Chapter 100: Growing Into a Man

"Beep."

After an almost imperceptible unlocking sound, Karl successfully bypassed the lock on the Scavengers' suite door.

Beyond the entrance, the first room housed two Scavengers monitoring the braindance feeds. The faint unlocking noise didn't disrupt their immersion in the braindance.

Karl slowly pushed the door open just enough for a single person to slip through but didn't rush in.

Landmines. Looks like these Scavs are at least somewhat cautious.

Noticing Karl's hand gesture, David finally spotted two bio-sensor mines placed right at the entrance. If any living creature attempted to step over the threshold, the mines would activate.

No wonder they put the break room as the first room. At first, I thought it was to fool NCPD inspections, but now I see it's meant to be a distraction.

Jack commented in the comms while glancing at the sensor mines on the floor. His gaze then shifted toward the two Scavs lying on the couch, fully absorbed in their braindance equipment, completely defenseless.

I'll handle this.

A monowire flicked out from Karl's wrist, and with a precise motion, the tip of the wire connected to the control port of one of the mines. Normally used to allow remote detonation, the port now served as Karl's entry point for infiltration.

Monowires could double as hacking data cables, but few people used them the way Karl did—swinging them to interface with dangerous explosives. A single miscalculation could trigger an explosion.

Less than a second after the connection was established, Karl's voice came through the comms again.

Done. I also disabled any possible trigger sensors. As long as we don't manually detonate them, even if a Scav had previously linked to these mines, they won't notice they've been neutralized. Though, honestly, I doubt the mines these Scavs bought even have that kind of feature. Still, better safe than sorry—just don't touch them.

Understood.

Seeing Jack and Oliver reply in the comms, David quickly followed suit.

Understood.

With the mines handled, Karl was the first to step into the suite. He had already taken control of the security system in the area.

Be careful, slow down, David.

Jack kindly reminded him before following Karl into the suite. David came next, while Oliver, as the designated rear guard, entered last.

Realizing that being placed third was a courtesy, David's eyes remained locked on the sensor mines—so close that a single misstep might trigger them. His heart pounded twice before he took a deep breath, forcing himself to suppress his nerves. He then stepped inside, moving smoothly without making a single mistake.

For a rookie, you did well. Maybe you're more suited for merc work than you think.

Having watched David's performance from behind, Oliver praised him in the comms. David's first attempt was far better than Oliver's own—back then, he had been shaking uncontrollably.

Heh, is that so?

Who doesn't like being praised for a job well done? At least for David, being recognized and acknowledged was something rare in his life. Oliver's continued praise made him unconsciously smile, and if it weren't for the situation, he might've scratched his head in embarrassment.

You did well, but now it's time to level up. Come on, David, step forward.

Karl watched as David stood next to a Scavenger immersed in a braindance, grinning like an excited kid. Karl gestured for him to come over.

What... are we doing?

David carefully stepped forward, making sure not to disturb the Scavenger, and then saw Karl handing him a small knife.

"You probably don't have the strength to snap his neck, so use this instead. Just go for the artery in his neck—don't worry about him screaming or anything. I'll cover his mouth."

"Huh?"

David blankly took the knife Karl handed him, staring at the Scavenger in front of him, who was still moving his lower body slightly. His mind went blank.

He had already prepared himself to use a pistol to defend his life, but going straight for a knife kill without even firing a shot...

"Don't waste your sympathy. I ran a check on this guy—he's responsible for killing three kids. The oldest was barely twelve. Their bodies were gutted, cyberware and organs ripped out. One of them was even from your hometown, Santo Domingo. Think about those parents, holding empty corpses, crying for their lost children. Think about the kids you see on the streets back home."

Karl placed a firm hand on David's shoulder, giving him the strength to act.

"If you want to protect yourself, protect your family—then when it comes to scum like Scavs, never hesitate. I'm not a fan of torture, but when it's Scavs? I don't mind making exceptions."

Gutted kids. Grieving parents.

A vision flashed in David's mind—a younger version of himself, lying in a pool of blood, his body hollowed out, his mother crying over him in despair.

He understood.

Taking a deep breath, David made his move under Karl's watchful gaze.

"Shlick!"

The sound of a blade piercing a throat echoed at the same time as Jack snapping another Scavenger's neck.

David watched as the Scavenger in front of him tensed up, his eyes snapping open in shock. His face twitched, his body jerked violently, his head thrashing.

David had missed the artery. The Scavenger still had enough strength to struggle.

"Again."

There was no reprimand in Karl's voice. He merely glanced at the Scavenger, blocked his last attempt to send an alert to his crew, and coldly urged David to finish the job.

There was no room for hesitation. When dealing with scum like this, any hesitation could be the difference between life and death—for himself and those around him.

"Understood."

David replied through the comms, his hands trembling slightly as warm, crimson blood sprayed onto them. But his grip on the knife remained steady. Drawing from the biology lessons he had once learned, he found the right spot and struck again.

This time, there was no mistake.

David watched as life drained from the man's body. The struggle ceased. Blood soaked his clothes, dripped from his face, but his expression had changed.

That was no longer the face of a boy.

Oliver, who had been watching everything, ready to step in if needed, sent a message through the comms.

"Congrats. You're a man now."

In Night City, when does a boy truly become a man?

Is it when he kills his first enemy? The first time he sleeps with someone? The first time he fires a gun?

No.

It's the moment he makes the choice, when he fully commits to protecting those around him. Only then does he truly become a man.

On an otherwise ordinary day in December 2075, a boy named David Martinez made that choice.

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