The jade-white fishing rod swept forward, and the hook dropped into the brilliantly colored river. Ripples spread outward in rings, while the float bobbed up and down on the surface.
Was this really how you were supposed to fish without coming back empty-handed?
Thinking about how he had neither chummed the water nor even put bait on the hook, Lin Yuan couldn't help feeling a little strange.
But very quickly, he stopped worrying about that and focused instead on guiding his attention.
At present, Lin Yuan's plan was simple.
He wanted to test the effect of [Angler] in transmitting lifespan, and determine exactly what use it had.
Lifespan was precious, yes—but now wasn't the time to hoard it. There was a very real chance his skill could help him escape his current predicament, and Lin Yuan understood perfectly well the principle of not being able to catch a wolf without sacrificing a child.
At worst, it was only the difference between dying one day earlier or later.
But if this really could help him obtain more lifespan in return, then only then would he even have a future worth talking about.
What needed spending had to be spent. Right now, testing his ability came first.
And besides…
Lin Yuan also felt that if he invested his lifespan like this, it had to produce some kind of effect.
In theory, it should be able to help his fellow group members.
Which led to another matter entirely.
He needed to earn their trust.
Whether or not he could survive would clearly depend on whether these group members—and the chat group itself—could come through for him. So gaining their trust was essential.
But the problem was, explaining everything bit by bit would be way too troublesome… and Lin Yuan simply didn't have the time for that.
The simplest approach was to let his ability do the talking.
With that in mind, Lin Yuan calmed himself again and waited quietly.
Until a message from David appeared in the group chat.
[Let Night City Burn:] I feel like I'm moving somehow, though I can't really see anything… but I think it's working.
At the same time, Lin Yuan saw the float in front of him suddenly twitch twice.
As if a fish had actually taken the bait.
[Connection established with World: Cyberpunk 2077. Anchor point: David Martinez.]
[Resources currently transferable: Lifespan (soul power)]
[Transmit?]
With a thought from Lin Yuan, his figure instantly became even more translucent.
At the same time, a silvery-white ripple appeared along the fishing rod.
[Remaining Lifespan: 48h32min]
…
David Martinez felt nothing but emptiness before his eyes.
Ever since he had fallen from Arasaka Tower, it had been like this.
So this was the world after death?
But if so, why was he still able to think?
He couldn't help wondering, from time to time, how Lucy was doing…
Was she living well?
After being killed by Adam Smasher, David had drifted through a period of hazy confusion. Then suddenly, he felt his consciousness break through the chaos.
But even then, everything before him remained an endless void. Only occasionally did he feel as though he were moving.
And then, at that moment, the chat group's light screen lit up before him.
So he really had died.
After figuring out the situation, David finally understood. And then he saw the words from the one called [Lord of the Pure White Throne].
He said: "I'll help you."
Huh?
Help him do what?
Though completely baffled, David still did as the other man said and did nothing at all.
Until it felt as though some kind of force stirred ripples within the void.
Then, all at once, David felt his spirit jolt.
And immediately afterward, light returned—
—he opened his eyes in a daze and looked at his own hands. Those slightly translucent hands were fading away at a terrifying speed.
Everything told him that his time was running out.
Judging by instinct, he had perhaps just over half a minute left.
So he seized every second and greedily looked upon the world of the living.
The first thing that entered his vision was dazzling sunlight.
Beneath his feet, endless stretches of silvery, uneven ground spread out in every direction. Even if a soul could not feel the loss of gravity, David still realized where he was.
The moon.
Why was he here?
And this—was this what that person had meant by helping him?
Giving him a brief chance to return to the light?
But what exactly was the purpose of it…?
All of those questions vanished in an instant when David turned his head.
The boy saw the girl.
Across from him, Lucy stood there in a heavy spacesuit, one hand raised to her forehead like a visor, staring at him in a daze.
David froze too.
In that instant, it felt like he had a thousand things he wanted to say, yet when they reached his lips, they all disappeared.
Moon.
Lucy.
In the end, only those two words circled through his empty mind.
This was Lucy's dream.
Being able to see this…
was wonderful.
There wasn't much time left.
As if guided by instinct, David turned around and faced the dazzling sun. Copying Lucy, he raised a hand above his forehead like a visor.
Then, unable to help himself, he broke into a bright, delighted smile.
"Whoa, Lucy… this is amazing…"
The words slipped out of David almost unconsciously.
Lucy's pupils contracted at once as she watched David turn back toward her again.
Just as he should have, just as he existed in her memory, he leaped about excitedly on the moon as though wanting to feel every bit of it.
And he showed her a broad, exhilarated, joyful smile.
So full of celebration and life that it looked like something that could only happen in a dream.
Then, in a daze, she saw David vanish before her eyes.
Was it a hallucination?
That thought flashed through Lucy's mind.
And yet, a relieved and helpless smile still appeared on her face.
So she opened both arms and bathed in the light of the sun.
Meanwhile, David's consciousness once more returned to the void. There was nothing around him now except the chat group's screen before his eyes.
David stared at the screen and scratched his head.
Then finally, he sent a message into the chat.
[Let Night City Burn:] @Lord of the Pure White Throne, what exactly just happened? I feel like I suddenly came back to life for a little while, and I even saw the person I've been thinking about all this time…
[Let Night City Burn:] No matter what, thank you so much!
…
At the same time, above the Primordial River, Lin Yuan kept staring at the fishing rod in his hand, feeling deeply troubled.
I mean, there's no bait on this thing, and I didn't even chum the water—am I really not going to come back empty-handed?
There wasn't exactly a marketplace around here where he could buy two fish and pretend he'd caught them himself.
Then suddenly, the float bobbed again.
Lin Yuan's hand gripping the rod paused slightly.
He saw a strand of golden light crawling upward along the rod.
What's this supposed to be?
Just as Lin Yuan was puzzled, he caught sight of the prompt beside him.
[Transmission complete.]
[Because this transmission achieved a certain effect, World: Cyberpunk 2077 has expressed feedback to you.]
[A "fate" connection has been established with the Cyberpunk 2077 world.]
[Current Cyberpunk 2077 world "fate" level: 1]
-------
My : pat*eon*com/RuneA
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