Chapter 32: Battle!
The stench in the air was suffocating, thick and clinging like rot beneath the skin. No matter how fiercely the desert wind howled, it could never quite carry the stink away. If anything, it only stirred the putrid scent, churning it up and pushing it into your lungs like poison. This was 2076. Humanity had long since learned to control radiation, terraform dead zones, and even reprogram bacteria to purify the air. But Taipingzhou and the Badlands? They weren't part of Night City. And what didn't belong to Night City was abandoned.
Anyone with real money wouldn't be caught dead here. They'd be lounging in the upper floors of the Ritz Bar, sipping overpriced synth-whiskey while watching a Braindance idol perform for a crowd too numb to care. But here? This place was where the unwanted drifted to die. No one came here unless they had nothing left.
Even birds had forsaken the region. The Bird Extermination Act saw to that. The locals joked that Night City was the only place birds refused to migrate through. It wasn't just a joke, though. It was policy.
Arthur adjusted the old, clunky walkie-talkie strapped to his chest. The device was a relic, probably older than he was, patched up more times than he could count. He twisted the dial to a private channel, holding it up to his mouth.
"This is Arthur," he said, voice crackling through the static. "Dear wanderer friends, I've arrived at the location. Report your arrival time."
Using this outdated tech felt like a slap in the face, but there were no alternatives. Out here, in the digital wasteland beyond Night City's grid, brain implants and neural relays were useless. The Badlands were a dead zone, and only analog communication had any chance of working.
The response came after a pause. "This is Saul from Adecado," a rough, tired voice growled. "Password, please."
Arthur smirked, flicking the cigarette from his lips. "I'm not a cyberpsycho."
There was a moment of silence, then, "Password accepted. Bang bang bang! Damn it! The address is sent—get here fast, or you might have to visit hell for your reward!"