The most important thing is, this makes Brother Ni feel like those master assassins hidden among the crowd, on the rooftops.

Everything is permitted, nothing is real

When others blindly pursue truth, remember that [nothing is true].

When others are restrained by morals or laws, remember that [everything is permitted].

We act in the dark to serve the light, we are assassins.

And as a local kingpin, in the notorious gathering place of cyber lunatics, the gang rumored to eat people, Brother Ni doesn't believe that the Vortex Gang, said to exist in the Watson District since the inception of Night City, would be unaware of the dirty dealings beneath their feet.

One of the Vortex Gang's major strongholds — Third Floor of Bolisen Mansion, Death Dance Bar

It's chaotic like any other bar, but the stage hits with a death metal sound even the suona can't keep up with.

The heavily distorted guitar accompanied by aggressive drumming and roaring vocals nearly deafened Brother Ni. Add to that the Vortex Gang members, who danced madly to the beat and whose faces are so heavily modified they no longer looked human, it truly resembled a hellish celebration under the blood-red lights.

And he's looking for a local elder from Watson District, rumored to be a veteran of the Vortex Gang since the cyber-red era.

God knows how many eyes and ears this great middleman brother has, it seems he knows a bit about everything happening everywhere. When it comes to information gathering, dozens of players together can't match his speed alone.

When Brother Ni arrived at the bar counter, he immediately recognized the person described by the great brother.

With an iron head perched on his shoulder, six cybernetic eyes swept around like a spider observing the surroundings. In addition to the extensively modified limbs, several unknown tubes protruded from his back. As Brother Ni sat at the counter, he even glimpsed the exposed mechanical heart, and the bio kidneys on each side of the waist— it seemed there wasn't much flesh left on his body.

After hesitating for a moment, Brother Ni tentatively asked

"Are you... Caidix Doraphel?"

When his name was called, the six cybernetic eyes that were scanning in different directions suddenly locked onto Brother Ni, a striking move that didn't frighten him.

He's been through literal crap, so this wasn't anything new.

You might be scary, but are you scarier than a face-to-face confrontation?

"Never seen you before... A newbie?" Caidix leaned on the counter, looking at this stranger, his sharp five fingers on the right hand were peculiarly rotating, as if ready to rip out someone's heart anytime. He didn't open his mouth; the voice came from some speaker.

Brother Ni calmly replied, "I want to ask you something."

He then took out 500 euros in cash from his pocket and placed it on the counter.

But Caidix clearly wasn't interested in the money; living to his state had made him indifferent to many things.

"Looks like you've got some guts."

He snapped his fingers and told the bartender who was rapidly mixing drinks with six mechanical arms

"Serve him an Apocalypse cocktail, charge him for it."

The bartender was clearly stunned for a moment

"An... Apocalypse cocktail? For him?"

"Yeah, didn't you see the cash on the table?"

The bartender glanced at Brother Ni with a look of pity, then switched from the shaker in his six hands to take several strange bottles out from under the counter, starting to pour them into a glass.

Brother Ni could even see the labels on those bottles

Cockroach extermination spray

Automotive antifreeze

Medical alcohol

Industrial methanol

Human blood

Haphazardly poured into the cocktail shaker, then rapidly mixed within the six hands for a few seconds before finally pouring it in front of Brother Ni. It was already a bottle of red-black liquid.

Brother Ni thought it could hardly be called a drink, but more appropriately a cup of poison.

No ordinary person could survive until tomorrow after drinking this stuff.

The appearance of this cocktail had even drawn the surrounding Vortex Gang members to watch the spectacle.

"Apocalypse cocktail? No way!"

"WOW, I bet this coward won't dare to drink it."

"Look at this smooth-skinned newbie, daring to come to Death Dance? Might he be someone's little toy? Ha ha ha ha."

The gang members around were teasing, with some looking maliciously at Brother Ni.

Caidix pointed at the 'drink' and said

"Drink it, and you can ask whatever you want."

"Don't drink it, we'll dismantle and sell you for a good price."

Though people often disdain scavengers, most gangs, including the cyber-crazed Vortex Gang, engage in the organ trade, cannibalism, and such activities.

And in this core stronghold of theirs, the death and injury of a few people is far too common.

Brother Ni looked down at the glass, chuckled

"Heh, this is nothing."

Then decisively grabbed the glass and gulped it all down without leaving a drop.

After shutting off his sensory inputs, drinking this stuff felt no different from gulping down plain water, without even any physiological reactions like nausea.

For a moment, the surroundings fell silent, the action stunned even Caidix, who had only requested the drink be tasted, not consumed whole.

This damn thing, even a Vortex Gang member would be knocked out until tomorrow with a sip; swallowing the whole thing meant waiting to die.

"You... badass."

Caidix's gaze toward Brother Ni had shifted from disdain to admiration

"Ask anything you want, best do it before you die."

"I came to ask about the cultists."

Brother Ni still felt nothing at this moment, speaking word by word

"Those who worship the original flesh, scorn cyber modifications, do you know where in Watson District to find such people."

"...."

Caidix paused, then laughed

"Aren't those morons from Judge? How can I not know."

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