"What the hell is this? Repaying kindness with hostility?" Xiao stared at Jack in disbelief, then gave him a light kick. "I help you out, and now you're dragging people over to freeload and keep exploiting me? I'm really done with you, you sly bastard."
Jack only grinned, completely shameless.
"Hehe. I've already decided anyway. Whether you like it or not, I'm sticking with you."
Xiao stared at him for a moment before letting out a helpless laugh.
"Fine then. If we ever go to war with the European Community, I'm sending you to the front lines. Don't come crying to me when it gets hard."
"I'll lead the charge for you!" Jack replied without a second's hesitation.
To him, this wasn't even a question.
Xiao had saved his life.
Now he was about to save V's life too.
No matter what price needed to be paid, Jack had already made up his mind.
Xiao shook his head.
"No need for that. You're still too weak. Hurry up and get stronger first."
With a snap of his fingers, a compressed data package was transmitted directly into Jack's neural interface.
It contained everything from the basics of a Mechanical Cultivator all the way to the Sage level.
Jack's vision blurred for a second as the information flooded in.
"Damn… give me some time at least. There's way too much stuff in here."
He had always known the Mechanical God Cult was powerful, but seeing the sheer amount of technology and systems packed into the file still left him stunned.
The amount of knowledge was almost overwhelming.
Xiao smirked.
"That's the beauty of technology. As long as you have enough resources, strength can be increased rapidly."
Then he added with a grin,
"Scroll all the way to the bottom. There's a foolproof one-click tutorial. Perfect for someone like you."
Jack immediately frowned.
"Hell no, I don't need that."
But on the way back, he still quietly opened the one-click tutorial.
The moment he activated the program, an endless stream of Primal Power surged into his body.
He felt it immediately.
Something inside him was changing.
Nodes began to open throughout his body like acupuncture points.
Countless channels spread like meridians.
Deep within him, a Furnace World slowly began to take shape.
His strength rose at a speed that even he could barely comprehend.
By the next morning, sunlight filtered through the clouds and spilled across the roads leading into the Holy Land.
Jack drove V's Rayfield Hera along the familiar route.
The vehicle was famous for its durability and ease of repair, built like a tank despite its luxury branding.
In the passenger seat, V sat stiffly, fingers clenched together.
Her face was pale.
"Jack… can Xiao really save me?"
There was fear in her voice.
A helplessness she could no longer hide.
Jack answered without hesitation.
"If Xiao says he can, then he definitely can. Trust him."
V lowered her gaze.
"But Viktor said…"
Her voice trailed off.
Viktor was one of Night City's best ripperdocs.
More importantly, he was someone who would never lie to a patient.
If even he said there was no way, then what hope was left?
Jack tightened his grip on the steering wheel.
"Just trust me."
By the time they arrived, Xiao was already waiting.
"Welcome to my lab, V."
He stepped forward with an easy smile and gave her a brief, warm hug.
"You're looking as graceful as ever today."
V managed a faint smile.
"Thanks, Xiao. If it weren't for you, we probably wouldn't have escaped Arasaka."
Xiao waved it off casually.
"That part was just a side benefit. I mainly helped Yorinobu out of his situation. You just happened to get saved along the way."
Then, almost as if mentioning the weather, he dropped a bombshell.
"Oh right. I forgot to mention it."
He smiled.
"Yorinobu is actually my partner. We're working together to bring down Arasaka."
V froze.
Her eyes widened.
For a moment, she genuinely thought she had misheard.
Yorinobu Arasaka…
Working with Xiao…
To destroy Arasaka?
Her thoughts instantly spiraled.
Was he insane?
Or had this whole thing been part of some deeper plan from the start?
Before she could ask, Xiao simply gestured toward the medical room.
"Let's focus on saving you first."
A short while later, V had changed into a hospital gown and was lying on the scanner.
Streams of data flowed across the display in front of Xiao.
His expression gradually sharpened.
"So, this is the Relic."
He stared at the readouts, genuinely impressed.
"It's practically a living organism. Living data."
He exhaled slowly.
"As expected of a derivative of Soulkiller. Hanako Arasaka really is a genius."
V, still lying on the scanner, frowned.
"Soulkiller? Hanako? You seem to know a lot."
Xiao glanced at her.
"Enough."
His gaze returned to the display.
Then his expression grew serious.
"V, there's something you need to understand."
He wiped the coupling gel from her temples before continuing.
"Without the complete Relic technology, this body of yours is basically disposable."
V's heart sank.
"What do you mean?"
Xiao turned the display so she could see it.
"The Relic doesn't just overwrite consciousness."
"It also rewrites genetic compatibility."
He pointed at the cellular data.
"It's slowly altering your body so that it becomes more compatible with Johnny Silverhand's construct."
He paused.
"In other words, the chip is changing your body to reject you."
V stared at him in stunned silence.
Xiao continued calmly.
"Even if I extract Johnny's consciousness for you right now, the damage has already been done."
"Your body's immune system and genetic structure are shifting."
"If you stay in this body, you'll have at most six months."
The room went silent.
Jack's face darkened instantly.
V's voice trembled.
"Six months…?"
Xiao nodded.
"But if Johnny takes over completely, the body stabilizes."
"He becomes the new rightful owner."
"No rejection. No side effects."
V stared at him, disbelief and fury flooding her face.
Then she cursed.
"What kind of bullshit is that?"
Her voice rose.
"I'm the original owner, and I only get six months?"
"But some dead asshole from fifty years ago gets my body with no side effects?"
Her fists clenched against the bed.
"How is that even fair?"
Xiao looked at her quietly.
"It isn't."
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