"What a small world. To think this would be at David's place?" the System made its presence known for the first time in a while. For things that couldn't be investigated through technological means, it was the one that had to act.
The result of its investigation was a shock. David had somehow obtained a handwritten copy of the Kojiki. Even as a manuscript, it was hundreds of years old, qualifying it as an ancient text.
"It's not time for the Ninja Slayer plot yet. Aside from V, David has the strongest fortune. It makes sense that this thing would end up in his hands."
Schwarzer hadn't expected things to develop this way, but it was understandable.
Due to the intentions revealed by Saburo Arasaka, the word "ninja" was being mentioned with high frequency in Night City. Although most people didn't know what it meant, they simply treated it as a popular trend.
Even the students at Arasaka Academy were influenced to some degree, starting to discuss news related to ninjas.
Such was the power of Night City's uncrowned king; his will could influence the entire city. However, few knew the true intention hidden beneath it all.
Those who truly understood the existence of ninjas would grasp his hint: Saburo Arasaka intended to find a way to become a true ninja, at any cost.
Cyberpunk: Edgerunners? Now it was Cyberpunk: Edge Ninjas.
The fact that David was the protagonist would not change. Fate was beginning to work in the shadows, pushing him to become a legend of Night City.
Schwarzer thought for a long time. It was 2076, the stage set for David as the main character.
The world's fate didn't seem to resist the appearance of ninjas. Was it because Ninja Slayer's stature was greater?
Whatever the reason, the situation gave her an opportunity to maneuver. Instead of playing small, she might as well go big.
"[Query] System, what are the chances of making David into a Ninja Slayer?"
"David? A Ninja Slayer?"
The System, though puzzled, began its calculations. Theoretically, David didn't meet the conditions for Naraku's possession, but he currently had the home-field advantage. And if Schwarzer's manipulation was added to the mix…
"Theoretically, it's entirely possible, just quite difficult."
"It would require David to have sufficient strength, then possess enough 'hatred,' plus the protagonist's good fortune."
Naraku preferred to possess those filled with resentment towards ninjas, especially beings whose wives and children were brutally murdered by them. However, by leveraging his protagonist status, it wasn't impossible to manipulate things.
Most crucially, Naraku wasn't just anchored by resentment and the death of family, but also by the Cursed Energy that Schwarzer had mixed in.
In this world, no one possessed Cursed Energy except Naraku—and Bartmoss and the AIs beyond the Blackwall didn't count as people.
In other words, under the right conditions, giving David a seed of Cursed Energy and using that unique commonality had a chance of attracting Naraku's Ninja Soul.
Schwarzer had originally intended to train David into a competent warrior. Changing that to training him into a Ninja Slayer wasn't a conflict of interest.
"[Conclusion] Amending the original 'Strongest Mercenary Training Plan' to the 'Ninja Slayer Training Plan'."
Ninja Slayer and David, two protagonists merged into one, would surely bring an unexpected and pleasant surprise!
The decision wasn't made for profit, but purely because it was 'interesting.' The current Schwarzer seemed more human, though whether that was fortunate or unfortunate was debatable, as that humanity seemed to lean towards someone who just wanted to watch the world burn for fun.
In any case, this world was her playground. The System unconditionally supported all of its host's decisions, allowing her to recklessly let loose.
The host only had to come up with the chaotic ideas; the System had to consider much more.
...
...
"So in the end, I'm the one babysitting? Training David? What do you want with an underage student?"
"Didn't you say you were putting together the strongest team? Why are you recruiting a wet-behind-the-ears kid?"
Because of Schwarzer's whimsical idea, the corpo V was assigned a new mission: train David.
His mother was in a coma, and V was footing all the medical bills, so he was completely obedient to V's orders. She was his savior. Besides, if he could get on V's good side, he and his mother could leap up the social ladder.
These were the rules of Night City. Compared to the homeless on the street, David, being able to attend school, was already respectable. Yet, this respectable person was barely above a corpo drone, let alone comparable to V.
The top Arasaka executives who appeared at the end of the anime would have to bow to the current V; they weren't even in the same league.
The ultimate destination of the legendary David couldn't even touch V's current starting point. This was the world of Cyberpunk, a world ruled by capital.
V desperately wanted to turn down this job. After getting the Kojiki, she could directly attract Saburo Arasaka's attention. But Schwarzer offered a price she couldn't refuse.
The training methods of a ninja—the ancient way to become a true ninja. Although only one in ten thousand could learn it, and few of those who succeeded could become true ninjas.
But! This was the key to eternal life!
V felt like an old donkey being lured by a carrot, the difference being she could actually get a bite of the meat.
"Ah, forget it." V clenched her fist and accepted the mission: to train a seventeen-year-old kid into a competent mercenary.
It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Compared to the possibility of eternal life, this mission was far too simple.
If it were her, and she had something like this, she'd at least make Saburo Arasaka give up half his company for it.
So what exactly did X see in her? Her position as second-in-command of an intelligence department was like a stray dog on the street compared to the true higher-ups; easily dealt with.
Was it her body? If so, she didn't mind. She'd even be willing to give her heart, no problem. Feelings could be cultivated, after all.
Unfortunately, Schwarzer had no such worldly desires. What she saw in V was, in the most literal sense, her potential.
Not even Adam Smasher could compare to V Zhentian, not to mention she possessed the greatest protagonist plot armor in this world.
"Don't just stand there spacing out, kid."
"First, take me to your place to get 'that' thing."
"Then I'll arrange for someone to train you. You'll be a merc for me and go make some money."
V called over to the anxious David. Although she hadn't asked him for the medical fees, it was this very uncertainty that was most unsettling.
Having received such a huge favor from V for no reason, David didn't know how to face her. But now, he finally felt his own 'value.' If V wanted him to train, then he would have to perform well.
He would strive to pay back the money he owed… at least part of it. His daily life was thrown into chaos, but David realized that he felt surprisingly happy.
Train, become a mercenary, and earn money—that was his goal now. As for school, he definitely couldn't attend anymore…
"Right, I've spoken with Arasaka Academy. From now on, you'll continue to attend school as normal. You need knowledge even as a mercenary, so study hard for me."
For V, a high-ranking Arasaka executive, such a small matter could be resolved with a single phone call. From now on, David wouldn't need to pay tuition.
"Eh?"
________________________________________
Get rewarded for helping with our community goals!
🚀 Tier Reward: Help us reach 10 members for +5 chapters on all stories!
👻 Join the crew by searching Ms. Medusa on (P). You know the spot! 😉