"Holy crap… holy crap… holy crap!"
"Is this Skybound's idea or Northstar Games' idea? This move is insane!"
"For a second I thought my computer had a virus!"
Inside a livestream room on BiliZone, a streamer named Caleb Knox shouted loudly in shock.
Caleb was a loyal fan of Northstar Games. Earlier that afternoon he had seen a post on the Official Blog announcing that the Cyberpunk 2077 demo had been released. The moment he saw the news, he rushed home from a gathering with friends, turned on his computer, opened his livestream, and waited impatiently for the download page to appear.
He didn't care about anything else right now.
Sure, he had played Pick Love, another game from the company, but honestly it hadn't impressed him much. After finishing it he had simply shrugged and said, "It's fine… but it's not really my style."
But Cyberpunk 2077?
That was a completely different story.
From the moment the trailer dropped, Caleb had been obsessed with the game. The futuristic city, the neon lights, the cybernetic technology, and especially the connection to the anime Edgerunners had hooked him instantly.
He loved that world.
He loved the characters.
And now, finally, he could step into it.
Of course, this was only a demo version. Caleb assumed it would be short.
But even that was enough to make him excited.
The livestream chat was already exploding.
"Download faster! Stop talking and start the game!"
"If I wasn't overseas right now I'd already be playing!"
"Overseas rich guy? Send V50 to prove it!"
"I'm downloading it too. Let's see if my PC can run this."
"I heard the specs are pretty demanding!"
Caleb ignored most of the chat and focused on the screen.
He clicked the game icon.
The Cyberpunk 2077 logo appeared— a man wearing a black leather jacket, holding a pistol casually in one hand. Behind him was a bright yellow background with distorted lettering.
The game introduction appeared:
Cyberpunk 2077
Developer: Northstar Games
Genre: Action / Urban / Open World / RPG
Price: Free (Demo)
Caleb didn't hesitate. He clicked download immediately.
Then he froze.
"Six gigabytes?!" he shouted.
For a demo, that size was massive.
The bigger the file size, the longer the gameplay might be—and the better the graphics would probably look.
If the demo alone was 6GB, Caleb couldn't even imagine how huge the full game would be.
Half an hour later, the download finished.
Caleb opened the game instantly.
"I'm so excited!"
"I'm stuck eating outside right now. I can only watch a stream first…"
"Even the demo is 6GB? Northstar is really making a AAA game."
"Well obviously. Did you think they were joking?"
The familiar Northstar Games star logo appeared first.
Then the screen went completely black.
In the darkness, voices began to speak.
"I said… do I really have to do this?"
"Trust me, V. I'm an expert with Braindance. This is the only way to get what you want."
"Fine… I'll use it. But it doesn't have a virus, right?"
"Hard to say," the woman replied lazily. "Who knows if this Braindance is safe? But with me here, you'll be fine. As long as you don't buy illegal street recordings."
Caleb leaned forward.
The voice acting was incredible.
Especially the woman's voice.
It was smooth… slightly lazy… with a hint of teasing confidence.
Every sentence ended with a gentle upward tone that made the listener feel strangely drawn in.
Caleb immediately fell in love with the voice.
"I like it."
"I really like it."
"Braindance already?" he muttered.
Since he had watched Edgerunners, Caleb already knew what Braindance was.
A terrifying and powerful technology.
It allowed people to experience someone else's memories as if they were living them personally—seeing, hearing, touching, and even feeling emotions.
It wasn't just VR.
It was something deeper.
And now… the game was letting players experience it themselves.
Suddenly the screen changed.
A dim street appeared.
A bright streetlamp shone down onto the pavement.
At the bottom of the screen, text appeared.
Press Any Key to Start
Caleb frowned.
"Wait… there's no start menu?"
"No settings?"
Still, he pressed the spacebar.
The scene suddenly came alive.
"Damn it! What are you standing around for?!"
From a first-person perspective, Caleb saw "himself" turn his head.
A strange man stood beside him—wearing goggles, a mask, and a bizarre haircut.
"Did you set everything up? Remember, we only have a few minutes! The cops will be here soon!"
Caleb blinked.
Before he could react, the character walked forward automatically.
Toward a shop door.
Then he began forcing the door open.
"Wait… am I robbing this place?" Caleb exclaimed.
The door burst open.
The character rushed inside and pulled out a pistol.
"Nobody move!"
Screams filled the shop.
"Please! Don't kill us!"
"Shut up! Give me the money!"
Up to this point, Caleb had no control over the character.
It was a cinematic scene.
But he didn't mind.
The graphics were unbelievable.
Every facial expression, every trembling movement, every detail of fear was visible.
It felt like watching a movie.
Just as Caleb began enjoying the scene, the woman's voice returned.
"Wait, V. Rewind a little."
"Rewind?" V asked.
"How do I do that?"
"Check the instructions in the bottom right."
A control list appeared:
Space – Pause
E – Fast Forward
Q – Rewind
R – Restart
TAB – Playback Mode
Caleb pressed Space.
Everything froze.
He held Q.
The scene rewound with digital distortion.
"Perfect!" the woman said happily.
Then she continued.
"Now scan everything around you. Let's investigate the scene."
"Here's a hint… start with the pistol."
Caleb shivered.
That voice…
It was dangerously attractive.
"With a voice like that," Caleb said into the microphone, "even if she looked like an old grandma I'd still accept it."
The chat exploded with laughter.
He began scanning objects.
Soon he scanned the pistol.
Information appeared.
Toy Gun
Caleb froze.
"Wait… what?!"
The chat exploded.
"Hahaha!"
"A robbery with a toy gun?!"
"I'm dying!"
The woman explained calmly.
"Yes, it's real. This Braindance recorded an actual robbery."
"Some people just want to feel excitement without committing crimes."
"This is a custom Braindance."
Then she said:
"Alright V, let's disconnect and try a combat Braindance."
The scene flashed white.
When the light faded, Caleb saw a trembling hand.
"Don't worry," the woman said gently.
"That's normal for your first Braindance."
V looked up.
And Judy appeared on screen.
The livestream instantly exploded.
"WIFE!"
"Judy my wife!"
Caleb stared at the screen.
She was stunning.
Half her head shaved.
Cyberpunk tattoos.
Cool and confident.
Perfect.
Caleb whispered slowly:
"Northstar… you really understand beautiful women."
Soon Judy prepared a combat simulation.
V lay on a machine.
She connected the device.
Then she said calmly:
"Let's begin."
The world shifted.
A surreal digital battlefield appeared.
Weapons.
Cyberware.
Training robots.
Caleb followed the tutorial while Judy guided him.
"Not bad, V," she praised.
Caleb grinned foolishly.
But suddenly—
Judy's voice changed.
"V… wait… something's wrong…"
Static filled the audio.
"Disconnect! V disconnect—!"
The digital world twisted violently.
Blue light turned blood red.
Glass-like fragments shattered across space.
Then—
A hand burst through the simulation.
Everything collapsed.
The screen went black.
Moments later, V opened his eyes.
He was lying in a wasteland of industrial ruins.
Heavy boots stepped into view.
Black pants.
Bulletproof vest.
Dog tags.
And a silver cybernetic arm.
Music exploded in the background.
The man crouched down.
Then he spoke.
"Get up, Samurai."
"How long are you going to play house in Braindance?"
He removed his sunglasses.
Revealing a sharp, charismatic face.
Then he smiled coldly.
"Let's burn this city to the ground."
The screen flashed.
Buzz!!!
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Catch up now [patreon.com/Samurai492 ]"
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