[Jackal: Because what you're seeing is a wtwo, ow. The real pain is overwheld by the illusory bliss. They live wholeheartedly in a paradise of dreams, so you can't see the reality. But if that's how it feels, it's quite pitiful, ow. It seems they've completely despaired over reality.]
The street rogue recalled what he had just seen and heard, and the overwhelming negative emotions left him, an otherwise upstanding young man, feeling uneasy and fearful.
Although the players in Night City seed happy and carefree all day, terrified of nothing.
But for an ordinary citizen of Night City, the reality is undoubtedly a hellish life; just the presence of the Tiger Claw Gang is enough to suffocate everyone.
[Street Rogue: So when the program takes effect, does it an...]
[Pandora: They will return to the painful reality hell, perhaps even worse than before, falling from paradise to hell, possibly leading to a ntal breakdown.]
[Street Rogue: Then we...]
The other players began to realize too.
Forcing open the sweet dream to face hellish reality was effectively equivalent to killing these people who served as data cores.
[Pandora: If we don't do this, more people outside will die because of Hellhound and the wandering AI.]
She remained so detached, as if nothing could shake her mind.
[Jackal: Don't be so disheartened; Red Barrel has already led people into the lab. When they find the server's location and rescue those people, slow psychological therapy will solve it.]
That was easy to say...
Unknowingly, the street rogue looked at Yoshida with a hint of pity in his gaze.
And the other party, unaware, continued eating the bento made by her mother...
Seemingly sensing the agent's gaze, Yoshida paused eating and then pushed the bento forward.
"Agent... would you like so?"
The street rogue pointed to his own head.
"...If you eat, it's like I eat too, including what you had this morning."
Their senses were synchronized.
"This morning?!"
Upon hearing "this morning," Yoshida realized the other party hadn't entered his mind during school but had been there all along.
Doesn't that an...
She covered her chest with both hands, clinging tightly to her clothes.
"You... couldn't have..."
The street rogue nodded belatedly. "Saw it all."
"Perv! Degenerate! Scoundrel!"
"I didn't an to..."
No matter how much she cursed, it was futile; the street rogue hadn't expected to enter a girl's body, but he chose not to refute anything, allowing the book she tossed to pass through his virtual projection.
Considering what was about to happen, he felt a certain sense of guilt towards the girl in front of him.
Watching Yoshida sulk with her head hidden under the desk, the street rogue felt he should make it up to her before that ti ca.
"Yoshida... have you thought about where you'd like to go in the future?"
Since it's all in a dream-like paradise, surely she wouldn't want to stay at school forever.
Now that he had recovered so of his hacker abilities, while he couldn't exit the wtwo, he could jump to a specific ti.
Like a rabbit poking its head out of a hole, Yoshida cautiously raised her head and looked warily at the street rogue.
Perhaps the subconscious idea that the Tiger Claw Gang had been dealt with allowed her to trust him a little, Yoshida tentatively spoke.
"Well... I've arranged to go to the amusent park with my classmates on Wednesday..."
"Then I'll co to find you on Wednesday, and we'll go together."
"!!!"
Even though she didn't know from where in Night City he'd find an amusent park, the street rogue snapped his fingers.
[Ti Delete]
The entire process in wtwo skipped two days, transforming Yoshida and her surroundings into a giant amusent park. This was a basic function of wtwo, for obviously one couldn't live day by day; so unimportant scenes and tis were skipped directly.
Skyscrapers, roller coasters, haunted houses, aquariums...
He could assure, nowhere in Night City had such things; these settings were custom-made by wtwo's editors for Yoshida's desires.
Yoshida no longer wore her sailor school uniform but a bright yellow dress, her rustic twin-tailed hairstyle unfurled into sleek black hair cascading over her fair shoulders, akin to a marigold blooming on the shore, her dress fluttering in the sea breeze as her sandal-clad feet stood at the edge of the beach.
If she wore that outfit in Night City, it wouldn't take ten minutes for the Tiger Claw Gang to snatch her up and toss her into a car.
"Agent!?"
Thanks to the emotion-adjustnt device in wtwo, Yoshida didn't find anything unusual about the scene change. To her, it was like the street rogue had vanished for two days and reappeared suddenly, which was naturally surprising.
Moreover, at that mont, Yoshida wondered if the street rogue's earlier words implied a date, but as he said nothing before leaving; her mind was in chaos for two whole days.
When he returned, the question got lodged in her throat, unable to ask it aloud. Her bashful nature ant she had minimal contact with the opposite sex since childhood, and no boys would care for a plain girl like her.
In Night City, the more fashionable and trendy you were, the more popular you beca.
"I don't know the way. Show around, will you?"
The street rogue said so; he wasn't adept at comforting others, thinking that having a joyful day together was his best way, at least ensuring she had no too many regrets before leaving.
An oblivious girl had no clue about the other's intent, but a strange trust made her place faith in him.
"Okay."
No words were needed; for the first ti opening her heart, she pulled along the hand she couldn't touch, enjoying the amusent park gleefully.
Terror in the haunted house
Thrills on the rollercoaster
Screams during bungee jumping
Cool relief on the speedboat
Compared to the pure yet temporary sensory excitent from wtwo, having soone truly trustworthy and reliable by one's side offers unmatched ntal satisfaction and security.
The girl's smile is genuine and pure.
[If only I had t then....]
In the Ferris wheel, Yoshida, wearing a sunhat 'bought' by the street rogue, had a face flush with post-festivity excitent, feeling an unprecedented sense of fulfillnt in a previously hollow heart.
She watched the street rogue leaning by the window, daydreaming at the distant ocean with an ice drink in hand that couldn't quench her ardent heart, quietly placing her hand on his, knowing she could touch nothing.
Ti was up.
The world froze at this mont.
wtwo's running mory was fully occupied by [Small and Beautiful], unable to function properly anymore.
All the niceties in wtwo shattered like a fragile mirror under the hamr of reality.
The amusent park vanished.
The campus's joyful laughter vanished.
Classmates' friendly smiles replaced by mocking, disdainful stick-figure expressions
The desk was inscribed with filthy words like [Die] [Sow] [Prostitute] [Pervert], in front of an empty classroom.
And those voices that reappeared, the street rogue could hear them all.
[Hmm... could this be...]
[Don't worry, I'm your boyfriend; how could I harm you? Besides, look, everyone's eating this stuff, don't be the odd one out.]
[How is it? After taking this pill do you feel better?]
[Yes, give it a try, and if it's not suitable, just don't take it again.]
[How is this product? Can it cover my debt?]
[No issues with her identity, right?]
[Rest assured, she's just a country girl brought over by Mom from Ohio, knows nothing.]
[Now it's agreed, two-tenths of her earnings will be mine.]
[Loan? What are you talking about?]
[Be cooperative! You can't serve the custors until you wear these, or else you won't even get your pills.]
[I don't want to, please let go.]
[Mama...]
[I don't have a daughter like you!]
[It hurts so much...]
[Why...]
[I want to die]
The street rogue tracked the data source to Yoshida's location.
She was hiding in the bathroom at ho, her entire body already modified into a sex doll. Her pale natural skin replaced with golden implants, black hair turned to white fiber, and her face marked with heavy makeup, leaving only two black tear streaks.
Upon seeing the person appear beside her, her vacant pupils slightly shifted.
"Agent..."
[I voluntarily participate in the experint]
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