While the group of guys Alex had sent on their first mission in this world were trying Night City's food and forced to take a detour because of a gang shootout, the convoy of cars slowly moved along the outskirts of Santo Domingo.

Meanwhile, Panam Palmer — the very same woman who, for V's sake, agreed to a risky venture like infiltrating Arasaka Tower — had delivered V to the Aldecaldo camp.

When she picked him up from Viktor, the old ripperdoc, V already looked terrible: pale, exhausted, barely able to stand on his feet. As soon as he sat in the car, his consciousness slipped away. On the way, Panam tried several times to wake him, but V didn't react. Only the steady rhythm of his breaths proved he was still alive.

Reaching the camp, Panam laid him down in a tent and sat beside him, refusing to let go of his hand. A dreadful thought tormented her: what if this wasn't just another fainting spell? She had already seen V lose consciousness because of the biochip, but this time he looked much worse. Panam feared that, if he did wake up, it wouldn't be V anymore — but Johnny, the one he had told her about before.

She remembered their last conversation: that the only chance to save him lay inside Arasaka Tower. And if that failed — there would be no way out.

"Panam, how is he?" a man asked quietly as he entered the tent.

"I don't know, Mitch," she answered, barely holding back tears. "He still hasn't woken up. I'm afraid… I'm afraid he never will."

Mitch placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Hang in there. V will pull through — you know him. We don't leave our own behind. When he wakes up, we'll help him."

"Thank you, Mitch…" Panam forced a smile. "But why did you come?"

"I didn't want to interrupt. It's just… a group of guys arrived. They said they were looking for you and V. One of them claims they have something that can help him."

Panam frowned.

"Did they say who they are? Who are they, really?"

"No. Just that their boss sent them. But from the way they act, one thing's clear: they're ex-military. Even the three teenagers in their group carry themselves like they've been through several wars."

Panam's frown deepened. But her thoughts were cut short by a groan nearby. Both she and Mitch turned their heads — V's eyelids were twitching, his lips letting out a low moan as though every part of his body ached. His eyes slowly opened, unfocused and hazy.

"V!" Panam immediately helped him sit up, gently supporting his shoulders. Her heart was pounding so hard it felt like it might burst out of her chest.

He sat there, breathing heavily, not yet understanding where he was. Finally, his gaze settled on Panam's face. A faint smile touched his lips — and disappeared just as quickly, leaving her even more anxious.

"V… how are you?" she asked, clutching his hand tightly.

"Feels like I'm… okay. Kind of," he exhaled. "Where am I?.."

"Welcome back to the land of the living," Mitch chuckled. "You're in our camp, V. You've been out for a few hours. When Panam brought you here, you refused to wake up. So we put you in the tent so you could rest and recover."

"Thank you… both of you, for helping me again," V muttered, rubbing his face, trying to fully wake up.

"Don't thank me, thank Panam," Mitch smirked. "She dragged you all the way here herself. We wanted to help, but she looked like a pissed-off tigress, not letting anyone near you."

"Shut up, Mitch," Panam snorted, kicking his leg. "But he's right, V. You really should be thanking me. It's not the first time I've hauled your ass around."

"Thanks, Panam…" V sighed, lowering his head. "Really, thank you. I don't even know what to do anymore. I've got one last chance left, and I don't even know if it'll work."

Panam, seeing V's condition, couldn't hold back — she pulled his head gently to her chest, softly running her hand along his back. It couldn't solve the problem, but V felt her warmth and support. For a moment, it made things a little easier.

Still, deep inside, he knew the truth: time was slipping away. His last chance was to reach the underground complex beneath Arasaka Tower and get to Mikoshi. If he failed — the game would be over, and his body would belong to Johnny.

"I don't usually like interrupting moments like this," Mitch broke the silence, "but maybe you should take a look at those people who claim they came to help?"

"What do you mean, Mitch?" V slowly turned his head toward him.

"A group arrived. They say they have something that might help you hold on longer. Whether that's true or not, I don't know. But it's worth checking. Maybe you actually got lucky," Mitch said, shrugging.

"All right, let's go see them," Panam released V. "Lead the way, Mitch. I just hope they're not dangerous."

"Our people are already keeping an eye on them, don't worry," Mitch reassured, stepping out first.

Panam helped V stand. He was still weak, but after stepping outside and seeing the welcoming smiles of the nomads, he straightened up, and soon enough he was walking on his own without leaning on Panam. They made their way through the camp, past a large tent where the Basilisk was parked. Clan members had gathered there, led by Saul. All eyes were turned toward the steppe.

About a hundred meters from the camp stood a group — around thirteen people. One look told V he didn't recognize any of them. A thought flashed in his mind: why had these people come for him?

"V, good to see you back on your feet," Saul turned toward him.

"Thanks, Saul," V replied with a faint smile.

"This group came here for you. Do you recognize anyone? Maybe someone you've met before?" Saul asked, pointing at the strangers in the distance.

"No. I don't know any of them. Honestly, this is the first time I've seen them," V shook his head.

"Then the only thing left is to find out what they want — and what kind of 'help' they're talking about," Panam said firmly.

"Are you sure, Panam? Not your brightest idea," Saul frowned. "These guys don't look friendly."

"If anything happens, you'll cover us. But waiting is pointless — we need to know why they're here," Panam cut him off.

Saul waved his hand: do it.

Panam glanced at V — he nodded, showing he was ready. Together they walked forward. With every step, V felt tension coiling tighter inside him. Who are they? Why would they want to help me?

As they approached, every gaze in the group turned on them. Two men in glasses stared particularly intently.

"We were starting to think we'd have to come looking for you," one of them smirked. "Good thing you came out yourself."

"Do we know each other?" V asked coldly.

"No," the man took a drag from his cigarette. "Name's Lehm. You'll meet the others later. You don't have much time left, so let's get straight to business."

"I know that already," V replied, holding back irritation.

"To be precise, you've got less than two days before you… change," Toji added, adjusting his glasses.

Panam narrowed her eyes."And how do you know so much about his situation?"

"Our boss. He knows plenty — including your plan to hit Arasaka Tower. We're here to help. But honestly, we've got our own reasons for going there too," Lehm said, blowing out a cloud of smoke.

"And why should we believe you?" V asked, carefully studying each of them.

"You don't need to believe us," Ghost shot back sharply. "We didn't come here for trust. You've got your goal — Mikoshi. We've got ours — the servers. But the path is the same."

V and Panam silently studied the strange group of men. They clearly weren't about to reveal all their motives, but one thing was clear — they knew far too much about why V needed to reach Arasaka Tower.

"I don't like this," Panam said over the comms. "They know too much."

"Agreed. But if they really have something that can help, we can't just ignore it," V replied.

Lehm and the other guys saw that Panam and V were talking, so they didn't interfere. In any case, they still needed to make a deal with these people to get inside Arasaka Tower and help V get rid of Johnny Silverhand, who had taken up residence in his head. At the briefing, they had already seen what would happen if Johnny Silverhand gained full control of V's body.

Even if Alex had said at the briefing that the mission would be simple, they still needed to make sure V survived, that all engrams were erased—including Saburo Arasaka's—and that Alt wouldn't interfere with Arasaka's systems.

"Mitch mentioned some kind of medicine," V said out loud. "What is it?"

Lehm silently placed a vial filled with a clear liquid on the car's hood.

"Here's the medicine that'll help you last longer."

"How can this medicine help V's situation?" Panam asked suspiciously, eyeing the vial.

Lehm and the others exchanged glances, as if deciding who should explain everything. None of them really understood how this drug was supposed to help. But then R's gaze fell on the fairy-drone Navi hovering above them, assigned to assist. The guys looked up at Navi circling overhead. Lehm motioned it over and asked it to explain. Navi spun in place, processing the request.

"Allow me to explain how this medicine can help the subject named Vincent. Beginning with a body scan of subject Vincent."

A thin beam of light swept over V's body. A second later, a hologram of his organism appeared above the hood, enlarged to human size. The image zoomed in on his head: inside V's brain, two overlapping outlines were clearly visible.

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Panam frowned. "Not all of us are neurosurgeons here, so maybe explain what we're looking at."

"Allow me to clarify, Miss Palmer," the drone replied. "This is Vincent's current brain structure. As you can see, nearly eighty percent is damaged. The cause is the biochip storing Johnny Silverhand's engram. After the gunshot wound, the chip began repairing the destroyed neurons, but not as Vincent—rather, as Johnny."

It displayed the process on the hologram: neurons being replaced by new ones, shown in a different color.

"This medicine will temporarily halt the overwriting of Vincent's personality. It will restore his control, but only for a few days."

"And how much time will this medicine buy me?" V asked, picking up the vial.

"This drug will buy you a few days. My recommendation as an assistant: you must remove Johnny Silverhand's personality as soon as possible, otherwise the process will repeat. In your current condition, by tomorrow your state will worsen. By evening, you'll barely be able to walk. By nightfall, the man known as Vincent will cease to exist, replaced entirely by Johnny Silverhand. And even with this drug, should you make it to Mikoshi, your body will not survive more than six months at best. In the worst case, it will fail within a couple of months. This medicine is your only chance to live to old age—once Johnny Silverhand's engram is removed from your head."

V clenched the vial in his fist. Panam shot the drone a quick glance.

"So either he stops being himself, or he's got maybe half a year left. But if V takes the medicine, he can live longer. Is that what you're saying?"

"Correct, Miss Palmer. Without this drug, Vincent is a walking corpse. There isn't a doctor anywhere on Earth capable of restoring brain neurons in a way that would extend Vincent's life."

"If you're saying no doctor can help, then how exactly can this drug work?" V asked with a frown.

"It does the same thing as the biochip," the drone replied. "But instead of rewriting you into Johnny, the drug rewrites Johnny back into you."

The drone rose higher, slowly spinning in the air.

"So, make your choice," said Jake, who was sitting on the roof of the Humvee. "Take the help or go your own way. Either way, we've got the same goal."

"Fuck it," V muttered, snatching the injector off the hood. "I'm already half a corpse anyway."

"V, stop, you idiot!" Panam shouted, but it was already too late.

Panam lunged to stop V, but he had already plunged the injector into his neck. The clear liquid entered his bloodstream, and… nothing. No pain, no flash—just a slight dizziness. Even the guys exchanged curious glances, clearly expecting a much more dramatic reaction from V.

Panam exhaled in relief, but immediately started punching V in the chest.

"Idiot! Why don't you ever think first and then act?"

V just smirked, rubbing his neck.

Above them, Navi hovered and projected new holograms into the air. The display showed V's brain neurons slowly regenerating, filling the empty spaces. Seeing this, Panam exhaled again, but she still couldn't resist kicking him in the leg.

"Thanks for the medicine," V said, looking at the men.

"Don't thank us," Soap shrugged. "If it weren't for our boss, we wouldn't even be here."

"And who is this mysterious boss of yours?" Panam squinted.

"That's hard to explain," Lehm interjected. "It's enough to know he's aware of far more than it seems. And since your guy took the drug, we'll consider it a deal."

"Alright. We move out tomorrow morning," Panam confirmed.

"Perfect," Lehm said, flicking his cigarette to the ground. "We know you want to go through the Militech tunnel. While you prepare, we'll check things out and lay the groundwork."

"I'm not even going to ask how you know that," Panam muttered, shaking her head.

They just smirked in response.

Back at the Aldecaldo camp, Panam and V recounted the entire conversation to Sol and the others. Sol and Panam began discussing the plan for tomorrow's assault, while V went off to establish a link with Alt—to secure her help.

Meanwhile, the group of men went out on reconnaissance. Even after Alex's briefing, they preferred to verify everything with their own eyes. Leaving the vehicles near Militech's perimeter, they moved on foot. Climbing a rise a few kilometers from the construction site, the men began surveying the area.

"Can't see much from here, need to get closer," Kota said, holding binoculars.

"Get closer and they'll spot us," Jake replied lazily, sprawled on the Humvee hood. "We're already on their border anyway."

Price nodded and made a decision:

"Alright. Ghost, Lutz, Jonah—move closer, but be careful. Report everything."

The trio grabbed their gear and melted into the darkness. In the other direction, Price sent Soap, Takashi, and Jake. The rest stayed behind to await reports.

Ghost, Lutz, and Jonah reached a hill with a good vantage point. Lutz set up a sniper rifle, Ghost trained his binoculars, and Jonah provided cover. On the opposite side, Soap and his team launched a drone to survey the valley.

"This is Bravo-6. Ghost, report what you see," Price's voice came through the comms.

"Bravo-6, this is Ghost. I'm on the line. I see multiple armed personnel, including heavy machinery. Near the tunnel, about a dozen robots are stationed along the perimeter," Ghost reported.

"Copy. Soap, what's your status?" Price asked the other team.

"Price, we see a communications tower. Most of the roads are guarded by armed soldiers and turrets, including armored vehicles," Soap reported.

"Understood, guys. Return. We need to make a plan," Price said.

When the scouts returned, the group immediately headed to the vehicles and drove back to Aldecaldo. Not far from the camp, they set up a small bivouac and immediately began working out a plan—to make sure they wouldn't mess up tomorrow.

Kota and Toji proved to be useful helpers: they knew what tomorrow could bring, and thanks to their input, the discussion went faster and smoother. The only unsettling discovery was that Militech had noticeably more troops and equipment than they had expected. But that was reality, not a video game—it made sense.

By evening, the plan was ready. The men sat around the campfire, swapping stories about the past and recalling places they had been. None of them could have imagined that one day they'd end up in another world, working for a real demon… who, as it turned out, wasn't evil at all.

"Don't want to join us?" a familiar voice called from behind.

The fighters turned around. Panam and V were standing there—already wearing Aldecaldo jackets. Toji and Kota barely managed to keep their composure, tempted again to dash off in search of the "legendary spots" of this new world.

"Our boss said you don't go easy on outsiders," Soap remarked, holding a can of beer.

"Your all-knowing boss again…" Panam waved him off. "So, are you joining? You helped one of us. The least we can do is offer you a beer."

"Well, if free beer's on the table, it'd be a sin to refuse," R smirked, getting up.

"Careful, R," Lutz chuckled. "Aisha'll find out you're at it again, and you'll disappear for a couple of days. Only this time Alex won't be patching you up!"

"Shut up, Lutz. I'm not hitting on anyone. I've got enough to deal with already," R muttered, kicking Lutz so he tumbled off the log—but he was laughing anyway.

The others laughed too. Everyone vividly remembered the time R disappeared and came back completely drained, as if he'd spent a week without sleep or food.

Laughing, the guys followed Panam and V. Only Ghost stayed behind—no one tried to persuade him: everyone understood that he preferred solitude and wasn't in a hurry to trust new people.

At the Aldecaldo camp, the mercenaries grabbed some beer and settled not far from the nomads. V and Panam sat down nearby—to get to know each other better.

"Why didn't your friend in the mask come?" V asked, nodding toward the campfire where Ghost had stayed behind.

"He's always like that. Even in the army, he kept to himself," Soap replied.

"Are you all military?" Panam raised an eyebrow.

"Almost. Everyone served somewhere. Except these two," Soap nodded toward Kota and Takashi. "They went through training and saw combat. Jonah and Jake—mercenaries from the start."

"So how did it happen that you're all working together now?" V asked.

"Long story. And you probably wouldn't believe it," Soap smirked. "Let's just say it all started with one man."

"Your mysterious boss," Panam clarified. "What's he like?"

"Hm… unusual," Lutz snorted.

"For example?" V leaned forward, curious.

"Well, once he scattered an armed group with his bare hands and a brick," Mao said thoughtfully.

"And once he chased some guy with an iron rod. The result? A whole crowd was searching for him all over the city!" Soap laughed.

"You're right, sounds like a psycho," Panam said in surprise. "How can you even work for him?"

"Yes, our boss is a bit strange. But in the field—he's damn reliable," Lehm said seriously, lighting a cigarette. "Basically, he saved each of us. We were all stuck in situations with no way out, and he pulled us out. Took nothing in return. Then he offered us work… and we agreed. That's how we ended up here—carrying out a mission to help your guy. And at the same time, handling a few future problems."

Panam and V exchanged glances, but it was clear the mysterious "boss" lingered in their thoughts. After chatting a bit, they said goodbye to the mercenaries and went for a walk—to get some air and have a moment alone.

The fighters stayed by the fire for a while longer before returning to their camp. Ghost wasn't there. They were about to call out when he emerged from the darkness, carrying a heavy backpack over his shoulder. Everyone just shook their heads—Ghost was at it again on his own. But this time, his initiative could seriously help in tomorrow's assault.

After laying out the sleeping bags, the guys started getting ready for bed.

With the first rays of sunlight, the squad stirred. After a quick breakfast, everyone donned their combat suits. They needed to be ready to move at any moment.

"Looks like we don't even need to wake you," a familiar voice said. V stepped closer and surveyed them. "Nice suits. Where'd you get them? Definitely not on the market."

"A gift from our boss," Lehm replied, lifting his helmet. "When it comes to weapons and tech, he's a genius."

"Damn, I'm jealous," V smirked. "Alright, we're ready. How about you?"

"We're just waiting for your signal. Here," Lehm handed him a comm device. "Connect to the general channel. Ghost installed jammers yesterday, so no radio tracking."

"Perfect. I'll relay it to the others. Then follow us," V nodded and headed back to the camp.

The mercenaries double-checked their weapons and gear. Once they confirmed everything was in place, they settled into the vehicles, waiting for the clan. Soon, the Aldecaldo convoy set off, signaling for them to follow.

The vehicles gradually picked up speed, approaching the Militech territory. The long convoy stretched along the road, and Kota's eyes were glued to the armored vehicle ahead. As a tech enthusiast, he could hardly contain his excitement at the thought of riding that beast.

"Looks like we haven't been spotted yet," Sol reported over the comms.

"No need to thank me," Ghost's hoarse voice replied. "I set up jammers across the valley yesterday. Now the only way to notice us is visually."

"Efficient, masked guy!" Mitch laughed. "Thanks!"

As the convoy entered the valley where the tunnel construction site was located, the operation began. Ghost pulled a detonator from his pocket and pressed the button. Nearby, on a hill, the communications tower exploded and collapsed.

"Damn! What was that?" V exclaimed over the channel. "Their comm tower just blew up!"

"Ghost's handiwork," Lehm explained. "He wired it yesterday while scouting the valley. Now Militech can't call for backup."

"Perfect," Sol said. "That works in our favor. It'll take them time to realize they've lost connection with the sector."

Soon, without reinforcements, the Militech construction site fell under control. Combat vehicles were destroyed, enemy squads neutralized, and the remaining workers taken hostage. They handled this quickly: part of Aldecaldo stayed to cover the perimeter, while the other group moved into the tunnel to breach a path to Arasaka Tower.

After reaching the drilling rig and securing it, they soon created an underground passage. Only the tower's interior remained to be infiltrated. The mercenaries activated the camouflage on their combat suits and moved forward silently, eliminating anyone in their path.

Upon reaching the server room, V was about to insert the virus chip to grant Alt access to the Arasaka system.

"Wait. I go first," Takashi stopped him, extending his hand.

"And what does that mean?" V frowned.

"It's part of our mission," Soap interjected, keeping his rifle ready. "Besides helping you, we need to erase all AIs in the Mikoshi system. We can't let Alt get them."

Panam crossed her arms and stared at him.

"Why do you need this?"

"To prevent a new war from starting," Lehm said firmly. "Enough talking. Takashi, connect the device. We don't have much time."

Takashi nodded and inserted his module into the system. A loading bar ran across the display. In a few seconds, the process was complete, and he stepped aside for V.

V inserted his chip, and at that moment, Alt began taking control. The Arasaka system fell under her command—servers, cameras, doors, even people connected to the network.

"Mikoshi is almost within reach," V said, turning to the others.

"Then let's move," Lehm nodded. "Just a couple more rooms to go."

The squad pressed on. Kota walked next to Takashi, reminding him that Adam Smasher would appear in the next hall. Takashi was the one tasked with taking him down.

He could only sigh heavily. The thought of the upcoming fight gnawed at him from the inside. How do you defeat someone who is essentially a killing machine? And why him? Adam Smasher had killed David from this world, not him. Takashi had no personal connection to it.

But he knew one thing: if he didn't do it, the consequences would be terrible. Alex had made it clear—refusal was not an option. Takashi didn't even try to imagine what would happen if he disobeyed.

To be continued…

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