Chapter 1
Chapter 1
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 001
Chapter Title: Prologue - How to Survive in Fusion Punk
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He was the kind of ordinary guy you could find anywhere.
Born into an era where the exchange rate was shot to hell and a normal life demanded more than normal effort, he'd spent thirty years scraping by in a rotten society that pitted people against each other at every turn—splitting them into factions, cursing them in groups, stirring up mobs. He'd gotten by on just enough sidelong glares and grudging tolerance to fatten his belly.
The result? He could now reminisce about not-so-distant times and say things like, "Man, those were the days," or "Back in my time..." He'd grown into a young fogey perfectly suited to twenty-first-century South Korea—a solid, upright young man.
Still, he was no rough edges anywhere: a precious son who'd never truly broken his parents' hearts, a good friend, a loving boyfriend.
At the same time, like most guys his age, he was a casual gamer.
The "casual" label came from realizing his gaming stamina had tanked lately.
In truth, he didn't want the stress of work spilling into his games. He'd even deleted that online co-op shooter he used to love.
Instead, he'd turned to solo PC or console games he could enjoy at his own pace. It was only recently that he'd started devouring acclaimed titles with rich worlds and solid storytelling.
The last game he'd played was about a rookie cop's grueling first day on the job in a city overrun by a virus. The blend of horror and action had been incredibly satisfying.
He'd considered the sequel, but back-to-back games in the same genre weren't his style, so he passed.
That's when he stumbled on Project Neo.
It was a title his gamer little brother had raved about.
"Hyung, it's seriously fun. You know I don't hype stuff up."
"I don't know cyberpunk."
"Psh, doesn't matter. Who does at the start?"
He caved to the nagging.
Before he knew it, he was installing the game.
Estimated time: 51 minutes, 13 seconds.
He killed the idle wait by searching for info.
Project Neo.
An open-world RPG in the cyberpunk genre.
Digging deeper, it wasn't just cyberpunk—it fused arcane punk and biopunk into a wild mishmash world.
To his clueless eyes, it looked like a dystopia crammed with robots, magic, and zombies exploding everywhere. But the gameplay was solid enough that, despite its niche appeal, it had a decent fanbase.
The communities were packed with glowing recommendations and info posts.
He clicked one.
※ Tips for Project Neo Newbies (Last Updated 03/28/24)
Even back in his student days when he had way more time, he'd loved following proven builds laid out by others.
It was a solo game, after all—might as well go for the easy and comfy route.
He scrolled slowly, poring over the post with its alternating screenshots and text.
It was more complicated than he'd expected. He sighed.
Right then, the game launched, and the screen went black. He called his brother.
"Hyung? What's up? Oh, not getting it? Yeah, that happens."
The kid's voice was chipper.
"Set difficulty to easy. The game's pretty tough, so if you dive in cocky, you'll suffer. You hate that stuff most. Anyway, you can tweak it mid-game, so start low and bump it up when it feels right."
It bruised his pride, but he followed the advice.
He was acutely aware his reflexes were slipping anyway.
"Life path... oh, going Street Rat?"
This one he'd decided on ahead of time.
Games like this were all about clawing your way up from the bottom. Corps and clans? Not his vibe.
"Cool, I'll hook you up with an early Street Rat build. I've got over a thousand hours as a Street Rat explorer. Pick Irregular trait, and for base perk, Quick Recovery—grab that combo. It's the absolute best for Street Rats. Here's why..."
The explanation dragged on, signs of a long ramble ahead. He thanked him and hung up.
He'd ask for details later or check guides.
Character creation loaded.
No talent for customizing, so he went with a decently handsome default.
Adjustable dick size was a fresh touch.
Good is good—might as well max it out in the limits for some happiness down there.
Finally, he entered his name. Done.
Before hitting start, he set out cup ramen and cola to quiet his rumbling stomach.
Slurping noodles between game sessions was a delicacy unto itself.
But the snacks he'd prepared went uneaten.
The moment he clicked start, brimming with anticipation,
he opened his eyes in a pitch-black alleyway.
Face smashed into the damp pavement.