Infinity, progressing from Arasaka

Sheng Nan glanced at David, whose eyes still held a hint of the clear innocence of a student.

“You…” He couldn’t help but shake his head, “You really are a complete native of Night City.”

In short, the Chaotic Blade Society consists of the wandering ghosts who were driven out of the wandering tribes, and the Night Wanderer is the Chaotic Blade Society gang composed of the scum of this group.

“My father talked to me about them. All you need to know is that you can trust the homeless appropriately, but the Rascals, the Night Wanderers, those scum are completely untrustworthy. They attack small villages, small groups of homeless people, and even small company transport teams. They often break agreements, detain the client's goods or people in exchange for ransom, for no reason at all, just for fun, for fun like they're courting death.”

After listening to Sheng Nan's words, David nodded thoughtfully.

"No wonder the company specifically hires homeless people and even asked us to keep an eye out for the knife-wielding gang."

After the collapse of the Soviet Union, these migrant, mobile, and physically strong men were a vital part of the workforce in the construction of cities and factories. Companies provided money and resources, and they provided labor, voluntarily migrating away after completing their work—excellent tools.

As for the non-recyclable waste of the night ghosts, no one will let them do any construction; they will only cause destruction.

“Alright, let’s not talk about these small fry. David, how far along is the prosthetic body modification that the prosthetic doctor customized for you?” Shengnan changed the subject.

"The basic prosthetic body required for tactical functionality has been implanted." David said with a serious expression, "According to the doctor's plan, it will be implanted in batches. After fine-tuning the DNA for compatibility, subcutaneous armor, artificial muscles, bionic joints, wound cleaning and coagulation, and blood circulation pump will be implanted this week."

Unlike those mercenary-style makeshift operations, the company has strict, multi-layered standards for prosthetic implantation surgery. For David, an academically trained employee, the implantation surgery is performed to maximize adaptability, reduce the risk of the prosthetic eroding nerves and causing cybernetics, and extend the employee's service life to the maximum extent.

Unless you request it yourself, or you are the company's experiment, the kind of surgery that involves stuffing a whole bunch of combat prosthetics into a single body, which is almost equivalent to creating a cybernetic psychopath, is rarely used on promising full-time employees.

Sheng Nan nodded.

“Perfect timing. By around April, you should be able to complete the full implantation and adaptation of the required combat prosthetic body. By then, the internship period will be over, our team will have finished training together, and we can apply to carry out field security service missions.” As he spoke, he reached out and slid the LCD screen in the back row.

“You’d better be prepared, David, and Xiaofu too.” Shengnan pointed to the news footage being projected.

This time it wasn't WNS News, but news channel 54, which focuses on pro-military technology.

[Warning: War may be on the horizon again!]

An exaggerated headline, and the female host's somber voice.

"The Austin Multilateral Dialogue has concluded. Arakawa and military technology, the Western Liberty State Party and Washington, engaged in fierce confrontations and conflicts in various areas regarding their demands for revisions to the Alvin Peace Accord. According to informed sources, the dialogue failed to achieve any effective communication and may lead to a new Cold War or even a hot war."

Suddenly, David woke up.

Hot war. The metal war from six years ago?

If he remembered correctly, Director Vera Adelheid's parents died in that war.

Will another corporate war break out?

Having completed the entire history course at Arasaka Academy, David naturally knew about the Fourth Corporate War that Arasaka fought against Military Technology half a century ago. The company plaza was hit by a nuclear bomb, Arasaka Tower collapsed, CEO Takashi Arasaka was assassinated, and hundreds of thousands of people died overnight.

And now, he and his mother have only just moved to Heywood and settled down, enjoying a few days of peaceful life. What if another company war breaks out...?

Involuntarily, David's gaze drifted through the car window towards Night City, towards his home.

Beyond the dusty yellow mist, one could glimpse the city's neon-lit skyscrapers and holographic billboards.

David stared intently, seemingly lost in thought, his expression a mixture of sadness, resolve, and heaviness.

Until, ding-dong!

beep beep-

【notice!】

Inside the car, everyone's expressions changed drastically.

This is the notification sound for a high-level cross-departmental notification email within the company.

[Arasaka Yoru no Shiro Headquarters, Information Department]: "This is to notify all employees of Yoru no Shiro and the Arasaka companies under the North American region, including those in Los Angeles, Seattle, San Francisco, San Diego, etc., to enter a state of first-level combat readiness."

“2076年3月30日，夜之城时间19点56分29秒。刚刚结束奥斯汀外事对话会议的薇拉·阿德尔海德·罗素理事所乘专车于美墨边境华雷斯市附近遇袭。”

In an instant, the smiles on David and Shengnan's faces vanished.

A board member assassinated?!

...

Ten minutes ago.

Ciudad Juárez, Mexico.

New U.S. Federal Intelligence Service Secret Field Division.

"Yes, I will keep my subordinates in check."

Click. Beside the desk lamp, a bald, brown-skinned giant hung up the phone in a deep voice.

He lowered his head and remained silent for a while.

Bang! He stood up in an instant.

He revealed his muscular, thick body, overturned the tables and chairs, and the items on the tables jumped and scattered all over the floor.

"Shit! All she knows is the big picture, that bitch's big picture! Miles is a coward! Those office bastards in Washington!"

He clenched his fists, revealing the chitinous shells on his skin and the outer armor covering his raised artificial muscles. With a curse, he slammed his fists against the table on the other side, producing a dull, heavy cracking sound. Stacks of computers and monitors crashed to the ground, shattering glass and sending arcs of electricity flying.

"Wasn't the concession six years ago enough? Do you want to make concessions again now?!"

He cursed angrily, his eyes flashing wildly and abnormally for some time now, sometimes like a data stream, sometimes like normal mode, sometimes like a battle mode. He raised his hands and scratched his forehead. Before he knew it, the artificial skin was torn off, and blood flowed out.

"Boss?" Upon seeing this, the agents who had been shouting about going into battle just a moment ago all looked surprised and subconsciously took a step back.

"not good!"

One of the agents realized that this was the beginning of an outbreak!

"Mendoza! Calm down."

The bearded man wearing a cowboy hat hurriedly grabbed a few pneumatic injections, which looked out of place with the environment and bore the Arasaka Clover logo, from a drawer and rushed over. He then stabbed the giant's prosthetic neck, which was already waving around and whose smile was becoming increasingly creepy!

“Hoo... Thanks, Micah.” With heavy breathing, the giant named Mendoza opened his eyes and reached out to grab the remaining suppressors from Micah’s hand without any room for argument.

"Wait, Mendoza, you're not going to...?"

Sizzle. Sizzle. Sizzle.

Three in a row, the brown-skinned giant, who had been injected with inhibitors into his arm, grinned menacingly, revealing a mouthful of steel teeth.

"It's alright, Micah. I'm going to die anyway. I should thank you for your connections. If it weren't for Arasaka's little gadget, I might have gone insane long ago. Since it kept me sane until now, is it fate? Should I take revenge on Arasaka, and on that little bitch Russell?"

"Micah, you'll support me, right?"

Mendoza's grin widened as he turned to look at Micah.

“Wait. Agent Mendoza, you are not in the right condition to launch an attack, and orders from Washington should continue—”

boom!

The talkative agent's forehead exploded with blood at the sound of the gunshot, and he fell to the ground, his jawbone still moving.

"War. This is war, my friend. The officials in Washington know nothing; opportunities are fleeting..."

Mendoza put down his smoking pistol. "Wouldn't it be better to kill a high-ranking official from Arasaka to liven things up? Are you all afraid of her?" he asked, tilting his head.

Looking at the Aragaka air convoy about to pass through Juarez on the radar screen, he smiled, a smile that was incredibly radiant.

At that moment, he seemed to see his mentor, the ace agent Solomon Reed who recruited him into the UNIS and mentored him for a period of time, beckoning to him.

He died because of Arasaka's pursuit, and because of Miles's weakness.

The next moment, he seemed to see again the younger generation he had taught, who were mentored by Li De and passed on his mantle.

They died too.

Because he went north to participate in a covert operation against Arasaka, he encountered Vera Adelheid, who had not yet come to power at that time.

"Hahaha...I'm here."

Mendoza smiled, arms outstretched.

He's gone mad; even inhibitors can't suppress him.

Micah silently thought to himself, then pulled down his cowboy hat, revealing a pair of deep, unfathomable eyes beneath the brim.

"What a strange job. Well, it's none of my business."

...

At the same time, a convoy of Arasaka airships, traveling via Mexico, returned to Night City, Northern California, from Austin, Texas.

Inside the private car.

A high-frequency data stream flashed in her indigo eyes. Vera crossed her legs, propped her chin on her hand, and lightly tapped the armrest of her seat with her right hand.

She focused her gaze on the red-tinged alarm screen in the car:

呲——

A missile suddenly rose into the air from the vast wilderness, leaving a trail of curved paths as it approached the convoy of hovercraft.

"Are you coming?"

Vera grinned, her irises contracted, and her smile was full of danger and cunning.

------

Chapter 110 The Bitter Flesh Scheme

As night falls, the border between the Mexican states of Chihuahua and New Mexico takes on a desolate, dark hue.

Apart from the occasional sandstorm, there was no sign of life.

Suddenly, in various directions in the distance, clusters of bright flames emerged from the dark horizon, the flames raging and crackling.

Roar, vibration...

The aftershocks of the explosions lit up the barren Gobi Desert. Small EMP (electromagnetic pulse), shrapnel, secondary explosions, and truck-sized heavy armored drones crashed, along with drones falling like birds of prey. Amidst the continuous muffled thuds, a gust of wind seemed to make the air unbearably hot.

The chaotic, elongated orange-red lines resemble the brushstrokes of a postmodern abstract painter.

It was a trail created by a mix of light attack drones, heavy octagons, rockets, missiles, infrared decoys, and airborne vehicles.

puff-