Chapter 178

Future chapters at patreon.com/FFAddict.

Additionally, I have many new works readers may be interested in. Go look, if you wish! 

V felt a bit off today, mostly in her head. To be precise, she kept seeing afterimages that flashed like lightning before disappearing again. This "symptom" had worsened over the past two days. Though she didn't experience headaches or vision problems, it still worried her.

In her bedroom, V changed into clean clothes, with her sweat-soaked running gear piled at her feet. Just as she pulled on her hoodie, she "saw" a shadowy figure seemingly flash past behind her.

"Damn..."

"It must be psychological."

Resisting the urge to glance back, V continued dressing and then headed out of her room.

That day, she had declined Tang Yu's suggestion to join the so-called Anti-Terror Mobile Unit. Life in uniform, conducting "justice" everywhere, didn't appeal to her. Tang Yu had painstakingly listed the benefits—more powerful combat implants, high salary and benefits, team protection—all hitting V's pain points. But V just wasn't interested.

Especially after seeing the hypocritical faces of the elite at the gala, she lost any good feelings she had for similar organizations.

V preferred the unrestrained street life. She felt she was born on the streets and would probably die on the streets, hoping to become a legend in Night City one day. If she could get through the days of scavenging for treasures, having a car and an apartment now—even with some loan payments—didn't feel too bad.

However, V was realistic; since she didn't join the Anti-Terror Mobile Unit, she needed to find some gigs. Over the past few days, it seemed like Gloria was avoiding her, only assigning trivial tasks instead of good jobs. Today, V was determined to land a big gig.

V recalled that fixers typically looked for mercenaries to handle jobs, so maybe Gloria had no trouble finding cyberpunks to do the gigs.

Standing at the base of her apartment building, V called Gloria and directly stated she wanted a job.

On the other end, Gloria hesitated. She hadn't given V any jobs recently because V seemed to have some bad luck, with every job ending up in unexpected situations—a lost arm in Pacifica one time, brain damage in Watson the next. Though V always completed the tasks, the number of accidents worried Gloria.

Truthfully, Gloria wasn't concerned about V's ability to finish jobs but about her safety. Earlier, Tang Yu had requested Gloria to assign V high-paying jobs. Although Tang Yu never explicitly said it, Gloria knew V mattered to Tang Yu, and V couldn't afford to get hurt.

But the accidents from the last two jobs had made Gloria cautious. She hoped V would take on simpler tasks for now. But V, obviously not understanding the intricacies, only wanted bigger, higher-paying jobs to pay off her debts sooner.

After some thought, Gloria decided to give V a slightly challenging job and planned to keep Tang Yu updated. Dragging this out might force V to find another fixer, making it harder for Gloria to control the situation.

"V, I don't have any big jobs recently, but there's something you might need to look into," Gloria began.

When V heard a difficult task was finally on the horizon, she teased, "Finally, something worthwhile. What is it? Just leave it to me."

Familiar with Gloria now, V appreciated this kind and beautiful fixer, finding her cooperation invaluable in Night City.

Gloria sent the mission details via message, emphasizing V should just investigate and avoid conflict.

After hanging up, V checked the message: investigate cyberpsychos in the Maelstrom gang's territory in Watson, with several addresses provided.

After getting the addresses, V set out. The points were relatively close to each other, so she expected to finish by noon.

Not long after, she reached the first destination, a construction site. High walls blocked her view, but from outside, she spotted heavy machinery at work, digging underground. The site's signs indicated it was a Night Corp infrastructure project.

Approaching the gate and seeing a guard on duty, V inquired, "Hey, can I ask you something?"

The Night Corp guard replied stiffly, "No comment."

Realizing the guard wasn't chasing her off, V discreetly handed over two bills.

The guard collected the money without showing much emotion but still asked, "Anything in particular?"

"Buddy, has anyone here been acting crazy lately? What's going on?" V probed.

Despite knowing about the incidents from the mission details, V wanted to confirm firsthand.

The guard stiffly turned his neck, producing creaking sounds in his throat as he struggled to speak, occasionally managing halting words.

"No...crazy..."

He raised his hand to point at his head.

Suddenly, his cybernetic eyes flashed blue, as if controlled by some strange force, and he lunged at V. Reacting swiftly, V's mantis blade shot out from her left hand, slicing off his arm before she turned and fled.

Night Corp's site had Militech's defenses, and lingering would make her a drone target. After evading through several alleyways and confirming no pursuers, V finally relaxed.

What was that just now? Blue eyes?

It quickly reminded her of incidents at the Arasaka Palace and the gala—all potentially linked to Night Corp.

Could these people have been similarly controlled? The idea of such control was terrifying. But V doubted such a pervasive power; otherwise, Night City would be in chaos.

Calming herself, she recalled the man pointing to his head. These controlled individuals likely had some brain issues, possibly from unknown modifications.

Night Corp's shady charity plan came to mind—what were they turning those people into?

V steadied herself and moved on to the remaining sites. Apart from the Night Corp site, nothing noteworthy came up. Only one location remained: a small plaza near the Maelstrom gang's core territory.

Hurrying to the final destination, she soon arrived and spotted odd movements in the distance. Finding a corner, she slipped into stealth mode.

The small plaza area had a few Maelstrom members aimlessly monitoring the surroundings, chatting absentmindedly.

"What's the boss up to with all this, drawing blueprints and chanting nonsense?" one grumbled.

"Who knows. It's those damn companies with their code names. Wolf Father, Blood Moon, Divine Descend—I'm getting second-hand embarrassment," another complained.

"Whatever, let's talk about our new projects. The company sent us new goods, heard there's even a monk. Got ideas?" a third asked.

"Hmm... Full metal conversion sounds fun!"

While they chatted, V found a concealed path and slipped unnoticed into the plaza. Ignoring their nonsense, she focused on investigating.

A freezer stood at the center, door ajar, filled with ice water and a person connected via a neural jack. The ground was marked with eerie red symbols.

Around the freezer, Maelstrom members pranced, chanting as if invoking some entity.

Sensing danger, V prepared her mantis blade, ready to strike.

These lunatics were up to something bizarre. Unclear about their intentions, V opted to observe further for any clues.

As the Maelstrom members' dance neared its peak, movement inside the freezer halted them. They stared expectantly at the freezer, anticipating a rousing.

The plaza fell silent.

Their eyes, betraying surprise and hope, focused on the freezer.

A hand reached out from the freezer, unhooking the neural jack. The Maelstrom members radiated joy at their expected success.

The person in the freezer, naked and disoriented, looked around. A Maelstrom member tentatively called out, "Lilith?"

The person's eyes snapped to him, then nodded.

The members relaxed, pleased with the outcome.

"The Divine Descend plan worked. Time for negotiations; no way they're getting this without paying up," one said, as the group started to pack up.

A member approached 'Lilith' with a tablet to verify code alignment with Night Corp, telling her, "You'll need to stay here for a few days..."

Before he finished, a mantis blade pierced his abdomen, extinguishing his red cybernetic eye with a flicker.

'Lilith' vaulted out of the freezer, swiftly slaying two more Maelstrom members.

The Maelstrom gang members were taken aback and quickly drew their guns to fight back, but bullets had no effect on the cyberpsycho.

"Who the heck implanted subdermal armor in her?"

"Call for backup! She's not Lilith!"

"Kill her, quick!"

A barrage of gunfire erupted at the scene.

'Lilith,' with ruthless ferocity and combat implants all over her body, was crazily reaping the lives of the Maelstrom gang members. Her newly implanted combat augmentations still had unhealed wounds, showing where flesh met machinery.

V, hiding to the side, observed with a frown. This 'Lilith' did not seem to belong with the Maelstrom gang at all. Could something have gone wrong with this ritual? Was the entity they summoned not the 'Lilith' now wreaking havoc before her?

Unable to comprehend the situation, V immediately accessed her contact list and sent a message to the high-ranking officer from MAX-TAC. A rampaging cyberpsycho like this was definitely their jurisdiction.

It wasn't long before Melissa Rory replied to V's message, stating that she was on her way and hoping V could contain the cyberpsycho's rampage.

"Shit, if I could handle this, what would we need you for?" V cursed.

Knowing this 'Lilith' wasn't easy to deal with, V prepared herself. A few rounds later, the reinforcements from the Maelstrom gang were reduced to chunks of flesh. 

Lilith's crimson eyes turned towards V, hidden in the corner, and she gave a disturbingly wicked smile.

"Hello there, human..."

V felt herself seeing double and quickly blinked. Before she could react, 'Lilith' charged at her. Forced into action, V engaged, and the two began a brutal fight in the small plaza. V first fired rounds at Lilith's head, then unsheathed her Mantis Blades to dodge attacks and counter with deadly strikes.

Despite Lilith's extensive combat implants, she didn't seem skilled in battle. Soon, she was defeated, her limbs severed, and fell to the ground. Seemingly unfazed by pain, she continued to mutter.

"You are all desecrators, everyone must die..."

With a swift motion, V decapitated her, sparks flying from her neck's modified circuits. Just then, an AV hovered overhead and issued a warning.

"Of course..." V sighed, frustrated that MAX-TAC always arrived just after the action was over.

V sheathed her Mantis Blades and moved to a visible spot to comply with MAX-TAC's orders. Melissa, accompanied by two team members, jumped down from the AV, instructed them to investigate the scene, and walked straight to V.

V provided a procedural explanation of the situation but omitted any corporate intel she had overheard from the Maelstrom gang.

After recording the details, Melissa glanced back at the carnage and said calmly, "It seems you have potential to join us. Have you thought about it?"

V shrugged and replied bluntly, "We could be friends, but joining MAX-TAC? Not interested for now."

Melissa didn't push further and explained, "The reasons people become cyberpsychos vary, but they all inevitably spiral out of control."

"There are many factors that lead to this—psychological pressure, emotional instability, cybernetic imbalances, chronic pain, and even past and present experiences can be triggers."

"To avoid losing control, join MAX-TAC. We can give you the answers."

"Even cyberpsychos can be rehabilitated to join MAX-TAC."

V was somewhat taken aback by her words, feeling like Melissa was confident she would eventually join MAX-TAC. For now, she assisted Melissa in wrapping up the scene and planned to head back to Lizzie's Bar to report to Gloria.

Once MAX-TAC completed their mission and withdrew, V walked alone through the streets, pondering the intel she had gathered today. 

The Maelstrom gang had organized a bloody ritual to summon an unknown entity and had ties with a corporation. The controlled person she encountered seemed connected to the corporation as well—all clues pointed to one place.

Night Corp.

V sensed that this corporation was plotting something. As she delved deeper into thought, her vision went black, and a message flashed before her.

"Your existence is unique. We know what you seek, and soon you will understand..."

The message ended. V felt a heavy blow to her head, and she collapsed to the ground, dazed.

...

At the company plaza, Tang Yu was driving his Rayfield supercar with Lucy around the area. Lucy's cybernetic eyes scanned their surroundings, manipulating a device in her hands as if searching for something.

After a while, her gaze returned to normal, and she said calmly, "No signal. For now, it seems that the so-called Matrix Space hasn't been activated."

"But even if it starts, given its confidentiality level, it's likely we wouldn't receive any wave frequencies from outside."

Tang Yu, hands on the steering wheel, drove casually down the street. "So, we have to wait for the Matrix Space to activate to have a chance to find their signal source."

Lucy nodded slightly, "Isn't that always how the company operates?"

Night Corp would never leave any loose ends until the very last moment. She continued to analyze, "If it's true what they say and the Matrix Space is an isolated service network, then the threat is minimal."

"But if the Matrix Space has secret channels connecting to the public network or even interfacing with Cyberspace, the consequences would be dire."

Tang Yu didn't believe Night Corp was genuinely benign; the more they seemed transparent, the more they had to hide. 

"To cut out this tumor, we need to force it into action first."

Lucy chuckled, "That's a good analogy, but when a tumor acts up, it can be fatal."

Tang Yu glanced at Lucy in the passenger seat, hesitating whether to involve her in this. Now that Lucy had joined NCPD Netwatch and cleared her name, there were no internal threats from Arasaka. Involving her in this could cause new trouble.

Noticing Tang Yu's expression out of the corner of her eye, Lucy said softly, "Since we're staying in this city, I want to stick around for a while. I've been to many places, and none compare to here."

"After all, the Matrix Space issue also falls under Netwatch's jurisdiction. Helping Night City stay peaceful a few more days is worth it, don't you think?" Lucy turned slightly to look at Tang Yu, her neon irises reflecting his delicate features.

Tang Yu was surprised by Lucy's decision. She could have easily stayed with Netwatch, taken a chance to leave, and lived freely. But she chose to remain and continue her life in this city.

With a relieved smile, Tang Yu asked, "So, how much does Netwatch pay you per year? Could you share?"

Lucy didn't bother to respond properly, casually replying, "Not as much as you. Without performance bonuses, it's about 20,000 Eddies a month. It'll increase once I get a permanent position."

Tang Yu nodded, thoughtfully stating, "Then you better work hard. You're still a long way from a ticket to the moon."

Lucy laughed, "Yeah, right. Save up enough to buy a house on the moon before talking about others."

Since Lucy decided to help, Tang Yu didn't hold back and began planning details.

Tang Yu said seriously, "To confirm the Matrix Space situation, Night Corp must activate the Matrix. This is a prerequisite for detecting network signal frequencies from the outside."

Lucy agreed, "Considering how long Night Corp has prepared, signal jamming won't be easy. We need backup plans."

Tang Yu then thought of a good idea, thanks to his past assault on Arasaka Tower's foundations, where a tunnel leads to the Matrix core.

"If we install a program chip in the server interface before the Matrix activates, we could get the data stream."

"I know a tunnel in the suburbs that goes directly to the company's plaza underground."

Lucy pondered for a moment and deemed it feasible. 

But Tang Yu noted, "The Matrix server will generate massive data once activated. No program chip can identify or extract that much data."

"Also, the Matrix's powerful processing can easily detect such actions, making success difficult."

Lucy had an idea, "Our chosen program chip doesn't have to be invasive. We could use a functional one to locate the Matrix Space signal source."

"I could then deep dive into Cyberspace to check if the Matrix connects."

"If something's off, Netwatch must intervene and oversee the Matrix."

Tang Yu liked Lucy's idea. The plan involved two teams.

One team would sneak into the company's plaza via the suburban tunnel, breach physical barriers, find the server interface, and install the chip. The timing had to be just before the Matrix activated.

The other team would dive into Cyberspace upon signal activation, find the Matrix link, and investigate for abnormalities.

Without the signal source, locating the Matrix in the vast digital ocean would be impossible. Once confirmed, Netwatch could intervene, and companies could hold Night Corp accountable.

With a plan set, Tang Yu intended to return to Arasaka Tower to trigger this tumor. Just as he was about to drive back, he received a notification.

[Your monitored individual is in a dangerous unconscious state…]

Tang Yu: "…"