CYBERPUNK: Travel to 2075

Visit our patreon for more updates

..Facing ACPA..

"What's your name?"

Listening to Karl's words, the girl in his arms was silent for a while. Just when Karl suspected that she had fainted from blood loss, she asked in a faint voice, "What's your name?"

"Karl. My name is Karl. You can call me K," he replied, glancing at her. "If you don't have the strength, don't talk. The less you talk, the better your chances of being saved."

"But Karl, you're telling me this now because you want me to say something, don't you?" Her face grew paler, but there was a seriousness to her expression. Then, as if discussing something of great importance, she moved her cherry-red lips and said, "My name is Haruko."

"Haruko?" Karl repeated, noting her seriousness. "That means 'child of a sunny day,' right? Were you born on a sunny day?"

"It doesn't really fit with the gray skies of Night City," Haruko said with a faint smile, a brightness in her expression despite her condition. "Maybe that's why I got hurt."

"Superstition," Karl muttered. He wanted to sound dismissive, but seeing Haruko's pale face, stark against the neon-lit chaos of Night City, he couldn't bring himself to be harsh. "Hold on for a little longer. We'll be there soon."

Karl considered stopping a car to rush Haruko to safety, but the sound of gunfire in the distance made that impossible. The only vehicle he'd seen had sped away the moment the driver heard the shots. No one wanted to stick around near a firefight.

"Damn, everyone's a great driver when they need to be," Karl grumbled.

He couldn't steal a car; not a single one was willing to stop. Still, the Blue Bi Building was only a few hundred meters away. At his pace—about six meters per second—it would take roughly two minutes to get there. Could Haruko hold on that long?

Trauma Team protocols flashed in Karl's mind. If the bullet hadn't hit any vital organs, she should be able to survive for about fifteen minutes. It had been at least seven minutes since the fight began, which left him with about eight minutes to spare.

Plenty of time—unless something went wrong.

Karl regretted not studying the Trauma Team's medical procedures more carefully. He'd focused too much on combat training. If it were Oliver here instead of him, Oliver could have administered first aid on the spot. Karl, on the other hand, didn't dare touch Haruko's wound for fear of making it worse.

That regret faded quickly when Karl saw what stood before him.

If Oliver had been here, he wouldn't have been able to handle this.

A giant figure, standing two and a half meters tall and holding a machine gun, blocked Karl's path.

"Is this... part of the test?" Karl asked dryly, looking down at Haruko.

"Maybe not," she replied, her tone thoughtful. A strange expression crossed her face as she added, "Looks like we're going to die together, Karl."

Karl sighed. "Even though you've got beautiful eyes, I hate corporate lackeys. There's no need for us to die together."

Gently, he placed Haruko by a flower bed, ensuring she was comfortable as she leaned against the green plants. Even in 2075, real greenery could still be found in Night City. Hopefully, the plants wouldn't need a new nutrient supply today.

Karl's hands were steady as he set her down, causing Haruko no extra pain. Once she was secure, he turned his attention to the massive figure standing before him—an ACPA, or Advanced Combat Power Armor.

Karl smiled grimly as he looked at the heavily armed exosuit. "ACPA, huh? So they've really sent one."

The figure didn't immediately attack. Instead, the ACPA's operator seemed to take his time, blocking the path and watching. It was clear this was a deliberate move, letting Karl see hope before snuffing it out.

The pilot raised his weapon but didn't aim it at Karl. Instead, he tapped the barrel of the gun with an armored finger, then gestured to his helmet. That gesture made Karl realize who he was dealing with.

The last time Karl had fought this person, a bullet had passed through the barrel of his weapon and struck his head, causing an explosion. Karl hadn't been able to finish the job back then, and now, this opponent had returned.

"It seems I should've tried harder to kill you last time," Karl muttered.

The ACPA pilot said nothing. He simply raised his machine gun.

Karl knew what was coming next. The pilot enjoyed watching his targets squirm, pretending they had a chance. But Karl wasn't going to stick around for that. The moment the gun began to rise, Karl turned and sprinted.

Running from an ACPA was reckless, but standing and fighting was suicide. With his limited prosthetics, Karl knew he didn't stand a chance.

As he bolted, something rolled across the ground toward the ACPA.

A grenade.

For advanced chapters

patreon.com/Thereator

Daily 3+ updates

Chapters upto 109 available