"That guy… I really owe him another favor."
Jackie let out a weak laugh, though the gratitude in his eyes was unmistakable.
"He's already helped me so much. How the hell am I supposed to repay him?"
The tension that had gripped him since the chase finally eased. Leaning back against the seat, his face still pale as paper, he forced himself to smile at the people around him.
"Seriously… thank you. If you girls hadn't shown up when you did, I'd probably be dead by now."
Maine snorted from the front seat, his deep voice rumbling through the cabin.
"No need to thank us. He pays; we deliver."
As he looked at Jackie Welles, Maine saw a reflection of himself from a year ago.
Back then, he had been just as reckless—hungry to make a name for himself, desperate to become somebody in Night City.
That desperation had pushed him into taking insane jobs.
One of them had nearly gotten them all killed.
He still remembered the mission Falco brought in: robbing Arasaka of a key technological asset—the Cybernetic Colossus.
That job had brought down Adam Smasher himself.
Even after installing the Colossus, Maine hadn't been able to lay a finger on the monster.
Worse, the side effects of the implant had nearly stripped away his humanity, dragging him to the edge of becoming something less than human.
If Xiao hadn't stepped in at the last moment—saving his mind and giving Arasaka just enough face to back off—the entire crew would have died that day.
And Rebecca…
Maine glanced sideways.
If Xiao hadn't interfered, Adam Smasher really might have turned her into nothing more than a bloody little coaster.
Jackie, meanwhile, swallowed hard and licked his cracked lips.
"By the way… you got anything to eat?"
His voice came out hoarse.
The Primal Power inside him was repairing his body, but healing required energy—an enormous amount of it.
Right now, hunger gnawed at him with savage intensity.
Rebecca immediately dug through her backpack and pulled out a bottle of dark green fluorescent nutrient solution.
With unusual care, she unscrewed the cap, poured a small cup, and held it out to him.
"Here~ My brother just bought this yesterday."
She grinned proudly.
"This is a high-grade nutrient solution jointly developed by the Mechanicus and Biotechnica. Perfect for someone like you who just awakened. One sip should be enough."
Jackie looked at her gratefully.
"Thanks."
He didn't hesitate.
The moment the liquid slid down his throat, warmth exploded through his body.
A powerful surge of energy rushed into every limb, instantly washing away the crushing hunger.
At the same time, countless strands of silver Primal Power began to circulate beneath his skin, writhing like living mercury as they repaired his shattered body.
Pilar, sitting opposite him, narrowed his eyes.
As the crew's tech expert—and an advanced cultivator—he immediately noticed something strange.
"…Jackie, that recovery speed isn't normal."
His tone was full of surprise.
Even for a newly awakened mechanical cultivator, this was far too fast.
Jackie gave a bitter smile.
"Haha… guess I'm a connected guy, huh?"
He wasn't surprised.
In truth, this had always been the story of his life.
Ever since stepping into the underworld, an invisible web of connections had been shielding him.
The Alta family in the Valentinos had ties to him.
The Welles family had deep roots throughout Heywood.
And above all, his mother's past kindness toward Xiao had earned him the silent protection of Vought Group.
If Jackie had wanted, he could've taken investment from Vought and easily climbed the ranks of the Valentinos.
Becoming the next leader wouldn't even have been difficult.
But that was exactly why he had chosen the mercenary life.
He wanted to prove himself.
To prove he was more than just someone living off other people's favors.
Yet reality had a cruel way of mocking pride.
Without those invisible hands protecting him, he would have died countless times already.
Every narrow escape.
Every failed job he somehow survived.
Even the extraordinary healing now coursing through his body.
All of it had been someone else quietly cleaning up after him.
And Jackie knew it.
None of it was truly his.
It was all built on his mother's favors.
But favors ran out.
Connections expired.
No one could keep cleaning up his mess forever.
He was thirty-one years old.
He couldn't keep living like a reckless kid.
He had Misty.
He had his mother.
He had responsibilities.
Jackie let out a long, exhausted sigh.
Then Sasha, who had been silent the entire ride, finally spoke.
"Jackie… I have some bad news."
The moment those words landed, Jackie's heart clenched.
A cold dread spread through him.
His voice trembled.
"…Is it V?"
Sasha nodded.
Without a word, she opened her computer and projected the footage onto the screen.
The grainy image sharpened under her processing.
There was V.
She stepped out of a Delamain cab.
Said a few words to the AI driver.
Then walked into the motel without hesitation.
It was obvious what she was doing.
She was going to meet Dexter for the handoff.
Jackie stared at the screen.
His breathing slowed.
A few minutes later, Dexter DeXiaon appeared.
So did his bodyguard.
Between them, they carried a large snakeskin bag.
V never came back out.
She never answered any calls.
Never contacted anyone.
Silence.
The meaning was unmistakable.
There was only one possible explanation.
Dexter had killed her.
And the bag…
Contained her body.
For a moment, Jackie simply stared.
Then something inside him snapped.
"Shit—!"
His fist slammed into his thigh hard enough to make the entire seat shake.
"FUCK that fat bastard!"
Rage erupted inside him like a volcano.
V wasn't just a partner.
She was family.
A sister in all but blood.
To die like this—
Discarded like trash—
He couldn't accept it.
Sasha quietly watched him, understanding the grief and fury tearing through him.
When his breathing finally steadied, she reached over and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We'll avenge her."
Her voice was calm, steady.
"But first, we find him."
Jackie's jaw tightened.
His eyes burned with murderous intent.
"Help me find that son of a bitch."
His voice was low and deadly.
"I'll kill him with my own hands."
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