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.