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Cyberpunk Edgerunners: David Martinez With A System! [10]
🕑 Added 2025-01-19 14:01:03 +0000 UTC“…Alright. It’s done.” The moment those words left Vik’s mouth, David’s entire body slackened. A deep, overwhelming relief washed over him. It felt like he had just passed a kidney stone. Or like a week-long constipation had finally been resolved.
He slowly sat up, then leaned back into the chair, eyes dazed and unfocused. The pain? It was indescribable. And he was the only one who truly understood it.
“How’s it feel?” Vik studied him closely, arms crossed.
“Any discomfort? Any… weird sensations?”
“Nothing… Everything feels fine… Just a little tired.” David’s voice was flat, his eyes dull, as if the exhaustion had finally caught up with him.
“Yeah, that’s normal.”
“Rest up, and you’ll be back to normal in no time.”
David nodded slowly. “How much for the surgery?”
“One thousand eddies.” Without hesitation, his eyes flashed blue, and the payment was transferred instantly.
Just as the transaction completed, Vik reached behind the counter, pulling out a paper bag and setting it beside David’s hand.
Inside, the bulging package was packed with at least a dozen inhibitor doses.
“These are inhibitors,” Vik said, pushing the bag closer. “Make sure you take them on schedule.”
David blinked. “…How much?”
“Free. Consider it a gift.” David’s gaze lowered, settling on the heavy bag in his lap. This much inhibitor supply probably cost more than the surgery itself. It felt wrong to just take it.
“Vik, I can’t just—”
“It’s fine.”
“Not many natural-born humans can endure cyberware surgery without cracking—” His voice carried a strange warmth, almost nostalgic. For some reason, he had faith in this kid.
David exhaled slowly, fingers tightening around the bag. “…Thanks, Viktor.”
“Yeah, yeah. Don’t get all sentimental.” Vik leaned back in his worn-out chair, eyes flicking to the monitor, where an old boxing match played in the background.
“Anyway, my clinic’s empty right now. If you need to lie back and rest, do it here before you head out.” David let out a tired chuckle.
“Appreciate it, Doc.” Viktor didn’t respond—just waved him off, his focus already back on the boxing match.
David let his head fall back against the chair, breathing deeply.
And just like that—
He had officially stepped onto the path of a cyberpunk.
….
Some time later, David stepped out of Vik’s basement clinic. The moment he hit the street, the bright daylight stabbed into his retinas, making him squint painfully. Maybe it was because he had been underground too long—
Or maybe his new cyberware was messing with his senses. Either way— He needed a minute to adjust. Without thinking, he veered off-course, ducking into a familiar shop— Misty’s Esoterica.
It wasn’t like he gave a shit about school at this point.
He was already late as hell, and Arasaka Academy had probably blown up his phone by now.
So a few more minutes wouldn’t change shit.
Inside, the shop was a chaotic fusion of cultures and beliefs.
Porcelain figurines, chimes, incense burners, and a variety of strange statues filled the shelves—
As if the entire world’s spiritual faiths had been jammed into one place.
Dim candlelight flickered, mixing with the scent of burning incense, casting a mystical aura over the shop.
The whole place felt like a dream, an old-world relic lost in the cold steel jungle of Night City.
At the far end of the shop, standing beneath a wall mural, a woman knelt in prayer.
She was whispering softly, lost in meditation— Until she noticed his presence. She paused, then turned to him with a knowing smile.
“Hey, David.”
“How are you feeling? I heard your screams from Vik’s clinic earlier…” Her tone was casual, almost playful, yet genuinely concerned.
The woman in front of him— Misty. She had wild, tousled hair, an off-shoulder blue sweater, a black leather miniskirt, and fishnet stockings tucked into chunky boots.
At first glance, she looked like a street punk—one of the many runaway girls trying to survive in the city. But in reality— She was one of the rare good people left in Night City.
Like Vik, she was someone David could actually trust. A rare beacon of warmth in a world built on betrayal and bloodshed.
David let out an awkward laugh, rubbing the back of his neck.
“Ahaha… yeah, don’t worry about it.”
“It’s over now.” David let out a sheepish laugh, rubbing the back of his head, his voice growing smaller and smaller.
Yeah… the screaming had been kind of embarrassing. Misty, however, simply smiled—soft, understanding.
“It’s okay, I get it,” she said gently.
“The first time replacing your natural body parts with cyberware is always painful.”
“At first, it’ll feel… strange.”
“But after a while, you’ll get used to it.”
There was no mockery in her words.
No judgment.
Just a simple truth, spoken by someone who had been through it herself. And that somehow made David feel even more embarrassed. Because honestly? He had completely underestimated how painful it would be.
Hadn’t even mentally prepared himself for it. If he had known, he would’ve bitten down on a stick or something— Like they did in the anime.
….
“You don’t seem to be in a rush,” Misty observed, moving toward the counter.
“Since you have time, how about a tarot reading to clear your mind?”
David blinked. “…A tarot reading?”
Misty nodded, her expression calm and mysterious.
“It might help shift your thoughts to something else.” For a moment, David hesitated. But then he shrugged, stepping forward.
“Sure. Why not?” It was true—he wasn’t in a hurry. Not like Arasaka Academy wasn’t already spamming his phone with calls. A few more minutes wouldn’t make a difference.
Besides— Misty had always been good at reading people. She wasn’t just some quirky fortune teller— She was basically a part-time therapist, a guide for lost souls in Night City.
Still… David couldn’t help but wonder— In a city like this, was there really a market for mysticism? Did anyone actually believe in this stuff? It wasn’t like the guy outside screaming about Arasaka conspiracies— Even if, ironically, most of what he said was true.
Then again… Misty’s tarot readings in the game had been eerily accurate. No matter what ending he chose— Whether it was The Devil or The Star— She had always predicted it with uncanny precision.
Even Panam’s storyline had been foreseen. And that thought made him a little curious. What would his future look like?
