Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 217 Cyber ​​Psychosis: Nothing Left (Part Two)
The sharp blade cleaved the smoke in two, its target Mann, the greatest threat.

At this moment, time stands still.

He was a gaunt man with a calm expression but his pupils were trembling wildly. From his clothes, it was clear that he was a soldier of the Sixth Street Gang…

Strangely, the eyes of the man he was about to kill were also trembling, as if he were one of his own kind.

laugh…

The muffled laughter came from who knows where. Mann's spine, which connects to all the nerves in his body, seemed to emit a light at that moment, and emitted several double images. His trembling prosthetic eye had actually read all the information about the other party's prosthetic body!
The moment the Sinwistan roared, Mann, using Cyber ​​Mental as the center, slid around his body once, the gun in his hand emitting seven sparks, pointing directly at the man suspended in the center.

The bullet traced a visible trajectory through the smoke, creating a vacuum before disappearing as the visual blur caused by S.A.S. disappeared.

hum!
Bullets rained down on that guy!

"Chubby!"

The cyber madman cursed under his breath, but before he could react, bullets pierced his flesh, blooming into bright red flowers all over his body!

Mann watched as the guy fell in front of him in a leaping motion, like a fish on a chopping board.

With the landing, the excruciating pain was not a cure for the cyber madman's saneness; on the contrary, it was more like a stimulus, pushing his mind further and further down the path of depravity.

Jack stared blankly at the scene.

God knows why I ran into two cyber lunatics here!
On the rooftop of Dogtown, the burly man dressed in a terrorist squad uniform was not good at speaking. After the squad that attempted to capture Emma was wiped out, he forcibly took Emma and Jack into the Little Big Dipper facility.

Jack didn't know much about what happened after that, but V told him that this guy used to be a member of Rin's squad. He was recruited by a member of a terrorist mobile unit because S.A.S.S. caused him to develop cyberpsychosis.

"Boom!"

Mann's boots spun on the wet cement as he walked heavily toward the guy lying on the ground.

The convulsing man seemed oblivious to the impending judgment of his life, still trying to control his prosthetic body, which was somewhat out of control due to the bullet wounds.

That gun…

Jack confirmed that he wasn't mistaken; the cyber madman who had been knocked to the ground by Mann was wearing a set of bulletproof armor, which looked as if something was wrapped around it, emitting a faint, hazy glow.

Mann slowly raised his hand and walked behind the man. The structure on his arm began to deform, and a huge cannon barrel was pointed straight at the man's head.

It was only at this point that Mann spoke his first words.

Who fitted you with this prosthetic body?

Asking a cyber lunatic questions... it seems like normal people wouldn't try to communicate with a cyber lunatic, but judging from Mann's expression, he's probably investigating something—

As soon as he finished speaking, the hazy glow emanating from that guy grew stronger and stronger.

Jack, a man of many experiences on the streets, immediately realized what was going on—

Wait, that looks like optical camouflage?
Before he could tell Mann, Jack raised his pistol. Like Mann, he used a weapon from Tsunami Military Industry. However, Mann's pistol seemed to have been modified by a technical expert, otherwise it wouldn't have been able to penetrate the bullet-resistant prosthetic body.

Bang!
The bullet locked onto the guy's vital spot. Almost at the same moment, Mann, thinking Jack was going to ruin his plans, quickly turned his head and seemed ready to make a move!
"you…"

Mann's thick lips parted slightly, but before he could finish speaking, something seemed to change around him.

Following the gaze, there was no trace of Cyber ​​Madman where Jack had pointed his gun; only a pool of blood and traces of mud on the ground remained. The air still carried the pungent smell of smoke bombs and the distinctive acid rain odor of Night City…

In Mann's prosthetic eyes, the world was a blood red. His eyes had long been modified by the Terrorist Mobile Unit, connecting not only to the NCPD's official database but also possessing some military-classified prosthetic recognition functions and the ability to automatically locate enemies.

Jack stood up, slightly raising the muzzle of his gun. He wasn't sure which side Mann was on now.

"Optical camouflage, man."

Mann tried to find that guy several times, but all his attempts were in vain.

He nodded as if he understood, and the erratic trembling in his eyes gradually stopped until his eyes returned to normal.

Under Jack's gaze, he slowly looked at the mercenary he had only met once, "Help me."

It's actually quite easy to distinguish between a normal person and a cyber lunatic. If your neighbor doesn't greet you much after getting a new arm, becomes somewhat silent, and often stares blankly at something, then you should be careful when you go out.

At the same time, there is another way to identify them, which is by talking.

To Jack, the plea for help sounded perfectly normal. Still not understanding the situation, Haywood could only shrug helplessly, "So, man... what's wrong with you?"

There was a deathly silence. Jack didn't dare to wander around, afraid that the guy with the twisted operating system inside him might suddenly have another episode. Everyone said that the members of the Terrorist Mobile Squad were all former lunatics, but Jack never expected that these guys would actually have an episode.

From that perspective, it makes sense that the Terrorist Mobile Unit killed some innocent civilians in the Cybermania incident.

"Are there any other guys like that around here...?"

Mann's arms hung limply at his sides, and he looked forlorn.

Jack didn't say anything.

Mann continued, "That guy just now could make me stronger."

Although Mann's way of speaking was fragmented, it didn't prevent Jack from understanding most of what he meant. It seemed that his first instinct was right; the member of the Terrorist Mobile Squad in front of him was chasing that guy from before.

But what does this have to do with getting stronger?
“Heywood hasn’t been very peaceful lately. It seems like there are more cyber lunatics around. A few days ago, I was driving along Queen’s Road and the Terrorist SWAT team just shot down two cyber lunatics while they were hanging in the air. Maybe you could try contacting your own people, what do you say, buddy?”

After hearing Jack's answer, Mann nodded.

"No, those guys are weak. I'm looking for a cyber madman like the one from before."

Jack asked tentatively, "The kind of guy who's all skin and bones?"

Mann: "Yes...they were all forced, just like me."

force…

This?
Jack felt like he was about to be driven crazy by the cyber madman's chaotic logic. So, was this former squad member of Rin deliberately put into the Violent Terrorist Mobile Squad?
"Are you kidding? I don't think anyone can force you to stay there—"

Jack felt his legs go numb from standing. He took a step forward, only to be met with Mann's cold gaze, and he stopped in his tracks again.

"If you need help, I think you could contact Rin? Ask your friends or those bastards in Night City for information. That's better than you spending your time in the city killing cyber lunatics, right?"

Perhaps because he hadn't spoken this much in a long time, Mann's language became increasingly rich in content.

"I'm rarely awake..."

Mann slowly shook his head and took a step, seemingly having no intention of continuing the conversation.

Jack wanted to ask a few more questions, and even raised his hand but then lowered it again.

He wasn't a doctor like Old Wei. The man in front of him was in a state of great confusion, and he couldn't understand what had happened on his own. He could only tell Rin about it and see his reaction.

Logically and emotionally, Jack knew nothing about Mann and Rin's past, so he naturally had no intention of getting involved.

However, Haywood's understanding was spot on. Watching Mann's figure disappear around the alleyway, he shouted, "Thanks, buddy!"

Mann seemed not to hear, and walked into the chaos and hustle of Night City without looking back.

Under the influence of alcohol, Jack's head was still spinning. He really hoped that he had just been drunk and watched a realistic mesmerizing video in a private bar room...

As the sound of motorcycles faded into the distance, the alleyway remained filled with the sounds of advertisements and the increasingly faint neon lights as daylight arrived, in addition to the single-hole roof and the mess.

The trash can made a sound.

A blurry shadow flickered on the wall, and a staggering man lay sprawled on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth onto the floor.

He was panting heavily, letting out a strange laugh, his hands gripping the ground tightly.

No one knows what kind of hallucination he is experiencing at this moment. Under normal circumstances, cyber madmen whose lives are threatened have almost no will to survive. They will only kill according to their instincts and will not get tired.

The reason he took such action was because of a similar obsession.

He needs to "collect" enough samples.

The trembling cyber madman pulled out a bunch of brain-computer interface serial numbers from his pocket that only existed in the brains of people in modern society. His blood-stained fingertips fiddled with the firmware, which was covered in blood clots. This was what he wanted to collect.

"Almost there, almost there..."

He kept muttering to himself, completely unaware that the light in front of him had been blocked.

Mann watched the guy lying on the ground counting the things, and he knew that his surprise attack was the right move.

Is this all you have?

The cyber madman's excited and crazed expression froze on his face, and he stopped counting things. He slowly raised his head from the ground.

Mann is clearly better suited to dealing with cybernetic lunatics. "This cybernetic body isn't suitable for you. Tell me who put these prototypes on you, and what they're planning to do—"

The massive body slowly crouched down.

"Okay?"

The madman let out a strange laugh, lay on the ground and pounded the ground with his fists, as if he had seen something that made him laugh.

"You're an idiot too, you're crazy too, hehe..."

Mann's brows furrowed slowly.

Immediately afterwards——

Mann lifted him up with his large hands and searched his body, trying to find some information.

The poor fellow, his pockets were empty, and his shriveled, dehydrated body told Mann how long it had been since he had eaten.

“I’ve seen a chip on one of you cyber lunatics. They said they’re looking for the most suitable person to install the strongest prosthetic body in the city. Tell me, where is that person who’s looking for you?”

"Is it military technology?"

The cyber madman just laughed and didn't say a word.

"Arasaka?"

Moore Technology…

He asked every company in Night City that manufactured cybernetic bodies, but the cyber madman only laughed and didn't react in any other way.

Mann pulled a separation chip from his pocket with one hand and inserted it into the guy's brain, muttering, "You think that guy will give you a lot of money to support your family if you collect enough loot, but let me tell you... your family was wiped out by the Sixth Street Gang a year ago."

The guy stopped laughing only after he saw what was inside the chip and heard what Mann said.

He just stared straight at Mann, repeating "impossible."

Looking at his fellow human beings who were suffering just as much as he was, Mann felt a sense of desolation slowly rising from the bottom of his heart.

There are only two kinds of people in Night City: madmen and madmen who seem normal.

Mann is the second type.

He wanted to find a cybernetic body that would make him the strongest in the city, which is why he was here.

“We have nothing left, Mann.”

In Mann's eyes, the cyber madman's eyes seemed to see right through his soul.

In fact, that cyber madman didn't say a word to Mann.

Mann slapped the guy across the face. "Shut up! Tell me, who gave you permission to install these prosthetics?"

The cyber madman in his eyes pursed his lips, and the suffocating feeling from Mann's hand grew stronger and stronger, rendering him unable to speak.

Mann's rationality began to fade rapidly. He desperately wanted an answer, but he was not a normal person and overlooked many details. This is why the Terrorist Mobile Unit is only responsible for killing or detaining cyber madmen.

Only normal and calm people can investigate cases.

I don't know if it's a hallucination or real.

The cyber madman made a hoarse sound in his throat, "It doesn't matter. I have nothing, that's why I'm crazy—but what about you? What does it matter if you risk everything for that vague dream of becoming stronger? Does it matter which company it is?"

"Night City has so many companies, and so many people willing to work their lives for them. Aren't you the same?"

The words spoken by the other person were constantly stimulating Mann's nerves.

Wow!

The cyber madman pulled a dagger from his waist and suddenly stabbed Mann in the arm.

Mann's trembling pupils locked onto the dagger on his arm, watching the crimson liquid churning beneath the silver blade, a strange smile creeping onto his lips...

The cannon barrel of the projectile-launching system blasted the painful thing in his palm to pieces, turning it into graffiti on the gray brick wall. Drips of liquid dripped from the gaps in his palm as he shook his hand.

This wasn't a complete waste of time; he learned from the madman that it was a large-scale experiment by a certain company.

Those seemingly unrelated words were actually understood by Mann, who was also a cyber madman.

Maybe that madman was right.

The people in this city are all destitute; even their dreams are being taken away…

……

……

(End of this chapter)