This mission had one main purpose: to show the Security Bureau that all the chaos—Tokugawa, Oda, all of it—had nothing to do with Li Pan personally. These were company assignments. Believe it or not, it wasn't his fault.
So he brought along Yamazaki Ayato, sending him in disguised as a tourist hiker. His job: sneak into the private estate, carry a pocket watch, search for the Fountain's water source, and collect samples of plants and animals for analysis.
Li Pan himself? On a company-paid "business trip" to soak in hot springs.
What could he do—Monster Company was stingy. The procurement budget only allowed one expense account. As general manager, of course he had to be the one talking prices with the proprietors. Ayato, the rookie, would have to sweat it out climbing back mountains. Every newcomer needed training.
So, cheerful, Li Pan rode a shuttle to the Hakone mountains, home of the Fountain of Agelessness, and checked into the Saitōya Onsen Resort.
The first mistress of Saitōya was once a Tokugawa wet nurse. The Fountain and surrounding mountains had been handed down to her family to manage.
For secrecy, Saitōya was a members-only, high-class private club. A no-fly zone, open only to Takamagahara executives. Money alone wasn't enough—you needed connections, referrals, reservations by email.
This time, only because Monster Company came under the banner of a merger discussion, did they grant a guest pass.
"Your distinguished presence brings us honor," greeted Saitō Keiko, current mistress, flanked by two young attendants.
She was striking—an elegant beauty in a black silk kimono embroidered with silver waves and florals, a gold Nishijin obi at her waist. Formal attire indeed. At a time when the Tokugawa were collapsing, a buyout offer from Monster Company was a godsend.
After all, if raiders with machine guns took the resort, no one would be surprised. Yet here Monster came politely with emails and offers, giving them face. Of course, Keiko had to welcome them personally.
"Forgive the trouble, Madam Saitō," Li Pan bowed slightly. "I've long heard of Hakone's famed scenery. Today, I see it lives up to its reputation."
"You flatter me, Manager Li. Please allow me to guide you."
She toured him through the grounds.
Clearly, Takamagahara executives loved their baths. Ten out of ten retreats meant hot springs. The area, volcanic by nature, brimmed with springs. After the Fountain was discovered, Takamagahara fenced the mountains, layered molecular nets to filter the air, and built a sanctuary. Compared to Night City's acid rain and garbage stench, this was paradise.
It wasn't just a spa—it was a village. At its center stood the five-star Saitōya hotel, hub of services. Staff—chefs, guards, performers—signed strict contracts and lived underground. Upstairs were suites, communal and private baths.
The village hosted shops, clubs, private villas for executives valuing privacy. Outskirts were ringed with VIP mansions, each with its own spring, spa, security system, and robot servants.
Li Pan understood now why Monster Company hadn't claimed it before. It was a money pit.
This wasn't a tourist resort; it was internal welfare for Takamagahara bosses. Tax write-offs in luxury form. No gouging—only imported ingredients, custom gene-farm produce, staff paid five times standard wages. Worth every cent… if you had corporate backing.
Monster had money, yes, but was stingy. A general manager moonlighting to make ends meet—how could they afford to maintain such a hollow shell?
So this was only reconnaissance. Finance would never approve the merger. At best, they'd smash the place and wall off the Fountain.
"This," Madam Saitō gestured, "is the Spring of Eternal Youth and Agelessness."
A grand bathhouse.
"Legend says the waters rejuvenate. Drinking or bathing slows cellular decay. Though company studies found nothing unusual, Oda lords themselves once visited, and Takamagahara directors still come every few years."
"Oh? So Madam's radiance, such youthful skin, is from the spring? Truly something to anticipate."
Keiko laughed. "You're too kind. I do bathe here at times. But honestly, perhaps it's more psychological. If one truly seeks youth, skincare works faster than legends."
Not wrong. Never underestimate chemicals. Still, in world 0791, otherworldly powers were suppressed—his Nine Yin True Dragon Break proved that. Whether the spring still held effect, he'd have to test personally.
Keiko's eyes grew firm.
"Perhaps our fame began with the Fountain. But this village, every tree, every stone, was shaped by my family's generations of effort. I believe that legacy equals any legend."
Li Pan clapped.
"Spoken with the spirit of craftsmanship. Admirable indeed."
He wondered if she counted the basement staff's sweat among that effort.
"Please rest tonight in Saitōya," she said with a spring-like smile. "I promise a home away from home."
She remained graceful, never once mentioning procurement. Clearly, she hoped to drive up the price.
Li Pan shrugged. One night free, why not? If it's reimbursed, he'd be a fool to refuse.
He changed into yukata in his suite, then went to soak in the Ageless Spring Bath.
He called Ayato.
"Any findings?"
"Ah—sorry, Manager, still climbing—the signal's bad…"
"No rush. Take your time."
Poor boy. The working man's life. Quit anytime, go home to inherit your family inn.
Li Pan chuckled, slipping into the bath.
The bathhouse was large, clearly fed by pipes. Hardly one miraculous spring. He wasn't fond of bathing—prosthetics and cyberports didn't like steam. Repairs were costly if water seeped in.
He circled twice. Nothing special. Maybe, as the mistress said, all psychology. Pills worked faster.
Then—movement. Someone else entered.
Through the steam, he saw curves. A woman. Of course—the Fountain had only one bath. Mixed bathing. And with the story beats so far… well, predictable.
Cliché? Yes. But Li Pan was a cliché man. If the script offered fan service, he wouldn't refuse.
The woman undressed, revealing pale, supple skin, washing meticulously before entering. Soap, oil, a ritual of preparation. Her skin gleamed, flawless. Craftsmanship of another kind, Li Pan thought.
Hair falling long, towel barely covering, she stepped in gracefully, each curve stunning. An older sister type, voluptuous, breathtaking. The kind of "professional" only Takamagahara could provide.
"Yo! Yoroshiku, beauty—here to bathe too?" he greeted, forcing restraint.
She smiled. And then—flung her towel at his face.
"Whoa! So forward—"
The towel carried fragrance, but also… medicine? Strange scent—
Cold light! A blade, stabbing straight at his chest!
A dagger—drawn from nowhere!
Shit—an onsen kunoichi ambush!
"Again!?"
He leapt—but feet tangled. Water thickened, sticky like glue, dragging him down! Support vanished beneath him like a swamp!
The blade slipped through a seam in his chest plate, prying like a crab shell, stabbing in!
"Fuck!"
He grabbed her arm—but her oiled skin slipped like an eel. She crashed into him, dagger thrusting!
"Break!"
Desperate, he struck her shoulder. Fingers clawed, qi surging—Nine Yin True Dragon Break!
"Ahh!"
Her body flew like a fat white fish, spinning thrice midair, crashing into the bath five meters away. Water erupted.
Li Pan staggered, coughing spring water, pulling himself up.
Strange—the water beneath him now seemed normal. No glue, no swamp. Was it illusion? Or someone pulling from below?
He yanked the dagger free—only the hilt remained. Ice! It melted in his palm.
Of course. Tech-ninjutsu.
Oda's ninjas mixed implants with traditional assassination arts. Rumors of water-style clones, ice blades, poison injectors. Few survived to tell. On local forums, they were mythologized.
This blade—nanotech ice weapon, dissolving into anesthetics and toxins once inside.
How did he know? Because he'd just been stabbed!
His chest tingled, Fuxi-15 showed interference, comms cut off.
Fortunately, his Nine Yin qi shield had stopped it from reaching organs.
And across the pool, he sensed her—silent, lurking.
One strike failed, and she didn't flee? She wanted him dead.
.
.
.
⚠️ 30 CHAPTERS AHEAD — I'm Not a Cyberpsycho ⚠️
The system says: Kill.
Mercs obey. Corporates obey. Monsters obey.
One man didn't.
🧠💀 "I'm not a cyberpsycho. I just think... differently."
💥 High-voltage cyberpunk. Urban warfare. AI paranoia.
Read 30 chapters ahead, only on Patreon.
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