Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 490: Because of Some Movies.

Dropping into his chair, Dante leaned back and just let his body relax. It was a surreal sensation. Most of his body was bionic now, yet he still feels the need let it sit still for a while, as if he were physically exhausted. His mental exhaustion, on the other hand, only seemed to increase.

’Say, Volcan...’

[Yes?]

’Has my soul adjusted to my new body?’

[There has been some progress since the surgery. It should be fully adjusted in a few more days.] 𝒻𝘳ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝒷𝘯ℴ𝓋ℯ𝘭.𝑐ℴ𝑚

’Is that so...’

He was wondering if he should go break the big guy’s door and get him to explain what happened. Riot hadn’t shown up since the fight that day. His injuries should have healed by now, so it wasn’t like he needed all this time to recover.

Most likely, the muscle-head was ashamed to come back after getting his position stolen. It was unheard of for the boss of a gang to stay alive after losing the challenge for his position, let alone hang around and be a lackey for the new boss. It was a matter of pride, and that was something gangsters didn’t take lightly.

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK

Pulled out of his thoughts by the knock, Dante raised his head and looked at the door, feeling his face twist in a frown.

"It’s open."

He didn’t give it much thought when he said that, so he had no right to complain when the one who entered wasn’t among those he had in mind.

"Sir! I have brought the cooler you asked for!"

It was the enthusiastic guy from earlier, and somehow, he looked even more energetic than before. For some reason, he straightened up and saluted before turning around and pulling a hand truck into the office. On it was a slightly large icebox.

"You done already?" Dante asked. It had only been a few minutes since he sat down, so it couldn’t be possible that the guy was done with the job he was given.

"Not exactly." He said. "I thought it would be better if I removed the body from the scene first."

"You thought?"

"Yes!"

Something about that reply was incredibly unsettling, and it took Dante a moment to realize why. The young man was in very high spirits, smiling while dragging around a box stuffed with a dead body.

"Sir, does this mean I’m in?"

Dante had been convinced that the guy was going to run away after witnessing what happened, and he wasn’t wrong for having that impression. The guy looked normal.

He seemed to be around the same age as Dante, or maybe a couple of years older. Going by his chalk colored skin and blond hair, he was clearly a Radmir born. He was fairly tall, likely one or two centimeters away from 180, and his build suggested that he worked out regularly.

Dante stared at him for a while, not sure how he should feel about him. After a long stretch of silence, he decided to ask him some basic questions first.

"What’s your name?"

"Oliver Collins!" The guy replied. "I would say my friends call me Oli, but no one really does that."

"Oliver, huh..." Dante ignored the rest and continued to study the guy. "Where did you come from?"

"I was raised in White Hill. Moved here after making some Gold!"

"Why?"

"To join your gang!"

Hearing him say the last part with the same enthusiasm made Dante want to facepalm himself. Finally managing to get his thoughts under control, he looked at the guy, Oliver, and asked again.

"Why?"

"Because I like Kong-fu!"

This time, Dante was unable to stop himself, which led to him getting a painful reminder that his hands were now made from metal. What’s more, unlike what happened with his subdermal armor, having his skull replaced didn’t cut off any of his pain receptors, meaning he could still feel everything.

"Sir!?"

"It’s... nothing..." Dante sighed and wiped under his nose to see if there was any blood. "You said... You like Kong-fu?"

"Oh, yes!" The surprise look vanished from Oliver’s face, and the enthusiasm returned. "I like all martial arts! My favorite hobby is watching martial arts movies from over a century ago!"

"... and that’s why you want to join?" Dante frowned. "Because of some movies?"

"Ah! No no! It’s not like that!" Oliver shook his head and hands, but then he stopped. "Actually, it’s exactly that. But not in a bad way! I thought you looked really cool in those videos and-"

Dante let him blabber for a while and turned his voice inward.

’What do you think? Did you find anything?’

[No, he seems to be a normal person.] Volcan replied. [At the very least, he seems to be telling the truth about coming from White Hill. His Location data shows that he had spent most of his time in the district.]

’He doesn’t really strike me as someone from that shit hole...’

"And when you gave that low hook and-"

Dante held a hand up, shutting him down.

"Listen, Oliver," Dante sighed. "I don’t really know what you think you’ll get from joining us, but I need you to understand this is not a game."

"I know!"

The two words fell on Dante’s head like a couple of bricks, and when he looked at the guy, he became sure that everything he said was going in through one ear and out of the other. That’s what he thought, at least.

"I joined because I know you’ll do something awesome, sir!"

Dante’s thoughts didn’t change just because of that, but it made him stop and listen.

"I don’t know what it will be, but I know it’s going to be something so big it will change this city." He paused, then shook his head. "No, it will change this entire world!"

By this point, Dante was almost convinced that the new guy was clinically insane. That was the only way he could keep talking like this after watching someone get killed right beside him.

"Okay, I get it," Dante waved him away. "Go check with Carlos. Not sure if we have much going on, but he should give you something to do."

"Yes, sir!"