Chapter 138: Chapter 129: The Mystery of Adkaduo’s Decline

Adkaduo, one of the seven Wanderer Kingdoms, had a population that reached millions at its height.

This group wasn’t as poor or brutal as the city dwellers now see them; overall, they resembled a group of people who refused to abandon the barren lands and relished their freedom under the sun.

In 2013, when Rogel, who is now the queen, was still a mercenary, she had stormed into the Arasaka Tower with Johnny Silverhand with the goal of rescuing a hacker named Otto.

But the mission failed, Otto wasn’t rescued, though the good news is that they managed to withdraw successfully. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

After withdrawing, Rogel chose to lie low in Mexico, where she came into contact with the Adkaduo people.

And Rogel’s partner during her mercenary days, named Santiago, with his understanding of the wilderness and Wanderers, helped the two successfully blend into the Wanderers.

Thanks to Adkaduo’s aid, Rogel and Santiago avoided Arasaka’s pursuits and effectively disappeared.

Afterward, Santiago chose to stay with the tribe.

Having been through much, Santiago became the second leader of Adkaduo and firmly established the social system of division of labor within Adkaduo.

Different tribes took primary responsibility for various areas; for instance, the "Wolf Pack" tribe focused on combat, while the Brian Family managed agriculture and logistics, and so on.

This city-like division of labor massively boosted the tribal work efficiency, making them essentially the strongest of the seven kingdoms.

Meanwhile, Rogel decided to return to Night City and in 2023 took part in Military Science’s decapitation strike on Arasaka, joining the attack as part of a squad.

The true objective of the decapitation plan was to detonate a nuclear bomb inside Arasaka—this is also known as the infamous Arasaka Nuclear Explosion event.

During this plan, Santiago had sent a Wolf Pack squad to support Rogel.

Therefore, the Wanderers actually participated in the decapitation operation, it’s just that not many people know about this.

"Damn... so the Wanderers—or should I say this Wanderer named Adkaduo—is also legendary..."

Lille glanced at V, "You seem to be more seriously injured mentally than I thought? Adkaduo is the general term for the tribe! Not a person!"

V glared back, "...So what’s up with them now? They look like they are just a few people?"

"That... we’ll find out later."

This is actually one of the inexplicable mysteries in the game.

Once one of the Kingdoms with a population of millions, and the most versatilely powerful one at that, by 2077 it appeared to have dwindled to just a few hundred people outside the city.

Lille speculated in his mind, but preferred to see to believe.

"Anyway, Adkaduo also had its moments of glory, and it has potential—

As for unprofitable businesses, we probably won’t be engaging in those anymore, just wait to get rich."

"I love hearing that!"

V grinned happily and lightly kicked Jack who hadn’t spoken.

"Jack?"

"...I was just thinking, with this, do we count as major players in expanding influence now? Like... um, like the Six Street Gang leader and Father we met the other day..."

V disdainfully said, "Forget about gangs—not to criticize you, Jack, but can’t you look a bit further ahead?

In the future, let’s monopolize smuggling and wire-running, grabbing stuff from the Six Street Gang’s convoys occasionally, wouldn’t that rake it in? Think about last time..."

Lille looked unimpressed at the two—

No elder brother to speak of and the younger one mixed up in gangs, and the other always thinking about these shady little businesses.

Well, gang involvement indeed is a money-making business, yet deep down, Lille genuinely did not want to engage in work involving gambling, drugs, and vice.

If anything, it would be something upscale, like celebrity entertainment, TV show raffles, pharmaceutical manufacturing, and so on.

[Unstable Energy Outbreak Countdown begins.]

Thinking this, Lille advised the two, "Lay low for now, and if you can’t keep still, you might teach that hematite kid some mercenary skills.

But absolutely do not run around, got it? The company is fuming right now, and nobody wants to catch their bad side."

"That’s going to be boring." V lay down again, "Can’t even drive the car?"

Lille nodded in agreement, "Consider your current condition, no driving—rest assured, there will be time for driving later."

V pursed his lips.

Lille thought for a bit, then turned on the old TV inside the tent.

"...let’s watch some TV."

"What’s good on TV..."

Before V could finish, he saw that a very popular TV show was being broadcast—"Info Talk."

"Did everyone see that fireworks display last night? Yes, that one, the one worth tens of millions—the Scorpion-tailed Lion crashed into a house in the civilian district like a meteor, oh, I need to blur this image."

"I was on the roof stargazing when it happened—I love stargazing in Night City, just looking up to see the beautiful night sky, it’s so refreshing...

Okay, no kidding, there are no stars in Night City. When you look up, all you see are floating cars worth millions and all kinds of strangely aesthetic holographic billboards—"

But what’s better about these things than stars is that you can actually pull them down with your hands!

This isn’t me talking nonsense; it’s what NCPD said. They claimed they saw Lizard Men!"

Cool, right? Lizard Men snatched Scorpion-tailed Lions from the sky just to give us a fireworks show!

It’s said that the creature escaped from a Biotechnology Company, looks like Biotechnology will have new business soon—"

I think our TV station should invite Lizard Men to host... just kidding, I don’t want to get eaten by a Lizard Man on air, that’d be quite the scene."

Speaking of making a scene on the show, the biggest one recently was Zig Q. This shiny big-time host got his head cracked open live—"

The person who did it was too good, shot him in the face, but didn’t even kill him!

The trauma team arrived on the scene and took down this amateur surgeon. Zig Q is still lying in the hospital now.

But according to rumors, that Wanderer’s blood... it can transform people into Lizard Men!

In a few days, we might just see a Lizard Man version of Zig Q on the TV stage—"

Fans of his original look better watch out! You’d better pray the hospital can cure him, although I doubt it, considering so many people in the city center can’t even catch one Lizard Man.

So after saying all this, were there any winners in yesterday’s ordeal?

Ha ha, you thought I would tell you? I don’t even know myself!"

V watched with great interest, bursting into laughter along with the show from time to time.

It must be said, these TV shows really do know how to hook their main audience—even though Lille doesn’t understand what’s so appealing about this talk show.

But watching V, who was just fussing about having nothing to do, suddenly focus on the TV...

it felt pretty amazing.

"Just—don’t go running around outside, got it?"

"Got it, got it, watching TV isn’t bad, let’s see how they spin our glorious deeds."

Lille gave a few more instructions then walked out of the camp, watching the busy Wanderers and thinking:

The position of the Wanderers is much more important than they think.

And...

A lot of skilled people really died in the Red Ochre.

Though their collaboration was based on mutual benefits, seeing the Tribe like this, Lille would help them, both emotionally and logically.

...

[WARNING, molecular discrepancies detected in your body, please control the discrepancies]

[Discrepancies in your body will cause changes in the relative flow of time.]

Just as he switched his consciousness, Lille began to feel weak—

It was now the afternoon.

Hmm... a burning smell.

"Boss—there’s a fire!!!"

Skye’s scream came from the next room, and Lille’s face paled—

Were they under attack?