Name Chosen: Sophie Mortimer

Y/N

The now named Sophie confirmed her choice before continuing on her journey, making sure to stay as far away from people as she could.

Rain fell in heavy sheets as Sophie made her way through Japantown on the hunt for somewhere to stay for the night. Considering she had no money, connections or really any idea where exactly she was, Sophie wasn’t exactly confident she would find somewhere safe. Still, somewhere she could rest for a moment is all she really needed. She didn’t plan to squat in poverty her whole life afterall.

Squinting, she took in the familiar neon lights and towering structures of Night City, the obnoxious colours somewhat muted by the drenching downpour. However, Night City never stopped glowing, even at night and in the rain. In a place like Japantown, lights flickered and buzzed no matter the hour, fueling a constantly moving city and its people. In some ways, it was kind of beautiful. Sadly, that beauty was just a facade for the city and its gritty, savage environment.

Sophie moved around the streets amateurishly, her inexperience visible to anyone that bothered to look at her. It was at this time however, when one of the benefits her small frame carried made itself known. She could slip through gaps easily and quietly, something she noted for later in the event she ended up in danger.

As she wandered, she became aware of just how loud Japantown was; advertisements blasted from every corner, AI voices promising everything from high-grade chrome to ‘unmissable’ street food, while holographic dancers twirled and beckoned people toward their clubs. The whole district was a mix of glamour and grit. It was a place that blended neon lights with sharp shadows. But Sophie realised it was likely going to be her home from now on, at least until she was making enough eddies to afford an apartment.

Sophie ducked her head as she passed a row of street vendors, trying as hard as possible to avoid making eye contact. A few sold fried skewers of…something or little boxes of noodles. She briefly thought about making herself look hungry, in the hope one of the vendors would take pity and throw her a scrap before realising it was a bad idea. She’d be more likely to get chased off rather than fed.

Around an hour of wandering later, she finally passed one of the district’s most noticeable landmarks, the Cherry Blossom Market. More importantly, it was somewhere she recognised from the game. It was the biggest open market in Japantown, stretching through a couple of blocks.

It was one of her favourite spots in Night City when she played the game, though a quick look inside had her running in the opposite direction, away from the massive crowd of Tyger Claws. She decided however, to return sooner rather than later, as she may be able to find an opportunity in the crowded market place.

Nobody batted an eye when she bolted past. People were always busy in the city, and most of them didn’t look twice at a stray kid. It was weird though, that the whole area felt safer than even the idea of venturing into the upper Westbrook areas, where corpos walked around with shiny, pressed suits and cold, assessing stares.

When she finally stopped her mad dash from the market, she found herself under the looming shadows of the larger apartment complexes in Japantown. Some of the apartments she could see had banners written in Kanji or traditional patterns and paper lanterns strung across balconies. It was slightly nostalgic, a feeling that clashed with the underlying grime and decay that blanketed the city.

Sophie eyed one of the apartment buildings across the way, watching the people moving in and out. She was tempted to try her luck with one, yet she knew the inhabitants would be suspicious of any unfamiliar face; even one as small as hers. Still, it was a better option than the alleys.

She slipped around a corner and barely managed to avoid bumping into two passing men wearing the classic menpo and biker jackets of the Tyger Claws. They looked busy, talking in low voices as they traded small packs of unfamiliar powder that Sophie didn’t recognize. She quickly walked away, wanting to put as much distance between herself and the gangers as possible. The Tygers ruled Japantown with an iron grip on everyone and everything. They were strict about keeping the public in line and would hammer down on any nail that happened to stick out too much. That meant Sophie wanted nothing to do with them.

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She continued moving deeper into the district, and finally, Sophie found her way to a quieter block. She spotted an abandoned laundromat and decided it would be a good place to lay low for the rest of the night. The building was faded and forgotten, its glass windows cracked and the neon sign long since burnt out.

Sophie slipped in through the front entrance, crouching behind one of the broken machines that still gave a faint soapy smell, though it hadn’t been used in years. She huddled there, her gaze wandering around the room. The rusty pipes and graffiti that covered the walls, most of it tagging from the Tyger Claws and a few colourful lip logos from the Mox, scattered across the area in quiet defiance. The Mox graffiti made Sophie think about going to them for help in getting started, though she ended up pushing that thought aside. She wasn’t sure what year it was or how long it had been since the death of Lizzie Borden.

It was as Sophie explored the laundromat that she finally loosened up a bit. She’d found shelter for the night. Now she could finally have a proper look at her system and begin to plan out her days in Night City.

“Status.”

Name: Sophie Mortimer

Age: 6

Class: Available

Profession: Available

Traits

N/A

Skill

N/A

Cyberware

N/A

Store: Available

M-Coins: 0

*Welcome Gift Box Available*

“Name and age are simple,” Sophie muttered, “a system store will hopefully be useful, and I assume that the M-Coins are a system unique currency. I wonder if the system can talk? Hey system, can you explain my status to me?”

Class/Profession: You may pick one class at a time. Each class comes with 4 skills and one Trait that unlocks at max level. Every class maxes out at level 100. When you reach level 100, you may evolve your class further along the same path or you can choose to start a new path. For example, the ‘Gunner’ class evolves into the ‘Markswoman’ class. You can however choose to take the ‘Thief’ class first before taking the ‘Markswoman’ class.

All classes that are unlocked and maxed will remain no matter what. Some classes require multiple classes to be completed before becoming available. For example, the ‘Assassin’ class requires the classes ‘Queen of Thieves’ and ‘Gunslinger’ to be completed.

Professions are similar to crafter classes or focus on specific skills, such as the ‘Driver’ profession. They follow a similar progression system to normal Classes.

“Right…I think that makes sense. What about the rest?”

Skills: Each class will provide 4 skills. Skills have a maximum level of 10. They must be maxed out, otherwise you cannot choose a different class.

Traits: Awarded upon successful completion of a class, Traits are typically connected to whatever class you have completed. For example, the Trait associated with the ‘Soldier’ class is ‘Steady Hands’, a perk that makes it easier to aim under any circumstances.

“And how exactly do I level my classes and professions? Do I have to kill people and farm exp that way?”

Classes gain levels when levelling the associated skills at a 1:1 ratio (1 skill level for one class level) or by completing actions that would be associated with such a person. A ‘Thief’ stealing would level the class.

“That shouldn’t be too hard. Can you explain the store and M-Coins as well?”

The System Store allows you to buy almost anything you could possibly want using M-Coins. M-Coins can be earned through completing system missions.

“How do I get missions then? I don’t seem to recall being given any.”

Missions will overlap with any jobs or gigs you obtain in the world. They may also appear randomly, be spawned to provide a challenge or be given as guidance. Here is your first mission.

Mission

Explore Night City: Visit every district in Night City.

Difficulty: Easy

Reward: Weapon Loot Crate (Contains 1 random weapon from the Cyberpunk universe).

Bonus Reward: Every visited district provides 100 M-Coins, 1000 Eurodollars.

“Huh, that’s pretty nea-preem. Gotta fit in girlie.” Sophie spoke while clapping her hands to her cheeks. “Can I open the Welcome Gift Box now?”

Opening… You have received the following:

* Ghost Trait

* 1 God Tier Custom Cyberware Token

* 1000 M-Coins

Immediately after the screen appeared, Sophie felt a weird sensation in the back of her mind.

It was the imprinting of a new ability, an ability that allowed her to become entirely invisible to any form of technology. Considering how many people had cybernetic eyes, this ability alone would provide Sophie with a massive advantage.

Luckily, she could distinguish between pieces of technology, meaning allies would be able to see her, but enemies would not. She was quickly thankful however, that she could turn the ability off if she needed to. Unfortunately, she had nobody to test her new ability on, so she decided to put her faith in the system for the moment.

“Now, what can I do with the token?”

Custom Cyberware Tokens allow the host to personally design a piece of Cyberware and install it with system assistance. The quality of materials and abilities of the cyberware are entirely dependent on the level of the token. The God Tier Token you have received allows you to use any material and power you desire to create whatever piece of Cyberware you wish. Considering your current state, please be advised that not all Cyberware will be fully functional and may have limiters in place to avoid excessive damage to the host. Would you like to use your token?

“Well, when you ask so nicely, how could I refuse,” a smirk appeared on Sophie’s face, her mind quickly developing a perfect idea for her new piece of Cyberware.