Upon discovering his special ability—something that, in 2075, could be easily replicated with a simple translation chip—Kai couldn't help but feel a surge of excitement. He had already braced himself to face this chaotic world stark naked, with nothing to rely on. But now, just before stepping in, he realized he was at least wearing underwear. That, in itself, was a comforting thought.
He wasn't some lunatic who drank too much "koolaid." Naturally, having a pair of underwear on made him feel at ease.
Alright, now that his emotions were settled, the next question was: What should he do next?
After a brief moment of thought, Kai had an answer.
First things first—secure a place to stay and gather enough food to avoid starving to death. Oh, and he also needed to get some kind of mobile communication device. Aside from cybernetic implants and external augmentations, did the world still sell regular smartphones?
Kai had no intention of pitting his flesh against machines. If he could install cybernetics, he definitely would. But high-tech gear was bound to be ridiculously expensive. Maybe older tech would be cheaper?
Or perhaps, due to its rarity, it would be even more expensive.
As these thoughts raced through his mind, Kai walked back to the man who had earlier been drunkenly pissing himself and was now slumped on the ground.
He noticed that the young man—sporting a green mohawk and metal plates on both cheeks, seemingly in his mid-20s—had a handgun lying beside him.
"Militech Lexington."
Hmm?
Kai felt as if he had seen something on the gun, but when he blinked, it disappeared.
This uncertainty made him focus on the firearm. To his surprise, as he stared at it, words appeared in his vision—words he could fully understand.
[Militech M-10AF Lexington]: Manufactured by Militech, this is a compact and easy-to-use kinetic handgun with low recoil, ideal for law enforcement use.
Oh.
So his ability wasn't just limited to understanding text—it worked on weapons too.
What about people?
Curious, Kai shifted his gaze to the green-haired man, and similar text appeared before his eyes.
[Insufficient Data]
Insufficient data?
Why was there a difference between people and weapons?
Just as he pondered this, a thought flashed through his mind, and he suddenly understood why.
To confirm his theory, he observed other passersby. Each time, their descriptions also displayed "Insufficient Data." However, some of the weapons they carried could be identified, while others showed the same "Insufficient Data" label.
"I see."
Kai figured it out—his ability wasn't an actual translator. Instead, it was more like a cognitive recall system, summarizing and interpreting the knowledge he had previously encountered. If he had read, heard, or learned about something before, his ability would extract that buried information from his memory and present it to him.
The reason he recognized the Lexington pistol was simple—he had seen a leaked game preview discussing it. The description in that preview matched exactly what he saw now.
In a way, his ability was an automatic, memory-enhancing eidetic recall system.
Not bad. This was more than just a simple translation tool.
Kai stared at the Lexington again, then looked at the unconscious green-haired man. After a moment's thought, he decided not to pick up the gun.
Not because he had any moral high ground, but simply because the guy's body was still trembling.
What if he suddenly woke up, grabbed the gun out of reflex, and shot Kai on the spot?
"Better find another way."
As he thought this, he suddenly noticed that the man's body had stopped shaking. Then, the text in his vision changed.
[Deceased: Cause of death—overdose.]
Kai glanced around. He was near the garbage pile of this apartment complex, and there were hardly any people nearby. In other words…
"Normally, the dead should be respected. But for me, right now, the living take priority. Sorry for the intrusion."
He bent down, picked up the handgun, and noticed that some colorful paper bills had slipped out of the dead man's pocket.
[Eurodollars]
"Well, aren't you generous?"
After pocketing a total of 230 eurodollars, Kai gave the green-haired man a brief moment of silence as a form of respect, then turned and left.
He had memorized the man's face.
This chaotic kind of "favor"—Kai would remember it.
"If you have any family, and if I ever gain the means to find them, I'll repay this debt."
Kai wasn't some noble, morally upright person. He simply believed that kindness should be repaid, and grudges should be settled. Even though, in this case, it was technically theft.
Tucking the Lexington beneath his coat, Kai—dressed in a black jacket—headed toward the elevator.
For now, he would take things one step at a time. The first priority: find a place to get a phone or something similar. Even monks in this futuristic world needed a device to receive donations.
Stepping into the noisy elevator, which was blaring various advertisements, Kai pressed the button to descend. As the elevator rumbled downward, flickering lights seeped through the worn-out doors, casting an eerie, fragmented glow over his face.
Boom.
With a metallic groan, caused by its old, failing mechanisms, the elevator doors slid open. Kai stepped out of the towering megastructure.
And what greeted him was—light.
A dazzling array of colors, illuminating the towering skyscrapers and the bustling crowds below.
Night City was a metropolis located in the Free State of Northern California, along the Del Coronado Bay. It had many nicknames—"City of Dreams," "Capital of Crime."
But as Kai looked upon the real Night City for the first time, the first impression he had was something quite different.
"City of Light."
A city overflowing with light.
It was so dazzling—almost blinding.
Kai chuckled.
But whether it was the City of Dreams, the Capital of Crime, the City of Light, or Night City itself—it didn't matter.
Because one thing was certain—
He was here.
Kai closed his eyes for a brief moment, facing the sky. Then, lowering his gaze back to the streets, he opened them again.
"I, Kai, have arrived!"