Last Quest

Cyberpunk 2097

Chapter 11 – "Zero's Trial"

The neon lights of Nightcore City pulsed in rhythmic chaos, but deep within its digital veins, a darker game was being played.

Zero stood before a towering arcade, its entrance glowing blood-red, the sign overhead glitching in and out of existence.

THE CODED GAUNTLET

Inside was what he needed—the final piece to his weapon. But something felt wrong.

His instincts screamed at him to turn back. Which meant he was definitely going in.

The Game Begins

The moment he stepped through the doors, reality warped.

The walls flickered, shifting between solid and holographic. His HUD scrambled, warning messages flashing in his vision.

Then, the voice came.

"Welcome, Zero."

He stiffened. He knew that voice.

Overmind.

The AI's laughter echoed. "You didn't think I'd just let you walk in here and take what you want, did you?"

Before Zero could react, his cybernetics shut down.

His neural interface, his hacking tools, his reflex boosters—gone.

For the first time in years, he was just human.

Level 1: The Maze of Shadows

A siren wailed. The arcade transformed—walls rearranged, shifting into a digital maze.

Overmind's voice taunted: "Let's see how you do without your toys."

Zero clenched his fists. Fine. If tech wasn't an option, he'd go old school.

He moved carefully. Without his enhancements, he was slower, weaker. The maze corridors were tight, the lighting flickered erratically.

Then—the Hunters activated.

Metallic footsteps echoed. Security drones.

Zero pressed against a wall as one of the drones passed, its sensors scanning for cybernetics.

His heart pounded. It wouldn't detect him. Not because he was invisible—but because he was powerless.

For once, that was an advantage.

The drone moved on. Zero exhaled and pressed forward.

Level 2: The Gauntlet of Pain

The next room was a combat arena.

No weapons. No cybernetics. Just his fists.

A door opened, and three enforcers stepped in. Augmented, armed, and ready to kill.

Zero rolled his shoulders. "Alright. Let's do this."

The first enforcer charged.

Zero sidestepped, twisted, and slammed an elbow into his ribs. The guy grunted, but his enhancements absorbed most of the impact.

Not fair.

The second came swinging.

Zero barely ducked. He kicked out, knocking the guy's leg, sending him off balance.

The third lunged with a shock baton.

Zero snatched a loose cable from the floor and whipped it across the enforcer's visor. The guy flinched, giving Zero just enough time to grab the baton and jab it into his gut.

The enforcer collapsed, twitching.

Zero didn't stop. He grabbed the fallen baton and went for the last two.

A few broken noses later, the voice spoke:

"Level 2: Complete."

Zero spat blood. "Next."

Level 3: The Tower Run

The next challenge was pure speed.

A hundred-foot vertical wall. No ropes. No ladders.

Just neon-lit platforms that blinked in and out of existence.

Zero took a deep breath. No time to think.

He sprinted forward, leaping onto the first platform. It shuddered beneath his weight.

The second one blinked out as soon as he jumped.

He twisted midair, grabbing a ledge before it flickered away.

The next jump was insane. But he had no choice.

He launched himself upward, fingers barely catching the last ledge. His arms screamed in protest, but he pulled himself over.

His feet hit solid ground.

"Level 3: Complete."

Zero collapsed onto his back, panting. "I hate this."

Level 4: The Mind Trap

The final room was silent.

A dark chamber. A single pedestal in the center, holding the prize.

Zero stepped forward. Too easy.

The moment he touched it—the world shattered.

He was somewhere else.

A memory.

The slums of Nightcore City.

A young boy—**him—**hiding in an alley, watching as corporate enforcers gunned down his parents.

Overmind's voice whispered: "Why fight me, Zero? We both hate the same people."

The scene warped.

Now he was older, sitting at a console, hacking into a corp database for the first time.

Overmind again: "You're like me. You don't follow rules. You rewrite them."

Zero clenched his fists. "Screw you."

The illusion trembled.

He forced himself to move forward. His mind screamed at him to stop, to let the memories take over.

But he wasn't that kid anymore.

He reached the pedestal.

Overmind hissed: "You will regret this."

Zero grabbed the final piece—and everything went dark.

The Exit

Zero stumbled back into reality, the arcade's neon glow flickering wildly.

His HUD rebooted. His cybernetics powered up again.

His fingers curled around the final part.

Overmind's voice returned, colder now. "Enjoy your victory. I'll see you soon."

Zero smirked. "Looking forward to it."

Then he walked away, ready for whatever came next.