Cyberpunk: Ultimate Cyborg System-Chapter 536: Neutral.
[
Name: Dante
Species: Human
Threat Level: 4
Baseline Retention: Ascended (37%)
Stats:
Strength: 130
Durability: 115
Agility: 50
Dexterity: 84
Computing Power: 50
Energy: 110/110
Implants:
Kinetic Absorption Protective Sub-Layer Generation 15 (C)
RespiraCore Series VI (C)
Overmind Cortical Interface Module (A)
Overmind Neural Response Enhancer (A)
Ares Iron Cage (A)
Ares Iron Fiber (A)
Ares IronPulse Engine (A)
NephroCore Series XI (C)
NutrimaCore Complete Series XI (C)
Voxcore Series XI (B)
Eroscore Series V (C)
Suzuka’s Modular Bionic Interface (Arms) (SS)
Suzuka’s Skull Guard (S)
Oculuscore Series XII (D)
Modules:
Right arm: Type 4-3
Left arm: Type 4-3
Abilities:
Force Amplification
Impact Amplification
]
[
Implant: Oculuscore series XII (D)
Grade: D
Would you like to upgrade Oculuscore series XII (D)?
>YES. NO.
]
[...]
[
Implant Oculuscore series XII (D) has been upgraded to Oculuscore series XIII (C)
Durability: 115 → 116
Dexterity: 84 → 86
Computing Power: 50 → 52
]
~[ ]~
When he opened his eyes, the first thing Dante saw was a bunch of small screens with progression bars quickly filling up. His field of sight cleared up in seconds, but the scenery beyond it remained blurry until he tried to focus, which caused it to shift as if he were adjusting a camera lens.
"How is it?"
Turning to the side, Dante was met with the familiar visage of his perpetually exhausted doctor. Something about him seemed different, and Dante didn’t have a difficult time guessing what it was.
"Maybe I should lower the resolution..."
"So it’s working," Backing away, Larry picked the cigarette in his mouth and blew out a cloud of smoke. "For now, it might be better to tweak it until you get the sight you used to have. Your brain usually filters out most of the data captured through the eyes, but adding more on top of that can still cause it to overload."
"For now?" Dante asked.
"You didn’t buy those things just for show, right?" Larry said. "If you intend to make use of them, you have to train your brain to handle the flow of information. That usually takes two to three months of rehabilitation in a normal hospital."
"I see..."
"Was that a pun just now?"
After his talk with Rose, Dante went back to Hollowgrid and contacted their acquaintances from Los Aros. Thanks to their previous experience, Ben and the rest of the gang already had what it takes to take care of Black Skull’s victims, so Dante decided to leave the matter to them for the time being and went to take care of his eyes.
Larry had anticipated that the eye surgery would be next, so he had a pair of bionic eyes just waiting in his closet. Though they were from the mundane brand Vitalcore, Dante took them anyway.
’The visual data shouldn’t be much of a problem, right?’
[No, I believe Dr. Swanson is correct,] Volcan said.
’How so?’
[You are putting a lot of pressure on your brain already. The frequent use of perception enhancement is already too much, but you have been relying on Absolute Awareness more and more now.]
’I thought you were handling most of the processing?’
[I am. But your brain is still that of a human. It is not built to handle the influx of data at the rate you are reaching, not to mention all the foreign sensations. You must have noticed an increase in mental fatigue since you started using Absolute Awareness, correct?]
’Not sure...’
Dante had been feeling rather exhausted, as if late, but that’s to be expected, considering everything he had been going through. The last month had contained more stress than most people deal with in their entire lives, and it didn’t look like things would calm down any time soon.
’I can’t even take a vacation...’
"Today is the day, huh?"
Larry’s question pulled Dante out of his thoughts.
"Right, you’ll be there, right?"
"Nope," The doctor replied, blowing a cloud of smoke while leaning back in his chair.
Dante’s face fell right away.
"And why’s that?"
"I stayed neutral back when the Blood Hounds and Black Cross were around. What makes you think I will join your gang?"
"Don’t know. I thought being your biggest client earned me some points."
"Yeah, right," Still looking at the ceiling, Larry scoffed. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂
"Don’t you want the business I will send your way?"
"I made more than enough from you alone. Enough to retire comfortably, even,"
"You’re retiring?" Dante asked.
"I need to get away from here before you cause another big mess," Larry said. "Don’t worry, I will still be around to finish working on you."
Dante summoned his status window and checked his Basic Retention. Only 37% of his body was still flesh and blood. Once Suzuka completes the rest of the MBI set, that percentage would drop to 1%. He would become a brain operating a mech suit, and now that it was so close, Dante couldn’t help but think it through some more.
"Say, doc," Dante said. "Did you know that souls are real?"
"Like hell they are."
Larry’s reply was to be expected. Or maybe not?
"We live in a world full of Sorcerers, Cyborgs, and Genomes, yet this is where you draw the line?"
Sparing him a glance, Larry turned to the ceiling again.
"Never took you for the religious type," he said.
"Who said anything about religion?" Dante chuckled. "I don’t blame you for thinking that, though. They haven’t been that far off from the truth."
"And you just happened to know that truth," Larry said. "I thought you were starting a gang, not a cult."
"I don’t think you’re getting me," Dante sighed. "You have seen what I can do, right?"
"And?"
"You scanned me no less than a hundred times and opened me up a dozen times already. Surely you don’t think I’m pulling all of this stuff out of my ass, right?"
"That sounds more plausible than the whole soul thing,"
"Well, whether you believe it or not doesn’t matter," Dante gave up on convincing him with a sigh.
