Chapter 42: Psychic Cabin!

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As for whether Arthur could go back to work after spending money on prosthetics, that largely depended on the conscience of the Night City bosses. However, if you took out a loan for a prosthetic body to work, you'd typically be kicked out of the company soon after. The company would just earn their intermediary fees, and if you couldn't pay the loan back, that was your problem, not theirs.

It didn't matter. Companies like that were only interested in making a profit. If you couldn't keep up, they'd just dump you, and if you were unlucky, they'd put you into debt forever.

After leaving Arasaka Academy, Arthur headed towards Little Chinatown. He was planning to stop by Lao shop to pick up some supplies and create a prototype. Originally, he would've needed to rely on the help of some mechanical experts, but now, he was an expert himself. The prototype was important—not just to prove its effectiveness, but because in Night City, words alone meant nothing. Trust was a rare commodity here, and with so much at stake, showing proof mattered more than anything.

Arthur stopped in front of a building, glancing up at the sign. It was Misty's psychic hut. He couldn't help but wonder how a place like this was still in business in 2076. Then again, in any era, pretending to be a mystic was an easy way to make money.

He opened the door, and a strange scent hit him—far beyond the PM2.5 standard. Night City's air was toxic to the point that talking about air quality felt almost laughable, but this particular place had a distinct odor. Incense filled the air, and strange items hung from the walls. The dim lighting added to the mysterious ambiance of the shop.

And let's not forget the psychic hut's most important specialty: the separation chip from the Book of the Dead.

"Hi, you seem a little anxious?" Misty's voice greeted Arthur, her upbeat tone almost calming. Her afro was bouncing as she walked toward him. Arthur noticed how quietly she moved—could she be some kind of ghost?

Arthur turned to her, a bit startled. "I'm not here for the psychic hut. I'm looking for Lao Wei."

Misty, with a gentle smile, gestured toward the back. "You can head down to the basement. Lao Wei should be busy right now, but you can wait here. I can even do a little divination for you while you wait."

Arthur scratched the back of his head. He had never met a street shop owner quite like Misty before. Normally, people running shops on the street would either ignore you or demand you buy something. Maybe threaten you if you didn't.

But not Misty—she had a different approach. Arthur was impressed.

"No, thanks," Arthur said, politely declining. "I've got a lot of things to do today, and I might be pretty busy. Maybe next time, I'll give your divination a try."

Misty's eyes lingered on him, her voice soft with curiosity. "You don't believe in divination?"

Arthur couldn't help but think she was probing him, collecting feedback like a true businesswoman. Perhaps she had a knack for reading people.

"Not really," Arthur replied, though his words had a certain weight. "I think life is best enjoyed by embracing the impermanence of it all. You can't really control what's coming, so why worry? You start seeing the future, and it feels like you're just being manipulated by someone else."

"Interesting," Misty said, taking a thoughtful pause. "I'll note that down."

Arthur smiled at her, then, without further delay, headed toward the back of the shop. He passed through the door and descended into the basement, where Lao Wei's prosthetic clinic was. As soon as he entered, he was greeted by a chorus of screams and complaints.

"Mamma Mia, Hombre, be gentle! I feel like my hand's about to snap!" one person shouted.

Another voice responded, "Your hand's already broken! If you weren't so lucky, we'd have to replace your whole arm with metal!"

"Hombre, you're serious? I've been wanting a gorilla arm for years!"

Lao customers were always full of surprises, and Arthur wasn't shocked. He'd heard more outrageous demands from people in this city.

Arthur moved through the chaos, looking for Lao , who was likely in the back working on some new prosthetic. The shop was busy, and Arthur couldn't help but think about how weird it was that people would pay so much for these enhancements—especially when so many just wanted to become more like machines than humans.

He knew it was a matter of survival in Night City. People didn't want to be left behind. Everyone had to adapt, even if it meant becoming something else. In a world where your life could change with the swipe of a finger or the twitch of a trigger, the more enhancements you had, the better your chances of surviving.

As Arthur moved deeper into the basement, he wondered what Lao was working on today. His mind wandered back to the things he'd learned while at Arasaka Academy and how quickly he had fixed the green classroom system. It was strange how easily things could be fixed when you had the right knowledge.

Maybe one day, he'd be able to put that knowledge to better use—not just repairing systems for some corporation, but creating something new, something that could change the world. But for now, he needed to focus on what was right in front of him: getting the supplies from Lao Wei so he could build his prototype.

As Arthur looked around, the clattering noises from various machines filled the air. The clinic was busy, but Arthur had learned not to be distracted by the chaos. In Night City, everything was chaotic. People yelled, screamed, and fought. But in the end, they just kept going, trying to make a living, trying to survive.

He found Lao hunched over a workbench, focused on some mechanical parts. The old man looked up and smiled as Arthur approached.

"Ah, Arthur! You're here for some supplies?" Lao asked, wiping his hands on a rag.

"Yeah," Arthur replied, setting a bag of eddies down on the counter. "I need some parts to build a prototype."

Lao nodded and started pulling parts from a nearby shelf. "Got what you need. But you know, things aren't exactly cheap these days."

Arthur chuckled. "I know. But I'll make it work."

As Lao gathered the parts, Arthur couldn't help but think back to his conversation with Misty. Sometimes, life was about embracing the unknown. In a place like Night City, trusting anyone—or anything—was a dangerous game. But in some ways, not knowing everything was the only way to stay sane.

"Here you go," Lao said, handing Arthur a small bundle of parts. "Take care of yourself out there."

Arthur nodded and turned to leave. As he walked back through the psychic hut, Misty gave him one last look.

"Remember what I said," she called after him. "Sometimes the less you know, the happier you are."

Arthur paused, then smiled. Maybe she was right. Maybe the only way to survive in Night City was to stop thinking so much about the future and just live in the moment.

With the supplies in hand, Arthur stepped back into the bustling streets of Night City, ready to face whatever came next.

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