LIGHTNOVELWORLD Chapter 6: Chapter 4: Ripperdoc…!
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….
"…Holy shit, this thing's that strong?" Back when he played Cyberpunk 2077, it never felt this overpowered. Half the time, quickhacks weren't even lethal!
[Friendly reminder: A game is a game. Reality is reality. Do not confuse the two.]
[In Night City, quickhacks are a Netrunner's most powerful weapon.]
Yeah… that was true. Even in the anime, Kiwi had fried someone's brain as her final move before death. A literal brain explosion. And unlike some FPS games where idiots could survive a 50-caliber headshot, reality was much less forgiving.
In short— Reality is easier than the game.
[Warning: Scavenger reinforcements inbound.]
CLANG!
The metal doors at the entrance slammed open again. A whole squad of masked figures, dressed in surgical gowns, stormed inside. Some of them were still covered in fresh blood.
"…Are you shitting me?" There were this many of them?! Not even the Black Braindance factory raid had this much security! It was like he had kicked a goddamn hornet's nest.
[Recommendation: Less talking, more hacking.]
Even the system was getting impatient now. Fine. No more words. His gaze locked onto the incoming group, eyes flashing blue once more—
And then—
ZZZZZZT—
All of them collapsed at once, bodies convulsing violently as their cyberware short-circuited.
David hesitated. "…That's it?" David sat on the cold, blood-slicked floor, staring blankly at the bodies strewn around him.
It didn't feel real. None of it did. But there was no one left to answer his questions. The "Puppet" Quickhack—at its core, it was just a highly advanced trojan virus. Depending on the code sequence, it could force cyberware into thermal overload, electromagnetic failure, or worse.
It was also highly contagious.
Like now— The Scavengers' cyber-brain implants short-circuited simultaneously, thin wisps of smoke curling from their skulls. This was why, in Night City, fully cybernetic psychos weren't the biggest threat.
The real danger? Elite Netrunners. A good one could kill you without even being in the same room—remotely hijacking cameras, locking down your cyberware, and frying your brain before you even knew what happened.
Still— There was one more loose end.
The Ripperdoc.
David frowned.
From his fragmented memories, this wasn't the Ripperdoc who would later install his Sandevistan.
This guy was some no-name street doc.
Back then, the situation had been desperate, so they had brought Gloria to this clinic.
He never imagined it would be worse than a back-alley Black Braindance den.
This was Night City's signature charm— A ripperdoc's front clinic in the daytime. A Scavenger slaughterhouse in the back. David's eyes darkened. That bastard couldn't be allowed to walk away.
But—
"…I should check on Gloria first." Gripping the edge of a steel cabinet, he steadied himself, staggering toward the operating table. His fingers brushed against a discarded handgun, and without thinking, he picked it up.
The cold weight of the weapon, the sturdy metallic grip— Somehow, it made him feel less helpless. But the moment he looked at Gloria, his grip tightened.
Her chest was completely still. No breath. No movement. Nothing. And yet— He still clung to some irrational hope, some final delusion.
"…System, is there any way to save Gloria?"
[After performing a full scan— Gloria Martinez has been confirmed deceased.]
The system didn't just declare her dead—
It provided a detailed medical report:
-Multiple rib fractures, one of which pierced her lung, causing massive internal bleeding.
-Severe exhaustion from overwork had left her body too weak to recover.
-In reality—she had already died the moment she was brought to the hospital.
Which meant— The Ripperdoc hadn't just tried to scam him. He had used Gloria's corpse to make extra profit. David exhaled slowly, his head lowering slightly.
"…I see." His voice was calm—far too calm. But inside, everything felt twisted, warped—a tangled mess of emotions he couldn't even begin to sort through.
A sudden sting burned behind his eyes. Memories flooded his mind, flashing like a film reel— Moments with Gloria. Her smile. Her voice. Her sacrifices. And then—
A single thought surfaced. 'What was the point of all that struggling?' It felt as though the original David was staring at him—questioning him. Demanding an answer. Not out of resentment, but out of grief and unwillingness.
And now— He finally understood the source of those intense emotions from before. It wasn't some lingering soul imprint. No. It was because he had completely inherited David's memories.
The life David had lived, the moments he had shared with Gloria— It all felt real. It felt like his life. Because now— It was.
"I am David Martinez now." He clenched his fist over his chest, inhaling deeply. And in that moment, he swore— "Gloria—no, Mom—I will fulfill your wish."
"I will reach the top of Arasaka Tower."
….
Clatter— The sudden noise echoed through the bloodstained room.
"Hey, boys! Got fresh cargo!" A metal gurney rolled in, its wheels clunking against the uneven floor. The man pushing it? A Ripperdoc. The same bastard who had lied to him about Gloria's condition just hours ago.
His voice carried that same lazy, indifferent tone, completely oblivious to the massacre he had just walked into.
"Damn, this one's heavy. Ain't any of you gonna gimme a hand?" The blaring music drowned out the deathly silence. He didn't notice. Didn't realize. Not yet.
"I'm tellin' ya, this one's got premium parts. Y'all better give me a bigger cut this time—"
"Oh?" A calm, cold voice interrupted him.
"What kind of cargo are we talkin' about?" Something felt off. The voice—wrong person.
The Ripperdoc froze, his instincts finally catching up.
Slowly, he turned his head—
And his blood ran cold.
Corpses.
The entire room was littered with dead Scavs. And standing at the surgical table, gun in hand— Was a familiar-looking teenager.
Then— His gaze fell upon the lifeless body of Gloria Martinez. And he understood.
"Shit—" Panic hit him instantly. He barely managed to move his foot, ready to bolt—
Click.
David's voice cut through the air.
"Run?" A gun barrel was already leveled at his back.
"You're welcome to try."
"Let's see what's faster—your legs or my bullet."
….
Venom x multiverse on patreon.
Cyberpunk x genos on patreon.
In deadpool on patreon.
Cyberpunk x David with System on patreon.
….
If you want to read some chapters ahead and unpublished fanfics you can check out my patreon or just take a visit.
[P].[A].[T].[R].[E].[O].[N]
http://patreon.com/Kazuma_trash