In the shadows, Lucy's eyes widened.
She wasn't really the helpful type. In Night City, there was no such thing as a genuinely selfless good Samaritan.
So, a cliché hero-saving-the-damsel scenario? That just didn't happen. Even if it seemed to, nine times out of ten, it was just swapping one predator for another.
The kind where 'I saved you, so now you owe me.' In this day and age, humanity's moral bar was set so 'high' that most people couldn't even reach it, leaving them to sink helplessly to the bottom.
The only reason she'd followed was that it was on her way—this street led to the nearest metro station.
It just so happened that she'd stumbled upon Silver Wolf's predicament.
She stayed hidden in the shadows because Lucy simply couldn't be bothered with trouble. She planned to wait until they were finished and then slip away. After all, Silver Wolf didn't look like she could put up much of a fight; there wasn't a trace of cyberware on her.
However, the outcome took her completely by surprise.
What was she seeing?
It was like something out of a game. Bullets shot from her hand.
Sure, this world had cyberware that could turn fingers into gun barrels, but Lucy had seen it clearly—Silver Wolf's fingers were perfectly intact. That bullet had just appeared out of thin air.
"You've just bought yourself a world of trouble. That guy's a member of the 6th Street Gang. You think they'll just let this slide after what you did to him?"
After dealing with the two men, Silver Wolf glanced toward Lucy's hiding spot. Realizing she'd been made, Lucy had no choice but to step out.
Seeing the gruesome state of the man, Lucy raised an eyebrow, then looked Silver Wolf up and down before speaking slowly.
"I'm a little surprised. You look so harmless, but you're pretty ruthless."
This guy's limb cyberware was completely fried, and the damage was severe. Even if he got new parts, they'd never work as well as before. As for the other one... well, there wasn't much to say. A bullet straight through the brain.
"Oh? He's got friends?" Silver Wolf asked with interest, looking at the unconscious man.
"Of course. The 6th Street Gang might be new, but they're no small-time players. Getting on their radar is a pain. My advice? Finish him off."
Lucy's tone was casual, as if she were talking about putting down a stray animal, not a human life. In this era, a life was the cheapest commodity.
In fact, this guy was a minor lieutenant in the 6th Street Gang. He had his own crew of gang members and even a squad of edgerunners—mercenaries. That was probably why he'd been at the Afterlife.
"Oh? So there's more? Got it. Randomly spawning mobs, then."
Hearing Lucy's words, Silver Wolf stopped what she was doing. "Usually, if you leave them alive, it triggers a side quest. In that case, better let him live."
She looked down at the man sprawled on the ground. "Lucky you."
"Huh?"
Silver Wolf's bizarre behavior left Lucy utterly bewildered.
Is this kid a cyberpsycho or something?
"Whatever. Suit yourself."
Lucy looked at Silver Wolf, opened her mouth to speak, but ultimately decided against it. What Silver Wolf did was none of her business.
Better to just let it go. She wasn't afraid of the 6th Street Gang, but getting tangled with them was a hassle she didn't need.
With that thought, Lucy gave Silver Wolf a brief nod and left.
It was just a chance encounter. No need to invite trouble. As for Silver Wolf, she glanced at the sky and decided to head back to her place.
Her first order of business in this world? Experience the local video games, of course!
What could possibly be more important than that?
Chuckling to herself, Silver Wolf cheerfully made her way toward Konpeki Plaza. Her residence was inside.
She certainly wasn't about to rough it. Money was just a string of numbers to her; a few quick taps and a hefty sum would appear in her account, completely untraceable. She'd even 'convinced' a wealthy benefactor to sponsor her.
She remembered...the bank account she'd transferred the funds from...belonged to someone named Saburo Arasaka?
A man over a hundred years old. Even if he was still alive, he was probably senile. His kids were likely just waiting for the old man to kick the bucket and leave them his fortune. Swiping an eight-figure sum? He'd never even notice.
Honestly, the scenery of Night City wasn't all that different from her memories of Punklorde.
Neon lights filled the sky, and AVs zipped by overhead...
Back in Punklorde, only high-ranking officials or government agencies could afford AVs. She remembered being surrounded by a whole fleet of them once. Shame they were all cheap knock-offs; every single one ended up crashing and burning.
As for the people inside? Well, they all met a rather concrete end.
Lost in thought, Silver Wolf noticed an AV with the MaxTac logo streak across the sky, sirens blaring, heading into the distance at full throttle.
She didn't pay it much mind. In this city, cyberpsycho attacks happened every hour. Seeing MaxTac was just part of the background noise.
But... wasn't the number a bit high today?
Watching three AVs pass by in quick succession gave Silver Wolf pause.
What kind of cyberpsycho warranted three AVs? Must be someone special...
After a moment's consideration, her fingers danced across a holographic keyboard only she could see. In an instant, she'd hacked into MaxTac's internal comms.
"Move! We've got a solid lock on Cole's position. Don't let him get away!" a fully armored man barked from inside one of the AVs.
"He's just one fugitive. Do we really need three squads for this?" another voice grumbled, dissatisfied.
"Don't underestimate him. His chrome is top-tier, far from your average junkie. Don't treat him like a common cyberpsycho, or you'll pay the price."
"The audacity, attacking a corporate exec right here in Night City..."
Using the AV's internal cameras, Silver Wolf got a look at the team. She also saw the view from the vehicle's undercarriage.
"Front-row seats to a live-action blockbuster. You don't get this every day."
Anyone who could draw three full MaxTac squads definitely had her attention.
Luckily, the street cameras in the area were still functional, allowing Silver Wolf to get a clear look at the fugitive's face.
It was a man wearing a cowboy hat. Underneath the brown hair was a face etched with determination, a cigar clamped between his teeth. But what was curious wasn't his face, but his body.
Normally, there were limits to cyberware modification in this world. You didn't see people with too much replaced.
But Cole... aside from his head, which seemed intact, the junction between his neck and body was covered in steel. His entire torso seemed to be composed of cybernetics.
"What is this? This world's version of Boothill?"
He stood in the middle of the road, holding a massive revolver. He looked up at the AVs and the descending MaxTac squad, a faint smile playing on his ruggedly handsome face. "Finally here, you corporate scum... Kept me waiting long enough!"
With that, he raised his gun toward the descending MaxTac officers.
"Target confirmed: Cowboy Cole. High-priority corporate retrieval mission. Commencing suppression."
Scanning Cole's body, the MaxTac leader's voice was cold and impersonal. They didn't immediately raise their rifles, opting instead to lead with a hacking attack.
In this world, a netrunner could kill without lifting a finger.
MaxTac, of course, was equipped with top-tier netrunners and military-grade hardware. Often, they didn't even need to fire a shot; their netrunner could make a common cyberpsycho's head explode.
"Annoying. A real pain!"
For a split second, Cole clutched his head, his face contorted in pain. But it lasted only a moment.
In the next instant, he drew his gun with blinding speed!
And... pulled the trigger.
BAM!
A deafening explosion rang out as a bullet was fired, striking the netrunner who had been attempting the hack directly in the head.
Compared to ordinary people, these MaxTac officers were outfitted with military-grade cyberware, incredibly durable. An ordinary handgun wouldn't even scratch them. But Cole's revolver seemed different.
Normally, MaxTac wouldn't even bother dodging pistol fire, relying on their tough chrome to absorb it. But today, they learned their lesson the hard way.
The bullet penetrated the officer's skull. In an instant, he was dead, collapsing to the ground.
"Alert!"
Seeing their comrade fall, the remaining MaxTac officers immediately grew serious, raising their rifles and training them on Cole.
But with a single, fluid roll, Cole was already out of their direct line of sight, moving so fast they barely registered it.
Seizing the opportunity, Cole didn't hesitate. He quickly drew his gun again.
"Line up for your lead, you gonks!"
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Three shots rang out in quick succession. Two found their mark, tearing through helmets with terrifying force, splattering brain matter across the pavement.
Only one officer managed to dodge by sheer luck.
But any semblance of composure he had was long gone.
"The corporate hyenas can feel fear? Good. Now it's a fair fight! Draw!"
The cigar in Cole's mouth glowed, its red ember stark and piercing in the dim night light.
Hearing Cole's taunt, the remaining MaxTac officer instinctively raised his rifle to fire. But in that same moment, a bullet tore through his head.
"You actually moved when I told you to?" Cole scoffed, twirling his revolver with a flourish before sliding it back into the holster on his thigh.
But that was only one squad dealt with.
Two more MaxTac squads were closing in.
Soon, a second AV hovered overhead, its red warning lights bathing the ground below in an eerie glow.
Cole, however, clearly had no intention of sticking around for a prolonged fight.
"Corporations? Just you wait. I'll deliver a bullet to each and every one of your heads myself!"
As he spoke, his right hand moved with a practiced, rhythmic shake, followed by another lightning-fast draw!
In the blink of an eye, before anyone could even process the movement, the massive revolver was back in his hand.
Four more gunshots echoed through the streets.
"Wow."
Watching his smooth, efficient movements, Silver Wolf couldn't help but let out an impressed murmur.
That was seriously cool.
While she could achieve similar results, her movements wouldn't be nearly as fluid. This guy was clearly an old hand, a veteran cowboy.
And with a name like Cole and that giant revolver... it all reminded Silver Wolf of a character from a certain classic game.
'Come hell or high water, his name is Cassidy!'
Honestly, the resemblance was uncanny.
But what really made Silver Wolf's eyes widen was the appearance of another figure.
By now, the third AV had arrived directly above Cole. With the first two squads wiped out, the third squad opted for a direct assault.
A hail of gunfire rained down from the sky, forcing Cole to roll behind cover, biding his time.
Under the cover of suppressing fire, four MaxTac officers descended to the ground.
But before they could even secure their footing, a silver figure emerged from the shadows.
Then, his form moved like lightning, weaving between the officers!
Silver Wolf's enhanced vision allowed her to track him clearly. His speed was incredible. Wielding a long katana, he appeared before them in an instant. With deadly sweeps of his melee weapon, he sliced through their alloy cyberware as if it were paper. In a flash, their bodies were severed.
Finally, four heads rolled across the pavement.
One cut to sever the spine, a second to cleanly decapitate.
"Cole, you've caused too big a scene. Drawn unnecessary attention."
The man, clad head-to-toe in silver armor that completely concealed his features, returned his katana to the sheath on his back. He crossed his arms, his posture tall and straight as he regarded the cowboy.
"Sorry, sorry. Got a little carried away," Cole said, taking a deep drag from his cigar before casually flicking it away.
"Whatever. Let's move. Reinforcements will be here soon!"
On her screen, Silver Wolf watched as the two figures quickly fled the scene. They seemed intimately familiar with Night City's layout. After a few twists and turns, they seamlessly blended into the civilian population, evading pursuit.
"Interesting."
Silver Wolf watched their retreating figures. Though they took a convoluted route, she kept a steady lock on them, never losing her target.
In this world, many people dared to cross the corporations. But few had the audacity to do it so brazenly, and even fewer managed to escape corporate retaliation.
Of course, while she found it intriguing, Silver Wolf didn't choose to make contact just yet.
There was plenty of time. If fate willed it, their paths would cross again.
From the sound of it, they were planning more moves against the corporations.
Before she left this world, she figured she'd probably pay a visit to the top floor of Arasaka Tower herself... leave a little 'Silver Wolf was here' graffiti...
Snapping back to reality, Silver Wolf continued her aimless stroll through the streets.
Up ahead, there was some commotion on the road.
Looking closer, Silver Wolf saw a Trauma Team unit standing by indifferently. After confirming there were no Platinum members present, they completely ignored the critically injured woman and the trapped boy in the overturned car.
They simply turned and left.
"Wait! Please! Help me! Help my mother!"
Watching the Trauma Team depart so coldly, David was desperate. He struggled futilely, but the overturned car made it difficult for him to climb out.
"Wretched capitalism..."
Watching the Trauma Team abandon the injured on the street, Silver Wolf curled her lip and muttered the complaint under her breath.
"Hmm, so this is the triggered quest? This open world is a bit too freeform. Took its sweet time getting to the main storyline..."
Muttering to herself, Silver Wolf walked over to the boy.
"Hey, need a hand? It's on the house. Free of charge."
Looking at the helpless boy, Silver Wolf gave a casual wave.
"Yes! Yes, please! Thank you! Thank you so much!"
Seeing Silver Wolf, David latched onto her like a lifeline, nodding his head frantically.
Even though logic told him this seemingly delicate girl might not be able to help him at all.
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.