Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2
After the girl, who until then had been moving back and forth, left the place, the head that had been left completely alone sank into his thoughts.
And when it comes to a situation that one has never seen or experienced in an entire lifetime, the difficulty increases considerably.
Adapting to something new is not as simple as it might seem.
‘What the hell is going on here?’
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
The optical sensors installed in his head moved from side to side.
No matter where he looked, everything was dark and damp.
That rule also applied to the humanoid of whom only a head remained, suspended in a makeshift workshop located in a corner of a junkyard.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Just like those machines, he too was hanging from a wall. arctic Furthermore, he was suspended at a considerable height, which gave him the sensation that he had become a soul floating in the air.
His own situation was no less strange.
Abandoned machinery covered in used oil and rust lay everywhere, while countless tools of unknown purpose were piled up haphazardly.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Suddenly, a small revelation emerged in his mind.
If this was not being a ghost, then what the hell was it?
He could see and hear, but he was incapable of doing absolutely anything.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
The silent snowy mountains.
‘……A ghost? All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com ’
As soon as that thought crossed his mind, he naturally recalled his final moments.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
And what had happened afterward?
The Heavenly Demon, who had collapsed while coughing up blood.
The snow that continued to fall.
He had raised his gaze toward the sky.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
He had closed his eyes and collapsed.
He had died.
Thus had the life of the Kunlun Blood Immortal come to an end.
‘That’s right.’
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
His appearance, resembling that of a wandering soul, with only his head intact.
And afterward, he had awakened once again in that strange place.
His consciousness, which had awakened against his will.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
The peculiar girl who had welcomed him.
The fragments of information began to come together one after another.
That dark and desolate space.
Death and all those unknown experiences that had come afterward.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
The place one reaches after dying.
The Underworld.
Finally, they formed a truly chilling possibility.
‘……Could this place be the Underworld?’
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Perhaps it was a completely absurd assumption, but he needed to cling even to such a far-fetched explanation in order to understand his current situation.
The place where the souls of the deceased gather.
Curiously, as soon as he began to consider that this place might be the Underworld, all those inexplicable phenomena started to seem reasonable.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
The data tablet that projected a faint hologram into the air.
The complex tools whose purpose he did not know.
Once he reached that conclusion, he began to contemplate everything around him from a completely different perspective.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
The mechanical components piled up without any order, coated in grease and covered in rust.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
All those strange objects had to be tools of the other world.
Or perhaps they were the remains of other beings who, like him, had ended up falling into the Underworld.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
However, if that were true, why had only he awakened in such a state, retaining all the memories of his previous life?
‘Karma.’
Surprisingly, it did not take him long to find a possible answer.
During his path of revenge, the Kunlun Blood Immortal had taken countless lives.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Although his victims were members of the Demon Cult, it was undeniable that he had killed deliberately.
It was impossible for the weight of such karma to be insignificant.
He had even abandoned the Dao in order to carry out that bloody revenge.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Perhaps, at that very moment, his sins were being judged.
After all, wasn’t the Underworld said to be the place where the sins committed during one’s life were judged, the severity of the accumulated karma was determined, and the corresponding punishments were imposed?
Maybe that was why he had awakened from the eternal rest that death was supposed to provide.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
For the time being, all he could do was accept that incomprehensible place and his own existence while waiting to see what might happen next.
He had no way of knowing the answer.
‘Oh, Yuanshi Tianzun……’
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
The humanoid, of whom only a head remained, sank into his thoughts once again.
That was the amount of time that had passed since he awakened in that unknown place.
***
Fifteen days.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
He was no longer just a head.
Fifteen days was not exactly a short amount of time.
Many things had changed.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Beneath it, a dull, blackish torso had been installed, along with a left leg that had not even been painted and lacked any protective steel covering.
It was also worth noting that he could now produce sounds.
Thanks to that, he was no longer suspended in the air. anchor Although his body was still incomplete, at least he could support himself on one leg.
Since he used an outdated voice module, his voice was crude and riddled with electronic interference, but it was sufficient for communication.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
His relationship with the girl.
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However, there was something far more important than all those changes.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“Mr. alpha Ash! orbit Look at this!”
Akina called him Ash.
Just then, the workshop door opened and the girl entered carrying a rather heavy-looking mechanical arm over one shoulder.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Ashes.
What remains after something is consumed by flames.
There was no particularly important reason behind that name. album It was simply that the humanoid’s head had the letters [ASH] painted on it, an inscription indicating that it was waste intended for incineration.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Absorbed in his thoughts, he raised his head and addressed the girl.
After all, now that he had arrived in the Underworld, shouldn’t he adapt to its customs?
“Ah, Miss Akina. arcade Have you returned already?”
Ash had not bothered to correct that name.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Perhaps because of that, at some point Akina had begun addressing him formally instead of speaking to him casually.
According to her, addressing him informally made her feel as though she were committing some kind of impropriety.
Unlike his voice, which was filled with electronic interference, his manner of speaking was extraordinarily old-fashioned and refined.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Akina gave him a broad smile and placed the mechanical arm she had been carrying over her shoulder on top of the worktable.
“Was everything all right while I was gone?”
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
“I’ve been perfectly fine.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“Miss Akina, you always go to so much trouble for me.”
Ash shifted his gaze between Akina and the mechanical arm through his optical sensors before gently activating his voice module.
Judging by the noise it made when it landed, it must have been quite heavy.
Thud!
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“As you wish.”
Akina smiled again, gathered her tools, and approached Ash.
“It’s nothing. harbor Shall we install it right now?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“Huh? silence Why doesn’t the slot fit? acoustic That’s strange. apple I’m sure I brought one of the same Type C. auction Could it be because it’s a model from an earlier generation? anxiety Why is it reversed……?”
However, she soon became puzzled. Read original high-quality translation at indratranslations.com.
Ash, who had been watching her, suddenly called out to the girl.
Then she examined his left shoulder or, more specifically, the artificial neural network matrix that abruptly terminated in that area.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“……Miss Akina?”
“One moment. orbit I’m thinking. shadow We’ll talk afterward.”
“Miss Akina.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
The girl raised her head while grumbling.
Then her eyes met Ash’s turquoise optical sensors.
Ash gazed into the girl’s blue eyes for a few moments before calmly explaining what he wanted to say.
“Oh, please. galaxy What is it?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“What are you talking about?”
Upon hearing those words, Akina turned her head.
“That’s not the correct side.”
“The arm you brought is the right one.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Akina’s face turned as red as a tomato.
She alternately compared that limb with her own arms.
Her gaze settled on the mechanical arm she had just placed on the table.
Finally, she realized that it was, indeed, a right arm.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“Is that so?”
“I-I already knew that! antenna I was simply checking the left shoulder too!”
Since her skin was naturally very pale, that blush was even more obvious.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Amid the slightly awkward atmosphere, the girl began discreetly making her way toward Ash’s right shoulder while muttering under her breath.
Faced with such an impeccable apology, Akina had no choice but to close her mouth.
“It seems my unnecessary concern led me to intervene when there was no need. harbor I apologize if I made you uncomfortable.”
“……Of course!”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“It’s all thanks to the data card with the integrated language pack that you provided me. zenith I will always be grateful to you.”
“……Are all humanoids from previous generations like this? avalanche Why does he talk so much? orbit And at first, he couldn’t even understand me.”
Although she had spoken quietly, the audio input device installed in Ash’s head picked up her words without difficulty.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Then, as if she had just remembered something, she began searching the pocket at chest level.
Akina glanced sideways at him, but soon gave an embarrassed smile.
“……I was talking to myself.”
“I heard you so clearly that I couldn’t tell. airport I’m still not used to it.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“A new book?”
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Shortly afterward, she pulled out another data card.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“Ah. This novel translation is officially hosted on indratranslations.com. apron I was mistaken. adjust Is it a new data card?”
Akina tilted her head curiously.
“A book?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“Exactly. zenith Have you already finished reading everything the previous one contained?”
Akina nodded upon hearing his answer and inserted the new data card into a slot located on the side of his head.
“That’s right.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Click!
[EXTERNAL DATA-CARD DETECTED]
A small sound was heard as the card locked into place.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Ash accessed his own system using senses to which he was already beginning to grow accustomed.
“I shall do so.”
“I’m going to start working now, so you can review the data in the meantime. apple If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask me.”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
In one corner of his field of vision, crisp sequences of green characters began to appear.
[ACCESS PROTOCOL. . . abstract ENGAGED]
[INITIATING DATA STREAM. . . amber DONE]
[DIRECT MEMORY INTERFACE ACTIVE]
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
[RESEARCH. . . silence NOW<<<]
[DATA INDEXING. . . acoustic DONE]
[DATA: Akina’s General Knowledge♥ Ver 1.3]
Along with the flashing system messages, an enormous amount of information began flooding his mind.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
The method of transmitting knowledge in that world was fundamentally different from the one he had known during his previous life.
It was a veritable storm of data.
Such an extraordinary amount of knowledge, which would normally have required an entire lifetime of study, could be inserted into his mind in barely an instant.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Ash focused all his attention on the information he was receiving.
It consisted of knowledge accompanied by extremely subjective interpretations and annotations, presented from a young girl’s perspective.
Akina’s murmurs, the noise of the tools she was handling, and the crackling of welding sparks began to gradually fade away.
That incomprehensible and overwhelming sensation was comparable to receiving, all at once, the contents of hundreds of ancient Taoist texts containing decades of accumulated knowledge, all in a single blink.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Sanctum.
Amid that avalanche of information, Ash quickly identified the concepts that seemed to be the most important.
However, even taking that detail into account, everything related to that world seemed extraordinarily strange and cruel.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Without a doubt, they had to represent the fundamental elements that characterized the Underworld.
Pathfinder.
Outer.
Most of the information was related to those three terms.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Ash began carefully investigating those three concepts amid that ocean of knowledge.
Humanity’s only city and its last bastion.
‘……This is, quite literally, hell.’
And shortly afterward, he let out a deep sigh.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
All of its citizens were required to hand over enormous amounts of money, known as credits, every month under the strange concept of ‘Individual Merit Evaluation’.
Sanctum.
Contrary to the meaning of its name, which referred to a sacred place, Sanctum was, in reality, a merciless arena where a constant struggle for survival took place.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
All translations belong to Indra Translations. You can find us online at indratranslations.com.
Ash found it an extraordinarily apt comparison.
In her annotations, Akina had used the expression ‘price for breathing’ to describe that system.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Abandon their fragile bodies of flesh and blood and replace them with cold metallic bodies.
The problem was that this price for breathing was not the only burden its inhabitants had to endure. Indra Translations protects the hard work of translators and authors.
Eventually, those who ended up being driven to the outskirts of the city were forced to make one final decision.
Sanctum demanded credits at every turn, constantly pushing ordinary people to the edge of the abyss.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Once that transformation was complete, they headed out in their mechanized bodies toward the ruins of an ancient civilization known as Outer, a place that represented both their final hope and an inexhaustible source of despair.
In other words, completely transform their bodies through cybernetic implants known as Cyberware.
In those deadly lands, battered by ionic storms, they recovered whatever scarce artifacts and data from antiquity they managed to find.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
All such individuals were known as Pathfinders.
People who risked their lives venturing among the remnants of the past in the hope of finding a future.
‘……I already suspected that this world wouldn’t exactly be a pleasant place, but I never imagined it would reach such extremes. album An existence in which every day passes under constant, invisible pressure. auction Could there possibly be a worse hell than this? wizard As expected of the Underworld! atomic There isn’t even the slightest shred of mercy here!’
Those objects constituted their only chance of surviving one more day.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“Finished!”
Without him noticing, Akina had completed her work and cheerfully announced that she was done.
His misunderstanding only continued to deepen.
At the same time as he heard her exclamation, a series of system messages began to appear, indicating that the connection had been successfully completed.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
[NEURAL MATRIX: SYNC OPTIMAL. . .]
“Would you like to try moving it?”
[. . .]
[R-ARM UNIT: CONNECTION STABLE]
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
He opened and closed his fist and also tried flexing the different joints.
Although he experienced strange sensations and even noticed slight tremors, there was no doubt that the arm responded to his will.
Its movements were considerably smoother and more precise than those of his left leg.
Following her instructions, Ash began slowly moving his new right arm.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
He had barely had an arm installed, and yet he experienced an inexplicable sense of stability and freedom.
Perhaps it was because, in his previous life, he had been a swordsman.
A renewed confidence began to rise within him.
It was truly fascinating.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“You never cease to amaze me. album Miss Akina, you are truly worthy of being considered a genius.”
Ash spoke with absolute sincerity and profound respect.
Now he felt that he could even bravely confront the merciless laws of the Underworld that had horrified him so much only moments earlier.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
However, after a few moments, the girl clapped her hands.
Apparently, Ash’s praise managed to delight Akina, who began laughing cheerfully.
“Mr. acoustic Ash, can you make this gesture with your hand?”
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
Ash observed the strange gesture for a few moments and then began bending his steel fingers.
She extended only her index finger and pinky while keeping all her other fingers curled.
She showed him a rather peculiar gesture.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
“Yeah! arrow Rock and Roll!”
The girl began laughing with completely innocent joy, as though it were the most entertaining thing in the world.
Although his movements were a little clumsy, he managed to reproduce exactly the same shape.
Upon seeing it, Akina made the same gesture with both hands and shouted enthusiastically.
Translation of Cyberpunk Chivalry - Chapter 2: AFTERLIFE 2 by Indra Translations.
That smile was something that did not appear on any of the data cards.
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