In the distance lay a range of towering mountains.
And at the end of those mountains seemed to be more mountains, stretching endlessly into the horizon. Bathed in either the glow of the purple moon or the deepness of the starry sky, the continuous peaks took on a gentle shade of deep purple, extending all the way to the end of heaven and earth.
The lofty summits were shrouded in dense, grey mist, with only the outlines of countless and infinite sharp peaks faintly visible. It was as if the waves of the sea were surging, as if the endless mountains and the earth itself were undulating like the sea, ready to topple and crash down with the waves of the foggy sea at any moment.
For a moment, Li Pan, immersed in this purple world, nearly forgot his name, a sense of inexplicable trembling rising in his heart, almost making him want to fall backwards unconsciously.
Suddenly, "Awoo!" a dog's bark snapped Li Pan back to reality.
He took a step back but managed to steady himself, turning his head to see a large black dog squatting at his feet.
It appeared to be a Black Bear Dog, with a large head and wide mouth, a pair of deep black eyes, standing about a meter tall at the shoulder, with thick, black fur, a curled tail, strong and sturdy, and something shiny at its chest, looking as if it was something hanging around its neck.
Li Pan crouched down, reached out to stroke the dog's head, and seeing the silver key emerging from its thick neck fur, gradually came to his senses.
Oh, he's probably dreaming.
This definitely isn't the Super Dream simulated by a virtual machine, the physical sensations were different, and there were no system beeps asking whether to fast forward, increase realism, skip ads, or renew a membership.
Clearly, it wasn't a hallucination from drugs or alcohol numbing the brain, as his consciousness was still under his own control.
"Awoo!" The Black Bear Dog barked again and dashed up the ridge, its figure resembling a dark cloud from afar.
Without any knowledge, Li Pan might have wandered aimlessly in this dream world.
But having been warned by Mr007 and seen the key on the dog's neck, Li Pan also realized this was probably what they call 'The Trial of the Guardian/Dresser'.
By now, Li Pan had gotten to know a bit about the Monster Company's habits, and having a big dog as a guide was far more reassuring than a pen inserted into one's eye, so he no longer panicked. He followed the Black Bear Dog's lead, climbing up along the mountain ridge.
Thus, man and dog, facing the stars, began their ascent of the deep purple mountains that loomed in the mist.
The black dog occasionally stopped to wait for him, and when Li Pan caught up, he'd stroke its head before it darted off to lead the way again.
He didn't know what the black dog was leading him to find, but the mountains here were indeed strange.
Not sure if it were just a dream's illusion, but Li Pan felt as if the stars above also moved as they climbed.
In this bizarre dream world, time and space stretched so long it was hard to believe. Li Pan felt like he had been walking endlessly, for at least a dozen days, climbing the barren ridges yet never escaping the enshrouding grey fog or seeing the end of the distant mountains.
Fortunately, the black dog stayed with him; sometimes dogs are truly more reliable, loyal, and trustworthy than people.
Perhaps 'Corporate Dog' actually sounds like a compliment to some people's ears?
He himself almost became a company's dog.
After all, in these times, only the tiniest fraction of wealthy families can afford to pay for their education and obtain diplomas without aid; the vast majority need to take out educational loans from companies, and attend company-run tech schools and universities, naturally becoming blue or white 'Social Livestock' for the companies upon graduation. Some of the poorer families can't even afford tech school, opting to send their children to military academies, where tuition is relatively low. Although graduates become reserves and may be called up during corporate wars, risking survival rates slightly better than a one-in-ten chance of death, at least the military academies provide room and board and offer the opportunity for a leap in social class. Like recently, after the fleet battle with heavy casualties left virtually no one to pilot ships, a certain number of openings were announced, recruiting foot soldiers, cough cough, infantry reserves to be upgraded to Starship Soldiers.
Li Pan remembered that back in military school, he was once dragged out of his dorm bed and beaten by a group because he had the highest overall score. It was a time of peace, corporate wars had just ended, and the military was undergoing forced demobilization; there was only one Starship Officer spot available. Even the time he nearly got killed by a Hacker probably involved his so-called classmates working in the shadows, sneaking a Magic Puppet into the military school's intranet as a backdoor for the Hacker.
And ironically, after years of struggling and fighting for survival with these scumbags, Li Pan, the top scorer on the written test, still failed the interview due to "untidy appearance." After all, there's a saying: A soldier who doesn't want to be a general is not a good soldier, but from generals to the directors of conscription offices, they all have children, and those in the know understand.
Okay, even though a Starship Soldier is "already in the coffin," at least they don't have to partake in stratospheric airdrops, wearing mobile armor and carrying portable nukes, crashing into star fortresses like moths to a flame, right?
So, in the end, Li Pan suddenly lost the chance and interest in earnestly being a 'dog.'
Anyway, what a pity it is that in a place like Night City, keeping pets is already a privilege for a very small number, considering that Tokyo Capital was wiped out thirteen times, with nuclear and corporate wars washing over it countless times. The Earth's ecosystem of 0791 already collapsed N times before; now so many people desperately cling to life in the miserable place that is Night City, because apart from a few urban areas and the private estates of the wealthy, most of the planet's surface is heavily polluted and unfit for living.