Cyberpunk 2074: Shadows of the Past

"It's going to snow."

She raised her head and stared at the red night sky, talking to herself.

The painful wail interrupted the woman's thoughts, causing her to frown subconsciously.

So he stamped his feet hard, and the fresh scarlet liquid rushed out and splashed all over the wall.

The traces were like those left by evil spirits when they crawled out of hell with their sharp claws.

She lowered her eyes, kicked the still warm body casually to the dark corner at the end of the alley, then turned around and walked towards the entrance of the alley.

"Wow - wow -"

Vaguely, she seemed to hear a hoarse cry like a crow.

But this kind of creature should have become extinct in Night City long ago.

"Rowena! Are you here?" Along with the brisk voice, Melissa's beautiful face appeared in front of her.

Rowena shook her head and dismissed the so-called crow.

"Are you done over there too?"

Putting the cigarette she was about to take out back into her pocket, she spoke and paid a little attention to Melissa.

"I'm no longer a newcomer! Of course I can handle such a small thing easily." Melissa vowed, patting her chest, looking like a rising star in the industry.

"Wow..." Rowena responded perfunctorily, nodded silently, patted her slender shoulders a few times, and continued walking out of the alley.

Melissa followed her obediently and walked out of this deserted alley one after another.

"Rottweiler..."

Looking at the much heavier figure in front of her, Melissa hesitated for a long time before shouting.

"What's wrong?"

"Let's... let's go somewhere for a late-night snack later..."

As if she saw the sharp look in the captain's eyes when he turned around, Melissa shrank her head, swallowed back what she originally wanted to say, and changed her words.

"Although it's a small emergency... forget it... I'll listen to you. I happen to be hungry too." Rowena squinted his eyes, raised his head, and looked at the floating car that was waiting in mid-air. Made a gesture.

Then the bright beam of light that penetrated the sky and the earth changed its direction and quickly went away.

"What a classy person! Rottweiler..." Melissa praised subconsciously, and then quickly covered her mouth.

Rowena sighed and lightly tapped the forehead of the person who said the wrong thing, "You know that I'm just subconsciously imitating Boros, but you still say that, you really deserve a beating..."

"Oh..." Melissa covered her head and responded in a low voice.

"Tomorrow and the day after tomorrow, remember to be prepared."

"Prepare?"

"Be prepared to recruit new people. We only have two people left in the team, so of course we need to add more people."

"Do you mean to wear formal attire, for interviews, etc.? Can I not wear high heels..."

Crossing the road, Melissa subconsciously held Rowena's hand as she spoke.

"I'm starting to wonder if your head is frozen..." Rowena let out a long sigh, but did not immediately shake her hand off, "Just like when we recruited you into the team before, some unconventional way."

"Do we need to arrest him personally?" Melissa was a little worried.

Unlike the little mice we just dealt with, most of the cyber lunatics who are good enough to join the team are powerful.

"Of course. That's why I asked you to be prepared. Don't give it casually..." Rowena glanced at Melissa and then withdrew his gaze, "But generally speaking, you don't have to worry. …Don’t forget how you got in in the first place.”

"I used to..."

Melissa was stunned for a moment and looked down at her arms.

"'Higurashi' 2013 Mantis Sword, almost full coverage of bulletproof skin... If we hadn't arrived in time, the entire NCPD team would have been killed by you."

Rowena continued, looking directly at Melissa's somewhat confused light-colored pupils.

"I can't remember the memory clearly from that time..." Melissa scratched her head, her expression a little troubled.

"Don't take it too seriously... Now you are a normal person. Just know that you are not weak."

"So...is this included in the preparations?"

Melissa was a little reluctant.

She carefully watched all the expressions on the face of the red-haired woman in front of her, unwilling to miss any tiny detail.

Rowena suddenly smiled, his mouth widening, revealing a cold smile like cold teeth.

"Now you have officially joined the Terrorist Mobile Team, Melissa Rory." She said calmly, "Although there are only two of us left in this team."

"So you sent me away before... weren't you to protect me?" Melissa frowned, her voice trembling.

"To the superiors, all of us are nothing but worthless lives..." Rowena turned his head, as if unwilling to continue to meet that clear gaze, "But to me, you are indeed better than the rest of us. The people are a little better.”

"Alas..." Melissa lowered her head and gave her a gentle hug apologetically, "Sorry, Rowena, I didn't mean that..."

"It just happens that the results are the same, don't think too much about it..." Rowena just patted her on the back and broke away from the embrace.

"So, now can you tell me what happened that night? What happened to Boros and Bit."

Looking at Melissa who was still holding her arms subconsciously, Rowena sighed heavily.

"Boros is crazy. Bit was the first one to be killed by him in order to save me..."

"save you?"

"I was a little suspicious of Boros at first, but I didn't expect that he would take action under such circumstances. Bit is always vigilant..."

"Captain... why?"

Melissa looked at Rowena who was in a daze and asked softly.

"Crazy is the final destination of all of us in the hunting team..." Rowena shook his head, and finally chose to hide the truth, "It starts with madness and ends with madness. This is the fate of us people."

"..." Melissa was a little silent, and the originally vague memories in her mind resurfaced.

Screams, wailings, begging for mercy... Even though the sharp sword blades in both arms were gradually covered with the flesh and blood of the remaining limbs, she still kept waving and waving expressionlessly...

Even kinetic energy bullets must be broken into the finest powder on the skin implanted in the body...

No matter how thick the bulletproof armor is, it will be cut in two by her...

Killing, madness, pleasure.

She is a person with hands full of sin.

Finally, Melissa recalled everything.

She was in a daze and looked into Rowena's eyes subconsciously.

But all he saw was the same bloody mass of innocent souls.

"Don't be afraid, Melissa." Rowena comforted softly, "We are all ghosts who are atonement, so what is there to be afraid of? Just do what you are best at..."