Chapter 193 – Another Ninja
📢 [NetSignal – Encrypted Broadcast from the Undernet]
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🟦💿 TOP 30 POWER STONE LEGENDS 💿🟦🦾 CYBERPUNK: 2077 COMM-LINE TRANSMISSION 🦾>> SYSTEM STATUS: POWER CORE ONLINE>> SOURCE: USER BACKBONE NETWORK>> SIGNAL BOOST DETECTED – 30 TOP OPERATIVES IDENTIFIED>> INITIATING TRIBUTE...
💥 In the neon-soaked alleys of Night City, only the toughest stand out. These 30 cyber-souls didn't just survive — they charged the grid with raw energy. Because of them, this story keeps pulsing, page after page.
🔌 TOP 30 POWER STONE OPERATIVES 🔌⚡ DevilsArray⚡ DaoistahH8hp⚡ Indarius⚡ lomp⚡ INDRA32⚡ Roach_mobile⚡ SaintWeetard⚡ Drwall⚡ Demiurge_Ohara⚡ Cryotivity⚡ Alex_IK⚡ Koo_Znack⚡ KnuckledBehemoth⚡ AshGraveborn⚡ Demitri_9896⚡ Osiris_Dawns⚡ Derpy_Bird⚡ SaidElMane⚡ Renegade_Lemur⚡ Overshotfir979⚡ aayojibear⚡ Phavalve⚡ Descentofpotential⚡ leokratos⚡ Ain388⚡ Chirag_Mangla⚡ Edermask221⚡ Datboi9968⚡ Burning_Toast
🛠️ These legends aren't just names on a list — they're the chrome under the skin, the data behind the blade, the ones who power this ride through the underbelly of the future.
📡 So if you're jacked in and reading this... know that you're running on the pulse they provided.
From the Afterlife to Watson, from Pacifica to Arasaka Tower — your support echoes through every neon-lit street.
See you in the next chapter, chooms.📍 Transmission End 📍
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"I'm taking Qiuqiu with me now."
The morning after the team hangout, T-BUG said goodbye to Karl while carrying the bionic robot dog—which absolutely did not need to be carried.
"Yeah, take care."
Karl turned and glanced at the half-asleep Jack and Oliver, recalling the major decision made the night before.
The dog's name had been officially decided: Qiuqiu.
As for how T-BUG pulled it off?
She got Jack and Oliver drunk… and recorded everything.
Fair and square.
Classic T-BUG—undeniably brilliant.
Though, personally, Karl still preferred a more imperial naming style, something like Unit-01 or Unit-02, but Qiuqiu was fine too.
Didn't matter anyway—he connected via data link and never actually needed to call the dog by name.
Karl casually checked his messages and noticed one from Maine.
He'd told Maine and Brown before that if anything urgent came up, they should include the letters "KK" in the message subject so his filter would flag it as high priority. Since he hadn't received a ping, it meant the message wasn't particularly critical.
He scrolled through the message. It wasn't long.
To sum it up:
They'd confirmed the location of the ninja and were preparing to act that night. Additionally, they'd discovered another individual—seemingly also an Arasaka ninja—but not aligned with the original target. In fact, this new ninja seemed to be hunting the first one.
Huh?
Another Arasaka ninja, not allied with the original one, and hunting them?
Karl furrowed his brow. Their group's alignment—while not public—was on the side of Hanako Arasaka, and their target was a ninja who had previously taken part in an attempt on her life. The two forces were clearly opposed.
But now there was a third player—another ninja, not aligned with either side, and chasing the original target. No clear backing, unknown motives.
A third-party force had entered the game.
Maine and his team might've found the info odd but not that important—but to the people backing Karl, it was highly significant.
Karl didn't blame them. Maine and Brown were both former military, had even served in the New United States wars. But they hadn't been high-ranking officers, not even mid-tier. From their perspective, another ninja just meant more danger, not the implications of why two Arasaka ninjas would be at odds.
"This intel is important."
Karl didn't explain the whole internal Arasaka conflict—dragging Maine and Brown into that mess wouldn't be good. He just messaged them back, highlighting the importance.
"Keep an eye on whoever this new ninja contacts. No need for direct engagement—your safety is top priority. Your mission is the target. The other guy isn't your responsibility."
Knowing full well that even if he said that, Maine and Brown would probably still dig up everything they could, Karl added a reminder:
"If you must do it, be careful."
"Don't worry, Karl. We get it," Maine replied quickly, understanding Karl's concern.
"We've been in this merc business for a long time. Trust us—we've got this."
"I really do trust you guys. But just... be careful, alright?"
"If we run into something we really can't handle, we'll ask for help."
Both Maine and Brown sent messages back.
"We still remember the time you called for backup during that escort mission, after all."
Taking on dangerous tasks is admirable—but being able to put your pride aside and call for help when things go south? That's even more commendable.
In a life-and-death line of work like this, calling for your teammates in a desperate moment is a profound act of trust.
Even someone like KK had needed help once and called for them. So how could they possibly let their own egos get in the way now?
"Alright. I'll be waiting for your updates."
Karl, now on the receiving end of the reassurance, found it comforting.
That… felt pretty nice, honestly.
Now then…
Karl glanced at a number saved in his comms—Kenichiro. It had been marked and flagged.
He dialed.
It didn't take long before the other end picked up, and Kenichiro's calm voice came through.
"Karl."
No more calling him "Merc KK"—just his name. Direct. Formal.
"I've got a new lead regarding that previous job we talked about. Is this line secure? Can I speak freely?"
"I'm aware of the situation. Give me five minutes—I'll switch channels and call you back."
And with that, Kenichiro immediately hung up—no pleasantries, no small talk. All business.
Typical no-nonsense superior. You couldn't even try to break the ice.
Karl started heading downstairs to grab breakfast and lunch for Oliver and Jack. While waiting at a street vendor, Kenichiro called back.
But the voice that came through first… wasn't his.
"Good morning, Karl. Lovely weather today. Have you seen the clouds?"
That voice...
It was Hanako Arasaka.
Uh...
Wasn't Kenichiro supposed to be calling? Why was Hanako on the line?
Caught off guard, Karl instinctively replied,
"Not bad, yeah. But from here, I can only see the sky peeking through skyscrapers. To be honest, not much of a view."
"Ah, that's a shame."
It sounded like Hanako wanted to keep chatting.
But then, he heard Kenichiro's voice in the background, clearly exasperated:
"Miss, I borrowed your secure line for business—not to make small talk."
"Relax, Kenichiro-san, I didn't forget."
Still smiling through her voice, Hanako said her goodbye:
"I'll hand the line over to Kenichiro now. Take your time, Karl. Until next time."
"Until next time."
Though technically, this wasn't really a "meeting"—it was just voice-only comms.
Karl was still processing that when Kenichiro took over the call.
His tone had shifted—still calm, but now with a subtle weight pressing behind it.
"If you've got something to say, Karl, say it. I hope this is worth the call. And…"
Kenichiro's voice grew more serious.
"Don't ever dial this number directly again. Understood?"
"This kind of dedicated line shouldn't even be reachable without clearance, right?"
Karl sighed at Kenichiro's inexplicable paranoia, but he didn't push back. This was important.
So he laid everything out—clearly and thoroughly.
.
.
.
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