Chapter 88: Chapter 84: Nightclub in the Next Life (Three Updates)

Next Life Nightclub, where the legends of Night City gather.

What is a legend?

Most people think a legend is someone who caused major trouble for a company and then was sent to the graveyard.

Like Johnny Silverhand, this infamous terrorist attacked Arasaka Tower in 2023, and detonated a nuclear bomb on top of it.

The nuclear bomb dyed the entire sky red, and the radiation cloud persisted for decades—so did the red.

This period was thus known as the "Red Era".

Or take Morgan Black Hand, a guy with hardly any prosthetic enhancements, who led a team of Military Science soldiers into Arasaka Tower. Within minutes, they broke through the heavy defenses of the Arasaka Company, even past the super assassin Adam Hammer.

And Adam Hammer... was actually a legend himself, still holding the record for cybernetic enhancements to this day.

It’s estimated not even two pounds of flesh could be scraped together from his entire body.

"To become a big shot, you gotta go to places like that, I’m getting excited..."

In the car, Jack began to lecture Lille and V about the deeds of these legends.

But hearing this stuff once or twice is enough, Jack constantly bringing it up was a bit annoying.

Lille resignedly said, "Jack, can you cool it?"

The driver, V, also showed disapproval, "Jack, I know that’s where the big shots hang out, but you talk about it so much, it makes the place seem cheap."

Jack shook his head, absorbed in his own thoughts, "You all have issues, big issues."

While driving, V said, "Speaking of issues, we do have one — are we really going over there in this Mackinaw? It feels a bit degrading — why not use your almighty car summoning trick to get us a sports car?

While we’re at it, why do you always hack these clunkers? G240, Columbus V340, Viper..."

"Cars have individual ICE protections. In a time crunch, of course it’s quicker to operate a familiar hacked car.

Honestly, I think I could hack you a Bimong Armored Vehicle right now, want to take that?"

"No thanks, so you mean to say given time you can actually hack us a sports car?"

"Sure—if you don’t mind always having NCPD cop cars tailing you."

"Let’s skip that." V sighed, "I knew I shouldn’t have been drinking everyday, should’ve bought a car first. Now look at us, the Burger King dumb big shot squad arriving at Next Life Nightclub in a black pickup truck.

Not just a dumb name, even the car we drive is dumb."

Lille shrugged his shoulders, making no comment.

About half a minute passed, and Jack spoke again, "You know, Next Life Nightclub used to be a morgue..."

Lille and V exchanged a resigned look —

Going to start all over again?!

From the outside, Next Life Nightclub doesn’t look at all like a place for big business dealings.

Dirty and cluttered, uninhabited apartment buildings, dark and damp grounds.

However, the cars parked there were indeed interesting — Alvarado "Delegation", Thrace 388 Jefferson...

All very business-oriented and secure stretch vehicles.

There was even a Herrera Bandit parked next to them — globally, probably less than 1000 units, less than 10 in Night City, a rarity entirely handcrafted by designers.

V envied as he watched— as a street kid, the Bandit GTS supercar was something they dreamt about growing up.

Ultimately, raised on handouts, what they felt most was people’s intense desire — beyond sex and drugs, the most valued was money.

But just liking money seems too vulgar; luckily, cars are different.

Embodying every ounce of the craftsman’s effort, a combination of peak industrial technology, creates such luxury vehicles.

That’s fitting to elicit desire.

Now she began to like this place too—maybe one day, they too could drive such a car.

Jack elbowed V, "How about it, chica, now you see how awesome Next Life is?"

"Its awesomeness depends on what kind of jobs we can land—let’s go inside and sit down."

Lille suddenly noticed an unnoticed car in the corner of the parking lot — their "old acquaintance"!

Columbus Freight V340!

"Look! V, I told you big shots also drive this kind of car!"

"Idiot, then you can drive a Columbus Freight in the future!"

Lille shook his head secretly: the brainwashing of consumerism, too terrifying.

"If not this car, then what?" he thought, having only a few ten thousand yuan to his name.

After parking the car, the three walked towards the unremarkable apartment building.

....

The nightclub outside was adorned with cheap neon light strips and the walls were covered with various styles of graffiti.

Outside stood several customers with particularly extravagant hairstyles and clothes, not just extravagant but also looking very expensive.

Lille could even spot someone wearing a genuine leather coat—the real organic kind.

You should know that most of the world’s fauna had long been extinct; such original leather coats were not cheap at all.

If he were to activate his scanner right now, request access to the NCPD criminal record database, the results would come back:

"Non-existent, or you don’t have the required permission."

A few men dressed in cheap woven garments were sitting outside the staircase leading to the basement, their implants simple and uncomplicated, clearly modified just for shooting, straightforward and professional.

They looked relaxed, seemingly waiting for some work—a typical sign of mercenaries.

Going underground, before formally entering the next life, there was a corridor filled with mercenaries arranged in small squads, all equipped with numerous combat prosthetics.

For such experts, the industry had a more vivid title for them.

Edge Runners.

They roamed the edge of the law when working, their will teetered on the edge of collapse, each operation a race against the edge of life and death. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺

Just as the trio stepped into the corridor leading to the nightclub, Lille’s phone rang, caller ID: Rogel.

The queen of Afterlife, the most influential fixer in Night City.

Rogel, "I’ve heard your name a long time ago from Father. I didn’t expect it to take so long for you to show up here. You really have patience."

Lille, "Patience is required to handle big jobs, and here I am, caught the eye of the queen of Afterlife, right?"

Rogel, "Interesting, kiddo, go ahead and enter."

Finally, passing through the corridor and by those edge runners, the three reached the entrance of Afterlife nightclub—

There stood a hulk of a man, roughly the size of Jack, with his hands crossed in front of his stomach, standing there like a mountain.

As Lille and his companions approached directly, he raised his right hand, briefly verified their identities, and then cleared a path for them.

Yet his expression as he looked at the trio was somewhat peculiar.

No need to say... It was all because of that damned name.

"This is it..." Jack eyed the ordinary-looking double doors; through the glass, he saw the flickering lights inside—

They stepped through the main entrance.

Bursting rock music hit them hard, instantly clearing their minds alongside the pungent smell of smoke.

Dazzling light pollution was everywhere, filled with highly modified mercenaries in black leather jackets, low-key hackers, and extravagantly dressed customers...

Every place, every room, every corner could potentially be dealing a headline-making big business.

Everyone here might become the next legend to die on Arasaka Tower or some other grand place suitable for legends.

Or they could just as well be found tomorrow curled up in a box like unwanted toys in the junkyard.

But regardless, they had all truly entered the Afterlife.

Jack, as if walking on clouds, surveyed everything around him—

"The heart of Night City! Right here, beating non-stop, do you hear it?

Can you imagine, Susan Frist, Old Snake, even Morgan Black Hand, they all sat on these stools, slept on this bar..."

Like a dreamer, Jack murmured as he found a spot at the bar and sat down, the dazzling lights in the nightclub dancing in his eyes.

V smiled and said, "Now it’s our turn."

Lille also took a seat nearby, just as an elderly woman passed by wearing a yellow coat and black leather pants.

The two exchanged glances and nodded, a silent greeting well understood.

Jack whispered, "Damn, that’s Rogel! The most powerful fixer in Night City, the queen of Afterlife! She’s looking at us!"

Lille waved his hand, "Cool it, Jack, you’re acting like a total noob."

The bartender approached them with a smile still lingering on his lips:

"What would you like to drink?"