Cyberpunk: From Dogville to Legend

Chapter 68: Madmen Stare at Each Other [Please Read Further]

"NCPD!!! Get the hell out of my way!"

The cherry blossom market had long been cleared out, holographic security tape was in place, and Night City officers, using car doors as cover, were shouting at each other. The shouts over walkie-talkies, the static on radio channels, and the emotionless announcements from NCPD dispatchers in nearby vehicles created a chaotic scene.

An NCPD officer gripped his pistol tightly, trying to maintain a firing posture, but the muzzle kept shaking uncontrollably.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his pupils reflected the pink light spots of the holographic cherry blossom petals from the cherry blossom market. A burst of brilliant flames accompanied by an explosion came from the prosthetic clinic hidden under the stairs in the distance.

"Ah! Cyber ​​lunatic, holy crap!"

"Fire support!"

The NCPD's assault team suddenly screamed in the channel as a section of their prosthetic arm lashed out from the explosion's flames, slapping against the police car's windshield with a thud, leaving a sticky mark like a limp chunk of synthetic flesh...

The highly tense police officer stared wide-eyed at the piece of flesh.

He jerked his neck back, swallowed hard, and with trembling hands, slammed the trigger.

boom!
Someone started it, and the tense NCPDs suddenly opened fire!
They didn't care at all whether there were other people in the thick smoke, or whether there were any residents who hadn't managed to escape. Because no one knew if the Cyber ​​Madman would suddenly burst out, and they didn't want to become the unfortunate victims lying dead in Night City.

The bullets whistled and left pale red trails. The tracer bullets had lost their directional function. Everyone's goal was to break through the damned wall in front of them and riddle everything inside with holes!
"Grunting, panting..."

He was out of breath after emptying the magazine, so he hurriedly replaced it. He stared at the iron sights of the pistol, breathing heavily, and turned the muzzle around wildly, trying to find even the slightest trace of the Cyber ​​Madman's death.

[NCPD's equipment is outdated], this pistol is such junk that nobody would buy it on the black market, and even the elite members of the Vortex Gang have enough firepower to wipe them out—

He didn't understand why he was standing there risking his life!
"over there!"

Suddenly, someone shouted, and he hurriedly turned his gun. A bald man leaped out from the flames! The madman's sleeves were on fire, his hair was burned off, his skin was peeling and uneven from the heat, and his hands held two gleaming mantis knives. He was now pouncing on his prey like a demon!
too fast!
Chi!
The terrified NCPD member froze, looking down in disbelief as a curved, sharp blade pierced his throat.

The blade slowly spun, and his perspective suddenly soared into the sky. His body instantly lost all feeling, and all his consciousness dissipated into this chaotic world.

The killing has begun, and no one can escape it!
The Mantis Knife transformed him into a apex predator flapping its wings in the night, reaping the lives of these law enforcers one slice at a time!

Cyber ​​Madman's pupils trembled slightly, as if he were getting tired. The sticky liquid clinging to the blade in his hand dripped onto the ground, so thick that it stretched into long threads. Bullets still surrounded him densely, but he didn't move, only turning his head to look behind him.

There were two other people in that clinic, a man and a woman.

He gave an enigmatic smile. The blond, burly man from before was actually just like him, who had gone mad, because he didn't see fear in that guy's eyes, but rather a longing for hell!

Mann, Mann… the madman murmured his name softly.

hum!
A rectangular red laser line suddenly appeared beneath his feet, and the ear-piercing roar of the hovercar made his ears uncomfortable.

The mantis knife in his hand grew even longer, and he tilted his head back, staring intently at his final fate.

A dark shadow fell from above!
Cyber ​​Madman dodged to the side, then slashed at the member of the Violent Terrorist Mobile Team, who was also once a madman, with his mantis blade in a cross shape.

The green optical prosthetic access system on the helmet of the Terrorist Mobile Squad clearly showed the trajectory of the Mantis Blade.

Time stopped for a split second!

The madman's movements remained unchanged, while the member of the terrorist mobile unit had already moved to his side.

The madman's dull pupils suddenly moved and caught up with his trajectory.

"Interesting," the Terrorist Mobile Squad muttered to themselves.

Even if the trajectory was predicted, so what? The prosthetic eye scanned out this madman's prosthetic body. There weren't many, but it seems that such a weak body really should go mad and is not worthy of joining the Terrorist Mobile Squad—it wouldn't be a pity if he died.

"Then... let's kill him."

The dark muzzle of the terrorist squad's gun was pressed against his head. The bullet was fired, and for a moment, the flow of time seemed to return to normal. The madman was sent flying in a spiral.

Just as he was about to fall to the ground, another member of the Terrorist Mobile Squad appeared on the other side, and then one after another they descended from the zipline!
The madman was shot away by the large-caliber rifle over there. The terrorist mobile team advanced slowly forward like a hunter, until the madman in the middle swayed from side to side and almost disappeared.

He knelt on the ground, his trembling pupils gradually calming down, staring intently at the raging fire behind the terrorist mobile team.

There was someone inside staring at him... Mann was practically dragged out by Dorio; that damned cyber lunatic had killed almost all the clients waiting outside for their prosthetic bodies! If Dorio hadn't reacted quickly and cooperated with Mann to retreat through the clinic's small door, he wouldn't have fared much better.

While that madman was pacing back and forth inside, she and Mann used the iron gate to drag him in until the NCPD rushed in. These officers were no match for the cyber madman. It wasn't until one of the guys threw a grenade before he died, which detonated the tank containing the generator fuel alcohol 2, that Mann and Dorio were able to escape.

"That door over there isn't open, we need to crack it! Mann, Mann! What the hell are you doing?"

Dorio urged Mann on.

The NCPD's volley of bullets had nearly killed them as well, and Dorio's only thought was to get out of this dangerous place as quickly as possible.

However, Mann stood still, staring through the heat-distorted air at the madman's eerie smile. At that moment, Mann's gaze, which had been dazed after surgery, gradually shifted to another strange light.

"Will I become like that?" Mann asked in a low voice.

Dorothy frowned. What kind of time is this to be saying such nonsensical things?

As they were talking, Mann pushed Dorio aside and kicked open the automatic door. Dorio quickly pulled him toward the back door.

Mann turned his head and glanced with some reluctance at the madman who had been reduced to dust by the terrorist squad.

"Hmph, as long as you keep installing prosthetics, you'll become like that too, do you want that?" Dorio ran, breathing in the clean, dust-free air, which was her answer to Mann.

The air in Night City at night was damp and carried a faint stench of garbage and corpses.

After running for ten minutes.

Mann: "No, I could never become like that."

It was a long running journey, and the dark-skinned little boy gradually grew stronger in the process of chasing after the enemy. He did not believe that he had no talent.

Dorio ran from the cherry blossom market all the way to the suspension bridge leading to Chinatown, clutching her knees and breathing heavily.

Mann, too, was panting heavily as he said, "Trust me, Dorio, I'm definitely much better than that madman! The supplier for Santo Domingo said there's a new batch of prosthetics, I—"

boom!
Dorio turned around and punched Mann in the face.

"What a bastard!"

The air seemed to quiet down for a moment, and all the sounds of Night City disappeared.

Stunned, Mann, with a nosebleed, stared blankly at the strong girl in front of him.

Suddenly she pressed against him, her strong hands gripping Mann's neck so tightly it hurt. The instant their lips touched, pain mingled with the sweet, metallic taste of blood in their mouths...

“Mann…” Dorothy murmured, calling out the name of her beloved.

"Don't run too fast, Mann, take me with you, okay?"
-
[NCPD's Outdated Equipment]: Before 2076, NCPD officers were poorly equipped, poorly paid, and often had to purchase their own equipment for personal protection. Some powerful gangs had firepower sufficient to overwhelm the NCPD. This situation began to improve after the NCPD was privatized in 2076. Half of the officers were laid off, equipment was upgraded, drone patrols were replaced, and Taiping Island was abandoned, with the city center becoming the primary patrol area.

【Mantis Blade】: Arm prosthetic, two curved blades, an essential tool for cold-blooded ninjas!

(The image of the mantis knife is below~)

　Whew, these past few chapters have really made me sweat buckets. With each story milestone, the characters experience both gains and losses, and their relationships develop. Therefore, I think it's necessary to slow down the pace and develop the romance.

　　The most challenging character for me in this book was Rebecca. She is a character with strong anime/manga elements, but in the real world, realism is paramount. I had to extract her personality, which took me a long time to figure out.

　　Secondly, there's Mann. Mann is both complex and simple. He's simple because all he knows is to be a mercenary and complete missions. He's complex because he lacks self-awareness and is an outsider. The hallucinations Mann experiences during his episodes in the anime perfectly illustrate this: without becoming stronger, he has no goal, or else he faces death. At the same time, he possesses warmth. Whether it's gently slapping David or talking to him, he's a true older brother. Therefore, he feels guilty and remorseful when Rebecca is injured.

　　Finally, there's the male protagonist. He goes from someone with a playful attitude to a true member of Night City. Although the process isn't long, it was criticized right from the start. I know it's slow-paced, frustrating, and has been criticized, but I think it's really weak to shout "take down the company" based on a transmigrator's understanding without personally experiencing the oppression of Night City. The main reason why cyberpunk stories often fall apart is a lack of motivation.

　　I didn't handle the behavior and facial expressions well, everyone could see that. I was too impatient, and I always felt the pressure of being slow to warm up pushed me forward, which made me feel a little breathless. But that's all in the past, and I will do better in the future.

　　Okay, that's the end of the emotional buildup. Let's meet again in the story! Love you all!

　　
　
(End of this chapter)