Cyberpunk: Becoming a Legend from Dogtown

"News 54 reporting—"

"We interrupt this broadcast with breaking news. A weapons transport team dispatched from Dogtown has been ambushed by unknown assailants in the Badlands."

"Casualties are still being counted. The area has been secured by forces sent by Colonel Kurt Hansen. Unfortunately, our reporters have yet to establish contact with this ambitious strategist."

"For more updates, stay tuned—"

Snor reached out and turned off the radio, his expression darkening at the news.

Compared to Snor's grim face, Lin Yue was more curious and confused about this world.

He wasn't a street kid, nor was he a corporate suit. Instead, he was a soldier of Dogtown.

But that was good news, right? After all, he was a Dogtown soldier!

Otherwise, that earlier encounter would've been a disaster.

It was 2075, and the full story of this world hadn't yet unfolded.

The embers of the Fourth Corporate War still smoldered, and Night Corp had left behind Night City as its prized legacy on this fertile North American land.

The legends of this place were slowly walking the paths fate had laid out for them.

Speaking of which…

Lin Yue looked at his personal stats panel and felt a wave of dizziness.

So weak. That was Lin Yue's assessment of his current state.

His cyberware was a patchwork of low-grade junk, his stats were abysmal, and he barely had a dime to his name.

This guy's paycheck must've been spent entirely on glitter laced with paracetamol or lost in all-night card games with the old-timers in the barracks.

Lin Yue hesitated.

Where should he go? How should he start? He had no clue at the moment.

Freshly reborn and still disoriented, Night City had already slapped him hard with its gunpowder-laden reality.

It seemed like the only option was to return to Dogtown and report back.

He couldn't just roam the streets looking for Rebecca and her crew, asking to join them, could he?

His heart was still racing from the life-and-death situation earlier.

When he'd instinctively told Snor to grab the cargo during the fight with the cyberpunk squad, it was the original owner's ingrained fear of Colonel Hansen speaking.

That guy had guts, knew how to control people, and was strict with rewards and punishments—especially the punishments.

[Character "Rebecca" favorability updated]

[Favorability: 0 (You've piqued her curiosity. Good luck.)]

[Reward: +2 Reflexes]

Lost in thought, Lin Yue didn't notice anything unusual at first. He blinked, expecting to feel a surge of power, but it didn't come.

Instead, his mind felt lighter, and his grip on the rifle felt stronger.

Well, at least there's a goal now—

Screech! The sound of tires grinding against the road rang out.

"Damn it! Bro, we can't go back."

"Hell, I don't even want to imagine how Hansen will handle us."

Snor's sudden brake nearly sent Lin Yue crashing into the dashboard.

Lin Yue frowned. Snor looked like he'd seen a ghost. Was Hansen worse than he'd imagined?

Snor, cradling his injured arm, lit a cigarette with trembling hands. "Let's get out of here, bro."

Lin Yue spoke for the first time, "I don't think that's a good idea. Hansen's influence stretches across Night City. Even NCPD is in his pocket. Where would you go? Unless you leave this hellhole for the New United States."

Returning after losing the cargo could be explained, but running away would only make things worse.

Who knows? Hansen might even think Snor was the mole who sold intel to the cyberpunk squad.

"NCPD?" Snor gave him a look that said, "How do you even know that?" "Anyway, I'm not going back to work for Hansen. What about you, bro?"

Lin Yue subtly noticed Snor's hand resting on the pistol at his waist. He instinctively tightened his grip on the rifle barrel.

The atmosphere froze.

Finally, as the cigarette burned down to the filter, Lin Yue spoke:

"Alright, bro. You go. I'll tell Hansen I never saw you."

He forced a smile.

After all, he owed Snor his life. Everyone has their own path, and Snor's choices were his own.

As for Lin Yue, he had reasons to go back.

The cultivation panel had given him immense confidence:

[Character: Kurt Hansen]

[Affiliation: Dogtown]

[Favorability: 0 (You definitely don't want to see what happens if his favorability drops too low. Better go back and apologize.)]

[Cultivation Value: Extremely high.]

[Stage Reward: Return to Dogtown and meet him. Gain opportunities to interact with other legends. +1 to all attributes.]

After hearing Lin Yue's words, Snor's tense body gradually relaxed. He finished his cigarette, faced Lin Yue, and jumped out of the car. The guy was cautious, clearly worried Lin Yue might take a cheap shot.

"I'm out, bro. Wherever I'm going, it's not here."

"Take these gloves. Top-tier corporate gear. Durable, sturdy, and slip-resistant!"

Lin Yue watched Snor disappear around the corner in the rearview mirror, then picked up the blood-and-sweat-stained gloves and shook his head helplessly. Neither path was ideal, but he felt things might not be so bad in Dogtown.

Hansen was vengeful but wouldn't be too harsh on his own people—as long as the mistake wasn't their fault.

The car started up and drove along the Pacifica highway, past burning trash and paint barrels, until it reached the Dogtown checkpoint.

"Please submit to inspection."

A soldier in an exosuit raised a hand to stop him. Behind the rolling shutter door were crisscrossing infrared beams that could count every strand of hair on your head—

Lin Yue exposed his neck, and the soldier plugged a cable into his neural port, leisurely checking his data.

"So you're one of the unlucky ones from this morning?"

The soldier's tone was mocking. "Colonel Hansen's waiting for you. You're the third one to come crawling back with your tail between your legs."

Lin Yue forced a smile and followed the instructions, undergoing various scans.

"Hurry up! You think this is a car wash?"

The checkpoint soldiers weren't exactly polite, even to their own.

The opulent "Sapphire" was one of the few presentable buildings in Dogtown. Hansen's empire stood tall in Night City, and this former New United States soldier had become a thorn in the side of many factions.

After getting out of the car, Lin Yue was disarmed by a few soldiers before a powerful hand gripped his shoulder.

"Hey, Lin! Keep your eyes open!"

It seemed to be a friend of Lin Yue's former self, a soldier with letters tattooed on his face and back. He whispered a few words of advice before Lin Yue was escorted into the Sapphire's elevator.

…

"Maine, are you even listening to me?"

Rebecca lounged on a couch in a private booth at a bar in Kabuki, her feet propped up on the table as she swung her legs and complained.

"Calm down. You're saying that Barghest guy knew your name? That doesn't seem possible…"

Maine rubbed his temples, clearly frustrated.

"Weren't we promised this was a top-secret job from the fixer?"

Rebecca sneered, dragging out her words. "Yeah, top-secret, except the Barghest idiots were shouting my name and calling me a dumbass! Damn it!"

Rebecca's brother, Pilar, waved his arms dramatically. "I thought this job would be as easy as assembling a grenade!"

"Now what? They know my name—'Hey! I know you! You're that girl I picked up at the bar!'"

Maine's headache worsened at Pilar's rambling complaints.

The fixer wouldn't clean up this mess. The squad would have to handle it themselves. He turned his gaze to the girl in the corner, arms crossed, leaning against the wall as she scrolled through information.

"What do you think, Sasha?"

Sasha Yakovleva's holographic glasses closed the information feed, displaying a pink heart icon that matched her pink-and-black netrunner suit.

She tucked a strand of black hair behind her ear. "Dogtown's a disgusting place."

"But I can handle it. Let's see who this big shot from Barghest is."

…

(The Sapphire is below~)

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