Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 406 The Emperor (Part 9) [6K]

"Did something go wrong with Gumbi's hackers?"

When V received the message, she was wiping the blood off her hands. The soldiers lying on the ground groaning around her were being dragged to the upper floors in an orderly fashion. If the trauma team had arrived in time... maybe these people could have survived.

of course.

Most of the field soldiers in Arasaka didn't even have the lowest level of trauma team supplies, and could only watch their lives slowly fade away.

This is undoubtedly cruel, but in a world where money reigns supreme, life is often inextricably linked to wealth…

Saburo's men were on guard now. V had no intention of stopping; she was determined to eliminate any factors in the Azure Forest that might interfere with Lin Yue and his team.

"Yes, Minister V."

Harry looked very serious during the holographic communication.

Konbi's assistant hacker came after Jenkins, and they were all Saburo's people. It's just that Rin seems to be in trouble now and her voice is disconnected—V can only guess that this was done by the team and Dexter's side.

"There's something very strange, I investigated carefully; a combat robot that was scanned by the security system is now in an active state—"

Harry said so.

V no longer cared about the strong smell of blood at the tip of his nose.

Harry understands V very well. In fact, as a cybersecurity expert in Arasaka's First Special Department, he could make decisions on such trivial matters on his own. However, Harry's cleverness lies in this: he sensed the changes in Arasaka's power structure and the danger signals from Konpaku. At this point, he had to consult V on every little thing... lest he ruin the plans above.

What Harry knows is not important; what matters is who is responsible for the lives of him and his gang of Arasaka mid-level members.

"Well done, Harry."

V breathed a sigh of relief.

Rin's team sent word that Qiwei used her buzz cut as bait to find TBUG hiding in the Azure Building. However, she can only use subtle tracking software to pinpoint and continuously expose TBUG's movements.

Next up is the V command.

……

now.

The short-haired man patrolling the Gumpi Building crawled through many unnoticed corners or on the ceiling.

Despite the chaotic battle raging below, this military-grade robot, designed for intelligence gathering and infiltration, proved surprisingly effective—that's basically what TBUG was thinking.

In fact, Arasaka's hackers have seen far too many ways to intrude.

Sometimes it's just observing and then taking action at the crucial moment.

The company always strikes with a decisive blow, and these low-level cyber hackers are not to be underestimated by the company's hackers...

Just like in any profession, there are top performers; some hackers have amazing insights in certain unique fields, and corporate hackers have certainly suffered losses at the hands of these bounty hunters.

"[Incoming caller: Dexter DeSean]"

Perhaps it was because of the relaxed relationship... TBUG, who usually only communicates with mercenaries during missions, surprisingly answered the call from this middleman. Only after Dexter's voice came on did TBUG remember that he could perhaps turn up the volume a little.

It's not an exaggeration to describe Dexter as furious.

“TBUG——”

"You need to explain this! Is this him?! What's going on?!"

I don't even want to smoke anymore...

Because he never expected that Saburo Arasaka would die at the very place where they were about to conduct their transaction. You must know that the Konpaku Building was the property that Arasaka valued most. Now that Saburo Arasaka is dead, the chances of anyone inside surviving are basically zero!

To be honest, Dexter wants to run away right now, but he has no choice.

The once proud, dark-skinned, fat Jesus from Pacifica in Night City got nothing. Not only did everything go wrong after he arrived in Night City, but he was also swindled by a stupid company in Badlands. What was even more unacceptable to him was the "humiliation" he suffered at the hands of military technology.

Fear and resentment swirled in Dexter's mind. He ultimately decided to first devise an escape plan, and then try to win back TBUG...

Of course, he was fully aware of Arasaka's methods.

Therefore, it is best to bring the situation under control at this moment.

"Hey, don't rush me, okay?"

"Sanlang is dead. Lai Xuan has a target, not you or me. What's the panic? You want to get nothing and then leave? Is that what you want?"

"Also, don't shout—I'm working."

"I... don't really like the way you encourage me."

Hearing his hacker's increasingly hostile tone, Dexter suppressed his urge to curse. "OK, OK... let's all calm down. The Azure Building is in such a state that we can't make any deals now. I've contacted Night City's AI taxi service. Let's figure out a way to break through."

"Hurry up, fucking!"

TBUG sneered.

"Then you really underestimate the courage of Arasaka and the Russians. They did not send a request to terminate the transaction online."

"Let's continue."

Dexter was speechless for a moment.

He truly witnessed just how insane these fringe figures were about money. One million euros would be enough for TBUG to retire comfortably, and the remaining 60% would be enough for Dexter to live a carefree life.

only……

Is this money really that easy to get?
Just as Dexter was anxiously awaiting good news from the hacker, a murmur suddenly came from the other end.

"what happened?"

"No, no, no... Holy crap!"

Dexter's nerves, which had just begun to relax, immediately tensed up again—

"what?!"

"BUG!"

"They know me—"

Upon hearing a burst of static and a horrifying scream of someone's brain being burned through on the other end of the line, Dexter immediately hung up the phone without hesitation. At this point, the sooner he could leave Night City, the better.

……

After the Konbiko website was thoroughly scanned by the Arasaka hacker.

Sasha and his companion, who were about to approach the information storage server of the Azure Building, suddenly slowed down.

Skilled ninjas and hackers can only use stealth as a method.

It must be said that the two of them have gone through countless dangerous moments of being discovered to get here, which is already quite an achievement...

Sasha gestured with her fingers in front of her mouth to indicate that she should speak softly and pause.

Suzuki immediately heard Sasha's helpless words on the channel—

"We've lost control of the Azure's equipment, and we can no longer accurately detect enemies in blind spots or patrols that might arrive at any moment..."

Suzuki's sharp eyes were fixed on the two guards standing at the elevator entrance, each holding a weapon.

Judging from the soldier insignia on the side of his shoulder, this was one of Hanako Arasaka's men, and Suzuki immediately became alert.

"There might be a senior security chief around here."

Sasha, who had "worked" at Arasaka before, naturally knew what Suzuki was talking about. Senior executives were generally those in charge of Arasaka's board members, heads of special operations departments, and Arasaka veterans...

Many names that Sasha knew flashed through her mind.

"Is that Oda Santayu?"

Suzuki nodded seriously.

Suzuki, who was always on high alert, did not underestimate his opponent and instead gently moved his neck.

I must say, the Azure Green floor is built a bit too spacious…

After Sasha hacked the camera behind him, the two soldiers were already facing them from a distance, with only a screen that could be easily pierced by bullets separating the two forces.

This means Suzuki would have to charge forward with all his might to get close to the two soldiers within five or six seconds; even considering Suzuki's accurate shooting skills, it wouldn't be enough to pierce through the Arasaka heavy armor that was more valuable than their lives with a single shot...

In contrast, the katana that Suzuki was carrying at his waist was of adequate strength, so the trouble was now out in the open. Who knew if there were any other people in the side passage of those two guys?

Suzuki pondered for a long time before looking at the Jinchumaru at his waist. It was the blade that Rin had once used, which Lin Yue had given to him while he was still lying in the hospital bed, as a gift.

“Sasha, could you try scanning the area? Any device will do—”

Sasha nodded.

You always have to try, and the closer you get to your goal, the more determined you need to be.

"There's a temperature controller on the right, which is for detecting the humidity of indoor plants... Hmm, it looks like there's an alarm device."

The hacker immediately understood Suzuki's meaning.

By temporarily drawing one of them away, Suzuki gains a brief and undetectable distance, while also creating a one-on-one situation for him.

Sasha will also contribute, waiting for that guy to reach the range of the controller that can be invaded, and then use the Desolate Moon to make him be quickly swallowed by the weakened Black Wall data.

Both of them knew what the guard procedures were like in Arasaka.

When a special situation is discovered, the soldiers guarding the important facilities must leave one person within a 15-meter radius of the first person, while another sentry observing the special situation must not leave the first person's field of vision.

After a brief preparation, the two looked at each other and saw the determination in each other's eyes.

Failure would mean relying solely on Qiwei to find Relic's whereabouts, or waiting for Rebecca and the others to fight their way up from the other side of the Azure Building. Sasha didn't want the latter in any case.

Although Pila didn't say it in the channel, Rebecca was still very worried about using a prosthetic body.

She just didn't know that Rebecca's situation was worse than she imagined...

"Do it!"

Sasha's eyes lit up with a soft, pale pink light, while her pupils were those familiar, blood-red spots of light reminiscent of a black wall—

The temperature controller immediately emitted a piercing buzzing sound in the empty hall.

Sure enough, the two guards turned their heads to the side at the same time, and Suzuki rushed forward without warning. The first priority of ninja training is to run quietly, so this action was not difficult for Suzuki.

Sasha watched intently as the mercenaries approached and the movement of their eyes beneath their masks...

A cold glint flashed at Suzuki's waist, a sign that he was about to draw his sword.

Sasa had witnessed this ninja's Japanese swordsmanship. Compared to Rin's wide and sweeping movements, Suzuki's signature technique was drawing his sword—combined with a quick step at close range, which could deliver a heavy blow to even a single soldier's heavy armor that bullets couldn't penetrate!

Advanced craftsmanship has made the katana truly deserving of the description "cutting through iron like mud." However, its drawbacks include the need for rapidly moving prosthetics, immense muscle strength, and exceptional coordination… which is why the blade has existed to this day in such a high-risk, high-reward manner. "Faster…"

Sasha's gaze shifted back and forth, and the soldiers, clutching their guns and groping near the humidity controller, became increasingly cautious, making Suzuki's chances of being discovered skyrocket.

The soldier's implant signal began to weaken from zero, which meant Sasha could attempt an intrusion... but she still wanted to maintain control of the situation and prevent the target she was about to reach from escaping.

"Well?"

The soldier stared puzzled at the scene within the strange halo created by the red niche. His companion, who had been looking in his direction, seemed to sense something or perhaps it was just an innate sixth sense, but his eyes twitched unconsciously.

Suzuki, who flashed in like a shadow, was immediately highlighted by the prosthetic eye connected to the enemy-foe identification system!
"I go!"

Sasha underestimated the enemy's caution.

Suzuki's expression hardened, and he quickened his pace, already determined to see the operation through to the end...

"Hey you, what are you looking at?"

The two soldiers seemed to have been doused with cold water; a short, terrified syllable escaped from beneath their masks—

Sasha no longer cared about her position. Slower than the other soldier, she rushed out to try and close the distance... Perhaps her starting posture was too aggressive, causing Sasha to stumble and almost fall to the ground.

Red arcs of electricity began to flicker above the desolate moon. The instant Sasha charged out, the two soldiers executed a fluid defensive maneuver without hesitation.

He took a step forward, bracing himself with one arm to block Suzuki's attack, and with one hand gripping the smart submachine gun, he was about to pull the trigger...

The other soldier, realizing he had fallen into a trap, retreated without hesitation!

Sasha's sharp, cat-like canines gleamed with a low growl, and the crimson light in his eyes grew ever brighter…

call out!
A bullet instantly hurtled towards Sasha!
"Damn it!"

Suzuki watched as the bullet twisted through the air and hurtled towards Sasha, spurting out a spray of blood. The samurai had already closed in on the shield.

Underestimating someone will inevitably come at a price.

Where are you looking?

Suzuki's blade gave this guy, who dared to point his gun at Sasha while trying to defend himself with a shield, no chance. With a low shout and the blade drawing an arc without hesitation, Suzuki maintained his lunge stance, his eyes as cold as the snow of Hokkaido beneath his slightly disheveled samurai bun.

"Fuck-"

"you…"

The soldier felt his vision blur. He hurriedly looked down at himself, and in his shaky vision, the armor covering his front, which was covered with black blocks and pipes, began to crack cleanly without warning. The milky white prosthetic fluid seemed to burst forth like a dam breaking. The painless death before death was even more terrifying...

It felt like entering the unfathomable Dead Sea.

He looked to another colleague for help, but in his pupils, his colleague was surrounded by red and black data streams, clutching his head in pain and slowly kneeling down, his eardrums filled with that kind of screeching roar.

puff.

Suzuki cursed under his breath at the overly empty surroundings, quickly drew his pistol, and after confirming that both passages were safe, rushed towards Sasha.

"Huff..."

Suzuki was really panicked.

I can't explain why I feel like everything is over. The guilt of not being able to protect the girl, the mission going wrong, and other emotions all rushed over me...

However, before she could take more than a few steps, the girl who was lying on the ground wobbled to her feet, crossed her arms to the side, and looked like she had caused a huge disaster and was completely at a loss.

"I'm sorry, Suzuki, I should have gone faster."

Suzuki breathed a sigh of relief; otherwise, he really wouldn't know how to explain it to his boss.

"It's good that you're alright, Miss Sasha—"

Now is not the time to talk about other things. "Fortunately, there hasn't been any major commotion. So far, there haven't been any warnings. We're just one step away from finding Relic... Brandon said we don't have much time left, and Arasaka's warships are already aimed at this area!"

Sasa's beautiful eyes widened. "You're kidding, right..."

Suzuki's eyes were calm as he confirmed, "No, Miss Sasha, Lai Xuan wants to bury all of this under ashes and ruins. No one can know about the deal between Mr. Lai Xuan and Boss Rin."

No one will do.

Sasha's expression turned grim. "Let's go, Suzuki, we don't have much time left."

"Why would Rin want to associate with someone like Lai Xuan... He's a vicious eagle that will stop at nothing, a loyal dog of power."

It seems that Lai Hsuan's reputation is indeed very bad.

Although Sasha was puzzled, she remained serious.

Suzuki saw through it but didn't say anything. He was a very meticulous person, and some overly ambitious visions were not something a girl like him could bear. He had heard about Sasha's attempt to drag biotechnology into cyberspace and her sacrifice of her life.

Human beings are a type of creature.

Carrying too much burden only intensifies the pain.

“We have accepted everything Lai Xuan offered. Cooperation is a mutually beneficial partnership… Don’t keep Rin waiting too long.”

That's all for this.

Sasha's kitten-like face turned serious. "Qiwei just said that the subnet has been cleared. She used her short hair to search first. It's not far from us. We need to retrieve the data quickly."

As they spoke, the two entered the elevator of the Gumpi Building one after the other.

Before the elevator scanning system was even running, Suzuki slammed his elbow hard on the top of the scanner, accompanied by an arc of electricity. Sasha smiled gratefully and said, "Thank you."

Sasha activated the elevator using her human-computer interaction system, and Suzuki stood in front of it, remaining vigilant as the elevator began to move.

At this moment, the girl extended one finger.

"Eh!"

“I noticed that the door sensor above the elevator can be temporarily controlled. For safety’s sake, we can take a look after the elevator arrives.”

A faint smile played at the corners of Suzuki's lips.

After a close call, the two finally reached the data core. Infiltration has always been a must for lone wolves, and at this moment it seemed that getting to the terminal was the least costly thing for them.

However, the enemies defending the terminal are not just one or two.

Looking at the densely packed enemies in front of her, Sasha asked about Pila's progress, but received no response, so she could only look at Suzuki.

"Generally speaking, server coolant evaporates, so there must be ventilation equipment. I can climb in first..."

Suzuki was somewhat worried.

It's unclear how many enemies are inside, but there seems to be no better way at the moment. The two found the ventilation shaft behind a bunch of indoor plants. The entrance was too small, and Sasha could only barely crawl in.

"Don't worry, if things don't go well... I'll back out."

"We can wait for Rebecca and the others..."

This was just a comforting remark. Suzuki certainly didn't place his hopes on the squad that hadn't yet rushed up, especially since Rebecca's condition was very bad... Sasha's words seemed more like a lie.

After a moment's thought, Suzuki repeated his earlier statement about retreating if things went wrong.

Sasha quickly crawled inside.

Suzuki concealed himself and watched the patrolling soldiers, his brows furrowing deeply.

Sasha could definitely infiltrate successfully if he could conceal himself; he wasn't worried about that. Suzuki, however, was constantly wondering where Oda Santayu was…

Rin was holding back a large number of Arasaka's soldiers on the upper level, while V was also clearing them out; as for the lower level, Rebecca was there, but Suzuki always had a feeling that he couldn't see clearly. In his opinion, the location of Hanako's group was too strange.

Sasha crawled slowly inside the pitch-black tunnel.

Inside the core control room, a robust figure walks above the cooling pool, wearing a mask that flashes like a demon, armor that combines cyberpunk technology with the style of a daimyo, and carrying a long sword on his back.

"It's Miss Hua Zi. The item has been stolen by someone of unknown origin. That bitch from Night City tried to have her cake and eat it too. I've already had the cleaners take care of it. Don't worry... they won't be able to find out."

Hua Zi had a cold face.

"Very good, Mr. Oda."

"In fact, I somewhat regret Relic's propaganda. If it had been portrayed as a powerful weapon, I think the murderer who killed my father might have been eager to use it himself."

Xiaotian was a little confused.

"Are you... sure you want relic to be used?"

Oda Santayu almost thought she had misheard.

Hua Zi said from the other end, "We're still missing some data, the crucial step that Father needs most."

"Here's what we'll do, Mr. Oda. Find someone in the program who meets the required standards, and then find Relic and force-feed them into the program."

"Ideally, it should be... one of that guy's men."

"I don't think there's any better revenge than this."

That guy…

Oda's eyes were even more sinister.

So he quickly agreed and began searching for suitable receptor conditions in the program designed by Hua Zi.

After some simple adjustments, it's just waiting for the right person...

This program undoubtedly infringes on the rights of everyone in Night City. It categorizes cyber implants by scraping data left on public networks in order to infer the population's tolerance to Relic.

The hatred in Xiaotian's heart surged uncontrollably...

The person who should bear the brunt of this is that madman named Rin!

Just as Oda was wondering if the old samurai of the Tokyo mansion could make Rin surrender and accept Relic's corruption, he suddenly looked up at the ceiling above, which was covered with pipes, as if he had a premonition.

At this time...

The Arasaka ninja walked to his side and reported in a deep voice, "My lord."

"Relic has been confirmed to have been acquired by military technology. What... do we do?"

Oda gave a cold laugh.

"It seems you don't understand one principle: buying at the bottom..."

"Let them know the location of the military technology personnel. Let them fight like dogs. We have a better way to complete Miss Hua's mission."

……

……

(End of this chapter)