Chapter 2 No happy endings in Night City
After going outside my makeshift home, which is more like an old warehouse, I find myself on the outer edge of Kabuki, the smell coming from the nearby river almost making me puke, but I resisted the urge to let out whatever form of food or liquid I had inside of me and instead moved to where I usually buy my food from.
Letting my memories guide me I reach a group of food stands on the side of the road, selling synthetic meat for around 10 eddies a piece.
Just as I was about to order my first-ever quest appeared in front of my face.
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New Quest
Get a job, Bozo
Your future will be quite shot if you don't make some eddies, and considering that even the weakest tyger claw can kill you, you better start from the bottom.
Conditions:
Get a job from one of the stands
Bonus: Get a free lunch
Reward: A job, 10XP, 10 Eddies, New Title
Bonus Reward: Free food
Failure: No job for you
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'I have to start from somewhere.' I thought while looking for the least performing stand, ending with a stand selling *old-style Japanese food for around 5 eddies, owned by an old man without even a single hair on his body and green skin... don't ask, cyberpunk logic.
Approaching the stand I sat down on one of the chairs and began speaking for the first time on this universe.
" Hey, how much for a Dorayaki?"
The man looked up and after looking up and down at me he sneered and began speaking.
" 9 Eddies."
" Choom, do I look stupid to you? 5 Eddies."
" 9 Eddies."
" How about this, I work under you, I get that Dakoyaki and we are all happy."
" Do I look like a gonk to you? Next thing you do I run off with that thing."
" Nah choom, I really need a job, and that Dorayaki, don't know if you can tell but I am not exactly a Corpo."
" The smell is enough to tell... Get in the back and cut the vegetables."
With a bright smile, I started rushing towards the back of the stall, but before doing so, the old man grabbed one of the Dorayakis and threw it at me.
" Think of it as your first bonus."
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Get a Job Bozo (compleated)
Reward: Job section added to the status page, 10 XP, 10 Eddies, Rookie Title
New Job: Apprentice Cook ( While using this job, all cooking skill grows 20% faster, and your Per and Dex are boosted by 1)
Rookie ( Until you reach level 10, all your skills will grow 10% faster)
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I wolfed down the Dorayaki and after finally reaching the back, the old man, Kenshi, asked me my name, but ignored my answer and instead started calling me Rookie.
" Cut them however you wish, the only important thing is that they are small and that no finger is mixed in them, got it? I will pay based on how much you cut."
I simply nodded and started the monotonous process of cutting carrots, which started giving profit after 5 minutes of constant cutting.
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You were able to use a knife without cutting yourself
Knife Mastery Lv.1
Represents your ability to use a knife without hurting yourself, low levels are for daily use, while high levels are reserved for combat-based use
Effect: boosts precision and speed by 1%
+1 Dex for skilfully cutting vegetables
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' Ok, so the stat grind is also present, I was worried I'd have to use my status points to raise my stats.'
Going back to the cutting task, I ignored any other notification and focused only on it, wishing to make as much as I could from this
" Rookie, I have to close the stall so make me weigh how much you made so that I can pay you." The man while taking a drag from his cigarette.
Taking a step back I placed the knife down and let the man do what he needed while I checked the notifications I had ignored.
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Knife Mastery Lv.1=>3
Dex 4=>6
+10 XP for completing your gig as an Apprentice Cook
---
'Perfect, so I only need to do 98 more times to level up... ok maybe being a cook isn't the fastest way to level up.'
" You cut 3.3 Kg, so I'll give you 33 Eddies."
" Oh come one, can't you round it up?"
" I can round it down if you want?"
" Never mind," I said while seeing my Eddies go from 77 to 110.
" Tomorrow come sooner and maybe you will get more eddies." The man said while moving back to his stand to close up.
I had just turned to try and find any other stand that might need some help, but before I moved away I saw from the corner of my eye, Kenshi throwing something at me.
It turns out to be a pack with 4 Dakoyakis.
" Would be a waste to just throw them away." He said while not looking at me and cleaning the knives.
Seeing the pack I simply smiled and decided to head back home, having my dinner, breakfast, lunch, and dinner for today and tomorrow.
But you know what they say, whatever goes up...
*AHHHHHHHH
Has to come down.
Turning towards the scream, I saw three cars smashing against each other, guns blazing and people dying like it was the most normal thing.
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New Quest
Get the fuck out of there
Conditions: RUN BITCH
...
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I didn't even have the time to see the rest of the quest my body started moving on its own, heading for what my mind thought would have been the safest place to be during a gang fight, away from the fucking streets.
Running like my life dependent on it, and it did, I passed several stalls and people remaining standing, too afraid to move or simply too numb to give a fuck.
After who knows how long, no actually I knew how long, having a clock installed on your peripheral vision helps to always know the time, I stopped running, my lungs feeling like fire and my throat as dry as the badlands, I felt like vomiting, crying, and screaming all at the same time, but Gamer's mind stopped me from looking like a cyber-psycho and instead made me simply wait for my stamina to regen, which took 10 minutes.
Finally feeling alive again, apart from the soar throat and burning muscles, I checked the notification I had received during the run.
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By running with everything you have, you receive the skill: Running Lv.1
Running Lv.1=>2
Represents how much your body is used to running away from or towards things.
Effects: While running you consume 1% less stamina, and you run 2% faster
The holder of your job has died, Apprentice Cook job removed
+1 End for running until you have no breath remaining and recuperating from it.
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'Fuck, Kenshi died.'