"You all saw it, didn't you? That thing."
Opus turned his expressionless face toward the colleagues gathered before him.
"I thought the technology they'd shown before was already their limit. Never expected this to be the real centerpiece…"
Logan Doyle frowned and couldn't help speaking up.
"Could it be that their corporation's original goal was to develop the pinnacle of individual soldier combat capability?"
"I don't think so. But it has to be said—this monster they've revealed now could decide most battlefields on its own. Especially when every side is still hesitant to bring those things onto the stage."
"…True. Even for us, if we don't resort to nuclear weapons or orbital launchers, we probably have no way to deal with it."
Listening to the discussion around him, Encryptus showed a thoughtful expression. For some reason, he had a feeling that even nuclear weapons might not be able to do much against that thing.
It wasn't that he doubted the power of nuclear weapons. Rather, he suspected they might not be able to hit it at all.
Judging from the speed it had demonstrated in Night City, it could very well leave the blast center before the nuclear strike even locked onto it.
And then there were the energy shields, along with that absurd machine performance…
Thinking this far, Encryptus silently cut off his own thoughts. He didn't want to continue imagining it. Otherwise, even if he were given the chance to go down to the surface, he might not dare anymore.
But what truly unsettled them wasn't the combat power it had shown.
It was the fact that it was completely immune to netrunning.
Yes—completely immune.
It wasn't that its firewall was too strong or anything like that. They simply couldn't find any node belonging to it at all.
...
While the Highriders were discussing the situation, Militech and Arasaka were also holding their own internal discussions.
Militech in particular—or rather, the New United States—felt an intense sense of unease after learning about this monster, which was even more terrifying than the one that had previously appeared on the battlefield.
At the same time, they began considering how they could possibly face such a killing machine in war.
"This isn't the time to calculate gains and losses. We should deploy strategic weapons immediately and eliminate them. PROJECT's appetite won't stop at just Idaho. Even if they don't want a full-scale war with us right now, it's only a matter of time."
A senior hawkish official spoke decisively, a cold glint flashing in his eyes.
This time, however, neither the neutral faction nor the anti-war faction voiced any objections.
Seeing their reaction, Myers fell silent for a moment before asking,
"Do you have a concrete plan?"
The hawkish official's eyes immediately lit up when he heard her words.
That meant their president had approved their proposal.
This was indeed a desperate gamble. After all, on the front lines in Idaho, they were already no match for PROJECT. The only thing they could rely on now was numbers to stall for time.
The casualty ratio between the two sides had already become an enormous gulf—so bad it was almost impossible to look at.
This battle had made one thing very clear.
If PROJECT continued expanding and growing stronger, then sooner or later this rising power would challenge the old powers. And since they all shared the same continent, there was no way the New United States could avoid that confrontation.
Just like the hawkish official had said, Myers also didn't believe the people behind PROJECT would stop after taking Idaho.
Because if she were in their position, she wouldn't stop either.
...
"Lord Saburo, what should we do?"
Takahashi Eiichi, a hawkish executive within Arasaka, lowered his head slightly as he asked.
Saburo Arasaka narrowed his eyes.
Ever since PROJECT Corporation began expanding rapidly, he had sent many of his people to probe them.
But the result had been the same every time.
Whether it was netrunner teams or assassination squads, all of them failed—and most simply vanished without a trace, as if they had never existed.
Now the other side had already grown into a colossal force. Dealing with them was no longer as simple as before.
Especially with Arasaka's current deployment in Night City—failure there was absolutely not an option.
"…Go contact PROJECT's leadership and negotiate with them. No matter what, our people must remain in Night City. This time we absolutely cannot withdraw from there. Even if they demand an outrageous price… feed them first."
"I understand. I'll handle it immediately."
Takahashi Eiichi bowed deeply before leaving.
After he left, Takemura slowly stepped forward.
"Lord Saburo, is this really—"
Before he could finish, Saburo Arasaka raised a hand slightly, signaling him to stop.
"Goro, I know what you want to say. But don't worry so much. Everything is still under control. Nothing will deviate from my plan."
"Yes!"
Goro Takemura immediately straightened and bowed his head.
"Oh right. Tell me—how is the situation on Yorinobu's side?"
"Yes. Mr. Yorinobu has been arranging infiltration and expansion for our forces in Night City recently. With assistance from the Tyger Claws there, he has already established contact with many officials and planted quite a few hidden agents."
"Hmm. Not bad."
A hint of appreciation appeared in Saburo Arasaka's eyes.
For a brief moment, there was also a trace of regret and sorrow—but it vanished quickly, replaced by burning ambition.
...
Roland raised an eyebrow as he looked at the man in front of him dressed in Northern California government attire.
Then he slowly asked,
"What's this about?"
"Mr. Roland, this is a decision we reached after thorough deliberation. There is absolutely no deception involved. Please accept it!"
The official held the document with both hands and respectfully presented it to Roland.
To be honest, Roland hadn't seen a paper document in a very long time.
At Roland's signal, Lucy stepped forward, took the document from the official, and handed it to him.
When Roland read the contents, his eyes widened instantly.
He stared blankly at the official in front of him, momentarily stunned, though he quickly composed himself so he wouldn't lose face.
"Ahem… Mr…"
"You can just call me Pabo."
"Alright, Pabo. Are you sure the Northern California interest groups truly intend to do this?"
Roland narrowed his eyes as he looked at Pabo.
At the same time, the cyber eye in his socket quietly adjusted, monitoring the man's heartbeat and pulse.
"Yes. This is our unanimous decision. As long as you sign your name, Northern California will become one of PROJECT Corporation's affiliates starting from this moment!"
That's right.
The document Northern California had delivered was essentially a declaration of submission.
It granted PROJECT Corporation control over the forces currently held by the Northern California government—including, but not limited to, command over parts of the military.
Although it wasn't everything, it was still an extremely substantial share.
In return, PROJECT would provide technological support and military protection.
The initiative over technological support would remain entirely in PROJECT's hands.
At the same time, the Northern California interest groups were even willing to exchange corporate shares in order to bring PROJECT Corporation into their territory.
"The reason?"
"New United States."
Hearing that answer, understanding immediately flashed in Roland's eyes.
He had suspected something like this before—but he hadn't expected the hatred between the two sides to run this deep.
What Pabo didn't say was that they were genuinely afraid.
Especially considering the power currently held by PROJECT.
If they really fought…
They simply couldn't win.
It was better to surrender early. That way they could still maintain their upper-class lifestyle instead of ending up like those people in Nevada—reduced to nothing more than a handful of dust.
...
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