[The Lewd Traveler: 5 – A new life]

Drinking some water, I sat down at the kitchen counter. Rita was currently...indisposed, so I helped her by putting up her groceries. I may or may not have grabbed something to eat while I was at it, and I have to say...the food...is terrible, so much worse than what was available in my old life. Everything tasted like dirt and was so...artificial. Then I remembered there was hardly any meat....meaning most of the meat available to the average person was artificial, with only the rich being able to afford real meat.

Cyberpunk was a....complicated world—one ruled by Corporations. From what I can remember, there was a great collapse that led to the world going to shit. Countless people died from hunger, lost their jobs, and became homeless, essentially a modern Great Depression, only this one was worse, way worse.

Corporations quickly rose to power, such as the infamous Arasaka, Militech, and so many others.

These corporations would go to war with one another and even entire countries, with the world eventually being plunged into a series of Corporate Wars that led to most of the planet being turned into a wasteland.

Entire countries turned into radioactive wastelands, governments collapsed, and countless people died. These people have even managed to construct colonies of Luna, Earth's moon.

Then there was Night City.

NC is a rather large city located on the Pacific coast of North America, between the borders of North and South California. It is Arasaka territory, with Arasaka being a corporation mainly based in Japan. Arasaka is but one of many corporations that use NC, though, such as Militech, Arasaka's major rival; Biotechnia, a corporation that provides much of the food needed around the world; Trauma Team; and so many more.

It was a world ruled by Greed. If I wanted to be able to do anything, I needed both Credits, otherwise known as Eddies, or a lot of power, enough to make even Adam Smasher seem...impotent. That's the main reason why I chose such an Evil class; the fear factor it would give me would make many second guess attacking or messing with me and mine.

'Who is Adam Smasher?' You may ask. Adam Smasher is a...Arasaka Borg is a complete conversion Cyborg who is notorious for being Arasaka's Guard Dog. He's equipped with the best Cybernetics, weapons, and equipment, making him an army killer. He could take on multiple tanks just by himself if he so wished and is now acting as a glorified bodyguard for the Arasaka family.

Night City was all I knew, so it's not like I was going to leave here, even if it was perilous. I had no doubt that most of the rest of the world was just as harmful, if not more so. Besides, why would I give up my advantage? I knew what was going to happen, and I could use that to get ahead of the competition. Perhaps I could even make use of David or V. Either way, Night City would be my home for the foreseeable future.

Other than that, I wanted to ally myself with the gangs of NC.

Specifically, the Mox, a gang of prostitutes and dolls that gathered together to defend themselves against the other gangs. The youngest and weakest of the gangs, but by far the best in terms of morals.

Sighing, I finished the bottle of water, grabbed a little food, and got dressed.

Throwing on the only clothes I had, I motioned over to Rita's door. Then, turning around, I quickly wrote her a note and left my number.

That's right. I had an internal phone of sorts that let me message, call, and even transfer credits. I was surprised to find I also had a thousand Eddies and even an ID if I needed it, with the ID stating that I was born in Night City and that I am eighteen years old.

Leaving her small apartment, I began setting up a plan.

I needed more Eddies.

The amount I had right now would probably last me a week in a motel and cover the costs of getting food and water, but that's it. If I wanted a decent place to live or a weapon to defend myself, I would need a lot more Eddies.

When it came to getting money, the first option was the simplest: get a job. Obviously, that option was not very appealing, but it was perfect if I wanted a simple life without much conflict.

The second option would be to become a sort of mercenary and start doing gigs from the local fixers, a good and solid option, if not incredibly dangerous in some cases.

The third option would be to offer my services to one of the corporations, but that is not happening. I'd instead not be strapped to a table and experimented on or have my organs torn out from my body or some other gruesome thing happen to me after seeking a Corporation out.

The fourth and last option is to leave Night City and try to join one of the Nomadic clans that roam the wastelands of what was once the United States of America.

As I walked down the flights of stairs of Rita's apartment, I thought about my options.

No matter what I chose, Danger would eventually find me, and I would not work for the Corporations; they'd soon make me a slave and then make me an employee; even then, they'd likely treat me like a slave. Then there's my...appearance. Most jobs would likely not accept me, so that likely would not be a good option.

So that leaves one choice: becoming a mercenary. But what if I could find a job? Perhaps I could do both. I could get a stable source of income that would allow me to afford a small apartment while my other work would allow me to pursue other things. I would really like to learn Netrunnning, for example.

Netrunning involves a person delving into the net, which is a digitalized version of the Internet. Years ago, a man named Bartmoss, a net runner, completely crashed the internet. After that, countless artificial intelligences were let loose on the Net, which caused massive problems. Due to that, the Blackwall was put into place, separating the Net into two areas and blocking all of the AIs behind the Blackwall. Now, all that remains of the Net is a shell of its former self.

Netrunners are people who can delve into the safe section of the Net and, through it, easily hack or use Daemons, software designed for specific purposes. What I'd like to do eventually is delve past the Blackwall and begin recovering the data that was lost from the fall of the Net. Data could be technologies, media, pictures, or maybe even stories. Either way, I found it fascinating. Though the Blackwall and those who guarded it, Netwatch would be incredibly dangerous. Being a Netwatcher would be hazardous, but to be frank, I didn't care. All it means is that I would need plenty of knowledge and preparation before I do something like diving past the Blackwall or messing with Netwatch or any other Netrunner.

But that's merely a dream or desire for the future, and right now, I have to focus on the present.

As I stepped out of the Apartment, I scanned my surroundings.

After a few moments of thought, I began walking towards the direction of Mox's headquarters, Lizzie's Bar.

Perhaps I could get a job there?

...

As I stepped into an alley not far from the Bar, I was shocked to find myself passing through an invisible barrier.

[You have entered a random Dungeon Instance]

[As this is your first Dungeon, you will be given the information needed to know about Dungeons]

[Dungeons come in many different variations, but the most common are Field Dungeons, Tower Dungeons, Labyrinthian Dungeons, and World Dungeons]

[Field Dungeons: Dungeons that typically appear as vast open areas, such as forests, mountainous regions, oceans, and more. These dungeons have countless possible objectives that vary depending on the Dungeon, such as the clear condition being the defeat of a series of bosses, a tribe of monsters, the destruction of an object, and more]

[Tower Dungeons: Dungeons that typically appear as vertical structures that go up or down and are divided into sections of floors, with stairs or other transportation methods being the only way to traverse the floors. Typically, the dungeon can only be cleared upon the defeat of the Final boss or the destruction of an object at the end of the tower]

[Labyrinthian Dungeons: Dungeons that are structured to form complexes mazes that you must traverse through to reach the end. Passages could end in traps, end suddenly, or lead you straight into monsters. The only way to clear this Dungeon is to get to the end and defeat a boss]

[World Dungeons: World Dungeons are the most varied in size, shape, and function. Typically, world dungeons embody scenarios or entire worlds. Clearing conditions are diverse but usually need the completion of a 'Quest' or 'Task.' These Dungeons give the best rewards but are the hardest to complete typically]

[You have entered an Unknown Dungeon, caution is advised]