Cyberpunk 2077 transmigrated as my moded character

Luckily, things didn't escalate any further. David managed to stop everyone before the situation turned deadly. 

He turned to Maine and asked, "Do you know Gloria?" 

Maine's expression shifted. "Yeah, she's my supplier. Goes by the code name 'Ghost.' I paid her in advance—I trust her completely. We treat her like family." 

The look on his face when David told him that Gloria was his mother was priceless. 

"Wait... you're Gloria's brat? What the hell was she thinking, giving it to you?" Maine asked, his voice filled with disbelief. 

"She didn't," David replied. "She's in a coma." 

"The fuck? What happened?" 

"Car accident. Some gang drive-by. She got caught in the crossfire—nothing to do with the Sandevistan." 

The tension in the room finally eased. We let go of the edgerunners—except for Lola, who threw Pilar onto the floor. Not that he didn't deserve it. He had been cursing at her the whole time. 

Everyone split into their respective groups, the conversation shifting toward the military-grade Sandevistan. 

Maine crossed his arms. "Sorry about your mom, kid, but that doesn't change the fact that I paid for that Sandevistan." 

David sighed. "Yeah, sorry about that. But I didn't have much of a choice. After what happened to my mom, I needed the Sandevistan to earn money. I knew the consequences of implanting it, knowing full well the owner would come looking for it." 

Maine glanced at his crew, then shifted his gaze to Lola before finally looking at me. 

"So... you guys are the Cyber Dogs? Would've never guessed we'd bump into each other like this." 

"It's good to hear our name and reputation are spreading," I said. "Unfortunately, this isn't the time for small talk. Let's get back to the topic." 

I turned to David. 

"So, what are you going to do?" 

David looked at the edgerunners, then stole a glance at Lucy. She wasn't facing us, her eyes fixed on the opposite direction. A bad move when surrounded by strangers who could easily disarm—or worse—kill them. 

I had a feeling she felt guilty for deceiving David. 

"Let me keep the Sandevistan," David said. "I'll pay you back—work it off, one gig at a time, however long it takes." 

"Hell no. It's military-grade. Can't just buy another off the shelf," Maine shot back. 

"Whatever you paid my mom, I'll get it." 

"No deal." 

I had already talked to David about this. If we met the buyer, I wouldn't pay for the Sandevistan or replace it with my modded version. He needed to take responsibility. If I gave it to him for free, he wouldn't feel like it was truly his cyberware—like he hadn't earned it. 

I had the same rule for everyone. No exceptions. Though, I did give friendship discounts. If you wanted a superpower, you had to earn it. 

"If you want my opinion," I said, "I say let him keep the Sandevistan. If he works for you, you'll end up benefiting more if he uses it himself." 

Maine narrowed his eyes at me. "What do you mean by that?" 

"Believe it or not, this kid used the Sandevistan eighteen times without fainting. No backlash, no side effects," Lucy said. 

The edgerunners didn't believe her—until David demonstrated. 

The second he activated the Sandevistan, they instinctively reached for their weapons. But before they could even react, David had already taken their guns without them noticing. 

They were holding nothing. 

David smirked, reactivating his cyberware, then placed the stolen guns back in their hands. 

"That makes it twenty times now." 

The edgerunners were stunned. I could see Maine thinking, his mind racing. 

"He also knows martial arts," Lucy added. "I took him with me on a gig against a Maelstrom gang. He doesn't kill." 

"Yeah, we kinda figured that out," Dorio muttered. 

The bruises on the edgerunners and the wrecked state of the room spoke volumes. In the corner, I noticed David's bat and pistol—evidence that he had been disarmed. Yet, he had still held his own against four experienced mercenaries. Even the walls had footprints. 

It took a few minutes before Maine finally stood up, the rest of his crew following suit. 

"Okay, kid. I'll give you a chance. Plus, I owe it to Gloria." 

Lucy walked up and hugged David. 

Unfortunately for her, I had already swiped the tracking chip from her hand, leaving her in an awkward embrace. 

I held it up. "Looking for this? I wouldn't recommend tracking my friend. Or did you forget what happened when you tried to hack us? I'd rather not see you fry your brain again." 

Lucy flinched, remembering. 

"8, let them do it. I got this," David said. 

"Fine." 

I pulled out my phone. "I'll give permission through your tool." 

I was referring to the Focus. My phone had it integrated—I had modified it into a chip, allowing me to use it without even pulling out my phone. But I still did, out of habit. 

I granted them access to install the tracking chip on David. 

The edgerunners left, and we followed after them, giving David and Lucy some space. 

David broke the silence. "So, those are the kind of people you roll with?" 

"Uh-huh." 

"Could've said something." 

"Like what? That I planned this from the start? Maine wouldn't shut up about his 'prized Sandy' going missing, and then I saw you using the exact same model on the train. It was obvious." 

"Thought you'd bat your eyes at me until they showed up—when you were lying the whole time?" 

"Just go home already." 

"Yeah..." 

David started to leave, but before he walked off, Lucy said softly, "About your mom... I'm sorry. I hope she recovers." 

We drove home, and the conversation shifted. 

"You know, you could've just given him the Sandevistan," Jackie said. "8 can make you a better one, like the one V uses." 

"I agree with Jackie," V added. "My Sandevistan is way better than the one you're using." 

"Yeah, I could," David admitted. "But I don't know... I feel like this one was made for me." 

Thanks to the Focus, David could use the Sandevistan nearly forty times without fainting or suffering side effects—though he still got tired depending on how he used it. 

"And besides, I don't need you guys wiping my ass for something I was fully aware of. You told me the risks, I still went through with it, and now I'll fix it." 

"Good to hear," I said. "Now, let's talk about you and the white-haired girl. What's the story there?" 

David looked away, embarrassed. "Nothing. We just bumped into each other on the train. Nothing more." 

"Yeah, right," V teased. "The way you looked at her? The way she looked at you? I noticed." 

Everyone was staring at David now. His face turned red, and he didn't know what to say. 

"Are you doing all this to get the girl?" Jackie smirked. "If you need help, I can teach you how to win her heart." 

We kept teasing him until we got home. 

The Next Day 

David started working with the edgerunners. 

I followed him in secret—I was curious how things would turn out. Unlike in the show, he had actual experience. Martial arts. Hidden weapons. Reinforced clothing. And, of course, the Sandevistan. 

Days passed, and I was right—David was making gigs easier for the edgerunners. They had severely underestimated him. 

A gang? He'd take them out in minutes. A boss? He'd tie them up and drop them in front of the edgerunners without alerting anyone. Steal a car? He wasn't the best hacker, but I had given him the tools to compensate. 

I watched everything from the background. Sometimes I perched on rooftops. Other times, I leaned against balconies, eating a snack while observing through my modded cyberware optics. 

Since David finished gigs quickly, he started taking his own jobs—or joined ours. After all, the deal was one gig at a time. 

I also kept an eye on the rest of the edgerunners—Falco, Rebecca, and Kiwi. 

Kiwi… the traitor. 

I didn't know much about her past. She acted as Lucy's mentor, but were they really friends? Hard to say. 

"As long as she doesn't hurt my friends, I won't do anything," I muttered to myself. 

Then I turned to Lola. 

"Come on. Let's go." 

Woof [ok] 

David's POV: 

How should I put this? 

Maine's gigs are way too easy compared to the ones I've done with 8 and the Cyber Dogs. With them, I had to face a small army or break into heavily guarded corporate facilities. Security was tighter, enemies were deadlier, and the stakes were much higher. Maybe I just got used to that level of intensity, or maybe it's the adrenaline that comes with working under those conditions. 

Either way, I do what Maine says. He and the rest of the edgerunners have years of experience compared to my measly one month on the streets. They've been running Night City jobs long before I even knew what a gig was. 

But honestly? I like them. 

They treat me well—maybe because of my mom. Maine paid me a fair share of the cut, even though he didn't have to. I was working to keep the Sandevistan, after all. He even offered me immune blockers, but I refused since Vik already gave me some. Not that I needed them much—the Focus took care of any side effects. It wasn't just helping me, but everyone else, too. 

Still, Vik insisted we shouldn't get careless. He made sure we all checked in regularly for tune-ups and cyberware maintenance. 

Maine kept telling me to look for more chrome—to get stronger. "There's only so much meat and bones can do compared to synthetic enhancements," he'd say. 

I knew there was some truth to that. But at the same time, I remembered what 8 told me. 

"The more chrome you add, the more parts of yourself you lose—your senses, your instincts. It's a double-edged sword." 

8 also told me something else—something I didn't really understand at first. 

"You're stronger than you think. You don't need to drown yourself in cyberware to keep up." 

V was proof of that. She only had a Sandevistan, and yet she was one of the strongest people I knew. 

Maybe I didn't need to go full chrome to be strong. 

I met up with the rest of the edgerunners. Over the past few weeks, I got to know them better—Falco, the getaway driver who barely talked but had a cool mustache; Dorio, Maine's second-in-command and his right hand; Kiwi, the expert netrunner who always kept her distance; and Rebecca, the trigger-happy psycho with an energy level off the charts same thing applies to her brother Pilar. 

We were standing around when a new guy showed up. 

He wasn't part of the team, but it was clear Maine worked with him. 

The guy had an expensive-looking suit, slicked-back hair, and a calm, calculating stare. He carried himself like someone who knew things—things he wasn't going to share unless it benefited him. 

His name was Faraday. 

A fixer. 

The moment he stepped into the room, I could feel the tension. 

No one liked him. I could tell by the way Dorio crossed her arms, the way Rebecca narrowed her eyes, and how even Kiwi didn't greet him. Maine was the only one who acted neutral. 

I didn't know much about him, but one thing was clear: 

This guy wasn't our friend. 

But that wasn't my business. 

At least… not yet. 

End of chapter 

"Hope you enjoyed the chapter! It was something that popped into my head, and I decided to write it down quickly before I forgot. Happy reading!"