Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 461: Shape.

After having a long conversation with Larry, where he heard all about his new bionics, their functions, and how to maintain them, Dante received an itemized bill that ended with the number twenty-seven, followed by six zeroes.

As insane as it was, that number made sense considering he had to buy eight new implants. The cost of the operation alone was six million. Larry had been up for three whole days, working on installing each implant with precision that bordered on perfection. Of course, he had to take a stimulant of some kind to keep going for that long without losing focus. After putting himself through all of that, it’s only normal that he would charge so much.

Dante had yet to sell any of the loot he got from raiding the daggers, so by the time he was done paying the doctor, the number on his wallet dropped down to five digits. A sight sad enough to make a grown man cry.

Not wanting to think about it too much, Dante put on 8-5 and used all of its energy to create a new pocket dimension, then portaled to it.

It was only after he was on the other side that he realized he barely felt any strain despite having a Level 5 armor equipped. It was most intense on his legs, which were still mostly flesh and bone. His arms experienced no strain despite having two layers of VOLCAN applied. As for the rest of his body, he only felt irritation around the areas that still had muscles.

Surprisingly, his brain barely felt any strain at all. Turns out encasing it in an S-grade alloy shell blocked VOLCAN’s effects entirely.

’I need to thank Suzuka later.’

When the time for the operation arrived, the blue-haired genius came to deliver the next implant, which she had hurried to finish in the short time he had been bedridden. It was made to match the shell of his Overmind MLP and replaced the remaining bones of his skull. In other words, he was now a metal head.

Though he was thrilled about the idea of finally getting to test out the true capabilities of his higher-level armors, Dante decided to put them aside in favor of testing his new arms and the Module system.

After a 4-3’ module, he switched to other Types, then to higher Levels. There was no point in turning Levels 1 and 2 into Modules since they require the entire armor to use their abilities, and the stat boost they provide was negligible. It was a little disheartening, but he would probably never have a reason to take them out now that he could use the higher levels.

Level 3s were the most fitting as Modules, since they looked like proper bionic arms. Unfortunately, the limited abilities and energy pool meant the stat boost was the biggest plus they provided. Of course, that was only for the time being. Once Suzuka is done making the rest of the MBI set, he will be able to equip entire Module sets without any problem.

Level 4 Modules and higher were a bit tricky. They provided a higher stat boost, brought abilities that Level 3 modules couldn’t have, and had a bigger energy pool, but the problem was their size. Though they were shrunk significantly from their size in the armor version, they still appeared much too big for his body, and that came with its own problems.

From the looks of it, he wouldn’t be able to use higher-level modules effectively until he completed the entire MBI set.

’Still...’ Dante was just done switching back to 4-3’s module when something started to bug him. ’It’s slow...’

Unlike swapping armors, which took less than a second, swapping Modules took several seconds to complete. That was going to be a problem if he were to end up in a situation that required him to switch them on the spot.

[Modules are integrated, rather than equipped.] Volcan explained. [Think of it as the armor versions being ready-made clothes which you can put on right away, while the Module versions are skin that has to be regrown each time.]

’You could have explained it as the difference between putting on a power suit and getting a new implant.’ Dante thought.

[That analogy is correct as well.]

After trying all types, Dante came to the conclusion that he would have 4-3’s Module equipped by default, since it upped his Strength and Durability considerably. As for practical abilities, he was going to rely on the armor for that.

’If it’s like this, I might be able to actually use Type 6.’

[Indeed. With the strength Type 4 Module provides, the weight of Type 6’s armors will not be an issue.]

Dante moved on to what could be considered a rehabilitation exercise. A lot about his body had changed, so he needed to learn how to move properly and recalibrate himself so he would be able to fight on the same level he was used to.

As he went around exercising as if he were a soldier in a boot camp, a strange sensation began to scratch the back of Dante’s mind. It didn’t take him long to figure out its source and what it was.

The strain of VOLCAN’s armors no longer threatening his life was a great relief, but Dante was forced to experience a different kind of discomfort, one that wasn’t born from pain or injury.

Put simply, his body was starting to feel alien to him.

Dante had heard about it many times before, but never took it seriously. To be more accurate, he tried not to think about it at all ever since he decided to go full cyborg.

The phenomenon is called Cyborg Dysmorphia Response. It’s a psychological condition where the brain rejects bionic implants on the subconscious level, leading to a feeling of alienation from one’s own body. It affects different people at different stages, but there is no avoiding it once a cyborg reaches the Ascended level.

There are no known cures for the conditions, and overcoming them depends entirely on the individual. If one’s mind is unable to accept the cyberfication of their body, their mental state would quickly deteriorate, leading to impulsive, erratic, and violent behavior.

Those were the more fortunate results, seeing as one can still come back from them. The worst-case scenario, on the other hand, could not be reversed.

As the CDR grows stronger over time, a cyborg’s brain faces the risk of shutting down entirely, even if their implants are in perfect condition. Experts in the field theorize it’s a result of the brain determining that the body was no longer alive, which leads to it ceasing all functions, leading to the cyborg becoming a puppet whose strings had been severed, hence the name of the condition being Stringless.

Stringless was the reason few Ascended Cyborgs exist in the world. With his Basic Retention being less than 50%, Dante was now at risk of developing that condition. At the moment, he only felt a mild discomfort, but there was no telling when it might get worse.

[I believe it has more to do with the shape of your soul than your brain.]

Dante was in the middle of a sparring session with one of Volcan’s androids when the two of them started discussing the looming problem. When his resident AI presented that theory, Dante lost focus, leading to him taking a punch to the face.

Quickly jumping back to his feet, he turned to face the android.

"What did you mean by that?"

[Souls take the shape of their vessels.] Volcan explained. [If the vessel is destroyed, the soul will be unable to maintain its shape and end up leaking to the outside world. The same can be said for cyberfication. If the shape of the vessel is altered too much, the Soul would attempt to reshape itself. If that fails, the soul would disintegrate, leading to death.]

"Couldn’t you have said all of this before?"

[There is no reason to be concerned.] Volcan said. [Your Soul is strong enough to handle integration with Volcan. You have survived with most of your internal organs destroyed, too. The discomfort you are feeling is from your Soul changing its shape to fit the new vessel. I believe it will vanish entirely in the near future.]

"This is really weird..."

Dante looked at himself as he tried to take in this newfound knowledge, looking at his hands as he went over all the implants he had obtained.

Among all of them, Ares Iron Fiber might be the simplest, but it was the second most expensive. Iron was just a naming choice. The implant itself was a series of alloy micro threads woven directly into his muscles, enhancing their strength and durability so they wouldn’t be torn from carrying the load of other implants.

In a way, they were the same as Rose’s silk suit. Thanks to those tiny threads, Dante was able to move his modded MBIs without his shoulders or neck tearing. Larry had also used it to enhance his leg muscles, allowing him to move normally while carrying the weight of his bionic upper body. In the new future, he would replace those parts as well. Would his soul have to reshape itself once more when the time comes for that?