"Phew—finally some fresh air. Even if it's not exactly clean."
V stretched lazily and took a deep breath. After such a long period of special training, she had finally graduated and could officially take part in the Corporation's operations.
Sasha stepped out as well, raising a hand to shield her eyes from the sun and squinting slightly. After so long without sunlight, it felt almost painfully bright.
"V, has the Corporation assigned you anything yet?"
"Not yet. What about you?"
"Yeah, I've already been assigned. I'm heading to Pacifica with the main force. We'll be supporting the netrunner team there to control and hit a local gang. Supposedly there's also some Scavenger cleanup involved."
Sasha nodded as she explained the orders she had received.
"Huh? Why? I haven't heard a thing at all!"
V stared at Sasha with wide eyes, completely confused.
"Heh. Maybe it's because your special training results were too bad."
At that moment, Mibs slowly walked past V and tossed out the jab.
"Huh? You looking for a beating?"
V's expression instantly turned dangerous as she glared at Mibs. She had zero patience for this clueless little brat. Hearing her tone, Mibs immediately took several steps back.
Ever since that assessment, he'd developed a bit of a psychological shadow toward V. After getting beaten by her once, that shadow had only grown.
Now that she was finally out of the base, how could he resist taking a shot at her?
"Forget it, I won't lower myself to your level. But you'd better hope you don't end up working under me later."
As she spoke, V cast a deep, meaningful look at Mibs. His face instantly went pale. He'd forgotten about that—V had graduated earlier than him, which meant she'd have access to the Corporation's upper levels sooner.
By the time he officially joined, V, having passed the assessment, would surely be a key focus of the Corporation's training. And when that happened…
Mibs forced out an awkward smile.
"V, uh—"
"V, come here."
Just as Mibs was about to back down, Molotov's voice rang out from the distance, calling V over. As V walked away, she shot Mibs one last hard look, leaving him utterly miserable.
"Instructor."
"Mm. Your performance was very good, V."
Molotov looked her over and nodded in satisfaction. He had seen her combat talent clearly—no wonder she was a genius personally noted by the higher-ups.
"This time, you'll be participating in a secret operation. You won't be moving with Sasha and the others. In a moment, you'll board that AV and head straight to Pacifica."
As he spoke, Molotov pointed toward an AV that was already prepped and waiting.
V's eyes sharpened, then lit up with excitement. She knew this was a huge opportunity for her.
"Understood, Instructor!"
"Good. Do your best."
Molotov nodded, patted her on the shoulder, and left.
After telling Sasha that the Corporation had other arrangements for her, V boarded the AV.
"Miss Valerie, these are the requirements for this operation."
Only after sitting down did V notice that there was already a black-haired woman inside, dressed head to toe in black combat gear.
V took the tablet, nodded, and began reading. First came the requirement to conceal her identity. Next was the instruction to join a faction and operate within it. The faction's name was—
"Shadow Stream?"
V abruptly looked up at the woman.
"This is one of our Corporation's forces?"
"Yes. Once you arrive, the commander there will be responsible for arranging your activities."
The woman nodded. V nodded back, surprised. She was fairly familiar with this faction—it was active in both Pacifica and Night City, taking on assassination contracts, arms smuggling, and similar work.
She hadn't expected it to belong to her own Corporation. That, in turn, suggested that Pacifica itself must hold some special significance…
Roland nodded in satisfaction at V's assignment. In his view, an environment steeped in constant conflict was exactly what V needed to grow. Tempered by endless strife, she would mature far more quickly.
On top of that, with him personally ensuring her safety, she could afford to take bolder risks. That should significantly accelerate her growth. Once this mission was complete, he could begin preparations to install the Justice Template for her.
As for David…
Roland's level of attention toward David wasn't particularly high. It was more a matter of sentiment. He knew David had talent and had given him some guidance, though that guidance had ended up going in an unexpected direction.
Originally, David had shown outstanding aptitude with Sandevistan and combat cyberware. This time, Roland had shifted his approach, steering David toward developing netrunning skills in a more freeform direction. The results were excellent—one could even say exceptional.
David's talent as a netrunner reminded Roland of one of the reasons the original David had been able to enter Arasaka Academy in the first place: his outstanding academic performance.
"Mm… I'll need to arrange something for David's family. If I just let that kid grow unchecked… who knows when he might end up standing against me."
Roland rubbed his chin thoughtfully. He understood David's temperament very well—he yearned for the life of an edge-runner and for freedom, and had little real interest in corporate life.
This version of David had far fewer worries, especially after Gloria had provided him with substantial material support. With his material needs met, he would most likely start seeking spiritual fulfillment next.
Meanwhile, part of the New United States military had already arrived in a city along the Southern California border.
The New United States was advancing in stages, aiming for a rapid strike—a classic lightning war.
Northern California still had troops stationed in Night City, but their numbers were limited. Defenses were lax, making this an excellent opportunity for the New United States.
...
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