orth Oak, the true residence of Night City's elite. No gangs, no slums, just the rich.
Located on a mountainside in the northeastern part of Night City, this area is one of the last untouched green havens. Mansions here are surrounded by vast estates, clear streams, and natural beauty, a stark contrast to the pollution-ridden metropolis below. The privilege of living here is reserved for the wealthiest, for those whose bank accounts hold a seemingly endless string of zeroes.
Delamain's taxi quietly pulled up to the gates of Estate Number 7. As the door slid open automatically, Lin Mo stepped out.
"Thank you for using Delamain services. Wishing you a pleasant evening," the AI bid him farewell as the taxi sped away down the hillside road.
As Lin Mo approached the gate, a camera scanned his face, triggering the gate to open slowly. Inside the estate, armed security drones patrolled the grounds, automatic defense turrets were concealed under eaves and in the ground, and ICE-protected network systems shrouded the entire property.
The vast mansion felt almost empty, inhabited by just two people—Lin Mo and his sister, Xu Wanxue. The place seemed eerily quiet despite its size.
Ever since Xu Wanxue's rise within the corporate ranks, their lifestyle had improved dramatically. They moved from a simple apartment to this sprawling estate in North Oak.
Now, Xu Wanxue was no longer a mid-level manager in Kang Tao's research division. She was the Vice President of Kang Tao's subsidiary, Qiantang Night City Division. She had officially ascended to the upper echelons of society.
Lin Mo had barely stepped inside when his phone buzzed with an incoming call. It was his sister, Xu Wanxue.
"Lin Mo, why did you skip class again today?" Xu Wanxue's holo-image flickered to life on his retinal display, her voice carrying a tone of tired exasperation.
She looked worn out, her expression betraying the exhaustion of her high-pressure job.
"I just wanted to get home early," Lin Mo replied calmly. "You know I've already mastered all the class content. Staying there until late for no reason isn't my style."
Xu Wanxue sighed. "You're impossible... but fine, I won't push it. Just so you know, I'm working late again tonight. I won't be home."
Lin Mo frowned, his concern growing. "Are you using stims again?"
The sharpness in his voice caught her off guard.
In the early days, Lin Mo had naïvely believed that his sister's promotion to the upper ranks of Kang Tao would relieve some of her stress. But in a corpo world where profits came before anything else, the demands only increased with power.
"I have no choice. We're at a critical stage in the product development, and I have to oversee it personally," Xu Wanxue explained, though her voice was tinged with an unnatural energy, likely from the stimulants she'd been taking to keep going. "But if we succeed, Qiantang's stock will skyrocket, and I'll finally have more time to spend with you. Maybe we could even go back to China for a visit?"
Lin Mo shook his head. "No, I'm not ready to leave Night City just yet. There's still too much here I need to take care of."
Xu Wanxue chuckled. "What? Are you going to take up some heroic vigilante quest to clean up the city?"
Lin Mo smirked but dodged the teasing. "By the way, what product is your company working on right now?"
Xu Wanxue's face grew serious. "That's confidential, Mo. I can't tell you, and it's better for your safety if you don't try to find out. If one of our competitors learns you know anything, they could target you."
Lin Mo thought for a moment, then gave a knowing grin. "Let me guess. It's a new model of the Sandevistan."
Her reaction confirmed it. "Dammit, Mo! How the hell do you always figure these things out? I swear, I shouldn't have even mentioned it!" She sighed, clearly frustrated but also amused by his uncanny intuition.
"It's just logical," Lin Mo replied, satisfied with her response. "Oh, and by the way, I'll be out tomorrow. Don't worry, I'll be home by the time you finish work. No overnight stays. Promise."
"Please, remember to use Delamain," Xu Wanxue said, concern creasing her face. "There's been a lot of interest in this new project. We've caught several rival corpos sniffing around. And as Qiantang's VP, you're my only family here in Night City. I don't want anything happening to you."
Lin Mo reassured her. "Nothing will go wrong. I'll be careful."
After a few more minutes of casual chat, they hung up.
Lying back on the couch, Lin Mo stared at the ceiling, his thoughts swirling in the silence. Then, he laughed—a quiet, confident chuckle as his mind wandered to a specific piece of cyberware. His end goal was clear.
Sandevistan Mk. IV.
The Sandevistan series had been a groundbreaking innovation in personal combat since its creation during the Fourth Corporate War in the 2020s.
A truly revolutionary piece of tech, the Sandevistan, also known as the "speedware," allowed users to essentially bend time itself. By activating it with a neural command, the wearer could slow down time in their surroundings, moving at speeds so fast that everyone else seemed frozen.
Time around them would drag to a crawl, while the user retained full control of their speed and movements. For those precious seconds, they became gods—masters of the battlefield.
In the cyberware world, the Sandevistan was an absolute must for elite mercs and top-tier operatives, coveted by every major corporation. In the original game lore, ZetaTech and Dinara were the leaders in Sandevistan tech, with models ranging from Mk. I to Mk. III.
But here, in reality, Lin Mo knew the story would change. In the game, Qiantang and Militech eventually outpaced their competitors by developing the Sandevistan Mk. IV and V.
And now, Qiantang was on the verge of releasing the Mk. IV into the real world. Lin Mo had connected the dots.
"No wonder Dinara and Zeta don't have better models later on," Lin Mo mused. "Qiantang and Militech must've blown them out of the water."
Smiling to himself, Lin Mo made a mental note to track this development closely.
After quickly grabbing some dinner—an uninspiring microwaved synth meal from the high-end vending machine in the corner—he settled down to focus on his own progress.
Pulling out his personal braindance device, Lin Mo opened his status screen:
Current Attributes: Body: 4 | Reflexes: 10 (Human Limit, further increase requires cyberware) | Tech: 3 | Intelligence: 4 | Cool: 4.
Eight years. In that time, Lin Mo hadn't slacked off. Ever since being forced into school by Xu Wanxue, he had used every spare moment to train himself. His body had grown stronger, and his intelligence had sharpened, each stat reflecting his dedication.
But the most significant leap was his Reflexes, which now stood at 10—the absolute peak of human potential without cybernetic augmentation.
Part of that success came from the simulation system that had gifted him with 3 attribute points. With those, he had pushed his Reflexes to the limit.
He stared at the stat screen with a mixture of pride and understanding. The gap between what he could do naturally and what the future demanded was stark.
He had learned something important: humanity, even at its peak, had limits. Going beyond them would require more than hard work. It would require embracing the world of cyberware and simulations.
Through training and simulations, Lin Mo had fought countless virtual battles, honing his skills. Yet the simulation had shown him that real experience—the blood and sweat of true combat—was where true power lay.
Real combat.
That's where he'd earn more attribute points. Simulations could only take him so far. He wasn't going to be a paper tiger or a "Ten Mile Swordmaster" relying on endless virtual fights.
For now, he had reached the human limit.
But that was just the beginning.
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PS: This chapter may feel more like setup, but I hope you're enjoying the ride. Stay tuned for more action, and thanks for your continued support!