"Then follow me. Hey, the things here are guaranteed to make you happy."
Jack led Peter through the building, down a flight of stairs, and after a short walk, they reached the basement. This area was different from the bar above—there were only a few large servers scattered across the room, and electronic equipment piled up in various corners. Several computers were running, each displaying a different video.
On the left side of the door, there was a workbench cluttered with Mewtwo equipment. A beautiful woman was sitting at the workbench, tinkering with some of the devices.
"Jack, didn't I already give you some high-quality Mewtwo last time? Why did you get tired of them so soon?" The woman's voice was teasing.
"Ahem, I'm not here to ask for Chaomeng this time. I brought a friend to meet you," Jack said, slightly embarrassed, as he pointed to Peter.
"Jack, I told you not to bring anyone here without notice," Judy said with mild annoyance. She took off the Chaomeng device she was working on and looked at Jack.
"Judy, come on, there are always ways to meet more friends. You know me—I wouldn't bring anyone to meet you unless I trusted them," Jack replied, defending himself.
"Oh, well. Let's not make this a habit," Judy said, waving her hand dismissively. She turned her attention to Peter, her curiosity piqued. "Haven't your friend even installed a prosthesis?"
She studied Peter from head to toe. Honestly, it had been a while since she had seen someone so handsome who hadn't undergone any body modifications.
"Let me introduce you," Jack said. "This is Peter. We've recently teamed up to form a mercenary group. He's the captain. Peter, this is Judy—probably the best Mewtwo editor in all of Night City."
"Peter, huh? Nice to meet you," Judy said, nodding her head in greeting. "You're a mercenary, and you don't have a prosthetic? Interesting."
Jack chuckled, glancing at Peter. "Don't let her fool you. You'll hear Peter's name everywhere tomorrow. He pulled off a huge job for me today."
Judy raised an eyebrow at Jack's words. "Oh? A big job? Did you smuggle something, or maybe steal a rich guy's car?"
Jack shook his head, grinning. "Not quite. We took over the home base of the Maelstrom Gang today."
Judy paused for a moment, processing Jack's statement. "Wait, you took over a Maelstrom Gang hideout? The Maelstrom isn't a small gang, you know."
Judy wasn't doubting Jack's words. She knew him well enough to understand that he wouldn't lie about something like that. And besides, Jack wasn't the type to brag or make things up for no reason.
"But Jack," she said, crossing her arms, "did you come here just to tell me this? Because if that's the case, you can leave. I've still got some Mewtwo devices to finish editing." Judy had clearly started to lose interest.
"No, no, we came for your Mewtwo," Jack interjected quickly. "Peter's never had a really good Chaomeng before—he's lived on the outskirts and never had access to the high-end stuff. So, I brought him here to experience it."
Judy raised an eyebrow, her professional curiosity piqued. "Alright then, what kind of Mewtwo do you want?"
Jack didn't hesitate. "I heard you have a game here where you can combine VR with Mewtwo for a fully immersive experience. I want that kind of game."
Peter wasn't unfamiliar with Mewtwo, though he had never seen it used quite the way Jack described. In Night City, Mewtwo was a huge part of daily life. It was the main form of entertainment for many, from the rich to the poor. Even a beggar on the streets could own a basic Mewtwo device. But VR games with Mewtwo? That was new to Peter.
Mewtwo was typically used to help people relive memories, uncover clues, or escape reality. It wasn't often seen as a tool for something as immersive as a video game.
"Peter," Judy asked, turning to him. "What kind of Mewtwo games do you like? I've got all the best games here. If you don't know what to play, I can recommend a few."
Most of the Mewtwo games on the market were low-quality shooting games or poorly made knife-fighting games, but Judy never bothered with those. She only worked with high-quality games that came from reputable developers.
Jack nodded, his tone teasing. "Don't underestimate Peter. He wiped out a dozen Maelstrom Gang members today without even breaking a sweat."
Judy chuckled, clearly intrigued. "Oh, really? Well, I've got a semi-finished Mewtwo game here that I think might be right up your alley."
She pulled out a small chip and slid it across the workbench toward Peter. "This game's still a work in progress. It's set in an organization that invites top mercenaries from different planets to fight on a remote world. There's a safe zone in the game, and if you leave it, you're burned alive. Sixty mercenaries are released into the game at once, and only one can survive."
Peter raised an eyebrow. "That sounds intense."
"It is," Judy said, her smile growing as she leaned back. "I've played the game a little bit myself. The robots in the game are programmed with various difficulty levels, from basic bots to Terminators. I played the 'Hunting Difficulty' level, and trust me, you'll be toast if you're not careful. But maybe you'll be able to handle it. How about it? Sound exciting?"
Peter's eyes glinted with interest. He had fought plenty of real enemies, but this sounded like an entirely new challenge. He had a feeling it would test his skills in ways he hadn't experienced before.
Judy was watching him carefully, eager to see how well Peter would handle the game. The Terminator robots in the game were no joke, and she was curious to see how he would fare.
"Alright, I'm in," Peter said with a confident smile.
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