9:00 PM.
Jack had kicked back for a while, but now it was time to head home.
After they exchanged contacts, Leo casually asked,
"Hey, forgot to grab Misty's number earlier. Think you can send it my way?"
Jack didn't hesitate, tapping away on his holo-screen. Only when the number was sent did suspicion flicker across his face.
"Wait a second… You into Misty?"
Leo almost laughed at his dramatic shift in ton...
2025-04-01 03:12:03 +0000 UTC
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"Hop in, mano!"
Jack slapped the side of his silver-gray sedan, the metallic body reflecting the neon glow of Night City. With a grin, he slid into the driver's seat.
Leo settled into the passenger side, curiosity flickering in his eyes as he took in the vehicle's design. Despite the evident wear and tear, the dashboard was littered with futuristic controls, illuminated displays, and digital readouts. Yet, the faint traces of vintage style still lingered—chrome trimmings and a c...
2025-04-01 03:11:46 +0000 UTC
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"What's on the menu?"
"Something familiar… if that's even possible."
Leo eyed the gangsters nearby, their arms inked with fierce oni tattoos. Even though he tried to act casual, his lingering gaze didn't go unnoticed.
Jack stepped forward, his burly frame effortlessly blocking Leo from their line of sight.
"Those are Tyger Claws. One of the biggest gangs in Night City. They run most of Westbrook and a good chunk of Watson. Staring at them like that? Not your best mov...
2025-04-01 03:11:04 +0000 UTC
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"A new client," Vik said firmly, refusing to share Leo's details.
"Enough about him. Let's talk about you. How's the recovery, Jackie? Still staying away from the booze like I told you?"
"Uh… well, Vik, you know I'm just bartending at El Coyote Cojo. Whether it's a new face or an old friend, I gotta have a drink with 'em. It's tradition!"
The burly man's sheepish smile did nothing to sway Vik.
"Got it. You ignored my advice. No painkillers for you this time."
"...
2025-04-01 03:10:48 +0000 UTC
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Not long after, Leo's first cyberware bill was ready.
[Public Network Neural Link, Arasaka Type-1 Network Dock, Kiroshi Type-3 Optics, Biotech Type-2 Biomonitor, and Surgical Fees – Total: 35,000 Eurodollars.]
Leo frowned. "Vik… something's off."
"What?"
"You charged me too little. The personal terminal and that full-body checkup? Not to mention the 200 eddies you lent me."
"Most people complain about getting overcharged. Only you would whine...
2025-04-01 03:10:26 +0000 UTC
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"Alright, connect your bio-signal. Practical tests beat theory any day."
Vik handed Leo a round-tipped data cable, the other end plugged into the operating table's control panel.
Data cable?
Leo blinked, holding it uncertainly.
"Since you've got a bio-monitor installed, there's a neural port just below it. This lets machines read your bio-signals."
Seeing Leo's confusion, Vik chuckled and tapped his temple. "Oh, right. Natural. Never had the joy of plugg...
2025-04-01 03:09:53 +0000 UTC
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Leo took a deep breath as he lay on the cold, sterile operating table.
He felt like a slab of meat on the butcher's block. If it weren't for Vik standing beside him, the lingering fear might have sent him bolting through the door.
The first thing Vik did before the procedure? Jab his own arm with a syringe.
Leo couldn't help but notice the numerous needle marks and bruises along the ripperdoc's unmodified arm.
Vik, catching his gaze, smirked. "Don't worry, kid. No impl...
2025-04-01 03:09:37 +0000 UTC
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The secondhand store's clothing section was a chaotic mess.
No hangers. No racks. Just piles of clothes heaped together like a landfill of discarded fashion.
Leo rummaged through the endless assortment, dismissing anything with visible tears, stains, or suspicious discoloration. After about five minutes of searching, he managed to piece together a halfway decent outfit—a simple set of worn jeans, a black T-shirt, and a faded leather jacket.
It wasn't exactly fashionabl...
2025-04-01 03:09:18 +0000 UTC
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Vik's idea of a basic checkup was exactly that—basic.
A quick examination with a handheld scanner, shining a small light into Leo's eyes, mouth, and ears. Nothing more than the standard routine, except for one particular detail.
When Vik carefully checked behind Leo's ears and scanned his wrists, a flash of genuine surprise crossed his face.
"Holy… shit."
The usually calm and composed ripperdoc was visibly shaken.
"I've met folks without implants before, sure...
2025-04-01 03:09:04 +0000 UTC
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Leo took a deep breath.
The delicate scent of lavender incense filled the air, soothing his nerves like a soft breeze on a spring morning.
2076.
A whole year before the events of the Cyberpunk 2077 storyline.
V was still a nobody—maybe hustling on the streets or climbing corporate ladders. The Relic biochip? Still safely locked away in an Arasaka lab, untouched by Jackie, T-Bug, or anyone else.
On paper, this was a good thing. No apocalyptic he...
2025-04-01 03:08:49 +0000 UTC
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"W-Warhammer 40K!?"
Leo stammered, his face losing color.
"Look, Cyberpunk is bad enough, but Warhammer? You can't just casually cross over to that universe!"
In Warhammer, it wasn't about surviving a week. You were lucky if you lasted five minutes.
"I completely understand, Father! But these are the only two coordinates I've managed to stabilize for now. It's a little inconvenient, I know…" Shironeko shrugged apologetically, her cat ears twitching.
...
2025-04-01 03:08:04 +0000 UTC
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The feeling of teleportation was… strange.
No swirling voids, no spinning through colorful wormholes. No sensation of being flushed down a cosmic toilet. One moment Leo's eyes were closed, and the next, he was somewhere else.
He was still wearing the same faded yellow tracksuit. Fortunately, the net Batman had captured him with was gone.
"Damn it. Didn't even get to see him deliver the iconic 'I am Batman' line. What a waste."
Sighing, Leo brushed the dust off his cl...
2025-04-01 03:07:44 +0000 UTC
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"Every night, you're out here hopping across rooftops, duking it out with criminals who never seem to run out. Wouldn't it be a hell of a lot more fun to wrestle with supermodels in a billion-dollar mansion?"
"And what's with that mask? Seriously. Leaving your chin exposed like that… What, are you trying to let the cops know you're definitely white?"
Batman was still processing the shock of having his identity called out when the masked young man in front of him launched into a ...
2025-04-01 03:07:27 +0000 UTC
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Leo was numb.
Please, just leave me alone!
This was Gotham, wasn't it? Why was a security guard trying to be a hero?
With nothing but a fake gun in his hands, Leo could only bluff. He scowled, puffed up his chest, and barked, "Don't move!"
The young guard flinched, trembling like he had the world's worst case of Parkinson's.
"Listen, buddy," Leo growled, panting dramatically. "You really don't want me and my boys turning you into Swiss cheese. Think abou...
2025-04-01 03:07:09 +0000 UTC
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Two members of an assassin organization teamed up to eliminate Kamado Rize.
Under normal circumstances, even at great cost, they should have succeeded.
But they never expected things to turn out this way.
No, one of them was already dead.
Only the loudmouth ghoul remained.
He looked at Kamado Rize, his face full of disbelief and frustration.
"Impossible, Kamado Rize, why is your strength so different from the intel we received?"
According to the infor...
2025-03-30 14:23:50 +0000 UTC
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Regardless, Hayashi remained confident in his cooking skills.
Seeing Takanashi Tokka absorbed in the food, he knew he had nailed it.
To make someone with a stoic expression blush like that, what more could he ask for?
Tohru was also delighted.
Because this was her Hayashi-san, truly amazing!
......
Meanwhile, on the other side.
In front of a house with a basement.
Heavy rain was falling, but both parties were still conducting a transaction and i...
2025-03-30 14:02:36 +0000 UTC
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Under normal circumstances, when the Midnight Diner wasn’t open yet, there would always be customers waiting early.
For example, Touka Kirishima was always one of those.
But today, there were none.
Honestly, it was quite strange. It could only be described as a coincidence.
Hayashi glanced at the sky. "Let’s hope so."
Since no customers had arrived, Hayashi and Tohru started playing cards in the restaurant.
Just the two of them.
So, Hayashi also c...
2025-03-30 13:55:35 +0000 UTC
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At most, what?
Sink what?
Tokyo?
When did Tokyo become a unit of measurement?
What’s going on?
After hearing the last line, Touka’s mind overheated and short-circuited for a moment.
She tilted her head slightly, speaking with a bit of stutter.
"S... S... Sink Tokyo?"
How big is Tokyo? How many people? How many districts?
Could it be a target for something like this?
Hayashi nodded and continued feeding Pochita cookies.
He o...
2025-03-30 13:42:01 +0000 UTC
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In the yard on the first floor,
Hayashi and Tohru were playing with Pochita.
Tohru fed it food, petting it occasionally, and Pochita was overjoyed.
Good times came so quickly.
The dreams Pochita could hardly imagine were being fulfilled so fast.
It no longer needed to kill demons aimlessly, nor did it need to be called to slaughter, and it wouldn’t keep reincarnating after death.
All it had to do now was listen to Hayashi’s commands.
Most of the t...
2025-03-30 13:37:55 +0000 UTC
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After the heart devouring last night, there was an additional ability.
That was to add a gatekeeper to Midnight Diner.
Hayashi was aware of Pochita’s information.
Now that the Chainsaw Demon’s Source Heart had been devoured, Pochita had become useless.
But for Pochita, this might still be a good thing.
Because Pochita’s original intention was never to become a demon.
It preferred to live in a warm, happy, and embracing environment, not Hell.
So ...
2025-03-30 12:25:52 +0000 UTC
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Upon hearing the Manager’s question, everyone listened attentively.
Just now, Touka Kirishima had hurried back.
As soon as she returned, she told everyone the big news.
Without Touka’s reminder, they would have had to wait two or three more days to receive the news, as high-ranking members usually wouldn’t reveal their whereabouts easily.
But unexpectedly, the news came so quickly.
The news about the dragon that night was clear to the Antique Coffee Shop.
2025-03-30 12:11:31 +0000 UTC
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When Hayashi saw the reward, he was honestly surprised.
This can count as food?!
A heart? Really?
Is a heart considered food now?
What is this, "heart sprinkle"?!
The key thing is, this wasn’t just any ordinary heart.
Its description said, Chainsaw Demon’s Core Heart!
What did that mean?
Hayashi checked the detailed description.
【Chainsaw Demon·Source Heart: This heart comes from Hell, and it is the source of the Ch...
2025-03-30 11:34:23 +0000 UTC
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After watching Tohru leave, Hayashi turned back and returned calmly.
“Magic is really useful.”
He checked the system, wondering when Tohru would level up to Internal Staff, so he could learn all of Tohru’s magic.
A dragon’s flame breath was instinctive—something he couldn’t learn, but he could learn the fireball spell from magic.
Hayashi entered the system and checked the employee tab.
Tohru’s employee experience...
Had unexpe...
2025-03-30 11:25:13 +0000 UTC
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Tohru’s habit of wanting those she likes to eat her tail…
Hayashi thought this would only trigger when she became a chef.
But who knew it was an unavoidable trait achievement?!
All it took was one look at the sushi, and Tohru instantly remembered that she wanted Hayashi to eat her tail!
What kind of creature even thinks like that?
Well, a dragon like Tohru clearly did, but Hayashi couldn’t accept it.
Still, Tohru was persistent.
“Try it, Hayas...
2025-03-24 11:43:08 +0000 UTC
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Tohru finished washing and came out humming a tune.
Curious, Hayashi asked what song she was singing—it didn’t sound familiar.
Tohru said it was a ballad by a bard from her world. She heard it while wandering during her travels.
“It’s pretty catchy,” Hayashi admitted.
But that sparked another thought.
If Tohru could travel from another world… how many other worlds were out there?
“Tohru,” he called, “besides Earth, have you come across any...
2025-03-24 11:34:09 +0000 UTC
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The siblings fell into silence for a moment.
Ayato pulled his hood back up, straightened his coat, and turned to leave.
Neither of them tried to stop the other.
But the message he delivered left Touka deeply unsettled.
More than just anxious—she was terrified.
Just a few days ago, she had finally tasted real, delicious food.
She had just experienced the joy of sharing a meal with a friend.
She was just beginning to live a normal life.<...
2025-03-24 11:30:12 +0000 UTC
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That night—
Everyone who had left earlier was now having their own conversations.
Power trailed behind the group, looking full and satisfied.
Aki walked slightly behind Makima, puzzled.
“Makima-sama, that dragon… she’s almost certainly the same one from last night.”
“I know,” Makima replied with a nod.
Aki was even more confused.
You know, and yet we’re just pretending nothing happened?
What, are you in cahoots&nbs...
2025-03-24 11:23:27 +0000 UTC
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Makima is the Control Devil. Devils are her obsession. And control itself? That’s her obsession within her obsession.
She even made a secret pact with the Japanese government.
Any harm done to her is converted into misfortune for Japanese citizens—illness, natural disasters, accidents. In other words, she cancels out her injuries using the nation's luck.
Because of this, nations around the world are hostile to her.
After all, the more beings Makima co...
2025-03-24 11:19:06 +0000 UTC
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Compared to regular chefs—
Hayashi’s cooking technique wasn’t anything outlandishly unique. He didn’t use secret recipes—just normal methods.
Yet somehow, the food was ridiculously good.
Compared to chefs from Totsuki Culinary Academy—
Hayashi’s movements were far more elegant and precise. Every step was executed perfectly—no wasted motion, no mistakes.
In other words: absolute mastery.
He also had complete command over ingr...
2025-03-24 11:16:04 +0000 UTC
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Hayashi immediately recognized the incoming figures.
Before they’d even reached the deeper part of the alley—
Power came running ahead, waving and shouting for meat!
Leading the group were Makima’s squad, Kamishiro Rize, and Kirishima Touka with her friend.
Kasumigaoka Utaha usually arrived early too, but she didn’t show up today. Probably due to last night’s riot—the school might’ve ordered students to stay safe at home.
“Welcome, everyone.”
2025-03-24 11:13:56 +0000 UTC
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