That demon was walking towards him, but he had no strength, and even his brain felt sluggish.
This was his last moment of consciousness in this world, because the next second, his consciousness plunged into endless darkness, never to be seen again.
V stood beside this last enemy, and in her vision, this pale-skinned Eastern European Man died with his eyes open, a black hole in the middle of his forehead still slowly bleeding.
And the rocket launcher he relied on lay casually by his hand, the long, conical rocket still neatly in place, not having fired.
Benjamin's earlier vision of eliminating V was merely a dying hallucination.
The moment he raised his hand to shoot, V had already raised her gun, and with just one bullet, she had definitively killed this man.
The operation launched against the Scavengers' invasion was undoubtedly a great success for the Hive. No one died, and only four or five unlucky individuals suffered shrapnel scrapes, perhaps requiring cyberware replacement and a week or so of recovery.
This operation made the Hive's reputation soar in Watson. In recent conflicts, this newly rising gang has retaliated forcefully, using ruthless and swift methods. Furthermore, rumors suggest this organization has ties to the Afterlife.
The term "Hive" immediately became a hot topic on the streets of Chinatown. Everyone, whether Mercenaries or ordinary citizens, was discussing this newly emerging organization.
This attention was good in one sense, as having a strong reputation naturally meant fewer overconfident fools would try to challenge them.
But there were downsides too.
At the very least, the NCPD precinct in Chinatown had designated the Hive as a high-priority surveillance target. This previously unknown group was now causing them significant trouble.
When two dozen Scavengers' bodies were dragged out of the underground passage, media reporters, chasing the story like hyenas after prey, captured the entire scene. Undoubtedly, this was going to be the hot topic for the midday or evening news.
Upon hearing the news, the NCPD Chinatown Precinct Chief, who suffered from high cholesterol and morbid obesity, nearly fainted.
The Hive's rising fame brought many consequences, but so far, Berry's emotions remained stable.
At least for now, nothing seriously bad had happened.
Everything was still under control.
She had that confidence.
As long as V was by her side, everything would be fine.
However, the Hive making the evening news was not Berry's main concern; she currently faced a tricky problem.
She was operating Kikyo, performing certain unspeakable acts at someone's request.
The electric tool was vibrating and buzzing, echoing throughout the small room.
Under the focused light, Judy lightly bit her lower lip. Her taut face was pale, her eyes closed, and her eyelashes trembled slightly, as if enduring something embarrassing.
"Judy, is this really okay?" Kikyo asked repeatedly, blinking as she worked.
"Mm, just like this." Amidst the low mechanical buzzing, Judy tightly clenched her hands, her answer emerging through her constrained lips.
"Alright, I'm going to apply pressure now." Kikyo nodded, unconsciously using a little more force.
To prevent this scene from being seized by the Night City Film Censorship Agency, Berry felt it necessary to clarify: she was just giving Judy a tattoo.
Kikyo held the tattoo pen, moving it across the pale skin of Judy's right shoulder. Amidst the buzzing, a hexagonal pattern representing the Hive slowly took shape.
Feeling the slight pain mixed with numbness on her shoulder, Judy kept her eyes closed, involuntarily letting out a muffled groan.
"Wipe yourself up, Judy." After a while, the task was finally finished. Kikyo wiped Judy's shoulder with a wet wipe, handed the wipe to Judy, and silently retreated to the side.
The smooth, decisive movements made her seem exactly like a scumbag.
Only then did Berry have time to recall what had happened.
Judy had suddenly sought out Kikyo, announcing that she had finally decided to join the Hive.
Of course, Berry enthusiastically approved of Judy, this money-making baby, joining. The troublesome part, however, was that Judy requested Kikyo give her a tattoo as proof of her entry into the Hive.
Although she didn't quite understand Judy's habit of putting "hard work" onto her body, Berry still had Kikyo accept the small favor.
She had learned to compromise with life.
Ninety-nine percent of people in Night City had tattoos; although she didn't understand it, she had learned to respect it.
Of course, if it were up to her, she definitely wouldn't do it. Her body was so beautiful, her skin so pale; she couldn't possibly put high-tech "hard work" on it.
After it was over, Judy, with a thin layer of sweat on her forehead, stared blankly at the ceiling, her chest rising and falling, making sounds that could easily be misunderstood.
Afterward, she struggled to sit up from the operating chair.
"That's it." Looking at the new hexagonal mesh tattoo on her shoulder, Judy sighed.
She always divided her life into many stages, as if she could manage simply by moving forward one stage at a time.
And now, she felt it was time to begin the next phase of her life—life within the Hive.
This was Judy's carefully considered decision.
She was leaving the Moxes to join the Hive.
Of course, there were many reasons, and Judy herself didn't know which one ultimately drove her to do it.
However, looking at Kikyo, who was standing casually with her arms crossed and gazing at her with concern, Judy smiled slightly.
At least this reason was definitely a factor.
She had worked for the Moxes for many years and once believed in their ideals, but ultimately, Judy realized that the Moxes were just pitiful people grouping together for warmth, and there were many things they were truly incapable of achieving.
Therefore, Judy prepared to find an organization that could get things done, such as the Hive.
Naturally, Judy didn't feel she owed the Moxes anything; the wealth she had brought them was enough to compensate for the trouble she caused.
This is why technical professions are in high demand, giving people like Judy plenty of confidence.
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