Stroking his chin, Arthur studied the gruesome scene before him, but something felt wrong.
His gaze lingered on the severed limbs scattered across the floor.
"Right," he asked abruptly, "in your intel... which gang's stronghold was this supposed to be?"
"In the Northside Industrial District? Of course, it's Maelstr—"
Lucy stopped mid-sentence, her voice cutting off sharply.
She suddenly spun around and rushed toward the doorway she'd been avoiding moments before.
Yes—this place was far too "clean." Flesh too clean, blood too clean... and not a single shard of cyberware.
Everyone in Night City knew what the Maelstrom gang was like.
Their attitude toward their original bodies was worse than the way they treated a rusted rod pulled from a junkyard.
Arthur tilted his head toward a severed head rolling across the floor, its eyes frozen wide.
"I don't know about the rest, but the Maelstrom psychos all seem to have it out for their own eyes.
In all my dealings with them, I've rarely seen one still with both intact."
Lucy remained frozen, staring at the head that had rolled from some unlucky bastard. Arthur added,
"It's obvious, isn't it?
Asian, shaved heads—you can spot them a mile away."
"Tyger Claws..."
Lucy whispered the words, shaken by Arthur's explanation.
It wasn't surprising he had noticed. Since arriving in this world, Arthur could say with certainty: of all those who had died by his gun, the most came from these two gangs.
"So... it's Arasaka."
Her voice trembled as she spoke.
If the "gloves" were here, finding their owner wouldn't be difficult.
But for Lucy, the name Arasaka was a blade buried deep in her chest.
Every time she heard it, it tore her open anew.
"Why... Arasaka..."
The words left her lips in a voiceless murmur.
"In some ways, that's good news."
Seeing her stricken state, Arthur tried to offer comfort.
"After all... inside that corporation, we've got someone who can speak for us."
He was, of course, referring to V.
Perhaps the Biotechnica mission had left too strong a mark on Lucy, because she gradually forced down her anxiety and fear.
A confident figure appeared in her mind—V, with the faint, effortless smile she often wore.
"Let's go... if there's nothing else useful here.
We'll ask V. Maybe she knows something."
When the two stepped out of the factory again, the rain had thinned to a sparse drizzle—the kind that wouldn't soak your clothes even if you walked in it.
The cool breeze carried the scent of rain, washing away the stench of blood that had clung to Arthur's nose. Without slowing, they made their way back.
"Do you think... V will help us?"
Lucy's uncertainty returned, her voice edged with doubt.
"Well... maybe you should relax a little first..."
Arthur spoke casually, his brow still furrowed since the moment he'd gotten up.
Even if V couldn't directly help, any intel would be useful.
...
Back at the clinic, Vik and Jessica were waiting for news.
When they heard Arasaka might be involved, their faces darkened immediately.
Night City's survival was never as simple as it seemed. Freedom, prosperity, chaos, wealth—everything here rested on a single principle: self-governance.
The New United States was nowhere near as benevolent as it pretended.
In truth, it was just another corporation wearing the mask of government.
Citizens were treated as a resource—a renewable one. And renewables rarely received careful handling.
Under such a looming threat, Night City's survival depended entirely on the super-corporations encircling City Center and Corpo Plaza.
Ironic, really. Nearly everyone in Night City despised corporate exploitation, yet it was those same corporations that kept the city's lights burning.
At its core, Night City was balance—a balance maintained by power from across the globe.
And among the weights on that scale, Arasaka was one of the heaviest.
Sneaking close enough to brush a tiger's fur might still leave you alive.
But trying to pull someone out of Arasaka's grip? That was the same as ripping meat from a tiger's jaws.
"This intel... are you certain?"
After a few seconds of silence, it was Vik's deep voice that finally broke through.
His face carried that same subtle expression—like a smile, yet not quite.
"Tyger Claws disguised themselves as Maelstrom and set the bait for this trap..."
Arthur explained, setting his hat on the table with a casual motion.
"Pretty sure of it."
He placed his umbrella down as well, pulled a chair over, and dropped into it.
Resting an arm on the backrest, he nodded toward a corner.
"The situation there is clear. And aside from the Tyger Claws, almost every gang in Night City is at odds with Arasaka."
Lucy, who had followed him inside, said nothing. She simply found a corner and sat down quietly.
Reality was cruel. It forced the unprepared to make decisions, and the seasoned to make choices.
Abandoning David seemed like the logical answer.
Risking more lives for a slim chance of success wasn't worth it.
"Hey..."
Arthur suddenly raised his voice, noticing Lucy's expression.
Startled, she looked up at him.
"Sorry... but... listen.
Trust me—we'll bring that kid back to his mother."
Arthur nodded firmly as he said it, gesturing toward Gloria—the woman who had only just awakened, not yet recognizing her son.
The streaks of white in her hair were fading, a sign that her body was slowly recovering.
Hearing Arthur's voice, she turned toward him.
Her eyes shimmered with unshed tears. Maybe, even through her clouded thoughts, she had painfully and stubbornly pieced things together.
And this world was nothing if not cruel—for every soul you pulled back, another slipped away.
But Arthur refused to believe that.
...
(70 Chapters Ahead)
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