Chapter 34: Mechanical Ascension [Please Keep Reading]

Good news: Lin Yue unlocked the "Mechanical Ascension" and "Old-School Punk" technical perks, and he can now see his cyberware capacity.
Bad news: His cyberware capacity is already pushing the limit—it’s dangerous.

After spending a day and a night with Pilar and Rebecca, Lin Yue returned to his old apartment in the Longshore Stacks to rest—and to think about how to handle his cyberware capacity issue. Fortunately, as a shut-in in his past life, Lin Yue knew how to take care of himself.

He tidied up the room a bit, tossed the trash out the window, and did some laundry. Even though Dogtown was somewhat isolated from the outside world, the washing machines still charged a fee, which was absolutely maddening. After all, generators were a necessity in Dogtown, and the only reason this building even had power was because of these coins.

Lin Yue fished some coins out of his pocket and shoved them into the machine, accidentally catching sight of that bloodstained pair of gloves. As the washing machine spun, Lin Yue took out the gloves, the bloodstains now turned a dull brown, and felt a moment of daze.

Saino.

Lin Yue had never understood one thing: why his system panel recognized a person like Saino. Logically, Saino should have been a nobody in the Barghest—well, maybe a minor officer like a squad leader—and Lin Yue had no memories in his mind regarding this person's story within the world's lore. He had always assumed this information was just a way for the panel to remind him he had a "cheat," but looking at these gloves now, the panel information still shimmered before his eyes.

[Zilf Saino]
[Affiliation: Dogtown - Deceased]
[Affinity: 50]
[You let him go, and he let you go.]

Lin Yue understood. Whether it was the fact that this guy had confessed to selling intel according to Hansen, or that Lin Yue hadn't drawn his gun and let Saino flee when they were in the vehicle, it felt like a cycle—both of them had left each other a way out. Saino could have dragged more people down with him, but he didn't.

Even though his selling out to Hansen for money nearly got Lin Yue killed, that was just the damn Night City for you, the dumpster fire that is Dogtown. Everyone only looked out for themselves; there was no room for charity. People lived with their eyes wide open, and there was nothing to complain about. When you die, you just point your crotch at the sky, scream "f*ck," and see if you can get in line at the gates of heaven.

Lin Yue rubbed the gloves and finally tossed them into the washing machine. The material was decent—durable and slip-resistant. He’d use them.

After making himself a cup of instant coffee and heating up a burrito, Lin Yue ate while reviewing his cyberware capacity. His current loadout included:
[Face]: Kiroshi Optics Mk.1 - Common
[Arms]: Gorilla Arms - Epic
[Hands]: Ballistic Coprocessor - Uncommon
[Skeleton]: Synaptic Signal Optimizer - Rare, Titanium Bones - Uncommon

[Integumentary System]: Subdermal Armor - Rare, Pain Editor - Common
[Circulatory System]: Biomonitor - Uncommon

As for his [Frontal Cortex], [Operating System], [Nervous System], and [Legs], he hadn't had the chance to install or upgrade them yet.

Lin Yue tapped his fingers on the table in thought. His biggest worry wasn't the empty slots or finding better gear; it was the fact that his current capacity was already hitting the red line. He didn't dare consider adding anything else! He didn't know what would happen if he crossed that red line, and it wasn't just a simple matter of the screen turning red like in a game; Lin Yue wasn't about to experiment with unpredictable outcomes.

The 30 affinity points he’d squeezed out of Pilar had allowed him to unlock the technical perks and choose the "Mechanical Ascension" node.
"Mechanical Ascension": Tier 1 grants a 10% boost to all cyberware stat modifiers; Tier 2 reduces the capacity cost of Integumentary and Skeleton cyberware by a full 20%.

"How is it full already? I didn't even install anything that powerful..."
Though Lin Yue's math was average, he could calculate capacity just fine. Even after factoring in his current loadout and the perks, he couldn't figure it out. Wait... Could it be that my own base capacity is just this low?

Once this terrifying thought took root, it couldn't be stopped. Lin Yue exhaled deeply. Everyone thinks they are the special one, yet everyone is just an ordinary person.

But it wasn't hopeless. First, once his perk points increased, he could unlock other nodes to expand his capacity and further enhance his brain. Second, his current cyberware was too lackluster; as long as he met the requirements for "Old-School Punk," his capacity should increase. It seemed he had to make more money to replace his gear in bulk, provided he could swap out or upgrade these subpar parts for better ones. Finally, there was the matter of the brain. The Frontal Cortex, for instance—that slot had to be filled. Others might hesitate, but Lin Yue still remembered how V had instantly neutralized the Biotechnica hackers. If he didn't install "Self-ICE" in his head, any hacker could handle him in seconds.

"Finding a source for Self-ICE in the Dogtown stadium shouldn't be a problem."

Lin Yue pulled the bedding off the sofa. Even in this age of rampant cyberization, you couldn't survive without sleep, especially after tinkering with parts at Pilar's for 48 hours straight. The brain had a way of forcing you to obey it. As his eyelids grew heavy, the dream of Old Vic surfaced again—the same tower, the same people.

...

[Incoming Call: Unknown]

Lin Yue felt dizzy. He realized the call was coming into the number for "Rin." He sat up and rubbed his face to clear his head before answering.

His voice on the phone was a low-pitched, middle-aged tone—V's custom modulation.
"Are you the fixer operating in Dogtown?"
"Uh-huh." Lin Yue fumbled for a cigarette. "I'm new. Hands is on vacation."
"Bold talk—I've heard a new guy came to Dogtown, acting all high and mighty, even the Scavs got blown up..."
"Get to the point." Lin Yue cut her off.
"I'm with the Animals, name's Angel."

Lin Yue's head was pounding. He knew the name was familiar; after all, he had read many guides for this game before he was reincarnated. The sheer volume of information always made him forget the minor details.
"Uh-huh, the Animals? You guys usually talk with your fists; when did you need someone else to clean up your messes?"

Angel on the other end let out a scoff. "I'm not the type to blindly pump steroids into my body. Let's put it this way: I want to manage the accounts and business for these meatheads, and I need your help."
"We, the Animals, hold 90% of the boxing clubs and underground betting in Night City. But relying on steroids—the Animals can take it, but the average fighter doesn't have that kind of grit."
"Someone's blocking me from getting a piece of the pie in Dogtown, so I need you to take out one of the Animals—and while you're at it, help me smuggle a batch of cyberware into Dogtown. You've got connections everywhere, so that shouldn't be a problem, right?"

Lin Yue nodded. "I can do that, ma'am. If the price is right, I can find mercenaries to handle it for you."
"Uh-huh. The price is thirty percent of the profit from the loans tied to this batch of cyberware. Total... 140,000, including your commission for using your connections. How's that, Mr. Rin?"

Lin Yue had always thought the Animals were just like their physiques—all muscle and no brains—but this woman knew her business.
"Fine. I'll handle the logistics, I'll provide the people, just send me the target info—"
"I'll arrange everything." Angel didn't waste words. "Good. Handle this, and we'll keep working together on the Dogtown black-market boxing business."

140,000 hit Rin's account immediately. Lin Yue was stunned, but he kept his tone steady as he replied, "For a deal this big, I'm sure you've talked to Hands, but I don't do bad work either. You trust me, and I trust you."

Angel replied from the other end:
"Then... pleasure doing business?"

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[Mechanical Ascension]: Unlocked at 9 Technical Ability. Level 1: Cyberware modifier effects +10%. Level 2: Integumentary and Skeleton cyberware capacity cost -20%.
[Old-School Punk]: Unlocked the same way. For every attribute at 9 or higher, gain +4 Cyberware Capacity.
[Self-ICE]: Frontal Cortex cyberware. An electronic countermeasure system that protects cyberware from malicious vulnerability exploits. Requirement: Intelligence 10.
[Angel]: Full name Angelica Villan, a character from the Dogtown side quest "Balls to the Wall." She is a business-minded member of the Animals, not a muscle-crazed maniac.