Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 176 Failed Counterfeits and the Rending Web Ghost

It's so much like me...

This legendary figure, not on the menu for the next life, is a man with a standard tough guy face. The weariness between his brows and eyes is becoming more and more pronounced, and there are some distorted images in front of him.

In those unbearable memories:
The "mastermind" repeatedly identifies itself through fabricated illusions, gradually becoming itself in those so-called scientific experiments—

But am I really Morgan Blackhand?

No one told him the answer. He only knew that he woke up in the facility, his file was marked as a perfect recipient, and he was retrained under the commander's orders... Maybe he really was talented, and he could always learn combat skills and related knowledge about completing missions very quickly.

They would say, "Hey! No wonder he's Morgan's mastermind."

Night City, Atlanta, and Chicago devastated by the virus—this lone wolf has been a part of many places. He carried out one important military operation after another for the military science team, until he compressed Arasaka's forces into the smallest corner of the new American map.

Giving the enemy time doesn't seem like a good option.

But in fact——

Lin Yue wasn't being arrogant; he simply needed a short rest because his prosthetic body was overloaded by the Black Wall. On the other hand, he was pondering why the Black Hand in front of him hadn't attracted Jack Wells' attention.

Jack Wells, a voracious reader of Night City legends' biographies, knew the stories of those who shone brightly in the corporate wars like the back of his hand. Now, after secretly communicating with Lin Yue and thwarting the lone wolf's actions, he quickly retreated…

A cigarette went out.

Lin Yue had to send the guy on the other side to the top lane.

"The legend of Night City, the infamous Morgan Black Hand, the anodized chromium arm... I've heard your stories countless times."

The blade tip scraped against the ground as its owner spoke unhurriedly.

"Tell me, Morgan Blackhand, after all these years... why are you still so young?"

The timing didn't match up, which was what Lin Yue was most curious about.

But no matter how many problems there were, they couldn't shake his determination to enter Dogtown, and the lone wolf on the other side didn't seem to be planning to give up either.

And so, the battle began again!
The man in the black leather jacket pulled a kinetic assault rifle, the Saratoga, from the leather jacket hanging at his waist—the way he held the gun still hinted at its former glory.

Flames erupted without warning, Lin Yue's blade swayed, and as sparks flew, the sound of bullets hitting the blade echoed endlessly, seemingly playing a mournful song.

Lin Yue slightly turned his body, the bullet twisting through the air as it passed in front of him. He stared at the blurry trace, the incessant whooshing sound echoing in his ears…

Just as the first volley of bullets from the fully automatic rifle was about to end, Lin Yue suddenly gripped the knife with both hands. At the last moment, the bullet's trajectory was perfectly precise, heading straight for Lin Yue's face—

Wow!
When the bullet came into contact with this well-made blade, it was like soft, orange-yellow clay being neatly sliced ​​in two by the blade!

In that instant, the inside of the neatly cut bullet was like a small mirror, reflecting the blood-red light in Lin Yue's eyes!

Ding…

Lin Yue felt the two turbulent currents beside his ears, and the strands of hair on the side of his head were being blown by the wind.

Two tiny sparks flew from the various steel frame structures that had collapsed behind him. Lin Yue stood quietly, then slowly pressed down with the tip of his knife, and his body disappeared from the spot!
Morgan Blackhand's aim was impeccable; in his eyes, the creature charging like a bullet was a ferocious cheetah, its eyes fixed on him.

Furthermore, the slightly old-fashioned blade was extremely agile, and the sound of the blade deflecting bullets was almost enough to puncture one's eardrums.

[Seanweather: Test results are normal!]

Morgan Blackhand stepped back, throwing two projectiles from his hands.

Lin Yue quickly retracted his blade, the blade transforming into a ruler, and slammed it hard onto the two dangerous iron lumps that hadn't yet exploded!

Immediately, amidst the blinding light, Lin Yue, his lips pursed and expression calm, leaped out of the high-energy cutting laser erupting from the God-Cutting Grenade in a fish-like motion!

"It's over...the legend."

That guy's voice is very close—

Morgan Blackhand also couldn't accept the current situation and only wanted to fight back desperately.

However, the enemy whose computing power has almost reached the point of being able to predict its next move is no fledgling. This guy named Rin has a dense, impenetrable net of sorts...

"Ugh…"

The attack from the Black Wall Protocol sent tiny, crimson arcs of electricity crackling across Lin Yue's prosthetic body. Morgan Blackhand, well aware of the Black Wall's terrifying power, even felt somewhat lucky—

If it were that hacker from New America, the bombardment of the "black wall gateway" would probably subject him to the agonizing pain of having his soul scorched.

Black Hand's chrome-plated arm suddenly appeared in front of him, and the ferocity on the guy's face was almost palpable!
Morgan Black Hand, who always prioritizes maximizing the benefits of his missions, never anticipated that he might have unwittingly triggered the other party's fuse. Once the fuse is lit, someone has to bear the consequences of such an explosion.

The blade pressed firmly against his arm, producing a harsh, metallic scraping sound, and the sparks ignited Morgan Blackhand's eyes, which were as calm as still water.

Lin Yue's eyes, which lacked pupils, seemed to freeze for a moment, and his two obsidian-like arms emitted a surge of frenzied heat—

Finished!

A chill ran through the arm of this battle-hardened lone wolf. This best arm was the result of his own knowledge, and its chrome-plated outer layer could suppress most interference from malfunctioning prosthetics.

But this time…

The separation of physics and force is unavoidable.

Just like Lin Yue lying helplessly on the ground in Dogtown, his gleaming arm, covered in a layer of black film, flew into the sky amidst a spray of blood mist.

The knife hilt flipped in his hand, while Black Hand gripped the blade across his neck with his other hand, allowing himself to be pushed backward by his opponent!

The data from the Black Wall prevented Morgan's S.A.W.S. from achieving a perfect time stop... The opponent, relying solely on the Black Wall's computing power, completely kept up with its speed.

There are too many unanswerable questions in this world, such as one's own memories, and the source of the young man's terrifying reaction in front of me.

No wonder... those hackers eventually manage to walk gently into that thick wall.

Is this power?

Black Hand had to admit that the power that came at the cost of lives was something that human strength and cybernetic bodies could not contend with.

The military boots scraped against the ground, leaving trails that emitted wisps of smoke. Their escape route vanished the moment the black hand was firmly held back.

His large, still-veined hand gripped the blade, and crimson blood seeped wildly from the gap until he was pinned against the wall—

"farewell!"

The last thing the guy said didn't seem to be English, but a language that a translator could recognize, yet the intonation was varied and the words were like pictures.

Wow!

Everything ceased!
Lin Yue's knife was still held in front of him...

However, the neck, which encountered the obstacle of the alloy skeleton under the blade, split in two.

As the lifeless body crashed to the ground, Lin Yue's blade spun once and then lashed out, leaving a thin trail of blood...

The knife was sheathed, and the lighter V had given himself was also in his hand.

Lin Yue gushed out a torrent of blood from his mouth, and the red cracks throbbing in his prosthetic eye and the error messages from his combat prosthetic almost engulfed his entire world.

Ugh…

Relic, a technology as potent as poison, allows one to recklessly indulge in a fleeting, intoxicating pleasure.

How much longer do I have?

Lin Yue asked himself this question repeatedly.

He looked at the corpse beneath the black trench coat on the ground, and that feeling of scrutinizing a fake grew stronger...

[Caller: Jack Wells]

“Jack…cough, I’m here.”

Jack, looking worried on the holographic screen, said, "Damn it, bro... the communication system that the hacker lady set up for us has gone offline. I was rambling on like a lunatic in the pilot's seat for ages!"

Lin Yue frowned; he heard Jack's voice mixed with a lot of clattering and banging sounds...

"How's the situation on your end? Is it the Ghost Hound chasing you?"

Jack chuckled dryly, "You bet! We've got plenty of big-caliber weapons. But honestly, your suggestion yesterday to find a rugged vehicle was much more useful—"

"Dude, I've got a whole bunch of puppies hanging from my butt. What about yours?"

Lin Yue staggered toward the place where Hanz had died.

"That Morgan black hand is gone...."

Jack looked suspicious.

"Dude, has the internet fried your brain? That's Morgan's doing? What the hell is this international joke—"

"Morgan Black Hand, trying to escape from this lone wolf? No, no, no..."

"I admit I was pretty shocked when I first saw him, but then I thought, what the hell is this punk wearing a black leather jacket, out here swindling people?!"

Lin Yue sighed helplessly, "Doesn't he look like it..."

Jack stared at Lin Yue.

"You can switch faces like that, you need to understand what I mean... Damn it! You little punk, get the hell out of here! (Gunshot)"

A burst of static prompted Lin Yue to warn:
“Don’t forget… retreat to the Animals’ base! Jack.”

Jack, panting, said, “I will… no, the real Morgan Black Hand would never go out and fight someone one-on-one like an idiot. You have to always believe that.”

"Adam Hammer has challenged this Lone Wolf more than once or twice. He only cares about completing tasks efficiently. If I may be so bold... if it really is this guy who makes a move today, Miss Sasha, you can forget about ever seeing him again."

"Including this sexy little wildcat lady... she'd probably be shot on the spot."

"Believe me."

uh-huh…

It seems Jack is a big fan of the Black Hand.

Of course, Lin Yue wasn't entirely dismissive of Haywood's words. The presence of such a top-tier lone wolf did create a slight sense of disparity for him; it felt strange…

Anyway, it's good that everything is alright.

Judging by the time, Rebecca and the others should all be here by now.

However, because Sasha collapsed and the communication system broke down, Lin Yue could only make one phone call.

Lin Yue called Rebecca, Dorio, Pila, Qiwei... one by one, but apart from the twitching in his prosthetic eye, there was nothing else.

“Jack, there’s a prosthetic doctor at the Animals’ Club. Sasha needs emergency care because of other injuries and a short circuit in her network access pod. Contact V. I’m hanging up.”

Jack nodded. "Ahí luego (See you later)."

The break in the line was only temporary. Although the colonel was very biased in betting on both sides, it was still within Lin Yue's acceptable range.

Dogtown boss? What a load of rubbish...

Lin Yue thought Kurt Hansen's ability to waver was almost as good as the doves', but then he thought that in Dogtown, if he was too eager to lick the boots of one company, the other companies would definitely be dissatisfied, and then Hansen would only have the option of going out of business.

I understand, but the accounts still need to be settled.

Lin Yue slightly bent his knees, staring intently at Mr. Hanz, who refused to kneel down even in death.

Lin Yue couldn't tell which of these middlemen was him. It seemed that people in this world were afraid of their true selves being exposed to the outside world, whether it was a low-level cleaner, himself, a corporate dog, or Mr. Hans who had been ousted from the company's power struggles...

Lin Yue patted Hanz's body and finally pulled out a separation chip and several money chips from the back of the neck of the guy whose prosthetic body was pierced by the black wall. In addition, the silver-white pistol on the ground caught Lin Yue's attention.

The power of this gun is not very clear, but Lin Yue felt that its style was very similar to the decorative style of Peizhuo Petrochemical in the company square.

After the sensing module of the wall and Lin Yue's prosthetic hand were connected, the name of the gun also appeared in the prosthetic eye.

【Masked Kinetic Revolver】…

The chip was inserted into the slot in the neck, and Lin Yue carefully watched the last thing the Dogtown middleman did.

It seems that Lin Yue's journey deep into this place was not accidental, but rather a scheme by the real Mr. Hans.

Morgan Blackhand: Who are you?
[Hanz]: We've met, well, you could say we've met, the guy standing in front of you on the rooftop...

[Morgan Black Hand]: You heard the company's orders. I'll be keeping an eye on that European tomorrow. I don't want to investigate how you got my contact information. Please be polite.
[Hanz]: I think there are still some things that haven't been made clear. The person you met is not me in person, but everyone knows that his name is Mr. Hanz. Come to the bar with your worries, and the bartender will ask you to get the drinks from behind the cabinet. Of course, you can also choose not to come, but I guarantee that you will get a weapon that the company would take more than ten years to make.

[Morgan Black Hand]: Could you elaborate? That's not my order. State your terms. I need to know how much profit the company has made.

[Hanz]: In the mouths of my internet censor friends, I am the last bulwark of human civilization; in your eyes, I am the straw to break free from my former status. As for me... a pitiful, honest businessman, I just want to go back to the company and have a little bit of land. :)
That concludes the chip separation process.

Lin Yue didn't know why Mr. Hanz, who was so cautious that he still presented himself as a stand-in even after operating in Taipingzhou for many years, would keep this thing, but it was probably some kind of calculation.

It seems that all that's left in Hanz's world is business... For him, his wife and children are just dispensable accessories.

As for this weapon, the stock is small, suitable for Emma... Lin Yue weighed it in his hand and put it away.

So far everything has been going smoothly, except that he couldn't contact the team. Lin Yue could only gradually exit the facility and head to the rendezvous point.

The animal gang's resistance was fierce. Hanz was dead, and the military science team was blocked from rescuing people here. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, but Lin Yue had a creepy feeling that someone was watching him.

Maybe it's an illusion.

Just as Lin Yue was about to leave, he noticed that the smaller server that had been set up next to the main server seemed to still be operational.

This appears to be a program that links firmware and devices, with the purpose of uploading data carried by the carrier.

There weren't many devices in the subnet. Looking at the device catalog, Lin Yue found that there were more than fifty devices in the community room. Among them, the unknown device caught Lin Yue's attention.

What kind of machine is this?

Lin Yuezai carefully examined the system logs:

[Seanwestan Mogen]

[Krenchkov - Unnamed]

...

Lin Yue's nerves tensed instantly, and he glanced at the uploaded data records again—

He suddenly realized!
The Black Wall was simply too much data for someone with an implant to handle. Lin Yue found it unbelievable that Morgan Black Hand had withstood so many attacks; now he understood the logic...

Everything is clear.

It turns out Morgan had already connected himself to this domain, which proves that something is calculating the data for the Black Wall on his behalf. Is it some kind of large server...?

suddenly!

A chill ran down Lin Yue's spine. Almost without hesitation, he drew his knife and plunged it into the server. Amidst the arcs of electricity and the sparks of a short circuit, he suddenly turned and ran away!

however--

Just one step, and the world came to a standstill!

boom!
Lin Yue felt as if his soul had left his body. Although he could still observe and think, his body's posture seemed to be frozen when he ran...

Is the Black Wall calculating its own data?!

Wow!
A huge noise suddenly hit my ears!
Lin Yue's heart tightened; the temperature on the back of his neck suddenly spiked! It felt as if his skin was about to burn and crack...

The world suddenly switched back and forth between darkness and reality.

The broken red seemed to be tearing at Lin Yue's nerves!
Time resumes flow rate.

Lin Yue looked down at his hands, the edges of which seemed to be surrounded by swaying shadows like red gauze...

"屮!"

Lin Yue, consumed by pain, cursed aloud.

Immediately afterwards——

As a deluge of red and black data descended, Lin Yue's wide pupils watched as a black shadow, enveloped in data, slowly emerged, then suddenly became clear.

[Transferring...]

[relic (Read error, error %...)]

Time seemed to stand still once again.

Faint footsteps could be heard.

Lin Yue knew that "a certain netizen," whom only he could see, had arrived.

The answer is obvious.

The ghost-like creature gently stroked the red data that had descended from the endless cyberspace with a black prosthetic hand that was almost indistinguishable from Lin Yue's, and then lightly jumped onto the chair on the opposite desk.

This is just a virtual entity.

Just like Johnny in his past life memories, and V when he was desperate.

After she receives a call from a mysterious person and arrives at the gates of Dogtown, a flood of information pours in within seconds, causing the world to appear to come to a standstill.

Yes…

Lin Yue stared intently at the visitor dressed in military-style black customer service attire.

It was as if countless mournful voices of women were singing a lament for the soul.

Lin Yue clenched his fists tightly.

This "ghost" emerging from malicious data appeared under Lin Yue's wary gaze:

Her mechanical legs, made of carbon steel, dangled off the ground. Her eyes shone brightly beneath her purple hair, and she extended her hand in a gentle greeting.

"Hi, Rin."

"I'm…"

"The lark."

[System: Error]

……
-
"Huffing and puffing..."

The terror in Meredes' eyes was almost overflowing.

She knew what would happen if she fell into the hands of these cyberpunks, whether they were outlaws, gangsters, or NCPD members... they would all keep their distance from her company.

The reality is, Dogtown is a filthy and chaotic place. If it weren't for her good skills that bewitched that man, she wouldn't even be able to lead a team into Dogtown to raid Aragaka...

The company will not hesitate to deal with her in order to erase evidence.

It wasn't until this moment that she realized just how vicious the corporate infighting she had imagined really was.

She initially thought the board was giving her an opportunity by taking this action, but she never expected it to be just the company trying to avoid taking the blame by finding a dead person to do business with the colonel and Hans.

If it's successful, it's thanks to the company.

If it fails... then naturally the company will say it was a piece of crap done by someone outside the company.

Oh shit!

Due to nervousness and an adrenaline rush, Meredith only realized she had twisted her ankle when she started running… Soon, bullet holes appeared on the dilapidated wall behind her, accompanied by the deafening sound of gunfire echoing through the empty, abandoned building—

The woman was terrified!

"Damn company! You're the one who ripped us off?!"

Rebecca's roar was quite frightening; Meredith's legs went weak, and ignoring the pain, he hurriedly ran deeper into the building.

Even while chasing someone, Dorio of the team never forgets to stay alert to her surroundings.

The more desperate and cornered an enemy is, the less we should let our guard down.

"Pira! Hold the line... We must find a way to detain this woman, Rin specifically requested her!"

Dorio in the channel gave Pila some instructions.

The chaotic footsteps, gunshots, and occasional sniper shots from Meredith were slowing things down, but Rebecca would take care of them within minutes.

The floor ahead collapsed, and Meredith, seeing a dark and deep hole, slid down the slope without thinking.

The air inside the cave was murky and foul-smelling, with the wind whistling through my ears and the glow sticks left behind by previous visitors...

Meredes, who was going faster and faster, couldn't stop and could only clutch his head before crashing hard into a small puddle more than a meter above the ground!
"Uh…"

Meredes' face was contorted in pain, and in addition to the noise of the pursuers behind him, he could hear a beeping sound.

In her panic, she didn't care about anything else and ran wildly towards the sound.

That is…

Inside the pitch-black tunnel, a square black shadow appeared; Meredith saw its shape through his prosthetic eye.

Why are there military-grade data terminals here?!

She looked around. Could this have been an underground military technology facility before...?

However, as the woman looked down, searching for a way out, she was unaware that a scarlet, bar-shaped mechanical eye was fixed on her from above, silently crawling slowly from the top of the wide tunnel…

Having finally figured out her direction, Meredith began to run, her clothes, soaked with water, slowing her down; she felt cold and heavy…

I can't hold on any longer.

However, what's encouraging is that the sound behind me seems to have weakened?
Relieved, she slowed her pace; there was a corner ahead!

There seems to be some light over there...

So Meredes walked over there without hesitation—

As soon as she turned around, she found a tall, slender man standing in front of her, with long, thin limbs and strange proportions.

"Well!"

With his mouth covered, Meredith stared in horror at the man in front of him…

How could it be him? !

Sunrise Old Man's expression was strange. "Huh... looking at your implant, is it military technology?"

Meredes looked puzzled, but nodded nonetheless.

Old Man Sunrise leaned closer to the woman suspiciously, "You...have you seen me before?"

Meredes nodded vigorously.

Sunrise Daddy clicked his tongue. "I'm here to seal off the underground facilities. You should have seen T81, right? (Sunrise Daddy's test subject codename in Chapter 143, where he met Rebecca)... Where's that bastard? Dead?"

"I told you, it was a failed counterfeit! A complete idiot!"

"By the way... who are you being chased by? Is it a robot that slipped out of the facility?"

Meredes was about to speak up and express his confusion about the current situation.

Then, Old Man Richu stuck a finger to his lips.

"Shh...that thing is nearby!"

On the other side of the passage, two figures slowly made their way forward.

Rebecca suddenly noticed two figures standing in the opposite corridor.

Eyes facing each other.

Just as Old Man Sunrise finished speaking, a gunshot echoed down the corridor, instantly tearing away a corner of the wall where the two were hiding.

Found you! "

The girl's voice was strong and clear. Old Man Sunrise raised an eyebrow and suddenly looked up...

The robot hanging upside down above him stared intently, less than two meters away—

"Holy crap... what the hell is going on?!"

There was a hint of helplessness in Rihu's tone.

A blinding crimson light exploded in the corridor!
The light illuminated Rebecca and Dorio, who had somewhat blank expressions, as well as Meredith and Old Man Sunrise, who shouldn't have been there.

……

　[A legendary figure not on the menu for the next life]: Morgan Blackhand is not dead in the eyes of the general public.

　　[Chicago Devastated by the Virus]: As the third largest financial city in the United States, Chicago was devastated by a virus released during the confrontation between the military and the Arasaka. Night City has a maglev train project connecting it to Chicago.

　　[Black Wall Gateway]: I think most readers have already regarded the Black Wall Protocol in my book as a gateway. The gateway is a more powerful existence than the protocol. The reason why the protagonist's body is not as cybernetically enhanced as the Lark is because the protagonist's combat power is already online, and he deliberately avoids using the gateway, which is extremely damaged. The only time he used the gateway was when Lazarus besieged the protagonist.

　　[Military Technology Data Terminals]: In the game 2077, these terminals are an enhancement of V by the Lark. You can collect these data terminals in Dogtown to obtain Relic Points. I won't explain their function here, but they will be useful later. Just think of them as a sign of the existence of military technology facilities.

　　
　
(End of this chapter)