Chapter 95: Fighting Adam Smasher
In the training room, Rhys lay back on a recliner, eyes closed, a high-end braindance wreath on his head. Specialized sensors were attached to his arms, monitoring his bio-feedback.
His body temperature was spiking, his skin flushed red, faint wisps of steam rising from his pores as his system went into overdrive.
Moments later, Rhys's eyes snapped open. His right hand clenched at empty air a few times. He sat up, gasping for breath.
His hair was soaked with sweat, his eyes bloodshot. He took a deep, shuddering breath and stood up.
Don't get the wrong idea. He wasn't watching some X-rated BD. He was in intense combat simulation.
Training needed a target. Rebecca and Maine used Tigress. Lucy and Sasha used Shoko.
Rhys needed a target, too. And the BD shard he was using was specifically designed for combat training.
As Michiko Arasaka's personal security detail, the Dangerous Girls had access to resources that put the rest of the world to shame.
"No wonder the gap between the haves and have-nots is so insane..." Rhys laughed bitterly. Before coming to this fortress, he didn't even know training tech like this existed.
He knew about skill shards—sex skills, weapon handling, knowledge bases. Slot a chip, and suddenly you're an expert marksman.
But this... this level of BD simulation was excessive.
Rhys removed the wreath and slotted it into the port on the back of the chair.
Then, he started processing what he'd just learned. Standing still, rubbing his chin, he muttered to himself:
"Adam Smasher... his base movement speed is about four times mine. His custom Sandevistan is loaded with Arasaka-exclusive mods. But the real killer is that gravity well system. Once he activates that, the drag makes him six or seven times faster than me, even when I'm using Potential Overdrive..."
Rhys analyzed the data from the simulation, his expression twisting.
With Potential Overdrive active, his reflexes were already in legendary territory. With stats over 15, almost no one in Night City could touch him.
He'd been relying on his raw ability, getting a little arrogant after joining the merc scene. Wiping out the Wraiths, zeroing the fixer, wrecking Arasaka's senior agents... he thought he was strong.
But compared to a true legend? He was still leagues away.
"And the worst part is his Body stat. It's way higher than mine. I can't break his defense. I can only annoy him. But he can punch through my gut with one shot from his arm cannon. 96% cyborg... what a monster."
Rhys shook his head, clearing his thoughts.
No point comparing himself to Adam Smasher right now. After the nuke, Smasher sold his soul to Arasaka. He was the pinnacle of their tech. The most cutting-edge cyberware in the world was grafted onto his frame. Rhys, a guy who could barely scrape together a few thousand eddies if he sold everything he owned, trying to compare himself to a walking tank worth millions? It was a joke.
Smasher's chrome was all custom, top-tier, unavailable on the market. Hacking him was nearly impossible; cracking his ICE would take half a day. In half a day, Smasher could kill you a thousand times over.
It was no wonder half the legends of Night City died at his hands.
Rhys had considered taking Michiko's offer, loading up on chrome. With his base stats, after a few months of acclimation, he could probably take Smasher. There would be a new legend named Rhys in Night City.
But that idea shattered the moment he understood Smasher's implants.
Not just because of the two-year deal with Michiko. But because...
Now he understood why a monster like Smasher obeyed Arasaka.
You think a corp spends hundreds of millions building a weapon of war without a kill switch?
Shutting down his cyberware remotely was just the basics. Installing custom chrome was like handing your life over to the corp.
And using market-grade high-end chrome? It was full of vulnerabilities and backdoors, easy prey for netrunners without corporate ICE to protect it.
So, while chrome was the fastest way to power, it was also a massive risk.
As for V... fuck, V's chrome capacity in the endgame could exceed even Smasher's.
The more he learned about this world, the more he realized... V was a glitch in the matrix. Someone like that shouldn't exist. You couldn't find a second V.
Rhys wiped the sweat from his forehead and headed for the showers. The hot water washed away most of the fatigue. He planned to dive back in for a couple more sessions. Once he left this place, he wouldn't get another chance to "fight" Smasher like this.
Midnight.
Shoko sat in front of her massive screen, sipping a drink.
"Drinking again? Still refueling on sugar?"
Tigress walked up behind her.
"Taking on all three of them at once... it's a bit of a hassle. Just a small one," Shoko said softly, taking two big gulps. She looked at Tigress.
"Sasha is good at breaching. She's got the makings of a spec-ops agent. If the Boss knew about her, she'd love her. Looks, skills, she's the total package."
"Lucy is well-rounded. She has experience and maturity beyond her years. Her ability to synthesize intel is incredible, her thinking is fast. She's the natural commander of the three, able to analyze the situation and find the optimal path. A netrunner who processes slow... usually ends up dead."
"And Kiwi..." Shoko chuckled. "Actually, she's not that exceptional on paper. But she has one very interesting trait."
"What trait?" Tigress asked, curious. Shoko rarely laughed unless something genuinely amused her. She didn't do fake smiles.
"She's cunning. Really cunning. I almost fell for one of her traps just now."
Tigress was surprised. In the netrunner world, being tricked usually meant losing. And losing meant dying.
"Also, her ability to endure loneliness and pressure is the best of the three. Kiwi doesn't fear failure. Unlike the other two, who blame external factors when they lose, Kiwi accepts it. She admits her own shortcomings."
"In my book, that's a powerful quality."
Shoko sounded pleased. She'd found a gem.
Sasha? Great. Cyberpsychosis hack, combat capability. A rare breed of battle-netrunner. Even Shoko might not match her in a physical fight.
Lucy? Great. Comprehensive knowledge, experienced, a tactical mind.
But Kiwi? She didn't have Sasha's spec-ops skills or Lucy's elite education. She was a typical Night City runner—competent, but mediocre in the grand scheme.
But... genius was common. In Shoko's era, and even more so now, geniuses were a dime a dozen. Everyone thought they were special.
Kiwi didn't. She never thought she was special. Maybe it was her background? That humility... that was rare. It caught Shoko's attention.
"By the way, tell the Boss the base budget is running low again," Shoko added suddenly.
Tigress blinked, touching her ear. "I spent about 1.7 million on Rebecca, but that was approved. How much did you burn?"
"Not much. Equipment wear and tear is negligible. The real cost... is Rhys."
"What did he do?" Tigress asked. She'd been training Rebecca all night.
"He used the shard."
"The shard... wait, fuck, you don't mean that one?" Tigress's mouth twitched.
Shoko nodded.
Tigress's voice trembled. "He used the custom combat sim of Adam Smasher?"
"How many times?! Once, right? It has to be once!"
Tigress had used it once. Just once. She wouldn't do it again. The mental trauma was too severe. To ensure realism, the shard had limited uses before the data degraded from overload. And it required external sensors to simulate pain with electric shocks.
Dying in that simulation felt like dying for real. Tigress had passed out after one session, her brain so shocked she slept for three days.
Shoko held up three fingers. "Three. No, he's on his fourth run right now."
Tigress: "?"
"Are you kidding me?! Killed by Adam Smasher four times in one night? How is his mind still intact?" Tigress growled.
It defied logic. Fear of death was a basic human instinct. Even if you were brave, dying four times in a row?! What kind of mental fortitude was that?
"How should I know? Just ask the Boss for more money. That shard costs around 300k and has twelve uses. I estimate he'll use it every day, and his sessions are getting longer. He's going to burn through it fast."
"..."
"Will the Boss agree? These guys are money pits..." Tigress sighed.
"She said they could use the facilities. She approved Rebecca's upgrades as a 'gift' to Rhys. If we're out of money, who else do we ask?"
"Should I go ask?" Tigress pointed at herself.
"Or me?"
"Forget it... if you go, she'll just get mad. You don't know how to talk to her," Tigress sighed.
"Jackie, sorry to trouble you again."
"Don't sweat it. We're family."
In the Santo Domingo apartment, David sat on the sofa, watching the bear-like man devouring dinner at the table. Top-knot, leather jacket, broad back... laughing and chatting with his mom.
"If 6th Street comes back, call me immediately. I'll be there."
"But this can't go on forever. You have your own life, Jackie. The Mox needs you too, right?"
Gloria shook her head, sighing. "6th Street isn't trying to hurt me. Gunner just wants to recruit me. Worst case, I..."
"No way. You're one of us now," Jackie said firmly.
He'd stayed behind to protect his own. His mom didn't need protecting; she was tough. But the Mox and Gloria... they were his responsibility now.
Eating Gloria's cooking, Jackie glanced back at David. "David, how's school? Any trouble?"
"No, it's fine," David lied.
It was weird... having a strange man in the house at night. Even if Jackie was there for protection... it felt weird. But Jackie had a girlfriend, Misty, the spiritualist. He talked about her all the time.
Still... weird.
"Don't worry. Everything will work out," Jackie told Gloria.
"I hope so," she murmured.
She wasn't as optimistic. She'd lost her job and her backing. She needed work to support David. 6th Street's offer... honestly, if Jackie hadn't been coming over every day, she might have already accepted. She didn't have deep ties to Maine's crew yet. Now that they were gone, joining 6th Street wasn't the worst option.
But Jackie's loyalty made her hesitate. Loyalty versus reality...
I'll wait a bit longer. We have enough saved for now.
She looked at David, lost in thought.
But David wasn't spacing out. He was looking down, fists clenched.
Why... why does my mom need someone else to protect her?
Why can't I protect her?
He gritted his teeth.
Will things really get better?
BOOM!
In the braindance world, Rhys thrust his spear forward, five rapid strikes in the blink of an eye.
But a crushing weight slammed into him. His spine bent, his legs felt like lead.
He gritted his teeth, straightening up. The spear in his hands shifted.
A small shield appeared.
BANG!
The impact sent him flying. The force... it wasn't like getting hit by a truck. It was like getting hit by a maglev train.
As he flew, Rhys clamped his mouth shut, swallowing the copper taste of blood rising in his throat. The shield shifted again.
Shadows flowed. The shield became a shotgun. He fired. Sparks filled his vision.
With Potential Overdrive, Rhys could barely keep up with Smasher's speed.
Usually... he was the one flashing around his enemies.
Now, Adam Smasher was flashing around him.
And because Rhys didn't have a Sandevistan, he couldn't access the "stopped time" world. In reality, Smasher just vanished and reappeared. No blue trails, no glitch lines. Just instant transmission.
If he had a Sandy, maybe he could predict the movement?
Damn it... stop thinking!
"You... monster!"
Roaring, Rhys shifted Shadowsong again. The shotgun became a katana for close quarters.
Black and red blade against giant iron fist. Madness versus cold steel.
BOOM!
Rhys's vision went black. The agony made his entire body convulse.
"Hah!"
Rhys sat up on the recliner, gasping for air, a wild excitement in his eyes. Dead... but he wanted more!
Grinning, Rhys threw his arms wide.
"I am so fucking strong!"
"Lasted seven seconds longer against that bastard Smasher!"
Seven seconds in reality... how many seconds in Sandevistan time?
Who knows? Smasher's custom Sandy had mods Rhys couldn't even guess at.
But... he felt himself getting stronger.
The crushing defeats were helping him find his rhythm. Against a monster like Smasher, Rhys was finding his own way to fight.
He was getting better with Shadowsong.
Two weeks left.
In two weeks, he had to be able to last thirty seconds against Smasher with Potential Overdrive active!
He had to find an opening to hurt him within that window!
Combat wasn't just about stats. Higher numbers didn't guarantee a win.
High-status people got zeroed by a single bullet all the time. Saburo Arasaka, the emperor of the world, got strangled to death!
Okay, maybe not the best example, but the point stood—stats weren't everything.
Morgan Blackhand was the proof.
Rhys took a deep breath, rubbed his hair, and lay back down.
"Let's go for five rounds today."
Jack in!
Adam Smasher... I'm coming for you, you motherfucker!