Although Roel transmigrated into the game Cyberpunk 2077, he arrived in 2070.
The current timeline is June 2075, which is still over two years away from the main game's storyline, when V, the legendary mercenary, wreaks havoc in Night City.
In five years, Roel had adapted to his new life. Of course, when he first arrived, Roel was also very flustered. After all, he had transmigrated into a world where guns outnumbered people. Speaking of which, Roel really wanted to ask.
A family with only two people has five guns. What the hell do you want to do with so many guns? Use them for breeding?
Night City is a densely populated city. According to last year's official report, it has nearly six million people. If you add in all those not registered, Roel thinks the number should exceed seven million.
However, the number of firearms used far exceeds this ratio!
Ultimately, Night City is a dangerous, chaotic, and unpredictable place.
Just like the daily morning death lottery broadcast, when you go out, you're always putting your head on the line.
A warm home with a wife and children is just a dream. Walking on the street, you could be headshotted at any moment. No one knows whether tomorrow or death will arrive first.
Tearing open the wrapper of a cheap candy, Roel put the candy in his mouth and appeared at Lizzie's Bar, sucking on the sweet and salty treat.
“Roel, you’ve finally decided to come out? I thought you were planning to be a rat underground for the rest of your life. Susan… don’t be angry with her. She has too many things to worry about every day, so she’s bound to be in a bad mood for a day or two. Look, Kolina is waiting for you over there.”
As soon as she walked into the dance floor, a Moxes member responsible for guarding the underground warehouse spoke to Roel. She had beautiful long blue hair and a pretty face.
She was wearing the Moxes' signature somewhat revealing outfit, and black fishnet stockings covered her long legs. Wielding a baseball bat with one hand, she smiled and greeted Roel.
“Marlena, not bad, you’ve got a new skin, huh?” Roel said with a smile, looking at her.
“Want to try it? I put this together myself. It’s made of the best materials on the market, and it feels even more comfortable than natural skin.”
As she spoke, Marlena stepped forward and wrapped her arms around Roel’s shoulders. With the hand not holding the bat, she lightly pulled at her collar with two fingers, then lowered her voice with a wicked grin, looking at Roel flirtatiously: “I’ve changed things here too. It even glows…”
Roel’s mouth twitched. At the older woman’s teasing, he took a step back in annoyance. “I’d dare to try, but do you really dare to let me touch?”
“Tsk, never mind. Wheeler would tear me apart if she found out.” Marlena clicked her tongue, patted Roel’s shoulder, and said, “Anyway, Roel, it’s really good that you’re still with us.”
“Don’t be so mushy.” Roel pretended to shiver, then said to Marlena, “I’ll go ahead.”
“Go, go~ Oh, by the way, want to come to my place after work? I’ll let you see the glowing boobies.” Marlena said with a giggle.
Roel rolled his eyes at this, and as he walked towards the bar, he gave Marlena the middle finger, which was met with her loud laughter.
Amidst the flashing lights of the dance floor, Roel navigated around the patrons seeking pleasure at Lizzie's, pulling his hat low over his eyes and his hands in his pockets as he walked towards the bar counter at Lizzie's Bar.
“Over here, Roel.” The bartender, Mateo, called out from afar.
“Kolina is inside, and she brought a few guests,” Mateo thought for a moment, then added, “Susan is there too.”
“What for? It wasn’t enough for her to lecture me, and now she’s specially brought Kolina to educate me, is that it?” Hearing that Susan was also there, Roel said with some displeasure.
“It doesn’t seem like it. The new friends Kolina brought are mercenaries. Susan is there to hold the fort for Kolina,” Mateo explained, adding, “You know, you never know when those guys might go crazy.”
Roel pouted and walked past Mateo into the private room.
The music here was much softer. As soon as he entered the private room, Roel saw Kolina. She had yellow hair tied in a ponytail, a clean face with no signs of cyberware, and was wearing a blue hoodie. She was sitting on the connected sofa, talking to a tall man beside her.
Hearing the movement, the people in the room all turned their heads to look at Roel.
Roel took off his hat, revealing a refined face.
He looked around the room. Besides Susan and Kolina, whom he knew, the rest were all strangers.
A man about two meters tall, wearing sunglasses, with white hair and a beard; a woman who was unbelievably muscular, with short hair and wearing a jacket with no inner layer; and a petite woman with a cute demeanor and black bubble hair—
She was sitting in the corner, fiddling with a laptop on her lap. When she heard the commotion, she looked up once, revealing her cute face.
Her eyes were particularly large, her eyelashes long, and she wore pink eyeshadow. There were two empty slots on either side of her cheeks, puffing out smoke.
Roel’s mouth twitched slightly, and he recognized these people in an instant.
Before he transmigrated, the anime Edgerunners was already very popular. Although it was difficult to watch in his home country, Baidu Netdisk was omnipotent!
Therefore, a name floated in Roel’s mind—Maine's crew.
“Come sit down.” Kolina immediately smiled at Roel and waved, speaking warmly.
Susan, who was sitting on Kolina’s other side, glared at Roel. Roel, seeing this, glared back, but despite seeing Susan and feeling displeased, Roel still obediently walked over to Kolina’s greeting.
After all… when Roel transmigrated, he was picked up by Kolina. At that time, the Moxes had just been established and Susan was not yet its leader.
At that time, the Moxes' policy was still to unconditionally help the lower class, unlike now.
If it weren't for Kolina's care, Roel wouldn't have survived a day in Night City. An unsupervised child is the best target for kidney harvesting.
Therefore, even though he is stronger now, Roel still respects Kolina. And just as Wheeler said, Susan actually… isn’t bad either.
She is an excellent leader, and she isn’t targeting Roel. Everything she does is to ensure the Moxes' stable development.
As soon as Roel sat on the sofa, Kolina said to the burly man beside her, “Maine, this is Roel, the person you’re looking for.”
“Really? This kid doesn’t look like he could take down three Tyger Claws.” Maine took off his sunglasses with a large hand, sizing up Roel, and said with some surprise.
“Let me see… Basic Kiroshi optics, an ancient Biotechnica operating system from over a decade ago, and his hands have power-assisted dampeners. What the hell, why are you wearing a dermal layer system that even a kid can install?”
“No, are you kidding me? With just this equipment, he can take down three members of the Tyger Claws?” Maine’s voice carried a hint of displeasure.
What a joke!
Even the most useless member of the Tyger Claws would have cyberware that could crush this kid in front of him!
Maine, who believed that cyberware was power, immediately questioned Kolina.
And hearing Maine’s questioning, the little cat in the corner looked up again. While watching them, she operated on her laptop with both hands.
Interestingly, her head was still smoking, making her truly… a steampunk princess?
“Watch your tone, mercenary.” Seeing Maine bristle, Susan, who had been sitting with her legs crossed, staring at Roel, abruptly put her legs down and sat up straight, her gaze also fixed on Maine.
“This is Lizzie’s. I don’t care what you’ve done on the streets before, or how well you’ve done, but here, you better not use those street rules on me. Or are you challenging the Moxes now?”
Susan said in a cold tone. It’s true that the Moxes are weak, and Susan always tells everyone to behave and not cause trouble, but the Moxes are not afraid of trouble.
“Maine.” Dorio called Maine softly.
Maine raised his hand. He seemed rough, but he was actually a meticulous person. He certainly knew he was on someone else’s territory right now. “Don’t be nervous, I’m just complaining.”
“But I think my complaint is valid. After all, who would believe that a kid like this could take down Tyger Claws?”
Maine looked at Roel, his tone suddenly intensifying. He emphasized, “Besides, we don’t absolutely need him.”
“Alright, Maine.” Kolina reached out her hand. As the Moxes' external “fixer,” Kolina was well aware of the nature of these mercenaries.
Every mercenary just starting out is arrogant, believing they are special and will one day make a name for themselves, but reality often deals them a heavy blow.
Some become disheartened and turn into small cogs in this city, while others do rise up but also come to terms with themselves.
They no longer feel special, start doing their jobs honestly, while others fall into madness, becoming lunatics.
Otherwise? Would a mercenary’s life be the same as a desk jockey’s in an office?
“Roel, show them what you can do.” Kolina looked at Roel and said.
Roel was helpless. To be honest, even now, Roel had no intention of becoming a mercenary or making a name for himself, so he looked at Kolina and said, “Do I have to go?”
“This will benefit you, a good reward, and a recommendation from experienced people.”
Kolina waved her hand, then continued to speak to Roel:
“I understand your concerns, but it seems… you really have to go. We can’t withstand the pressure from the Tyger Claws. Although our relationship with them has always been bad, and there have always been frictions behind the scenes.
But this time, they are clearly making a big deal out of it. You can’t appear with the Moxes during this time, but you understand, we are always family.”
“Is that Susan’s idea?” Roel glanced at Susan and asked Kolina.
Maine listened quietly beside them, his eyes holding a wisdom that didn’t match his appearance.
“My ass it’s my idea! You staying home quietly is the biggest help to me!” Susan said unhappily from the side. As she spoke, she placed a data shard on the table, pressing two fingers on it and pushing it forward:
“Here’s 120,000 eurodollars. It’s all the money you’ve made from your shady dealings over the years. Take it and get out. Don’t let me see you during this time; you annoy me.”
“I say, can’t you be a little nicer when you talk to me?” Roel looked at Susan. Just as Wheeler said, Susan actually treated Roel quite well, and Roel knew Susan’s kindness towards him, but their ideological conflicts just made Susan and Roel incompatible.
Roel continued to Susan with displeasure, “Who is the strongest fighter in the Moxes right now? Don’t you have any idea?”
“Strongest? Does Anna agree?” Susan scoffed. As she spoke, she placed a pistol on the table and pushed it towards Roel. It was a pink-painted pistol with a seemingly small caliber.
“Omaha?” Maine’s eyes lit up. Looking at his own hacker, he said with an upward inflection, “Lizzie's mass-produced model, reads as a pistol, writes as a shotgun. A good weapon.”
As he spoke, Maine leaned back, his other arm around Dorio. “So now, can you let me see what he’s got…”
Mid-sentence, Maine suddenly stopped.
His pupils constricted. He looked at the refined boy in front of him, who had one foot on the bar, body leaning down, face close to his, and gasped in surprise.
Because a pink Omaha was already pressed against his chin.
“Is this enough?” The pink Omaha pressed against Maine’s chin, Roel looked at him calmly and asked softly.
“At this distance, it’s enough for me to put a hole in your metal jaw, isn’t it?”
Kolina and Susan watched this scene calmly.
Dorio, however, stood up abruptly, and the little cat in the corner also sat up straight.
“Wait!”
Maine raised his large hand to stop Dorio. Leaning his head back, he laughed heartily while avoiding the muzzle.
“That’s more like it! How could a guy who can take down three Tyger Claws not have some temper?”
Maine extended his large hand: “Let me formally introduce myself, I’m Maine, the leader of the crew.”
“Roel, a jack-of-all-trades in the Moxes.”