Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 278 Deathmatch [5.5K]

How long has it been since we've seen such a complete failure?

Kenichi Saburo only remembered that year, in this city, he was driving with a little girl huddled in the passenger seat beside him, and he watched helplessly as the monument that represented his invincible spirit collapsed under the engulfment of the fireball.

The prosthetic eye tore apart due to interference, leaving behind a blood-red garbled string of characters.

He thought that under Lord Arasaka's control, such a scene would never happen again. However, when the out-of-control transport vehicles roared down from the sky with the soldiers shouting and exploded into fireballs on the ground, it was as if everything had returned to that day.

"hateful…"

Kenichi Saburo's hand dug into the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust.

EMP isn't actually a big problem for Arasaka's advanced soldiers with added threads; some prosthetic bodies can even operate under extreme post-nuclear explosion conditions. However, the current distance is too close, like standing at the epicenter of an explosion. With such a powerful pulse, everything within a kilometer would be reduced to scrap metal.

In the immediate aftermath of the biochemical controller's failure, the endocrine system, which has long relied on machine regulation, resembles a dye tube mixed with various colors—

In this situation, intelligent weapons are nothing more than scrap metal, like firewood sticks. So, vomiting blood and convulsing uncontrollably, he tried to crawl to the front to pick up the kinetic weapon...

hum~
The sound of mechanical transmission echoed in the dust and smoke from the fall of the air-to-ground aircraft not far away. Kenichi Saburo, his eyes filled with despair, seemed to grasp at a sliver of hope for survival. "Heavy hammer!"

"Take him down! With a pulse like that, his garbage system must be completely ineffective!"

As two blood-red eyes stared from within the smoke and dust, Kenichi Saburo's expression became extremely ferocious, like that of a gambler at the end of his rope.

Adam Hammer's prosthetic body occasionally emitted wisps of electricity; his combat system had begun self-calibrating. Such EMP attacks were effective against him, but not enough to disable him; it was just a problem for the other Arasaka soldiers.

Inside the prosthetic eye of this humanoid machine, the personal information of the soldiers in the Arasaka squad began to go offline one after another, and all means of communication in the vicinity became ineffective.

The limited enemy detection function of the combat system forces Adam to rely on his eyes to track the enemy, but as Kenichi Saburo said, with such a strong electromagnetic pulse... can he really survive?
Hammer has an almost instinctive, natural reaction to certain dangers on the battlefield.

That guy might not have a prosthetic body as sophisticated as mine, but he's definitely a smart killing machine. The current mess should be his first goal, going all out to trigger an electromagnetic pulse whose destructive effect on him is unclear...

Is that really the case?
Seeing that Adam showed no sign of taking action, Kenichi Saburo watched as soldiers crawled out of the hovercar, their bodies covered in burning alcohol, calling out their commander's name in their dying moments.

That was the elite squad he had personally trained and brought from Japan, and yet they died so pathetically in the garbage wasteland of Night City, this wretched city…

"Adam, are you disobeying Arasaka's orders?"

What an annoying, noisy old bug…

Adam's resentment at being suppressed by Rin recently was amplified to an extreme. Since this place was currently disconnected, he might as well kill this old man who had brought him the same humiliation first.

Stomp his head to smash it?

Adam dismissed the idea, not even glancing at Kenichi Saburo, and slowly raised his eight-star gun, aiming it at his side—

Kenichi Saburo's pupils suddenly contracted!
A gust of wind blew across the wasteland. Adam was on guard against the possibility of Rin lurking in the dust-shrouded area ahead. However, before he could pull the trigger, all that remained where Rin had been was two sections of burnt-out cable, empty and desolate... nothing at all.

"What the hell are you?"

Adam muttered to himself.

Just then, something seemed to bulge out from the thick smoke billowing from the burning airship on the side. A straight blade pierced through it, spreading out evenly before suddenly expanding. A cold gaze emerging from the smoke made Adam realize the threat within!
It can still move?!

How the hell is this possible?

What exactly is the origin of that prosthetic body?
Adam began to doubt whether his Dragon Knight prosthetic body represented the strongest prosthetic body in the world. Could it be that Arasaka's new breakthrough in prosthetic bodies had not been tested on him?

That's for sure!
Adam clenched his fist and roared as he threw a punch at the oncoming blade!
Lin Yue felt like his brain was about to explode, and couldn't help but marvel at how robust the EMP threads Old Wei had installed were.

Although he can still attack, he is now at his last gasp.

This speed is nowhere near the level of the computing power previously boosted by Ultraman…

It's just relying on his 14 points of physical strength and reaction ability. In other words, his current speed is his strongest burst of power without any prosthetics or external force. This speed is only about 20% of the time stop effect.

But enough is enough.

Adam is a guy with very little flesh on his body, all external implants. Even though his Dragon Knight suit is made of solid materials and uses Arasaka's most advanced modification technology, it cannot avoid such a close electromagnetic pulse in a short period of time.

The monster's reaction immediately confirmed Lin Yue's guess—

He did not use S. Anwynn.

The blade struck Adam's forearm as he parried, tearing through the silver bulletproof outer layer of his prosthetic body to reveal the pale gray prosthetic body underneath. Without hesitation, Adam fired a shot from above at Lin Yue with his eight-star gun!
"Can the body withstand bullets?"

"come!"

Adam roared in a distorted voice!

This was Lin Yue's first time facing an eight-star gun, but he was still taken aback by the weapon.

Can smart weapons also fire?

Comto's firearms are just that high-quality. They've been able to completely dominate the market by copying Arasaka's smart weapons over the past few decades because of this. Moreover, Adam has a good understanding of efficient killing, and his smart connection is well protected.

Oh shit!

Lin Yue looked at the bright light and instinctively dodged with his sword. As his arm went numb, he realized that this thing almost eliminated the problem of weak power of smart weapons. Could he still perfectly parry a shotgun at close range in close combat?

the answer is…

Of course not!

Furthermore, Lin Yue is now in a dilemma because of this variable.

Aside from a few micro-bullets that couldn't turn in time and were blocked, most of the light spots quickly bypassed the swords and Lin Yue, gathering around him like a swarm of fireflies.

Too close...

Lin Yue immediately protected his most vital areas, kicking Adam in the knee and using the recoil to stagger back a few steps.

Whoosh—whoosh!

A flash of fire appeared on Lin Yue's body!
Lin Yue felt as if he had been bitten on the back by a tiger. The pain was like a scalding hot thing piercing through his skin and burning his nerves!
Keep in mind that nearly half of his body remains on his back!

After the high-quality bulletproof leather was punctured, small holes appeared in concentric rings, from which bright red liquid quickly gushed out.

"Depend on…"

Having endured so much pain, Lin Yue's knees buckled, and he almost knelt on the ground.

If it weren't for the bulletproof outer layer, these bullets could pierce right through it.

Adam glanced at the eight-star gun instinctively.

"interesting…"

He had imagined that these bullets would pierce through the flesh and blood body in front of him, which was like a crawling insect in front of his steel body, but they didn't... He clearly saw that Rin was injured!

How can it be…

It seems like an attempt to make amends.

"Do you still have some unknown bulletproof prosthetic in your body?"

Adam Hammer stared at the self-check process of the combat system's S.A. Wesstein, and naturally, he couldn't resist asking more questions to satisfy his curiosity.

Rin's bursts of power were indeed not as strong as before, and this war-loving machine was particularly eager to know the secrets he possessed—

But judging from his expression, he didn't seem to want me to know.

"Fine, I'll skin you alive, snap your neck, and then see what makes you so strong."

However, the guy opposite him had his head down, and his eyes were not clear under his stubble of blood-crusted hair. His first response to Adam was a cold laugh.

Contempt, mockery, and suppressed anger after being hurt.

"Prosthetic body... cough."

"Who would want to have another layer of this cheap stuff inside their body?"

hum…

Adam heard a creaking sound from his knees. He stood there dumbfounded, even he was stunned. How could someone be so arrogant?!

Lin Yue wiped the blood from his mouth. While provoking Adam, he was also asking Ultraman how to continue to inject computing power to support him in completing a high-difficulty, rapid cracking operation—ideally, how to dismantle the special ICE made by the Black Wall on Adam's body.

Ultraman gave a negative answer.

Because if it happens again, Lin Yue's prosthetic body might burst into flames.

At this moment, only two words echoed in Adam's ears as he listened to Lin Yue's words.

cheap…

However, Lin Yue seemed oblivious to his impending doom and continued to provoke him.

He was more than happy to have time to talk, because Fang Gang's blood energy was gradually healing his injuries, and the nerve-stimulating pain... would be the stimulant for the future!

In Lin Yue's eyes, the golden patterns, resembling a circuit board, clearly demonstrated what he, with his body that could be wounded by weapons, had to provoke Adam.

Wow!
He sat up, as unruly as a bamboo shoot after a spring rain.

【Valiant and Skilled】- In the 【Raging Blood Qi】 state, movement speed is increased, strength is greater, spear aim is more accurate, and sword swings are more powerful!

【Clear Mind and Vigorous Spirit】—Prolongs the life of youthful vigor!

【Rejuvenating Steps】—During a sprint, blood flow is controlled to slow down bleeding from injuries and gradually coagulate small wounds!
[Unearned Gains] - During high-intensity combat, precise control of the prosthetic body related to internal circulation is stimulated, restoring a large amount of physical energy...

Adam raised his gun and fired!

This was his intuition. Even though he wanted to wait until S.A.S.S.S. self-examined and recovered, the guy's current state was like someone was putting stimulants into his body. This made Adam Hammer more and more convinced that Arasaka was hiding things from him because his prosthetic body was Arasaka's secret experimental subject!

A furious anger, as if he had been deceived, burned in Adam's chest.

However, this shot, fired with fury, did not suffer the same fate as the calm guy who couldn't dodge at close range the first time!

It's a shotgun after all.

Close to medium range is undoubtedly a deadly weapon, and Lin Yue's carefully calculated reasonable distance is enough to completely dismantle it with his talents such as close combat and unpredictability.

In Adam's eyes, Rin slid to the side, accompanied by the clattering sound of sand and gravel rolling—

The guy stood still in place.

Then… Ding-dong!

The sound was actually very faint, but Adam's sensitive and sophisticated electronic reconnaissance system spotted the shrapnel that had fallen to the floor!
That is…

Squeezed out of Lin Yue's body?

Adam instinctively wanted to look ahead.

If Kenichi Saburo, who had already fainted, had seen this scene, he would have felt even more desperate.

"Do you think I'm only in Dogtown and dealing with those endless hounds through network access pods?"

Lin Yue suddenly moved!
Adam gasped in surprise. Had his ability to move at high speed returned?!
That speed was clearly faster than before!
However, Adam was still able to react.

wrong!

This is not that strange power.

It was about 10 percent faster than before, but that seemed impossible for Lin Yue, who was covered in bruises.

Adam thought he was seeing things…

He immediately moved and opened fire. This was the first time he had actively distanced himself from the enemy since becoming one of Arasaka's top combatants. Because the micro-missiles were now online, he had to hold them off and let S.A.S.S. deal with this terrifying guy.

That's right...

It's terrifying.

He hadn't seen such a resourceful guy in a long time. Adam Hammer, who once became the number one lone wolf in Night City thanks to his dragon knights, thought that there would never be an enemy like Morgan Blackhand in this world again.

He was calm, focused, and reacted incredibly quickly.

And what about Rin?
He's just extremely perverted...

"You disgust me, this new thing created by Arasaka."

"It's just as ridiculous as your decision not to kill that bitch Michiko in the courtyard."

madman.

Lin Yue responded with a knife!
It's hard to imagine how the blade could produce such a whip-like effect. Whenever Hammer tried to create distance, that guy would rush up and slash at him with each strike, accompanied by sparks of electricity. All Adam could hear was the whooshing sound of the wind and a crisp buzzing sound!
Passive defense.

This was the only thing Adam could do.

His teeth were grinding together, the humiliation felt like a knife cutting into him, causing his morbid pride to react violently!

"Heavy hammer!"

The blue and red light in Lin Yue's eyes flickered.

Because of this roar, Adam, who was blocking with his arms, was subconsciously drawn to the side by Lin Yue's voice.

We're about to succeed...

Lin Yue's heart tightened. His gaze was fixed on the S.A.W.S. firmware protruding from the back of Adam Hammer's neck. He wanted to take away this prosthetic body that gave Adam high speed and then complete the evacuation.

This is the same purpose as the first time.

It seems this city is indeed getting old…

Lin Yue finally understood what it felt like to be a strong person in this city.

V.

Is this how you feel before your victory, King of the City?

Is it that feeling of exhaustion from having to fight and persevere just to survive?

Adam's blood-red eyes suddenly lit up. He had become the only special individual in this vast empire who could kill anything other than the target during operations, and he had survived time and time again on the battlefield.

凛…

He might be very willing to make sacrifices, even if it means risking his life, he would choose to do anything regardless of the consequences.

But he would never be like Adam, who dared to give up even his physical body!

Lin Yue's blade was almost piercing Adam's neck when...
Adam suddenly swung his hand, his palm forcefully blocking between Lin Yue and Sianwistan. Not only that, he even began to release missiles from his shoulder while bending over, disregarding his own safety!

"My darn thing!"

Lin Yue uttered a curse!
At such close range, even a missile might not be able to turn back in time. If it exploded right in front of Adam, he would be in serious trouble!
But no one would try to guess the thoughts of a madman.

The more ferocious the prey, the more desperately it will struggle!
scoff!

Lin Yue's blade sliced ​​off four metal fingers from Adam's dragon knight's hand, and at the same time, intense flames erupted from the ground!

Lin Yue, who had covered his head and throat, was quickly thrown over by the heat wave. He rolled several times, his knees scraping the ground as the blade plunged deep into the soil. With a sharp roar, the blade slashed more than ten meters, with the iron tower right behind him.

Amidst the flames, Adam's prosthetic body, with sparks of fire on its surface, was mottled and swollen. His white skin, torn by shrapnel, swayed a few times before regaining his balance. Perhaps one of his hands was too close to the source of the explosion; it had broken in the middle and was now hanging limply.

[Seanweinstein...//Self-check complete//]

The roar of S. A.S.A.S., like the cry of death, exploded briefly and rapidly all around!
"Oh shit!"

Without thinking, Lin Yue put his arms up to block in front of him.

Bang!
A powerful one-handed strike!

Lin Yue was thrown four or five meters into the air. Feeling the sharp pain of his broken sternum, he used the power of "unity of heaven and man" to stabilize himself before crashing into a gap in the abandoned iron tower.

Squeak!

A sound like rotting steel rattling...

Blood flowed freely from Lin Yue's mouth. He clung to the gaps in the triangular structure with his fingers, gritted his teeth, and quickly climbed upwards!
Adam Hammer is indeed a tough opponent—

Upon closer examination, this matter is not particularly difficult to understand.

V is a terrifying individual with a physical talent of nearly 20 points. Before this, she was covered in all sorts of top-of-the-line military cybernetic devices from Night City. Even so, she paid a huge price to kill Hammer. On the other hand, if it weren't for her computing power, she would indeed lack talent.

But now, having used all of his abilities to the fullest extent, he has only one last shred of reliance left.

That was the network access point left by Pila.

Heavy Hammer obviously wouldn't give him that chance; he kicked the side of the tower that had been corroded due to years of neglect!

Wow!

The tower seemed to sink slightly, and Lin Yue was almost thrown off.

In this world, prosthetic bodies still cannot perform actions like flight; they can only rely on things like ACPA.

Seeing that Rin's upward climbing speed had slowed down, he bent his knees slightly and leaped up in an instant!
Double jump?!

Even though Lin Yue tried to dodge, his ankle was still gripped by the cold and powerful "iron clamp"!
Oops!

"You'll die in my hands sooner or later, little guy. You'll fall down and turn into mincemeat!"

Lin Yue felt as if his ankle was about to be crushed; with one hand dangling in the air, his arm was bearing the weight of himself and Adam, which was nearly half a ton...

When it breaks, it breaks!

Lin Yue's next move stunned even a madman like Adam!
Without hesitation, the guy drew his knife and slashed at his own ankle!
Adam wanted to pull him down—

Just at the critical moment, a violent blue light struck Lin Yue's blade, instantly sending it flying!

Lin Yue's eyes were immediately filled with astonishment and a hint of panic.

Another person from Arasaka has arrived?

The second bullet arrived instantly without warning!

Adam's arm was instantly struck by the "blue flames," and he instantly lost his strength!

Such a sound... there's no other weapon besides Lin Yue's Nekomamushi.

Rebecca?

Just as Lin Yue looked down, Adam Hammer, who had fallen, shot Lin Yue in the back. Lin Yue's hands gripped the tower tightly, and blood kept gushing from his mouth.

Lin Yue's physical abilities hadn't fully recovered, and he felt dizzy, but he still stubbornly reached out and climbed upwards, finally almost reaching the rooftop.

Just as he reached out his elbow to pull himself up, a slender hand reached out.

Lin Yue squinted and gradually made out who it was.

"V?"

A woman with her ponytail swaying in the wind leaned on a sniper rifle with one hand, her brow furrowed with worry.

"Don't come here!"

Lin Yue felt even more terrified than before, because he had never expected V to appear at this dangerous time. What would happen to Arasaka? What would happen to the company?
V stubbornly grabbed Lin Yue's arm and said, word by word:

"I'm all alone, but I'll stay with you."

Lin Yue was a little confused, but with help, he climbed up.

“Adam is down there, I can take care of him.”

Lin Yue had just said one sentence when he heard V say softly, "Xin Tianhe has colluded with the Military Science Bureau; they want to take you away."

Lin Yue was taken aback when he saw V stand up.

"Companies and such are meaningless to me."

"I'll stay with you, right here."

This was the second time she had repeated that sentence.

……

……

(End of this chapter)