"Well, that took some time... but we're finally here."
"Woof."
Getting into Night City wasn't as simple as I expected. I forgot all about the border checks. Thankfully, my modded Optical Camo cyberware saved the day—and then some. This wasn't your standard cloak tech. No, this version turned me into a literal ghost. I could walk through walls, become invisible and inaudible, and interact with the world without being seen.
Naturally, I had a bit of fun with it.
Tapping a guard on the shoulder and watching him spin around in confusion? Hilarious. Whispering into someone's ear, then watching them freak out like they heard a ghost? Even better. Lola got in on the action too—somehow, the cyberware affected her just like it did me. I watched her sneak around, completely unseen, and steal a guard's boots right off his feet. I nearly choked from trying not to laugh.
Once we finished our ghostly antics, we phased through the final checkpoint, put some distance between us and the border, and I spawned a modded car from my vehicle list.
"Well... this is dogshit."
"Grrrr."
"Sorry, sorry. I didn't mean it like that."
The outer edges of Night City were far from the neon-soaked glamour I'd imagined. According to the map, we were in Pacifica. Once a luxurious beachside resort area, now just a lawless ruin crawling with gangs. Crime was the norm. This wasn't the kind of place you wanted to make your debut.
"Let's find a place to rest. It's getting late."
"Woof."
We used the ghost camo again and wandered through the abandoned streets, invisible to the world. It didn't take long to find a rundown hotel that still had a roof and a few intact rooms. Slipping inside without breaking anything, we searched until we found a room with a mostly intact bed.
"This room looks decent. At least it's got four walls and a roof."
Even though I could've fast-traveled to a safer area, I figured it was better to take things slow. I needed to observe how this world worked in real time. I checked the sink out of curiosity.
"..."
Nothing came out.
"What did I expect? This place is a ghost town."
I opened my inventory, pulled out some good-looking food, and tossed a dish to Lola.
"Here, Lola. Eat up."
"Grrr..."
"Don't worry, it's not the pre-packed junk."
"Woof!"
Out of curiosity, I sampled the cheapest food item in my inventory. Big mistake. It tasted like plastic with expired seasoning. Apparently, real, fresh food was a luxury reserved for corpos and the ultra-rich. Luckily for me, my inventory had an infinite supply of high-quality goods.
"Tomorrow, we're heading to the City Center. We'll buy ourselves a proper apartment."
"Woof."
After we ate, we crashed. For the first time since arriving in this world, I let myself relax.
That didn't last long.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Gunshots. Close.
My eyes snapped open. Activating my modded cyberoptics, I zoomed in through the window and saw two people—a man and a woman—running for their lives. Behind them? Scavs. Three of them.
"I have to help them."
I didn't hesitate. I activated my modded Sandevistan. The world around me froze. Not slowed—frozen. Even the bullets hung in mid-air like tiny chrome bees.
I stood and went straight to the door.
Bang!
"Shit... I forgot it was boarded up. Idiot."
The door hung in the air, broken but frozen. Time was still paused. I turned back to Lola.
"Stay here, girl. I'll be back."
She wagged her tail but didn't move.
I stepped out into the frozen world.
No wind. No sound. Just the scene of a man and a woman running for their lives, and three scavengers closing in, guns mid-raise, faces twisted in frozen snarls.
"This is both awesome and creepy... like Silent Hill meets The Matrix."
I analyzed the scavengers. Standard gear. Low-tier cyberware. Bottom feeders.
They didn't deserve a quick death. But killing them here while time was frozen felt... hollow. I needed to make this count.
Using quick zip-ties from my inventory, I bound the first scavenger's arms, then the second, then the third.
With a blink, I teleported them to a nearby dark alleyway.
(Man and Woman POV)
The man stumbled, gripping his bleeding shoulder. "Damn it... they hit me."
"Don't stop!" the woman yelled. "If we stop, we're dead!"
Behind them, laughter.
"Run, little rats!" one scav shouted. "Nowhere to hide!"
"We're gonna carve you up nice and slow!"
The man panted. "Where the hell are the cops when you need 'em?!"
Bang! Bang!
More shots.
"Keep running!" the woman shouted.
"You're gonna suffer!" a scav yelled—then, silence.
They turned.
The scavengers were gone.
"...What the hell?" the woman whispered. "Where did they go?"
"Be careful," the man said. "They could be using camo."
A minute passed. Then another. Still nothing.
"No camo lasts that long," the woman muttered.
The man looked down at his shoulder. "My wound... it's healed? What the...?"
The blood on his shirt was real. The pain had been real. But now—no wound.
Whatever happened, they were alive. That's all that mattered.
I called Lola to follow me, dragging the three tied-up scavengers into a dark alleyway. I wasn't going to kill them right away—at least, not before I got some answers.
"So, mind telling me why you were trying to kill those two people in the middle of the night?"
I paced around them slowly, watching for any reaction. One of the scavs finally spoke.
First Scavenger: "F**k you! Do you even know who we are?"
"Three idiots trying to murder civilians."
First Scavenger: "F**k you! Just wait—I'll make you scream and beg when I carve you open and rip out your organs!"
"You've got big balls saying that to my face. Let me take care of that."
I raised my pistol, aimed it at his crotch, and pulled the trigger without a second thought.
Bang.
First Scavenger: "Aaaaah! You motherf***er! I'll kill you! I'll kill you! I'll—"
"Since you want to kill me, I've got no choice but to return the favor."
Bang.
I shot him in the head.
It was the first time I'd killed someone—and I didn't feel guilty. Maybe it was because he was a scav, a soulless bastard who tore people apart for their parts. Or maybe it was the Cold Blood perk. Either way, I knew one thing: I wouldn't freeze up when it came time to kill.
I turned to the second one.
"You. Why were you trying to kill those people?"
"Please—please don't kill me! I'll do anything, just please—"
"Wrong answer. Lola, kill."
Without hesitation, Lola lunged and ripped his throat out. He choked and squirmed for a few seconds before going still.
I turned to the last one.
"This is your only warning. Tell me the truth, and I'll give you a quick death. Lie, and I'll do exactly what your buddy threatened—I'll cut you open and feed your guts to my dog while you're still breathing. You've got three seconds."
"One."
I pulled out my knife.
"Two."
"W-We-We—"
"Three."
"We did it for fun! Just wanted to scare them! We were gonna kill them after!"
I stared at him, crouching down to eye level.
"Was it worth it?"
Third Scavenger: "N-N-No."
I sheathed the knife and drew my pistol again.
"That was the right answer."
Bang.
I kept my word.
And just like that, I walked out of the alley without looking back.
End of Chapter.