"What?"
Witnessing the scene, Maine and Dorio couldn't help but widen their eyes.
What in the world was going on? Why did so many people collapse in an instant?
It looked like the work of a top-tier netrunner, but Maine had never seen a netrunner with methods like this. Just a snap of her fingers, without any equipment, and she took down this entire group!
And, most importantly, the people right next to Silver Wolf were completely unaffected.
Maine didn't understand. He was no rookie. Having navigated Night City for decades, what kind of person hadn't he seen? Even the world's strongest netrunner couldn't achieve something like this...
Could such a small frame really contain such terrifying power?
"Lucy, your friend... is something else," Dorio whispered, looking at Lucy beside her.
"I knew she was good, but I didn't know she was this good," Lucy whispered back, equally stunned.
Previously, Lucy had only seen her deal with two thugs in a back alley. She never knew Silver Wolf possessed such formidable netrunning skills.
With Lucy's own level, if caught off guard, she could take down three enemies at most in one go. But Silver Wolf? A single snap, and all these people were dead.
Lucy could even smell a faint, cooked scent in the air.
If she could kill these people, taking out everyone else present would be just as easy.
"Why is everyone staring at me? Got some gum stuck on my face or something?" Silver Wolf said, followed by a soft 'pop' as she blew a bubble.
"No, no, haha, we're just... surprised, little... miss. We didn't expect you to be this strong," Maine stammered.
Though a rough guy, he knew who not to mess with. In Night City, the brainless died fastest. Any edgerunner who survived this long was a seasoned veteran.
"Ah, they were just trash. Anyone decent could've handled that," Silver Wolf said dismissively, flicking her wrist.
I definitely couldn't! Lucy screamed internally, feeling utterly defeated.
"Gloria, are you hurt?" The steady Dorio turned to David's mother, her voice full of concern.
Gloria had worked with them often over the years. In fact, if it weren't for Dorio and Maine's crew, Gloria might not have managed David's school fees.
The tuition for Arasaka Academy was astronomical. Just barely managing to keep David enrolled was a monumental achievement for her.
"I'm fine... It's just, they moved so fast. I was completely unprepared..." Gloria coughed lightly, straightened her clothes, and looked worriedly at David.
"I'm okay," David said, rubbing his neck uncomfortably. Being choked for so long, even without life-threatening danger, had left a dark bruise on his neck.
The opponent's cybernetic hand wasn't exactly soft.
"Good that you're alright. Glad I wasn't too late. Didn't expect them to track you down this fast. My oversight," Silver Wolf shrugged.
"Not at all! If it weren't for you, Miss Silver Wolf, I'd be dead in that hospital..." Gloria shook her head with a bitter smile. How could she blame Silver Wolf? She was nothing but grateful.
"Dead in the hospital? What happened?" Dorio and Maine immediately turned their full attention to Gloria upon hearing this.
Gloria didn't hide anything, recounting the day's events in detail.
"That's some rotten luck. First, a gang war, then a black-market organ harvester hospital..." Dorio fell silent for a moment after hearing Gloria's ordeal.
"Haha, guess your luck's holding, Gloria! Most people would be dead meeting just one of those, but you survived both! If you'd kicked it, where would I get my 'ware?" Maine boomed.
"Shut up, Maine!" Dorio glared at the blunt man and punched him square in the nose. Blood immediately trickled down.
Maine looked at Dorio, grumbling for a moment but ultimately staying silent. Despite being a lawless cyberpunk brute, he was surprisingly henpecked.
"It's alright, I know Maine didn't mean it like that," Gloria said softly, shaking her head, a trace of lingering fear on her face.
"It's a good thing I didn't die. Who knows what would have become of David otherwise." She looked at her son with deep concern, making him shift uncomfortably.
"What do you mean, 'what would become of me'? I'm just a student..." David averted his gaze, embarrassed.
"Don't give me that. I know your temperament. Without me to keep you in check, you'd probably go completely off the rails, head down a totally different path... a path leading straight to ruin."
Gloria's gaze was profound. She knew her son's character all too well.
"So, this is your son, Gloria? Takes after you, huh? Haha!"
Maine reached out and clapped David on the shoulder with his large hand, making the boy stagger. What was a light pat for Maine felt like a hammer blow to David.
"Please, sit down. Sorry, the place is small. Let me get you all some water. And I'll get your item, Maine."
After a brief exchange, Gloria finally noticed her guests were still standing and hurried to play host.
"You two gentlemen are friends of Silver Wolf's? Please, make yourselves comfortable." She shot David a look, signaling him to entertain everyone, then headed to the kitchen.
"Wait, you two..." As David ushered everyone to sit, he finally got a clear look at Cole and the source figure behind Silver Wolf. He stared in shock. "Huh?" Cole looked at David, puzzled.
"Aren't you the one on TV? The one Arasaka's got a bounty on... sir? And his partner?" David said, looking at Cole and the source.
"Someone who recognizes us... Yeah, that's me. Don't tense up, kid. Just tagging along with Silver Wolf here. Repaying a debt for saving my life," Cole shrugged, pulling out a lighter for his cigar. But it had been burning too long; the stub wasn't enough for a proper smoke.
"Here, try mine. Strong stuff." Maine extended a cigar case towards Cole.
"Thanks, man." Cole lit Maine's cigar, took a deep drag, and exhaled in relief. He felt alive again. For a heavy smoker, no nicotine was worse than death.
Silver Wolf wrinkled her nose and fanned the air with her hand.
Instantly, the smoke in the air drifted solely towards Cole and Maine, none coming near her.
This simple display of control shocked Maine and the others again. They felt no wind, yet Silver Wolf could manipulate the air like this...
"Don't mention it. Besides, I'm interested in you folks. Big shots who slipped Arasaka's net. I always like making friends with capable people," Maine grinned, looking at Genji and Cole.
These two were no ordinary folk. Potential future contacts.
Even with Arasaka on their tails, knowing them probably brought more good than bad. And hell, they were edgerunners. If you were that scared of dying, you shouldn't be in this business.
"Sorry for the wait." Gloria returned with a large tray laden with cups. The small apartment wasn't used to so many guests, so the cups were all mismatched. But in these circumstances, any drink was a blessing.
"Here's what you wanted, Maine." Gloria handed a bag to Maine. Inside was a cleaned, spine-like cyberware unit.
"Oooh yeah! Baby, I've been waiting for you!" Maine grabbed the Sandevistan unit, practically hugging it.
Silver Wolf frowned. "So you're the one who wants this thing? Well, you can't install it."
"Huh? Why?" Maine looked at Silver Wolf, confused. He'd had his eye on this for ages.
Only Silver Wolf's proven strength kept him polite. Anyone else saying this would have gotten a fist in their face.
"You can't handle the load. Use it more than five times after installation, and you'll go insane. Like its previous owner. Turn into a raving cyberpsycho," Silver Wolf stated flatly.
"How do you know?" Maine looked at the cyberware in his hand, reluctant to let go, his eyes full of doubt. Simple warnings wouldn't stop him.
"I'm the one who took down its previous owner. Of course I know the side effects. Such a piece of junk, and you treat it like a treasure..." Silver Wolf's face was full of disdain.
While this was top-tier cyberware here, in her eyes, it was garbage. She'd seen far more advanced tech.
The combat suits from the Interastral Peace Corporation could turn an ordinary person into a superhuman instantly, more absurd than Iron Man's armor.
Compared to that, this world's cyberware was child's play.
"So you're the one who took him down..." Maine nodded, then froze. "Wait! You took him down?!"
"WHAAAT?!"
In an instant, the room erupted in gasps. Their eyes towards Silver Wolf were filled with shock and disbelief. They'd all seen that illegal braindance. Its release had caused an uproar in their circles.
Everyone speculated about the identity of the shadowy figure who so easily defeated the former soldier equipped with a Sandevistan, and in such a seemingly miraculous way.
"So it's really you... the one from the braindance..." Maine looked at Silver Wolf, a bitter smile on his face. This person... was a monster!
"What, am I famous or something?" Silver Wolf watched their reactions with interest. She wasn't aware of the braindance, so she didn't know the commotion she'd caused.
"Famous? Hell, every fixer and netrunner in Night City probably wants to know who you are. Listen, you gotta be careful. Arasaka must have their eyes on you. Knowing them, once they figure out who you are, they'll throw everything they have to capture you."
"You should leave Night City, lay low, find someplace to hide," Dorio urged, fine sweat beading on her forehead, her concern genuine.
They weren't stupid; they knew they were no match for Silver Wolf. And they weren't even considering crossing her.
"Me? Hide from a Corp? Pfft... Hahaha!" Silver Wolf burst out laughing as if she'd heard the funniest joke, even clutching her stomach like she might die from laughter.
"I'm being serious. No one has ever successfully defied the Corporations. The Legends of Night City tried. They're all dead," Dorio reminded her.
"That's because they weren't strong enough," Silver Wolf retorted without hesitation.
"Night City has no living legends. It's a joke." Her tone was casual, radiating an air of 'I'm so strong I could take on the world single-handedly.'
For some reason, Maine, Cole, and the others looking at her like this didn't feel a shred of doubt.
Subconsciously, they believed she really could bring down a Corp... But then they shook their heads and smiled. Impossible.
Never mind that the Corps had Adam Smasher, the ultimate anti-personnel weapon.
Even if Silver Wolf beat Adam Smasher, she couldn't possibly wrestle with a Corporation itself. The power of capital wasn't something any individual could defy.
"Even if I can't use it... I'm still installing it..." Maine stared at the Sandevistan, stubbornness in his eyes. To become a legend, you had to pay a price. Equivalent exchange, an eternal rule. Especially for someone like Maine, who wasn't particularly gifted.
To reach the top, he had to take even greater risks.
"Fine. You won't give up until you hit a wall. Since you want this thing so badly, I'll let you have a taste..." Silver Wolf's mouth twitched.
"A taste? How?" As everyone wondered, Silver Wolf took the cyberware from Gloria, unwrapped it, walked up to Maine, and simply pressed it against his back.
The device and Maine's body seemed to meld together like clay, equipping it instantly.
This scene made everyone's eyes widen again. What kind of ability was this? Since when was cyberware installation this simple?
"Done. Give it a try. Test its effects. Isn't this what you wanted?" Silver Wolf looked at Maine calmly.
"Here?" Maine scratched his head.
"Of course."
"Alright..." Just a quick test, shouldn't be a problem, right? Maine activated the Sandevistan.
In an instant, Maine found the world around him slowing down. Dramatically so. Everything and everyone moved in slow motion.
"Dorio?" Maine waved a hand in front of Dorio's face. No reaction. He chuckled, then boldly groped her chest and hip. Still no reaction. If he tried that while she was working, he'd get a fist to the nose immediately.
He then looked at Silver Wolf. Even she seemed affected in this frozen space. So she's not all-powerful after all... An impulse surged in Maine: he wanted to pat Silver Wolf's head.
But the next moment, he saw Silver Wolf's eyes calmly fixed on him.
"Ah, haha... So you're not affected..." Maine said awkwardly.
"Stare~"
"But see? I've got this under control. No problems here," Maine grinned confidently at Silver Wolf. See, he wasn't some weakling. He could handle this.
However, in the next moment, his mind swam.
He saw Silver Wolf's form in front of him begin to distort. Her head split open, and a grotesque alien shape composed of countless guns and cannons twisted into existence before his eyes. In moments, a ferocious and terrifying gunmetal demon stood where Silver Wolf was.
"Wait! What are you, monster? Stay back!" Maine's face paled. He raised his arm cannon and instantly blasted the Silver Wolf-demon to pieces.
"Let's go, quick! Dorio!" Maine wanted to flee this horrifying place. Instinctively, he grabbed Dorio and Lucy nearby, trying to pull them away.
But his hand met cold, hard metal.
He saw Dorio's and Lucy's faces also begin to distort, turning into gunmetal abominations. The hand he held belonging to Dorio had transformed into a cold gun barrel.
"Gahhhhh! Get away from me! Where are my friends? What have you done with my friends?!"Maine finally snapped. He frantically unleashed fire from his arm cannon, obliterating the two aberrations.
But when he came to his senses, he saw... Dorio, Lucy, Gloria, and David, all lying mangled, as if torn apart by heavy artillery.
"Did I... do all this?" Maine realized with horror.
Then, his vision rapidly distorted. The whole world became grotesque. Walls writhed, seeping flesh and blood.
The floor sprouted twisted tentacles covered in disgusting eyeballs. A brutal fusion of flesh and firearms formed one distorted picture after another.
"Grr... ungh... GYAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Maine let out a maddened howl.
But the next instant, everything vanished.
When he opened his eyes again, Silver Wolf stood beside him, eyebrow raised. Dorio, Gloria, and the others looked at him with concern.
"You alright, man? You went pale all of a sudden..." Cole asked, his face full of concern.
Maine breathed a sigh of relief.
Then, from Maine's perspective, Cole's head split open down the middle. A chainsaw, dripping with brains and blood, burst through the skull, lunging madly towards him.
"STAY AWAY FROM MEEEEEEEE!" Maine screamed, frantically scrambling backward.
The next moment, he woke up drenched in cold sweat, everyone looking at him with concern.
"You okay, man? You're sweating buckets," Cole said, concerned.
Instinctively, Maine reached for his arm cannon.
But Silver Wolf lightly tapped his body. "Calm down. You're back in reality now."
She looked at the terrified, sweat-soaked Maine calmly. Simultaneously, Maine's body went limp, collapsing onto the couch, unable to move.
"Am I... back?" Maine asked Silver Wolf, fear lingering in his voice.
"Mhm. So, how was the cyberpsychosis experience? Everything just now happened in your mind. In reality, you just took a nap. But... if you insist on installing this thing, that won't just be an illusion."
"It will become your reality. You'll be unable to distinguish friend from foe, killing everyone who comes near you, including those closest to you."
As she spoke, Silver Wolf reached over and effortlessly removed the cyberware fused to Maine's back.
"I... So that's what cyberpsychosis feels like?" Maine said after a moment of silence.
"Yep. I just accelerated the process for you. What you saw was all simulated by your own mind, so it felt utterly real."
Silver Wolf shrugged, then added a friendly reminder: "By the way, you're already showing early symptoms. They're just not obvious yet. If you don't curb your current implant usage, your sanity will plummet into the abyss within a month."
"No one will be able to save you then."
This cyberpsychosis was somewhat like the Mara-struck state on the Xianzhou, though the madness of Mara was even more extreme—a proper blessing of Abundance, far beyond the simple insanity of this world.
"What did you see, Maine?" Dorio asked, her voice full of concern.
"I saw monsters. The whole world was monsters. Then I went berserk... and killed all of you..." Maine looked drained.
He looked at Dorio, a hint of fear visible in the eyes of this hardened veteran. Was this what his world would become?
It wasn't death he feared, but the thought of hurting his comrades in his madness.
Though a cyberpunk, Maine deeply valued his bonds with his crew. This made him somewhat of an anomaly in Night City.
"Looks like... I'm not cut out for this thing after all..." Maine looked regretfully at the cyberware in Silver Wolf's hand and sighed.
He thought it would be his power boost, but it turned out to be his death warrant.
He knew cyberpsychosis would set in fast with this thing, but he didn't expect his own constitution to succumb so quickly...
Of course, cyberpsychos often couldn't tell they were losing it. Maine's current state was already dangerous.
"However, while you can't use it, there is someone here who can," Silver Wolf said with renewed interest.
"That must be me!" Genji said cheerfully. His body was covered in cybernetic modifications, half his original form gone. He was uniquely qualified. If anyone present could handle it, it was probably him.
"Nope. It's him." Silver Wolf pointed at David.
"Me?"
--+--
T/N: While I am an inexperienced Translator, I have a Patreon! While it may seem empty as of now, webnovel will get 3 Chapters Every Day, and advanced chapters will be uploaded on Patreon.
It may not seem worth it now, but maybe in the future. Who knows!
[email protected]/AspenTL
If you guys wanna check it out.