But the specific causes of this illness had yet to be accurately verified.
Some said cyberpsychosis was a disease caused by social inequality;
Others said it was the price one had to pay for a pathological obsession with technology;
Still others thought it was all completely made up—that the disease did not exist at all.
Well, that last idea really was very America, very redneck.
Su Xiao asked in confusion, "There's a cyberpsycho nearby? Then why didn't you call the Riot Control Unit?"
The Riot Control Unit was an elite special operations department specifically responsible for dealing with cyberpsychos.
If this had been far out in the Badlands, that would have been understandable.
But this town was right on the border, only a stone's throw from Night City.
A cyberpsycho was wandering around outside the town.
Why hadn't this sheriff called the Riot Control Unit, instead seeking help from a Nomad passing through town?
Su Xiao's question made the sheriff burst out laughing.
"How novel. As the sheriff of this town, surely I couldn't think there are too many people here and that a few more should die to reduce carbon emissions and resource consumption, could I?"
"You might not understand the rules here, kid. This is the border, not Night City. The Riot Control Unit isn't coming."
"Even if everyone in this town died, the people in the city wouldn't feel a thing."
Su Xiao ignored the sheriff's sarcasm. "So that's why you need someone to deal with this cyberpsycho for you?"
Cyberpsychos came in different varieties.
The weakest cyberpsychos were people who had cheap cyberware installed in their bodies.
They couldn't afford to buy and install proper cyberware at a legitimate hospital.
They could only have unlicensed back-alley doctors implant knockoff products into them.
Cyberpsychos like these were merely ordinary civilians.
Their threat level was the lowest.
The hardest to deal with were former soldiers, former agents, and former mercenaries—the lunatics who piled massive amounts of military-grade cyberware onto themselves.
Once they went berserk, especially in a crowded urban area, they would cause devastating casualties.
Su Xiao had no idea what kind of cyberpsycho the sheriff wanted him to deal with.
Su Xiao pondered for a moment.
He quickly came up with an idea.
He thought he could go take a look first.
If it was easy to handle, he could complete the job while he was there.
After all, a thousand euros earned for free was still worth taking.
But if the target was a former soldier, agent, or mercenary—the most troublesome sort—
Then he would simply say, "Nigerunda yo."
"I can go take a look, but I can't guarantee I'll solve the problem."
"All right. I wasn't holding out much hope anyway."
Su Xiao held up two fingers. "But if I deal with this problem, you'll have to pay me two thousand euros."
The sheriff could no longer sit still.
"Two thousand? Are you dreaming?"
"Two thousand. Not a cent less. Or you can try handling your own problems yourself."
The sheriff glared at Su Xiao.
However, after they remained at an impasse for a while, he gave in.
"All right. Two thousand it is."
The sheriff figured that the cyberpsycho wouldn't be easy to deal with.
Even if this Nomad before him really could kill the cyberpsycho, would he come out unscathed?
By then, even if he refused to pay, what could an injured stray dog do to him?
The sheriff sent someone to guide Su Xiao.
It happened to be the townsperson who had brought Su Xiao to see the sheriff.
The townsperson sat in Su Xiao's car and pointed out the way.
Before long, they arrived at their destination.
It was a barren wilderness, with endless stretches of bare hills.
At the foot of the hills stood a solitary shack.
The townsperson guiding him was extremely timid.
He didn't even dare get out of the car.
After pointing out the shack as the cyberpsycho's location, he refused to go any closer, no matter what.
He acted as though he was afraid that when Su Xiao was killed, the blood would splash onto him.
Su Xiao was utterly speechless.
First, he carefully observed the area from a distance.
But he couldn't see what was happening inside.
He had no idea what the shack looked like inside or whether there were any lights.
Going in recklessly would be treating his own life as a joke.
Su Xiao drove the car to different positions and continued observing from a distance.
He soon came up with an idea.
However, before getting out, he glanced at the townsperson sitting in the passenger seat.
Then he pulled out the car key.
The townsperson's face instantly turned deathly pale.
He had originally planned to wait until Su Xiao got out, then drive away as quickly as possible.
It wasn't that he wanted to steal Su Xiao's car. He was simply far too frightened.
He was afraid that if he stayed there, the cyberpsycho would kill him.
Su Xiao didn't care what the townsperson was thinking.
He couldn't possibly leave the car key with a stranger he had barely spoken to.
After getting out, he carefully examined the surroundings.
He noticed that the shack had only one exit—the front door.
Aside from the front door, even the windows had been sealed tightly shut.
After thinking it over, he laid several anti-personnel mines on the ground outside the front door.
That way, as long as the enemy came out through the front door, they would trigger the mines no matter which direction they charged from.
After finishing all this, Su Xiao should have fired a shot to alert the cyberpsycho inside the house.
But suddenly, he felt the hairs on his body stand on end.
Without thinking, he instinctively lunged forward.
And almost in the very next moment, a blade carrying a bone-chilling gleam hacked down from behind him.
Chapter Seven: The Technique of Splitting a Man in Two, Known as Benevolence
Su Xiao rolled forward, but that wasn't the end of it.
He held Muramasa, still in its sheath, behind him to block.
Clang!
A heavy clash of metal rang out, and he immediately felt an overwhelming force surge through the blade.
His entire body flew backward uncontrollably like a kite with its string cut.
However, Su Xiao did not crash to the ground.
Just before landing, he completed a graceful breakfall.
He landed on the cracked earth in a posture resembling a one-knee kneel.
Only then did Su Xiao clearly see the true appearance of the attacker who had ambushed him from behind.
The man had a broad body nearly two meters tall and wore a filthy dark-green trench coat. The coat and trousers were torn in countless places, revealing dried blood and grime.
But the man seemed completely unconcerned with his hygiene.
His face was covered in several cracks left by modifications.
A cybernetic eye was installed in his forehead.
At that moment, the eye was swiveling rapidly without pause.
The man's face was ferocious, and when he grinned, he revealed sharp teeth like a wolf's.
What drew the most attention were his arms.
Two sharp blades extended from his forearms.
Because these arm blades installed in the arms resembled mantises, they were also called Mantis Blades.
They were not only as sharp as a katana, but also possessed an advantage that katanas lacked.
Concealment.
Think about it.
When you wore a long-sleeved shirt and then put on a coat over it,
covering your modified arms,
who would know that two Mantis Blades capable of slicing a person like sashimi could unfold from your arms at any moment?
A bead of cold sweat seeped from Su Xiao's forehead and slowly trickled down his face.
A cyberpsycho equipped with military-grade combat cyberware—this was practically the most troublesome situation possible.
Worse yet, this cyberpsycho hadn't been waiting inside the shack. He had been outside.
That had turned an ambush into a chance encounter.
Although the situation was highly unfavorable, Su Xiao quickly regained his composure.
He drew his revolver and aimed it at the man.
In one breath, he emptied the entire cylinder.
But the man's movements were like something from a bizarre video. He used evasive maneuvers utterly impossible for a human being, weaving and shifting as he dodged every bullet.
Then the man swept both hands out, drawing two flashes of blade light.
He stomped down hard, dragging a blurry dark-green shadow behind him as he charged forward.
He's too fast. There's no chance of reloading before he gets close.
The instant this thought flashed through Su Xiao's mind, he dropped the revolver with its empty cylinder and charged forward to meet him.
Clang—!!!
The katana and the Mantis Blades collided in midair!
Sparks flew in every direction!
Before you continue