factory—both its capabilities and its security.

...

Bang!

Meanwhile, Fuda was in a foul mood after receiving the news.

“Is the Maelstrom gang completely useless?! They couldn’t even handle this? The other side only had a few people!!”

Fuda glared at his subordinate, who kept his head down, too afraid to speak.

“…Go. Inform PR about the situation and have them get ready.”

Fuda took a long breath and waved his hand irritably before collapsing into his chair. He knew either he or the security department would have to take the blame.

Unfortunately, the security department had backing—he didn’t. So the odds were high that he’d be the one carrying the black pot. The most infuriating part? They had no intel on the attackers at all.

The only person who’d fought them only knew that the enemy had a Sandevistan.

...

【Campbell Type II Defense Robot Blueprint】×1
【Mallot Intelligent Manufacturing Instrument Blueprint】×1
【Imperial Guard Robot Blueprint】×1
【Night Owl Security Robot Blueprint】×1
【Alpha Smart Home Robot Blueprint】×1
…

After forwarding everything about the All Foods factory to Kuroda, Roland began a massive purchasing spree in the Essence Mall.

“Lissandra, you can split off sub-intelligences, right?”

“Yes, if you require it.”

“Then split one off to manage this factory. It will focus on producing high-tech equipment and security forces. And if possible, embed your program into every smart home robot.”

“Understood.”

Roland’s plan was to first solidify the company’s combat strength through mass-produced security robots. The Night Owl units would support Kiwi in future operations. The smart home robots were a new product line following the C-type therapeutic agent.

The intelligent manufacturing instruments and other devices were production tools. He also bought a large batch of blueprints for smart weapons and Power Weapon, aiming to enter both the high-end and low-end markets.

“Oh, and Lissandra—those rats inside the company are being monitored, right?”

“Yes. Please rest assured. I’ll notify you if anything happens.”

“Good.”

Chapter Text

Kiwi slowly opened her eyes, still feeling a bit disoriented. The soft lighting helped her adjust quickly to her surroundings, and she began scanning the room around her.

Her vision felt noticeably sharper—crisper than ever. New Scan functions floated across her field of view. As her pupils shifted, her violet eyes instantly locked onto a cup several meters away, zooming in close enough to see the droplets inside it.

“...Amazing.”

She pushed herself up and stepped off the bed without the slightest discomfort. It felt as if this body… had been made for her.

She looked down at herself: black electronic-fiber muscles, dark silver Exoskeleton armor that could seemingly shift into full black. Despite its slim frame, she could feel the tremendous power coiled within it.

She raised her right hand, and a purple interface flared to life—instantly reshaping itself into an energy crossbow that formed along her arm. A black helmet rose from behind her and sealed over her head.

A new vision interface snapped into place, and the Purification combat system activated before her eyes.

“Mr. Roland, Kiwi is awake.”

“Oh? Send her to me.”

Hearing this, Roland set down the documents in his hand and spoke calmly.

Before long, Kiwi arrived at his room, guided by an intelligent security robot. Both of them were currently inside the secret factory Lissandra had prepared.

What Roland hadn’t expected was that Kiwi’s PROJECT-compatible cyberware had taken more than ten days to fully adapt.

During that time, Vilet and Tina had joined the company. White and the others weren’t thrilled, but they ultimately respected the two women’s decision. Roland assigned them both to the original PROJECT team.

He had also equipped the squad with Night Owl security robots.

The Night Owl security robot was designed primarily for reconnaissance and stealth operations—originally developed by PROJECT to deal with certain competitors encountered in the company’s early expansion.

Its weapon loadout included a [Lockie Smart Sniper Rifle], two tech pistols, Wrist Blades forged from specialized alloy, Optical Camouflage, and micro-drones.

It even possessed limited netrunning capabilities, making it a remarkably versatile unit. However, it was eventually phased out in later development cycles.

Visually, the robot featured a predominantly black design, with a matte-black glass humanoid visor providing full 360-degree vision.

Meanwhile, after obtaining Roland’s damaging intel on Biotech, Arasaka began targeting Biotech’s stock price and publicly throwing shade at Militech.

Militech, however, remained unusually restrained—Myers was fully occupied preparing for the Unification War. Facing Arasaka’s provocations, they chose to step back, insisting that “minor grudges shouldn’t disrupt major strategy.”

This frustrated some of the more aggressive factions, who argued retaliation was necessary, but Myers shut them down every time.

“Boss, you called for me…”

Kiwi stepped in, but the moment her eyes landed on Roland, she frowned. His silhouette looked oddly familiar and…

Her system eyes automatically began scanning him.

【PROJECT Alpha Prototype Cyberware】

A question mark practically popped into Kiwi’s mind. Alpha prototype? What did that even mean?

At the same time, Roland’s internal system—Light’s combat module—sounded an alarm. Her scan had triggered his autonomous defense protocol, and he almost drew his blade on instinct.

He forced the system down with effort, narrowing his eyes at Kiwi.

“You seem… a little undisciplined. Performing a Scan on me without permission.”

“Sorry—reflex, it just happened…”

Kiwi’s heart jumped at his tone, and she quickly lowered her head.

“Forget it. Just be more careful next time. I called you here about your position. For now, you’ll serve as the squad leader of the Night Owl Squad within the PROJECT team. Vilet and Tina are both assigned there. Go find them and get familiar with the work.”

“...Understood.”

Kiwi nodded and left the office. The moment she stepped outside, her brows knitted. Something about the boss felt different today—his presence was far more imposing than before. She couldn’t explain why.

After she left, Roland realized the problem: his identity as Yi would likely be exposed. Her scanning system had identified his Cyberware model with complete precision…

“Forget it. I’ll deal with that later…”

The next target he needed to handle… was Luvena Tech. They’d been provoking him for far too long. It was time to shut them down—and take over their operations.

PROJECT Corporation covered everything—they could swallow any business.

Luvena Tech’s primary field directly clashed with Roland’s current strategy and simply couldn’t compete. But their secondary business had caught his attention:

Intelligent security systems
and small-scale armed service contracts.

Roland thought, This is my specialty. Taking you down will be effortless.

Luvena Tech’s main business had already been completely outclassed by PROJECT, causing its market value to tank. But their secondary division still held enough competitive strength to keep the valuation from collapsing outright.

Roland just needed to deliver one decisive blow to that branch—and the whole company would fall.

He wasn’t an expert in financial markets, so he’d leave that to the professionals. As for security systems, he could directly poach their clients—or provide services to their clients’ competitors.

All perfectly workable paths, and all of them depended on the output of Lissandra’s secret factory.

To be honest, Roland was intrigued by the surrounding industrial zone. If possible, he wanted to acquire the entire region. He had specifically avoided the industrial park that would later be taken over by Arasaka.

“In that case… I’ll need to deal with the people over at City Hall…”

Roland narrowed his eyes. He didn’t enjoy wrangling with bureaucrats, but he had little choice. It would have to be handled slowly.

“First, the raw materials…”

He needed to negotiate a deal with Matier Industries to secure more raw materials for scaling up production. Whether it was firearms, robotics, or ammunition, everything required massive quantities of industrial supplies—and he certainly wasn’t someone with a mine of his own.

Chapter Text

“Oh—send a file to that Arasaka spy in HR. Tell him to start poaching key personnel from Luvena Corporation.”

The thought suddenly came to Roland, and he instructed Lissandra.

“Understood.”

Truthfully, Roland enjoyed using these spies. Since he already knew every one of their identities, all he had to do was keep them away from the truly sensitive secrets and give them some encouragement now and then.

In return, they would work their hearts out, trying to win his trust—much more useful than ordinary employees.

As for eliminating all the spies… sure, he could. But that wasn’t realistic. If he stopped feeding those megacorps any intel at all, they’d blow up immediately…

And with his current strength, if they really got angry, he’d probably be forced into guerrilla warfare against them.

After wrapping up the company matters, Roland headed out to meet with the manager of Matier Industries’ local branch.

Meanwhile, inside the company, Morinoki Ichii—acting under Roland’s authorization—immediately uploaded all relevant intel to Arasaka’s information department. Kuroda received it as well.

“Poaching Luvena Corporation’s key personnel…”

Kuroda narrowed his eyes slightly, already seeing through Roland’s intention. Expansion.