Belika/Berlika → Rita (Night City girl)
The moment Ethan realized he had lit that cigarette… he knew he was running out of time.
Not later.
Not gradually.
Not someday in the future.
Now.
His fingers had moved on their own.
The flame.
The inhale.
The instinct.
None of it belonged to him.
---
Ethan stood frozen in front of the mirror, the crushed cigarette still smoking faintly beneath his shoe.
His reflection stared back at him.
Familiar.
And yet—
Not entirely his anymore.
A chill crawled up his spine.
Johnny Silverhand.
That parasite wasn't just invading his body.
It was rewriting him.
Habit by habit.
Instinct by instinct.
Thought by thought.
If this continued… Ethan wouldn't just die. He would disappear.
---
"This electronic virus must be eliminated."
The words left his mouth slowly, but the decision behind them was absolute.
No hesitation.
No backup plan.
No second option.
At dawn, he would leave for Jiuhua Mountain.
---
He immediately sat down and began gathering information.
Search results flooded the screen.
"Ancient sacred mountain…"
"Famous Buddhist site…"
"National 5A scenic attraction…"
Useless.
All surface-level.
All meaningless.
Ethan scrolled past them without interest, his eyes narrowing as he searched deeper.
Finally—something.
Jiuhua Temple.
Sparse information.
Suspiciously sparse.
A few outdated photos. A handful of tourist comments.
And then—
A pattern.
---
> "Temple closed for over a month."
"Visitors not allowed."
"No official explanation."
Ethan's fingers paused.
That matched Rebecca's words perfectly.
But the next few comments were even stranger.
---
> "Some people were allowed inside…"
"They said we weren't 'fated'…"
"Only certain people can enter…"
---
Ethan leaned back slowly.
"Fated…"
That word again.
Same as what Rebecca said.
---
This wasn't a coincidence.
---
Nine Lotus Temple wasn't just closed.
It was filtering people.
Selecting them.
Judging them.
---
And somehow—
Ethan had already been marked as one of them.
---
His gaze sharpened.
"Nine Lotus Mountain… you better have answers."
---
Then—
A new discovery caught his attention.
A post.
Simple. Clean. Almost too convenient.
---
> "Carpooling – Nine Lotus Mountain"
From Seabrook City → Jiuhua Temple
1 seat available
No fee
One suitcase only
Ethan stared at it for a few seconds.
His original plan was to rent a car.
But now—
That idea felt stupid.
Too traceable.
Too clean.
Too easy to monitor.
If he were the General Affairs Department, the first thing he'd track would be travel routes to Nine Lotus Mountain.
Anyone heading there—
Was suspicious.
---
So this?
This messy, unofficial ride?
Better.
---
Ethan activated his Hacker Chip instantly.
"Flood."
The world shifted.
Data Perspective unfolded.
Numbers. Signals. Threads.
He simulated a fake number.
Reconstructed his voice.
Then dialed.
---
"Hello?"
A man's voice answered.
Mid-thirties. Polite. Soft.
But weak.
---
"Hello," Ethan replied, his voice now completely altered. "I saw your post. I'm heading to Nine Lotus Temple too. Can I wait in Xuanwu District tomorrow morning?"
A pause.
Then—
"Of course. I'll call you at 8 AM."
---
Simple.
Too simple.
But Ethan didn't care.
---
He hung up.
No trace.
No identity.
No mistakes.
---
Then he packed.
---
Clothes.
Essentials.
Nothing unnecessary.
---
Then—
He paused.
And opened a drawer.
---
Baijiu.
Bottle after bottle.
---
Rebecca's words echoed in his mind:
> "Alcohol can suppress the erosion."
---
Ethan didn't hesitate.
He filled the remaining space in his suitcase with alcohol.
Not for comfort.
Not for habit.
For survival.
---
His gaze shifted to the bed.
The hidden stash.
---
One million dollars.
---
He crouched.
Opened it.
Stared.
---
"If things collapse…"
His voice was quiet.
"This becomes worthless."
---
Paper burned.
Systems failed.
Banks froze.
---
Gold didn't.
---
"I should convert it…"
He closed the compartment slowly.
"Later."
---
Right now—
None of that mattered.
---
Johnny Silverhand came first.
---
Then—
Ethan opened Rebecca's blog.
---
An outdated platform.
A forgotten corner of the internet.
Unregulated.
Unwatched.
For now.
---
He entered the password.
The page loaded.
---
Scriptures.
Meditation.
Philosophy.
---
Then—
Photos.
---
Rebecca.
Standing in silence.
Standing in prayer.
Standing like she didn't belong to the same world as everyone else.
---
Even with a shaved head—
She was beautiful.
Dangerously so.
---
Those seven cybernetic eyes…
They didn't feel artificial.
They felt—
Awake.
---
Ethan stared longer than he intended.
Then clicked away.
Annoyed at himself.
---
Sophia Warren was beautiful too.
But—
She felt like light.
---
Rebecca felt like truth.
---
And truth was always more dangerous.
---
At the top of the blog—
A new post.
---
A towering skyscraper.
Glowing red.
Piercing the sky.
---
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
"Hongxing Tower… District 31…"
---
That meant—
She had reached another district in less than half a day.
---
Below the image—
A single sentence:
> "All things arise from the mind."
---
Ethan leaned back.
Thinking.
---
Rebecca was moving fast.
Too fast.
---
Mission?
Target?
Objective?
---
Unknown.
---
But one thing was clear—
Jiuhua Temple was not passive.
---
Then—
Another thought hit him.
---
"Tyler…"
---
Ethan grabbed his phone.
Typed quickly.
---
> Go home early.
Don't stay in the city.
Keep your head down.
---
Sent.
---
He stared at the message for a second.
Then put the phone down.
---
Silence returned.
---
The room felt empty.
---
For a moment—
Ethan didn't move.
---
Then—
He took out paper.
---
"To my dear Lily,"
---
The words came slower than expected.
---
> By the time you read this…
I probably already left.
---
He paused.
His grip tightened.
---
> Don't worry about me.
I'll come find you.
---
A lie?
Maybe.
A promise?
Definitely.
---
Then—
He added one more line.
---
> If something happens…
I'll wait for you in our hometown.
---
His chest felt heavy.
---
He sealed the letter.
Set it aside.
---
Then—
He pressed the mark.
---
The world changed.
---
Simulation Begins.
---
Gunpowder.
Darkness.
Memory fragments.
---
Wilson's shop.
Rita.
---
Her green twin-tails brushed his arm as she slept beside him.
---
Then—
The truth hit.
---
Johnny had taken over.
Killed Dexter.
Collapsed.
---
And Rita—
She knew.
---
> "V… I'll keep your secret."
---
Ethan's eyes narrowed.
---
She wasn't afraid.
---
She was excited.
---
Then—
The prompt appeared.
---
[Recruit Rita?]
---
Ethan didn't hesitate.
---
"Accept."
---
Ding.
---
Rita joined your team.
Unlocked: Renowned Marksman LV1
+35% critical damage with all firearms
---
A second notification followed.
---
Street Cred increased.
LV3.
---
Then—
Wilson's message.
---
Shotgun ready.
---
Ethan retrieved it.
---
The moment it materialized—
His hand sank.
---
Heavy.
Solid.
Violent.
---
Crusher.
---
A weapon built for destruction.
---
Short barrel.
Wide spread.
Brutal output.
---
One shot—
Enough to tear a man apart.
---
Twelve rounds—
Enough to clear a room.
---
Ethan ran his fingers across the metal.
A faint smile appeared.
---
"Good."
---
With this—
He finally had teeth.
---
Against normal enemies—
Overwhelming.
---
Against Grant Wolfe—
Still not enough.
---
Then—
A new message appeared.
---
Goro Takemura.
---
Arasaka.
Bodyguard.
Betrayal.
Truth.
---
A meeting request.
---
Ethan stared at the screen.
---
Danger?
Maximum.
---
Opportunity?
Also maximum.
---
Takemura could have sent killers.
Instead—
He sent words.
---
That meant something.
---
Ethan's mind moved fast.
---
Relic chip.
Arasaka secrets.
Johnny Silverhand.
Survival.
---
Everything—
Connected.
---
Slowly—
He selected:
---
[Accept.]
---
Silence.
---
Then—
A feeling.
---
Cold.
Heavy.
Inevitable.
Nine Lotus Temple Mountain tomorrow.
Arasaka tonight.
Johnny inside him.
And for the first time—
Ethan truly understood—
He wasn't escaping the game.
He was stepping deeper into it.
--------------------------------
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