By the time the first rays of dawn pierced Night City, the large-scale firefight in the Watson District had mostly come to an end. Only a few scattered, small Maelstrom Gang holdouts remained.
It could be said that after this night, the Maelstrom gang's entire upper echelon had been completely wiped out. Roland dispatched some security robots to clean up the remaining small fry, and casually tossed a few mercenary contracts Elizabeth's way to help boost her reputation and influence.
"After that, he stopped paying them any attention—it would've been a waste to have Jhin deal with such small fry…"
The events of that night sent shockwaves throughout Night City.
From this operation, Militech finally caught a glimpse of PROJECT's armed strength and immediately grew wary. Based on the firearms and robotics technology PROJECT Corporation had previously revealed, they had expected its combat power to be impressive.
What they hadn't expected was just how overwhelming it would be.
This was a force capable of going head-to-head with the regular army of the New United States—one that could even be said to surpass them in combat effectiveness.
There was, however, a clear weakness: the lack of heavy firepower. As a result, while Militech feared PROJECT, that fear was largely limited to urban environments.
"A bit of a problem…"
Weis rubbed his forehead as he looked over the intelligence report on PROJECT Corporation in his hand. According to the data, PROJECT had almost completely mobilized its armed forces this time.
They had then gone on to eradicate Night City's largest gang as easily as cutting vegetables. Militech could have achieved the same result, but the collateral damage would have been far greater. PROJECT's superiority in robotics technology gave them an enormous advantage.
"It seems we'll need to pay closer attention to PROJECT before the main force arrives…"
Weis narrowed his eyes, deciding to endure the situation for the time being.
Kuroda had naturally noticed the power PROJECT had displayed as well. Two thoughts immediately took shape in his mind: one was to make use of PROJECT's armed forces to help Arasaka achieve certain objectives; the other was to guard against PROJECT's own moves.
In Night City, corporations had no eternal friends—only eternal interests. Once Arasaka officially established itself, the headaches would no longer be limited to Militech alone.
...
Another force observing everything from the shadows was Night Corp.
At that moment, a blue-eyed man stood on the upper floors of Night Corp, looking down at the city below.
"I think we must bring that corporation under our control."
Mr. Blue Eyes turned his head and spoke to the woman behind him, whose eyes glowed with a crimson light.
"I have no objections. But do you actually have a way to deal with that corporation? If I remember correctly, their network technology is far from simple."
"Even if it isn't simple, can it really compare to ours?"
Mr. Blue Eyes glanced at her, let out a brief chuckle, then grew serious.
"Besides, their technology is simply too important to us. Those powerful robots, that incredibly efficient production rate… Just imagine if we could get our hands on all of it…"
"Maybe our dream could truly be realized. And if we go one step further—find a way to send those things beyond the Wall—then…"
"That's enough. Thinking that far ahead is pointless right now. We need to prepare properly and take control of that corporation first."
"With what method? The same approach we used on Night Corp?"
"Hmm… it's worth considering. After all, their situation is quite similar to Night Corp's—both are controlled by the person at the very top."
"Then I'll bring in a few helpers to deal with that corporation's 'compatriots,' just in case anything goes wrong. Once we free her, she'll understand our good intentions."
"If that doesn't work, then dismantle her data and upgrade it."
"Alright. I'll leave it to you."
After this conversation among several mysterious figures within Night Corp, a force targeting PROJECT Corporation quietly began to take shape.
...
It was worth mentioning that, aside from the major corporations being shaken by that night's events, there was also one individual who was utterly stunned.
That person was Nielsen. Drunk out of his mind, he had accidentally added two extra zeros to the numbers on the Body Lotto ticket he bought. As a result, he won the night's ultimate jackpot, instantly igniting a wave of jealousy among Night City's countless gambling addicts.
Roland, however, had no time to worry about any of that.
He was already busy selecting his preferred Template.
In truth, he'd long had a question: if he applied a Template to Lucy and the others before they had fully matured… would it change their appearance and physique, or would it instead be calculated based on their original bodies?
Roland had no answer, and he had no intention of experimenting recklessly. What if someone ended up permanently locked into this stage of development?
He wasn't a loli-con or anything, though… then again, it probably wouldn't affect Rebecca much.
Hmm… maybe he could consider giving Rebecca a Template first.
After stroking his chin for a moment, Roland went ahead and purchased the Spirit of Seduction. After all, the most suitable candidate at the moment was Kelly.
"Kelly, start getting ready. I've almost prepared a body for you."
"Really?!"
Kelly's face instantly lit up with joy, her eyes filled with anticipation as she imagined what the new body might look like.
"Lissandra, put Kelly into sleep mode first."
"Understood."
Roland waited until Kelly was confirmed to be asleep before bringing out the Spirit. Before him stood a fully mechanical body, modeled after Kelly's appearance.
He glanced at the Spirit's hairstyle. Interesting—short white hair, different from the original style.
"Alright, Lissandra. Wake Kelly up."
At his words, Lissandra nodded and gently waved her hand. Kelly immediately opened her eyes, staring curiously at her own hands as she sensed the immense power contained within this body.
When she lifted her head and saw Lissandra standing there, she froze.
Only now, having gained the Spirit's power, did she truly understand just how terrifying Lissandra's computational capacity was.
A sense of confusion followed.
With Lissandra around… what was she even needed for?
Roland explained that the current Lissandra couldn't act directly and could only intervene through subsidiary intelligences. If Lissandra's main body weren't temporarily unavailable for purchase, Roland would have created one for her on the spot.
Let this place truly experience what an AI Crisis felt like.