"...Mm, Arno, he was a strong individual who knew his goals and fought for them."
Viktor, invited by Jackie, stood before the altar, forcefully suppressing the absurdity rising in his heart, and managed to finish reading his eulogy.
Although he didn't know why that Berry hadn't confessed Arno's true identity to Jackie and V, Viktor decided to keep the secret for Berry, and using the decades of self-control he had accumulated, he barely managed to hold it together.
Placing a plastic flower on the altar, Viktor slowly stepped back.
"Arno... you were a good person. I will remember you."
Next, V stepped forward. As someone also kept in the dark, V's eyes conveyed sorrow, mourning the good brother who had gone through life and death with them.
Staring at the photo for a while, the blue eyes behind V's lowered lids were filled with sadness, and she silently stepped away.
After that, only Berry remained.
Looking at the incredibly awkward three-person photo, Berry steeled herself and walked forward.
It wasn't her fault she couldn't keep a straight face. She still vividly remembered the scene when the photo was taken, but she never expected to see that picture in such an embarrassing setting.
"Mm-hmm..."
Berry cleared her throat, warning herself repeatedly to keep it together, or she would cast a shadow over the rest of Jackie's life.
"Ah, Arno, you, er, lived greatly and died gloriously. We, we will all miss you."
Berry stammered through her eulogy to her own Chassis and quickly retreated.
Phew, it's finally over.
Once was enough for this kind of thing; a few more times and she'd go schizophrenic. Watching Jackie and V's actions, and infected by the atmosphere, she almost believed Arno was a real person.
"Alright, I think that's it."
Seeing that everyone had spoken, a weary Jackie rubbed his forehead and looked at the altar, letting out a sigh of relief.
Maybe it was useless for the dead, but after all, a funeral is prepared for the living. If it allowed the few friends who knew Arno to express their grief, that was enough.
After all, this brother they hadn't known for long was indeed quite mysterious.
"Jackie, please accept our condolences. This is all we can do."
Berry stood on her toes and patted Jackie's shoulder, offering her comfort.
Mm, she believed Arno had received Jackie's sentiment, she was absolutely certain.
"Yeah, that's how it is."
Jackie wiped his face with both hands, cheered up, and looked at Berry with his usual earnest smile.
"The dead are dead, but those of us who are alive still have to make a living here in Night City. If you live for a day, you have to eat for a day, right?"
Although the logic was strange, Berry felt greatly relieved to see Jackie smile again.
Arno's small memorial service concluded just like that.
Since entering modern society, all former sanctity and authority had been dismantled by humanity itself. All delusions about souls and the deceased had been shattered. For Jackie to hold even this small memorial service, he had put in a great deal of effort.
Only after finally saying goodbye to Jackie and the others and walking out of the alley did Berry truly relax, emerging from the heavy atmosphere.
Humans are truly strange. They were clearly mourning a machine without a soul or will, yet when everyone spontaneously acted solemnly, the atmosphere was incredibly infectious, as if something sacred truly existed three feet above their heads.
Perhaps this is why religion persists in this cyber world, where respect is nonexistent.
Ultimately, this is the power of the human heart itself.
However, shortly after getting into V's car, Berry started acting strangely.
Because, on the side of her other Chassis, there seemed to be a new development, and the person bringing the problem was a familiar face.
"...Hey, Kikyo, is that you? I... want to see you. At my apartment. Evelyn is here too. We have some things we want to talk to you about."
That's right, the call was from Judy, directed to Kikyo. Berry didn't know why Judy suddenly called Kikyo; shouldn't she have called her, the boss?
However, since it was Judy, it was necessary to go.
So, a little later, Kikyo's motorcycle was parked downstairs from Judy's apartment.
Judy's apartment was located on the riverside edge of Kabuki. In the game, she was used to controlling V to come here every day.
Ah, what? Why come? Of course, it was so Judy would be right beside her every time she woke up.
It was just a shame that the game hadn't developed more features back then.
Berry regretted this for the rest of her life.
Leaving aside Berry's wild thoughts, Kikyo at least stomped up the stairs and arrived at Judy's apartment door.
Knock, knock, knock.
Little sister, open the door, the bad uncle has found you.
Thinking this rather terrifying phrase, Kikyo knocked on the door.
"Who is it?"
"Me."
A question came from inside the door, and then the door opened.
Well, thinking about it carefully, this seemed to be Berry's first time visiting Judy's apartment in reality, but at a glance, it didn't seem much different from the game. Upon entering, there was a small bathroom, and then turning around was the main room.
Bright sunlight streamed in through the window, the blue sofa, and the long counter in the corner were all the same as in the game.
Kikyo looked at the spacious room and nodded involuntarily.
Judy truly lived up to her reputation as the Moxes' chief Braindance Technician; she was rich. Not only did she live in a single room, but it was also so spacious, a world apart from those laborers squeezed into basements.
If she had to say, the design of Cyberpunk 2077 was flawed. The protagonist V and a few of her friends were all high-income earners who enjoyed the good life. By mid-game, V could buy luxury cars at will and owned many residences, and the others weren't worried about money either.
How could this reflect the cruelty of Night City and the mega-corporations?
If Berry had to say, to reflect the cruelty of this cyberpunk world, it should at least start with scavenging. The protagonist should be an old veteran kicked out by a corporation after the Unification War, unemployed, unable to get relief funds, and even suffering from PTSD, to the point of having to wander the streets as a Homeless man with a broken bowl.
This character of someone sleeping under a small blanket under an overpass aligns with the high-tech, low-life beginning of cyberpunk. Not only that, but in subsequent missions, the protagonist would also encounter construction workers whose wages were withheld and who were beaten by gangs, cheap sex dolls forced to sell their bodies to survive, and various other lower class whose humanity was twisted under corporate oppression.
Berry didn't believe it wouldn't be a massive hit.
Well, if she ever got rich, she would definitely make a Cyberpunk 2077 within Cyberpunk 2077 to show them what true cyberpunk was.
"Hi, Kikyo."
Just as Berry was brainstorming, Judy walked out of the bedroom.
She was still dressed like a tomboy, with short hair, a tight grey vest, and work pants, looking very capable.
However, Judy's face now carried a subtle hint of sadness that one might not notice if not paying close attention. She concealed it well, smiling when she saw Kikyo, but Kikyo's 500-million-pixel cybernetic eyes still caught the sorrow she deliberately hid.
"Hmm, where's Evelyn?"
Kikyo maintained her imposing, ice-cold beauty's face. She nodded, asking about Evelyn.
Evelyn Parker, this person was saved from the brink of death by Viktor and then taken to Judy's apartment to recover. Thanks to Berry and their timely rescue, Evelyn, who hadn't experienced the tragic events of the game, was reportedly recovering well and had been able to get out of bed for a while.
"Evelyn's inside."
Mentioning this, Judy's heart again filled with gratitude towards Kikyo and the others. If it weren't for Berry's timely rescue, she couldn't imagine what Evelyn's fate would have been.
With this thought, Judy's mood lifted slightly, and her smile became more genuine.
"Come in, Little Ai also wants to thank you in person."
Kikyo followed Judy into the bedroom and saw Evelyn sitting on the bed.
"Yo, Evelyn."
Kikyo crossed her arms, observing Evelyn, whom she hadn't seen in a long time.
Evelyn Parker, the top Socialite at Clouds, possessed a captivating derriere and beautiful feet that made it impossible to look away. She was often on Clouds' sales charts because of this, but now, she had changed her appearance.
The heavy makeup and dark purple lipstick were gone; she was barefaced. Dressed in a white T-shirt and with a sickly pallor, she exuded a rare sense of tranquility. If Berry had to say, without that worldly aura, Evelyn looked much more pleasing to the eye.
How to put it, it was like she used to be a forty-something Socialite with heavy makeup pretending to be young, and now she was a big girl in her twenties, which was incredibly pleasing to the eye.
Kikyo nodded with satisfaction.
Why paint so much colorful stuff on one's face, she wondered? Her current look was much better.
Indeed, people just needed a good beating. Previously, Evelyn was ordinary yet confident, arrogantly believing she could play Arasaka and the Voodoo Boys against each other. Now, she had faced reality's iron fist and was much more honest.
Evelyn was a prime example of someone who asked for trouble and got it.
How did that saying go?
Mocking Evelyn across the screen while playing the game.
Slacking off at work and mocking Evelyn.
Dreaming of mocking Evelyn while sleeping.
Transmigrating and mocking Evelyn to her face.
Evelyn, who was sitting obediently on Judy's bed, quietly looking at a tablet, felt a gaze filled with a strange emotion. She looked up in confusion, at Kikyo in front of her.
"Judy, who is this?"
Evelyn put down the tablet and asked, puzzled.
"This is Kikyo, who saved you from Clouds. Remember, I told you about her."
Judy had done everything she could for her ill-fated best friend. Not only did she find someone to rescue her from danger, but she also brought her home to care for her. What kind of divine friendship was this? It could easily make the top ten most touching figures in Night City.
"You saved me."
Hearing that the person in front of her was her savior, Evelyn's gaze was complex, her lips moving as if she wanted to say something.
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